The Hunters and the Hunted 3

I had not been kidding when I had told Thrawn that I had known Boba Fett for most of my life, although I wasn’t sure the word known really applied. I really knew very little about him personally when I actually thought about it, but that never really bothered me. My father had always treated the bounty hunter with cordiality and respect. The two men had always spoken to each other more like old work colleagues than anything else but I had never really noticed or thought about it until now. He had always been a peripheral part of my life.

I sat across the small table from Fett and played with the small salad I had brought along with his meal. I wasn’t particularly hungry but letting him eat alone seemed rude. He did not converse while he ate and if he enjoyed the food, he didn’t say but I guessed that he was hungry because he finished it all. Once the plates were cleared away I poured spiced coffee from the carafe and he sipped it with a relish that reminded me of my uncle’s jaxes when they were given a fish treat.

“I see the ability to make decent mek’kefa runs in your family.” He commented, using the traditional name for the drink. I just smiled and cradled my warm glass in my hands. I tried not to stare at his face but I couldn’t help it. The last time I had seen him I had not known about my birth parents, now I did and this man wore the face of my biological father. It was unnerving and strange.

“Do I have something on my chin?” he asked after a long moment’s silence.

I shook my head. “No. I was just wondering how it was you were able to make this meeting so quickly.”

“I was in the neighbourhood, I told you that.”

“So you did, in all the excitement of seeing you again, I forgot.” My words were tart to cover up the fact that I had been staring at his face.

Boba smiled, that terrible, beguiling smile that always made me a little bit nervous and a little bit curious both at the same time. “I had work here and then you all dropped out of hyperspace right on top of me.”

“Lord Vader’s timing is usually better than this.” I said. “Work? I suppose that would be Han Solo.” I said remembering the rumours I’d heard. “Haven’t you been after him for a while now?”

He shrugged his shoulder slightly. “The man leads a charmed life but Jabba wants him badly enough to make it worth my while.” This wasn’t a lie but he was more annoyed than he let on. It didn’t sit well with his reputation that Solo kept slipping through his fingers.

“I would venture to say that Lord Vader wants him even more so.” I told him.

He smiled grimly. “Don’t suppose you have any more details on that, do you?”

I shook my head. “I do a lot of things for Lord Vader but actually making his business deals for him isn’t one of them. He wants to talk with you directly, but you would know how this works better than I would, you’ve done this for him before, right?”

“Vader and I have crossed paths many times, so yeah, you might say I know the drill. Usually though he makes me wait on board my ship. This royal treatment is unusual so I can only assume I have you to thank for that or he wants something more than I would be willing to give.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, he just asked if I knew you and then left instructions.”

He looked at me for a moment and I felt as though his dark eyes could see clear through to my soul. “Well, lucky me then.” He said breaking the awkward silence.

I toyed with my glass and smiled a little. It felt strange to sit across from him, and I didn’t know what else to say but I felt I had to speak because the silence was overwhelming.

“You said you’d heard stories about me?” I asked, breaking the silence that made the air claustrophobic.

Fett’s smile was slow and predatory. “I heard you have a little bit of a pest problem.”

“Jyrki Andando,” I sighed. “Did papa tell you?”

“He mentioned it to me when I last saw him, but I knew about it before, word gets around and you seem to be a hot topic for Galactic News and HoloNet gossip.” He said.

I rolled my eyes. “Doesn’t this galaxy have anything better to do?”

Fett laughed. “Apparently not. So, it’s true then? You are being stalked by that black haired mechanic you had a crush on?”

I made a face. “Yes, it’s true.”

Fett frowned. “Why?”

I shrugged. “I am not really sure. When Jyrki heard I was working for the Empire, for Lord Vader he went ballistic. He’s convinced he has to save me but his methods are a bit unconventional.”

“As I heard it, his methods almost got you killed.”

I nodded glumly and at his urging told him what Jyrki had been up to. When I was done he sat back on the couch and stared at me. The set of his mouth told me he wasn’t overly impressed with the whole goings on.

“I can deal with him for you.” He said flatly, coldly after a lengthy pause.

“No.” The word was out of my mouth before I could even think to take it back. My answer earned me a raised eyebrow. So I tried to explain. “It’s complicated and someone is already dealing with it.”

“Ahhh, let me guess, Vahlek Akosh.” He said with some distaste.

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Your father mentioned the Tze’yusha’Jin was looking into it but I got the distinct feeling there was more to the story than he was letting on.”

“Like I said, it’s complicated.”

“Families usually are, little lady, but this guy is hunting you and no one seems to be doing anything about it.” He told me curtly. “I can.”

“Well then…, if Uncle Vahlek can’t deal with Jyrki will the offer still stand?” I asked after thinking about it.

Fett smiled slightly. “It will, “He paused then added, “as long as I am still alive.”

I nodded, sighed and regarded him for a long moment. “Why would you do this for me?” I asked finally.

“You remind me of my daughter and I owe your father a large favour.” He said after a very long pause.

I had to work at keeping my jaw from hitting the floor. “You have a daughter?” I asked. He could not have shocked me more if he had said he was really a Jedi knight in disguise on a mission to kill Darth Vader.

He nodded, sipped his coffee and drew a deep breath. “Yes, a long time ago I was married for a brief time. It didn’t work out but I have a daughter from the union. Ailyn would be about six or seven years younger than you I guess, I have not seen her in a very long time.”

I was so surprised I didn’t know what to say.

He smiled in a way that softened his face. “Not exactly the hardened bounty hunter image you had in your mind?”

“I just never pictured you as a family man.” I said.

“Well, apparently I’m not.” He said sharply and I regretted my words immediately which must have shown on my face.

“I’m sorry, I mean no offence.”

He leaned forward. “Look, I have known you since you were an annoying, precocious child who thought I was some sort of super being. You followed me around like a little love sick bantha pestering me with all manner of questions until I had to beg your father to get you out of my hair.” He smiled slightly at the memory he had of me. “Your dad and I go back a ways, long before he ever got married and settled down actually, though I bet he’s never told you that. I owe him, which I don’t like. You are his daughter; I’ve known you a long time. Now I hear you are being stalked and hurt by a guy you used to adore for taking a government job. That doesn’t sit too well with me especially since I can do something about it for you, clear up my debt to your dad and not have to see the worry on his face every time I ask how you’re doing when I get my ship fixed. I want him concentrating on my boat not on his kid! I don’t want to have to find a different docking bay just because I find it disturbing to hear you are being hunted. That would piss off your dad and annoy the hell out of me, which trust me, you don’t want.”

I just stared at him. It was one of the longest speeches I had ever heard him give and it completely took me by surprise.

“Is there any more mek’kefa?” he asked when I found myself with nothing to say.

I poured him another glass. I still could not wrap my head around the revelation that he had a family. It made me wonder just how much he really knew about me and my crazy family. How much my father had really told him. I had always known that there was a sort of strange friendship between Boba Fett and my father but I had not realised that they had known each other before my father was married. I sighed. My father’s murky past was something he never discussed. It was as much a secret as who uncle Vahlek really was. It seemed to me that my family was full of dark secrets which tended to involve shady characters from the wrong side of town.

“Working for Vader seems to agree with you.” Fett said after a long silence.

I nodded. “I like my job, despite its hazards.” I told him, “And I am good at it, it seems.”

That earned me a smile. “Well my guess would be if you weren’t you wouldn’t be here.”

“It sure beats working at the palace.” I retorted.

“Different location, same story.” He replied airily. “Last I heard you were embroiled in a big scandal with a disgraced officer.”

“Well, don’t believe all you hear.” I shot back.

“So you aren’t involved with a high ranking Imperial Officer who was recently publicly disgraced and sent packing to the nether regions of space?” he asked with a sly smile.

“I didn’t say that.” I didn’t want to get into this conversation at all.

He laughed. “You have this uncanny ability to get yourself involved with all the wrong people.”

“Since we are being so personal, can I ask you a question about your family?” I asked suddenly annoyed enough to cross this line.

“You may ask.”

“I heard from a reliable source that your father was the man who was the template for the clone soldiers who fought in the Clone wars. Is this true?”

A shiver of emotion passed across Fett’s face and I wasn’t certain he would answer me but he did. “Yes that is true. His name was Jango Fett.”

“I also heard that you are not actually his natural born son but a naturally matured clone of his.” I was pressing my luck and I could feel him fight against some emotion I couldn’t place.

“Yes, that is also true.”

I sat back and bit my lip, staring at his face. He met my stare evenly, his dark eyes hard and angry, but the anger wasn’t directed at me.

“Why do you want to know this?”

“How much about me do you really know?” I countered.

“Not enough to know why you are asking these particular questions.”

“Then I guess papa never mentioned to you that I am actually adopted and not his or my mother’s biological child, did he?”

Fett shook his head. “No, he failed to mention that.”

“It was kept a secret. I didn’t know until shortly before I left to work for Lord Vader and not so long ago I found out who my biological parents were.” I paused to look at his face but his expression gave nothing away. I continued. “My biological mother was a Jedi and the man who sired me was the Arc Clone commander she worked along side, who would eventually hunt her down and kill her. He never knew he had a child, she hid me away to save my life and paid for that with her own. When I look at your face I am looking at the face of my biological father and the man who executed the woman who gave birth to me. So, how do they call the offspring of clones in relation to other clones? What does this make you to me, a brother? An uncle? A cousin? What!?” my words tumbled out, rapid and cross. The silence in the room after I had nothing left to say was heavy and awkward. We started at each other for a moment then he broke the deadlock.

“You must get your looks from your mother because I don’t see much of my father in you at all.” He commented dryly.

I got up from the table and paced the room. I was angry, hurt and confused all of a sudden and I didn’t understand any of this or how to deal with it.

“Merlyn, what is it that you want from me?” he asked. “You told me this for a reason, so what is it?”

“I don’t want anything from you. I just wanted you to know.”

“I have nothing to give you.” He said.

“I am not asking for anything from you!” I snapped, and then backed down a bit. “Maybe I just needed to know as well.”

“So you just wanted to add to your already complicated family with yet another complicated member?”

I stood still, ignoring his question and regarded him for a long moment. I wondered if he was right and all I really wanted was some sort of connection to people who had actually given me life. I stared at his face, searching for something that was familiar in myself. I shifted my weight and folded my arms across my chest, making a face as I did so.

He surprised me with a throaty chuckle. “Now, that stance and that expression I do recognize.” He said. Then he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, with a slight smile, he added. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Family is a complicated thing for me as well. I grew up with my father more often gone from home than he was there, leaving me to be raised by the Kaminoans and droids. I was ten years old when I watched the Jedi Master, Mace Windu, decapitate him ruthlessly on Geonosis. I didn’t exactly have a stellar childhood and I have no idea how families are supposed to function. I suppose that’s the reason my own marriage didn’t work out.” He drew a deep breath. “Your biological father would probably have been an Alpha Class Recon Commando. They were clones who were unaltered in anyway to allow for independent thought. I am a little surprised to hear he fulfilled Order sixty-six. Many of the Alphas didn’t.”

“Order sixty-six?” I had heard of this but the details were sketchy.

Fett sighed. “It was an order that was encoded and trained into each and every clone to recognise the Jedi as traitors to the republic at a time of the command being given.”

“Why?”

“You’d have to ask Palpatine that, he was the one who arranged for it to happen, of course no one knew that at the time.”

“The Emperor?”

Fett nodded.

I frowned. “So what you are telling me is that the Jedi purge had been planned for even before the Clone War started?”

“It would appear so.” He said.

I let out the deep breath I had been holding. “Then it was inevitable that my birth mother die.”

“Perhaps. Who can say what is meant to be or not.” He said with a shrug. “Destiny is something only the fortunate believe in.”

“But the Emperor planned it?”

He stared at me for a long moment and nodded slowly once. “Yes, it would appear he did.”

The slow anger that ate its way up through my being must have shown on my face because Fett’s expression changed indifference to curious. He went to say something but before he could my comm peeped. I answered it tersely then shoved the ache of fury that was trying to consume me down as deep into my gut as it cold go. There was just not enough hatred in the galaxy for Palpatine.

“Lord Vader has returned and will see you now.” I said, almost relieved that this entire conversation was over.

Fett nodded and stood up. “Time to get this show on the road.” He said as he picked up his helmet. I bit my lip as I watched him. I didn’t really know what to think of the conversation we had just had. The entire thing had had a very surreal quality to it. He regarded me for a moment then asked. “Tell me something, does Vader know about your birth parents?” he asked.

“Yes.” I said.

Fett smiled, it was a nasty, cold smile. “That man has a vile sense of humour.” He said to himself.

I didn’t back up when he stepped over to stand in front of me. I didn’t pull away when he curled a finger under my chin and raised my face upward. I didn’t look away from his gaze when he stared into my eyes.

“You may not physically resemble my side of the family, such as it is, but now that I know it’s there, I see him in your expressions.” He said. “You have his tenacity and I imagine a bit of his temperament. I don’t know what one would call the relationship between us either so why don’t you just call me a friend and we’ll leave it at that. I wouldn’t go around bragging about it though, if I were you, not everyone loves me, you know.” He cautioned with a grin. Then he let go of my chin and put his helmet on. “So… are you taking me to Vader or do I have to go and find him myself?”

“I’ll take you.” I said.

“Then lead on, little lady.” He said. “But think about my offer. Seeing as you’re family, I’ll be pissed if this moron kills you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I said as we left the room.

The Hunters and the Hunted 2

We shuddered out of hyperspace and I did not even need to be anywhere near Lord Vader to know he was angry. I was already on my way to his chambers when he summoned me on my comm. I nearly crashed into General Veers who was just leaving and the look on his face told me that he was grateful to have gotten out of Lord Vader’s presence in one piece and still able to breathe.

“I would wait a moment before entering, Miss.” He said quietly.

“Oh.” I said. I understood what that meant and it usually wasn’t good.

He nodded at me and then hurried down the corridor. I took his advice and waited a couple of heartbeats, watching him vanish into the turbo lift.

Maximillian Veers was an interesting man, born of a middle class working family he had escaped the mundane life of his parents by joining the Imperial Academy and finishing top of his class. He became even more successful in his military career when he became commander of the Emperor’s personal AT-AT legion as well as becoming an instructor at the academy on Carida. When Thrawn met him, Veers was serving as a commander for the garrison stationed there. Recognising Veers’s brilliance and loyalty, Thrawn had recommended him to Lord Vader and Lord Vader had listened. He had taken Veers on and gave him command of the Death Squadron’s ground forces.

From conversations with Thrawn, I knew that Lord Vader had an unusual amount of respect for Veers and I also knew that they had worked together on the AT-AT project in the past. I had met Veers formally only once at a small reception and our conversation had been minimal and polite. He didn’t seem to be a very out going man and he kept himself to himself. Like most men under Lord Vader’s command he kept his distance from me. I was almost certain that the general rule of thumb was ‘if we don’t talk to her she doesn’t actually exist’. Women, some people thought, were bad luck on board of a ship and anyone who worked as closely with Lord Vader as I did could not be good for anyone’s health.

I drew a deep breath and then I opened the door to Lord Vader’s chambers in time to see him ending his conversation with Captain Piett via the video feed. I was grateful to have missed the actual conversation but I could not take my eyes off the dying Admiral Ozzel clawing at his throat in the background. The force flowed around Vader like a sand storm. He was furious. His anger coloured the air and made it seem thick and difficult to breathe. For a moment the entire galaxy stopped moving and then Lord Vader got up from where he was seated, put on his long cloak and stalked around the room.

“You wished to see me, my lord?” I asked breaking the awful silence.

“Xizor has been pestering me on my private comm channel. You will inform his office that he is to cease and desist this practice. If he wishes to speak with me then he must first do so through you. I do not understand why he cannot follow simple decorum.” He growled. “He will no doubt complain about this but I do not care.”

“Yes, my lord.” I said quietly. While Admiral Ozzel’s death did not surprise me, in fact I was more surprised that it had not happened sooner, it was still an unpleasant thing to witness. I was fighting the urge to either scream or throw up. I wondered if I would ever get used to seeing Lord Vader’s trade mark punishment in action.

Lord Vader looked at me, sensing my emotions. “Ozzel was an arrogant fool, girl. He paid for his lack of vision with his life. Do not mourn his death. The Empire does not have time or space for idiots who only wish to feel self important.” He chided. “I tolerated his stupidity for as long as possible. This time he went too far. I told him not to come out of hyperspace too close to the Hoth system as surprise was tantamount to our strategy for a quick campaign. Now the rebels are alerted to our presence and we have to punch through their defence grid. That idiot will have cost us time and man power which, had we had the element of surprise, would not be the case.” He spat. “He refused to follow my orders and despite the fact that I and my officers had a battle plan worked out Ozzel has insisted that we follow his even though I am ultimately in charge. This has led us to the current situation where the rebels have the upper hand and were warned of our approach. They will no doubt have an escape plan in place and be willing to sacrifice many lives for this plan. Ozzel was an utter moron and had absolutely no finesse. Admiral Thrawn would not have made such a stupid error, yet despite my requests to have him permanently posted under my command the Emperor insists on wasting that man’s talents in the Unknown Regions.”

“No, I am certain Admiral Thrawn would not have made such an error.” I said agreeing on the first part of his statement but not the last.

“Now I must prepare for a ground assault.” He said angrily.

I paused for a moment then blurted out the message I originally had to deliver. “I have word from Boba Fett. He wishes to meet with you at your earliest convenience.

“Fett? I thought you had already arranged my meeting with him.” Vader asked. “What does he want?”

“Yes. My lord but apparently he was already in the area. I received a comm message moments after we came out of hyperspace. He wished to inform you about Solo’s presence here.”

“I see.” He said carefully. “Well, he will have to wait until this current issue is sorted out. Seeing as how he is a friend of yours, you can inform him that he may wait on board and I will meet with him as soon as I am able to.” He told me nastily. “He may wait in your office and you will see to his needs.”

I nodded. I didn’t argue with his use of the word friend, although it wasn’t a description I would have used in conjunction to my relationship with Boba Fett.

“If he wishes to remain onboard his ship he is free to do so, but the fleet may have to shift quickly and I expect a fire fight now that the rebels know we are here. Remind him that he should stay out of the way.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Lord Vader’s comm peeped and he did not bother to look at it. “We have engaged the enemy. You have work to do, see to it.” He said as he swept out of the room. I returned to my office, contacted Fett and then left terse messages with Prince Xizor’s haughty assistant. When the ship around me rocked I knew the battle had begun.

I stood in my quarters with the lights turned off, gazing out of the windows in astonishment at the fiery battle that blasted its way about the Executor. The ship which had become my home shuddered as something blasted against its shields and I had to resist the temptation to get a hold of Jorae on the comm to find out what was going on. I could see rebel transports fleeing while ion canons on the surface of the icy planet blasted the space around them to try and protect them from the Star Destroyers. I was glad I was not down on that planet and after a while got bored watching the fireworks outside and went to make myself a cup of tea. Some time afterwards Jorae popped into the office. He looked tired.

“Hey, I thought you might want an update.” He said flopping down on the nearest comfy chair.

“Rough watch?” I asked as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

He nodded. “The whole ship is on battle alert but I have been pulling back to back shifts so I have to go off duty now. Six hours of rest. Did you hear about Ozzel?”

“I got to see the play by play.” I told him. “Vader doesn’t like it when his men mess up.”

Jorae shook his head. “Nope, wouldn’t want to be in Piett’s shoes though. You know what they say about working for Vader, quick promotions, quick deaths.”

“How many sayings along those lines are there for this ship?” I asked.

He grinned. “Who knows? I lost count ages ago.”

“Have you been watching the battle?” he asked as a brilliant flash illuminated the window.

“Yeah. Watching how well Imperial Captains can avoid being struck by cannon fire. It’s like some sort of bizarre dance. Was that Captain Needa’s ship that got clobbered?”

“Oh, you should have heard the comm chatter on that one. The rebs shoot like one armed blind men and we were all like will they hit it, will they hit it and then they did. The Avenger was not destroyed but ended up being disabled and drifted off into to deep space. Hell, I could steer better than that I tell you!” he said making steering motions. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that making a ship as large as an ISD turn to avoid anything was about as easy as breathing in space without a suit on. The ISDs had enormous fire power and amazing defensive capabilities but the steered like fat drunken banthas on spice.

He gave me another grin.

I shrugged. “So who’s winning?”

Jorae snorted. “We are of course! Even with one ISD out of commission. Vader and the Fist are on planet as we speak. I wouldn’t want to be a reb right now I can tell you that for nothing. You should have heard the cheers in the comm room when Veers sent the message that this shield generator was down.” He said accepting the cup of tea I handed him.

“Do we know the losses yet?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Too early to tell.” He replied. “But Blizzard Force is on the ground and the walkers do a lot of damage. I sure wish I could see them in action.”

I sighed and sipped my tea. “No thanks, I am perfectly happy to be up here where it’s nice and warm.”

He laughed. “That’s because you are a sand rat.” He said getting up. “I’ll let you know how things go if there are any major developments.”

I nodded and waved to him as he left, just as my comm went off.

“Miss, you wished to be notified when Boba Fett arrived on board.” Said a bored sounding voice. “He is being escorted to your office as requested.”

“Thank you.” I said but I was already speaking to dead air. I finished my tea and made sure I didn’t look too wretched then went to meet Boba Fett.

The two young men who had been assigned to stand guard outside my office during Fett’s visit stiffened to attention when I approached. I was never sure why they did this since I was not military but it always made me smile and I always said the same thing every single time.

“At ease gentlemen.” I said, they ignored me as I keyed in the pass-code and entered the room.

Boba Fett was seated, well actually it was more like he was lounging on the couch with his feet up on the table and his folded across his chest, his head still covered by the helmet. He didn’t move when I entered but I could feel his eyes follow me closely.

“Master Fett. It is good to see you again and gracious of you to be so accommodating.” When in doubt fall back on formality and being polite.

“I was wondering if you would show up.” He replied and took his feet off the table. “Nice place, you have here.”

“Lord Vader apologises for keeping you waiting, he’s a little busy at the moment. He’s asked me to make sure that your needs were taken care of.” I said. “I work here, it’s my office.”

There was a moment’s silence and then to my surprise he laughed. “Look at you, little lady, all grown up. Last time I saw you, you were running around Jabba’s Palace wearing next to nothing trying to be something you’re not.”

“That was a few years ago.” I said embarrassed, hating the blush that crept into my cheeks.

“So it was.” He agreed. “Your father told me you were doing well and now I see that is the case.” He said. “So how long is this little skirmish of Vader’s going to take?”

“In truth I don’t know.” I said. “I suspect at least several more hours. Lord Vader told me to make sure that you were made comfortable so if there is anything that I can do for you, let me know.”

“Well in that case I suppose I might as well make myself at home then.” He said and he removed his helmet.

I looked at his face for a moment and smiled. He looked older than I remembered and a little tired but he had not changed much at all.

“That’s better isn’t it?” He said with a half grin, rubbing his hand through his hair. “Now, you mentioned something about attending to my needs?”

I nodded.

“I’d like a hot meal and a decent cup of spice coffee, as I recall your father knew how to make a good cup, I expect you do as well.” He said nodding to the counter where my coffee carafe sat.

“That can be arranged. Will there be anything else?”

“Yeah, you can keep me company till the Old Man gets back. I’ve heard some stories about you. I’d like to know if they’re true or not.”

The Hunters and the Hunted 1

The Executor and the ships that flocked about her moved through space like a pack of desert scyks on the hunt. As I made my way through the vast corridors to meet with Lord Vader I could not help but notice the tension that hung in the air was more pronounced than usual. Lord Vader was determined to find the hidden rebel base, the one the arms shipment that had been stopped at Derra IV was meant for. He had seeded the galaxy with thousands of viper probe droids but so far none of them had sent back anything that was really of use. This lack of information was making him testy and incredibly short tempered. One only had to step on the bridge to feel how nervous all the men working in the pits were. Every time he swept up and down the walkway they all followed his movements with their eyes wondering if they would be singled out next to bear the brunt of his frustration and anger.

Thrawn had not stayed long on board the Executor, his meeting with Lord Vader had only lasted a couple of hours and then with a brief stop by my quarters to say good-bye he was back off out to the Unknown Regions to rejoin the Admonitor with Rukh and replacement stormtroopers in tow. I wasn’t good at partings at the best of times and the closer Thrawn and I seemed to become with each other the more awkward the farewells seemed to get. It was as if, while he was near me I felt whole and safe, even complete and when he was gone off working someplace on the far side of the galaxy I could shut that part off and not miss him but the actual parting was intensely painful and it made me peevish and difficult. Saying goodbye was easier for me to deal with by being cross and moody than allowing the truth to show through. I didn’t like the sensation of being torn apart or knowing that just maybe it might be the very last time I would ever see him. It hurt, it made me feel weak and I hated it. I suspect he understood this because his good-byes were always quick and without a lot of fuss, as though he too disliked the discomfort of letting go. Still, despite the stiffness and formality I had ached with sadness when he had left my quarters, his kiss lingering on my lips and his scent ghosting the air.

The sense of emptiness I was filled with after Thrawn had left was almost bewildering and the only way I knew to get past it was to throw myself into my work so that is what I did. There was certainly enough to catch upon and while I had really only been away from it for just over a week it felt as though I had been gone for years. I settled down at my desk, cup of tea in hand and began to wade through the memos and messages in relative quiet. The to-do list was longer than I had imagined. At least, I thought ruefully, it was quiet here. I should have known better. My peace and quiet lasted less than an hour.

Lord Vader was seated in his hyperbaric chamber when the door to his private quarters slid open. His back was to me and he was looking at the monitors on the opposing wall. He knew I had arrived but he ignored me. I stepped into the room and waited a respectable distance away from him while he conversed with Admiral Ozzel. I stood and watched; astounded at the Admiral’s audacity. The manner in which he spoke to Lord Vader as he argued over something to do with the recent batch of probe droids that had just been released was rude and condescending. One of these days, I thought, that attitude was going to get Ozzel killed. Lord Vader only put up with rudeness for so long and Ozzel’s only saving grace had been he had not actually screwed up in any way gig enough to earn him Lord Vader’s temper. When the conversation ended and the view screen flickered off Lord Vader got up from his seat in the open chamber motioned for me to come to him.

“My personal physician informs me that you will make a full recovery.” he said, his gloved fingers holding my chin to look at me this way and that, as if inspecting my face would give him clues as to the state of my health. It had been our first face to face meeting since my return to the ship.

“Yes.” I told him, trying not to flinch at the coldness of his touch.

“I find it disturbing that this man from your past is able to make such a nuisance of himself. Have I not taught you to defend yourself well enough? He should be dead by now not running around free, causing no end of trouble.” he asked with a touch of disgust as he roughly let go of my chin.

I made a face and tried to keep my own temper in check. “Well, as far as fights go, I was doing fine, better than fine actually, until he stabbed me with an anzati assassin’s blade filled with some sedative and that had residual venom in it.” I protested. I felt the sting of reproach in his words and I didn’t like it.

“You should have avoided being struck by that weapon. You are better than that, I have taught you better than that. I am most displeased.” He growled.

I didn’t know how to answer this because deep in my heart I felt he was right.

“Have you nothing to say to this, girl?” he asked turning his back on me in that manner which said ‘I do not know what to do with you…’

“Well, actually since you asked…yes…” I muttered.

His head turned to stare at me over his shoulder. “And that would be?”

“Perhaps it would be wise if you did not give me any more time off while we are on Coruscant!” I retorted. “I prefer to holiday on Tatooine!”

To my surprise, this earned me a barked laugh.

I added. “Although in defence of it all, it was because of what happened that an entire rebel cell was discovered in the palace.”

He nodded. “Yes. That was a fortunate stroke of luck and you have won favour with Intel for your work in this matter, making me look good. Isard was pleased but do not let that go to your head.” He turned back to face me waving his finger in my nose.

“Of course not, my lord.” I sighed.

“Do you feel fit enough to return to your duties or do you require more time to recover?” he asked already knowing the answer.

“I have had quite enough recovery.” I snapped at him. He was irritating me and he was enjoying it.

“Good.” He said, using the force to bring a datachip to his hand from the desk across the room. “You can start by dealing with this.” He paused, and then added. “I understand that you know the bounty hunter Boba Fett personally?”

“I have met him on several occasions.” I said cagily.

“I require his services, find him for me and arrange a face to face meeting.” He said thoughtfully. “Expedience in this matter would be appreciated.” The hint of threat under his politeness did not go unnoticed.

“Yes, my lord.”

He handed me the datachip and I took it gingerly. “You will deal with this list in your usual efficient manner. I also have some meetings this week that will need to be rescheduled and a holo-conference with Prince Xizor that can to be cancelled. I do not have time to argue with him over matters which have already been decided.”

I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. “Yes, my lord, although the Prince will no doubt complain if you reschedule an appointment with him.”

“Let him complain. Perhaps all his whining will eventually deafen my master’s ears and the Emperor will see Xizor for what he truly is and deal with him accordingly.” Lord Vader said testily.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.” I muttered.

He barked another laugh. “I see your sense of humour was not impaired in this latest incident.” He said tartly.

I shrugged. What could I say to that? I just looked at him and for a split second there was a moment when I sensed he wanted to say something more but an incoming comm from the bridge interrupted him.

“What is it Captain?” he growled as the image of a very nervous looking Captain Piett filled the screen.

“My lord, you wished to be notified when the recent batch of probe droids began to transmit their findings. We are receiving the first of these data streams now.”

“Very well Captain.” Lord Vader replied and waved the view screen off. He paused for a moment and then turned back to me. “I will be on the bridge. Notify me when you have made contact with Fett and when there is time later on I shall expect to see you in the training room, bring your lightsaber. The next time you face off against this rebel nuisance I expect you to kill him and not mess about; he is not a toy for you to play with. Is that clear?” He told me and without further word stalked out of the room to head to the bridge.

*** *** ***

In the quiet of my office space, while sipping a cup of tea I began the process of getting in touch with Boba Fett, wondering what it was Lord Vader wanted with him. I knew it wasn’t the first time the Empire had requested the bounty hunter’s services nor did it surprise me. Fett was the best at what he did, of that there was no doubt.

Several hours later I rubbed my aching eyes and stifled a yawn. I was considering my third stimcaf and still getting nowhere. This was not unexpected. The pathways to get a hold of Boba Fett were lengthy and varied. He was not an easy man to find, to get in contact with and above all, speak to in person. Still, I had a few tricks up my sleeve and I knew the system better than most, eventually I got what I wanted.

Boba Fett’s Image shimmered in the small desk top holo image emitter. He was polite but curt and I matched this tone as I relayed Lord Vader’s request. If the bounty hunter was surprised to see me or hear the request, his voice did not show it. It was simply business and I was merely the contact. As I confirmed the information I wondered where exactly he was because the signal was very clear, but I knew better than to ask. Keep it professional, my father had always said. When the transmission ended I felt that I could finally go to bed. As I walked, half asleep back to my quarters I felt the great ship shiver as she slid into hyperspace. For a moment I considered contacting Lord Vader to ask where we were headed then realised I didn’t care. Suddenly I was exhausted, the travelling coupled with the previous night’s lack of rest was catching up with me. All I really wanted was sleep. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light.

Two hours later my beeping comm woke me up.

“I do not pay you to spend all your time sleeping, girl!” Lord Vader barked into the comm before I even had time to open my eyes. I didn’t have to be anywhere near him to know that he was in a fine temper.

“No, my lord you do not.” I stifled a yawn and got up. “What can I do for you?”

“My chambers, immediately! I have work that needs to be attended to.” He barked and then disconnected.

I pulled on my robe and trotted down the hallway to his chambers, getting dressed was too time consuming and he didn’t care what I wore anyway.

“My lord?” I asked as I slipped into the dimly lit room. He was pacing the floor.

“We will be entering the Hoth system when we come out of hyperspace. Research it and give me the data before we reach our destination.”

I stared at him for a moment and then nodded. It wasn’t as if he did not have access to the same data that I did and could sit down and browse through it at his own leisure. He just liked to get the Daily Digest version of it. Over my years of working with and for him I had become pretty adept at figuring out what it was he really wanted to hear and what information was a waste of his time and would earn me a verbal dressing down or worse.

“Oh and arrange for the chef to change the consistency of the food he has been preparing for me, it is disagreeable.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“And you may have to cancel all appointments I had for the next week as well as this one. I do not wish to be distracted while on this campaign. They can all be rescheduled at a later date.”

“If some of them cannot be rescheduled, shall I keep the appointment as is?” I asked.

“No cancel it and explain to the person who cannot find time in their lives to accommodate me the error of their ways. I do not wish to be distracted until after I find out if my hunch is correct. There is nothing more important than ending this ridiculous rebellion.” He growled.

I stared at him even more, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

“I believe the rebel base is in the Hoth system, if that is the case I shall be far too busy to deal with these petty annoyances. It is your job to sort that out. Now, don’t you have work to do? Or do you enjoy wasting my time?”

“Yes I do, my lord, and no, of course not.” I said.

“Then I suggest you get to it unless you wish to spend yet more time in a bacta tank.” He snapped

“Right away my lord.” I said and scurried out of his chambers as fast as I could before he decided to make good on his threat, so much for getting some sleep.

The Hoth system, it looked like a perfectly miserable place to visit, I thought as I sat and read through all the information the computer was spitting out at me.

Located in the Granita Cluster, out on the Outer Rim, it was mostly uninhabited. The system had a total of six planets which all revolved around a blue-white star. The six planets, Shron, Biosh, Nushk, jhas, Ordaj, Hoth were for the most part wastelands and then after Hoth, the planet which had the outer most orbit, lay the Hoth Asteroid field.

Nushk was a methane ocean planet and had four moons which orbited it. It was a large planet that appeared the most gorgeous colour of deep green-blue from a distance. I wondered what it would be like to visit, if that would have been possible, because I imagined it would be very beautiful in a very alien way. The planet that had the most moons of the system was actually a gas giant called Jhas, seconded only by Ordaj, also a gas giant but with only seventeen moons.

The last planet in the system, the one in the sixth elliptical orbit was Hoth. The planet the system was named after. It was an ice planet that was considered mostly uninhabitable despite the breathable atmosphere for most oxygen breathing beings. As I studied the planet’s stats I could not but help think of Navaari. It was exactly the sort of planet he would have loved to play on. Its oceans were frozen despite the molten metallic core. There was a great deal of volcanic and seismic activity mostly caused by the incredible pull caused by Hoth’s three moons, Isla, Eru and Iseri.

It was a planet most beings would shun given half the chance but despite the extreme cold temperatures, powerful winds and blizzards there was life on Hoth. According to the surveys that had been made by a company hired by the Imperials looking at the possibilities of mining the planet, life included the Wampa creature, a predator with fairly vicious tendencies, tauntauns, which when I saw an image of one, looked an awful lot like Cu-pas, bipedal animals that were omnivorous and often used as mounts. They were ornery creatures but loyal and smart. There were also creatures called Hoth hogs, a variety of rodents, ice worms and lichens. I wondered if the ice worms were anything like the ones that produced the rare silk the Chiss and the Dantassi were so fond of.

From time to time smugglers had set up on the planet trying to find a way to get lumini spice out of the planet’s frozen core but were to the best of all records unsuccessful.

Reading about the system and its planets made me think about Navaari and the Dantassi. I had wanted to talk to Thrawn about what had happened on Hjal but every time I had tried to bring the subject up he had deftly side stepped the questions, changing to direction of the conversation and not answering anything I had actually asked. He also told me not to worry about not hearing anything from Navaari because that was normal. He assured me that Navaari would be well aware of where I was and how I was doing. When I asked him how that was possible he had just given me that annoying raised eyebrow look and changed the subject again. I gathered all the data I had found on the system of Hoth and placed it in a single data chip then went to find Lord Vader.

He was in the middle of destroying the practice battle droids in his personal training room when I entered. I never tired of watching him practice. His ability to focus never ceased to astound me and rather then interrupt him I crept along the wall and sat down on the floor. He moved like a cross between a dancer, fluid and graceful and a machine, fast and powerful. Only when the floor lay littered with the charred remains of the high tech combat droids did he turn off his lightsaber and look at me.

“You have something for me?” he asked.

I nodded and went to show him the datachip but before I could get to my feet he had used the force to snatch it from my hand.

“What did you learn?” he asked, motioning for me to get up.

I began to tell him all that I had read about the Hoth system and its planets while he barked at a very scared looking young soldier to clean up the mess in the training room. I trotted at his side as he swept down the hallways to his chambers, passing on the information he had asked me to gather. Once in his chambers he stopped moving and stared at me thoughtfully, then turned to the terminal and plugged in the data chip. He watched as the Hoth system displayed and then returned to staring at me.

“So tell me girl, considering all you have learned, if you were a rebel which planet would you hide a base on?”

“Well, I would have to guess Hoth itself.” I said.

“Why?”

“Because it is the most inhabitable of all the six planets and it is also the only one with a breathable atmosphere. Shron is too volcanically active to sustain life or be a possible base. Biosh is a lifeless rock; there is no atmosphere to speak of. No one would build a base on a frozen methane planet or the two gas giants, so Hoth is the logical choice.” I said.

“Why not the moons of the planets orbiting the gas giants?” He asked as he studied the data on the screen more closely.

“The moons are easy to scan, if there were human activity on any of them the probe droids would have picked up on this easily.” I answered promptly. “Hoth’s conditions make long range scanning it incredibly difficult and there are deep caverns left by smugglers, easy to hide in difficult to find.”

Lord Vader nodded. “What about Fett?”

“I was able to contact him. He has agreed to your request.”

Vader laughed. “Agreed to my request? Girl, you do have a sense of humour.”

I didn’t answer that instead I asked. “How long until we arrive at our destination?”

“We should be coming out of hyperspace outside of the system in less than twelve hours.” He said absently.

“Then what happens?”

“If the base is there, as I suspect it is, then we will destroy it along with all those who inhabit it.” he growled making a fist with his hand. “This insurrection must be crushed.”

I sighed. The grand posturing got a bit tedious on two hours of sleep.

He turned to look at me and handed me another data chip. “I wish you to deal with these issues. Grand Admiral Zaarin is heading up a project and I wish an update on his progress, see that this happens. Also, the Emperor recently gave Grand Vizier Sate Pestage more responsibility in the day to day running of the Empire. You will write a polite letter stressing to him the importance of keeping a good relationship with me. He has been reticent about dealing with me and I will not tolerate this.”

“Why would the Emperor do that, give up some of his control?” I blurted out disregarding decorum. I was completely surprised by this.

“He wishes to pursue his studies of the Force. There is much to learn about the Dark side and he feels that his time would be better spent concentrating on these studies than dealing with the day to day issues of Empire administration.” He told me. “This was a recent change and not announced publicly.” His tone of voice indicated he wasn’t going to say anything more on the subject and if I was smart I wouldn’t either.

I nodded. “Will there be anything else?”

“You will meet me in the training room in three hours to practice your lightsaber and combat techniques. Do not think I had forgotten about your recent failure to subdue this pest. Your incompetence is annoying. ”

“Yes, my lord.” I nodded with a sinking feeling inside. I had not had a good work out for well over a week and I was certain that he wasn’t going to go easy on me at all.

“Now go away and stop bothering me.” He flapped his hand at me. “I have much to plan.”

I bobbed my head and did as he asked. At least I thought ruefully as I made my way back to my quarters, I had three hours before Lord Vader turned my world upside down again.

A few Days Off 8

Dim light from the city outside filtered through the gauzy white curtains of the bedroom and cast odd shadows all around. Thrawn’s flat was high enough up that there was no steady stream of traffic to disturb our sleep, especially this late into the night. This would have been great if I could have slept but instead I lay awake, half sprawled over Thrawn’s body, stroking up and down his bare chest idly with my fingertips, my head resting on that hollow of his shoulder. I should have been exhausted enough to go out like a light but instead my mind buzzed and sleep eluded me which meant he wasn’t getting any rest either.

“If you think any harder, tekari, your brain will explode.” Thrawn said, eventually breaking the silence.

“Sorry. I should be really tired but I’m not.”

“I see I need to work you harder then.” he teased.

I glanced up at him. “Why can’t we just stay like this forever?” I asked. It was a stupid thing to say and I already knew the answer but for this small pocket of time, in his arms, in his bed I felt safe and whole. I didn’t want it to end; I wanted this precious little moment in time to last an eternity.

“Well, for one thing, sooner or later one of us would have to get up to use the ‘fresher.” He replied.

I poked his chest. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. Just as I also know that you are well aware of the answer to your question.” He said gently. “But that does not mean I do not understand the sentiment.” He paused. “These quiet moments between us are pockets of serenity in a time of great turbulence. I also treasure them.”

I sighed. Marvelling, as I caressed him, at how my creamy white skin contrasted with the colour of his own. It reminded me of clouds and sky. We were so different and yet here we were together, compatible and mostly content.

“What’s on your mind, aside from the obvious?” he asked when I said nothing further.

“Demetrius Zaarin.”

He laughed. “Were I a jealous man that would probably bother me. Here you are, in my bed and you have another man on your mind.”

I pinched him and was satisfied with the yelp I received. “Not funny.” I told him.

“Yes it is.” He countered. “You over-think the strangest things.”

“Why is that strange? He tried to kill me, for no good reason. Then he tried to date me. You don’t find that a bit weird?”

He shrugged a little. “You are a beautiful, bright young woman, which is why he pursues you but when he pulled that stunt with the cake he did not really know who you were. Once he figured out your place in the grand scheme of things he decided to make a play for you. He didn’t know, I suspect, that you were already involved with someone and when he did find that out, and discovered with whom you were involved I imagine he was doubly annoyed. As I told you before, he is a man who does not like to hear the word no, especially from the mouth of a young woman he would have considered easy prey. That you chose me to consort with would only have added to his reasons to loath me and chase you. He feels I take away from him that which should be his by right of rank, although it is probably lucky for him that you do not like him very much.” He glanced at me as I made a face. He smiled. “I know just how tough and difficult you can be but he has no idea. I imagine that had he tangled with you, he would have been in for a very nasty surprise and that could have been ugly all around. While you sometimes dress like a pretty piece of palace fluff you are anything but. Even Lord Vader has commented on that.”

“Oh?” I twisted my head upwards to look him in the eyes. He was grinning.

“Yes, indeed. He has mentioned on more than one occasion your propensity for surviving difficult situations, mouthing off when you should probably stay quiet and your apparent fearlessness of his temper. I think he rather admires your boldness. It’s probably a relief to him that you do not quake in your shoes when he is nearby and I am quite certain he secretly enjoys your company, but he’d never admit that.”

There was a compliment in there somewhere but I didn’t try to find it. “Do you think that Zaarin will try to kill you again?” I asked shifting the topic back to where it had originally started.

He sighed. “That is difficult to say. I do know that by using that prototype and failing he risked a lot, most likely more than he had bargained for. I am certain that ship was not part of any official experiment and was done off the books, so to speak, so it was an expensive gamble. He has several black projects on the go and I only know that because I keep very well informed, more so than I should.” He paused. “I think that after this failure he will back off a bit to see whether or not I speak of the incident and then when nothing comes of it he will certainly rethink his strategy. I do know he has greater ambitions than just my elimination, I just do not know what they are exactly.”

“Does all this back stabbing court intrigue ever end?” I asked.

“No, as long as power is involved and people do not see beyond their own lusts for more.”

“Are the Chiss like this?”

He drew a very slow, deep breath. “I would like to say no, that we as a people are beyond such petty power struggles but that is not the case. The ruling houses are constantly vying for more power and bickering amongst themselves.” He paused thoughtfully and then continued. “I believe that my brother sacrificed himself to maintain this balance of power when he went missing, preventing one ruling family from gaining a large military advantage over another. These struggles for power will never end. There will always be those beings who desire to own more, rule more, be more and will do anything to have these things no matter what even at the cost of the lives of others.”

“But you are not like that?”

He was silent for a long moment. “Do not mistake my lack of avarice for a lack of ambition, tekari.” He said carefully. “I also desire to better my station but not at the risk of everything else, including my soul. I have no desire to rule the galaxy but I would do my utmost to be a good custodian should the opportunity ever arose.”

“But you wouldn’t just kill someone because they were simply in your way professionally, would you?”

“It is not my way, so I don’t think so.” He said thoughtfully. “But that is difficult to answer honestly.” I was quiet, digesting his words. He ran his fingers through my hair. “You do ask the tough questions, which is a good thing. As long as you keep asking these questions I have faith that you will never be tainted. ”

I raised my eyebrows in question.

He added. “You work amongst such corruption and greed yet you seem untouched by it all.”

“I’m not untouched.” I interrupted. “I’ve learned to hate and I have learned to kill.” I told him failing to keep the anger out of my voice. “And I have learned to use a power that before was just a party trick. I am not the same person I was when I first left Tatooine to come and work for Lord Vader, not by a long shot.”

“But you don’t let it eat your soul and twist you until you are bitter and hateful, Like Vader and his master.” He said.

“Do you think the Emperor knows about what Zaarin has been doing?” I asked, shifting the conversation away from me again.

Thrawn shrugged. “Who can say for sure? I am constantly surprised at what Palpatine does know and yet by the same token I am often shocked at how blind he is.” He sighed. “Half of the problems currently plaguing the Empire are a direct result of some of the laws and plans that he has laid into place. Things became worse with the implementation of the Tarkin Doctrine but this is a consequence of trying to hold on to more power. Ruling through fear is a solution which never lasts long because once people get over their fear they become angry. Angry people will fight back. Disbanding the puppet senate was not the best move for uniting an already fractured empire. Things, while they seem fine on the outside are not so fine under the surface. I wonder if the Emperor sees this. But right now he maintains his absolute leadership.”

“How does he manage to do it if it is so difficult?” I asked. “The galactic empire is enormous.”

“The mysterious power he has which you call the Force and, for the most part, through fear. Most populations will not form a resistance or rebel against the current government out of fear of military reprisal. Most of the time this works but push people too far and you end up causing rebellion which is what is happening now. Palpatine’s uncanny ability to see the way of things, the future, aids him but you have taught me that this ability is fickle, you have shown me that the Force is not always a user’s friend.” He paused while I nodded. “He is incredibly powerful but he is not as all knowing as he would have everyone else believe. He can control much with military might and fear of censure, but he does not see everything all the time. Were both he and Vader to fall, the entire Empire would most likely crumble. There is no one strong enough to hold it all together. If that happens we would see the rise of smaller war lords and then real chaos would ensue.”

“Why did he want to be Emperor?”

Thrawn shook his head. “My dear, you would have to ask him that question. I do not know what true purpose it has given him but I do know he went to great lengths to obtain this power and has gone to even greater lengths to hold and maintain it.”

I sighed. Politics were just about the most confusing thing I had even encountered. “And if the rebels were to win, if a new republic government was established?”

He thought about that for a moment. “That scenario is highly unlikely but of course, not inconceivable. A republic style government would be a tremendous amount of work and while at first, because all parties would be glad of the chance to air their points of view it might function, after a certain amount of time, when the power struggles begin it would be difficult to maintain. The reason the previous republic fell was not simply through the machinations of Palpatine but also because greed and corruption had finally rotted the government’s core to the point that the bad outweighed the good. Change was inevitable, in this case it was Palpatine who brought it about, quite cleverly I might add. The man excels in the art of manipulation but nothing lasts forever.”

I made a face. “If the Empire fell what would you do?”

My head moved with his chest as he drew a deep breath. “In truth I don’t know. I suppose that would depend on how the Empire fell and what came in its stead. What sort of tools were left over to work with, in terms of military might, weapons, warships, man power and how many people were willing to fight for the Empire after its demise.” He was quiet for a long moment. “I do not think it will come to that and it would take a catastrophic event to bring such change about but given the right tools and timing. I suspect, knowing my nature, I would fight to maintain the law and order that have so far been established.” He said. “But to be honest, this is a scenario I have not given much thought to however, it is an interesting problem to consider.”

“So leaving the navy and settling down on Hjal with the Dantassi to take over as a village elder is not your idea of retirement?” I teased.

He turned over on his side so that he could look at me. He smiled as he tenderly caressed the side of my face. “That idea is not without its appeal, my dear. If such a thing were possible, would you be at my side as you are now, wild and beautiful? Bear me lots of rambunctious and brilliant children? Teach them to be fearless and stubborn just like their mother? Would you bring me spring wine and tjani cake in the quiet of the evening and mate with me every night until the small hours of the morning?”

“Only if you paid me a very obscene amount of credits.” I retorted quickly but his words made me long for something I knew deep in my heart would never happen. That longing was painful which surprised me.

He laughed that deep rich laugh that came from the pit of his chest and moved closer to me. “Perhaps if we play our cards right, one day such a future is possible but for now I will take what I can get.” He whispered in my ear. “We are just a few hours from day break so no more talk of politics, the possible fall of this mighty empire or thinking of other men, especially those who would only do you harm. For now, you are all mine and I intend to take absolute advantage of this situation since it’s obvious you are not going to allow me any rest at all.” He told me, his velvety voice suddenly like warm honey.

“You don’t control my thoughts.” I told him with a grin. “I can think what I want!”

“Oh really?” He pulled me to him and began to prove to me that while perhaps he didn’t control my thoughts he sure as hell could manipulate them.

“Hey, no fair!” I protested, batting at his hand.

He gave me one of those smiles and purred in my ear. “All is fair in love and war, my dear. You leave me no choice but I promise my terms for your surrender will be fair and perhaps even enjoyable.”

“I can hurt you….” I warned.

He smiled as he began to kiss me, starting from my ear and working his way downwards. “I know…but I’ll take my chances.” He said. He rolled me onto my back and I decided, as he began to show off his tactical genius and familiarity with the terrain he was about to conquer yet again that in this case surrender might be every bit as good as winning.

In the morning, when we left the flat for the transport ship, it was raining, a rare occurrence on Coruscant. It did nothing to improve the look of the city or the state of my mood. The buildings were all shrouded in a gloomy mist, the rain making the landing platforms slick with puddles. It seemed to me a fitting end to a week that had been mostly unpleasant. I was not unhappy to leave this planet and it felt as though the current weather was the city’s way of telling me it was not unhappy to see me go.

I didn’t have much in the way of baggage with me, just the satchel I carried some of my most treasured possessions in and some clean clothes. I had thought about bringing more of my things that I kept at Thrawn’s flat but decided against it. I had enough stuff on board Executor as it was, while I liked being on board her I didn’t feel the need to move in completely.

The pilot of the transport shuttle showed Thrawn and me to the cockpit. The two extra nav seats had been reserved for us because the rest of the ship was full with troops on their way into rotation onboard the Executor. It felt a little odd not to be sitting in the pilot’s seat and even more odd when, while we were under way just before went into Hyperspace the co pilot told me off when I had begun to fiddle with something on the console by the chair.

“Please miss, don’t touch anything. That equipment is very delicate.” He said without hiding his annoyance. I just looked at him surprised, about to explain, somewhat crossly, that I knew exactly what I was doing when out of the corner of my eye I caught Thrawn shake his head subtly.

“Sorry.” I mumbled and glared at Thrawn who just arched an eyebrow at me, giving me an almost imperceptible grin and went back to reading the data pad he had in his hands. I sighed. This was going to be a very long and dull trip. It was a good job I was utterly exhausted. I strapped in and reclined the chair as much as possible so that I could sleep comfortably. I was looking forward to being back onboard the flag ship because it was almost the only place I knew some semblance of peace and quiet.

After what had to have been one of the most boring trips I had ever been on, I stepped off the transport shuttle behind the troops that had disembarked and was grateful to finally be off that ship. The trip had been long but thankfully, I had dozed through a good deal of it. I walked down the ramp behind Thrawn and was utterly ignored by the officers that were there to meet him which made me smile. There was nothing else for me to do except head to my quarters and settle back in.

As soon as the door shut, I dropped my bags on the floor, stripped off my clothes and headed for the shower. After the eight hour trip on the transport shuttle I felt as though I was bathed in all the grime that the universe had to offer. The hot shower felt like heaven to me. Once I felt clean and smelled more like a girl and less like a bantha I got dressed and headed to my office. I was almost certain there was a pile of work the size of the Jundland Wastes waiting for me to do. I also needed to catch up on where we were, what we were doing and where we were going. Mostly it just felt really good to be back, almost like coming home home.

Home… that word had taken on some very strange meanings for me in the last few years and on the whole I wasn’t sure what to think about it. When my droid cheerful welcomed me back with a hot cup of tea in hand I realised that I actually didn’t care about what to think about it. I sat in my chair quietly contemplating the tea I cradled in my hands, staring out of the window into the star field beyond. We were at sublight speed in normal space. The giant ship’s engines were barely a perceptible rumble but it was enough and it made me smile.