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 couldn't help but tilt his head at that. How strange. Admittedly he hadn't interacted with many Chiss in his day, even less that got to call him by name, rather than Lord Kallig, or Darth Nox, depending on the time he'd interacted with them. He found himself glad that Thrawn had been the first Chiss he'd met in this time- likely the only Chiss he'd interact with for the foreseeable future, too.

"That is somehow both strange and endearing at the same time," He said, still looking a bit puzzled.

He didn't completely understand how Chiss names worked either, of course, but still. He was in the process of learning, and any Chiss who would prefer being referred to by their full name rather than core name, he would respect and take the time to learn to say it without completely butchering it.

"Can't say I've met any Chiss with that particular quirk myself... Admittedly I haven't met all that many."

Eli smiled a little. "Some Chiss have made the effort to call me by my human name, mostly Thrass and some of the navigators."

Eli liked the sky-walkers. The ones he'd gotten to know were like the sisters he'd never had. Briefly, he wondered if Altair had the Third Sight, or even Second Sight. Thrawn had said he'd they'd yet to need Altair for such a task, but he believed Altair had the potential to navigate a ship in the way the sky-walkers did.

"I imagine they'd call you Alt'air'kallig if you served alongside fellow Chiss," The smile suddenly widened a little. "And then they'd start calling you Tairk."

"... Right. Just introducing myself by Altair then, should it ever come up."

Altair was rather fond of the name he had been given, though he had no clue who it was that had given it to him. It had always felt right, always felt like him, even though there had been times that he'd wondered what it would have been, had he not been Force-sensitive. Had his family actually cared for him, rather than wished him dead for something he could not control. It wasn't as though he'd chosen to be as he was, after all.

"I doubt it will, though, not any time soon anyway. I intend to follow Thrawn regardless of where his path takes him, but... I think worrying about other Chiss is something for the future, not for right now."

"Some of us would like nothing more than for Thrawn to come home," Thrass missed his brother, just as Eli missed his friend. Eli had told Thrawn as much. "But we understand that he has a mission, and he intends to see it through."

Thrawn wasn't one to give up. He intended to turn the Empire into a powerful ally to help in the grysk invasion, even if that took a long time. Eli just hoped he knew what he was doing in waiting for Palpatine to bite the big one, because Eli was quite sure the Emperor had no intention to die. Not without taking the rest of the galaxy with him.

"When that day comes, when he can return, you'll be gladly welcomed alongside him." He wondered what the sky-walkers would make of Altair. Because he was like them, only with powers they'd never have.

"He does. And I'll be by his side, every step of the way."

So long as Thrawn allowed it, for whatever he needed him for. Altair would be there, at his side. There would be times when his assistance wouldn't be needed, but even then, Thrawn would have his company. Altair couldn't imagine himself being anywhere else but with him.

He wondered if his feelings for Thrawn were as obvious to Eli as they had been to Thrawn himself. But then, they both admired the man, so maybe it just came across as loyalty and admiration. But then, there were those aboard the Chimaera who had read his feelings for Thrawn as romantic already, and were waiting for him to be rejected.

For now it hadn't been brought up so he wouldn't worry about it.

"I do hope the day will come sooner rather than later. I might be scared, but for him it's home."

"You know Thrawn, he's nothing if not patient. It took him ten years to get to the rank of Grand Admiral, though admittedly he did jump ahead in promotions several times because he was just that good." That Thrawn reached the rank of Admiral so quickly was testament to his intelligence and strategic mind, especially given the xenophobia he had to deal with.

Eli checked the reading on the navi-computer. Tatooine wasn't far now. He stood up, "I'm gonna go change real quick. Thrawn thought ahead to pack us some civilian clothes. It's doubtful that the people of Tatooine would recognize my uniform, but they'd probably recognize it as a uniform."

Altiar's outfit wasn't immediately recognizable as Sith garments, though Eli doubted that the planet's citizens would jump to that conclusion or even know what a Sith typically wore.

"That he is," Altair agreed, with a nod. It was one of the things Altair admired about him, but then, there was nothing about Thrawn that Altair didn't admire. He admired his intellect, his patience, his strategic mind, his strength, his kindness and honesty.

Shaking his head to stop himself from thinking too much of Thrawn, as they had a mission to do, he nodded, "Alright."

He really did wonder how Tatooine had changed. If anything at all that he had once known was still there. It had always been sand and insufferable heat, but there had been mysteries too. He'd known once he stood on its surface again, he supposed, still there was something sort of nostalgic about the thought. Chasing this enemy was not the same thing as chasing artifacts and secrets, but still. Perhaps returning was a little sad, too, when he took the time to think about it.

Andronikos was long dead, after all. He didn't regret being in this time any more. But he wished he could have at least bid his companions farewell before their paths had split in such an unusual and curious way.

Eli came back into the cockpit wearing a loose-fitting tunic with a hood to keep the sun off his face, along with pants and boots suited for a sandy planet. Now that he thought about it, Altair's veil was probably not a bad thing to wear on a planet like Tatooine, not to mention the white clothing.

"I would think we won't be on that planet for too long. I know Chiss don't do well in the heat."

"I'll manage however long it does take. A day, a week. Makes no difference to me."

He'd trekked deep out into the desert before, following a path of death and betrayal across the dunes. It had been interesting, really. And while something else was his motivation this time, his instinct to protect Eli, and his desire to see this mission through, would keep him focused, even with the heat of the suns beating down on them.

"I suppose what I'm trying to say is don't worry."

He was a little less used to it now, but it wasn't so long ago that he was flying all across the galaxy, braving all kinds of environments. He didn't think he'd become so unused to it now that it would be a problem.

Eli pulled out his datapad and looked up what he could about Tatooine, since he'd never actually been to the planet. It wasn't considered Imperial territory and had nothing the Empire wanted, and thus was quietly ignored.

Perhaps one day, when Thrawn had accumulated all the power he needed, they would come here and end the slavery rings that still went on.

Eli pulled the lever to take them out of hyperspace, the planet now before them. Once they were close enough, he hailed the space port and got clearance to land.

Once they were settled in and docked, Eli looked over at Altair, "Let's hope we find what we need."

"Indeed," He agreed, having put his veil back on to hide his eyes. Regardless of what they found, best to hide what he was. Should any of their enemies be on Tatooine, or individuals associated with those abominable creatures, then hiding his eyes was the safest bet.

"Have you been to Tatooine before?" He asked, realizing that while Eli had asked him that question, he hadn't questioned whether he had ever gone to this accursed dust ball before. The Tatooine Altair knew was probably different to what it currently was.

Even Tatooine had to change in nearly four-thousand years. Time marched ever forward regardless of planet, after all.

"... I will likely have to rely on you, regardless. It's been a long, long time, since I've been here..."

So long that all he'd once known had likely crumbled away to dust and been reclaimed by the desert.

"No, the Empire never considered this world worth anything, so we were never sent here. Nor did Nightswan ever have any operations set up here." Eli wondered if Thrawn had told Altair about Nightswan. A conversation for later, no doubt. He remembered how sad Thrawn had been when he found out Pryce's actions killed him too.

Thrawn had wanted Nightswan to go to the Chiss and aid them. Sometimes Eli couldn't help but ponder if Thrawn would have sent them both, or if he would have kept Eli at his side had Nightswan said yes. Certainly, the fact that Thrawn had sent Eli at all showed how highly Thrawn thought of him.

"My research says Jabba the Hutt runs out of this planet, so we'd best not get on his bad side."

Eli stepped out of the shuttle and into the port. The place was bustling with activity, though some couldn't help but turn their eyes towards the blue alien. Eli heard 'Pantoran' tossed around more than once in hushed whispers.

Exiting the space port, Eli had to put his hood up to shade his eyes. "Maybe we should start at the cantina."

"Strange," He commented, though he said no more than that. In his day, Tatooine had had Imperial settlements on it, after all. Not at all part of the Empire, but there were things they saw of value, even on Tatooine. The desert had held many secrets, waiting for those willing to search, to dig.

"And I'll be on my best behavior. Promise."

That seemed to be just a little bit of humor.

Stepping out into the port alongside Eli, he could feel many different energies from the people there. Positive, negative, curiosity. Quite the mix.

Still, it kept his mind of the fact that the planet's heat already felt like it was trying to suffocate him. He found himself missing Korriban. At least Korriban had been mercifully cold, much preferable to the sweltering heat of Tatooine.

His head tilted a little toward the people who spoke in hushed tones, but paid them little mind. They didn't feel like a threat. Not at the moment, anyway.

Following Eli outside, he nodded his head, "Good idea. Reminds me of the first time I came here, too. Andronikos was holed up in a cantina when I first met him... Had to threaten a dancer and bribe a bartender just to get to him. He wasn't too happy that the bartender blabbed, but it worked out."

For everyone, really. Altair got a new friend and an artifact, Andronikos had gotten his revenge, and Regg had gotten to live another day.

"... Sorry. I feel a little nostalgic, I guess."

He had no regrets, but his memories were his memories and they were mostly good ones.

"You should write a book about your life," Eli said. Threatening a dancer wasn't something very heroic, but Altiar was a Sith. Even if he was friendly, being a Sith did imply a dark side. Thrawn had certainly done questionable things in his quest to make Admiral, even if he hadn't enjoyed doing so.

Heading out into town, Eli did his best to look inconspicuous, which wasn't easy when he was accompanied by a man with blue skin. Some of the vendors tried to get their attention, asking if they wished to buy jewelry or what were being sold as genuine krayt dragon teeth and scales.

The cantina wasn't far, and thankfully it was an escape from the heat. Eli pulled his hood back, ignoring the dancers. "Our pirates were humans and weequay, based on what I gathered. And they were in the business of chop-shopping ships, and possibly also droid parts."

"I'm working on it, actually."

Sort of. He'd written a little about his own life. A lot about the lives of Sith who came before him. About how the Empire had been back then, about artifacts, and rituals so old now that he was the only living being who still knew them. Between all that, his own life, his own lived experience as a Sith nearly four-thousand years ago seemed so inconsequential. He'd been an influential Sith once upon a time...

But as always, he hardly considered himself so extraordinary that he deserved to be a focus. There was so much more to write about, after all. Knowledge he had from a time long before he'd been born.

And had Eli brought up his thoughts about Altair's lack of kindness in dealing with the dancer, Altair would have said that a threat was better than being shocked with lightning or choked.

As he said nothing however, Altair could only sense the slight shifts in his mood. So he followed along, keeping his guard up- ready to jump to Eli's defense if he needed to.

He sensed the feelings of the beings around them, too, and wondered just how rare people with blue skin were these days. The Chiss were one thing, but had the Pantorans withdrawn from the galactic stage too? Or were they simply not the types to visit Tatooine? And even then, he'd seen blue Twi'leks before- though he stood out from them on account of lacking lekku. And he stood out from Nautolans as there was no room beneath his veil to hide the long head-tresses. He briefly considered, for the future, to wear something that completely covered him up. But it was a thought better thought on at another time.

The slightly cooler air of the cantina made his shoulders lower just slightly, the relief from the extreme heat outside visible only of one looked, "I'll leave any talking to you. I find that people are generally more receptive to humans."

Rather than a strange alien of some indeterminate species.

No doubt Thrawn had seen all kinds of uses for a Sith, not to mention one who regularly worked with tombs and artifacts. The Grand Admiral didn't waste resources. Not that Thrawn saw Altair as just a resource. No more than he'd only seen Eli as a man good with numbers.

"Good idea. You can be my backup," Should anyone or anything mean them harm, Altair would surely sense it. Altair being so short and skinny, and his weapon not looking like a traditional lightsaber, would help to not make him look too dangerous and take any threats to them off-guard.

Eli walked up to the bar, ordering himself something light, and began asking his questions. He asked about the pirates who had come through, and what they were doing. If the bartender was suspicious, he didn't show it.

According to the bartender, the pirates had a 'mysterious, new client', and while on Tatooine, they'd been in the market for old droid parts, mainly from a junk collector who had recently come into a cache of old Clone Wars Seperatist droid parts. Eli didn't like the sound of that.

Altair nodded, acting casual as Eli asked the bartender questions. He could feel many things in the cantina, though nothing that felt like hostility, or even suspicion, from the patrons. Not yet anyway. Chances were they'd find themselves in at least one fight on this planet before leaving it again. It was just the sort of place Tatooine was, with or without Grysk involvement.

Hot, miserable, and lawless. That was how Tatooine always had been, and probably always would be.

He was listening in on Eli's conversation as well, sensing not only Eli's emotions, but the bartender's, too. Feeling the subtle shifts in both men's moods. Honestly, with what was being said, it sounded a whole lot like they would find trouble.

Saying nothing, he continued listening- and continued monitoring their surroundings through the Force. Last thing they needed was to be caught unaware.

At one point, the bartender asked who they were, and Eli quickly made up a yarn about being curious merchants. Whether the bartender believed that, he couldn't say. He did call Altair a Pantoran at one point, possibly because that was the only species of blue alien the man had seen and very few people would have heard of the Chiss.

Finishing up his questions, Eli thanked the man and began to walk out of the cantina. He whispered to Altair, "I have a theory. The grysks might be trying to reverse-engineer droids, maybe even ship parts they don't have."

Which would be bad. Thrawn's research on Clone War tech had taught him a lot about how nasty those Seperatist droids could be.

"It seems likely," Altair replied quietly, knowing little about the Clone War, as he hadn't bothered to learn all that much about the history of the time he found himself in, before he met Thrawn. He had been uninterested, after all, in anything. In anyone. Still, he knew enough that the Grysks getting their hands on such tech was a bad thing.

Much like one would not want an enemy to get their hands on any advanced technology, really. After all, there had been an arms race in his day and age too, both sides wishing to be superior, to secure victory through any means.

Anything this enemy was interested in was bound to be trouble, really.

He fell quiet as they walked, wanting to be out of anyone's earshot before he spoke again, "I imagine danger lies ahead. We should probably report back now before doing anything else, assuming it is safe to do so."

It was information Thrawn should be made aware of sooner rather than later- after all, who knew what trouble he and Eli would find later down the line as they pursued this lead.

"Good idea. Keep your senses open, in case someone tries to follow us." When one with the Force told you that danger might lie ahead, you listened to them. Eli just hoped those pirates had only been contracted by the Grysks, and not brought under their thrall.

Eli led Altair back to the docking port and their ship, and from there the cockpit, where the subspace transponder was. Punching in the frequency for the Chimaera, they thankfully didn't have long to wait before a communications officer picked up.

"Is the Grand Admiral available?" The officer said that he was and patched the message through to him.

Thrawn's face came up on the holo-projector. To anyone else, the Grand Admiral looked as cold and stoic as ever, but Eli could tell that he was glad to hear from the two of them. Thrawn's position indicated that he was sitting, meaning he was likely in his office and they could speak freely.

"Eli, Altair, what news do you bring?"

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The Lover and the Best Friend

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