The Lover and the Best Friend

[admiralchiss]

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."

Comments

[kallig]

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.

[backwaterimperial]

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.

[kallig]

"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.

[backwaterimperial]

"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?"