boxofmisfits | (no subject)

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An Imperial of old might call this planet a lawless and chaotic place. Azrael would not. It wasn't the orderly cities of the Sith Empire, with its military presence and carefully maintained control, but it was peaceful. The arguments were over simple, petty things, and fights were rare. Crimes most certainly happened, as they did everywhere where any significant number of people lived, but not with such frequency as to be a problem, and they were most commonly quickly taken care of.

It was peaceful.

That was why the intent to kill stuck out so much. That sense of something being wrong had been persistent throughout the day. Darkness spreading through the light threads of the Force that bound all living things together. His unease had been noted by his employees, and though his cantina had been set to be open until late into the night, he sent everyone home early after telling them all to be careful.

They didn't understand, of course. But they trusted him, which was what mattered.

It was dark outside by the time he could feel a familiar mind as he reached out with the Force to try and determine just what was setting him off. Closed off, but familiar nonetheless. But something was wrong- he could tell. The familiar mind was closed off, but there was a second one- different, but similar enough- and a third that felt open. Human. And that mind was fearful.

The red Sith didn't need to stand around sensing the aggression that hung in the air once he'd zeroed in on the two Chiss minds and the human one. With an easy movement he'd retrieved his lightsaber and was out the door, rushing through mostly empty streets.

By the time he came upon the scene they were surrounded, and as though Azrael needed further prompting, seeing some thug point a blaster at Thrass was more than enough to tell him that he didn't need to show any restraint here. In a split second the blade of his lightsaber flared to life and as he flung it forward, the thug lost both his blaster and his hand, and with Force in his step, the Sith had leapt into the thick of things, pulling his lightsaber back to him- now in between this group of thugs and Thrass and the other Chiss and the human. There was an outcry as two thugs reacted by shooting at the newly arrived opponent- each blaster bolt deflected back at them, hitting them in the thigh and arm respectively. A swipe of his hand sent one large alien aggressor sideways and into a wall with enough force to crack it- and crack some bones too by the sound of it- followed by getting slammed down into the ground hard enough that he wouldn't be getting up for a while.

Two men faltered and ran, one was down and out, three were nursing injuries and scrambling away as quickly as they could, knowing that they had lost any sort of upper hand. Azrael's gaze swept over the battlefield, until his eyes landed upon a final man caught somewhere between contemplating continuing this attack or running. He raised his blaster, and the invisible grip of the Force immediately tightening around his throat likely told him that the correct answer had been to run however good the payday would have been, hoisted into the air, clawing at his throat as he tried to breathe, the wild flail becoming feeble squirms until his entire body went limp- unconscious, not dead. Only then did Azrael let him drop into a heap on the ground. His lightsaber was returned to his side as he immediately turned to the two Chiss and the human man, and his demeanor went from that commanding presence to something much warmer and worried, gaze flicking to the two unfamiliar men briefly to make sure they weren't actually injured and in need of medical attention, before focusing on Thrass as he approached, reaching out to touch his face and brush a few strands of dark hair away gently, looking at him intently.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

He could still feel trouble brewing. Whatever this was, whoever those thugs were, there were likely more of them. But right now, things were calm and he would fret a little.

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Getting to see Thrawn again was always a joy. He worried about his brother more than he cared to admit. Eli was glad to see him too, of course. The three of them planned a long week together, but first Thrass wanted to introduce them to the man he'd been seeing. He'd told Azrael a lot about Thrawn, and he hoped they would all get along.

They were almost to the cantina, making small talk, when they were jumped. All three of them drew weapons, preparing to defend themselves. Eli and Thrawn had actual combat and military training, but Thrass hadn't even so much as taken a self-defense course. He carried a charic blaster with him, but he'd never actually used it outside of a basic training course.

Before the fight could start, a red blur appeared, along with a sound that Thrass could only describe as snap-hiss. The three of them turned and watched in awe as the thugs were disposed of by a red man wielding a laser-sword. Thrawn had described a weapon like that to him once. It was a lightsaber. Thrass immediately recognized their rescuer.

When it ended, Thrass put his weapon away, "No, you came right in time." Thrawn and Eli looked at each other, then back at Azrael. "Not how I pictured this happening, but Thrawn and Eli, this is Azrael, my lover."

"Good," Azrael said, with a soft little sigh of relief, dipping his head down to briefly rest his forehead against Thrass's, though he was quick to pull back. Had he been hurt, Azrael might actually have had to reconsider his stance on murdering defenseless opponents, as the large alien man and the one not smart enough to just run were still down and out. Now that he knew Thrass was alright though, the usual gentle little purr was back- barely audible, but very much there.

He only stepped back when he introduced him to the two that were with him, though did so somewhat reluctantly, looking to Thrawn and Eli, giving a polite bow of the head, "It's a pleasure to meet you both, despite the circumstances."

It certainly wouldn't have chosen to have this be their first impression of him either. Thrass had told him much about Thrawn, of course, so he doubted something like this frightening, but still. He went quiet a moment then, raising his head, as though hearing something even though the night was quiet again. Obviously sensing something that was still a ways off.

"I think we should probably relocate though. Come on."

He nodded his head in the direction of the cantina. Better to speak there than out in the open.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Azrael," Thrawn replied. Eli said, "Nice to meet you." Thrawn was studying Azrael, something he often did when he met someone for the first time, especially if that someone was of a species he'd never met in person. Though, his eyes held some curiosity, as if he was trying to find the solution for a puzzle he'd once solved but forgotten the solution to.

Eli might have shown a hint of wariness towards Azrael, but he wasn't scared of him or the way he looked. Eli had, after all, seen plenty of aliens during his time with the Empire, and a few others since he joined the CDF. Eli knew that appearances could be deceiving, and more often than not it was the more innocuous looking folk that turned out to be hiding a devious nature. More interesting to Eli was the fact that Azrael had come in with a lightsaber and displayed extraordinary abilities. Was Thrass dating a Jedi? It wouldn't surprise him if some survivors had fled to the Unknown Region after the Clone Wars.

"Yes, let us make our leave," Motioning Thrawn and Eli along, the three of them made their way towards the cantina.

It hadn't been long of course, but Azrael was still pleased to find that nothing had happened to the cantina while he was out given that in his haste he hadn't locked the doors before dashing off. It was still as quiet and empty as he'd left it. He let his guests in and made sure the doors were closed properly behind them, and the holo sign outside already said that the cantina was closed for the night, so they should be able to chat in peace.

"Make yourselves comfortable," He said, heading toward the bar and hopping over it with ease as he usually did, "Would any of you like anything to drink?"

He gestured behind himself at the various types of alcohol he had available on the shelves, "I also make a mean cup of tea if I do say so myself, if that's preferable."

Azrael most certainly still had concerns about the situation he'd saved them from. Those thugs hadn't been locals, and their motives had obviously been different from the simple shakedowns for cash that conflicts here tended to be about. But he'd let them settle down a bit first rather than push for details.

Relocating upstairs would probably technically be safer too, but while he had gotten some better furniture in and it was more suited for staying in than it had been back when he and Thrass had first met, it would be rather cramped for four people. So he'd simply have to keep his senses tuned in to feel if trouble was headed their way.

Thrass showed the others to a booth where they could get comfortable, Thrawn occasionally glancing at Azrael. Thrass ordered his usual tea, Thrawn ordered a small brandy, and Eli ordered a hard lemonade. All three of them knew that they would have to address the bantha in the room some time.

Thrawn pulled out his datapad and looked up a piece of artwork. He glanced at it, then back at Azrael, before giving a small nod and placing the datapad face-down. Thrass and Eli both knew that look. Thrawn had figured something out, or at least confirmed a suspicion that he had.

"I don't believe I've seen a member of your species before," Thrawn said.

"There's a reason for that," Thrass stated sadly. Azrael had never told him exactly what he was, just that he was the last of his kind.

"Indeed," Thrawn agreed, before looking at Azrael again. "Sith Purebloods have not been seen in thousands of years."

Azrael prepared their drinks, making sure to make Thrass's tea the way he knew he liked it, as well as a cup for himself too. He also fetched some snacks for them all, joining the others at the booth once he was done, setting their respective drinks down in front of them before taking a seat himself. Unlike normally though, he still had his lightsaber with him, securely attached to his belt- obviously not letting his guard down just yet.

"Oh, I've been seen a quite a few times. Recognized on the other hand..." He said, with something akin to a smile, though not quite. Being the last of his kind most certainly still stung, which could likely be heard in his tone of voice, if not seen in his expression. Time moved ever forwards though.

When he'd first ended up in the future, he'd searched for some remnant of his people- refusing to believe he was alone. He'd been to Dromund Kaas. To Ziost. He'd even stood upon the sands of Korriban again, but had found only ruins of the once great civilization he'd once been a part of. Spending the rest of his life lurking among skeletal remains and dusty tombs and cursed trinkets hadn't been something he was interested in though. And as he'd been treated like some freak of nature closer to the Core, he'd left for somewhere he could blend in more easily.

His search for some sort of community was why he'd opened his cantina. He'd created a place with a friendly atmosphere. He'd gotten to know his employees, made friends. Made a life for himself. And he'd met Thrass, which he was thankful for.

"I am the last though. Once I kick the bucket, my kind will be well and truly extinct. I am surprised that you know of us, honestly. I didn't think anyone did any more."

Eli nearly choked on his drink when Thrawn dropped that particular bombshell. "Sith? You're a Sith?" Eli had never met a Sith other than the Emperor, but he'd heard the horror stories about Darth Vader, and read historical records about Darth Maul and Count Dooku.

Thrawn lifted his datapad again and turned it around so that everyone could see what he'd been looking at. It was an old painted stone tablet depicting a man who was most certainly the same species as Azrael. "I have seen artwork of the Sith Empire of old, depicting Sith Purebloods. I wondered if that was what you were when I first saw you. You can imagine my surprise to find out that my brother's paramour is of a race thought to be extinct."

"Biologically, yes."

Azrael wasn't sure he could call himself Sith by profession any more, given that he had- for the most part- stopped fighting. There was no Sith Empire left for him to fight for, after all. No purpose he felt the need to fulfill, and nothing for him to rail against or oppose. He still had plenty of ambition, but his goals were smaller now. More personal.

Of course he'd never been a typical Sith even when he did call himself Sith by profession. His lightsaber said as much, its blade never the shade of crimson typically associated with the dark side. That had invited its own troubles in the past, too. Not so much any more.

"I can see how that would come as a bit of a surprise, yes."

The art was interesting though. He hadn't seen artwork of his people in a long time- not that he really went actively looking, having gotten more than his fill during his time in the Korriban Sith Academy, but still. He could tell that the artwork had been made by Sith as well, rather than being a depiction of a Sith Pureblood made by another species, "That's artwork of Naga Sadow, isn't it?"

"I believe it is," Thrawn said. "There is little artwork from that era that has survived, but I have enough to know that the Sith were once a proud people." Some of it came from the ruins of Korriban, while others were from tomes uncovered by archeologists on various worlds, such as Dromund Kaas.

"So the Sith were a race of people?" Eli asked. "And you can use the Force but you're not all evil and stuff?" He looked at Thrass. "Did you know about this?"

Thrass shook his head. "Azrael never told me exactly what species he was, or that he was Sith. I didn't even know that weapon was a lightsaber. I did know that he had a power, but he's certainly never done anything like he did just now against those men."

"No more evil than any other species."

Maybe a little more. But it was what their society had been like. At war with each other, at war with the galaxy. They had been a prideful people, a crimson race of conquerors as Lord Abaron had once put it, but that wasn't all they were. Not all they could be. And no Sith Pureblood was born any more good or evil than others, instead shaped by the society they were born into and grew up in, as all species did.

Azrael certainly didn't believe that his kind was biologically evil and that he alone was some sort of aberration.

"Of course there's only me left now anyway."

He looked to Thrass as he spoke and smiled ever so slightly, purr going somewhat quieter as his mood shifted to something a bit more concerned- mostly concern about whether or not he'd frightened him entirely, "I haven't fought like that in a long time. But I could sense you. Sense trouble."

And the rest was history. He'd just ran out to go save him, more on autopilot than anything else. He hadn't been able to sense the exact nature of the trouble, but it hadn't really mattered. Thrass had been in danger, and Azrael had responded accordingly.

Thrass took Azrael's hand and squeezed it. "I'm glad you came. Thrawn and Eli might have been able to handle them, since they both have military training, but thanks to you we didn't get hurt." Like many Syndics, Thrass kept a weapon on him for situations such as that, but he wasn't a soldier or marksman.

"Speaking of, who were those guys?" Eli asked. He looked at Thrawn, "You think maybe one of your old enemies found out that you were back?"

"While that would be a possibility, I do not believe that is the case," Thrawn replied. "While I would not put it past Yiv or the grysks to hire someone to kill me, this attack was far too sloppy for them. Eli, did you notice the weapons they were carrying?"

Eli thought back. "Just standard blasters, stuff you can buy in any weapons shop." Then it hit him. "Any weapons shop in lesser space, but not out here in the Unknown Region." Thrawn smiled with satisfaction.

The purr that had become subdued with his concern picked back up again as Thrass took his hand, becoming a content rumble deep in his chest. His affection for the Chiss was likely clear just from that, and though perhaps someone else might have found it a humiliating display when in the presence of one's lover's family, Azrael saw no sense in hiding how he felt about Thrass. He was pretty sure that how he felt was already clear, anyway, from the way he'd come rushing to defend him.

His gaze shifted from Thrass and to Thrawn and Eli, interested in their conversation. The way they spoke to each other made it clear that the two were close. The way Eli apparently picked up on Thrawn's train of thought and jumped off of it to come to a conclusion was fascinating. The detail of the weapons was one he would definitely have missed himself, certainly.

"They weren't locals, I can tell you that much. And while I could sense plenty of aggression, I could also sense greed beneath it all."

For the aggressors to hesitate to run even when obviously outclassed..., "Someone must have promised to pay them a great deal of money to try to kill you."

From what Thrass had told him, and the attitudes of modern Imperials toward anything they saw as an other, Azrael supposed it wasn't strange that Thrawn had earned himself a few resentments.

"I don't think we've seen the last of them, either. Should they make another attempt while you're with me, I can pry some answers from their minds, if you'd like."

Not that it would be nearly so violent as that perhaps sounded. A simple mind trick should be more than enough to get any answer they might need.

Thrass liked it when Azrael purred. It was such a subtle way to convey emotion, and Thrass knew that when Azrael made the noise he was letting Thrass know how he felt. Plus, it was a really pleasant noise, easy on the ears.

"You can do that?" Thrass asked Azrael when he made the offer.

"I mean, it's been said that Darth Vader can read minds," Eli said.

"We shall see," Thrawn said, not turning down Azrael's offer. "Until then, perhaps we may piece together the puzzle from what we know. We know that their weapons came from lesser space, they were not local and they were hired by someone who promised them a lot of credits. It is likely that they were mercenaries hired by someone within that region of space."

"Not that that narrows it down," Eli sighed. "I mean, from the sound of it, whoever hired those guys might actually be someone who works for the Empire." Seeing as most pirates didn't exactly have the credits to spend hiring mercenaries to kill someone, with the Imperial Navy cracking down on piracy. "Which could mean a disgruntled Moff, officer, or even some nobleman you got on the bad side of."

"I can. Though it's not something I enjoy doing."

Any person would be resistant to having answers plucked from them in such a manner, of course, and Azrael didn't particularly enjoy overwriting someone's will. He definitely couldn't read minds though, but that hardly needed saying. He did wonder if this Darth Vader could actually read minds, though didn't have much of a drive to go find out.

Still, though Azrael disliked plucking answers from others in such a way, it seemed worth it here. It was relatively non-violent, and Thrass was important to him, and thus Thrawn was a priority too.

That purr became a bit more subdued again as he listened to Thrawn and Eli talk, "I'd ask how you've managed to make someone angry enough to send assassins after you all the way out here, but honestly, I know how Imperial society can be. Rising above what they see as your station is more than enough to make them angry enough to have their xenophobic little hearts give out under the stress."

He hadn't experienced it in his own time, of course. He'd always meant to be exceptional. His species alone made him tower above many others, and he likely could have coasted by on it easily enough without ever attempting to be anything special. That hadn't been his way, of course- he'd worked hard to carve out a path for himself, and he'd always made an effort to be more than merely some entitled Pureblood, given that the Sith Empire had had more than enough of those.

But that was neither here nor there.

Here and now, in this time, he'd experienced humanity's racism for himself- certainly enough to know what he was talking about. He'd seen hatred in their eyes, sensed their disgust for the fact that he neither averted his eyes nor lowered his head submissively, as they thought aliens should. And honestly, even being human wasn't a guarantee of being able to rise above unless you came from the right place, the right family. Nepotism was as much at work in the Galactic Empire as it had been in the Sith Empire.

Azrael had seen it before, even if the personal experience was new. He'd seen Vette suffer for being born a Twi'lek and he'd seen Quinn suffer for daring to go against his superior even though Quinn's actions had resulted in the Empire's victory. And Thrawn was both an alien in the Empire's eyes and, from what Azrael understood, exceptional in the same way Quinn had been- though perhaps less concerned with rules and regulations.

That more or less meant getting double the strange resentments in and of itself.

"At any rate, I think it's important to figure out of it before you return to the Empire, no?"

"Indeed," Thrawn agreed. "For our own safety, and so I may report this attack to the high council." They would be very interested to hear about someone making an attempt on the life of a Grand Admiral. Whatever they thought about him, they couldn't deny treasonous actions.

"So where do we start?" Thrass asked. "I assume that you have some brilliant plan to catch them, brother?"

"Perhaps," Thrawn replied. "We may have to lure them back out. Are you willing to assist me, Azrael Rhys?"

"Of course. Though I'd prefer if we lured them somewhere else than my cantina. A few blaster marks might give the place some charm, but anything more..."

Well, he was pretty sure it was understandable that he wanted to not lure any enemies to his place of business, so he didn't think he needed to finish that sentence. He'd rather not see the place get wrecked beyond what a bit of mopping up could fix. He relied on the place for income, it was a safe space for locals, and honestly would rather spare himself any uncomfortable explanations to his staff too.

"I do have another place we can lure them though."

Out of the way, with no risk of getting anyone caught up in the trouble. It was far preferable to having things go sideways in a place where there might be innocent people near enough to accidentally get injured. Of course, speaking of innocent people...

He looked to Thrass, a look of mild concern on his face, as he tried to work through how to best say that he thought it was best if Thrass stayed safe in the room above the cantina. He didn't want to come of as condescending, nor did he want to seem like he doubted his abilities, but. He was still concerned for Thrass's safety. For Thrawn's and Eli's too, of course, but that was quite a bit different, given that they were obviously used to combat and were experienced at defending themselves.

Thrass carried a weapon, but Azrael most certainly could tell that he wasn't used to having to actually use it. And that did worry him, even if he was capable of protecting him too.

"Of course. I wasn't about to jeopardize your business," Thrawn assured him. "Seeing as you know the area, I will trust your judgement, and appreciate you saving me time in finding a suitable location for my trap."

When Thrawn and Eli noticed the way Azrael looked at Thrass, they fell silent. They knew that Thrass was the most at risk here, since he was a non-combatant. Thrawn would rather not see his brother risk his life.

Thrass saw that look too and squeezed his lover's hand. "You think I should sit this out, don't you?"

"I think it's probably for the best if you do, yes. Last thing I want is for you to get hurt."

Staying behind was safer for Thrass, and safer for them too, as they wouldn't have to worry about shielding him from any danger. Fighting without having to worry about protecting someone was always easier than fighting while protecting someone, though Azrael most certainly had experience doing both.

"You should stay here where it's safe, and trust that we can handle whatever comes our way."

They could. Azrael was a skilled fighter, and from what Thrass had told him about Thrawn, the man was beyond skilled enough to handle some thugs. Eli seemed to be much the same as well. And honestly, Azrael didn't exactly think he was alone in wanting Thrass to stay somewhere safe, either.

"If you insist on coming I won't stop you, but..."

Well, he'd made his point clear enough that he preferred for him to not be in danger.

"I must agree with Azrael, brother," Thrawn said. "You will be safer if you leave this mission to us. I would rather not risk your safety." Thrass was a civilian, and Thrawn would feel better knowing that his brother was somewhere safe, while the three of them handled this.

"Especially since I wouldn't put it past those guys to go for you just to get to Thrawn." Eli had fought enough mercenaries to know that they'd go for the weakest fighter, especially if they'd figured out that he was important to their real target.

Thrass regarded all three of them, reading their faces. "Very well. I'll remain at the cantina." Much as he worried about Thrawn and Eli, he knew that they could handle themselves.

"We'll be fine, I promise. So try not to worry too much."

He wouldn't tell him to not worry at all. He knew that was impossible, and it would be terribly insensitive of him to tell him not to worry when his brother, his friend, and then himself were heading off to do something dangerous.

"I'll call a few friends of mine to keep an eye on the cantina too. I don't think anyone knows where we disappeared off to, but... Better safe than sorry."

Eli was right, after all, that if they saw the chance to do so, they would use Thrass to get to Thrawn. And by eliminating that as a possibility completely, he was sure Thrawn would feel better too. This wasn't the Ascendancy, after all. Thrass wasn't as protected here as he would be at home if he was left alone. So honestly Azrael would feel better too with some extra security, and he did have a few friends who owed him some favors. What better reason to collect on what was owed than to make sure his boyfriend was safe.

Thrass would admittedly be more worried were it not for the fact that his boyfriend was a Sith, and his brother and friend were highly intelligent tacticians. It seemed that the Chiss stories of the Sith being highly skilled warriors were true.

"While you call them in," Thrawn said. "I would like to start planning our counterattack."

Azrael nodded his understanding, confident that Thrawn would come up with a plan for their counterattack- and utterly confident in his own ability to follow through on said plan, considering how it hadn't been that long since he'd been an active combatant- while he called in favors owed to make sure that someone would be keeping an eye on the cantina and, most importantly, on Thrass's safety.

Not quite how he'd imagined the first meeting with Thrass's family going, but hopefully he'd be able to actually make a good impression beyond just his combat skills once the mercenaries had been dealt with.

If there was one thing he didn't want to screw up, it was that- he did realize after all, that it was important to Thrass that they all got along. And if Azrael wanted to be... Well, someone really special to Thrass, then getting along with his family was mandatory, not optional. He didn't need to read minds or tune into anyone's emotions to know that much.

Thrass certainly wished these introductions had been under better circumstances. He pictured them sitting around, sharing drinks, sharing stories, and just having a relaxing time. Maybe when this incident was over, they could still have a nice visit. Maybe they could see a show or visit an art gallery.

Thrawn waited for Azrael to finish his calls before he spoke, "It is clear that I am the primary target. Therefor, I will use myself as bait, while feigning an injury. When they emerge, Eli and Azrael will incapacitate the mercenaries. I would prefer to take them in alive."

"What if they're expecting you to do that?" Eli asked.

"I highly doubt that they will," Thrawn assured him. "These are not the grysks, Yiv, or even Nightswan. They do not know me as well as they think they do."

"I wasn't planning to kill them unless they force my hand, so no worries there."

Azrael doubted very much that any of the mercenaries were capable of forcing his hand, of course. There were plenty of skilled mercenaries in this time too. People that even he would classify as a threat. To think otherwise would be an idiotic amount of overconfidence on his part- an idiotic amount of overconfidence that he might have had when he was younger, but had traded in for wisdom by now. But judging by what had happened earlier, whoever sent these people after Thrawn had apparently decided to scrape the bottom of the barrel of mercenary talent. Perhaps thinking that hiring many violent thugs cheaply would compensate for the lack of braincells between them.

So incapacitating them without killing them would be simple enough. And of course, also making sure that Thrawn and Eli didn't get hurt in the process. He was no delicate assassin who could strike from the shadows, incapacitate before they even knew he was there, but he was a skilled warrior and just as adept at protecting his allies as he was at fighting enemies.

He made a slight gesture with his hand then and his datapad came flying from where it had been resting on a shelf beneath the bar, easily caught in his hand and put down on the table. Turning it on, he brought up a map of the area, and slid the pad across the table to let the others see what he was looking at.

"If you can, I'd like for you to lure them down this route," He said, pointing along the route he meant, "It's usually deserted at this hour, so there's less of a risk of getting innocent people caught in the crossfire."

Thrass had seen Azrael move objects through the air before, though Eli's eyebrows went up for a moment. It occurred to Thrass that this must have been Eli's first encounter with a Force-user other than that Emperor. Thrawn had the advantage there, having spent time with that Darth Vader fellow he spoke of.

Thrawn leaned in to regard the map, hand going to his chin. "It should be a simple matter to lure them here." He looked up at the others, "I will go down that route by myself, to lure them out. Eli and Azrael, you will follow me from the alleys, with Azrael keeping track of me by using the Force. Wait until they have all emerged from hiding before revealing yourself. Eli, you will stun them with your blaster, and Azrael will incapacitate them as he sees fit."

"I can most certainly do that," Azrael said, with the confidence of someone quite used to situations like these. It had been some time since he was in active combat, but he'd experienced plenty of fights in his own time, and broken up more than his fair share in this time too- so while the stakes were higher than a cantina brawl, he was confident in his ability to pull this off- and equally confident in Thrawn and Eli's abilities.

The knowledge that Thrass was safely away from danger also helped keep him quite confident. Had Thrass insisted on going with them, he'd probably be worried.

---

Thrawn's ability to get the mercenaries to follow him was impressive. Azrael had expected him to be skilled, of course- Thrass only had good things to say about his brother, and Azrael had no reason to doubt- but his plan working flawlessly was a wonderful example of his skill. Their enemies had followed down the path without ever realizing that the trap was springing shut, and that was just delightful, really.

Most of them laid incapacitated, while the last few were zeroing in on their location. Azrael could sense them, and when they were near enough to the open area that laid at the end of the back roads Azrael had pointed out to Thrawn earlier, the Sith nodded to his allies to get ready before igniting his lightsaber and holding it as if it was a beacon, to draw attention to himself and away from Thrawn and Eli.

"All of you," He called to the mercenaries, a touch of Force in his voice ensuring that their attention would be on him- he spoke in basic, accent perfectly Core World Imperial- certain now that their enemies were native speakers and thus more easily led by it, "Focus on my voice. I'll keep talking, and you lot will keep focusing on me as you step out from the shadows, and lay your weapons down. Keep following here-"

He gave a slight jerk of his head toward the last of the stragglers, to let Thrawn and Eli incapacitate them while they were under the effects of his voice and docile.

Mercenaries such as these were not hard to manipulate. He and the others had correctly deduced that they would focus on Thrawn, with him being their main target. That further confirmed that it was one of his enemies, someone who was mainly out to get him.

Once everyone was in place, Thrawn and Eli both signaled Azrael that they were prepared to spring the trap. By the look in the mercenaries' faces, they hadn't expected to be facing the power of a Sith again. Thrawn had no doubt that Azrael could cut them down in no time, and rather appreciated that he was taking the non-lethal approach. A look of surprised passed over Eli's features as Azrael spoke Basic, but it quickly passed. With the mercenaries all lined up and out in the open, Thrawn and Eli let their blasters fly, their weapons set to stun, and knocking the stragglers out.

With the mercenaries incapacitated, Eli and Thrawn emerged. As Thrawn gathered up their weapons, Eli looked at Azrael. "You speak Basic. And you have a Core world accent."

"I do, yes. My mother was a very proper lady of the Sith, and taught me how to speak accordingly. I do try to avoid sounding pretentiously posh, but... Mm, hard to avoid, you know?" He smiled and made a vague motion with his hand that very much suggested he was joking- it was probably clear that Basic was his native language though, along with the Core world accent, as it came easier to him than the trade language that they had been speaking, even though he was more than adept at speaking that too.

"Sounding pretentiously posh might just be an unavoidable side-effect of the accent, I'm afraid."

Of course, back in his time, all Imperials had that accent, regardless of the walk of life they were from. He knew very well that it was different in this time, and that his particular accent tended to belong to a certain sort of people who often thought themselves more than what they actually were.

"That aside... What do we do with this lot now, then?"

They needed to be questioned, of course, but it wasn't like they could just keep them tied up out in the open. They would likely need to be transported back to the Empire, too, as their going after Thrawn was very much Imperial business, and that would take time to arrange.

"Both my cantina and my ship are short on places to contain prisoners, unfortunately. I've got a few friends who work for the local law enforcement, though. I'm certain I could convince them to let us borrow a holding cell or two for a while?"

"I suppose," Eli replied. "It's just, usually people with your accent would make fun of mine. Not that I think you'd do that. You've been a good egg." Though, something was nagging at Eli now. He didn't think that Azrael had picked up Basic as a second language the way Thrawn and Thrass had. But then, if Basic with a Core accent was his first language, then that implied he'd been raised somewhere around there. So then what was he doing out here? And why had Eli never even gotten wind of a Sith belonging to a near-extinct species of Sith Purebloods until today?

Thrawn was thinking the same thing. He walked over to the others, still keeping his eyes on their prisoners. "A jail cell would be preferable, as my shuttle doesn't have a place to put them either. I will wish to interrogate them, so that I may apprehend the person who hired them upon my return."

"You also want to salvage this visit, admit it," Eli pressed.

"Perhaps. This was meant to be a time of relaxation and introductions, after all, and it would be a shame if that all went to waste." They still had at least a week off, plenty of time for recreation, but Thrawn regretted that it had gotten off to such a perilous start.

From Eli, Azrael could pick up on a little of that suspicion. From Thrawn, there was nothing, but then, that was also what he expected. Chiss were exceptional at keeping people out of their minds, which was true for Thrass, and Thrawn, and any other Chiss, Azrael imagined. He honestly didn't mind it all that much, as picking up on stray thoughts and moods from others could be a bit exhausting, as important as they could also be.

"I find that mocking people for their accent is an awful way to make friends. Besides, if any accent is to be mocked, it should be mine. Makes me sound like a self-righteous prick however much it's not my intention to sound like one," He said, with a grin that showed off those sharp teeth, which could have been intimidating, had it not looked so absolutely cheeky, and had it not been accompanied by a low rumbling purr too.

"And I'll give my friends a call then. I might have to bribe them with a few free drinks to make sure you can interrogate and drag this lot back with you when the time comes, but that's fine with me- and I assume you two, too."

On a planet like this, those sorts of bribes might as well be another part of the local language. Azrael had made many a friend with a free drink or ten here and there since opening his cantina, and tended to carefully budget around the knowledge that they might be necessary at some point or other.

"I'm eager to salvage this visit too. And eager to get back to the cantina. Thrass must be worried about us."

"Actually, that accent doesn't sound half bad when it's coming from you," Eli replied, his voice lighthearted. He'd already accepted that Azrael was some progenitor species of Sith, what was a little Core accent? Even the teeth didn't put him on edge, when Azrael had such a nice smile and made that noise. He could certainly see why Thrass found him attractive.

"That is fine with us, yes," Thrawn said. "If we must, we can leave them to you to extract the information."

"He says that, but I've seen this guy play people like a fiddle," Eli said. "He once got some pirates talking and telling him all he needed to know in just a few minutes."

Thrawn regarded Azrael. "Had I known about these men ahead of time, I would have postponed my visit."

"Good to know," Azrael said, with a friendly smile. He didn't often have reason to speak Basic any more, of course, considering where he'd decided to settle down, but it was still his native language and sounding self-righteous or no, it was actually nice to get to speak it again. Most people on the planet- at least most of the people who frequented his cantina- tended to speak in some trade language or other, which he supposed was to be expected this far out. He supposed he should be grateful for his thorough education as a child- though even while speaking trade languages, when he'd first arrived in this time, he'd been told his manner of speaking had been rather archaic. Old forms and odd words.

All of that had been long since ironed out though.

"And I don't think there'll be any problems dragging them back to the Core when the time comes. I wouldn't call the law enforcement here particularly advanced, so they tend to prefer for outside problems to stay outside anyways. I say bribe, but it's really just how things work here and I prefer not having undefined debt to anyone lest I find myself roped into something I'd rather not be."

Favor for a favor, best when he was in control of what he'd owe. This place was mostly a lawless hive of chaos with some interesting culture interspersed- the sort of society the Sith Empire had hated- but Azrael was fine with it. Life was more interesting when rules could disregarded- and he'd hated being on the straight and narrow ever since he was a child.

"And really now? I'd like to see that, actually. As a Sith I could force answers from them- minds like theirs can't exactly be called resilient- but it's not my preference to do so."

Mind tricks had their uses. Even getting everyone focused on him had been a mind trick, overwriting wills for just a moment. But Azrael had always liked seeing clever minds at work, and he could tell that Thrawn's was more clever than his own.

As for Thrawn's words, he shrugged a shoulder, "Unless Thrass has failed to inform me that you happen to be omniscient on top of being a genius, you can't expect to always see everything coming. No one- besides our very idiotic friends here- got hurt. That's what matters, no?"

"It is merely a matter of saying the right things, and making them think that they have you fooled." Especially if they assumed that an alien like him wouldn't know any obscure trade languages. He saw Eli give an amused shake of his head at his modesty. "Yes, I suppose I cannot be expected to predict every single possibility, and you, Eli, and my brother remain unhurt, which I am glad for."

"His enemies just think he's omniscient," Eli quipped. "Anyway, we should probably haul these guys off, before Thrass thinks that we got ourselves in trouble."

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timeskip, go!

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