In the City that never sleeps 3

I was at my desk reading through memos when Jarack knocked on the door. It was late afternoon and he looked tired.

“Miss Gabriel, I feel I must apologise I should have been here at least a week ago but things got a little … interesting.” He said by way of explanation before I could even open my mouth.

“Oh?”

He just gave me a weary grin.

“Rough trip?” I asked, getting up.

“I’ve had worse.” He told me.

“When was the last time you ate?” I asked looking at his pale face, which was gaunt and drawn.

He smiled but it never reached his eyes. “Do ration packs count as real food?”

I shook my head. “I can order you some really decent Zabraki food, I know a good place.”

“Ugh, no thanks, I hate Zabraki cuisine, no offence, but it’s too spicy, gives me heartburn.” He grinned. “I’ll take a cup of that Tatooine coffee of yours though, if you have some handy.”

“For the man who delivers my letters, I can make mek’kefa. How about a sandwich instead, I have pelekki-fish or hadhiki salad? My droid feels that choice is important.” I gestured to the small refrigeration unit under the counter.

“pelekki fish, man I haven’t had that in ages, is it fresh?” He said as he shucked his jacket and sat down wearily on the couch.

“I hope so; they were made for my lunch so yeah, fresh.”

“Your lunch? So why didn’t you eat them then?”

“Because I had a really late breakfast, I’m still not that hungry.”

“Alright for some, I guess.” He grinned. I was lying, I hadn’t eaten anything, I just wasn’t all that hungry these days, especially in the mornings. Lately the only thing I could face without feeling ill was stimcaf, of which I probably drank too much. When I did eat during the day it was usually later rather than earlier. I’d probably end up taking whatever sandwich was left over home with me.

He let out a huge breath and sat back against the couch, rummaged around his satchel and placed a large courier package on the coffee table, nodding at it. “The Admiral sends apologies for the delay in replying.”

“I take it things have been … busy?” I asked, making spiced coffee and unwrapping a sandwich for him.

“That’s one way of putting it.” He said rubbing his eyes and yawning.

“Is everything alright out there?”

He drew a deep breath. “Yes, it’s just intense. Not everyone is pleased to see an Imperial presence in the regions of space beyond the Outer Rim. It’s been a relatively stressful time.” He said. “The last two systems we visited were less than appreciative of our presence.”

“So what you are telling me in your round about way is that you guys have been having fun?”

He smiled and nodded. “Yes.” He said, “Although the Admiral would not be particularly pleased if I were to go into details.”

“Is he okay?” I hated myself for asking this question but I needed to hear the answer.

Jarack smiled and this time it made it to his eyes. “He’s more than okay. He seems to thrive on these sorts of engagements and problems that we have been having but of course it does mean that he’s very busy. ”

I felt the weight I had been carrying around with me lift. “Well, busy keeps him out of trouble I guess.” I said trying to joke. “I’m glad to hear everyone is okay.”

“I guess that depends on your definition of trouble.” He grinned taking the glass of spiced coffee and plate with the sandwich I offered gratefully. “The Admiral enjoys the challenges presented to him.” He said.

While he ate and drank I gathered the three letters I had written and put them on the table beside the package waiting for me to open, something I would do when I got home. “But apart from that?”

“Apart from that, things are pretty good actually. The base we have been setting up is growing.” He continued as I sat sipping my own glass of Mek’kefa. “We have had a lot of recruits coming from both the Imperial side of things and also from the Admiral’s home world but communications between the two are often difficult. The Chiss language is very hard to learn, most of the basic speakers have trouble with even trying. Hell, we can’t even pronounce their names right let alone communicate.” He paused to take another bite of sandwich then continued. “The Chiss are a strange group of people and they don’t really like to mix with humans so you can imagine that this causes some tensions. The Admiral tells me it will pass, given time, training and the right personnel. He’s currently considering his options as far as translators and training goes. Right now we rely heavily on the Outer Rim trade languages. It’s been a lesson in patience, that’s for sure.” He stopped and looked at me. “What about you? How are things?” He asked.

“Crazy, as usual.” I said. “I suppose you heard all about Hoth, yeah?”

He nodded. “Read some of the Intel reports. Sounded like fun.”

“Oh yeah just buckets of amusement. You know what kids and snow are like.” I made a face. “Still, maybe the victory will calm things down a bit.”

“You actually believe that?”

I stared at him for a moment. “Uhm, nope… not really.”

He finished the last of the sandwich, bobbing his head in agreement. “That’s what I thought. The Admiral thinks this defeat will only serve to fuel the rebellion’s fire, but you didn’t hear that from me.” He said draining the last of the mek’kefa and smiling. “Now, I am afraid I have to get going.” He got up, picked up the letters, tucked them in a courier envelope and then made me sign for everything. “I appreciate the pocket of calm though, the hot drink and lunch. It will tide me over till the next rations packet.”

“You really should eat better.” I admonished. I sounded like Bel, or worse, Shiv.

He gave me a look, “You’re one to talk.” He retorted giving me the once up and down.

I just made a face. I knew what he was seeing. Since the meeting with the Emperor on Wayland I had neither slept nor eaten properly. I was well aware of the dark circles under my eyes and that I had lost some weight. I figured it was just an adjustment phase and I’d get back to normal soon enough, provided I could figure out what normal actually was.

“You need to take care of yourself, Miss. When the Admiral returns to find you looking like a refugee from a war zone he won’t be all that happy, especially with me since I tell him you’re fine when he asks.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Don’t suppose you can give me a time frame on the ‘when he returns bit’ can you?”

“That would spoil the surprise.” He said lightly.

I just cocked my head to one side and saw him to the door. “So it would. Take care of yourself.”

“Take your own advice.” He shot back with a cheerful grin and vanished out of the office.

As I cleaned up I thought about what he had said concerning the base on Nirauan. I knew how tricky Cheunh was to learn and I found it amusing to imagine a base full of stiff Imperials trying their best to learn it. What was even more amusing was the image of a frosty group of Chiss trying to decipher basic from a bunch of stuffy Imperials who didn’t really like aliens to begin with. I wasn’t sure this combination would work, but if anyone could pull it off Thrawn could. These thoughts made me smile. Once I was done, with Thrawn’s latest mail in hand, I shut the lights off to my office, locked the door and went home.

I had been living in Thrawn’s flat, away from the palace pretty much since the unveiling of the Executor. While, for appearances sakes I still kept some clothes and some basic belongings at my palace apartment I was rarely ever there unless I absolutely had to be. The palace, despite all the security no longer felt safe to me. Leaving it was sometimes the best part of my day.

When I got home I was always grateful when I could close the door and walk inside to the one place on this busy, noisy planet where I truly felt at ease. Despite the fact that Thrawn hadn’t been on Coruscant in a while, the flat still held a vague hint of his scent. I put this down to his soap and shower gel which I sometimes used. It was comforting in an odd way.

Once indoors I made my way to the bedroom, stripped off my work clothes and changed into more comfortable things. I decided to order in from the local Corellian take out place. While I was waiting for my food, I opened a bottle of wine, poured a glass, went into the living room, lit candles and sat down to finally open my mail.

The package contained one letter and two books. The books held memories, quick flashes of images, one of Thrawn buying them from a bookseller in an antique shop filled with shelves of books and some of the people who had read them before he had found them. Each reader had fallen in love with the books. They were warm memories that filled in the loneliness of the evening and they made me smile.

I put the books down and opened his letter; it was bulky which meant it was long. With a sip of wine and a smile I settled down to read.

A’mia Tekari,

I know this reply comes late and for that I apologise. It has been a busy time for us. As you can imagine, not everyone we meet out here in the Unknown Regions is sympathetic to our cause and sometimes a show of force is a necessity. As of late I have found myself engaged in several small conflicts which have had to be dealt with quickly and efficiently. No need to worry though, these particular skirmishes were minor and the results were in our favour.

I found your ‘Daily Digest’ version of the events at Hoth most amusing, especially as I was also privy to the official reports shortly after the events took place, and before you ask, I have my sources. I was satisfied to read that the victory was swift and without great losses for the Imperials but I am also certain, that like most fanatics this defeat will only help to fuel the Rebellion’s fervour. Those who died will be revered as martyrs to their great crusade, held up as heroes and only serve to persuade others to join in the cause for which they have died, rather than act as a deterrent.

It did not surprise me to read of Admiral Ozzel’s error in judgement, nor of Vader’s swift and final punishment. While brutal and unyielding in many respects, Vader is, in his own right, a brilliant tactician. It must have infuriated him to have his plans overridden by an admiral who was never known for his brilliance in battle strategy.

It was your account of what took place at Bespin that was of more interest to me because there was no official report made about these actions. It does not surprise me that events which concern the capture of Luke Skywalker are kept quiet. Aside from the fact that he is the offspring of the man who is now known as Lord Vader, he is also a focal point of the Rebellion. He is their hero, the kid from the Rim who turned into their saviour at the last minute just when it counted the most and thus, their inspiration. If a young, somewhat uneducated farmer from Tatooine can succeed then anyone can. It stands to reason that any attempt to capture this very important figure will be kept as secret as possible. The rebels are surprisingly well informed, which leads me to believe there are leaks coming from within the Imperial ranks that should be dealt with swiftly.

Does it really surprise you that the son of Lord Vader would be sought after as prize by the Emperor? If the father’s force powers are a thing to be reckoned with then would it also not stand to reason that so are the son’s? You are living proof that a Jedi’s offspring often carry on that particular family trait. Lord Vader’s plan to trap the young Skywalker boy was ambitious but once again, it would appear that he has underestimated both his son’s strengths and the will of the boy’s friends to survive. Desperate people who feel they have nothing to lose are often capable of the most astounding feats.

Your description of Bespin made it sound lovely and to answer your question no, I have never seen it. Your comment about being able to sleep in the pilot’s chair made me smile, and trust me, I am well aware of everything you are capable of in a ship, probably more so than anyone else, especially in the engine room where, if I recall correctly, you are quite good dealing with heated situations. And before you complain, yes you did say ‘no jokes’, but you did not mention anything about innuendos so I will take full advantage of the situation and the opening you have left for me. While I do so enjoy these verbal skirmishes I should return to the topic at hand, there will be time enough to tease you later on.

I cannot imagine what must have been so valuable that Vader would risk the entire fleet including its flag ship to go tearing through an asteroid field just to capture one smuggler’s ship. I must confess, my dear, there are moments when even I do not understand his thought process. Just as an aside, I can attest that space slugs are real. The Vengeance was all but destroyed by one near Ithor, but they are a rare sight and for most denizens of the galaxy as much myth and legend as the Dantassi so that you had difficulty convincing your young friend of their existence is of no surprise.

Speaking of the Dantassi I assume that you were able to use your talents and figure out that it was Kirja’navaar’inkjerii who made the small box which housed the pendant I sent for your birthday. I am not sure how much you were able to read from the box so I shall tell you a little more about it here.

He carved your gift from a tooth of the great crystal worm which is a species native to the planet Mygeeto. The great worms burrow and bore their way through the planet’s frozen surface using rings of large teeth with which they chew through the ice, warm it up to liquid within their bodies, digest the nutrients and minerals they need, then secrete the waste as water which subsequently freezes behind them. You can tell where the worms have travelled because the when the waste-water they leave behind freezes again it is not the packed white glacial ice standard to such a climate but a clear ice that appears as the most astounding colour of blue one has ever seen. This ice is mined and used for drinking water as it is quite pure and clean. It is also said to have magical properties, but of that there is no proof.

A Crystal Worm’s teeth are highly prized for their strength and their beauty. They are usually carved into a variety of things ranging from weapons to jewellery. The average size of a crystal worm’s tooth will have the approximate diameter close to the width of your hand and will be as long as the length of mine, so you can imagine, given the size of their teeth, how large the creatures themselves are. While these worms are elusive and rarely seen they are formidable fighters when hunted and renowned for their viciousness and cunning.

The Dantassi consider hunting the Crystal Worms an enormous challenge and such a hunt is usually done only as a rite of passage. The difficulty of tracking and then actually killing one of these creatures is barely balanced by the wealth of its meat, teeth and skin. As you well know, the Dantassi do not hunt for pleasure, it is a part of their culture. They do not kill for the sake of killing and use as much of whatever they have hunted so that there is no waste, nor do they take more than they need, thus they maintain the balance between them and nature.

When Kirja’navaar’inkjerii was a young boy on the brink of manhood he was taken on such a hunt. Young Dantassi males are given the right to choose the creature that will mark their passage into manhood. He requested the most difficult creature of all. As you can guess, he was successful. The tooth he carved your gift from came from the worm he killed. As the one who made the kill he had the privilege of keeping the worm’s teeth. The tale of this hunt is gripping and it is often told, as is tradition. Despite the fact that I have heard it many times, it never loses its magic. One day I hope that you will get to hear it first hand from Kirja’navaar’inkjerii, it is not my story to tell and I would never be able to do it justice.

He often speaks of you when we are fortunate enough to meet up and while I do my best to keep him appraised of your whereabouts and adventures he is none the less concerned that I am not doing my duty as your Ta’kasta’cariad. The next time you meet with him, be prepared to be interrogated heavily on my participation in your life.

He was also most concerned about the continual harassment of Jyrki Andando and mentioned something about hunting this individual himself. I felt it important to inform him of the involvement of the Tze’yusha’Jin Akosh and his facial expression told me that they do indeed know each other. He would not, however, elaborate and I know Kirja’navaar’inkjerii well enough to know when not to push. I could not get a sense of whether or not the relationship between the two men was one of good terms or not, Kirja’navaar’inkjerii is notoriously difficult to read when he wants to be and has what you would call an amazing sabacc face.

Speaking of faces, I can picture the expression on yours and the question that you are bursting to ask, namely, how is Kirja’navaar’inkjerii doing, just as clearly as I can see you sitting at home, probably curled up in your favourite chair in the living room, with candles lit, and a glass of wine, most likely the dry Veronian. So before you explode with curiosity I will tell you that he is well. When I last saw him we were on our way to Ilum, an ice planet in the Unknown Regions known for its rare Adegan crystals as well as its inhospitable climate. There was a pirate base there which was used by Imperials at one point, but due to its fairly isolated location in relation to the rest of the galaxy was left abandoned some time ago, sporadically used by opportunists. I thought, given its prime location in the Unknown Regions it might be of use to revive it as a small outpost and we now have a working garrison stationed there.

I had contacted Kirja’navaar’inkjerii to aid us in navigating the planet’s surface, as you know there are no better trackers than the Dantassi and as a Jhal’kai, Kirja’navaar’inkjerii is among the best this galaxy has to offer. We two, along with a small detachment of snow troopers, explored and secured the base and I was pleasantly surprised to find it mostly intact. Once that task was completed I was able to spend some private time with him and catch up. While most of what we discussed will not be of particular interest to you, I can tell you that he recently spent time with his daughter and her husband on Csilla, citing you as the catalyst for trying to repair his relationship with her. From what he said, it was not unsuccessful and he seemed more at peace with this subject than I have seen in many years. He informed me that he would like you to come and spend time with him and the enclave on Hjal, to learn the Dantassi ways and to join him on a hunt or two. I think that behind this request is a desire to make sure that you are safely out of Mr. Andando’s way. I told him that I had already discussed securing you to a desk under the guard of a garrison of storm troopers and he was as unimpressed with this suggestion as you were.

I do not say this lightly, he is concerned for you and the negative attentions you are receiving at the hands of your mechanic friend. I don’t believe that respect or fear, if that is even the case, of Tze’yusha’Jin Akosh will prevent him from making it a personal mission to hunt down Andando and eliminate him as a threat should that situation not find resolution soon. Jyrki’s use of the Anzati weapon in your last encounter made Kirja’navaar’inkjerii angrier than I have seen him in a very long time and while he is a man of great patience, it is not infinite. I would not be too surprised if he seeks you out at some point to see for himself that you are, indeed, in one piece and doing well. Don’t say that I did not warn you if he should show up unannounced.

You spoke of the book by Aude’luan’tyvan that I gave you and I must admit, my dear, I felt a great sense of satisfaction hearing that you enjoyed it in the way that you did. Perhaps it will dissuade you from continuing to read the terrible rubbish that passes for Romance writing which Bel seems to love so much. While I understand, to a certain extent, the need for such reading material in her life, I am not so understanding when it comes to why you would wish to continue to have it in yours. From my point of view I can only say it gives men a terrible reputation and a very strange viewpoint on what love, relationships and romance even sexuality is all about. Or am I missing the point entirely?

While Aude’luan’tyvan’s novel is considered a classic it is also regarded as a break-through in the genre of romantic, passionate bordering on erotic writing something the Chiss are not at all known for. When it was first published some two hundred years ago the scandal it caused was enormous. Thankfully this did not deter him from continuing to write and now, more enlightened that we are, my people see his works as an important part of our evolution as higher educated beings who have come to understand that devotion to a more logical side of thinking and behaviour does not preclude tapping into the more sensual aspect of our psyche.

I have sent you two more books which I think you might enjoy, one is by the same author as the previous one and one is written by an author called Chia’mylee’stranjeri who is a newcomer to the genre but very good at her craft. I thought that it might be of interest to you to get both a female and male perspective.

What I enjoyed the most about reading these books was the authors’ abilities to express the erotic without actually expressing anything in a truly graphic manner. One can buy such graphic reading material in any dive on Coruscant, but I would hardly call it literature in any sense of the word. Perhaps I simply feel, from my somewhat snobbish point of view, that literature aught to have all elements of plot, character development and good use of language not just an extended how- to of the act of sexual union and a barrage of monotonous descriptions of what two or more beings engaged in the act of mating looks like. Of course Bel’s romance books are less like that and more along the lines of long winded explanations of how the virginal heroine winds up in bed with the local buffed up bad boy, amusing to be sure, but hardly great literature.

As I said before, I had hoped that you would feel the same way I do about the book I sent and I gratified to see you do. You can, if you wish, wait until I have returned to the core to read the two books I have sent but would it not be more enjoyable to spend our free time together in other more productive, more communicative ways?

Sj’iu tekari, you are a creature of extraordinary depth and passion despite what you may think. It did not surprise me to read that you experienced the writings of Aude’luan’tyvan so keenly. Your rather unique ability to not only sense emotion but shower it back at others is one that I have been privy to on more than one occasion but I swear will never quite get used to it. I do not envy you the powers that you have but sometimes I am grateful to be on the receiving end of that one in particular. It is good to know that you miss sharing my bed with me and believe me when I say, this feeling is mutual.

I am certain that you know me well enough by now to know that I do not sit in the dark brooding nor do I have the tendency to be maudlin and morose but suffice to say, sometimes in the quiet moments of my down time, you are on my mind. Every now and then, I am certain that I catch a hint of your perfume and hear your voice whispering in my ear but these are merely tricks of memory, and never as good as the real thing. My dear, should I describe to you how you come to me in dreams sometimes? That occasionally I wake up, the lingering sensation of your fingers still upon my skin? Perhaps these are conversations better left for face to face, when I can augment my words with kiss and caress. You, of all people, know that some things are worth waiting for.

Lastly, you caught me very much by surprise with your last question. I was not aware that any information about my possible change of rank had been made public, or is it that you have better sources than I give you credit for? Perhaps it is simply impossible for anything that is supposed to be secret to remain that way within the sphere of the Imperial Court. Of course, you do have access to more classified information than most, still this particular tidbit was supposed to be, how shall we say, unattainable. I can neither confirm nor deny these rumours but if I were to mention that we shall be seeing each other soon enough, would that answer your questions? I would also beg of you not to speak of this publicly, there would be serous repercussions if word of this got out. I would prefer it did not come from you.

On that note my dear, I must end this missive so that I can give it to Jarack before he leaves the ship. Take care of yourself and try not to isolate yourself too much when you return to the core, take advantage of all the Imperial City’s culture and sparkle while you can. Despite your feelings for the planet, Coruscant has much to offer and you are in the fortunate position to enjoy it without impediment. And, for goodness sake, stay out of trouble I do not wish to return only to find you recuperating in a med-lab. I, too, have plans which mostly involve you being healthy and whole.

Ilath’mera’talashti’Ia
Mitth’raw’nuruodo

I had just finished reading when the door chime rang to let me know that my food had arrived. I let the delivery guy up and cheerfully took the food box he handed to me. I must have been beaming because he gave me a beautiful smile back.

“Looks like someone had a good day.” He said with a grin.

“It was. I hope yours was too.” I paid him and gave him a healthy tip. His grin broadened, he gave me a polite nod and left.

There was nothing like a letter from Thrawn, good wine, decent food which I didn’t have to cook, and a delivery man who smiled like he meant it to make the day’s end perfect.