boxofmisfits | The Lover and the Best Friend

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The Lover and the Best Friend

The mission had taken the Chimaera near the very edges of the Outer Rim this time, almost within the Unknown Region. They'd gotten word of suspicious activity out in the area, from a couple of smugglers who claimed that strange aliens had taken his friends. The way they'd described the attack had sent a chill down Thrawn's back, even though it wouldn't show.

Thus, here they were, on the edge somewhere near where one left the Outer Rim and went into the Unknown Region, while still staying within Charted space.

Coming out of hyperspace had put them near a freighter that looked deserted, drifting in dead space. Before Thrawn could give orders, another ship came out of hyperspace near the freighter. One that Thrawn recognized.

He hailed the other ship, and got a reply in Cheunh. Just as he thought. After exchanging words with the Admiral of the other ship, requesting her and one other individual he knew would be on there, the connection closed and he got out his comm.

"Altair, meet me in hanger bay six. We are expecting guests."

Upon reaching said hanger bay, and the moment Altair arrived, he held out his hand, "I suggest you relinquish your lightsaber for the moment."

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Altair's life at Thrawn's side was possibly the calmest it ever had been. Even the chaotic moments seemed rare, a far cry from the complete and utter insanity his life had been in his own time. He enjoyed it though- being of use when his talents were needed, being in Thrawn's company when there was downtime, and spending his time writing, creating art, and studying the artifacts they'd recovered from the vault on Rishi when Thrawn was otherwise occupied.

That had been what he'd been doing, when the Grand Admiral called- studying an artifact he was 99.9% certain was either cursed with some ancient Sith ritual or haunted- or both. He couldn't be sure just yet, but was eager to find out.

Of course, as soon as he was told to meet the other Chiss, the artifact was put aside, and his veil was put on, and he headed out to meet him. An officer walked with him part of the way, grabbing him by the arm sort of without asking, though it was one he was familiar with- so he didn't mind so much. He could sense his concern for him going places he wasn't familiar with, after all. By the time Altair reached the hangar bay, the officer had said his farewells, and told him to be careful not to trip over anything.

There were a few who seemed to have their suspicions that Altair could see, but they were few, and none seemed entirely certain.

And it was hardly important right now, anyway, as he handed his lightsaber pike over to Thrawn once he was at his side, "Handle it with care."

A pause then, "... Is there any particular reason why I can't keep it on me?"

"Because I believe it will be wise for you to be unarmed for whom we are about to meet," Thrawn explained, holding the weapon behind his back. It did very little to hide it, given that the weapon was rather long, but the intent wasn't to hide it so much as just disarm the Sith.

Walking into the hanger bay, Thrawn explained, "I believe we may have discovered Grysk activity." Which was worrying in and of itself, if they ventured even this little bit out of the Unknown Region. "Fortunately, some allies of mine seem to have been tracking them as well. We will have much to discuss."

The alien shuttle was pulling into the hanger bay by now, and Thrawn watched as it landed. The craft landed and with a hiss of gas, the ramp lowered, revealing two figures.

One was a Chiss woman in a white uniform of a CEDF Admiral, while the other was a human man in a black uniform. Both descended the ramp, and the human's emotions lit up upon seeing Thrawn, seeming to not even notice Altair at first. It was the joy of seeing a friend for the first time in a long while.

In Cheuhn, Thrawn greeted them, "It is a pleasure to see you again, Admiral, and you, Eli." He waved at Altair with his free hand. "May I introduce Altair Kallig."

Ar'alani's emotions would be as hard to read as Thrawn's, but Eli was obviously intrigued by Thrawn's new ally.

"... I see."

That made sense, he supposed. Best to not alarm any ally by having an armed Sith come along, though he was never truly without a weapon, of course. The news that Grysk activity might have been discovered unnerved him as well, as though he wasn't familiar with them himself, he knew the look on Thrawn's face whenever they came up well.

The fact that Thrawn saw them as a threat was enough for him. The fact that Thrawn feared them made him want to wipe their entire species off the face of the galaxy, known and unknown, until there was nothing left but space dust.

Following along, he tensed as he sensed the familiar shielded mind of a Chiss, even as he could feel the happy, excited emotions of a human, too. Feeling Thrawn's guarded mind put him at ease now. This unfamiliar one? He was sure he looked about ready to bolt.

When Thrawn introduced him to the pair, he only gave a slight bow of the head in greeting, lips pulled into a tight line, shoulders drawn up slightly, obviously tense- much like he had been the day Thrawn had found him. He understood now why Thrawn had asked for his lightsaber.

Ar'alani's red eyes bored into Altair. Like she were trying to figure out if Altair was Chiss, because he certainly didn't act like a Chiss. Memories of Thrawn and Altair's first meeting came to mind, when the Sith had still been terrified of him. It seemed he still had a long way to go before he would be ready to integrate into Chiss society.

Eli was much more open, "Nice to meet you, Altair. Any friend of Thrawn's is a friend of mine."

Ar'alani decided to get right to business, speaking in Cheuhn, "Why are you here, Mitth'raw'nuruodo?"

"I suspect we are here for much of the same reason. We picked up someone who had escaped the Grysks and have come to investigate."

They went back and forth, Eli standing by, occasionally regarding Altair. Both Admirals came to an agreement, deciding to work together for now. That included asking to borrow Eli for a while.

Turning to Altair, he said, "I wish to catch up with Lieutenant Vanto. Meet us back here in an hour, I will have a special mission for you," Wordlessly, he handed Altair back his lightsaber, which made Eli's eyes widen with shock.

Edited 2019-11-12 07:20 (UTC)

Altair managed a small, extra nod of greeting toward Eli- despite his nervousness, he wouldn't be rude, especially when he'd gone out of his way to speak to him. Having those open emotions to focus on allowed him to relax a little, though Thrawn's shielded mind, the familiarity of it, was the reason why he managed to keep himself together as well as he did.

Despite the fact that he couldn't sense anything from the unfamiliar female Chiss, her mind still felt different than Thrawn's.

The conversation in Cheuhn was... Difficult to follow. His head tilted here and there as he picked up on familiar words, though it was quite different to listen to the words exchanged between native speakers, and the patience in which Thrawn taught him. The little he could speak was still stilted, awkward, and he started to feel less and less like a Chiss the more he listened, arms crossed, fingers curled and gripping onto the silky material of his shirt. Not understanding this was quite different from when he hadn't understood what it was to be Sith.

Being Sith was- sort of- a choice. Being Chiss was not.

Having the point driven home made him want to withdraw entirely and toss himself into his writings.

When Thrawn turned back to him he snapped back to attention though, nodding his head as he accepted his lightsaber pike back, slinging it over his shoulder, "Understood."

Thrawn wordlessly walked to the lift, Eli close behind him. Ar'alani regarded Altair with curiosity before she retreated back to the shuttle for now.

The next hour, Eli and Thrawn spent some time catching up, sharing successes and meaningful events. It was good to see his friend again, and Thrawn knew he'd made the right choice in sending Eli to his people. He also spoke of Altair, and Eli seemed quite shocked at a lot of the things Thrawn told him. Eli of course accepted the mission Thrawn intended to send him on.

Once in the hanger bay again, Thrawn waited for Altair to return, exchanging a few quick words with Eli in Cheunh again.

When Altair arrived, he addressed the Sith, "Are you ready for your mission?"

If the fact that he'd been listening in on the conversation as best he could had been noticed, he wouldn't know. If following a conversation in Cheuhn had marked him as indeed being Chiss to this unfamiliar woman, he had no idea. She had not said anything, and Altair could not sense anything. Her mind was scary, the utter blankness.

Altair hoped he wouldn't have to deal with the unfamiliar Chiss for too long.

The hour's wait was spent in his quarters, meditating on the Sith Code rather than anything else. He didn't think he had the focus to work on his art or on his writings, or even the artifact. Once the hour was up, he made his way back.

Thrawn's familiar shielded mind, and then Eli's, unfamiliar, but open.

He nodded his head in response to the question, "Of course."

"Good," Thrawn stood before Altair, a hint of softness coming into his voice. "Admiral Ar'alani has agreed that we should work together for now, and that means we may be working closely with her and her crew." In other words, unfamiliar Chiss, something he knew would set Altair on edge. And he'd rather the Sith not throw anything at her.

"I am sending Lieutenant Vanto to uncover the source of the attack and hopefully find a pattern. I wish for you to accompany him." Eli waved sheepishly behind Thrawn at Altair. Thrawn lowered his voice just slightly, "Protect him, Altair, as you would any of my crew."

Turning back to Eli, he asked, "Are you prepared?"

Eli nodded, "I won't let you down."

"I know. I can count on you."

Unfamiliar Chiss. Well, Altair supposed he'd have to get used to them sooner or later. One day he was sure he would follow Thrawn back to the Ascendancy. There was, after all, no other place for him in this time, in this galaxy, than at Thrawn's side. Still this felt a little like being thrown off the deep end before he'd even learned to swim.

Still, that softness in Thrawn's tone of voice, then his request. Altair was sure he could become used to just about anything, and would do just about anything for him.

"I swear on my life," He promised, putting a hand to his chest and giving a slight bow. Even with their relationship being what it was, showing Thrawn the utmost respect in public was a habit that was there to stay- and he was serious. Eli was obviously very important to him, so Altair would put his own life on the line if it became necessary.

He just hoped he and Eli would get along- after all, it would be the worst if he couldn't manage to get along with someone so important to his lover.

"Then I wish you both luck."

Eli gave a last nod to Thrawn before he started towards the shuttle, not once making a move to grab Altair or guide the supposedly blind man. Thrawn had indeed told him a lot about the mysterious guest on the Chimaera.

Once inside the shuttle, Eli took the pilot's seat and took off from the hanger.

Even though it was just the two of them, he still waited until they were out of the hanger to address Altair directly, "So, Thrawn tells me that you're Sith." As if the lightsaber didn't make that quite obvious.

"I am," Altair confirmed, with a slight nod of the head. The fact that he hadn't been grabbed, guided, said a lot. Even the crew of the Chimaera did that, after all, even though they knew he could see through the Force. Altair supposed that in this time when the Jedi and the Sith were very nearly only a dream or a nightmare, the Force seemed like such a mysterious thing, that they couldn't really grasp the concept.

They had grasped that a Sith was dangerous, but once they felt that he wasn't dangerous any more, they'd gone back to grabbing him by the arm and leading him around if they felt he'd wandered too far from familiar surroundings.

Not Eli though. Altair wondered what else Thrawn had told him.

"... Is that frightening?"

What Thrawn had and had not told him could come later. For now, his focus was on making sure that Eli knew that he meant no harm- not to him. And certainly not to Thrawn. He probably, possibly, knew already. But he still felt the need to prove it.

"It would be, if Thrawn hadn't vouched for you."

Thrawn had assured Eli that Altair could be trusted, and that he wasn't like Darth Vader or the Sith of legends. Eli trusted Thrawn, and if he said that Altair was okay, then he believed him. Altair was only dangerous to their enemies, he said. If that was true, then Eli was glad that the Sith was on their side.

Though, once the shock of Thrawn allying himself with a Sith had worn off, the other details had caught up with Eli. Those had been shocking in and of itself.

"I've just never met a Chiss who was also Sith." He then hastily added, "He didn't tell me your species. I figured it out, and he just confirmed that I was right."

He shouldn't be surprised, really. Thrawn was an exceptional man, it was only natural that he'd surround himself with people who were the same. It was still somewhat disheartening to know that it was so easy to see through him, if one knew what to look for.

"... I got the feeling that it's rare, yes."

Even in his time. Never mind Sith or Jedi, he hadn't even met any other Chiss who was Force-sensitive. Certainly no other Chiss who was as strong in the Force as he was. His bloodline likely had something to do with it. Even if he didn't know of anyone else in his family with strength in the Force, there was Aloysius and there was him. Sith blood, however diluted, probably counted for something.

"It would be fine even if he had been the one to tell you. I trust Thrawn. More than I trust myself. More than I trust the Force."

He fell quiet a moment, before speaking up; "... Is it okay if I take this off then?"

He gestured up to his veil. If it was just the two of them, and Eli already knew, he figured it was fine. At least for as long as it was just the two of them.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't think Admiral Ar'alani's figured it out. I just know the finer differences between a Chiss and a Pantoran, and you're so un-Chisslike that I think she's just assumed that you're another blue skinned alien rather than her own kind. Pretty sure if you went on board her ship, nobody there would figure out you're one of them."

Thrawn told him that most of the crew still had no idea what Altair's true species was, because he was just so unlike Thrawn and unlike what Eli said the Chiss were like. Even Altair's accent was different from Thrawn's. Eli was just good at spotting patterns, as Thrawn had taught him to do.

"Sure, I don't mind if you take it off."

Thrawn had told him that Altair wasn't truly blind, but not the reason why he wore the veil. Eli could probably piece it together himself, since Thrawn trusted he was smart enough to do so, assuming Altair didn't tell him himself.

"I'm just glad you're on our side."

"... I don't think I'd be one of them, even if I went aboard her ship, and they knew what I am."

Ever and always the outsider. After all, he didn't truly belong in this time. And so little of him was Chiss-like. Thrawn had made him start to take a bit more pride in being what he was. Learning the language, watching Thrawn at work and looking up to him, learning a little more what it meant to be Chiss. He still feared anyone who wasn't Thrawn, but... Well, it was complicated.

Altair thought it always would be.

He also couldn't help but have a slight fear that if anyone but Thrawn knew, he'd be locked away for study. His strength in the Force was not waning, after all. If anything, he'd been growing stronger. Not a concern he'd ever bring up, not a concern he'd ever voice, nor really did he think it a realistic concern. It was just the difference in attitudes from what he was used to, and what he'd been told.

It was probably a good thing he was a Sith rather than a Jedi, as his fears were at least useful to him as he was.

He didn't say any of that, of course, and reaching up, he pulled his veil off, and put it in his lap for the time being, swiping a hand through light blue hair to push any loose strands away from his face, and he smiled just a little, "Thrawn has a certain way with people... He inspires loyalty."

Altair was glad he was on Thrawn's side, too. And thus, by proxy, on their side.

"Yeah, I saw how nervous you were around Ar'alani, and Thrawn confirmed that's just how you are around other Chiss."

It was so odd to him, since the Chiss treasured their Force sensitives, for they were how they got around the galaxy, lacking the sophisticated nav-computers in this part of the galaxy. If the Ascendancy knew about Altair, he'd likely become their most closely guarded secret, and seen as a possible key to having more adult sky-walkers, so they didn't have to recruit children.

The fact that Altair was a man, and not a little girl, was odd in and of itself, since the gift wasn't seen very often in boys to begin with. That Altair was a fully-fledged Sith, with most of the powers that game with it, was like discovering the rarest, most precious gemstone in the galaxy.

"That he does. Even before he was a Grand Admiral, he knew how to inspire loyalty. The time serving with him really was some of the best years of my life. Even if I didn't really feel so at first."

It had taken Eli some time to really appreciate what Thrawn had done for him.

"That obvious, huh?" He asked, with a touch of humor to his voice.

Well, Altair was fairly certain that anyone could see it, if they were looking. He had his reasons, of course. None that he'd get into now though. The only people who needed to know was him and Thrawn. Altair wasn't sure, if he'd been lied to and made to be a scapegoat by his family, or if Chiss attitudes toward the Force had changed over the thousands of years that had passed between then and now.

If he went digging in the Ascendancy he'd probably find an answer. History was never as far gone as it seemed, even if the whole picture couldn't be found. There were parts that were washed away by the sands of time, but it had been his job to piece the past together, to find that which had been hidden away.

But the fact that it would take him to the Ascendancy meant that it certainly wouldn't happen for years.

"... I can imagine. He leads with such confidence, he always seems to be ten steps ahead, he's logical, rational..."

Was he gushing? He was gushing. He absolutely was. It was still okay, he supposed. Whenever he spoke about Thrawn these days, the people around him merely pitied him, for what they thought was a one-sided crush. He didn't know what Thrawn had told Eli about their relationship, but he'd let the human come to whatever conclusion he wanted.

"... You should tell me about those years, when you feel like it."

The situation, along with the fact that they'd more or less only just met, made now a less than ideal time for long conversations, really.

"I'd like to hear. Not only about him, but about you too. You're obviously important to him. I want to know more about you too."

Kind, observant, intelligent. Altair could see why the two of them got along.

Eli smiled just slightly as Altair gushed about Thrawn. He couldn't blame the Sith, because Thrawn was certainly worth gushing about. That man was the greatest tactical genius in the entire galaxy, and the best hope for the galaxy. It made Eli miss serving with him, even if he knew that his work in the Ascendancy was important and he didn't intend to let Thrawn down.

It was a bit odd, to see a Sith talk about a non-Force User in such a way, since everything Eli ever heard about the Sith was that they were full of themselves and anyone who didn't have the Force was dirt under their feet. Yet Altair was speaking of Thrawn as if he were the greatest thing since hot chocolate.

"I'd love to tell you about our adventures, and all the things we got into back then," Eli replied. Thrawn was always worth talking about.

"As for me, I'm not much compared to Thrawn, I'm afraid. I'm from a planet out in Wild Space, which doesn't make me popular with the Core World folk. My parents own a shipping company and I was all set to become a supply officer before Thrawn came into my life."

Altair arched an eyebrow at that.

"Most people are not much compared to Thrawn. I am not, either."

Altair had his intelligence, political experience, his zeal for ancient artifacts and knowledge, and his mastery of the Force. Thrawn though, Thrawn was so much more than even he could ever be. Even with that knowledge though, he didn't think Thrawn would want him to compare himself to him, and call himself not much compared to. He didn't think he'd want Eli to, either.

"Even saying that though, I don't think you should say that you are not much compared to him. In my experience, Thrawn surrounds himself with exceptional people. Intelligent, knowledgeable, talented people. People who may not always see what he sees, but are crafty in their own right. He cares about you, enough to ask me to protect you."

He wasn't sure if he was getting his point across, but, "... I think you must be pretty special, for him to care about you so deeply."

As for not being popular though, all he could do about that was shrug his shoulders, "As for not being popular, in my experience, the elites of any world will find any excuse to look down on someone. Being from the wrong world, being newly rich, or old money, being exceptional, not being exceptional... The list goes on and on... In my experience, the ones who make the most noise about such things are vapid and can be safely disregarded, and nothing of value will be lost. And the ones who cannot be disregarded and go out of their way to get in your way can be maneuvered around."

To hear a Sith compare himself as lesser than Thrawn, Eli wasn't sure if that said more about Altair or Thrawn. Perhaps it was a combination of Altair being much nicer and less egotistical than the Sith of legends, and Thrawn just being that impressive.

Altair was proving to be an interesting one, and not just because he was a Sith who just so happened to be Chiss. Thrawn had said the circumstances by which he'd come on board the Chimeara had been unusual, but hadn't elaborated. The Grand Admiral had only said that it was some kind of Force thing, and that he trusted Eli to be clever enough to piece it together if Altair didn't confess himself.

The Sith admired Thrawn a lot, and Eli could see that he and Thrawn were close, by the way Thrawn and he spoke of each other. It was obviously much more subdued with Thrawn, but Eli had been around Thrawn long enough to read his expressions.

Altair also had a point about who Thrawn surrounded himself with. He remembered Faro telling him that he was one of the only people on the Chimaera who could see where Thrawn was going with his plans.

"You got that right. I was originally studying at this academy where more people from my region of space went, and then I found myself at the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant, because Thrawn insisted I stay with him. I dunno if he told you this, but when we found him, he didn't speak Basic very well, but he did speak Sy Bisti. And I just so happened to be the only person on the ship who could also speak Sy Bisti, so I was his translator and Basic instructor. It helped that I was the only one who had even heard of the Chiss race."

Eli hadn't been very happy about it at the time, but even then, he'd been fascinated by the strange alien he'd only heard about in stories.

"I certainly think I'm special to him. He's my best friend, and even if we're light-years apart, he'll always be my best friend. And, he considers me his friend too. Personally, I think part of the reason he wanted me around him, besides the more practical one, was so that he wouldn't get lonely."

Eli still had that journal Thrawn had written, where the last entry had been a confession that Thrawn considered Eli his friend. It was an undeniably tender gesture from one such as Thrawn.

Edited 2019-11-13 22:17 (UTC)

"It is my understanding that Chiss are rare outside of the Ascendancy..."

He didn't know what that said about him, that that was the part he latched onto first. Still, it had become so much more obvious to him now, that besides himself who had never been in the Ascendancy, and Thrawn who had left with the intention of one day returning, Chiss didn't venture so far out of the Ascendancy, and certainly not with a frequency where they could be called common. They weren't really in his time, either.

But there had still been some. On Hoth, especially, but also on Dromund Kaas, and Ilum, and Ziost. While not closely, they had still been allied with the Sith Empire, and from what Altair had heard, were seen as valuable allies as they were seen to not have any moral hangups about the cruelty of the Sith.

Not an assessment Altair agreed with, personally. Of course it could be because he was Chiss himself, and while hardly a typical one, was not without a moral compass. Being willing to do whatever it took to ensure stability and prosperity, to deal with threats... But then, most people equated ruthlessness with not having a moral compass, and it certainly wasn't any Chiss' fault that people were morons.

Nothing he needed to retreat into his own thoughts to ponder on now, he supposed.

Snapping out of it, he shook his head, before offering a slight smile, "I'm glad you were there for him. I'm glad he has a friend like you."

Being lonely was an awful thing. He was glad Eli had been there to alleviate it then. And he was glad he was at Thrawn's side now.

"They tend to stick to the Unknown Region, it's true. My homeworld only had stories about them to go off of."

And even then, those stories tended to be inaccurate. Thrawn had found them amusing when Eli had told them to him, but still found it interesting, based on what the stories he chose to share said about Eli himself. Thrawn had figured out so much about him in just a short amount of time. It was a bit creepy at first, but it was just how Thrawn was.

Eli could tell that Altair wasn't from the Ascendancy. Where he came from was another mystery. The accent was Imperial, he could tell that much. Perhaps his parents had gotten marooned outside of Chiss space? Eli could come up with a few ideas, and still have no idea how Altair could have gotten Sith training, or come to fear his own kind the way he did.

"Likewise, I'm glad he has you now."

Being the only alien officer among the Imperials, Eli knew that feeling all too well since he went to work with the Chiss. He could understand Thrawn's struggles all the better these days.

"Is he still as politically blind as he was when I was with him?"

Altair wondered if there was some hidden intent by the words I'm glad he has you now. Not a friend like. Though he doubted Thrawn would have told him about the nature of their relationship- it wasn't like him, after all, and it was hidden between the two of them in public, kept private. Despite the pity he could sometimes feel from the people who thought him to have a one-sided crush, and some occasional attempts to set him up with someone else, Altair preferred it that way. It felt special.

It was another thing he decided not to dwell on. Whether Eli knew or not didn't really matter.

His question made him laugh softly, "I haven't seen him in action dealing with politics all that much, but it's a bent he doesn't have, I think. Not that that's a bad thing..."

Politics were often two-faced, dishonest, manipulative. None of those were words he'd ever apply to Thrawn.

"Politics are... Complicated. You need to read between the lines, know that your opponents have different goals than yours even if yours may be the best course of action, and that they're probably not opposed to sugarcoating their words so that their benefit is ultimately greater than yours... I've never met a politician who's honest, and that crooked nature can be difficult to grasp... I was a politician of sorts myself, and honestly the amount of cards that aren't immediately put on the table..."

He shook his head. That someone as honorable as Thrawn was politically blind... Well, Altair did find that part of him charming, but it was disadvantageous, he knew.

"... I suppose that's what he has people like me for."

Yet another piece of the puzzle that was Altair's backstory. Thrawn wasn't kidding when he said Altair had a complicated history, one that didn't quite fit in with galactic society as they knew it. Perhaps Altair was from a different part of the Unknown Region, outside of the Ascendancy?

"Well, he said he appreciated it when I kept him from making any career-killing errors, because I knew the Empire better than he did."

And now he had to rely on that Pryce woman. Not exactly a comforting thought. Not that he thought that Thrawn was out of his league in dealing with her, and he would always have the upper hand when he interacted with her, but her actions at Batonn had left a bad taste in Eli's mouth.

"See, in the Ascendancy, the military is completely apolitical. As in, you don't get command of a dreadnaught just because you or a relative have the right connections. I might have been a bit resentful of him at first, because if his career crashed and burned, then I would go down with him."

Eli obviously didn't feel that way anymore.

"I can imagine..."

Chiss society was so strange to him. It was another part where he really just wouldn't fit in. He was used to playing someone else's game for his own benefit, or having someone play his. That was just the sort of games one had to play, being Sith. Especially a Sith who had been in his position. And now that he was used to it, could he ever go back to being anything else? He wasn't sure.

Would he fit in, would he even have a place, when he followed Thrawn back to the Ascendancy in the future?

Well, all he really needed was Thrawn, he supposed. So long as he was at Thrawn's side, he thought everything would be just fine.

"Can you tell me more about the Ascendancy? I'd ask Thrawn- I mean, he has taught me a lot, including being patient with me as I learn Cheuhn and probably butcher every single word I say- but... It's honestly sort of humiliating, being Chiss, and having the only thing I know by heart be unspeakable curse words..."

He felt ignorant. Completely, utterly. Not a feeling he liked.

He was no stranger to feeling like an outsider, but that didn't mean he liked the idea of getting completely used to that.

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