boxofmisfits | Insert Witty Title Here

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Aden couldn't exactly say that he was pleased about having another person aboard his ship- the X-70A Phantom had been his exclusive home away from home ever since he'd had it made and aside from himself the only things that had moved about aboard so far were his droids. Still, the information he had received was information that both he and Thrawn had decided they wanted to move on and his ship was certainly more covert than an Imperial Star Destroyer would ever be. Faster, too.

He had made a few simple rules to make everything a bit easier on both of them though- Thrawn was not to go into Aden's personal quarters, he was not to go onto the bridge or into the cargo hold, and he was to keep his mitts off of the computer in the main hold. Other than that, Aden was happy to let him get up to whatever he wanted- he had let him know that he could get anything he wanted from the bar, that the galley was open to him so long as Aden himself wasn't in there, that he could use the conference room if needed, along with the holoterminal in the main hold to keep in contact with his people. Aden did not foresee Thrawn needing to access the medbay, but its doors were open to him as well nonetheless.

And of course, the beds in the crew quarters were comfortable due to the fact that they'd never been used before. Aden had even popped a few of his paintings in there so that Thrawn had something other to look at than bare metal walls while he was in there.

Though the main hold was more the treasure trove of art that was not Aden's own creations- sculptures and the like here and there to give the space a classy feel that went with the blend of rich wood tones and more modern glass features along with the plush seating and well-stocked bar. For all intents and purposes, the Phantom looked more like a luxury shuttle than the intelligence hub that it actually was- all of its combat capabilities well-hidden, and its internal computers difficult to access unless one knew exactly where to look for them.

The Phantom had just dropped out of hyperspace as the ship's computers- and the few droids aboard to assist with computing and day-to-day tasks- worked on charting the way forward since there wasn't exactly any commonly traveled route out here and Aden took the opportunity to take a seat by the sleek desk in the main hold, the screen on the wall activating while the surface of the desk parted to bring up the keyboard hidden beneath.

There wasn't exactly a very stable connection to anything super important out here, but the ships internal computers still allowed him to work on a few things he wanted to work on- like reviewing the report he'd gotten from Watcher Three and Minder Four. The message to expect him and an ally had been sent well before they had set off, so that it would arrive before they did and allow the pair of agents on the planet to prepare for their arrival- so they would be ready to receive them along with setting up a safe house while they were there.

Glancing back as he heard movement, he spoke up, "If you want to update your people, I suggest you do that now. Signal's not the best, but it is secure, and it's not like we're going to linger here for long."

He didn't think he was telling Thrawn anything the man hadn't figured for himself, but still, "The ship's navigational computer is currently at 72%, so we'll be off in hyperspace again within about twenty minutes, I imagine."

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Aden looked decidedly cheeky when Thrawn pulled back, his lips curled into this shit-eating grin that promised that he would be obnoxious about winning a battle even if the war was still up in the air. Very unlike a Chiss indeed but in this case he couldn't help himself. He was also rather flushed, breath coming in quick little gasps as he tried to catch it, but that was neither here nor there.

"I did win, though ~ ?" He hummed, in a sing-song sort of voice, "I think you'll have to take this l, Grand Admiral."

He looked very pleased with himself, and he was. He could tell his lips were either already bruised or well on their way to be, too, from how hard that kiss had been and he couldn't help but enjoy that too.

"I'll be looking forward to the war, though."

A challenge, certainly.

Removing the hand on Thrawn's shoulder, he reached to touch his own lips, humming softly, "I have to say that I think you practiced for that ahead of time though."

"Sometimes a warrior simply knows when to retreat. But in retreat, he prepares for next time, and is sure to achieve victory next time." Leave it to him to slip into tactician speak during this. He would just have to remind Nine of his place next time.

He took his hands off of Nine, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to smooth it back down. "I have kiss no other since the party," Thrawn stated. "It simply came back naturally to me after all these years." Meaning he'd kissed other men in the past the way he'd just kissed Nine.

Edited 2023-04-14 04:39 (UTC)

"A sore loser too," Aden commented, though there was no bite to his words. If anything he seemed to be in a much better mood than usual. Making out with someone of his own species was definitely the superior way to go. Particularly in this day and age, "That part's going in your file."

Aden didn't think it was a secret that he'd written one up on Thrawn, after all. He imagined Thrawn had looked into him and was looking into him too. Not that there was anything to find, given that he had literally appeared out of nowhere, making it so that the only look into him Thrawn would get was this sort of in-person meeting.

"And I'll take your word for it. I personally get a lot of practice, so."

It wasn't a relationship so Aden doubted Thrawn would care. He'd seen for himself how easily Aden stepped into the role of pretty bauble, and it was definitely something that often served Aden well.

He hummed then, reaching out to gently touch a thumb to the corner of Thrawn's lips, "I'll have to see if I have some concealer that matches your skin tone later."

"Chiss do not take defeat lightly," Thrawn reminded him. He wasn't surprised that Nine had composed a file on him. Now if only his own agents had any luck with finding out about Nine's past, and where he came from. So far they hadn't turned up even a hint. Thrawn found that disconcerting.

"Do you intend to leave me with bruises as well?" Thrawn asked, not giving any outward reaction to the touch.

"I'm Chiss too, so I'm quite aware," Aden said, definitely milking his victory for what it was worth. He doubted he'd have so easy a time the next time they did this. Aden would be the same, had he been the one who lost, "Of course I haven't been in the Ascendancy in about a decade, so maybe I've changed too much for you to believe me when I say that I'm still more or less set in the similar ways to the rest of our people."

He smiled then and leaned up to nip at Thrawn's lip- most definitely leaving a visible mark there, "Just the one. It's only fair, right?"

He touched the mark gently then as though to soothe any pain away- and dipped his head down to nip just beneath his jaw too, leaving a small purple mark there on his neck too, a confident sort of mischief clear in those red eyes.

Yeah. He was definitely too old to have a crush, but Thrawn was most certainly his type.

"... It's Aden, by the way. My name," He said, stepping back, "Though you can continue calling me Nine if you'd like."

"I'm afraid little about our people have changed in the past ten years," The Chiss were stubborn like that.

He blinked when Nine bit his lip, his fingers going to the fresh mark. That would probably cause questions when they reached their destination. Thrawn then gasped as Nine bit his neck, his hand going there too. "I suppose we are even now." Thrawn had left bruises on Nine and Nine had done the same. At least Nine could hide his if he simply chose not to wear a very short skirt or shorts for a while.

"Aden," Thrawn tasted the name. "I thank you for trusting me with your name, though I think I will continue to refer to you as Nine for now."

Thrawn could think of several family names that could potentially result in a core name like Aden. It was better than nothing. He would have to pass this information along to Stent when they returned.

"We are. I might like mine a bit more than you like yours though," He said, moving to touch the bruises at his thigh. He couldn't see them at the same angle that everyone else could, but he was fairly sure that they were pretty, "I'm quite fond of grabby hands when they're attached to someone I'm attracted to."

That was a very important distinction indeed.

"And of course. Call me whatever you're comfortable with. Names aren't all that important to me, anyway."

Nine. Dee. Keeper. Aden.

He was used to going by many names and none of them were really all that important to him any more. He had even more, too, though Thrawn wouldn't know about those, given that he needed at least a few secret identities.

"Would you like to keep practicing or would you prefer to retire to the crew quarters to rest while I prepare dinner?"

"You may have to look for twi'lek makeup markets to find something in my skin tone. Or my supply officers can see about acquiring something from the Ascendancy." Twi'leks came in all manner of blue shades, including some close to Chiss skin tones. Pantorans tended to be more of a powder blue.

"I think I will rest for now. Let me know if anything requires my attention." With that, Thrawn strode back to the guest quarters, intending to look at the artwork until he settled in for a nap.

"I have contacts in the makeup industry and usually get mine custom made," Aden said, with a shrug. Be it for himself or something for Thrawn should he decide to leave more marks on him in the future, he knew where to turn for concealer or foundation capable of covering it up without smudging any pristine uniforms or fading over a day's wear. While he had been able to find makeup for himself that matched his own skin tone, finding something that gave him coverage without covering up all of his freckles had been more of a challenge and thus had gone about looking for contacts for customs.

Of course he had contacts in plenty of other industries as well, but he didn't think he needed to mention that for Thrawn to know that he was well-connected.

"Will do," He said, heading for the galley to get started on making some food for them both. It would, after all, be a long trip and he wanted to stay busy.

When Thrawn awoke from his nap, the scent of food lingered in the air- signaling that whatever meal Aden was preparing for them was nearing completion, though Thrawn would have to wait until it was set out in the lounge before he got to see what exactly it was Aden was cooking up, given Aden's no entering the galley while I'm in it rule. The clattering of plates being set out by the droids aboard the ship could be faintly heard though, so dinner time certainly wasn't too far off now.

"Why am I not surprised?" What with how much makeup Aden wore at the party. He found himself grateful that he'd skipped the lipstick today.

Thrawn stared at the paintings as he drifted off to sleep, trying to find some clue that he hadn't picked up yet. Other than getting a slightly better idea of how to best Nine in a fight, or another make out session, he had yet to glean further information about the spy.

He awoke later to the smell of a meal cooking, and he had to admit that it whet his appetite. Putting his boots and tunic back on, Thrawn made his way to the dining area, seeing that he'd woken up at the right time.

Food was already being put out by the droids when Thrawn entered the lounge, the seating area having been moved slightly to allow for a more comfortable dining experience. Various sides with a certain Coperan bent to them, even if it was an approximation with available spices and ingredients from outside the Ascendancy. There were freshly baked dinner rolls too that were also apparently adapted from a recipe from Copero.

Aden didn't usually cook food that passed for cuisine found in the Ascendancy, since when he'd tried in the past there had been those who were worried that it might not be fit for humans, but since Thrawn was Chiss too, he felt more confident in breaking out as close to his family's recipes as he could get for their meal- if a tad fancier, given that he was working with fresher herbs and spices and better ingredients than his family had been able to afford when he was young.

Another of his droids came carrying the main dish out, setting it down on the table. Like the sides and the rolls, that too was obviously a take on food from Copero. A few different bottles of wine that would go with the food and a pair of glasses had also been set out. Aden came out from the galley just about the same time as his droids cleared the room, leaving him and Thrawn by themselves. Unlike earlier when his hair had been done up a bit fancier, it was now pulled back into a neat ponytail that suggested that he took as great care about hygiene and keeping hair out of food as he did when cleaning otherwise, too.

"Hope you don't mind Coperan cuisine- as close to it as you can get without actually being in the Ascendancy, anyway."

Thrawn hadn't exactly expected Nine to make anything other what someone might find on a light cruiser mess hall. Certainly, he hadn't expected Nine to go all out with the food and make something that was restaurant quality. Seeing and smelling the food, it filled Thrawn with a sense of nostalgia. It had been too long since he'd had a traditional Chiss meal.

He sat down and waited patiently for Nine, making note of his appearance as he set the food on the table. This was a man who loved to cook.

"It has been some time since I have eaten Coperan cuisine. I am surprised that you were able to recreate it so far from the Ascendancy."

"Close to it, at least. I'd love to cook with ingredients actually from the Ascendancy, but. Well. You know."

He gave a slight dismissive gesture then, since it hardly needed saying.

Aden probably could have found his way to the Ascendancy in this time. Falsified records, settled down, gotten married perhaps. That life wasn't for him though. Maybe it could have been, once upon a time. But after everything he'd been through, sitting still in one place was more likely to drive him insane than calm him down. Stepping away from the galaxy even in a time unlike his own was frightening. The thought of being caught unaware alone gave him night terrors even while he wasn't standing still.

Having a hand in matters outside the Ascendancy was better. He could protect his former home and he could protect himself. And since meeting Thrawn, he'd even gained a fellow Chiss to talk to to help alleviate the loneliness he felt from being separated from his people for all those various reasons.

The Chiss were his people, the Ascendancy his home, separated by nearly four thousand years from what he'd once known or no. Even though none other than Thrawn knew of his existence, he wanted to protect them in his own way. And working with Thrawn would help him with that, he felt.

"I had to visit a lot of markets to find similar vegetables, meats, and spices," He continued, keeping the light conversation up, "Experimenting with meat tenderizers, cooking times, temperatures and such too to produce a similar taste and mouthfeel without affecting the overall taste or quality."

He gestured for Thrawn to help himself to the food first then, while he uncorked one of the bottles of wine to pour himself a glass, "I'm very particular about my food, so I don't think you'll find it to be lacking."

Aden was a prideful person in general, but when it came to his cooking, he was even more so. Anything less than restaurant quality was not an acceptable result.

"And since the two of us are Chiss, I figured it'd be nice to have a meal like this. Whenever I've cooked anything even resembling Coperan food for humans they always start in on whether or not it's safe for them to consume, as though I don't take dietary needs and restrictions into account when I cook."

"Many humans are unadventurous when met with alien cuisine," Thrawn mused, helping himself to the food. Those who lived in or near the Core worlds especially shied away from alien dishes. He looked at his food, taking in the sights and smells of it. It smelled like authentic food from Copero.

He started with the meat, slicing off a small piece to taste. He decided that it met with his approval and took a more generous bite. He swallowed his food before commenting, "This is quite good."

"Not the word I'd use, but not wrong, either."

Racist was the word that came to Aden's mind before unadventurous. Plenty of humans thinking that any cuisine not from a human culture was barely fit to feed animals. It was less noticeable further from the Core worlds, but humanity's superiority complex seemed to be a quirk of the species no matter where they were from.

He set the bottle of wine back down once he'd poured a generous amount into his glass, and piled a few things onto his own plate from the serving dishes. Since there was just the two of them putting out a spread like this might be overkill, but... It was nice to share a meal with a member of his own species.

And at least neither of them would go hungry.

Aden always had quite an appetite.

"I wouldn't have served it to you if I wasn't confident it would be," He said, with a small smile, "But thank you."

It was nice to have his cooking appreciated.

"I'll experiment with some dishes from Csilla for next time. Less familiar with it though so it'll take more trial and error."

Edited 2023-04-28 20:41 (UTC)

"You need not go to such trouble for my sake," Thrawn said. "Though, if you do, your effort will be appreciated. It has been a long time since I've had food that reminded me of home."

It reminded him of the family dinners he would have with Thrass, just the two of them, reminiscing about their parents and life before their adoption, talking about their days, or victories Thrawn had with the CEDF. He paused for a moment as he recalled his brother, but quickly brushed it aside and helped himself to more food.

"I didn't think I was obligated," Aden said, with a certain level of snark in his voice, as seemed to be typical for him when he wanted to cover for some other emotion. Which emotion it was in this case was hard to tell, but given the lack of bite in his tone, sincerity was a good guess.

There was a subtle shift in his expression that suggested that there was more that he wanted to say, before apparently reconsidering.

"I'll enjoy the challenge, at any rate. Is there any particular dish you're fond of?"

Thrawn saw that shift, realizing that perhaps they both had things they were hiding from one another. Not unexpected, really.

"If you are so willing, there is a stew that I was fond of back home. It is made from root vegetables, and contains stewed bovine and various spices. I will see about acquiring the recipe." It was something he often ate while on shore leave, especially on cold days. Were Aden human, Thrawn would compare the meat to bantha.

"Oh, that'll help. If I know what the ingredients are then it'll be less difficult to find ones that taste similar."

Not the same, but similar. And then it'd only be a matter of adjusting the recipe to produce similar results. Nothing would ever compare to an actual meal from the Ascendancy though, with local produce and the like. He hadn't eaten food from the Ascendancy in a long time, but he still knew that much.

He turned his attention back to his meal then- eating more than one might expect for someone of his stature.

... A few more meals and a bit of sleep came and went before they reached their destination, the Phantom coming out of hyperspace above a planet so far off the beaten path that it was a wonder anyone knew it existed at all. Aden had reviewed his files on it though- atmosphere, culture. Whether or not they should expect any interference from a criminal element. He had forwarded it to Thrawn too so he could take a look as well.

Information was a weapon and it was better if they both went in armed.

He had supplied the other man with civilian clothes as well, and was wearing something that would help him blend in himself. The Phantom had been brought down, and his guard droids had been activated to keep it safe so he and Thrawn could slip into the crowds on their way to see Aden's agents without worry that the ship wouldn't be there when they came back.

"I'd appreciate if you'd refer to me as Keeper when we meet up with my agents by the way. I don't have much of a presence anywhere anyway, but it is how I'm known within my organization even if very few people have had the privilege of getting to put a face to the name."

Perhaps Thrawn himself had even seen information about Keeper floating around even before their first meeting. At least whispers and the way information flowed changing, anyway.

As they walked along, Thrawn glanced at the buildings, noting the way they were designed, and taking note of any bits of art he saw, even if it was just wall art. He had a blaster hidden under his clothes just in case.

"So, you are Keeper. I suspected as much." His agents had found information on a mysterious agent called Keeper, but hadn't been able to find out any details about them.

"Heard of me, have you?" Aden asked, sounding more amused than anything else. Given how thoroughly he'd gone in to take over other organizations while cleaning up the criminal element, he wasn't exactly surprised. He'd tightened the noose on anyone who hadn't fallen into line with his vision. There had been plenty of big talk on the holonet from frightened little gangsters, and the name Keeper had certainly come up more than once.

Scrubbing the holonet to remove those mentions had not been part of his priorities since his existence had become a pretty good deterrent too.

"Suppose there's not a whole lot of other people it really could be. Had it been the head of some other organization I would have taken out a hit on them already."

Maybe. Depending.

Sometimes keeping competition around was fun. But hey.

"It's my first time meeting with any of my agents in person too. I have a crew who work with me in our headquarters- don't ask by the way- but most of my other agents enjoy a certain amount of operational freedom."

He didn't mind saying this because he didn't think he was saying something Thrawn didn't already know. Aden's agents, aside from these two, would all keep their anonymity, after all.

"That said, I might need to increase the budget for these ones. My people who recruited them gave me an idea of how much it'd take to make sure they're comfortable, but I'd say there are some overarching economical problems going on here currently. Cost of living might be going up."

Maybe it was good that he'd come out here in person.

"Only whispers and rumors," Thrawn replied. "My system for gathering information is very thorough." In other words, the only reason Thrawn knew about Keeper was because his spies were very good at their job.

"If they are as valuable as you say, then I look forward to meeting them." Perhaps he could convince them to give him some of their loyalty. Not to undermine Nine, but so that he could take them in should anything happen to Nine or his spy network.

"So is mine."

Plenty of skilled spies and analysts in his employ, along with Aden himself. He didn't see the necessity in trying to scrub every mention though, so long as none of the rumors could accurately pinpoint what he was up to at any given time, nor point anyone to him. Rumors served a purpose too.

"All of my agents are valuable."

Some were better at their jobs than others, but Aden tended to move them about where they could make the most of their skills. He inspired loyalty in his people through not only paying them well, but also through giving them work that suited their individual abilities, and every agent of his were where they were because Aden thought they'd excel there- the agents here were newer and so he had yet to move them about, but he had plans for them too, given that while this was their first meeting, he had in fact reviewed how the two of them did their jobs.

"I've enjoyed reading the reports from the Watcher, in particular. He seems to have a finger on the pulse of this sector's political landscape. His reports are also structured in a way that is particularly satisfying to read. Analytical reports can get dull quickly, but his have been consistently easy to understand and get through."

The Minder was impressive enough too, enough so that he had deemed the security she provided to be sufficient enough to not hire on a second one as backup.

"Don't you dare go and try to poach either of them though."

That was mostly a joke. He worried for his agents, cared about them in his own way, but their relationship was a mutual one. He wouldn't be upset if any of his agents left for better opportunities when he was pretty opportunistic himself.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Thrawn said with a smirk.

Thrawn had a sudden moment of nostalgia at the thought of an agent who was politically aware but knew how to make something easy and pleasant to read. He quickly brushed it aside. It would not do to dwell on past pain, especially not in front of someone like Aden.

"That said, I could use more politically-minded members of my personal staff," He said ominously, still smirking.

"I wouldn't mind lending him to you- assuming he's alright with that. Though I'm sure you understand the risks."

Inviting one of Aden's agents into his own ranks, and all. Not that Aden had any intention of turning on Thrawn, really, given that it would be extremely stupid to turn against someone with resources he enjoyed having access to and a partnership so mutually beneficial. Still, any agent on loan would also probably be treated as a spy and Aden couldn't deny that such an opportunity would be hard to pass up.

"You're hot when you smirk like that, by the way. Makes me want to leave more marks on you."

It was delivered in a cheery sort of tone. Aden himself was proudly displaying the ones Thrawn had left on him, skirt just short enough to give a glimpse of the bruises along his thigh.

He couldn't do much more than briefly tease though as they came up on the sort of upper middle class looking house that the address his agents had given him specified- in significantly better shape than most homes in the area- and he headed up the steps in front to knock on the door in the coded rhythm that they had specified to announce that it was Keeper and not some other random visitor at the door.

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