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The two clean cut male Chiss pilots monitored their consoles carefully. Navigating the Chaos had claimed many a life, but this crew did have a secret tool. Since this company was transporting high value textiles into the Chiss Ascendancy they were granted very special access to the secret navigators of the Chiss Expansionary Defense fleet. The seven year old Skywalker sat off to their side in a trance ensuring the materials and crew safe passage home.The two men sat back, relieved, and confident they were in safe hands. Before they knew it there were explosions and the vessel was plummeting into the atmosphere of a nearby planet. The skywalker screamed and covered her face with her tiny hands. “No no no no!” she yelled and screeched as the men jumped on the controls, cool as Chiss are able to be under the circumstances, trying to bring the ship under control. They were plummeting towards the surface of the planet until they thudded to a stop midair.They were all staring out the viewport in disbelief at the surface below. They were many kilometers up in the sky, suspended by an invisible beam.One of the men asked the other “Are we saved?” as his eyes searched the vast grasslands that spread out below them.No one answered as they were gently placed on the ground. The girl scrambled out of her chair and into a hidden compartment in the wall to hide. She was sealed away when sparks began to fly from a square on the side of the vessel. The men pulled out blasters from their hips, ready to defend themselves from possible threat.Once a rectangle of the hull fell in with a clang, a black ooz sloshed in on the floor. To their surprise a troop of Chiss lumbered into the vessel.The pilots sighed in relief then noted something off about these troopers. Their eyes were dull and lacked a normal healthy red glow.“Hello! I'm-“ the pilot stopped short as he noted the oily slick on the ground was traveling up his leg. The two Chiss pilots struggled in a panic trying to wipe it off.The navigator hiding in the wall listened in terror as the pilots yelled to each other, then to the intruders for help.The black ooze covered their bodies as their glowing red eyes rolled up into their headsThe boarding Chiss stomped into the vessel and went straight to the hidden panel.  They peeled away the panel and easily found the hiding the skywalker inside. She screeched helplessly as a grey-blue hand reached in and grabbed her.“NO!” screamed Ezra shooting up from his nightmare straight onto his feet, and his hand flew to his hip but his lightsaber was not there.  Eli who had been slumbering next to him, bolted awake at the sound of his lover’s angst. He got up on his knees next to Ezra and bleary eyed, but concerned said “Hey hey, What’s…what’s happening?”“The ship…a Skywalker…” Ezra came out of his nightmare and realized he was standing on the bed, fighting evils that weren’t there. He was panting, sweating, his heart pounding. “I…uh…” he took a few calming breaths. He slowly sat, sure not to fall on Eli.  Embarrassed he said “I think it was a nightmare.”“Okay, it's all OK. Y’all gonna wake the dead with that hollerin’. C’mon…now, c’mere” soothed Eli putting his arm around Ezra.Ezra was soothed by Eli’s distinctive Wild Space drawl and was so grateful for the human warmth of his familiar embrace. Eli wrapped his arms around Ezra and said “Do you wanna talk ‘bout it?”“Not much to say. I had a dream…there were Chiss pilots and a girl, a navigator. They kind of crashed or something, and… there were Chiss like guys, zombies or something. They went straight after the girl, like they knew she was there – oh, yeah she hid in a compartment…The bad guys, they were dark. I mean in the Force.”Eli rubbed Ezra’s back and said “It’s okay. It was just a dream. Take a few a them deep calming Force breaths.”Ezra chuckled and did as he was told. “I guess I’m just worried about all the kids.”“I hear that while the Chiss think you’re a bit easy on ‘em that they’re real happy with the results. The girls and few boys have more control before they even get to flyin’. Whatever you’re doing is working.”“I’m just trying to get them to understand the Force is more than a flying tool. More than a tool overall. I just shudder when I think about how these children are going to go into battle.” Ezra looked at Eli in the dark and said “I want them to know they can defend themselves or even see danger before it happens.”Eli looked away. I feel like a real hypocrite. I serve on vessels that use those little girls to prevent us from getting into danger ourselves. “And it’s workin’. They’re safer because of you. And the crews of their vessels are safer. And the Ascendancy as a whole is safer with us able to navigate like that.”Ezra smirked “You feel like a hypocrite.”Eli tensed. “Now, I thought you stayed outta my thoughts!”Ezra laughed “I do, I do, but you’re also easy to read.” Ezra could almost hear the blush on Eli’s face.The next day Ezra sat cross legged with hands resting on his knees palms up. His eyes were closed and he stretched out his awareness across the room, the campus, the world and out into space. He inhaled and said “Iiiiiiiinhale…” He held his breath for a few moments when he said “Hold it…your breath…” he cracked open one eye to catch a glimpse of his students. “Exhaaaaaale.” He heard some giggles instead of the released breath of meditating students.“Girls…” he said with a drawl to indicate he knew they were playing on a questis instead of meditating. Ezra sighed and his shoulders slumped. “Girls” he said after snapping out of his meditation. He opened his blue eyes and looked around the white room. “Tar’ban? Bi’nuru? Girls, I need everyone to focus- Ra’dir, where are you going?” he whined.The dozen or so young kids started to wander about the room ignoring Master Ezra. He didn’t know if it was right or not, but he knew how to get their attention without yelling. All the kids continued to chat with each other in Cheunh knowing Ezra couldn’t understand. In SyBisti Radir said “I am going to the little boys room.”Ezra said “You were just in there 5 minutes ago. You don’t need to go again, do you?”The only little boy in room didn’t say anything, but only shrugged in response. He took a few steps towards the door and Ezra settled back into his cross-legged position and closed his eyes. He tried not to chuckle as he heard the squeals of surprise and laughter as he levitated all the children in the room about a meter off the floor.He let the force flow through him and around all the glowing life-force of the children in the room. “The Force flows through all of you. Can you feel it?”He smiled broadly as they all said, in unison, “Yes, Master Ezra.”“Okay, great, now…” he slowly started to turn them around in the air. The giggling turned into outright laughter and excited screaming. “…it seems like…” he brought them all upright and slowly opened his eyes. “…you need to burn some energy…”The kids calmed down as their feet gently rest back down on the floor again. Tar’ban ran up to Master Ezra and crashed into him throwing her little arms around his neck. “Thank you, Master Ezra.”The youngest in the class, a mere toddler named Sa’qar, followed Tar’ban and imitated what the older girl did and said “Thank you, Master Essra” she said.It broke Ezra’s heart that one so young was taken from her family. He returned the hugs to the girls and called a recess. As the kids all clamored towards the door Ezra called out “Run around, get that energy out and then we do visualizations when you get back!” He shrugged knowing the kids were so young they had no idea what 20min felt like. They streamed out into the play area.Ezra called in a teachers aide, an ex-Skywalker that Thrawn recommended, Mitth’ali’astov, aka, Thalias. She took the girls and boy out of the room where they would spend time in an unstructured play area.Ezra followed the last child to the door, sighed and pulled out his commlink. He leaned in the doorway and watched his young students.Eli was in Thrawn’s office standing next to the Chiss looking at a large holomap spread over Thrawn’s desk. His commlink beeped and he noted the code was Ezra. Eli frowned, huffed, and said “Excuse me. I need to take this.” He stepped into he hallway and answered “Vanto.”“Hi” said Ezra. His frustration, his anxiety, his dejectedness obvious in his voice already.“It’s gonna be fine” whispered Eli as he looked around the hallway. He walked a few steps down searching for an empty room. He found a lounge and saw a couple of soldiers sharing a caf break. He spoke to Ezra in hushed Basic. “Just keep workin’ with them. They’re kids. Little kids. They ain’t gonna learn nothin’ the way you did.”“Eli, it’s not just that. There’s a three year old here. I don’t know how I can keep doing this. A THREE YEAR OLD!”Ezra’s outburst caught the attention of the Chiss and Eli covered the speaker on his commlink and said “Sorry” in Cheunh. He turned away and spoke to Ezra again. “That is real young.”“She’s in more of a day care program, but they put in her in with my class because she is so sensitive. I’m…” Ezra walked away from the door and over to a window and leaned his forearm on the transparisteel. “I can feel her sadness. She doesn’t have too many distinct memories of her parents or family per say. It's like her feelings are a pencil drawing someone tried to erase. She …she has a sadness, deep deep inside.”Eli’s face fell. “I’m so sorry Ezra. I don’t know what to tell you.” Eli felt helpless and awful he couldn’t mend the pain Ezra was experiencing.“I know, I…I just need to tell someone. I am surrounded by all these Chiss who think nothing of it.”“Now, I believe they certainly do think something of it. Thalias, for example. She ain’t just goin’ along with everything. She’s someone you can talk to. She’s the main reason there are more ex-Skywalkers helping in the program. Before her none of them wanted to even acknowledge their past.”Ezra rested his head on his arm. “I just keep questioning if I’m doing the right thing. I feel like the Force brought me here, but to do what? This can’t be it. It can’t be taking babies from their mothers. It just can’t.”Eli said nothing. He swallowed trying to find the right words. “I…”Ezra knew Eli would just want to help. They had this conversation before. “Sorry. I bet you’re working on something. That thing, right?”Eli said “Yeah. We can talk all you need later, right? I don’t wanna dismiss you or nothin’.”That made Ezra smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”Eli could hear the smile. “We’ll figure it out. Right? We’ll figure it out.”“Yeah. Maybe ask the big blue ass-““Vanto?” Interrupted Thrawn as he entered the room.“I’m wrappin’ up my call now, sir” said Eli. He spoke into the comm unit “See ya tonight.”“Sure” said Ezra and they cut transmission.Ezra increased the heat in the room and decided to try and do some paperwork despite it being in Cheunh. He couldn’t read the script but kept notes on the class in general and on individual students in his own flimsiplast notebook. He walked over to a desk; a smooth round edged piece that blended in with the ubiquitous glossy white throughout the entire school.Ezra had an idea. He skipped to the door and popped his head out the door. “Thalias?”Thalias was holding Sa’qar who had a handful of Thalias’ hair in her hand. She walked over to Ezra with a smile, ready to be patient with his Sy Bisti. “Yes, Master Ezra?”“Can we get a pile of paper, some graph markers, and some sticky film? For an activity after break?” he asked.Her brow jumped. “Yes, of course. That was a great sentence, Master Ezra!”“Practicing I have been” he said screwing up his word order. “Using the Force and Sy Bisti with the Skywalkers I have been speaking.”Thalias smiled in amusement. I spoke too soon. “I understand. At least your vocabulary is improving.”Sa’qar released the handful of black wavy hair and reached out to Ezra with both arms. “Master Essra!”“Yes, Skywalker Sa’qar?” he asked smiling broadly at her cherubic face.She didn’t say anything, but just stretched her hands out towards him and grunted.Thalias prompted “Use your words, Sa’qar.”“Master Essra!” Sa’qar’s face began to scrunch up and tears were welling in her eyes.“Sa’qar, I’m right he-!” Ezra was interrupted by the tug on his tunic. The girl was using the Force to pull him closer. It was not a strong pull on his being, but he could feel the tug on his tunic. She reached out to him physically with pudgy little fingers, but then she reached out and spoke into his mind Hold me! Hold me close! The pure sadness of her request struck Ezra and he immediately took her from Thalias’s arms. “Okay, okay” he said in Basic. “I gotcha.”Thalias noted the immediate shift in Ezra’s gaze. And while Thalias did not hear the words, she saw his tunic tug and sensed a shift in his emotional state. She gave up Sa’qar to his arms with no struggle. She watched, curious about how Ezra would address this.The little girl calmed, resting her head on his chest. Sa’qar sent Ezra images. He could see through her eyes and saw she was being held by strong arms, and she looked up gazing at her father. A round faced man, with soft kind eyes despite their bright glowing red color.He took her inside and Thalias followed. He sat in his chair at the desk with Sa’qar on his lap. “I’m sorry” he said quietly in Sy Bisti. “I lost my parents when I was a kid. I loved them, love them, very much. Holding onto memories is perfectly fine. It’s wonderful really, but we also need to learn to let go. We need to accept them. Accept they happened but be okay they aren’t happening right now.”Thalias tensed and her eyes went wide.Ezra came to a realization and a harsh truth. “As a Skywalker you don’t really have the option of ignoring your talents. The Force has chosen you. No one can take our memories, and you can cherish them. You can look back on them and smile. But keep in mind Sa’qar, that all things come to an end. Good but also bad things.”“Papa…” was all Sa’qar said.Thalias clenched her hands.“We’ll talk more about how to use the Force to relax and acknowledge memories, as a group. But, it’s okay. Papa is still out there living life. And I’m sure he is thinking about you too. But you guys have different lives to live.” he gave her a snuggle. “Your path is wide and bright, Sa’qar. You have a brilliant future ahead.”“Master Essra is Papa now?” she asked.The question was shocking to Ezra and he didn’t know how to answer. He laughed nervously, thinking of him and Eli walking down a bright path each holding one of Saqar’s little hands in theirs. He became choked up at the thought then took a deep breath. “Now, I don’t know if you’d want me as your Papa. I’m not great at that kind of thing. You can do better than me Sa’qar. The Force will guide you and can protect you better than any silly being like me.” He believed those words, intellectually. But his heart felt very different. In his mind he and Eli gently lifted Saqar off the ground and playfully swung her over a muddy puddle.Some children spilled back into the room looking for snacks. Tar’ban was among them and ran to the snack basket. She took one, then saw Sa’qar with tear filled eyes and looking sad. She took a second mini bag of fruit meat square snacks and toddled up to Master Ezra and Sa’qar. She held up the snack and said “This is for you. It’s your favorite flavor! Spice fruit!”Ezra was glad Tar’ban came in when she did. Ezra was beginning to not believe his own words. “Go on. It’s fine, Sa’qar. Looks like play time is over so everyone can have a snack.” The girl in his arms, the baby in his arms, took the snack. “That was very kind to bring her a snack, Tar’ban.” He stood, still holding the girl on his hip and called the class to attention. “Alright everyone, let’s settle down and get back to work.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Samakro paced back and forth in the hallway of the CEDF senor officers. It was the time of day he knew only generals and high level officers finishing up their paperwork.He took a few steps towards General Ba’kif’s office noting the indicator light over his door, signaling Ba’kif was in the office.  Samakro froze. Am I really doing the right thing? Yes, of course,  this will be bad for my family, for the Ascendancy. It's blatantly in favor of the Mitth! He took a few determined steps forward eager to blow the whistle on Thrawn’s operation. He stopped and spun on his heels and returned, anxiety griping his gut. But it's also to find his brother’s remains. Mitth’ras’safis. I know Thrawn never speaks of it, but …Samakro slouched That's his family, what of mine? Ufsa are my blood. He looked over his shoulder at Ba’kif’s door. But if anyone who isn't Mitth finds out Mitthrassafis’ remains they may not make it back to the rightful place of rest on Mitth grounds. He dropped his chin to his chest. Thrawn. Why couldn't you just stay exiled? He turned his body back to the office door and took a reluctant step.Saianna came to mind and he froze in his tracks. His fists balled up with tension. He thought of her bone knife.  She’d gut me, no doubt. His brow softened thinking of the babies. The twins. Thrawn and Saianna are not conventional, and neither are those boys. They'd need both their parents to grow up and be decent people. Without them the Mitth might make them vengeful. What if they're as sharp as Thrawn? As perceptive as Saianna? The Mitth would undoubtedly wield them against the other families. They wouldn't just cause problems, they could destroy the entire system…No, now you're going over the top! He rolled his eyes. Thalias, why did you tell me about this? He closed his lids and furrowed his brow. She'd never forgive me. He grimaced and frowned. What does that matter? He rolled his eyes at his own immaturity. Who am I kidding? She matters. She matters more than anyone else to me. His shoulders slumped. But the way Thrawn matters to her…So what difference does it make? Best to rat him out. Best to just get this off your shoulders. He spun around and froze.Samakro saw Ba’kif standing in his doorway, arms crossed, observing him. “Well,  I've caught you. Now you have to tell me.”Samakro felt dread in his belly. Shit. Everything is going to be all my fault.Ba’kif invited Samakro into his office with a sweep if his hand. Samakro straightened up and entered.Samakro finished explaining what he had discovered about Thrawn’s secret plan to retrieve Thrass’s remains and perhaps collect the several dreadnaughts in which the remains would be found. He did his best to hide his discomfort, but the political and military implications were vast and weighed heavily on Samakro’s broad shoulders.Ba’kif considered the information. He sat back in his chair and stroked his white beard. He eyed Samakro, who was sitting straight-backed and attentive to his senior officer. His mouth was a tense firm line and his brow was furrowed deeply. Ba’kif had pieced together the broader parts and after an agonizing silence asked “What is your source?”Samakro went pale and the heat from his face drained away. “I…will not say, sir.”Ba’kif nodded once. With a bob of head he said “It’s that Mitth caretaker, then?”Samakro opened his mouth but found he had nothing to say. How does he know so much? What’s really going on here? Samakro hid his reaction well but came to a realization that shook him. He already knows. He already knows more than I’ve told him… Ba’kif nodded again and said “Are you aware, Senior Captain, of the rumblings of discontent among senor CEDF officers?”Samakro, cautiously replied “I don't ascribe to idle gossip, sir.”“Mm. That's good, Sr Captain, but I didn't ask if you had believed it, just if you heard it?”“No, sir, I don't believe I have” he replied, some confidence seeping back into his voice.“I have heard from my peers and grumblings from other officers that the politics of the great and noble families are interfering. Overreaching. Syndics are too presumptuous and officers who have left their families behind have not severed their ties.”Samakro tried to consider the genealogy skirmishes for a moment, but Ba’kif interrupted his thoughts with “Family battles are coming, Samakro.”“You don't mean…” Samakro shook his head in disbelief.“Yes” said Ba'kif.Civil war? No way. “I…that can't be. Politics are complicated, entrenched, but families full on battling each other…” his words drifted off afraid he misunderstood, afraid he made a fool of himself. He silently chastised himself. As if that even matters if the whole of the ascendancy is going to collapse into civil war. Ba’kif only nodded an affirmative.Does Thrawn know this? Is this why he is getting those old ships? If I could convince him to give me one of those ships if I helped retrieving Thrass’ remains maybe… His mouth turned down in a sour frown. This may be all over nothing. The ships may not even exist. If they do,  who knows if they're in working order. Or if the tech on them is at all useful. Ba’kif patiently allowed Samakro some time to absorb the situation.But can I fight Thrawn? Would that mean our families would be allies? What of high command, those who abandoned their family ties? Ar’alani wouldn’t abaondon him. Or would she? She is dedicated to her duty.  Samakro shored up the courage to speak his mind when the door chimed.Ba’kif opened the door with a button under his desk and Admiral Ar’alani entered the room. She acknowledged Samakro with a greeting and said to Ba’kif. “You started without me?”Oh no…thought Samakro. He shook his head Oh no no no no.“Somewhat” said Ba’kif, cryptically. “Senior Captain debriefed me and I was beginning to explain the plan in broad strokes.”Ar’alani nodded and eyed Samakro with her infamously stern glare as she sat down next to him. “You explained your reasons for retirement?”Samakro’s eyes bugged for a moment and then looked to the general to explain. “Oh, no, General…you don't mean…”“Shall I get him up to speed?” asked Ar’alani.“Please do. I had just begun to explain the coming conflict” said Ba’kif.The stoic admiral took a seat next to the senior captain and wasted no time. “We know of Thrawn’s plans. While the group is small and loyal, there are observers everywhere. We know he is unaware of the clouds on the horizon.“Why else would he really be doing this? If he suspects his brother’s remains are there he can put it off, no? Why risk triggering an all-out conflict?” asked Samakro.Ar’alani sighed and said “Do you honestly think he understand the political implications of his actions?”The three sat in a short silence. They knew Thrawn. He was brilliant until he wasn’t. He relied on his friends and family to help with soft skills and politics.  Samakro looked to Ar’alani and sighed "Are we talking exile?""Or death. A real exile or death. This next scheme of his is big" she said and the other two knew she was right."I thought all this was behind us. That he had settled down with his lover and their children. I thought he was only taking short missions to stay close to home" said Ba’kif. “Then this…”Samakro sighed and said "He never learns that lesson.""Apparently... nor do I" said Ar’alani with no humor.Samakro nodded expecting as much. "Great" he said with resignation. "I guess I better get used to being called Thamakro." He wore an aggravated grimace.Ar'alani shrugged "Tharalni does have an interesting ring to it. That is if the military doesn't strip us of our freedom, or our lives.”Ba’kif said "Thbakof doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but retirement does sound like an appealing option. Might as well go out with a bang.”The next day Ar’alani walked in the unfamiliar area owned by the Mitth estate. She wore a nondescript black jumpsuit with the CEDF logo proudly displayed on the side of her arm. She found the complex where Saianna’s apartment was and entered the yard, and walked toward the building. She passed two young women who were in their way out.Inside Saianna finished feeding her infant son Faron and settled him into a bassinet. She received a text comm from neighbor and friend, Thikan.
…Your lover’s admiral is on the way! I saw her on the walkway….
Saianna replied Thanks. I invited her to meet the babies one on one and she added a blue heart. She is close to Thrawn so we should also be friends.Thikan replied with a heart and said Good luck.  She looks like a stern one. This made Saianna chuckle and she replied with a blue laughing face.  There weren't any other colors available as she was one of a handful of humans within the entirety of the Chaos. She is! replied Saianna. She then thanked her vigilant friend and prepared for Ar’Alani’s visit.Ar’alani found the door and rang the door chime. Saianna swiftly opened and welcomed her visitor in. “Hello Admiral!” Saianna was holding one of the boys and Ar’alani greeted her in return.She bent over to get a look at the baby. “Which one is he?” she asked, clasping her hands behind her back.“This is Aron. Would you like to hold him?” asked Saianna, eager to hand him over and check on Faron.“Oh, no no” chuckled Ar’alani. “I do not know the first thing about that.”Confusion knit Saianna’s brow but she did not ask anything to clarify. “Ok, eh, please come in and do a seat” she said in Cheunh.“Take a seat or have a seat are more familiar phrases” said Ar’alani. “And thank you” she tagged on taking a seat on the couch.Saianna cradled Aron in her arms and Faron began to fuss in his bassinet. “OH, this always happen” she said, her Cheunh still rudimentary “One I hold, one cry” she shook her head “cries” she corrected “to be held.”Ar’alani nodded and tried to put her strategic genius to work. The sound of Faron’s gurgling became more urgent and Saianna heard him inhale and said “Uh oh…” and he let out the loudest cry Ar’alani had ever heard. Her eardrums rattled and she froze.“So sorry!” Saianna walked over to the stoic admiral and plopped Aron into her arms.Ar’alani protested uselessly “I…have never held a baby,  perhaps…eh” Saianna walked away and the admiral admitted defeat. She looked down at Aron and noted the baby’s eyes darting around and he then called out to his brother with whines that were increasing in volume.  Saianna scooped up Faron and Ar’alani watched fascinated as the human bounced gently around the room. The strange motion soothed the child and reduced his ear-piercing cries. Saianna then sat down next to Ar’alani and spoke to the babies in her native tongue. They both calmed and Ar’Alani said “Well that was…exciting.”Saianna giggled uncertain if the Chiss woman was being patronizing or sincere. “Not like commanding a fleet of star ships, but it makes me busy.”“Keeps. It keeps you busy” said Ar’alani looking down and her face softening at the perfect cherubic face looking up at her.Saianna nodded, internally chaffing at the correction. “Yes, thank you” was all she said. Now. Saianna, Mama said you would feel sensitive after babies are born. The admiral only helps. She is Thrawn’s friend. Maybe your friend too.“Thank you for visiting” said Saianna at a lame attempt at conversation.“I admit I was quite curious at how you can handle two babies at once. I have noted one takes a great deal of work, but two…” Ar’alani knew nothing about children, nevertheless caring for babies. It was not her path, and never would be.“It will be different when they are older. Now is very very tough” said Saianna thinking It would be easier if Thrawn were home. “Why are you not at the Mitth estate? It should be easier for you there, no?”Saianna nodded. “Sort of” she said looking uncertain and self-conscious.Ar’alani saw Saianna’s hesitancy and asked “You should not feel ashamed to ask for help. This is a tremendous task. The family is there for you. They are all here to try and add what skills they have to the pot. This is the point of the great families.”Aron let out a spontaneous “BAH!”Ar’alani said “See? Even he agrees.”“With Thrawn away…there is so much I don't understand. I am afraid they won't understand and that I will embarrass him.”“I can contact the office of family affairs” said the admiral confident she could assist this way. “I know some cadets learning Basic. Or Sy bisti if you prefer. They can be interpreters.”“Really?” Saianna’s wide eyes filled with tears and she openly cried.Ar’alani froze again “Uh…are you alright?” Her eyes went down to the babies who seemed content as long as they were near each other.Saianna nodded and said “Yes, thank you so much.” She glanced up at Ar’alani.The admiral had heard the humans expressed emotions more freely than the Chiss, but she had not expected such a display.“Sorry” said Saianna between sniffles. “After having babies one can be emotional. I know Chiss are not this way.”Not as adults thought Ar’alani. She then chastised herself for the thought. Saianna was not unreasonable. She had done amazing things for the Ascendancy, not only baring, and raising twins, but her plant variants were taking well to more extreme environments around the Ascendancy and once mature would feed millions. Ar’alani looked down at the chubby baby in her arms “No, I am sorry. I am…inadequate help myself. It is the least I can do for you.”Saianna’s tired face softened and said “Thank you.” She looked down at Aron and said to the admiral “I suspect Faron is more Chiss, and Aron is more human. Aron can fuss a lot. Faron…he is more…um…focused somehow. He cries, yes, but only short bursts. Then calms. Aron is less eh…Mmm…” how do I explain this in Cheunh. My terrible Cheuhn? “…how do I say…eh…he is not as loud but is fussy longer.”Ar’alani shrugged “Both sound like a handful.”“Yes, but as you see, cute handful. So are you going among the stars again soon?” asked Saianna, kind of eager to hear about something that wasn’t the babies.“Oh, will I be deployed again? Not so soon. Perhaps a few weeks from now.”“Oh, that is kind of soon. Don’t you have holiday time with your…eh…”Saianna thought Oh damn, I don’t know this family system very well yet. Is she allowed to go to see her blood family? Is it polite to ask? “…loved ones?”Ar’alani said “Near the end of Csilla’s year, near the end of it’s long and irregular year, there is a holiday which draws everyone home. We are a few months off from that. But it is nice to think about.” Ar’alani noted how sweet Aron was, how innocent, and warm in her arms.“You are always welcome to my home no matter your name or status” said Saianna.Ar’alani was surprised by the invitation. “…Thank you…I…”“You are a good person” she said looking down at Aron. “I want my babies to know good people” she said.“Thank you” They spoke a bit about the weather and caught up on what Saianna’s plans were.“The babies are keeping me busy, but I have a call scheduled today with my parents. I hope the signal is strong” said Saianna.“That’s wonderful” said Ar’alani. “Do they know about the babies?”Saianna smiled broadly and said “No” She giggled and explained “It will be quite a surprise.”“I bet!” said Ar’alani “I can’t imagine leaving my people and starting a new life in a completely different place. You’re very brave, Saiana’of’Bantar.” She looked down at the little life in her arms and the thought of all her officers and soldiers that served under her. They had all been babies. The thought that mothers across the Ascendancy held their babies came to her mind. Babies like this. Babies that were later handed over to The Ascendancy, to me. The ladies spoke more about holidays, customs, and had a laugh about things Saianna was still learning about raising two babies at once.As they spoke Ar’alani wondered how much of the coming events Saianna was prepared for.  She looked down at Aron and became a bit uneasy. Should I tell her what is happening with Thrawn? Does she already know? Perhaps she suspects and invited me here to learn more?  She tuned back into what Saianna was saying.“So we decided to have a variety over just a monocrop. That way there is less danger, and different people can have different foods!” said Saianna.“You are looking forward to returning to the lab?” asked Ar’alani shifting Aron in her arms.“Oh yes. Very much!” said Saianna.They spoke a little bit longer and Ar’alani made her excuses and returned to her day. She was glad she had taken a few hours to visit the little famous female human in the Ascendancy, but the thought of what my happen to her and the babies stuck in her mind.Saianna settled down in front of the communicator with Aron and Faron at her sides. She felt quite emotional because it had been almost a year since she had spoken to her family back on the ice moon of Bantar. The planet of Csilla had moved to a place in its orbit where a communication signal could reach far enough for a face to face conversation over the monitor.  Thrawn and even Samakro had sent text transmissions on behalf of Saianna while they were on patrol, but they were simple quick messages and did not provide the full breadth of what Saianna wanted to say to them.Saianna let out a deep breath and entered the digits into the comm unit to connect to her parent’s receiver.“Mama! Papa!” exclaimed Saianna once the picture on the comm unit in her apartment clarified.“Saianna!””Saianna!” they both exclaimed. Then they both gasped and spoke over each other to their daughter, holding a little blue skinned black-haired infant. “A baby!” “You’re a mama again!” Tuktu raised his hands over his head like he had just killed a snowbeast, and Motoko wrapped her arms around her husband as she exclaimed joyous sayings in their native tongue.Instead of explaining with words, Saianna put Faron into a basinet on her left and picked up Aron from a bassinet on her right.“Twins!” exclaimed Mottoyo.Tuktu returned Mottoyo’s embrace and they cried with joy.Aron started to fuss and Saianna rocked him soothingly while reaching over and putting a gentle hand on Faron’s belly to reassure him that everything was fine.Mottoyo sang a lullaby Saianna was ashamed she had forgotten. The babies calmed and Mottoyo asked “Where is Thrawn? He is the father, yes?”Saianna’s face fell. She said “Yes, he is the father, but he is…uh…” She felt hesitant to say anything because Thrawn was away on a secret mission with Eli, Ezra, and others. “He is going on a secret job” she said in her native tongue. “He is very busy with preparations.”Mottoyo and Tuktu looked at each other and shared a concerned look. “Are you okay?”Saianna did not want her parents to worry. “Yes! I have plenty of help. I have been moved to the Mitth Estate! It is very grand. Like a castle! But I am allowed to keep my private apartment here. I just came back for privacy. At the estate there are servants and workers. I just wanted to talk with you alone.” To shift the conversation away from sensitive topics Saianna asked “Where are Itsas and Kasa?”Tuktu explained “They are doing their lessons right now via the old communicator! The teacher began to offer school even over the cold seasons so they study a lot now!”Saianna’s heart soared. “That is excellent! They get in less trouble now that they have homework, I bet!”Mottoyo laughed and then teared up. She nodded, still feeling the loss of her daughter from their day-to-day life. “I wish…I wish I could hold the babies. What are their names?”“Oh, Mama, I have thought about home and you, and the family every day. I keep saying your lessons in my head to myself every day. Once the babies are old enough, I will take them home to you. The older boy is Aron and the younger Faron.”“Like As the Planet Turns!” said Mottoyo.“Aron Aput and Faron Aput. So Aron will go by Tharon and Faron may go by whatever he wishes, maybe Th’faro’n, but it will be his choice when the time comes.”Mottoyo and Tuktu shared a cautious look. Her father then said “Do you teach them our ways or Chiss ways?”Mottoyo wacked her husband in the stomach. “Ayaaa! Tuktu! They are Chiss. Don’t ask that.”Saianna laughed and said “I speak to them in proper tongue and Thrawn speaks Cheunh to them. I will teach them about carving and plants, and our ways, he will teach them his people’s ways. We discussed and agreed on it.”Tuktu nodded once sharply. “They should come to the moon when they are of age. They should understand nature and not rely too much on devices.” Tuktu gestured towards the old communicator visible behind them.“I think both are important” said Saianna shyly. “But yes, I want to talk to Thrawn about visits. I want them to know of Kaylichoo and the eye of Accna. It is very important. Many people here are smart, but don’t know simple things about how life works!” said Saianna relieved she had people who understood what she was saying.The three of them were quiet for a moment. A question was pregnant in the air as the two babies gurgled and sighed. Mottoyo broke the silence and asked “Did she come back to you?”Saianna smiled and said “I think so. I think my daughter came back to me through Aron. I see her in him.”Tuktu nodded and pouted trying to hide his tears. “She has come back to you-“ he bit out before tears cut him off. “She is ready to be with you now. I felt it deeply that the avalanche took your daughter because it was not the right time. It is right that she is with you now.”Saianna felt very calm and happy. “Yes. My first baby came back to do great work. As Aron I think she will bring Chiss and humans together.”They all chuckled and nodded. Tuktu said “Firstborn children have heavy weights, as you know.”“You never made me feel that way” said Saianna. “How…” she felt a bit worried “How do I let my firstborn be like you did?”Mottoyo said “We just let you be, Saianna. Baby Aron is extra special, yes, but so is baby Faron. Just let them be. You do not know their path, but let them know you love them no matter what they choose.”Tuktu nodded vehemently. He said “When we first had you we were nomads and my greatest hopes for you were to sew well, marry a man who caught a big fish, and for you to have strong babies.” He shrugged and said “I could not have imagined how our lives would change, and what opportunities existed. You would become a learned woman but also a great hunter. A survivor, a great beauty, and now you live among the stars with the siblings of Kaylichoo!” his smile was grand and full of pride in his first born. He continued “I gave you what I could and let you follow your own path. I could not have imagined a child of mine could be as great as you are. Your babies will surprise you!”Saianna smiled and nodded. “Thank you Papa. That helps me very much. Though I live in a high-tech place now, your lessons still serve me and I will pass them onto Aron and Faron.”They spoke for about another standard hour when the signal became weak. Saianna promised to call regularly during the season and explained why she was not able to call until now. They understood and had suspected that the season and where the planet was changed her ability to reach out.After they terminated the transmission she stared at the deactivated screen allowing sadness to flood into her heart. She took a deep breath and let it go, so very relieved she could talk to her parents and that they had met the babies this way. She looked down at the twins in their carriers and said “Someday we will go to the ice moon and my father, grandpa Tuktu, will show you his snow beast wares and maybe you make your own!” She nuzzled their round baby bellies with her nose until they giggled.She then packed everything up, placed them in into a custom floating pram the Mitth had made her.  Each boy had his own pod, but they were connected along to a single push bar across the foot of each pod. She settled her babies into the pram, put on her furswimmer skin backpack now full of extra diapers and baby bottles, and went out into the hallway.She bumped into Thikan and Thriva who were returning from some errands. The ladies fawned over the twins and they promised to meet for a lunch at the Mitth family house.Saianna took the tram from her building out to a more rural area where she took a private transport from the tram stop to the main Mitth estate house. She returned to the mansion where she lived with Thrawn and reluctantly handed off the double pram to a nursemaid she had repour with at the grand entrance. She walked further into the house searching room by room for her lover.Saianna finally found Thrawn gazing out a window in the library. His posture straight and hands clasped behind him. The sun cast a long shadow of him across the floor. She smirked to herself, removed her shoes, and silently snuck up behind him. When close she slipped her hands around his waist-Surprised Thrawn pulled away and instinctively shoved his assaulter to the ground. His regret was instant when he felt her tiny sternum. “Saianna!” He grabbed her wrist before she hit the floor. She righted herself on her feet and he let go of her.Hurt and confusion played across her features before her large brown eyes met his. “I’m sorry” he said swiftly. “I was startled. Are you alright?”The wind knocked out of her, she still nodded, a bit shaken. “I wanted to surprise you. I did not expect that” she tried to laugh.“I…My mind was elsewhere” he said, trying to explain but not give away his thoughts.  Saianna’s ears perked as she heard the babies fussing again. She didn’t say anything to Thrawn, and swiftly followed the sound to the dining room. It was a grand room with high ceilings, carved wooden walls, decorated with larger-than-life portraits of Mitth ancestors who once inhabited those apartments. The infants were in tiny seats that held them upright at the table. A servant was attempting to feed Faron with a bottle of some type of formula. Aron took in a big breath and Saianna winced knowing what was coming.The tiny first born let out an ear-piercing scream that shocked even Faron. The elder twin twitched his limbs spasmodically and turned his face away from the bottle. Once Aron began to wail Faron’s face scrunched up and he also began to cry.Saianna stormed in, angry at the entire situation. “Stop!” she said in Cheunh. As much as she wanted to smack away the bottle, and shove the servant, she did her best to calmly address the situation as Mottoyo, her mother would. She picked up Faron from the seat and settled him until he was more comfortable and calmer.Meanwhile the Chiss servant tried to wriggle the bottle into Aron’s mouth.Thrawn arrived in the doorway behind and watched the scene. He could see Saianna’s face red with anger, but her features did not change. “Stop” she said, calmly, to the servant in passable Cheunh. “No want. No like. No seat” she said.Saianna picked up Aron who was all kinds of upset and confused. She cooed to him in her native tongue as she gently bounced. She tilted her body to secure Aron in her one arm, and touched Faron’s head with her other hand. She leaned on the table between the baby seats so Aron could see them both and calmed considerably.Thrawn approached and inquired with the servant in Cheunh. He thanked the woman and dismissed her. “She was told by the nurse it was feeding time. She was only doing her duty.”“That was why I was coming here. I feed them. The bottle of, formula, no good for their bellies. They spit it up. And did you see how she…”  Saianna bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath doing her best not to upset the children. “She was being too rough with an infant. They are helpless and little and need eh…” the frustration was making it difficult for her to find the right words in basic. “…eh more gentle…gentleness.”Thrawn’s eyes shifted around. “You should allow the staff to help. It is their duty. It is why they are here. I was watching as well as you and saw no roughness.”Saianna frowned, accepting he was right. “They do not help” she said. “They get in my way.”“You will be returning to the lab soon. They will have to take over eventually” said Thrawn.She gave him confused look. “Take Over? “A few days later Saianna road to the lab to return to work with Dr Thedarin. And she took the twins with her. She stepped out of the transport then one at a time picked up her babies. She slipped one carrier on her back, and the other baby in the opposite direction against her chest. The twins rested their chins on each of her shoulders. It brought a smile to her mouth. Warm memories of being nestled against Mottoyo’s back traveling across the Blue Plains on the moon of Bantar flooded her mind. She lived in her mother’s coat of furswimmer skins during her earliest years and made her first memories on her mother’s back.She spoke quietly to her babies “Today you will meet Dr. Thedarin.” She walked into the building speaking to them in her mother tongue. “He is a good man and one of the first who knew about you. He came to visit you some time back. Do you remember?”Faron balled his fist and put it near his mouth, smiling in an enigmatic way. Aron's eyes searched his new surroundings with wide unfocused eyes.She entered the greenhouse all smiles and took a deep breath. She exhaled and said to the babies “Can you smell the plants babies?”Faron scrunched up his nose and fidgeted as he took in new scents and sounds. Aron let out a long gurgle. “Uuuuh!”“Yes” said Saianna understanding her son’s grunts as an expression of awe.“Hello!” said Dr. Thedarin from behind a wall of plants two men tall. He shuffled out from behind holding an old-fashioned watering can and approached Saianna. When he saw the two small blue faces snuggling her shoulders his face lit up and put down the watering can and took off his work gloves. “Oh, precious children!”He walked up to Saianna “Hello Miss Saianna, welcome back! Hello young master Th’faron” he looked to Saianna who pointed at Faron and he looked at Aron and said “Hello young master Tharon. Welcome!”“I hope it is okay I brought them. I like to have them close. They are still little” said Saianna.“This is…well…a bit unorthodox. I am concerned about their safety. You are allowed to take more time for yourself and the babies. A year or two is only right!”Saianna nodded, accepting his concerns and said “But I like the lab, and I think they will too. We have nice days, but I need to use my brain. They should stay in the office. I can see them through the glass wall and they are not near the toxic plants, yes? We wash our hands more. We go wash our hands now and we will hold the babies during your updates to me.”  Thedarin’s mouth turned up under his thick mustache and he chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. I can’t argue with you.” Soon after the two scientists each had a warm little blue bundle of joy on their laps and they caught up on the most recent developments.Thedarin said “We should work further on the fabric plants. They are used for textiles and upholsteries but are primarily imported from other places. Obtaining these products is prohibitively expensive. If we can produce them within the Ascendancy en masse we could save a lot of money. Durable clothing should not be a luxury.”“So strange” said Saianna. She sighed and said “Well, much of how you do things is still strange to me. We wore animal skins. Going through so much for plant clothing is weird to me. We had them, but they did not last as long.” Aron bopped his hands in her lap and focused on a vine growing up the wall. He leaned back on her belly. He began to stretch out and she scooped up his legs and readjusted him and kept his head between her breasts. He let out a big giggle when he looked at Thedarin and the old doctor responded in kind.“Wriggly little fellow” he chuckled. Faron was very calm and observant. Thedarin held the baby expertly and spoke directly to Faron. “He is a handful. Are you sure you’re twins?”“MmmBaaaah!” expressed the baby and followed it up with a raspberry eliciting more chuckles“Should we go to the planets? To talk to people? They could tell us firsthand what makes the plants grow good.” Baby Aron got a hold of Saianna’s long hair and she let him pull and yank as she asked “Someplace else where Chiss live?”“Field research! Excellent idea, Saianna! We could get samples and do some onsite research.” Dr Thedarin became excited by the idea and picked up a nearby questis to take some notes.“Great!” She said. “The babies would like to see someplace new!”Thedarin chuckled then halted and said “Wait…what?”

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Thrawn entered the bedroom and left the lights off. Saianna had waited up for him to return very late, but eventually gave up when it became three hours beyond the time he expected. She was in bed, but wide awake. Willing to sacrifice more sleep to see him when he came in the door. She listened to the sound of cloth slipping off his skin and then enter the fresher attached to their large bedroom. She heard him exhale and the fresher turn on. A short while later he exited and came out into the sleeping chamber wrapped in a towel.Saianna sat up and he flinched when he saw her walk across the room towards him, moonlight spilling in the large floor to ceiling windows of their master suite. “Hello, my hero” she said in Cheunh.He said nothing in return as her hands slipped around his waist and he felt the silkiness of her hair cascade across his chest. finally he said “Saianna…I did not mean to wake you.”She nuzzled him and said “I had not fallen asleep. I was too excite for you to return.” She rested her chin on him looking up at him with her large deep eyes. They appeared even deeper and wider in Csilla’s artificial moonlight.He said “I am glad you returned to the estate. You may rest better here with more support with the twins.”Her hands dipped and hooked onto his towel. “Rest. Yes. I still hear them cry though.”“They are down the hall, how can you hear them?” he asked.“In my heart. I know they cry” she said describing her human instincts.He nodded “I see…”She giggled glad to hear his voice again, and knowing I see meant he did not see but accepted her answer as something he would never understand. She stepped back but took his hand and pulled him toward the bed. He resisted and she tugged, gently on his hand “Come…” she said.“I must…put on my sleeping clothes” he said.“No need for that” she giggled. “I am healed and I have missed you.” She saw desire in his glowing eyes, and his excitement under the towel. “Come on…” she gave another tug.He reluctantly followed her to the bed where she pulled him down on top of her. He kissed her mouth and her legs spread easily and wrapped around his waist. She moaned contentedly “I have missed you” she said breathy.“I have missed you” he said, trailing kisses up and down her neck “But we must be careful” he said between shuttered breaths. “I…” his hands slid up her supple thighs, finding no panties underneath her sleeping shirt “We…”He abandoned his thoughts and just enjoyed the company of his petite human lover until the sun rose a few hours later.When Saianna woke in the morning, she looked over to her side and sighed. An empty pillow. Some things never change.She dressed swiftly and went to check on the babies. They were not in their room and when she emerged from their sleeping chamber a maid saw her distress and gestured towards the stairs. Saianna raced down the ancient steps and around the banister toward the private dining room. She expected to see Thrawn and the babies, but instead it was just an empty room. She then heard Aron beginning to fuss and rushed toward the sound. The library?Saianna entered another large room and saw a playpen set up and Thrawn, hands folded neatly behind his back in military rest, bent over peering down at the two babies in a large play pen. A few familiar Mitth family servants were lined up along the wall. She could hear Aron’s distress beginning to mount and a gurgle from Faron she could have sworn was a calming gesture from the twin brother.She approached the play pen and Thrawn straightened “Good morning” he said.“Hello” she said and reached down to comfort Aron. She put her hand on his belly, then stroked his head, then repeated for Faron. “Hello babies! Good morning!” she said, picking up Aron. “You remember papa? Yes?” and approached Thrawn and extended her folded arms and the infant there in toward his father.Thrawn backed away but leaned over to get a better look. “You are a fine baby. Quite strong and…” his eyes flickered around the room “I am told quite vociferous.” Aron’s arms broke free from his blankets and his little fists balled up and batted around. The baby was happy and a smile pushed at his little chubby cheeks. He giggled and stretched out his legs then relaxed.“Here” said Saianna “You make him happy. Hold him.”“Oh…” said Thrawn, still observing “I shan’t.” He then looked down at Faron who was still in the play pen, mirroring the same spasmodic movements of his infant brother. “Well, Faron, you also are progressing nicely. Yes, you are, little sir.”The baby responded with nonsensical noises and Thrawn tilted his head, an amused but closed smile spread across Thrawn’s face. “Yes, I quite understand.” Thrawn turned back to Saianna and said “I will be going on an inspection tour. I may not be back for a few days. There are matters to address." “But, I need you here” said Saianna, pleading. “Why are you leaving me? Us?”“I explained last night" he said."I did not realize that would be so soon!" she said."There is no need for concern. You have the entire staff of the great house of the Mitth at your disposal. You do not need me. There are many experienced nurses and caretakers here. They have all been vetted by me, personally. You are safe” he tried to reassure her. “They are in the best hands.”“I know that, but the babies want to know their father” she said.“That is why I asked them to be brought down here this morning. I have been speaking with them for the last hour or so.”“Did you hold them?” asked Saianna.“No. I said I spoke to them.” He shot her a concerned look. “I have no such experience holding infants. Nevertheless such tiny human ones.”“Thrawn-“ gasped Saianna confused by his standoffishness.He kissed her on the forehead said “Good bye babies. I will return in a few days” then left before she could say anything further.With Aron in her arms she turned and looked at the nurses and butlers and everyone else. She held Aron close to her and whispered in her native tongue “Your father is a good man. Maybe he is good with kids but not with babies?” She sighed and pressed her cheek to her infant’s head. “I feel like Taron from As the Planet Turns. She married the love of her life, but turns out he was a prince and lived in a castle.” She swayed and said to her eldest “He was very important, and they had a baby boy. But her husband had to leave all the time for state matters and left her all alone.” She kissed Aron’s head and looked into his big red eyes. “I haven’t seen the latest season of the show, so I don’t know what she did to fix it.” Eli and a small crew were already aboard a private vessel preparing to depart by the time Thrawn arrived. Thrawn entered the small craft and acknowledged the crew. “All, thank you for joining me on this short…” his eyes slid to meet Eli’s and then back to the select soldiers in front of him “… inspection tour.”Thrawn settled into the captain’s chair. He looked over the small crew who had been hand selected by Eli and himself and then shared a knowing glance with Commander Vanto.As Eli relayed orders to the crew for take off he thought Outbound Flight. We’re actually going to see it. We’re actually doing this. He thought of Ezra and the navigators. Once we figure out the best path it’ll make the mission simple. He half smiled and acknowledged everything was ready.Thrawn then ordered “Full speed ahead.”A few hours later the midsized ship exited hyperspace under the control of a young navigator. Thrawn’s thoughts were a mystery to all onboard as he watched the caretaker gently bring the girl with pigtails out of her navigating trance. The caretaker walked the young girl off the bridge and to her quarters to rest. It was a short ride and the child wasn’t worn out, but it was still procedure to recover from any journey no matter the length.A familiar, grumpy, officer addressed the captain on the bridge. “Well, Thrawn, is this the place?”“Yes, Senior Captain Samakro.”“Forgive me, sir, but we’re not exactly on an official mission.”“Perhaps, Senior Captain, but no reason to make it obvious nor for disorder to reign.”Samakro chuckled and nodded once. “And here I was afraid Lesser Space had dulled you. Very well, Senior Captain Thrawn. Is this the place?”“Yes. We will gather some readings with the separate devices stored in the landing bay and stop at the Copero trading post on our return.”“The trading post issue is real?” asked Samakro. “I thought it was all a cover so we could get out here?”“I heard from a reliable source that there is indeed an issue. We can dispatch a couple of our officers to address the situation” said Thrawn, cooly. “Respectfully, no we can’t!” said Samakro. “That requires an emissary. The families may take issue with addressing the issue. An official family member, a-““The Erighal are only of the Great families. I am Mitth and you are Ufsa” said Thrawn. “Perhaps it is a mild misunderstanding that is beneath an emisary and their retinue from one of our vaunted families” The corner of Thrawn’s mouth curved a smidge and he returned his gaze to the planet orbiting before them. “But as part of a Noble family I am more than willing to help them. In the meantime, it appears our skywalker has overshot our stop at the trading post. We might as well use this time to calibrate our navigation systems and perhaps take some readings of the world in front of us.”Samakro’s eyes went wide for a moment impressed, and rather surprised, that Thrawn had a fully fleshed out plan that relied on politics. “May I ask who this, uh, source is?”“All you need know is that she is very knowledgeable of the textile industry in this sector.”Samakro’s eyes jumped to Thriva who was asked on the mission for a variety of reasons Samakro did not quite understand. She was fumbling her way through working with the shuttle’s communications system. But as a Mitth family artist she would have indepth knowledge of many mediums. Including textiles. Samakro's mind began to wander with the thought. Textiles. Plant based textiles to be exact. The group surveyed the planet before them and gathered detailed readings about the surface and atmosphere. Everyone onboard was part of a list of people Eli had created for Thrawn months earlier before the twins were born. Everyone onboard had been thoroughly vetted and offered Mitth Merit Adoptive status should they be successful. The group was nothing unusual and were all people who had worked with Thrawn before. Samakro had volunteered his support after his discussion with Ar’alani and Ba’kif. None had spoken to Thrawn about the discussion they had regarding the potential of civil war.Thrawn explained to Samakro that his first priority was searching for his brother’s remains, and whatever else they found Thrawn would claim for the Mitth.If Thrawn was successful there was no doubt in his mind that it would trigger the inevitable war. The families were just waiting for a trigger. Why was beyond Samakro, but it was likely just a build up of bruised egos, and desire to be the most powerful family.Samakro remembered Ar’alani say “The families will inevitably blame Thrawn for their desire to fight. While what Thrawn is doing feels wrong, there are not laws against it. There are no rules against retrieving remains nor against retrieving materiel, but with his history he will be easy to blame. They will find a way.” That was when Samakro found he could stand firmly on Thrawn’s side. The secrecy is necessary to prevent other families from getting their hands on these potential ships. Samakro's stomach turned as he thought of his own family. My own blood. His fierce eyes glared out the viewport at the planet below. Ar'alani's sobering words continued through his mind. She had said I mean no disrespect when I say this, Ufsa'mak'ro, but I would not put it past your family, as I would not put it past my own former family, to use the remains of Mitth'ras'safis against the Mitth.He shook the memory from his mind and started trying out the name Thamakro in his mind. Giving up his status as an Ufsa cousin and dropping to ranking distant would be a far better deal than the shame of exile. Thalias floated into his mind again.The crew was a strange one to Samakro, but he recognized the loyal faces and realized he was not a stranger among them. This small group on the current flight were not the full group. Samakro glanced at Thrawn  wondering what had Lesser Space done to him. He was a good man, sure,  but did he really inspire such loyalty?Thalias’s pleading eyes came to his mind. Senior Captain, please don't… Her delicate hands gripped his bicep. It would've been a futile effort to over power him,  but, it wasn't. It wasn't her trying to use him or the crush he thought he hid so well. Samakro knew where Thalias had placed her romantic hopes. He glanced at the Senior Captain at his side again.“Samakro?” questioned Thrawn quietly, not taking his eyes off the viewport. “Concerns?”“No, Sr Captain, no concerns. Nothing relevant.” He mumbled.This made Thrawn turn to face his peer. “Oh?”Samakro shifted uncomfortably in his seat and said “Just a personal matter.”Thrawn examined Samakro a moment and said “Shall we speak later then?”“Oh, no sir” chuckled Samakro looking back to the display. “No need.”Thrawn’s gaze stayed on Samakro a bit longer than would be normal, but eventually accepted Samakro’s wishes with a small nod.

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Saianna welcomed Brierly Ronan, Ezra Bridger, and Eli Vanto into the Mitth house and walked them back into the grand dining room. A few large ragged cartons sat resting on the table. The humans of the Ascendancy gathered around the grand dining room table in the Mitth family house. They had received word of some packages that had come from outside the Chaos and were delivered to the Mitth estate.Ronan took a seat a bit out of the way, while Saianna and Eli inspected the boxes addressed to them. Ezra looked over Eli’s shoulder at the box wrapped up in packing tape and realized he needed a blade to slice it open. He patted his side and backside for his utility knife “Damn” he said realizing he did not have one.Saianna drew a knife out from who knows where on her body and sliced open the customs tape on her package. When she handed it over to Eli she noted everyone’s surprise. “What? I always have a knife” she said.They all laughed good heartedly and Ezra said “You can take the girl from the ice moon, but you can’t take the ice moon out of the girl!”She understood the saying and smiled with the rest of them.Eli unwrapped items and grimaced “Oh, mom…” He held up socks she had knit herself and a second pair for Ezra. A handwritten letter accompanied his package and he read it silently. He smirked and a sad smile came to his face.Ezra looked over his lover’s shoulder and read the letter. He too was a bit disheartened and shrugged. “They’re trying…” he said to Eli.“Trying what?” asked Saianna.Ezra and Eli were reluctant to say, but Eli relented “They…they wrote they’re concerned I ain’t with a girl, but glad I ain’t with…” He looked around and back at the letter “…an alien.”Saianna asked “Does this matter so much to everyone? Chiss are the same, no? They don’t like humans or others either. Outsiders are scary to them. Outsiders are scary to your parents too.”“They have no reason to be scared. They have lived in the galaxy with aliens. I get there was resentment after the war, but, it’s been years!” said Eli.Ezra put a comforting hand on Eli’s shoulder and said “As I said, they are trying. This means they’re learning.”Eli looked at Ezra through the side of his eye “Yeah, but they’ve had their entire lives to learn.”Saianna pulled out a large soft square item wrapped in plain brown paper and tied shut with twine. “Oh here. Mama and Papa said they would send this.” She walked over to Ronan “For you, from Mama and Papa.”Ronan did a double take “What? What for?”Saianna thought it an odd question. “Why would they not? They know you are here. Another human here and you need to stay warm. They have much, so they give to others.” She placed the package down on the table in front of Ronan and Eli and Ezra shared a tense look.“Did they not know you had a preference for other men?” He looked at Ezra and Eli as he slowly untied the twine.“Yeah, but they were hoping I’d settle down with a woman and have grand babies. Kids to carry on the name, and maybe the family business” replied Eli.“So take someone else’s babies” shrugged Saianna as she returned to the large box that came addressed to her.Eli’s jaw dropped and he gasped “I ain’t no kidnapper!”Ezra laughed really loud, so much he held his stomach. “I’m pretty certain that’s not what she meant!”Even Brierly Ronan chuckled at Eli’s expression.Saianna said “Not steal other babies, I mean, eh…” she tapped her chin and thought hard. What is the word for adopt? “When they have no parents. Kids who need a home?”“Hahaha” Ezra continued to laugh. “Your expression! Oh maker” Ezra sighed to a stop.Eli got a bit grumpy and his face burned a deep read. He turned and went back to his package. “I…I knew, uh, what she meant” he said.“What is it?” asked Ronan examining the package Saianna gave him. He tried to hide his grimace at whatever dead animal he assumed was wrapped up in the paper. “Was this truly intended for me, Miss Saianna?” asked Ronan, skeptical.“Yes!” she said emphatically. One of the babies emphasized er sincerity with a loud “BAH!” from behind her. “I told Mama and Papa about each of you.” She reached back into the box and pulled out a few glass jars of soup.“But why…” started Ronan “Why would they send me a gift?” He was genuinely confused.Saianna looked at him like he was a complete dolt, but also forgiving of his stupidity. “Is your head dumb like a rock?” she said. “I told them you were here. They know you do not have a family to give you things. They did not want you to feel left out.”Eli and Ezra shared a smile and looked over at Ronan as he grimaced at the plain paper wrapping. Eli handed Ronan the bone knife and he cut the twine that held the paper on. The paper fell away and revealed a silvery grey fur item. His eyes went wide and he unfolded the large cape.“I told them how you like capes. This one has holes for your arms and pockets for your, eh, machine trinkets” said Saianna, proud of her family’s talents at making clothing. “It is made from kiel skins. A great silver male kiel” explained Saianna.Ronan stood and held the garment out in front of him. “My stars! This is beautiful!”His reaction surprised the men. Saianna just nodded and said “Yeah, Mama is good at sewing.” She approached and examined the seems. “Papa was careful with how he killed it, so as not to ruin the fur.”“I…” said Ronan at a loss for words. “I must write them a thank you, at the very least. This is quite generous.”Saianna smiled. “Mama and Papa are not great with Basic. Just wear it. I will tell them you were pleased and extend your thanks.”Ronan put on the cape and admired himself in nearby mirror. Saianna tended her babies while Ezra and Eli dug through the edible gifts they found closer to the bottom of the container. Eli whistled as he pulled out another home made item. “Awe. I love this stew. I hope it's kept. I have no idea how long these things were in transit.”Ronan’s face fell as he touched the softened fur swimmer skin that line the fine fur.Saianna shook her head. What a dum dum Ronan is. She approached him at the mirror and said “You can wear any way you like, but the fur side usually goes inside. While, yes, animals wear fur outside” she straightened the collar “the skin side is water proof. That is what keeps you warm. It keeps you dry. The fur just holds the heat and is soft on the skin.” She looked up at Ronan's face and saw he was holding back tears. Saianna didn’t know what to say. “Are you okay?” she whispered, concerned about this ex-Imperial dum dum.Ronan nodded once then said “I want to apologize.” He swallowed.Saianna furrowed her brow in confusion but allowed Ronan to continue.Ronan puffed up his chest and looked down at Saianna “I…have always thought myself open minded and tolerant. I did not realize…Your life has been very different, not lesser. Your wares are different but no less sophisticated.” His hands ran through the fur. “Your family’s talents are amazing. This is better than anything I could buy in the Sarpsian district of Coruscant! I…see now…I have underestimated you and your people. I apologize. Thank you for this gift. Thank you for your hospitality and thank you for your patience with me.”Saianna’s eyes went wide. “So I guess your brain is not a rock anymore?”They all chuckled and Ronan slipped back into his normal haughty self. “Well…perhaps…”They all laughed and continued unpacking and enjoying their care packages.In the box with Brierly’s cape was another bundle of fur and skins. Saianna pulled it out and gasped with delight. While Ronan continued to admire the fine work of Mottoyo’s sewing, he asked “Did you also get a garment?”Saianna asked “a GAR…gar- what?”Eli exclaimed “Garment is a generic item of clothing.”“Ah, no!” Saianna unfolded the item on the table. “It is for the babies!” She then lifted young Aron and slipped him into a fur lined sac. They could then see that there were two side by side compartments and Faron fit in the one next to Aron. She secured the babies, one who smiled up at their mother, the other fidgeting and sinking into the soft fur with a yawn. Saianna then lifted it and wore the carrier on her back. “Ta-da! I can carry my boys now! Usually babies are carried in the back of a fur swimmer coat, but I…” She shrugged “Don't wear that here. The Chiss like to keep homes warm.”Ezra said “Saianna, your home was pretty warm.”“We keep people warm. With food, staying close, and furs.” She looked over her shoulders at her blue babies and said “Mitth keep their big house warm, but my people can leave our homes and go into the snow and still be warm.” She smiled and basked in the warmth of the twins on her back. She could feel Farons legs stretch and contract and Aron pushing and grabbing and the fur. This is motherhood she thought. My boys on my back. We can go anywhere and do anything. Saianna beamed.Later that evening Eli and Ezra sat at their dining room table making their way through their evening meal. The two men were rather quiet for most of the meal except for a word here or there about the food they had prepared together. They both had big heavy things on their mind and neither were certain how to, or if, to broach their respective subjects.“Thrawn asked me for several Skywalkers” said Ezra.“Yeah…” said Eli knowing the details of the plan.“…so...” Ezra “Not officially. This can be big trouble” he clarified.Eli’s stomach twisted. “Yeah, he tends to make that.”“Even if I were to do such a ridiculous thing, how in the world can we sneak that many Skywalkers out of the barracks and away from the facility?”Eli pushed his green pods around his plate. “Well, I was hopin’ you could help with that?” He looked at Ezra sheepishly. “Seein’ as you are an instructor, and a Jedi and what not?”“Don't ignore the keyword in that sentence, Eli. I'm an instructor. My students don't know how to navigate yet. They’re all still too young.”“What’re you teachin’ ‘em?” he asked, a bit frustrated with his partner. “Ezra, they’re key to this entire operation! We can’t get to the crash site without them!”Ezra scooped up the last bit of his protein and sighed. “You know I'm teaching them how to use and sense the Force. How to manage their feelings, how…I dunno” he dropped his fork on his plate with a clang.Eli pressed his lips together and sighed, trying to keep his frustration in. “Well…who…who is teachin’ ‘em actual navigation?”Ezra said “Thalias would know. I think she helps with that between missions. She didn't have a permanent role in the program since she's a caretaker and takes off when she's assigned.”“That's good news. She's on our list. She was one of the few navigators to become a momish” he said blood cooling. He cut through his fish with the side of his fork. “Have you met Che’ri? I think she might be transitioning into a new role at the academy right about now.”“A mo-what?”“A momish. It’s a kinda casual word for caretaker” explained Eli.Ezra nodded his understanding, and with a full mouth said “But no. I haven't met anyone new recently. They keep me pretty isolated with the little kids. I guess they want to see how I do first before introducing me to anyone more advanced.”Eli lifted his drink to his lips “You should ask Thailas about meetin’ Navigator Che’ri. She was her long term caretaker.” He took his drink and set it down again. “They're both real loyal to Thrawn. Been on tons of missions with him b’fore he joined the Empire.”Ezra flopped back in his chair. “Why are people loyal to him?”“You don't see him like they do because you were the enemy, well he would say adversary, but you know what I mean. Think about what it's like to have him protecting you and your people, your interests. Your family!”Ezra nodded and said “He’s still a fascist.”“Are you sayin’ I’m a fascist?”“No. Why, where did that come from?”“He protected me, Ezra! He helped me. If you're ok with me then you have to be OK with him.”Ezra closed his bright blue eyes to consider his situation. His head spun with contradictions, frustrations, and confusion. “You told me he sent you away. But before that you willingly enlisted. You fought pirates, but I have to imagine a bunch of those pirates were rebels. You wanted to climb the ranks. Command your vessel.” Ezra leaned his elbows on the table.Eli pulled a napkin off his lap and mirrored Ezra’s posture. “Not exactly. I just wanted to be a dang logistics officer. Not some high faultin’ officer.” He growled in frustration. “Ach” and rolled up his napkin into a ball and threw it on the table. “I can't change the past. It's how I got here. Now I'm protecting people. I'm a part of something else.”“Would you go back to the Empire if you could?” asked Ezra.“I…I think now that I know what it is I couldn't. I learned a lot from academy. I owe them that much. They let me use my skills, taught me new ones. Sent me to some far flung places. Sent me to Coruscant, for kriff’s sake.”Ezra said “Would you work with them if you had to?”“How so?” asked Eli.“I mean be their allies?”Eli knew that was one of Thrawn’s goals, but he wasn't certain how much Ezra knew. I don't wanna lie, but, I can't just come out’n say it either…”I'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.”Ezra’s face hardened a bit and he frowned as he squished the last of his green pods. He didn’t look at Eli when he asked “Is he trying to build a Chiss Empire?”“Ezra, no. He’s just trying to prepare the Ascendancy if somethin’ comes crawling out of the Chaos here and tries to kriff around with the rest of the galaxy, eh?”“I…I just don’t want him building that here” he said flopping back in his seat. “I couldn’t take it if those kids were affected. They’re already gonna be used as tools of war.”“Ezra, you know, you’ve talked with him about that. It’s also part of why I’m here. He want’s to get away from puttin’ kids in danger. You know that.”“Why can’t he find some other way to do it? If he’s such a genius?”Eli huffed. “Ya think the best bet is a rag tag group of rebels or the cold might of an Empire, eh? When it's on your side, it's not so bad being protected by all that steel and fierceness.”“It was always trying to crush me, so I took a different path. I was angry, sure, but I've also learned to love and let go. The ‘rag-tag rebels’ beat the big bad Empire. So it isn’t a sure bet, you know. If something crawls out of the Chaos, as you put it, I think at first talking things through-““They ain't like you an’ me!” yelled Eli.Ezra halted. He realized they were no longer debating the hypothetical. “Who?”Eli realized he said too much. He slumped in his chair and sighed deeply. “He asked I didn’t talk about these things with you, but if your going to come with us on the mission, then you should have some context, I guess.”Ezra exhaled in a way that told Eli he was using the Force to relieve and release anger. He was listening. Eli continued “There’s some pretty bad poodoo out there. One of those things is called the Grysks. Ezra…” He leaned forward onto the table and reached out taking Ezra’s hand in his. He squeezed it and looked into his lover’s eyes. “They don’t just come at ‘cha with guns and anger. They take possession of people’s minds and force ‘em to turn against their own interests. They make entire populations their tools. They’ve attacked Chiss vessels, the girls…” Eli shook his head. “Just reading the reports gave me nightmares.”Ezra gave a quick squeeze to Eli’s hand with reassurance. He wasn’t fully onboard with this latest escapade. “I…I know. I know.”Eli’s eyelids flinched. “Did Thrawn talk to ya about them already?”Ezra moved his head side to side. “Thrawn mentioned threats, just nothing concrete.”“Well, there are concrete threats. Threats that’ve affected the surrounding civilizations. They’re creepin’ on inward towards the Chiss.” They gazed into each other’s eyes both hoping an understanding would settle between them.Ezra nodded. “Ok.” He looked down at their hands. “Ok.” I am doing it again. Slipping into my anger towards Thrawn. I’m past this. What’s happened has happened. I need to focus on now. He looked up at Eli with new questions in his eyes. “But the girls, it still puts them at risk.”Eli’s eyes were sympathetic “I know. The whole of the Ascendancy is at risk. The rest of the galaxy is at risk. Civilizations full of younglings. The Chiss have these small group of kids serve so the others can know peace. These few navigators serve so kids across the galaxy, lesser or greater, can live in peace. That’s why you’re here. You’re teachin’ ‘em to defend themselves, yeah? You just said that. And maybe find a way to retain their abilities into their adult years?”Ezra nodded. “Then we can cultivate their powers and allow adults to serve and not kids.”Eli said “That’s what he wants too. None of us feel ok relying on kids like this. We don’t have a choice right now.”Ezra thought of Sa’qar. “I…I have something to ask you about.”Eli said “yeah? About the navigators?”“No, well yes. I have one student. The young one. Sa’qar?”Eli nodded. “Yeah, the youngest. You’ve mentioned her.”“Do you think…Maybe we could adopt her?” asked Ezra.Eli was taken by complete surprise by the request. “Ez, sh-sh-she’s a navigator. No one can adopt her” he said, trying to get his bearings. Wow, my head is spinning. Adopt a kid, where did that idea even come from?“I know that’s the rule, but she needs a family. She’s so young, and I don’t think-“Eli let go of Ezra’s hand, sat back and crossed his arms. “Ezra, you know you can’t do that. You know it ain’t fair to all the other kids either.”“I just keep seeing the three of us together” said Ezra, leaning forward.“Don’t confuse your personal daydreams and force visions again. I ain’t fallin’ for it” said Eli with half a smile. “I admit you got me that time you wanted to try the yubol steaks at that fancy place, but this is a big one. Havin’ kids is a big responsibility.”Ezra grimaced “It’s a vision.”Eli brought his hand to his forehead and looked into the distance “Oh, Eli, I…” he lifted his other hand out in front of him pretending to reach towards some unseen hallucination. “I see us havin’ yubol steak. It looks just like…”Ezra tried not to laugh. I got him good that day. “It’s not that!”Eli continued reenacting Ezra’s manipulation. “I can almost taste it, Eli! What could it mean?”Ezra broke and let his smile and a chuckle come through. “Well, it was good though, right?”“Sure was. But all you had to do was ask me. I wouldn’t deny you good food!”They calmed a bit and after a few moments of silence Eli said “I wouldn’t deny you a family either, Ezra Bridger. Are you…is it somethin’ you’ve been thinkin’ on? For real?”Ezra’s smile faded and he nodded. “Yes. I think it’s kind of taken me by surprise.”“Me too” said Eli. “Me too.” He took Ezra’s hand on the top of the table again. “We gotta plan and think about how and when and what a kid could need. We can’t just rush headlong into bein’ parents!”

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Thrawn was fully dressed in his black day-to-day uniform and had returned home after a few additional days away with a cover story of inspecting soldiers and ships in nearby systems.Thrawn stared straight ahead, holding each one of Saianna’s full bare breasts in his hands. In the privacy of their bed chamber, sitting on the edge of their large bed he said “These breasts will be the end of me.” He admired her tan brown skin and how the color contrasted with his own pale blue.“Why do you say that? That’s not nice” said Saianna, straddling his lap and bringing them closer to his face. She was completely, and comfortably nude on his dressed lap.“I simply become completely irrational when I see them like this. I don’t understand why. I cannot explain it.” He took one of her nipples gently in his mouth. “Mmmf.” He had come to their bedchamber in search of her. He had wanted to say hello or have a quiet dinner for the two of them on his return. She had just emerged from the refresher and he knew he could not resist her charms. She threw the towel aside, and ran up, embraced him giggling and happy he had returned.   “So why is that bad?” she asked between sighs.“Well…” he licked a circle around on her areola and then sucked the whole of her nipple reveling in the feeling of it hard against his tongue. “It is not safe for me to pursue things that are” He pressed his face between her breasts reveling her soft smooth skin. “just pure pleasure. This…” sniffed her skin enjoying her scent. “…this is heaven…”She stroked the back of his head enjoying their closeness. “I will not be the end of you. Love will not be the end of you.”Thrawn chuckled. “Perhaps…” he whispered. He peppered her chest with light kisses then leaned his head back and looked up into her dark eyes. “Giving myself to you like this is terrifying sometimes.”She nodded and took his head in her small hands and looked into his glowing red eyes. “I understand. But it is not me you fear. It is loss.”His eyebrows jumped and he looked away as he considered her words. “Perhaps.”She giggled.“What? You are not laughing at my weakness, are you?” he asked with a smirk on his lips.“No, but you say perhaps a lot.”“You are correct. I believe it is a good response that allows for more extrapolation.”“Oh, now that’s not fair” she said sitting down on his lap and wrapping her legs around his waist. “That is a big word. I am still learning Basic. You used that word on purpose, to tease me.”His smirk turned into a smile and he said “Perhaps.”She threw her head back in a laugh, allowing her hair to tickle her back.He brought her face back to his and kissed her. “I am, indeed, afraid of a life without you.”Saianna stroked his cheek and said “Someday we will exist one without the other. Until then we should be here.” She put her hand over his heart. “Here now.”“You sound like a Jedi” he said.“No, shaman are concerned with Woo-Woo ideas. They think we exist like we are, but elsewhere. Kaylichoo does not destroy her children but transforms them. You and your big brain, and me and my big boobs will not last forever. We will change, and become the soil, the trees, the oceans and the snow. We will exist, as we have always existed, just different. But right now we are here together.” She brought her face, close to his, their noses brushing together. She whispered " Be here now. With me.”“Your folklore has a powerful simplicity” he said, honestly. He took a long moment to gaze in her deep dark eyes. “My work, the days away, are very difficult for you.”“Yes” she said, simply. “I think mostly of our babies. I have many memories of my papa. And I learned lessons even in those early days. I want them to learn from you.” He nodded, a deeper understanding arriving in his heart. “It is easier said than done, but you have given me a place to start.”“Good…” she kissed him and he returned the kiss with passion and lust. “I like you here…” she said while her hands searched his body.His hands slipped around behind her and took a hold of her bottom. “I like you here…” he slid his hands up onto her waist “Oh, and here…” Their kissing became heavier and breathier.She nudged his shoulders and he lay on his back familiar with her nonverbal signals.He rolled over on top of her and kissed her neck. He halted and whispered, “I do apologize, but I must tell you.” He leaned up on his elbows. “I am going away again. This time for a longer period. When I return things may change a great deal for us. I need you to be prepared to leave with the boys in an emergency. I know I can rely on you to do this if need be.”She kissed his cheek and said “Where should we go? Why? What bad thing am I escaping here?”He turned his red eyes toward her and she was strangely comforted that she could see him looking at her in the dark. He whispered “I am about to go on an unauthorized mission, but what I will return with, it may cause fighting among the families. You may be targeted due to your association with me. I need you to hide somewhere. Do you understand?”She nodded affirmative and said “Worry not. I can feel when the seasons change. I will know when to start a migration.”Satisfied with her answer he said “Very good” but not as he would say to his officers. She could tell his mind was already on her body. She felt his hands roaming over her figure and despite the possibility of looming danger, fell into the bliss of their love. Under the cover of night, the group of loyal and trusted soldiers and officers arrived at the rendezvous.Ar’alani and Ba’kif arrived and spoke quietly with Thrawn, confirming that the full crew was still committed and that the plan was still in place. Ba’kif walked up the ramp and Ar’alani hung back to talk with Thrawn one on one. “I know you have all the details in your mind and don’t plan to share it all.”“Yes, I do” said Thrawn with no hint of hubris.“Then why don’t you share it with us?” she asked, curious. Her tone of voice did not imply she wanted those details.Thrawn turned his attention to a river full of icebergs their ship hand landed next to. Observing the frozen hunks of ice floating down the river he said “The less you know the better. If I am marked for punishment that is one thing, however, the less you know the less your reputation will be tarnished. This will make it easier for the Mitth to protect you."Ar’alani stopped herself from sighing. She said “I trust you, Thrawn, but there are things you are not accounting for.”As if he did not hear what she just said he responded “If we are fall into civil war the Mitth will want the best officers they can get their hands on. You are undoubtedly one of the best.” He turned to face her and smirked, amused at her look of shock.“Lesser Space has changed you!” she said, not hiding her surprise.Thrawn’s smile faded and he said “Indeed. I fumbled, but learned from my faltering. But I would have to be in a coma to miss the rumblings about open conflict.” He noted her tension. “Are you alright?”“Just wondering what else I don’t know” she said with a crooked smile “Though, I think I see where it is going.” It was her time for her smile to fade. “This is a lot to ask of everyone.”“Perhaps, but everyone knows the risks, and I am willing to shoulder the responsibility for those who are so loyal to me. We will recover.”Ar’alani noted others were arriving, nodded to her longtime friend, and headed up the ramp.Thrawn continued to watch the ice move along the river but listened to footsteps approach him from behind. “Master Bridger. Are you ready for this task?”Ezra sighed. “Yes, Thrawn.”Thrawn approached the shorter human man. “I would like you to call me Senior Captain when we aboard.” Thrawn’s eyes burned like red coals in his skull.Ezra noted his gut reaction was just to respond with insult, but he admitted he needed to work with Thrawn. “Fine.”“It is a military tradition” said Thrawn, offering a reason. “It also reduces confusion and lends the group to a more efficient process.”  “Yeah, ok” responded Ezra. He winced at his own immaturity. We never used those kinds of things on The Ghost, so I don’t see why it’s so important here.“Very well. No reason for chaos onboard. We will encounter plenty of that once we leave” said Thrawn.“I hate this. I hate taking children into dangerous situations” Ezra said, looking over his shoulder as Thalias and the young woman named Irizi’Che’Ri shuttled several sleepy young navigators up the ramp. The young woman used to be named Che’ri, and had a history as a navigator. Ezra had been quietly introduced to her earlier in the day and took an immediate liking to her. She, like Thalias was warm, patient, and caring with the children. She joined the Irizi clan when she finished her time as a navigator and took the name Zicheri. But those very familiar with her still called her Che’ri.“There is no expected danger, Master Bridger. They will simply assist us in retrieving the vessels.” He bent his perfect posture to look Ezra in the eye. “Unless…you have foreseen something? I would appreciate your mentioning it before we embark on our mission.”Ezra turned away as the last little girl was walked up the ramp by Thalias. He looked at Thrawn, a bit sad, “No. I haven’t had any visions that are relevant to this.”“Very well. Let us board. I believe we are the last” said Thrawn, tucking his hands behind his back and leading the way.Ezra reluctantly followed and as they approached the yellow lit ramp he felt a pull. Not a physical grab, but one in his mind, in the Force. He halted and heard “Papa!” and turned around to look at the darkness.“Master Bridger?” questioned Thrawn seemingly not having heard the call.Ezra realized he had heard it in his mind. Papa! He recognized the call and responded in kind Saqar?
Yes, papa!
Ezra wasn’t sure why he was hearing her at this point. Oh no, she knows I’m out. If she’s at the school we’ll be found out! I’m here! He could hear her clear as day.Thrawn walked back down the ramp. “Master Bridger? What is the issue?”“I… sense someone…” replied Ezra in a detached voice.Thrawn’s eyes drifted out into the darkness. His gaze floated along the shrubs that lined the path and landed on something that gave off a slight heat signature that stood out. He smirked with amusement and said “I see.” He walked down the ramp and into the darkness. He stopped over the shrubs and with hands behind his back bent over a bush. “Hello” he said in Cheunh.“Papa?” came the little voice, also in Cheunh.Ezra’s heart dropped into his stomach. He recognized the little voice, and the shape of the little glowing red eyes that opened in the dark.“I am sorry, little one. I am not your father” said Thrawn. “Perhaps we…” he then saw the navigator branded sleeping clothes. He looked up and saw Ezra jogging over to where they were.“Saqar?” asked Ezra, gently.“Papa!” she said reaching her arms up, wanting to be held. Ezra instinctively scooped her up out of the bushes. She wrapped her chubby little arms around his neck and called out to him in the Force.Ezra heard her call and cooed “I’m not abandoning you, or anyone else. Calm. Breath, Saqar. It’s ok.”Thrawn stood back and observed, keeping his feelings obscured from any onlookers. Ezra bounced the toddler in his arms and she settled into his chest, gripping his tunic. “Alright. Well, we can’t bring you home right now” he whispered. He looked at Thrawn and said “She thought we were all leaving her behind. She snuck out behind the older kids.”Thrawn’s brow jumped and all he could say was “Such a young one.”Ezra thought he sensed the Chiss was a bit rattled. “Yeah.”“There is space onboard for her, I’m certain” said Thrawn with gentle concern.With no further discussion they all entered the ship. Thrawn’s ship arrived on the edge of Wild Space. Eli felt relief and something familiar wove it’s way into his heart as he looked out the viewport.Ezra walked over to where Eli sat and said “Home?”“Not quite, but it’s the closest I’ve been in a long time” replied Eli, not shifting his gaze from the viewport. "How're the navigators doin'?"Ezra shrugged "For the most they are excited to practice their gifts, but a couple are anxious." Eli whispered "How's Saqar? She's there, right?"Ezra nodded "She's excited for everyone, and she wants to meet you." The Jedi smiled. "Me? Now...did you go 'n tell 'er about me? What we talked 'bout?"Ezra chuckled and said "Nope." He gave his lover a mischiveous grin and didn't say anymore.Eli understood that Saqar's talents in the force were strong and that maybe she had visions of her own. "Well, I have a small break later. Maybe...maybe I'll drop by the navigator suite then." Thrawn sat in the captain’s chair and called out in basic to the humans “We are in section H-7 by the Standard Galactic grid if that gives you any indication of exactly where we are. We are still in Ascendancy territory.”Ronan huffed in his seat. “Of course you would assume that. Yet…” he pointed to his display and said “yet clearly we have Republic property, right there.”Eli stood and walked over to Ronan’s display. “That’s it. That’s the…target.”Thrawn simply said “Very good. We confirmed a visual on our last flight out here,  but could not spare time for in-depth scanning, only a broad cursory search. Can you tell me if they are capable of space flight?”Ronan frowned and said “They appear to be in overall surprisingly good condition. The hull on one of them is rather damaged, they landed right onto stone what were they thinking?...”“What about the engines. Are they capable of actually movin’ themselves?” inquired Eli.Samakro sat at Thrawn’s right hand side and mumbled to Thrawn “Vanto I get, but what does that other human idiot even know. Why is he here?”Thrawn coolly responded “He was, if you can believe it, an advanced weapons expert in their empire. While his personality leaves much to be desired he is quite intelligent and has vast knowledge of their sophisticated technological terrors.”Ronan paused his work and turned to Samakro. He said, in passable Cheunh “I have been learning your savage language Senior Captains!”The two commanding Chiss shared a glance and Thrawn said to Samakro “As I said, personality aside.”Samakro shrugged off the comments and Eli zeroed in on their challenge. “I was sayin’, what about propulsion?”Ronan’s hands moved swiftly across the Cheunh display. “It seems there was some kind of burn out. The hyperdrives do not appear in good shape, nor the sublight thrusters.”Thrawn nodded and said “As expected. Our previous scouting missions sussed out the major problems. We have engineers and vital parts onboard.”Ronan felt miffed about not having received the full briefing and began to voice his irritation. “While I understand the necessity of secrecy in this endeavor, I cannot believe you would be so reckless as to-“Samakro forcefully spoke over and cut off the Director’s complaints. “With your permission sir, I am glad to bring the crews planet side to get this mission underway.”Thrawn turned to Samakro, amusement curling his lip only slightly. “Yes, Senior Captain, permission granted. And if you could be so kind as to alert Admiral Ar’alani and General Ba’kif to our status.”“Yes, sir” said Samakro. A week later a Mitth family Syndic paid a visit to the Mitth family house searching for Saianna and her babies. When he arrived he was told that Saianna was staying at her own apartment on the Mitth properties closer to downtown.By the time the Syndic and his entourage arrived, Saianna and her family were gone. She had begun to notice whispers in the main house among the staff and Dr Thedarin quietly inquired about Thrawn’s whereabouts.They decided it was time to begin their field research.Mere hours later,  Saiaana debarked a privately chartered vessel with Dr Thedarin and Aron & Faron in her fur lined carrier. They flew to a far off planet on the edge of Chiss space. The ship dropped them all off at the coordinates the two scientists had recieved.  The vessel wasted no time and took off again eager to drop off other passengers.Dr Thedarin and Saianna had expected to be greeted at these coordinates by local scientists,  and yet there was not a single Chiss in sight. Not a living being in sight. “Where is our welcomers?” asked Saianna, an ominous feeling settling in her ice moon bones. “I do not like this.”Dr Thedarin said “Yes, a lack of a welcome party is one thing, but…” He looked off to the horizon while Saianna looked all around.“We should go up high. Maybe we are just in the wrong place” she said. “Up on that hill there. We will get a good vantage point.”The group hiked up the hill, Saianna, helping the older Dr. Thedarin up onto the top of the ridge. They saw a conservatory on the top of another hill and made their way across. The structure was mostly glass with a domed top.Saianna pointed and said to the babies “Look little ones, it is a plant house! Like on Csilla!” She tried to be light and happy with her words, but none of them were fooled. Saianna was uneasy with how silent the field was. The hilly terrain was completely barren except for green and brown grasses. No birds, no bugs, no scurry of small animals. Even ice plains have life on them. These grasses underfoot are dry and dead. Some are green, but not many. Something is very wrong here.  Dr Thedarin said “So strange that the crops in the distance seem…what…” he gasped and stopped walking.Saianna followed Dr. Thedarin’s line of sight to where their ship had been. It was currently being taken over by a large wave of a black oily substance. Fear lit Saianna’s veins on fire.Saianna and Dr Thedarin saw a wave of black ooze swiftly overtaking the landscape of dried grass. The wave of black shocked Sainna and triggered paralyzing memories of an avalanche that took the lives of her human husband and daughter back on the icy moon of Bantar. She stared at it in a trance as it flowed towards them. She looked up as it spilled over the hill in front of them. She flashed back to the suffocating wall of white that had ripped her family from her arms. She felt the weight of the snow pressing on her chest and the warmth draining from her limbs. Now it was not a white wave, but a black one. “SAIANNA!” yelled Dr. Thedarin, shaking her out of her fear trance.She screeched and then heard her babies crying “Go! WE go NOW! RUN!” she yelled, grabbing his hand and the two of them made it up the hill behind them and looked down at the dark oily slick that sloshed around. Her head cleared and she could see it was not a wall of snow, nor a wave, but a fluid of some kind that was rushing up the hill towards them. “We should head to the lab, over there…” pointed Thedarin.“Yes, yes!” said Saianna doing her best not to allow panic to make her useless. “Let us go”The group slid down the back of the next hill and ran up the valley towards the high point where their makeshift lab was. They made it inside and shut the glass door.The two of them out of breath, Dr Thedarin said “Listen to me child!” and took a gentle hold of Saianna’s shoulders. “That is…I can’t believe it is here, that is has returned…” He looked up into her eyes and said “Mnggal mnggal.”Saianna’s face screwed up at the sounds “The…nall nall?”“It matters not. It is deadly. If it touches any of us it is all over. If it touches us we are taken over and lost forever. It will inhabit our bodies and force us to do it’s will. There is no surviving.” His eyes dropped to the infants who gurgled with uncertainty. She gasped and gripped the babies in her carrier. “No…” She was panicking at the thought of losing more children and to such a horrid fate. “No no…This is not happening. How? How are…” her eyes widened and she looked out the window watching the ooze splashing closer and closer up the hill. “What will we do!?” she screamed upsetting the babies.“SAIANNA!” he yelled. She looked back at him and nodded. He said “You speak often of your parents. Remember their lessons. Use your own wits. You can do this” he said and let go of her arms. “This may not be an ice planet, but we can still manage ourselves.”She felt calmer. “Yes, we can” she emphasized. “It is only ooze. We will outsmart ooze” she said not totally convinced. Nature does not need intelligence. She watched the oily slick lap up over the highest slope and rush towards the shed. It knows only brutality and desperation. She remembered her father telling her of how brutal nature could be, but that while humans were part of nature and could also be brutal that intelligence was their special gift. “Yes” she said at a whisper. “We will find a way.”He smiled wistfully “Hm. Yes.” They knew it was coming and quickly took an inventory and another look at the hatch.She looked around. “We have tools here. What does this icky stuff not like?”“I have read accounts of the Chiss which encountered and survived the Mnggal mnggal . I believe it can be poisoned. Our people once encountered it on the edge of the Chaos. We do not have access to the chemicals they had.” He saw a cordless burner on the counter, examined it, and put it down.  “Fire…” she said looking at the old burner. “Or poisons. Do you mean killing spray?” she asked meaning pesticides.“No, I see no pesticides here, just old buckets of paint” he said. “Who knows if this little burner even has liquid flame in it.”The two scientists began to take an inventory of what they had thought was a lab. It turned out to just be a maintenance shed. Thedarin walked across a mat and halted. He jumped off and pulled it aside. “A hatch!”As Saianna dug through drawers and cabinets overhead she found a few message flares and stuck them in her utility pockets. Good thing I wore my old clothes and not the Chiss body suit.  The worn-out fabric gave her a moment of relief and grounded her. “I found flares, but I don’t know who we will signal. A hatch?” She joined the doctor at his side.He said “You. You need to take the babies and hide down in there.”“How do we know the goo isn’t in there too?” she asked. He looked over his shoulder and wordlessly turned back to the hatch. He spun the handle open and examined the ridge. “Look down, nothing down there. Go. The edge here looks like it is air tight. The Mngall Mngall will not get through.”She hesitated.“Go on” he encouraged. “You three will be safe. I will try to send a distress signal with my communicator. Someone should be above ground to receive a message.”Saianna swallowed her tears. “I have one too! I can try too!” She knew what leaving him behind would mean.“Go, Saianna. Let me do this for you” he said, searching her eyes. “There is no guarantee that our comm units will work underground. It will take time to send a signal. I will take the risk.”She understood and nodded once. “Yes. Thank you doctor. For everything.”“Thank you, child. Your arrival has given me many gifts and fulfillment in work and life. Go on. Let’s not waste time. Be safe.”Saianna climbed down the ladder into the dark cavern and watched as the hatch closed over her. After a few quiet moments she heard him walk about the space. It was deadly quiet and dark so she turned on a flashlight that she had in her lab kit. It was an empty cavern. After a few moments she heard a subtle sound coming from the hatch. At first she wanted to run deep into the cave but halted knowing that this planet’s version of snowbeasts may be lurking in the darkness. She slowly climbed up the ladder, the babies gurgling in her ears and gripping wayward stands of her hair. She focused on getting a better listen and to her horror she could hear the sloshing about of large volumes of liquid. She slid down the ladder with the babies on her back and stood pondering what to do. Do I stay here? Or do I explore deeper into the cave? Her eyes drifted to the darkness of the cave.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Thrawn’s group boarded the enormous dreadnaught and found that while life support was still completely functional, the secondary systems were not so reliable. As Ezra, Eli, and Thrawn walked towards the lift to bring them to the bridge the lights flickered on and off.They walked to where they expected another lift and found an old-fashioned swoop. “Stars, will you look at that!” laughed Eli. “They must’ve used these to get to and fro within each dreadnought.” He knocked a patch of dust off the old vehicle.“Well, there is only one seat, and three of us” said Thrawn.“There’s also speeder bikes over here…” called Ezra as he pulled one out from some debris against the wall.“Thrawn?” came Samakro’s voice, a bit subdued over the commlink.Ezra and Eli were silent a moment.“Yes, Samakro?” responded Thrawn. The crew dropped titles and rank as this was not an official mission and they did not want to remind each other of the implications. “…” Samakro sighed “We found him.”Thrawn swallowed and his mouth stayed firmly shut. Ezra came to Eli’s side and gave his hand a quick reassuring squeeze.“You are in vessel one, correct?” asked Thrawn calmly.“Yeah” confirmed Samakro, casually.“I will be right there” said Thrawn. He looked at Eli and Ezra and said “It seems they have found my brother’s remains. I will go to oversee the movement of his remains.”Eli’s communicator rang and he answered. “Vanto.”“Yes, Eli” said Ronan “I need your language skills here. It seems Ms Thikan is, eh, in a snit about something and we are not clearly communicating.”Eli sighed and said “I’ll be right there.” He looked at Thrawn and said “Sir, I am glad we have succeeded in our mission here, but I am sorry. I’m sorry your brother is gone.”Thrawn accepted the condolences with a gracious nod. “Yes, thank you Vanto.”Ezra piped up and said “I’ll go with you.” Eli and Thrawn looked at him in surprise. And he repeated more quietly “I’ll go with Thrawn.”Thrawn took the swoop and Ezra hopped on a second swoop and the two made it to vessel one in no time. They approached the final few meters on foot and saw Samakro waiting outside the door to the bridge. Ezra thought Samakro was standing at attention until he got closer and realized Samakro just had great posture. Despite this he seemed subdued.Ezra watched as Thrawn approached the door. The two Chiss spoke quietly in Cheunh. Ezra hung back and let Thrawn approach this as he saw fit. Thrawn entered the bridge and the door closed behind him.Thrawn noted he was alone on the bridge and walked over to where Thrass’ remains lay. He was sitting at the main console covered in a large maroon Mitth burial cloth. By the looks of it he was nothing but bones. Thrawn said nothing, having already said his goodbyes in a dream he had many months earlier.His eyes drifted to the clothed arm, and skeletal hand that still clasped a hand from a second set of remains. Thrawn was not told his brother was with someone when he died. It was a great comfort to him and his curiosity go the better of him. He walked over and lifted the corner of the plain white burial cloth that had been laid over the second body.What he saw surprised him and faded into a morbid bemusement. The small stature of the remains and the long hair still sitting on the skull implied, though did not confirm, a young woman. Thrawn had been living in Lesser Space long enough to know jedi robes when he saw them. He leaned in a bit closer and saw her lightsaber still on her hip.He gently put the cloth back down and looked over at his brother with renewed questions. He took a few steps around again towards Thrass and asked outloud “A human woman?” He eyed their hands eternally clasped. A sad smile crossed his face and faded. In the hallway Ezra spoke with Samakro. “So, Samakro, what was Thrass like?”Ezra had heard a lot about Mitth’ras’safis and what a loss to the Ascendancy his death was, but he didn’t know much more than that.Samarko side eyed the human and considered his response. What does this little shit deserve to know? Samakro then softened and thought Thrass deserves to be remembered, by everyone. “He was…skilled, clever, and altruistic. A rare combination among the Syndics. He was to the Sydicure politically what Thrawn is to the military.”Ezra considered. “So together they would have been a perfect balance” he concluded outloud.Samakro bobbed his head once to the side, his brow jumping. All he said was “Mm” in agreement. “Thrawn is…easily influenced by those he is surrounded by. Thrass was a good influence…”“Did Thrawn kind of go off the deep end after he was gone?”Samakro was pushed to laughter. “Not exactly, but he was…” his smile faded. “Still supported by Ar’alani and others. They’re good people.”Ezra nodded and looked towards the door. “That lines up with the Thrawn I know. Falling in with the Empire was his downfall.”Samakro hid his surprise. “I thought you were fond of Eli’van’to?” Ezra blushed “Well…yeah, but that’s more complicated. Eli isn’t your typical Imperial.”Samakro shifted his focus more intently on Ezra. “I have it on good authority that Ar’alani met some of Thrawn’s Imperial crew. She had some approving things to say about them.”Ezra’s face screwed up in surprise. “The Chiss and the Empire work together?”Samarko’s brow hardened and then he rolled his eyes. “I said she met them, not that they all worked together.”Ezra said “Well, she didn’t meet them long enough to know how awful they are.”The door between them opened and Thrawn emerged. Samakro nodded and Thrawn replied with his own wordless nod.“Thank you, I…” Thrawn searched for what to say. “I expect the facilities which can appropriately hold his remains until we return are functional?”Samakro only raised his communicator and asked “Ronan? Are we all set there?”After a moment Ronan replied “Yes, yes, we are fine here. We are ready to receive the Syndic.”Samakro lifted his communicator and said “There is a second body.”Just before Ezra could ask about the second person the door swooshed open and Thrawn said “Master Bridger. There’s something which may be of interest to you.”Ezra screwed up his face, but when Thrawn turned back through the doors Ezra followed.The doors swished closed behind them and saw the two boddies covered by large cloths.“Why is this of interest to me?” asked Ezra.“Apparently my brother spent his last minutes with a Jedi, Lorana Jinzler. A young padawan.”Ezra gazed at her boots, and at the skeletal hands clasping each other.Thrawn said, a bit wistfully “I suppose we were all young back then.”Ezra said “I don’t have Psychometry or anything.”Thrawn stood back, his hands clasped behind his back and said “I did not presume this, but from my limited experience with Jedi it is well established that sense things. Is it at all possible that you use these abilities to sense something that might give us a broader idea of what happened?”Ezra frowned and said “You’re clueless, aren’t you?”Thrawn only cocked his head, glanced at the bodies and back to Ezra. “Indeed.”Ezra was reminded Thrawn’s brother had died and his shoulder’s slouched. “Sorry I…” He took a deep breath and said “I’ll give it a shot.”  Ezra closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reached out in the force.Immediately he felt the kyber crystal in the lightsaber on the late jedi’s hip. He sensed Thrawn’s strange presence, the distant flames of life throughout the ship, and the small, but bright lights of the navigators nearby. He allowed his mind to wander and search for something the Force might want to share.Nothing stood out to him and Ezra decided to bring his mediation to a close. When he opened his eyes Thrawn took a step forward and Ezra was suddenly aware that there were others in the room. He realized a good deal of time had passed.Thrawn’s face was eager and Ezra sighed again and said “Sorry…The Force had no messages for me.”Thrawn’s features relaxed, but he expressed no disappointment. “Thank you for your efforts, Master Bridger.”Ezra’s mind perked up and he turned when he realized Eli was amongst the small crowd that had gathered. He saw two hover gurneys for the bodies. “oh, uh…sorry” he said backing away from the bodies and walking over to Eli. “How long was I, uh, busy?”“Well over an hour” he said, his eyes flicking up and down over Ezra. “Ya’ll alright?”“Yeah, I just am surprised I didn’t -Oh!” Ezra remembered he did sense the kyber crystal and felt he might be the safest person to hold onto the lightsaber. He turned just in time to see Thrass’s and Lorana’s skeletal hands be unclasped. There was something so sad separating these two allies who held onto each other to the end. Their grasp was no longer eternal.As they gently lifted Lorana’s covered remains onto the gurney Erzra gave the team a bit of assistance with the force to make the transfer gentle. He did the same for Thrass and as Lorana’s body passed him off the bridge he halted the team holding her gurney and took the lightsaber from her belt. Everyone exchanged concerned looks as Ezra examined the weapon.Thrawn mumbled something to the team and they continued clearing the bodies.Thrawn approached Ezra and said “I assume you are not planning to use this weapon on the crew?”Ezra scowled at Thrawn’s half joke and Eli approached the two of them. “Hah. I think we al know by now Jedi don’t need a lightsaber to defeat normies like us.”Ezra looked confused at Eli and Thrawn gave him a half offended look. Eli chuckled, blushed, and nervously and said “Well…I guess I’m not exactly surrounded by normies…” Several hours later the entire structure of the Outbound Fllight was back in space. It ran on minimal power, sub light engines, and dim lights, but all of the dreadnaughts were functional. The ring they were attached to was damaged and dented, burned and broken in some parts, but the damage was cosmetic.“Sir, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe my eyes!” blurted Eli standing on the bridge of their small shuttle as it entered a landing bay of one of the dreadnaughts. “My stars!”“It may have taken nearly a week, but it was well worth it” said Thrawn.Ezra piped up from behind them. “Long enough that everyone at the Navigator School has noticed we’re all gone.”Samakro was listening over a commlink onboard the dreadnaught already and confirmed “And most likely looking to find us and hold us all accountable.”“My offering should protect all of you. A dreadnaught along with all the new technology and artifacts there within should be quite the hefty bargaining chip.”Samakro simply said, with a tad of resignation “And if that doesn’t do the trick, we all knew the risks.”“Exactly” said Ar’alani into her commlink. Changing the topic she said “General Ba’kif? Are you settled in your bridge?”“Yes, yes” he said. “Fascinating configuration. Thrawn, this is why you pushed for the Basic crash courses?”“In part. Any interaction with Lesser Space demands a certain mastery of the language” explained Thrawn. Ezra smirked and caught Eli’s eye. What? Mouthed Eli.Ezra whispered “You’re so giddy.”“Well, look at all this!” he whispered. “They sure don’t make ‘em like this anymore. I mean, I thought after a crash like that it was done for. But those bulkheads and outer armor really did their job. I can’t believe it was just some burnt out thrusters and nothing structural!”“It helped they had plenty of materials in storage for repairs” said Ezra.Eli nodded in agreement and they headed up to the bridge of the main fuselage from where they would navigate the entire vessel. Saianna decided to calm herself and thus calm the babies. She began to breath as her father taught her to do before a big hunt. The way she had done the day she caught her first furswimmer. She breathed in the cool damp air of the cavern and held her breath for a few moments before releasing it. She repeated the action while imagining the planet breathing with her. Imagining the gentle cool breeze of the Blue Plains she grew up on. Imagining her image of Kaylichoo standing there with her providing the air she and her little ones breathed. Kaylichoo. Finding her confidence again she stood and cooed to the babies on her back.They had stopped fussing, but were still whimpering in confusion and fear. “It is alright babies. I am a conqueror of snowbeasts. Some black ooze will not hurt you as long as I have breath!”She considered her options.“The air does not bother it. It seems to move like water. So this means…” she lit her flare “I will need to use fire.” She went back to the ladder and up to the hatch that lead to the lab. She stared at it breathing heavy but controlled. Her features brightened. “Babies…it is quiet” she whispered. “No more sloshing…”She put the fur carrier on the damp pebbly ground and climbed the ladder up towards the sealed hatch. She heard nothing. Her hunting skills kicked in and she quieted her pounding heart and focused her hearing on her surroundings. She quieted her mind, she pushed aside the images she just saw, she even tuned out the gurgles of her curious infants.She placed her fingertips delicately onto the hatch and focused on what she felt. No vibrations. Nothing. If that liquid was still there it may be splashing. There was so much it couldn’t possibly be that quiet. She heard the slip of liquid running over pebbles. BABIES! She leapt down from the ladder and scooped up the children onto her back and ran back up the ladder. Maybe if I am still it will not… Saianna then saw the black ooze pooling forward in the flickering light of her dying flare.  She sat still and cursed mentally. Kark! The babies do not know to be quiet and still. The ooze began to climb the walls and Saianna was left with a terrible decision. Do I go out the hatch and encounter ooze that way or let it overtake us here? Her eyes widened with fear as it climbed the rounded walls and on the ceiling. I have no good options. I must take the chance! She waved her flare at the ooze to ward it off, but to her horror an eye stalk that opened into a glowing red Chiss eye popped out from the ooze on the wall and kept eye contact with her as one of her hands frantically turned the wheel on the hatch. A full face formed around the eye and to her horror it was a chiss male.She kept her head level with the blue face with red eyes as she popped open the hatch then made two vertical jumps up and slammed it shut.To her relief the lab dome was empty. She jumped, startled when she saw Dr Thedarin looking worse for wear “Dr Th-“ She was about to embrace him when she noted the look in his eyes. They were dark, but still glowing. His clothing was clean, but his face was off. His eyes were glowing, but somehow vacant. He did not speak to her but walked stiffly forward, his knees and elbows did not bend. He did not toddle nor need his cane.She backed up and felt her heel hit a couple of small cannisters attached to a burner on the floor. Her face fell into despair. “Oh, no…” She held back her tears and withdrew her knife. “Please, Dr, stay back. I do not want you to” Saianna felt what was happening was not natural and that maybe Thedarin was possessed. Her voice became high pitched and breathy with confusion “…go wash your hands! You cannot hold the babies unless you wash your hands!”He did not respond. He just raised his arms, straight out in front reaching for her.“No…” she whispered. She reached down for a cannister.  “Please, stop” she said hearing his words ring in her mind. She remembered his explanation and thought It may take over our bodies.The horrible truth hit her hard, but she lifted the cannister and pointed the hot end of the burner at Thedarin and screamed as she stabbed him in the gut with her large bone knife. He staggered back and she crouched down low and stuck the burner into his bleeding wound with the speed of a skilled hunter. She jumped back and drew the flare gun from her pocket and did not hesitate to fire.The flame from the burner erupted and engulfed Dr. Thedarin in blue flame. The force of the explosion made her ears ring and knocked him back onto the floor. A flat buzzing noise squelched out of his mouth as he fell flat on his back and wriggled there, stiff limbed until he went still.She bit her lip, realizing that her own blood was lit aflame with adrenaline. The stench of Thedarin’s body suddenly hit her and she realized the black liquid was inside of him. It was seeping out his nose and mouth trying to escape the flame. She covered her mouth and nose, but her eyes went wide when she saw the liquid evaporate in the fire.She looked at the hatch and wheel began to turn. It thinks. It saw me use the hatch! It will be in here any second! She took off the baby carrier and hooked her two sons high on the wall, with the twins facing the window. “Ok, I know what to do!” she said which seemed to comfort the tense infants. She picked up another burner from the counter and a box of matches. She knew she had to act swiftly so the ooze did not touch her. “It burns, babies! Mama was right! I need to use fire!”She went for it. She stood on the hatch and spun the wheel open to an open position, but her body weight kept it closed. The ooze was strong and bumped the hatch, trying to open it. She grabbed the a burner cannister, turned the burner all the way, and glanced at the charred remains of her mentor remembering his words. I’m so sorry Dr Thedarin. I’m so sorry. She shifted her weight to allow the hatch open just enough to fit the burner through followed by the box of matches.She stomped the hatch closed again with her full weight to close it. I am glad I gained mother’s weight now! I hope this wo-It wasn’t long before she was then knocked off her feet by the explosion in the tunnel. “oof!” She fell to the ground and looked up at the babies swinging and screaming in their carrier. A hidden cabinet fell open and revealed larger tanks, the length of her thigh and width of an infant furswimmer.She then realized what the tanks were. “Liquid fire…” she said quietly. She full opened the cabinet and pulled out a tank and found a tube with a handled wand on the end. She gasped at the memory. “A flamethrower!”She unhooked the baby carrier from the wall and flipped the straps around so they were facing her chest. “There…” she said with renewed confidence. Her eyes went wide when her hands fell upon a pocket on the side of the carrier. “My communicator! Oh, thanks to Kaylichoo! Babies, I will call your father!” She pulled out the small device and said “Maybe it is better to use the emergency signal. Then anyone can help us.”

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Thikan raised a hand to her earpiece and froze. Everyone on the bridge looked over at her when she gasped. “Sir!” she stood out of her seat and jerked around to Thrawn, sitting calmly in the captain’s chair. “Saianna’s comm signal! She is nearby and sending an S.O.S. signal!”Thrawn’s eyes flashed, but his voice was calm and steady. “Please locate the source of the signal.” He opened communications to the whole of the vessel.Thikan replied “It is coming from the grassy moon of Sarvchi.”Thrawn’s surprise subtly flickered across his face for a moment. “Are there any other vessels that are in the vicinity? Closer by than us?”Samakro, sitting in the captain’s chair of one of the dreadnaught reacted. His brow jumped as he considered what he was hearing, and gently interrupted “Sir?”Thrawn said to Samakro “Sarvchi is home to a prominent noble family. Should we abruptly arrive in their neighborhood with a series of densely armed dreadnaughts I believe it may cause some” his eyes slid around the bridge “complications.”“Of course, apologies…” said Samakro shocked that Thrawn had taken politics into consideration. His eyes drifted to the young chiss boy, hardly a child and more of a baby. Despite the boy’s youth he sat still, eyes closed and one hand on the arm of the Chiss officer at the helm.Thrawn returned his attention to Thikan.“No sir, we …we are closest” said Thikan.Thrawn pressed a comm button on his chair, already settled into the features of the vessel. “Director Ronan, is this stealth mode functional?”Ronan sighed over the speaker but and responded “Diagnostic tests say yes. My confidence rate is over 90%.”“Very well” he said. “Helm, plot a course to the grass moon of Sarvchi, in stealth mode. We will see how well this stealth mode works. I hope my confidence in your analysis is not misplaced, Director Ronan.”“It will work!” said Ronan taking mild offense at Thrawn’s comments.Thrawn smirked and nodded as they shot off into hyperspace towards Sarvchi. Saianna sat with the babies on the floor and sang a quiet song to them. She looked into their glowing red eyes, happy to see them shining so bright in the darkness. Her heart ached with such sadness and guilt at putting them in danger. Thrawn was right. I should have let the Mitth help me with the babies. Mama used to say It takes a clan to raise a child. Why did I think I could do this alone? The Chiss are also their clan.Aron squeaked in spontaneous joy interrupting her thoughts. Faron’s coos sounded like a question to his brother. Saianna thought Kaylichoo, hear my prayer, please. Great mother, please save my babies. If you must, take me instead this time. She pulled her comm unit from her pocket and tried to send a signal from underground. She entered the codes she knew and told herself such thoughts to sooth herself.Saianna pushed her fears away and continued to sing the songs her mother taught her as she waited to see if her signal was picked up by any passersby. Saianna sang a traditional type of song her family would sing while the hunters were away, or during their festivals and holidays, or dull days to entertain themselves, or as lullabys to their babies. It was a musical game called throat singing. To soothe the Chiss babies she began a simple lullaby in her native language. The long syllables were accented up front and drawn out with a purposeful warble. Saianna was good at throat singing. She often won the competitive form, except against her aunties. She would teacher her children someday, but if that day never came she hoped Chiss memories were long and that her sons would remember these sounds. “Breaking out of hyperspace in 5min!” called Ezra he called over from where the young navigator sat. Ezra and several crew members knew how to use the navigation panels, and the navigators sat at their sides in deep meditation that Ezra had taught them. They didn’t have the traditional Chiss navigator hardware, but Ezra had taught them to connect with all living things. His teachings were proving extremely helpful.Thrawn smoothed out his uniform, a small tell that he was quite anxious. His eyes were like laser beams on the viewport. The bridge was quiet and tense. Thrawn waited for Ronan to confirm they were cloaked.Eli wondered to himself What in the tarnation is Saianna doing way out here? What would cause her to send such a signal? Thrawn must also be wondering this. She isn’t a shrinking flower and I know she doesn’t like to ask for help. This must be big…The swirl of hyperspace came to a sudden halt.Ronan’s fingers swiftly danced across the old fashioned republic keys. “Stealth mode initiated” he announced.“Open a frequency to the signal” commanded Thrawn.Thikan had prepared the sequence of controls to execute that command and was waiting for this moment to hit the last key. She slammed the button immediately when asked. Saianna was her good friend, and the twins were very special children. Not only due to their fame, but because they were Saianna’s bright little stars. The human had shared the tragic story of losing her first daughter and Thikan felt deeply for her. “You are nice and warm and safe” Saianna cooed.  “We will be very warm with this gift from Hefestis. Have I told you about Hefestis, the god of fire? He was in love with Kaylichoo” she shifted the heavy tank of fuel on her back wincing a bit at being squished between the weight of her babies on her chest and the weight of the metal tank on her back. “She loved him too but had to banish him underground. The heat of his fire was too much for the plants on the moon. But if he sleeps he is helpful. The fire of his love warms our springs and our homes.”Saianna shifted her weight until she was comfortable and felt for her snowbeast knife. “His love for her sometimes bubbles over and erupts in a big fiery spray of liquid fire.” Their large red eyes glowed up at her in wonder. “He has been quiet on the moon of Bantar for many hundreds of years, but now and then you hear him rumble, calling out for the cooling touch of Kaylichoo.”She stood straight with the pump ready to aim in her hand. “When they come together in the water they made new islands.” She gently tapped their blue noses. “Little baby islands in the sea.”Aron’s features twisted and he kicked in his side of the carrier. Faron focused on her face and cooed “buuh, bubu.”She looked at the hatch and wondered Is it safe to stay here for your daddy? She stroked the fur of the carrier until she heard a crack and saw a big shadow overtake her. She spun around and her breath froze in her lungs. The ooze was outside and overtaking the dome again. She looked at the hatch and wondered if she had gotten all of the ooze. “Well, babies, if not I have the power of Hefestis, yeah? Ok” she told herself. She took a deep breath again, trying to get a hold on her frayed nerves. “Your papa will save us. I just need to keep you safe until then.”She gripped the flame thrower with one hand and began to unwind the wheel of the hatch with the other. She worked swiftly calling on her reserves of energy to stay alert and focused. The sunlight was being blotted out. She popped open the hatch slowly at first then slower. There was nothing but scorch marks on the inner lid of the hatch and on the ladder. Saianna carefully placed the handle of the flame thrower on the tank and climbed down the ladder then softly, but firmly, closed it behind her just as the ooze blocked out all the light.As she settled on the damp pebbled ground Saianna felt her communicator vibrate. She pulled it out of her pocket and turned it on. To her surprise a holo of Thrawn in his command chair appeared over the commlink. “Thrawn!”“Saianna?” On the viewport of the bridge Thrawn simply said “What are you doing there? I did not send a signal to you to leave Csilla.”  “My plant work” she said as if it were obvious. “I thought…after what you said about going away…” Saianna wanted to explain more clearly, but she wasn’t sure who should know what among Thrawn’s crew.With a bit more urgency, and Eli noted a thread of irritation, Thrawn asked “Why are the children with you?”Saianna did not hold back her irritation “You went off to the stars! Who else would care for these babies!” she said whipping her hand across her body up towards the sky. “I will not leave them alone! You should not leave babies alone!”“The…” Thrawn cut himself off and said “We shall discuss this privately. For now you shall come aboard. The planet you are on is not safe.”“I know!” she exclaimed. “Dr Thedarin…” sadness unabashedly furrowed and her lips inverted into a frown withholding tears. “He is…He protected us. My knife did not work…” she said. Her voice gave out and she let the tears come. “He protected the babies like his.” Greif muddled her basic. “Kaylichoo shall welcome him. A frail old science man left us like warrior.” She wiped her tears, took a deep breath. “So, how do we get to your star ship? We are underground. Hiding from the black death up there.” There must be a way. There must be a way.  Saianna hugged the babies closer to her chest and said “The ooze. The bad…it’s everywhere. I think it may be on top of my hill.” She spoke mostly to herself, but in basic so Thrawn could hear. “I have screwed up. The gods did not want me to have babies. I am bintobo, I should not have done this…” she whimpered. Her head dropped and she cried along with her babies.Thrawn’s posture softened, and he sat back in his command chair. “We will come get you. You are not bintobo. You are simply in a difficult situation.” Thrawn’s voice softened and he said “I am here to help you.”She lifted her tear-stained face. “Yes, it is lucky you heard my call.”“Indeed” he said. “Do you have a light source?” Thrawn nodded towardsShe nodded. “I have eh…torch sticks? Um fire torch” she said. “My electric light stick died. I hesitate to use the fire because um, fire eats air.”Thrawn’s brow twitched. “Yes” he said with confidence. “It seems you are in a closed system of some kind.  Eli thought Does she mean a flashlight? Or a signal flare maybe? Well, Thrawn seems to understand…“And you are correct. Open flame consumes oxygen. Rest assured my crew and I are on our way. I must go now.”“I love you” she said “And I am sorry.”It was difficult to see where Thrawn was looking with his eyes glowing red in the dim lights of the bridge. He looked down, considering something for a moment, then returned his gaze to the display. “I love you too.”They cut transmission.Eli’s heart warmed at Saianna and Thrawn’s exchange.  He was surprised at the emotion, though very subtly displayed, that she stirred in Thrawn. Eli looked over to Ezra standing on Thrawn’s other side and his expression fell. “Ezra?”Ezra was staring out into nowhere. “Thrawn” said Ezra with command. “I have to get them. There’s something down there, something awful…dark.”Thrawn stood from his chair. “Yes, she said as much. Lieutenant Commander?” he said getting Eli’s attention.“Yes, sir!” Eli stiffened to attention. The black death? What is she talking about? “You, Ezra, myself, and three others from the squad.” He looked around the bridge. “I am responsible for her, so I must go. They are my…well…” Thrawn cleared his voice and announced over the speaker “Vanto, Thikan, Samakro, Master Bridger with me.”“I will go as well” came Ar’alani’s voice. “It will be better if there multiple teams.”In short time the crew was in a small shuttle diving through the atmosphere of Svarchi.“Found ‘em!” said Samakro, sitting at a diagnostic display. “They…”“Where are they?” asked Ar’alani, walking up next to Samakro, her posture straight and tall as usual.“I have coordinates…There” he said looking at the map on his display. Everyone looked out the viewport and as they descended through the cloudy atmosphere.“They should be…” Samakro’s voice as well as all activity on the small vessel ceased. They all looked at the viewport and saw a sea of black ooze covering a single hill in the great plain beneath them.Ezra’s eyes went soft as he saw the world others couldn’t see. He stood from his seat in the back and walked up to the cockpit and said with certainty “They’re alright. I can…I can sense them.”Thrawn eyed Ezra and waited a moment before he asked “Can you sense their condition?”“Alive” said Ezra, eyes glued to the goo covered mound. He looked down, allowing the Force to guide him. He drowned out the sounds of the crew discussing a way to land. Thrawn threw an occasional glance at Ezra as he drifted off searching for his own answers.Samakro flicked a switch and said “They’re in there. I have a biorhythm under that mound there” He pointed at the goo covered shed that Saianna, the boys, and Dr Thedarin had entered.Thrawn narrowed his eyes and asked “A biorhythm?”“It is not strong enough to pick up infant lives, sir. The instruments on a shuttle like this are not that sensitive” said Samakro with frankness.“Of course. We did just see them. Curious” said Thrawn as if the possibility of the death of the famous Mitth twins of Csilla, his first born children, was merely a puzzle to be solved later.Eli knew better. He’s just pushing his personal feelin’s aside. “I’m sure they’re fine, sir” said Eli.Ronan interjected with “Well, of course they’re fine. She is not a shrinking flower and quite adept with those, eh” he swirled his hand around “bone knives she is always on about. Quite a woman” he said with an approving nod.The team flew over the grass lands and Eli was the first to say “Is it…usually this quiet? I see some farm houses in the distance, pens but no animals…” Eli’s voice trailed off.Thickan said “And odd that no local authorities have tried to contact us about entering their territory…”Instead of Thrawn responding to Eli he looked at Ezra who was in some kind of trance.“They’re not in there…” Ezra blurted seeing, in his mind, Thrawn’s young family huddling in the darkness. “I…I can…” Ezra’s mind’s eye showed him a clear picture of what was happening and where to find them. “They’re under it?” Ezra was confused at what he was sensing.

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Saianna smiled and giggled at her babies in the dark, noting their squinting red eyes, until she heard a dripping sound. She stood, her senses immediately alert, focused on every sound around them. She snapped on her flare and waved it around until she found the dripping. It was the ooze, it went from dripping to pouring down from the ceiling. She lifted her babies in the carrier off the ground and slipped the carrier onto her ches.She began to sing again, trying to calm herself. If I go back up the ladder it will be there. I know it. But I cannot wait for it to get me here. But if I run further into the caves, who knows if Thrawn will find me… She felt panic building but cut it off at the pass with a few deep breaths. She was still anxious, afraid. Last time the wave came it was white and took my family. This time it is black, but it will not happen again! “NO!” she yelled into the darkness. She heard her own voice echo off into the distance.She side stepped the drip from the ceiling and took a few side steps into the corridor. She began to sing. She heard her mother’s voice in her mind and played the game. The sounds in her mind became louder and louder. Their guttural grunts and simple yips up and down, competing with the song in her mind started slow and as she walked it became faster, facilitating her steps into the darkness. The song calmed her and helped her focus.She hardly realized it, and before she knew it she was running at top speed, her senses catching every sound, fleck of light, and scent. Her own mouth grunted and sang along with a chorus of her ancestors playing in her mind. The tank of liquid fire on her back felt like nothing.The ooze continued to pour from the ceiling and chase her through the ice tunnelShe continued to run with the sound of her ancestors pushing her on. The chorus would normally be overwhelming, but it did not distract her. At first Saianna thought the other voices were just the echos in the cave. But then she realized she heard not only her voice, but her mothers, her grandmothers, and what she knew could only be her great grandmother and on and on backwards through history. Every mother before her lending her their voices all the way back through time until she came to Kaylichoo herself. Echos could not produce the drums, overtones, familiar and unfamiliar voices, all comforting her and lending strength and confidence. She was laser focused like the snowbeast hunter she was. “You will not have them! I am a daughter of Kaylichoo!” she screamed into the darkness and then continued with the song of her ancestors.She then gripped the flamethrower wand and ran with confidence. “You are not chasing me black death!” She slid to a stop, spun around and yelled “I AM HUNTING YOU!”  and blasted the river of ooze that was behind her incinerating it almost instantly. The shuttle dipped down into the atmosphere andThrawn’s group landed on a nearby hill and found a back entrance to the cave systems. They split into two groups to explore different paths: Thrawn, Ezra, and Thickan in one group and Ar’alani, Samakro, and Eli in another. The two groups kept communication with their commlinks, but soon found the connection was spotty.Despite poor communication, they both moved swiftly through the cold damp tunnels guided by their devices towards the heat signatures. Soon both groups heard a sound like no other. Its foreignness was alarming.  It sounded like a series of grunts, punctuated by intermittent high-pitched notes, sung by a multitude of voices.It was eerie and getting louder. Thrawn’s group turned a corner and slid to a stop. Their flashlights came upon a black wall of ooze.Ezra flicked on Lorana’s green lightsaber and the ooze reacted by flinching away. Everyone realized it was not just a random liquid, but a living creature and the snap-hiss of Ezra’s lightsaber alerted all of them it was not friendly. “GET BACK!” yelled Ezra feeling responsibility to defend his party. “This is it! This is the dark evil I was feeling! It’s the same, eh, thing that was covering the grasslands up top.” His bright eyes examined every bubbling flowing from the walls and ceiling. The green light reflected on the curves and dips of the thick oily substance.He began to raise his hand and reached out with the Force“Is it sentient?” asked Thrawn sounding merely curious.“Yes, and malevolent!” Ezra then gasped.Thickan stepped forward with her blaster in hand “What…what is it?”“Saianna…and the babies!” Ezra responded, his eyes soft. “She’s beyond this …thing!”The Chiss tensed, and Eli gasped “Well we gotta get ‘em out!Though uncertain how it was going to work, or if it would, Ezra nodded with determination and raised his lit lightsaber for combat.Before the Jedi could strike, the ooze was consumed by a wall of fire. They stumbled backwards, arms raised along with blasters at the ready. Their eyes squinted as the ooze disintegrated. The fire burned up the ooze leaving nothing behind.Saianna emerged from the darkness, lit by wayward flicks of flame and the glow of Ezra’s lightsaber.Her fierce eyes softened and went wide and round “Thrawn?” she asked, her voice suddenly tiny and wavering. She ran through the smoking remains and right into his chest.“Yes” he said matter of fact. He did not embrace her, but allowed her to nuzzle against his chest.“I was so scared” she said as she began to cry. “I was worried you would not find us. But we had to run” she stood straight and wiped her tears from her eyes. She exhaled with relief and kissed the babies heads. “We are safe now. We have papa, babies” she said quietly. They fussed a bit, but were surprisingly calm after the noise and commotion around them.Thrawn took in all the details about his lover and noted that while she was carrying some heavy equipment on her back, she and the babies were otherwise unharmed. He reached up and wiped away some soot that had landed on her cheek. He put two and two together and said “I shall take the babies. This is all too much for you to carry.”She gladly slipped off the fur carrier and Thrawn held the two small children in his arms as she fixed the straps around his shoulders.Ezra’s head snapped back towards the hallway and Saianna heard the sound of the ooze sloshing toward them. Ezra lifted his hands and created an invisible barrier with the force. The lethal oily ooze began to pile up against the invisible wall. Saianna gasped at the sight, afraid Ezra’s method was only holding off the inevitable.Saianna looked at Ezra and said “I am protecting my babies! No time for Force Woo-woo. I walk with Hefestis today!” as the black ooze came forward. Ezra called out to out to her “Saianna! Get b-Oh Kriff!”Ezra leap out of Saianna’s path as she lifted the long barrel of a flame thrower at the ooze. Thrawn lifted the fur lined carrier with his twin sons as she blasted the nefarious creature with a thick stream of flame. Ezra nodded and said “OK. That works too.”“It works better” corrected Saianna as she caught up with her family.  She looked back at Thrawn holding the baby pack to his chest. The babies faced him, protected from any wayward lick of flame by the skins of the furswimmer. They began to cry, sensing the danger.She stroked the babies heads calming them and said to Thrawn “The black goo will, ehm, burr…eh, burn away. It will make a free path.”Ezra said “The path is free! Whatever that thing was, is gone.”Eli’s voice came from the dark hall “Ezra! Ezra?! Thrawn?”“HERE, VANTO. WE ARE SECURE!” called back Thrawn.“Mr Eli!” gasped Saianna. “Did everyone come to get me?”Samakro came into the light “Well, ma’am, the situation looking down from above was quite dire. We needed to ensure a broad skillset to extract you and the little ones safely.”“Oh” said Saianna lamely. “Ok.” How embarrassing. She slid the barrel of the flame thrower back into it’s holster and looked back at Thrawn with her large deep doe eyes. “I am sorry to embarrass you, Thrawn.”The group laughed. Samakro said “You’ve done quite an amazing job, Saianna. I have to say I’m rather impressed.”Ar’alani stood back and observed the group. “Indeed” she said. “I will have to ask you to show me how to use safely this device as a weapon” she gestured to the flame thrower. “Yes, well” said Thrawn drawing the attention back to his leadership and away from Samakro’s compliments. “We have not fully extracted them yet. Let us return the way we came. With Master Bridger’s abilities and Saianna’s fire.”The group ran at top speed back to the shuttle, with the ooze close on their heels. They dashed into the vessel, left running, and shot off into the sky.Saianna took back the babies as Thrawn sat in his command chair. She gazed out the viewport at as the black ooze expanded across the fields. She sighed. “All those plants. All gone. What an awful thing. What was it?”Ezra mumbled “Evil. All consuming.”Thrawn said “I recall hearing stories as a child of the Mnggal-Mnggal. This fits that description. When we are back aboard the vessel we should take some readings and appropriate action.” Once aboard the Outbound Flight Saianna changed the babies diapers and the little ones decided it was time for a meal. Thrawn gave the bridge of the fuselage to Ar’alani and sat with his family in a private room.Saianna breast fed the twins simultaneously. It was not something she did often, but they were short on time. The two adults sat in a comfortable silence while the babies had their fill. Faron nodded off to sleep while Aron continued, wide eyed and energetic.Thrawn was amused. He ran a gentle finger down Aron’s cubby cheek while he fed. “I wish I had this kind of energy. After such an adventure he’s still so lively” whispered their father.Saianna yawned and said “He is always like this. Then he just knocks out very suddenly.”Just as she finished saying this Aron’s head bobbed a bit, his eyes closed and he nuzzled into his mother's bossom.Both parents quietly chuckled. Thrawn said “He passed out like he just came home from a night at the pub.”Saianna covered herself and lay the boys next to each other on a cot in the room. Saianna sat on the floor next to them and next thing she knew Thrawn was gently tapping her shoulder. “Saianna…dear, it's time to wake. Unfortunately, there is trouble.”Thrawn walked at a clipped pace with Saianna in tow holding the babies in her back.

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Saianna smiled and giggled at her babies in the dark, noting their squinting red eyes, until she heard a dripping sound. She stood, her senses immediately alert, focused on every sound around them. She snapped on her flare and waved it around until she found the dripping. It was the ooze, it went from dripping to pouring down from the ceiling. She lifted her babies in the carrier off the ground and slipped the carrier onto her ches.She began to sing again, trying to calm herself. If I go back up the ladder it will be there. I know it. But I cannot wait for it to get me here. But if I run further into the caves, who knows if Thrawn will find me… She felt panic building but cut it off at the pass with a few deep breaths. She was still anxious, afraid. Last time the wave came it was white and took my family. This time it is black, but it will not happen again! “NO!” she yelled into the darkness. She heard her own voice echo off into the distance.She side stepped the drip from the ceiling and took a few side steps into the corridor. She began to sing. She heard her mother’s voice in her mind and played the game. The sounds in her mind became louder and louder. Their guttural grunts and simple yips up and down, competing with the song in her mind started slow and as she walked it became faster, facilitating her steps into the darkness. The song calmed her and helped her focus.She hardly realized it, and before she knew it she was running at top speed, her senses catching every sound, fleck of light, and scent. Her own mouth grunted and sang along with a chorus of her ancestors playing in her mind. The tank of liquid fire on her back felt like nothing.The ooze continued to pour from the ceiling and chase her through the ice tunnelShe continued to run with the sound of her ancestors pushing her on. The chorus would normally be overwhelming, but it did not distract her. At first Saianna thought the other voices were just the echos in the cave. But then she realized she heard not only her voice, but her mothers, her grandmothers, and what she knew could only be her great grandmother and on and on backwards through history. Every mother before her lending her their voices all the way back through time until she came to Kaylichoo herself. Echos could not produce the drums, overtones, familiar and unfamiliar voices, all comforting her and lending strength and confidence. She was laser focused like the snowbeast hunter she was. “You will not have them! I am a daughter of Kaylichoo!” she screamed into the darkness and then continued with the song of her ancestors.She then gripped the flamethrower wand and ran with confidence. “You are not chasing me black death!” She slid to a stop, spun around and yelled “I AM HUNTING YOU!”  and blasted the river of ooze that was behind her incinerating it almost instantly. Thrawn’s group landed on a nearby hill and found a back entrance to the cave systems. They split into two groups to explore different paths: Thrawn, Ezra, and Thickan in one group and Ar’alani, Samakro, and Eli in another. The two groups kept communication with their commlinks, but soon found the connection was spotty.Despite poor communication, they both moved swiftly through the cold damp tunnels guided by their devices towards the heat signatures. Soon both groups heard a sound like no other. Its foreignness was alarming.  It sounded like a series of grunts, punctuated by intermittent high-pitched notes, sung by a multitude of voices.It was eerie and getting louder. Thrawn’s group turned a corner and slid to a stop. Their flashlights came upon a black wall of ooze.Ezra flicked on Lorana’s green lightsaber and the ooze reacted by flinching away. Everyone realized it was not just a random liquid, but a living creature and the snap-hiss of Ezra’s lightsaber alerted all of them it was not friendly. “GET BACK!” yelled Ezra feeling responsibility to defend his party. “This is it! This is the dark evil I was feeling! It’s the same, eh, thing that was covering the grasslands up top.” His bright eyes examined every bubbling flowing from the walls and ceiling. The green light reflected on the curves and dips of the thick oily substance.He began to raise his hand and reached out with the Force“Is it sentient?” asked Thrawn sounding merely curious.“Yes, and malevolent!” Ezra then gasped.Thickan stepped forward with her blaster in hand “What…what is it?”“Saianna…and the babies!” Ezra responded, his eyes soft. “She’s beyond this …thing!”The Chiss tensed, and Eli gasped “Well we gotta get ‘em out!Though uncertain how it was going to work, or if it would, Ezra nodded with determination and raised his lit lightsaber for combat.Before the Jedi could strike, the ooze was consumed by a wall of fire. They stumbled backwards, arms raised along with blasters at the ready. Their eyes squinted as the ooze disintegrated. The fire burned up the ooze leaving nothing behind.Saianna emerged from the darkness, lit by wayward flicks of flame and the glow of Ezra’s lightsaber.Her fierce eyes softened and went wide and round “Thrawn?” she asked, her voice suddenly tiny and wavering. She ran through the smoking remains and right into his chest.“Yes” he said matter of fact. He did not embrace her, but allowed her to nuzzle against his chest.“I was so scared” she said as she began to cry. “I was worried you would not find us. But we had to run” she stood straight and wiped her tears from her eyes. She exhaled with relief and kissed the babies heads. “We are safe now. We have papa, babies” she said quietly. They fussed a bit, but were surprisingly calm after the noise and commotion around them.Thrawn took in all the details about his lover and noted that while she was carrying some heavy equipment on her back, she and the babies were otherwise unharmed. He reached up and wiped away some soot that had landed on her cheek. He put two and two together and said “I shall take the babies. This is all too much for you to carry.”She gladly slipped off the fur carrier and Thrawn held the two small children in his arms as she fixed the straps around his shoulders.Ezra’s head snapped back towards the hallway and Saianna heard the sound of the ooze sloshing toward them. Ezra lifted his hands and created an invisible barrier with the force. The lethal oily ooze began to pile up against the invisible wall. Saianna gasped at the sight, afraid Ezra’s method was only holding off the inevitable.Saianna looked at Ezra and said “I am protecting my babies! No time for Force Woo-woo. I walk with Hefestis today!” as the black ooze came forward. Ezra called out to out to her “Saianna! Get b-Oh Kriff!”Ezra leap out of Saianna’s path as she lifted the long barrel of a flame thrower at the ooze. Thrawn lifted the fur lined carrier with his twin sons as she blasted the nefarious creature with a thick stream of flame. Ezra nodded and said “OK. That works too.”“It works better” corrected Saianna as she caught up with her family.  She looked back at Thrawn holding the baby pack to his chest. The babies faced him, protected from any wayward lick of flame by the skins of the furswimmer. They began to cry, sensing the danger.She stroked the babies heads calming them and said to Thrawn “The black goo will, ehm, burr…eh, burn away. It will make a free path.”Ezra said “The path is free! Whatever that thing was, is gone.”Eli’s voice came from the dark hall “Ezra! Ezra?! Thrawn?”“HERE, VANTO. WE ARE SECURE!” called back Thrawn.“Mr Eli!” gasped Saianna. “Did everyone come to get me?”Samakro came into the light “Well, ma’am, the situation looking down from above was quite dire. We needed to ensure a broad skillset to extract you and the little ones safely.”“Oh” said Saianna lamely. “Ok.” How embarrassing. She slid the barrel of the flame thrower back into it’s holster and looked back at Thrawn with her large deep doe eyes. “I am sorry to embarrass you, Thrawn.”The group laughed. Samakro said “You’ve done quite an amazing job, Saianna. I have to say I’m rather impressed.”Ar’alani stood back and observed the group. “Indeed” she said. “I will have to ask you to show me how to use safely this device as a weapon” she gestured to the flame thrower. “Yes, well” said Thrawn drawing the attention back to his leadership and away from Samakro’s compliments. “We have not fully extracted them yet. Let us return the way we came. With Master Bridger’s abilities and Saianna’s fire.”The group ran at top speed back to the shuttle, with the ooze close on their heels. They dashed into the vessel, left running, and shot off into the sky.Saianna took back the babies as Thrawn sat in his command chair. She gazed out the viewport at as the black ooze expanded across the fields. She sighed. “All those plants. All gone. What an awful thing. What was it?”Ezra mumbled “Evil. All consuming.”Thrawn said “I recall hearing stories as a child of the Mnggal Mnggal. This fits that description. When we are back aboard the vessel we should take some readings and appropriate action.” Once aboard the Outbound Flight Saianna changed the babies diapers and the little ones decided it was time for a meal. Thrawn gave the bridge of the fuselage to Ar’alani and sat with his family in a private room.Saianna breast fed the twins simultaneously. It was not something she did often, but they were short on time. The two adults sat in a comfortable silence while the babies had their fill. Faron nodded off to sleep while Aron continued, wide eyed and energetic.Thrawn was amused. He ran a gentle finger down Aron’s cubby cheek while he fed. “I wish I had this kind of energy. After such an adventure he’s still so lively” whispered their father.Saianna yawned and said “He is always like this. Then he just knocks out very suddenly.”Just as she finished saying this Aron’s head bobbed a bit, his eyes closed and he nuzzled into his mother's bossom.Both parents quietly chuckled. Thrawn said “He passed out like he just came home from a night at the pub.”Saianna covered herself and lay the boys next to each other on a cot in the room. Saianna sat on the floor next to them and next thing she knew Thrawn was gently tapping her shoulder. “Saianna…dear, it's time to wake. There is a briefing on the threat. You have seen it with your own eyes so I want you to be there.”Saianna carried her sleeping babies on her back, and followed Thrawn to a conference room in the fuselage. Everyone was there waiting when they arrived.They dispensed with pleasantries and Ba’kif offered his chair to Thrawn who accepted politely. Ba’kif settled in next to Ar’alani, Samakro, Eli, and Ezra. Saianna overheard Ar’alani tell Thrawn “Ronan and Thickan are in command in two of the dreadnaughts providing command to the crews. We have a lot of information here about the enemy.”Saianna settled out of the way of the leaders gathered there when she felt a pair of tiny hands on her knees. She looked down and under the table were a little Chiss child was playing. “Hello” said Saianna in Sy Bisti.The tiny girl smiled broadly and pointed up. “Babies!”Saianna was pleasantly surprised at the sight of the little girl and thought Oh, so the Chiss do work with their babies. I wonder whose child this is? Ar’alani does not have children. She told me so. She glanced at Samakro. Possible. Then her eyes drifted to the older gentleman she knew as General Ba’kif. Maybe a grandchild?Her pondering was interrupted by Ezra’s whisper. “Saqar, don’t bother Saianna. Come, sit in the seat and learn about what is going to happen.”“Ezra? When did you have a Chiss baby?” asked Saianna, confounded at what was happening. I understand being a community, teaching our children through example, but what in the heavens are these little kids doing here? Whose are they?Eli leaned over and told Saianna “Uh…they…they’re Ezra’s students.”Ezra sighed at the half truth.Saianna’s suspicious eyes slid to Ezra and for a moment he wondered if she could read minds. “Eli lies, but not really. What are you teaching these children?” she whispered. She saw the three younglings wearing a uniform. “What is this?” she said disgust and fury beginning to boil her blood. “They are babies not soldiers!”“They are gifted” said Ezra. “Gifted, and…” Ezra stopped talking as Sa’qar crawled into Ezra’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms naturally wrapped around the little girl and he could no longer explain. No. I can no longer defend this. It is what it is.He gave the girl a little squeeze and Sa’qar stood back on his knees. She touched his nose “Papa” she said.Saianna looked at Eli “Did you adopt this children?”Eli said “Somethin’ like that. We’ll explain later. Right now we need to talk about the, uh, black death as you called it.”Ar’alani stood at the front of the room. The lights dimmed as three-dimensional images appeared in the center of the long table. “It was, as Mnggal Mnggal.”Saianna gasped loud enough to interrupt. She covered her mouth. And Ar’alani asked “Have you heard of this?” asked Ar’alani, not offended at the unintentional interruption.Saianna said “It is what Dr. Thedarin said. He said it was deadly. That it takes over people. I…saw…in the cave…” Her mind  whirled back to when a face appeared to her in the dark tunnel as she opened the hatch.  Thinking back on it she realized it was not a face made of ooze, but an actual face. A body being carried about in the ooze. “There was a Chiss body. A man. It was carrying the body, like it was trying to figure out how to use it. Then when I escaped that I came back to Dr. Thedarin. He looked off, but was possessed. He must have been possessed by this.” She repeated his words. “He said It is deadly. If it touches any of us it is all over. If it touches us we are taken over and lost forever. It will inhabit our bodies and force us to do it’s will. There is no surviving…”Everyone was horrified and their slack jaws and wide eyes, except for Thrawn who seemed to withdraw contemplating this new information about Saianna’s experience in the caves.“I am sorry to interrupt. It was…shocking to witness” she said.Sa’qar, still standing on Ezra’s lap reached out and put her hand on Saianna’s face. The new mother did not flinch, and touched the little girl’s back to comfort the toddler, but found comfort coming from the child. “It ok” she said in Sy Bisti. “You ok.”Ar’alani continued “We scoured the research and memory banks of we found onboard here and found some encyclopedic images we found.” She flipped through a series of images of various aliens with the same vacant look Thedarin had in his eyes. Some had grey and black ooze dripping from various orifices.Ba’kif said “And what of the people of Svarchi? You mentioned the lack of security when approaching the planet. We received no communications while in orbit, but I assumed it was because we were in stealth mode, but considering this situation…”Samakro said “We know this monster from our childhood tales is actually real and that we shouldn’t touch it. What do we do about it?”Ezra scooped up Sa’qar and sat her on his lap. Saianna winked at the exceptional little girl and focused on Samakro. Saianna said “We can burn them. Like in the caves.”Samakro said “That works as an individual, but what is there to do when that goo gets into a space-worthy vessel. Can they navigate and fly a ve-“An explosion rocked the vessel and a crewmember announced overhead “We’re under attack!”Admiral Ar’alani spoke loudly over the commotion of everyone jumping to their feet. “In short Samakro, yes. There was information in the databanks that they take over sentient beings as described by Saianna and can navigate star ships if they have access to it.”They all poured into the hallway and the ship rocked again. The Admiral continued “We suspect the people of Svarchi have been overtaken. This enemy is aggressive.”Everyone scrambled to their various stations, running down the hallways to the swoops and lifts. The vessel rocked again causing everyone to stumble about.As they spread out Thrawn spoke into his communicator on his wrist “Admiral, General, Senior Captain, Director Ronan” and he looked at Eli who had yet to leave his side “and Commander Vanto, please report to the bridge of your dreadnaught. I will not lead from the fuselage, but from the last dreadnaught.”Ezra, Eli, Saianna and Thrawn stood at a bank of viewports. They looked out and saw an old spaceship, an antique from Chiss history, along with research vessels and agricultural shipping vessels coming into view. Eli gasped and said “What in the seven sacred systems is -“Ezra stepped forward towards the viewport “It’s that thing, the Mgnall mngall! It’s taken control of …” Ezra gagged on the images that the Force sent him. The feeling was one of panic and urgency. The Force itself was driving him with panic. Ezra took a few deep breaths and continued, with labored breathing, “Mgnall mngall! We have to destroy those vessels, that THING can’t… ugh…” He bent over and placed Sa’qar on her feet on the ground. Ezra and the girl lost some color.“Papa…” she said a bit breathless. “The darkness. They bad…”  Eli took a step towards Ezra, but his military discipline halted him in his tracks. Gotta wait for an order. This ain’t our home, this is a vessel. I need to stay-“Commander Vanto, check on Master Bridger and Sa’qar. Ensure they are healthy” ordered Thrawn, casually.  The two force sensitives recovered, but their urgency to fix the situation was heightened.Saianna was still holding both babies and Ezra asked “Where do I take the Skywalkers?” as he bounced Sa’qar to keep her calm on his hip.  Thrawn glanced down at his own babies and Saianna came to Ezra’s side. “I can take them” she said “You should go with Thrawn should he need your shaman powers.”Thrawn considered all the pieces falling in and out of place, his mind whirling with all possible pathways and leading to what seemed an infinite number of outcomes, very few any good.“No…” said Thrawn, quietly. “It is normal for the naviagators” he looked at Saianna “The children” and back to Ezra “to be taken to the most secure and shielded part of a chiss Battledragon, but these vessels may all break away from the inner ring. Should one dreadnaught be catastrophically damaged we can isolate it by releasing the ship and avoid damage to the whole.” He turned his gaze to his human lover and firmly, but with warmth said “Saianna, I ask you to go with Commander Vanto to his ship. One skywalker should be on each ship.” He pulled Aron from the carrier. “Take Faron with you.”Their eyes locked. A vibroblade could have sliced through the tension in the air. Saianna stared at Thrawn with fear and sadness unabashedly pouring out of her features. She pressed her lips together in a firm line to prevent her fears of the worst-case scenario from coming in out. She nodded once and handed Faron to Eli and said “I will give Thrawn the carrier. Your hands should be free. I can keep Faron in my mother’s hood. Eli slipped the wriggly infant into the large hood of Sianna’s coat where one baby fit just perfectly.Eli shared a quick but meaningful gaze with Ezra and the Jedi could see the fearful determination in his lover’s eyes. Ezra gave him a nod of encouragement. You can do this. I believe in you.Thrawn looked at Eli and said “They are under your care, Commander.”“Yes, sir!” Eli stood tall, simultaneously proud of the responsibility he was being given, but also cognizant of the weight of it all. He’s splitting up his family to give them the best chance of survival. Same with the Skywalkers. If they’re all in one vessel, and that vessel gets destroyed they would all be killed. Best to spread them out to limit collateral damage….my gods. Is this what it feels like to command? He’s giving me his son and the love of his life. ”Lets go, Saianna” said Eli.“Master Jedi” said Thrawn “I believe most of the skywalkers are already on their vessels?”“Yes, they are” he said.“Very good, you are with me” said Thrawn and the lift opened and accepted all the passengers. Thrawn and Ezra exited first and the captain of the vessel paused. Ezra saw Thrawn watch the doors close on the most precious people in the galaxy to him.“Thrawn, c’mon” he said snapping their leader out of his gaze and briskly entered the bridge. They were both struck with a nauseating amount of vessels littering the space in their viewport.Sa’qar dug her face into Ezra’s neck to avoid looking. “It’s okay” he cooed, not really feeling that was true.“Shields are holding” called out Ronan from his ship. “Best to make haste though. These old systems will hold well, but then very suddenly give out.”It took a few minutes for the lights to come on in the bridge of each old dreadnaught. Each leader and their skeleton crews to get settled in their positions and signaled Thrawn.Ar’alani checking in, ready for your orders.Samakro, checking in, ready for your orders.Ba'kif here.  checking in, ready for your orders.Vanto checking in, sir. Ready for your-A sudden blast rocked the vesselAnd Samakro said “It seems those damned vessels have good aim, sir. Permission to fire at will?”“Indeed” said Thrawn. “Fire at will. Also, keep in mind this is NOT a Chiss Battledragon and we do not have an extra layer of blast armor. Use your fire power wisely.”They continued on in ring formation. Orders flew about faster that Saianna could follow. She sat in the seat next to Eli and looked up at him sitting in a command chair. She took a deep breath and mumbled prayers to her ancestors.

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Ba’kif commed Ar’alani directly “Madam, if there is any kark-backwards plan you and Thrawn have, now is the time to execute it.”Ar’alani smirked, but the half smile faded. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that, sir.”Both senior officers knew there was no getting out of this situation. Ar’alani looked over at her navigator and the man at the helm there, a young Mitth gentleman from what she knew. He was eager to work with Thrawn. She thought of the infants, the child navigators, of this young man and it lit her determination to get them all home alive.She messaged Thrawn “These vessels have outnumbered us, but they are not the strategists we are.”On Thrawn’s dreadnaught he heard “The shields are not holding, sir…” Thickan spun on her stool to face Thrawn in the command chair.Thrawn glared at the viewport as he listened to Aron cooing in his arms, wondering if this was the end for them. “Continue to fire full power, laser cannons. Draw power from the non-essential support functions.”The young man at the weapons console, an Ufsa, as Thrawn remembered got to work immediately. The lights overhead flickered out and Thickan returned to work. The light from each console lit the bridge barely.A bright flash caused Thrawn to hold his baby son close, in a futile effort to protect them all even in their last moments. After a brief moment everyone on the bridge slowly opened their eyes. The sounds of alien weapons echoed over the speakers.Ronan snapped “I don’t consider myself an pessimist, however we have diverted all the power from the fuselage, and from non-essential functions, but this is not enough. We need to fight back! I am not the strategist and defer to those of you who are!”Thrawn stayed silent, not answering Ronan’s panicked call.The firing upon the Outbound Flight halted for a few seconds. The ships in the viewports began to shift.Eli sat cooly in his command chair, except for his hands gripping the armrests. He stood suddenly after hearing Ronan’s message. “Saianna, I want you to get to the escape pod bay.”She stood and said “I…”“NOW. You too navigator!” he yelled across the bridge. He leaned over, keeping his eyes on the ships in his viewport, shifting into what he expected as their last wave of attacks. “Sir, I suggest evacuation for a the civilians and navigators.”The chiss vessels continued to pour all the firepower they  had, albeit clumsily, into destroying as many of the Mnggal Mnggal vessels as possible. But the battle was ending and they were not on the winning side.Small vessels began to pour out of the larger enemy vessels and began to come closer and closer to the Outbound Flight. Ar’alani’s eyes went wide. “They are planning to board us. Focus fire on those small vessels. We can’t let ANY of them to board us!”Everyone’s hearts and minds raced with the hopelessness of the situation. The enemy was overwhelming them with sheer numbers, getting closer and closer from all sides. The dreadnaughts were impressive, and the officers onboard genius, but even this was hopeless.Ar’alani balled up her fists in frustration. We couldn’t have known. We couldn’t have avoided this. Then her mind began to drift towards Csilla. These karkers will fly through the galaxy, infect each planet and soon it will make it’s way to the Ascendancy. To Csilla. It wasn’t in her to give up and so she continued shouting orders along with Ba’kif, Eli, Ronan, and Samakro. Except Thrawn.Eli sat in his chair again as he watched SAianna walk towards the exit. She looked back at Eli and said “You are a warrior Eli Vanto.”His eyes darted back to the viewport and his eyes lit up with recognition along with Ronan and Ezra.Eli held up his hand at Saianna and said, with half a laugh “Saianna wait…maybe it’ll…come back. I want you to see something.”“Eh?” She walked back towards the viewport and heard Ronan’s voice come from overhead.“Well, here we are. Some proper support.”  Thrawn sat cooly in his command chair and a thin smile of satisfaction spread across his lips. He looked down at Aron and said “Ah, it seems my preparations have come through. It is always best to keep in touch with old friends. It is bad manners not to, afterall.”The Mgnall Mgnall vessels were not turning for a new battle formation, but in response to a new threat: An entire fleet of Galactic Imperial Star Destroyers.Admiral Karyn Faro stood at the bridge of her newly commissioned ISD Draupadi’s Tempest “I want those lasers at full power, Hammerly!” she hollered.“YES Ma’am!” responded the ever-faithful officer.Faro’s façade appeared on Thrawn’s viewscreen and surprise softened his features into a rare smile. Calm as ever he said “Admiral Faro? I must admit this is an unexpected pleasure.”As the fleet of star destroyers swiftly broke down the shields of the possessed ships and destroyed their ragtag fleet, she responded “Forgive my crashing your party, Grand Admiral, but when I heard of your holding it without me, well, I simply insisted that all of us attend.”“Forgive my oversight in inviting you. I assumed you were occupied with other business.”“Best if we take this to a private comm” she suggested.After Admiral Faro’s 11th fleet swiftly cleaned up the Mgnall Mgnall vessels she rode a Lambda class shuttle onto Thrawn’s dreadnaught and was greeted with the small, but disciplined group of officers, soldiers, and scientists.Faro’s chest swelled with pride as she walked down the aisle with her escort to meet her old Grand Admiral who granted her the very command she wielded against their shared enemy.Thrawn stood in an alien uniform between Eli Vanto and Director Ronan. Her mind wandered for a moment to the baby Thrawn had been holding. She was curious as to the story but refocused on the formalities at hand. After initial pleasantries she was escorted along with her first officer to a meeting room with Thrawn and his two human officers. Saianna settled the boys into makeshift bassinet as others filled into the conference room.There was some curious glances at the twins, both admiration, and confusion over what they and Saianna would be doing there. The babies were sleeping deeply when Faro entered the room. Saianna swiftly approached the lady Admiral and said “Hello! “ with a broad welcoming smile.Faro smiled tightly and responded with “Good day to you, eh, Miss…? ““Saianna” said a familiar velvety voice. Thrawn addressed the Imperial Admiral and introduced his lover. “She is… “ he spared the short voluptuous human an amused glance “… my partner.” He leaned over the babies inspecting them while they slumbered. He stood straight again and addressed Faro. “Admiral, it is quite good to see you again. I cannot thank you enough for your aid today. I was uncertain if you would accept my offer.““Grand Admiral, my apologies. I certainly did delay in answering your request. It is of quite a sensitive nature, and I had to sort out the crew and then the fleet.  The direction of the Empire I signed up to has fallen from it’s path and is being overtaken by a bloated bureaucracy. I can no longer take the necessary actions, nor reward my most capable and loyal of soldiers and officers. It is becoming wasteful in the worst sense. Your offer to join you could not have come at a better time.”“I am sorry to hear of the Empire’s demise, but it is of no shock to me.”Faro said “It seems  you still have many loyal officers among my people. Once I could confirm which resources I could, eh, lead out here to join you, it seemed you had disappeared. I presumed the worst. I came to investigate and confirm my suspicions. When we arrived in this space there was something about this situation we stumbled on that had your name all over it.”Thrawn smirked “Am I that obvious?”“Perhaps” said Faro and Saianna laughed hearing someone turn that phrase on Thrawn.Saianna asked Faro “You are a lady Warrior? Like Ar’alani?”Faro’s brow jumped “Well, Admiral Ar’alani is a woman of great experience. I think I have much to learn before I could be compared to her.”Thrawn said “It seems everyone is here. We should begin the meeting.”Faro sat next to Eli, acknowledging him with a nod. Ezra, Samakro, Ba’kif, Thickan, and Ronan, along with Faro, and a number of her officers from her fleet sat around an oblong table and debriefed on the battle and what new evil they stumbled on. They also discussed the formation of a new body. A new alliance.Ar’Alani gazed away from the table, away from the talks and focused on Aron and Faron in makeshift bassinets. They were asleep, probably exhausted from such stressful experiences. Thrawn and Saianna calmed and protected them. Those babies will undoubtedly grow to be warriors of some sort.She heard her name from the human Admiral Faro. “Admiral? Admiral Ar’alani?”The decorated Chiss admiral turned her blazing red eyes on Faro. “Yes? Apologies. I was just…” she glanced at the babies then back at the table of adults. “…considering the weight of decisions being made today. I am considering my responsibilities vs my loyalties.”Thrawn kept a steady gaze on his old friend. He told her “If you return you will be held responsible for my actions. This will not be just. Should you join our alliance with Faro’s fleet I can protect you.”“I…” Ar’alani looked down at her own clasped hands. “I am still responsible for my actions. I should return and face the consequences. I owe it to my subordinates to do so. My own crew, which I have abandoned.”Saianna looked at Thrawn and back at Ar’Alani. I don’t know anything about how the military works. I don’t know why any of this would be a problem to begin with. But I understand her unshakeable dedication to truth and honor. The blood of a snowbeast must pump through her veins. Under the table she squeezed Thrawn’s hand. And to her surprise he squeezed it back.“I respect your decisions, Admiral” said Thrawn.Ar’alani said “I shall not delay my return to the Ascendancy any further. I will depart now.” She stood from the table, nodding farewell to everyone and walked out of the room. The room went silent, shocked at her departure. She felt all the eyes, human and Chiss upon her as she walked, confidently, to the exit.When Ar’alani heard the door close behind her she took a few steps, leaned on the wall allowing her perfect posture to fail. Returning means facing charges of treason. Facing the families. Facing my own treachery. I may face life imprisonment if I am lucky. Death is also a possibility. She thought of the babies, and of her soldiers. I owe an explanation to them. She swallowed and stood erect again. She walked briskly down the corridor towards a lift that would bring her directly to a landing bay where she planned to take a small shuttle.“Wait! Please! Admiral!”Ar’alani heard Saianna and turned to see her running down the corridor towards her, bone jewelry clacking, and foreign furs rippling. “I wanted to give you something…” Saianna pulled a bone dagger from pocket. She held the ivory-colored item out with both hands. “I knew you were important, that you were Admiral of a fleet. That you had a fancy uniform, and many follow your orders.” She held out the knife and bobbed her head encouraging Ar’alani to take the knife. “But I see now, through all of this. You are a warrior. This is made of snowbeast bone. We must all earn them before we are even allowed to receive them as gifts. You have no snowbeasts here, but you have earned this.”Ar’alani recalled Thrawn droning on about Saianna’s primitive culture and wished she had listened more intently. She took the gift with both hands and noted the item was a blade, handle, and hilt all carved out of one piece. The handle was intricately carved, but it was not a ceremonial piece. The decoration did not interfere with grip and even improved it. “It is incredibly practical and beautiful. Many thanks Saiana’of’Bantar.” And meaningful. She looked at Saianna as a friend for the first time. She is a warrior, just as I am. A person, just as I am.Saianna handed her a leather sheath. “So you don’t hurt yourself. It is very sharp.”“How do I sharpen it?” It won’t matter. Once I am home it will be confiscated.“It will be sharp forever. This sheath has a bone lining It will stay sharp and safe. If something breaks or dulls the blade of a snowbeast you likely have bigger concerns.”Ar’alani let out a short laugh. “Understood.” She felt sadness, but a bit of joy. She slid the dagger into the sheath and tightly gripped her hand around it, testing the feel. “I am off to face the Ascendency. Farewell SaiannaofBantar, and please take care.”Saianna’s face softened and she said “Yes, Admiral. I will. And you take care of yourself. You worry much about your sub…eh…subordinates, but you need to take care of you too.”Ar’alani let those words sink in. She was kind of surprised, but then figured She doesn’t understand I will not likely survive my return. “Noted’ she replied.The women said their farewells and Saianna watched Ar’alani walk onto the lift.

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“Well I’m just sayin’ Quilori, that if you happened to be headin’ off into that territory and just happened to let it slip that Irizi’ar’alani was not executed, but exiled, it would be totally understandable.”“Kiwu’tro’owumi, I am rather good at keeping secrets.”“Who told you my name?” asked the brash Chiss woman.“I don’t reveal my sources. Also who doesn’t know that by now?”“It’s not so much the what, but more the where and the whom.” Quilori shook his head in disbelief. Not him. Please, not him. “I’m sure, eh…well, eh, maybe he’s just too busy heading up his Empire of the Guiding Hand now, isn’t he? He’s in charge of an ever-expanding alliance of planets. He won’t have time for idle gossip. I even heard he’s had another kid! A little girl to keep him busy.”Wutroow had heard the story too. Twin princes, and a princess. “Well what’s all that worth when their mother is just a barbarian human?” She shrugged “Don’t get me wrong, she’s a sweet lady. But…” Wutroow bared her teeth in a grimace “…you know. Why?”Qilori shook his head. Chiss will never change. Everyone knows their xenophobes, but it never ceases to surprise me.“Regardless” continued Wutroow “if my communications officer accidentally fed you some coordinates I wouldn’t know. And if I didn’t know then…”A week later Quilori of Uandalon was escorted by two strong, stern Chiss guards to the doors of a grand throne room. When they arrived at the door, the two vaulted and ornately gilded doors opened inward to reveal Thrawn sitting at a comically small desk.“Quilori of Uandalon. Please, come in” he said, his calm voice not revealing the intensity of work he was attending to.“Well, your highness, your magnificence, I must first compliment you on your-“ his effusive preamble was interrupted by the giggling of two small Chiss boys playing in the corner on a pile of cushions. They were being tended by a human nurse, but well within ears and eyes of their father.“Oh, the princes!” Qilori bowed to the boys who being heavily involved in their play and only toddlers didn’t respond. “What an honor, your glorious lead-““Enough. What do you want?” asked Thrawn, adding a digital signature to a document and sending it on it’s way.“I, uh, have information that may interest you.”Thrawn sighed in frustration. “I have much information” he tapped a datapad. “What do you have that I do not?”“Well, your gloriousness, I would love to share but-““If you cannot share, then you may leave” he said, close to snapping his words out.Saianna halted what she was doing and eyed Qilori up and down. It was then Qilori realized this was the barbarian human that Wutroow had mentioned. She was dressed in a utility suit and walked across the large room. She placed a soothing hand on Thrawn’s shoulder. “He is our guest” she said. “You are not fair to Qilori of Uandalon”Qilori then noticed the bone hooks in her ears and an intricately carved handle to what was very likely a long knife in her side pocket on her leg. Thinking he saw an opportunity to ingratiate himself on the Empress Qilori said “Thank you, my lady! I-“Saianna finished, cutting off their visitor. “He is not a warrior like you. He is a weakling and a coward. He cannot be expected to understand your time is valuable.”Thrawn smirked as though he knew something Qilori did not. He was amused. “Indeed” he said, his temperament returning to the young and clever Chiss officer he had first encountered.Saianna said “But then again, I am but a savage human cave girl. Or at least that is what people say.”Thrawn glanced up at her and he said “You are my Empress. Should I decree death to any who utter such nonsense?”She chuckled and said “The wise hawk hides it’s claws. Maybe you should encourage the rumors and say if alien worlds do not keep the peace I will, eh” her deep dark eyes moved back and forth in playful thought “that you will unleash my savagery on them and our babies will chew on their bones.”The couple laughed at the morbid joke. “Perhaps we will revisit this issue” he said.“Perhaps” she said, winking and returned to tending her children.Qilori guestured at the woman with a bob of his head and said “I once heard a far-off human explorer, who has been even beyond the Chaos! To other galaxies! He used a phrase that always stuck with me: Dumb like a fox.”Thrawn’s face hardened in anger.“A fox is a very clever animal” explained Qilori and this appeased Thrawn and his prominent Chiss brow softened as much as it could.“Why are you here again?” asked Thrawn, bluntly. “To provide information?”Ah, yes, always the diplimat. Since things never change. “I have information you may find intriguing.”“Oh? Why is that?” asked Thrawn swiftly losing interest as more documents that required his attention arrived in his inbox.   Saianna put on a large coat made of fine but strong plant fibers. The nurse then set both boys into a large hood like flap on the back of her coat. The nurse offered to take the little girl, but Saianna gently declined. “We are going for a walk” she said to her lover.The boys both waved their pudgy hands and yelled “By bye papaaa!” “G’bye fatha!”His family and the nurse left so Thrawn could do business and everyone else could get some fresh air.“Well, your friend who was exiled?” said QiloriThrawn paused what he was doing and gazed at Qilori. “Yes?” he said with no inflection.Qilori had known Thrawn for many years. He couldn’t get away from the man if he tried. He had tried. And failed. He had hoped to have escaped him when Thrawn had been exiled many years earlier, and yet they had been drawn back together. But he noted Thrawn had changed, a lot. He was kind and warm to his family, but there was an edge now. A bitterness that only seemed to sharpen his mind. His negotiations with other planets and peoples was not the work of the Thrawn he had encountered so many years ago. This man that sat before him had grown into someone near unstoppable. Qilori noted the terrifying glare of the new Emporer of the Empire of the Hand and decided to be short about his business. “Ziara’ar’alani is on Delgmaphi.”Thrawn placed his stylus on the desk and fiercely looked at Qilori through his brow. “If this is true, Qilori of Uandalon you will be richly rewarded.” Ar’alani could harldy believe her ears. She heard thunder. Thunder from the storm that was raging overhead. How could this get worse? She sat in a tree, soaked to the bone, but grateful to be alive. The shelter she had built and secured had just been washed away by a flood caused by this storm. A crooked smile crossed her lips. She thought of when she first met Thrawn as a cadet and how he had given up fighting the system. He had resigned himself to being kicked out of the academy for cheating despite his innocence. I can’t believe it, but I still feel I did the right thing. Amidst the sheet of rain that was blanketing her an extra large droplet of water splashed on her forehead and poured over her face. Asshole. She looked around at the trees and the plants that were being bowed by the wind and rain. I will find plenty of materials tomorrow to make a new shelter. But I need to find safer ground. Will this cycle never end? Did Thrawn endure this when he was exiled? She considered finding a more secure place in the trees to ride out the storm when she heard more thunder in the sky overhead. Ar’alani suddenly realized it was not thunder on this cursed planet, but thrusters from a shuttle! Her eyes went wide and she considered running off and hiding but there was no safe path with all the flooding. Rivers of water rushed beneath the trees and the shuttle obviously knew she was there. It slowly lowered down next to her, crushing and snapping some weaker branches. It was not of a design she recognized, but before she could run through her encyclopedic knowledge of shuttles of the Chaos a side door opened, and she could hardly believe her eyes. “Hello Ziara’ar’alani! I hope your bone knife was useful!”“Saianna’of’Bantar!” exclaimed Ar’alani, a smile spreading across her face.  Saianna stepped aside and waved Ar’alani into the warm dry shuttle. The exile deftly jumped into the shelter wondering if she was hallucinating as she leapt. The door shut behind her and she looked around in amazement. Saianna said “We will get you dry things.”Saianna guided Ar’alani to a comfortable lounge area and opened a cabinet full of various spare clothing suitable for a Chiss woman. “I think they are good size for you” said Saianna and then said “We will be in that room waiting for you. We then will get you warm food and drink. There is a fresher here if you would like that. I know after a long hunt I always liked a good cleaning…eh…bath? Um…refresh?”Ar’alani never thought she would be so happy to hear broken Cheunh in her life. “Many thanks. I will certainly take advantage of this.”Sometime later Ar’alani emerged in a simple grey flight suit and polished work boots into a kitchenette and dining area where Saianna and her newest infant were waiting.“So, I see you were busy while I was away” said Ar’alani nodding and smiling at the tiny infant in her friend’s arms.“We call her Aria. I suggested your name, but Thrawn explained how Chiss do not share names like that. How it is considered bad luck.”Ar’alani smiled and said “Well, luck isn’t really the reason, but it creates a sense of obligation and when it is time to decide to change our names it may cause undo insult and create hardships between families.”Saianna nodded as stood up and went to the counter. She opened a packet and stirred coco mix into a hot mug of milk for Ar’alani. “Yes, yes” said Saianna dismissively. “That is what Thrawn said. Sounds like it makes bad luck.”Ar’alani shrugged and accepted the coco. The infant girl woke from here slumber and yawned.“She looks like you” said Ar’alani, sipping the hot coco and luxuriating in the sweetness and warmth of the drink.“She is human looking, yes” said Saianna. They sat down on a bench and Saianna whispered “Thrawn dotes on her. He will spoil her if I let him.” Saianna stroked her baby’s soft tan head, covered by a thick swirl of black hair. A Chiss nurse entered the room.“My lady, is it safe to bring the children? They would like to see the new visitor” said the nurse in Sybisti.“Yes, yes, of course. They want to see auntie Ar’alani!” said Saianna winking at their new passenger. The two toddlers, Aron and Faron stomped into the room with all the destructive chubby energy that toddlers have.They ran right up to Ar’alani’s knees, but stopped short of touching her. They saluted and Aron yelled, while Faron more reservedly just said “Admiralalalalaanni!” “Admiralalaaan…i!”Ar’alani sat up straight and returned their salute. “Cadets Aron and Faron,” she said surprising herself with how she could tell immediately who was who. “Your progress in terms of growth is impressive!” She then straightened Faron’s arm, and uncurled Aron’s hand. She smiled and said “Your salutes, however, require a bit of work.”Ar’alani looked up and noted the nurse was holding a sleepy Chiss baby, older than the new born in Saianna’s arms, but smaller than the twins. “Yes” nodded Saianna vehemently. “That is Aput. Aria was a big surprise.”Under her breath Ar’alani said “You’ve been quite busy.”Saianna laughed openly “Yes, that is what husband-wifes do” she continued to laugh. Aria began to fuss and Saianna said “Oh, no. I take care of things in other room. I know Chiss feel weird about breastfeeding babies.”Ar’alani wasn’t going to argue.Saianna also said “Nurse Zinadano will show you your bunk and other things” she smiled and said “We are all very glad to have found you. Thrawn will meet up with us a few hours from now before we return home.” Ar’alani settled in, comforted by the simple luxuries of a modern craft and Chiss refreshments. She had just finished up a late night meal of yubol steak and greens when Thrawn appeared in the doorway of then kitchen. The light poured in from behind him and the light from his eyes glowed with health and vigor. “You look well, considering your years away.”Ar’alani allowed herself a smile “Saianna explained much of what has been happening. About what you have built.”Thrawn entered and sat at the table with her in the circle of light. “Yes. I only recently found the information I required for your retrieval. I hope you are not offended I could not retrieve you myself.”“No. Of course not” she said softly. “You sent your entire family.”“Saianna was very eager to have you back. She sees you as our family” said Thrawn a pleasant mellowness in his voice. “Not so many human cultures accept outsiders as family so readily. But, like the noble families, you don’t need to be of blood to her in order to be family.”Ar’alani was touched and was going to dismiss Saianna’s large heart and strange alien ways when Thrawn said “As do I.”“Thrawn…”“You will be a great asset to my Empire if you choose to join us, but I will ensure your safety and comfort even if you choose not. I am everything I am today because of you.”“This is overwhelming” she answered and it was true. Just a few hours ago I was thinking of that troublesome young cadet and all the assholery he ushered into my life thereafter. Here he is, full grown man, extending help to me. “I guess we have come full circle Mitth’raw’nuruodo. I would prefer to learn more about your Empire before I deign to join.”Thrawn nodded once and said “Whatever information you require I will provide.”A few months later High Commander Ar’alani gazed across the bridge of her new flag ship content she had made the right decision.“Navigator Sa’qar, are you prepared to return home?” asked Ar’alani.“Yes ma’am” said the little girl.Ezra Bridger, bearded, but wearing his usual garb said to the little girl. “Are you ready?”She nodded “Yes Papa. I am ready.”Over the years Ezra’s work with the Skywalkers had unlocked potential in the girls and the mean age raised. The little kids were still working as navigators, but the future was brighter.Ar’alani’s ship rendezvoused with the Emporer’s ship and they returned to the Ascendancy for what were becoming routine negotiations.