The Wrong Side of Right 2

“When did you get back?” I asked, turning around to see him come in the training room. I could not contain my pleasure at seeing Thrawn’s face, when his eyes met mine he, too, smiled. He had been off world long enough that I had missed him.

“About three hours ago.”

“How long are you staying?”

He ran his fingers through his hair; he hadn’t had it cut in a while and I thought it looked good. “I am not sure, a few days perhaps. It depends on the Emperor and how the meetings and planning sessions I must attend develop.”

I grinned. “Well, I won’t complain.” I said. I was sitting on the wooden floor bathed in the sunlight which shone through the windows. “How did you know I was in here?”

“I passed Taisto Kjestyll on my way to your office. He said, “And I quote, she is exercising some demons, you might want to tread lightly. But it seems to me that you are just doing your bearded-jax imitation and finding the sunniest spot in the room to bask in.”

I grinned as I lay back on the floor and stretched out as fully as I could. It felt so good that I never wanted to stop. “When Master Kjestyll says I was exercising demons what he really means is that he spent two hours straight kicking my ass. I get the feeling that the turn Merlyn into a deadly fighting machine isn’t going as well as everyone planned. I’m just not that good.” I said when I sat up.

Thrawn squatted down beside me, his elbows resting on his knees. “The people you get compared to have been in hard training most of their lives. You have only been at this a few years and even then only part time. Besides, when you need to, you can be quite … formidable.”

“Why are you here anyway?” I asked, looking up at him with a grin. “I would have thought you’d have gone home. I’d be there soon enough.” I reached over for my feet and stretched out over my legs.

“My presence has been requested at an exclusive art exhibition tonight by the Emperor. He suggested I bring you. I thought you might like some lead time to get ready; it is a dress up affair. I was not sure if you had other plans or if you’d be working late so I had no idea when you would be home and your comm is off.”

“Oh, didn’t the Emperor go off world to oversee the construction of that new toy of his like the rumours are saying?” The Emperor had become somewhat reclusive and no one had actually seen him for a while. The whispers were that he was unwell and maybe even dying but I knew better. I had known that he planned to go to the new battle Station and sort out the lagging mess the construction had become but no one knew when he was leaving or if he had already left.

“Apparently not yet.” He said with a slight shrug, “Has Lord Vader returned to the Core? I must discuss some issues with him.”

“He was here briefly after his trip out to the Kothlis system but then he left again almost right afterwards. The Emperor gave him permission to go search for Skywalker. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“I see.” He said. “So, I suppose this means that things have been relatively peaceful while I have been gone?”

“Are you asking for gossip?”

He arched an eyebrow and smiled. “Not intentionally.”

“Well, lets see… Grand Admiral Zaarin has pretty much vanished from Imperial court life. The rumour now is that he has closed out all communications and no one knows what is going on with the SRD. Lord Vader wanted to send out agents to investigate this but the Emperor told him not to; needless to say he wasn’t thrilled with this. He thinks that Zaarin is up to something big but doesn’t know what. And no, I didn’t say anything, before you ask. I figured it was none of my business and I want to stay out of it. I am a bit scared that if Vader thinks I know something he’ll send me out to spy on Zaarin under the guise of delivering a message or something.” I said with a sigh. “Of course, Lord Vader is his usual unhappy self. He came back from the trip out to Kothlis furious! Luke had escaped, and no one could find him and he had no one to really blame as somehow there were pirates or mercenaries or some such bad guys involved. He wasn’t too specific. He also thinks that Xizor is behind it all, as usual. I don’t want to be in Xizor’s shoes if that’s really the case, because if it is, Lord Vader won’t give a Jawa’s damn about upsetting the Emperor by eliminating Xizor. I suppose this war between them would be funny by now if it weren’t so damned annoying. I am just getting tired of hearing Lord Vader bitch about Xizor all the time, you’d think the second most powerful man in the galaxy would just deal with it and not simply keep complaining about it. Xizor, on the other hand seems to relish all the backstabbing snarkiness. You should hear how polite he can be now, it’s like being polite has become the new way of being rude. Oh and on top of it all he is rumoured to have a new love interest but no one knows who it…”

He put up a hand to stop me, unable to hide his amusement. “I get the picture, so about the exhibition tonight?”

“Whose work is being showcased?” I asked.

“Tarka-Null.”

That got my attention. “The sculptor?”

He nodded. “Are you interested?”

I was but I made a face. “Does it matter? Usually if the Emperor suggests something it’s more of a polite order than a suggestion.” I sat back with my palms flat on the floor. “I just think he likes making us come to these things as a couple to paint big shiny targets on our backs for the Daily Digest. I feel like we are his entertainment sometimes.”

Thrawn gave me a slight smile that never quite met his eyes and then he stood up. “As you say, does it matter?” his voice held that crispness of distaste in it that I knew meant he didn’t want to discuss the Emperor’s whims or wishes. “It will be an evening out and a chance to see some of the best sculptures in the galaxy.”

He was right, what did the reasons behind it matter? “Will The Waiting Dancer be among the collection?” I asked offering my hand so he could help me up.

“I don’t know.” He told me, pulling me to my feet. “I have not seen the collection’s datalogue, but it is one of his most well known yes mysterious pieces so chances are good it will be there. Is it a piece you like?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

I grinned knowing he would find my answer funny. “Because it always reminds me of me when I was six or so and desperately wanted to be a fluttery little dancer.” I made dancer like motions with my hands.

His eyebrow arched. “Indeed?”

“You don’t like it?” I asked as I stripped off my sweat soaked things and changed into dry clothes. I’d shower when I got home.

“I find it lacks some of the more delicate quality of his later works.” He turned his back to me while I changed and looked out of the window. “But I have never seen the original, only holos of it.”

“You know it isn’t really considered a sculpture. It was actually a Maquette for a commissioned piece.” I said, picking up my things and putting them in my bag.

“Really? No, I actually did not know that.” He said as we walked out of the training room. “That would explain the lesser detailing then.”

“My mother told me about it. He was supposed to complete a life sized version for the Alderaan Dance Academy, but it never happened and only the study exists.”

“I have never read this information in any of the literature about him. How do you know this?”

I grinned as we left the palace, “Because my mother was the girl who posed for the piece, she told me all about it.”

He chuckled. “Your family is just full of surprises.”

“What time are we expected this evening?” I asked, waiting while he unlocked his speeder.

“At twenty-two hundred hours.” He said. I just grimaced as we pulled out into Coruscanti traffic.

“Great, I have an hour to get something to eat, shower and make myself look like one of Coruscant’s elite and beautiful. You realise you’re asking for miracles, don’t you.”

He chuckled. “I have the food part taken care of, your ability to shower in under ten minutes has astounded me before and as for turning into Miss Coruscant, well you can work wonders under pressure, I know I’ve seen you do it.”

I just shook my head. There was no competing with his logic and, of course he was more or less right. By the time I had showered, he had a light, quick meal ready to eat, after which I vanished into the bedroom to turn from Rim-Girl to beauty queen, no easy task.

It was not unusual for the Emperor to arrange private collections shows, usually as fundraisers. The wealthy and elite of Coruscant were more than happy to shower money on these endeavours if it got them the chance to rub shoulders with other rich and famous as well as be seen in the company of the Emperor. It was an old game, buying favour and power with wealth.

These venues were always interesting and often unusual. This one was no exception, being held in an old power plant that had been converted into expensive offices and studios in the area known as The Works. I was glad that Thrawn knew where he was going because I found The Works a total maze to navigate.

The gallery space was large and airy, typical for a remodelled production plant. The new design had cleverly incorporated the aspects that made these sorts of building special while modernizing it so that the space was comfortable to be in. The reception itself was much larger than I had thought it would be and the despite the room’s vast size it was very crowded.

We walked through the crowd and mingled politely. It was easy to keep quiet as no one really spoke directly to me. Part of being palace fluff was being seen but not heard. I smiled a lot and sipped at the odd orange drink that I had been handed by the waiter. It tasted like a mixture of melon fruit, kiki berries and saqui liquor. It was potent and prickled on my tongue. I thought it was cute how they had decorated the glass with tabjio flowers.

I walked around the room beside Thrawn as he made polite small talk with various dignitaries and their wives or female companion and looked at the sculptures that were displayed around the room. Most of the works were from Tarka-Null’s later years and the one piece I had hoped to see was not amongst the collection.

I was lost in thought when Thrawn nudged my arm and I looked up to see the Emperor approaching. I suppressed the urge to shiver and smiled as I curtsied. The Emperor acknowledged Thrawn with a slight wave of his hand and turned to address me.

“You look lovely this evening my dear.” He said as he gestured for me to get up.

“Thank-you, your Highness.”

“And how do you like this exhibition.” He asked me.

“It’s a stunning collection of his works.” I said honestly. “I had no idea how beautiful some of these pieces were until I was able to see them with my own eyes.”

“But you sound a little disappointed.” He remarked.

I smiled to cover up my surprise. “Not at all, your Highness. I feel very lucky to have been able to view these pieces. Tarka-Null was one of the galaxy’s greatest artists.”

He chuckled. “Yes he was.” He had begun to walk and had gestured for me to walk with him. Thrawn, who had not been included in this conversation, remained where he was and continued to banter with the couple he had been speaking with. “You are familiar with his works then?”

“Yes, my mother was very fond of him and she passed that love of his art on to me. We have many books on his works at home on Tatooine.”

“Indeed.” He said. “But I still sense you hoped for something more?” The Emperor asked as we stopped to look at one of the larger more abstract pieces.

“Your Excellency does not miss much.” I said quietly. I could feel him digging, a subtle brush of his mind against mine. It felt like meat grubs boring into my brain.

The Emperor smiled slowly, “You, my dear child, are an open book to me.” He said. “So tell me, what piece is missing that you wished to see?”

“The Waiting Dancer.” I said. “Though technically it isn’t actually considered a sculpture the way the others are. I had heard it was not on Alderaan when the planet was destroyed. So I thought it might be showcased here. ”

He nodded and seemed to sigh. “Ah yes, that is an exquisite little piece.” He said, “And no I don’t believe it was destroyed in that unfortunate accident. Why are you so interested in it? It is, as you say, not considered a sculpture but rather simply a study for one that was never completed. ”

“It reminds of me when I was small. I had wanted to be a dancer. I suppose it also reminds me of my mother.” I told him. It was the truth it just wasn’t the whole truth.

“Well, in that case we shall have to arrange for you to view the piece you so obviously adore.” He said kindly.

I glanced at him, surprised. “That would be lovely.”

His expression turned to amusement. “If it would make you smile like that for me, then I shall most definitely arrange it.” He spoke in that avuncular tone which made my skin crawl. “Are you feeling better?” He asked.

“Your Highness?” he had caught me off guard with his question. My surprise was not feigned.

“I heard that you left the reception for the new assembly wing early. Siavaan mentioned you were taken ill. I remember you said you had had an accident, I hope it was nothing serious.”

I glanced at him. “I tripped, banged my head and ended up with a headache.” I lied and I suspected he knew that.

“Perhaps you were coming down with the same thing that afflicted Grand Admiral Zaarin, he was also not feeling so well when he attended the reception.”

“Oh, really? I am sorry to hear that.” I said carefully. “I hope that he recovers.” Actually I was sort of hoping he’d rot in the nine Corellian Hells but that was another matter.

“Yes, I’m sure you do, my dear.” The Emperor chuckled. “I would not trouble myself over his health if I were you; Grand Admiral Zaarin has a strong constitution. I am sure it would take more than a little run in with some minor health issues to bring him down.” He glanced at me and smiled. “You have had quite the effect on my Imperial officers; he also seems quite taken with you.”

I feigned shyness and looked away. “I was under the impression that the Grand Admiral wasn’t really interested in anything other than his career.”

Palpatine’s soft laugh gave me goose bumps. “Yes, his ambitions do seem to want to get the better of him some days. Still he is a valuable part of the Empire, as are all employees under my care. I would be most displeased should any serious harm come to those I need and have use. Zaarin plays his part in the Empire, as do you, my dear. ” He stopped walking for a moment and paused to look at me. His words were pleasant and the tone of his conversation light but the reproach and warning behind it all did not escape me. I got the message. I wasn’t sure quite how to react so I just gave him a smile and I made it reach my eyes.

“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to displease you, your Highness.” I said after a moment’s silence.

“Of course not, child,” He said patting my arm. “Now, why don’t you run along and rejoin Admiral Thrawn. I know how much he enjoys your delightful companionship and how precious your time with him is. I should attend to my guests but we will speak again soon enough.”

“As you wish, your Highness.” I dropped a polite curtsy and stepped back to let him pass. Then meandered back to where Thrawn stood.

The wife of the man he was speaking to turned to me and smiled. I exchanged my empty drink glass with a full one from a passing waiter and took a healthy gulp. Thrawn watched me for a moment carefully and I knew he had noticed my trembling hands. The woman standing next to her husband began to chatter to me about how wonderful the collection was, how pretty my dress was and how wonderful it was to see the Emperor in such fine form. While I was grateful for the distraction, I wondered if she ever stopped talking long enough to breathe. For the most part I just stood quietly and nodded politely. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Thrawn’s slight, sly smile as he covertly watched me hide my bored annoyance. The rest of the evening was completely uneventful and I was grateful when we were able to leave.

We drove back to the flat in silence and I was more than happy to get out of the dress up finery when we were finally home. It felt like shedding a mask or a costume. When I joined Thrawn in the living room he was sitting in a chair, having changed from his uniform to sleepwear he looked less austere and tense. He had poured me a brandy. I took it from his hand and sat across from him.

He had made it clear on the way back to the flat he wanted to know what had happened after Bespin, wanted to know what the Emperor had done to me to make me even more scared of him than I previously had been. I had told him I did not want to talk about it but Thrawn was insistent and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He, perhaps better than anyone else, knew how well I bottled things up inside and what that did to me. For reasons I didn’t understand he had made it his mission to draw out the poisons which damaged my soul. I never knew whether or not to be grateful or resentful, even though after talking about these things that worried at me, helped.

In truth, it was almost a relief to be able to speak of the unspeakable. To unfold the story that had been told to me by the lightsaber Luke had held. My hands shook and sometimes I had to fight to find the right words to try and describe what I had seen. Thrawn was well aware of what my talent for reading the memories of objects did to me and was patient. Once before, I had actually shared my gift with him, physically showing him the same images I had seen and it had shaken him to the core. Thrawn listened quietly without interruption until I was done. For what seemed like forever he remained silent and thoughtful. I could not tell if he was angry, upset about or just contemplating what I had told him. I swirled the brandy around in the glass, waiting for him to break the silence because I had nothing else to say.

“Did Vader tell him about this nasty little talent of yours?” He finally asked watching me closely, cupping his brandy glass in his hand.

I glanced at him. “No, in fact he suggested it was you who did that.”

He let out a slow, deep breath and sat back in the chair. His expression was unreadable but his eyes, which had never left my face, turned cold and hard. “What do you believe?” he asked.

“I believe that the Emperor found out somehow, but really how he did doesn’t really matter. I was the one who confirmed it for him. I don’t believe that the information came from you or Lord Vader. The Emperor has eyes and ears everywhere; it was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s possible he’s known for a really long time but never had anything he wished to test me on before.” I sipped my brandy slowly. “In the end it doesn’t matter. He knows what I can do and when he needs to he’ll use it.”

He nodded slowly. “He did not learn this information from me, tekari.” There was a sadness in his voice which I didn’t like hearing.

I had not thought this the case but I was glad to hear him confirm it. Still, something else nagged at me. “Did you mention to anyone about what happened between Zaarin and me?”

“No. Why?”

“I get the feeling that the he knew what had happened, just something about how he talked about the Admiral. You know how the Emperor can be sometimes, always some subtle message underneath the spoken words.”

“That would not surprise me.” He said. “Zaarin has caught the eye of the Emperor as of late with some of his more unorthodox methods of work. It is no secret that he had an interest in you just as your distaste for him was fairly obvious. The Emperor is not a stupid man; he could have put two and two together given how you were both behaving at the reception.” He said. “I am certain that he is watching his entire High Command staff very carefully. There are a lot of undercurrents going on within the Imperial ranks at the moment. Admiral Harkov’s defection was more damaging than first suspected.”

“Why do you think he did it?”

“Harkov?”

I nodded.

“Who can really say? He stopped believing in the system? Perhaps it was the arrest and execution of his nephew that was the final trigger but I suspect he had been planning betraying the Empire for some time.” He said. “What would make a man turn against everything he has known? You would have to ask him this question, not me.”

“Has it always been like this?”

“Like what?” He asked.

“Complicated and mixed up with all this suspicion and lies, all the back stabbing and double dealing.” We had had this conversation before but somehow I could not wrap my head around it all.

“For as long as I have been a part of this Empire there have been these games.” He replied. “But this is normal. I know of no society that does not have some aspect of this dance. Surely you must have seen something similar when you worked at Jabba’s Palace?”

“I was aware of it but most of the time it didn’t affect me, at least not until it landed me a job working for lord Vader. I just tried to avoid it all as much as possible.” I said. “Why does this happen? Why aren’t people just happy with what they have?”

He smiled slightly and looked at the brandy left in his glass, swirling it around in lazy circles. “I have no answer for that question. The lust for power does odd things to sentient beings. Fear, greed, ambition all set that drive for more. The easy answer is that it is our base nature for survival. He who has more, is stronger, has the biggest army, the most food survives longer.”

“It reminds me of scyks fighting over a carcass.” I said.

“An apt description.” He agreed.

“What about you?” I asked. “You also play these games.”

He regarded me for a moment. “I do.” He said slowly, “Because they are a means to an end. I am here doing the work that I do because my own people would not allow me the freedom to accomplish certain things at home. Power and a high rank, having the commands I do as well as the favour of the Emperor allow me to better prepare for any eventualities which may come.”

“You’ve mentioned this before but you don’t elaborate. You hint at threats but you never say what they are.”

He nodded. “This galaxy is full of dangers most beings, especially humans never even dream of. They feel safe, protected by the Empire, tucked away behind the security of a well armed navy. And while a little more thought should be given to these dangers which lurk out there it is more likely an invasion will come from outside our own galaxy.” He said, “Living beyond the borders of unknown space, beyond the boundary that defines this galaxy, is an enemy so ferocious that fighting it will take all of our collective minds and strengths to even contemplate defeating them.” He paused. “My people have had contact with these beings and judging by the ferocity with which the small reconnaissance force fought the Chiss, to come up against an invasion of these beings would be an unthinkable disaster were the worlds of this galaxy not allied and working together as one. Under the Empire the armed forces are strong and organised.”

“Does the Emperor know about this potential enemy?”

“He is aware of the threat.” He conceded after a moment’s silence. There was something in his voice I didn’t much like.

“This enemy, these beings, they worry you a little don’t they?”

“That would be an understatement, my dear. These far outsiders, as they have been called, are of great concern to me. I am aware of what one small recon force was able to do to a highly trained military response team. The Chiss military is one of the best there is and they were hard put to deal with this enemy. Believe me when I say I do not wish to see any more of these beings cross into this galaxy but I fear that will be inevitable.”

Knowing that he felt this way did nothing to comfort me at all. I always thought of him as fearless. I sighed and sipped at my brandy. In light of the conversation we had just had, my own problems did not seem so important any more.

He read that in my face and gestured for me to come to him. “These are worries we can leave for another day and preparations are being made to deal with the possibility of an invasion.” He said as he set his glass down on the table.

“You sound pretty sure of yourself.” I said taking the hand he offered, not resisting when he pulled me onto his lap.

“I, along with others, am doing all I can to ensure the safety of the galaxy is in hand.” He said gently. “A little trust, my dear.”

It was a phrase I was used to hearing from him and it always managed to make me smile and shake my head at the same time. It was also his way of gently telling me that he didn’t wish to speak about politics or our jobs any more. I could not blame him, he dealt with these subjects day in day out, coming home was a respite he welcomed. Sometimes, he had told me, what he needed the most was quiet and calm away from the daily machinations of the Emperor and his empire. That he found solace in my presence had touched me deeply. I didn’t push when he changed or shut down the topic of work.

I thought about what he had said, a little trust… but trusting him was not the issue, I did trust him more than I ever wanted to say, it was almost everyone else who worked around the Emperor that I worried about. It was a lot to think about and my mind buzzed as I rested my head against his shoulder. He didn’t say anything else, he didn’t have to. His hands were warm upon the skin of my back and I shivered when he nuzzled my neck, kissing that sensitive place below my ear which always made my skin prickle and me gasp. It was an effective way to direct my thoughts in another direction. Sometimes, I thought ruefully, he knew me just a little too well.

Later, as we lay curled about each other in bed; it seemed to me that even in the quiet of the night there was no peace. My fingers traced up and down his bare chest idly because I was restless but in difference to his usual methods to try and lull me into sleep this time he absently stroked my hair and we lay together in silence. His earlier words had troubled me; his own worry infected my thoughts. In light of what we had spoken of, the Emperor’s seemingly endless plots and plans did not seem quite so evil minded. This didn’t mean I liked him any better or feared him any less but it did paint a different image of what he was attempting to do, if what Thrawn had said was true. I suppose the conversation and these concerns also weighed on Thrawn’s mind as well, because he, too, was wide awake, troubled and lost in thought.