For the next chapter of my thranto fic, it is a lot less fun unforch, but I really wanted to throw a mission in there and do less conventional chapter art <3
Thranto is singlehandedly making me a more well rounded artist in both writing and drawing o7
[Edit] Chapter is up now!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Tags: Darth Vader, Sergeant Drav, Karyn Faro, Stormtroopers, established thranto
Summary
"AU where Eli is still stationed on the Chimaera during Darth Vader's visit.
Lord Vader does not hold any respect for an imperial officer who is mostly tasked with droid work, and he certainly does not tolerate insubordination. This is unfortunate for Commander Eli Vanto, who loves crunching numbers and talking back to his commanding officer.
Thankfully, he finds some solace in the company of some First Legion troopers, who have taken a liking to him…"
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Grand Admiral Thrawn and Commander Vanto stood silently as Lord Vader’s Lambda-class shuttle descended. Officers and troopers alike were neatly lined up, forming a path from the landing site to the Admiral and his aide. First Legion stormtroopers were positioned closest to the landing site, where they stood at attention, having landed just moments prior in the Darkhawk.
Vanto suppressed a shiver as he watched Lord Vader stride down the landing ramp. He’d heard sparse details about the man from Thrawn, but witnessing him in person was something else. Vader was visually impressive. He towered over everyone in the hangar, and wore sleek, black leather with a large, swirling cape.
Vader passed by the rows of officers, with his heavy footsteps echoing on the durasteel floor. He stopped directly in front of Thrawn, who maintained perfect composure. Vanto hoped he did too, despite his feelings of unease.
Emperor Palpatine had sent Vader here as some kind of test, which meant the emperor felt Thrawn needed to be tested. He had apparently found something to be deeply unsatisfactory.
Vanto did not respect this effort. Thrawn was, objectively, the best officer in the navy.
“Grand Admiral Thrawn,” Darth Vader said, in a deep, partly mechanical voice.
“Lord Vader.” Thrawn greeted, respectfully.
“We have much to discuss.”
“Indeed we do, my lord,” Thrawn said.
Vader glanced at Vanto for a moment, who continued to stand at attention, facing forward, not looking up at the towering figure.
“We shall discuss alone.” Vader said.
“Of course,” Thrawn turned to the officer at his side. “Commander Vanto, show the First Legion troopers to their quarters.”
“Yes, sir.” Eli suppressed a frown. Regardless of his feelings, Thrawn requested that he follow Vader’s orders without discussion or hesitation.
Vader moved to leave the hangar, with his cape swirling behind him. Thrawn followed, moving with Lord Vader, but remaining a few steps behind as a sign of respect.
Once they were out of sight, Vanto relaxed and moved to meet the First Legion troopers. Faro had explained to him that Stormtrooper rank designations were actually visible on their armor, but it took practice to read the white-on-white without optical enhancements. He wasn't able to decipher them as quickly as she could. Thankfully, they were still wearing their pauldrons at the moment.
Vanto approached the trooper outfitted with an orange pauldron. “Commander Kimmund?”
“Yes, what do you need?” Kimmund asked.
“I'm Commander Vanto, I'll be helping you settle in. We have the Chimaera’s hangar-side quarters prepared for your unit.”
“Why is a Commander showing us to our quarters?” Kimmund asked.
“Following the Admiral’s orders… sir. He's giving the First Legion special attention, so if anything is not to your liking, just let me know.” Vanto answered, respectfully, though he was unsure of the rank hierarchy between them. Thrawn wanted him to study Vader and his hand-picked troopers.
As they made their way across the hanger, the troopers walked in formation. Once they crossed the threshold into the hangar-side quarters, they relaxed a little.
“Vanto, sir?” One of the closest troopers called out.
“Yes, trooper?” Vanto asked, slightly turning his head.
“Are you from Wild Space, sir?”
Vanto’s expression soured. He had worked hard to become a respected officer. It was rare for anyone to draw attention to his accent these days, but the troopers were new to the Chimaera. Of course, him and Thrawn would have to prove themselves all over again. It was an exhausting cycle.
“I meant no offense, Sir. We just don't meet any officers from Wild Space.” The trooper continued.
“Yeah, I don't either,” Vanto responded shortly.
“Oh, really? Well you should meet Sergeant Drav, he's from Valtos,” the trooper gestured to a man with a white pauldron.
“There's a First Legion Stormtrooper from Wild Space?” Vanto asked, genuinely curious. He hadn't met anyone else from his region in years.
“Yeah, and a damn good one too! He'd want to meet you. You're welcome to join us in the mess after we're settled in, sir.”
“I will, thank you.” Eli was surprised by the friendly gesture, it's not really what he expected of someone from an elite Stormtrooper unit.
The troopers settled in quickly. Vanto gave instructions to a few of the men, and they caught everyone else up to speed, moving with utmost efficiency.
Thrawn hadn't commed him, so he was probably still meeting with Lord Vader. Eli figured he should learn as much information about Vader’s troopers as possible, so he joined them in the lower mess as promised.
Holding his tray, he searched the tables for a trooper with a white pauldron, and realized there were at least three.
“Commander Vanto, nice of you to stick around.” The trooper from earlier appeared behind him.
“Of course. I couldn't just turn down your invitation,” Eli turned. “Besides, how could I pass up the chance to meet someone from my part of the galaxy?”
“I appreciate that, a lot of officers would just stick their nose up at us,” the trooper said.
“Drav is just over there,” he gestured towards one of the far tables. “Come on, I'll introduce you.”
As they approached the table, Drav perked up.
“Elebe! Nice of you to join us!” Drav said in a familiar twang. He turned to Eli. “Commander?”
“Commander Vanto. I didn't get a chance to meet everyone personally.”
“Wow, you really are from Wild Space!” Drav said, his eyes widening. “I’m Sergeant Drav. Some of the other troopers mentioned you had the same accent, but I didn't believe it.”
“It's not common among Imperial Officers, that's for sure,” Eli replied, as he sat across from Drav.
“Honestly, I didn't think it was allowed,” Drav said, ignoring his food. “So, where are you from?”
“Lysatra, right next to Valtos.”
“Well, I’ll be!” Drav chucked. “Elebe told you, did he?”
“Yeah, I figured you'd want to meet him.” Elebe confirmed.
This wasn't what Eli expected at all. They talked for nearly a full hour, reminiscing about their respective home planets. During his time at Vanto Shipping, Eli had made several runs to Valtos. Drav was delighted to meet someone who understood him so well. They discussed food, music, home life, and everything else under the sun.
Then, Eli’s commlink chirped, interrupting them.
“Vanto,” He answered.
“Faro. You're needed on the bridge, immediately,” Faro said grimly.
“Understood. On my way,” Vanto replied, ending the call.
“Did I keep you too long?” Drav asked.
“No, it's no problem. I should have kept an eye on the chrono,” Eli replied, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Well, let's meet up again sometime. I'll see you around, Vanto.”
“Definitely, see you around.”
As Commander Vanto approached the bridge, any warm feeling he felt from remembering his home planet had dissipated. The grim ambiance and complete silence of the bridge made it clear that everyone else had a very different introduction to the newcomers. The air felt cold.
Darth Vader stood ominously on the command walkway, already facing Vanto’s direction when he approached. Grand Admiral Thrawn stood still by his side.
Vanto noticed the slightest look of concern on the Chiss’ face. It was probably imperceptible to anyone else, but it sent a feeling of dread through him. Thrawn never showed concern, not like this. Something was wrong.
“I understand that you are the Admiral's personal aide,” Vader said.
“Yes, sir.” Vanto said, standing at attention.
“Sir? You're speaking to the Admiral, I suppose?” Vader asked, his words clipped.
Eli tensed. “Apologies, Lord Vader. I misspoke.”
Both Thrawn and Faro looked at him anxiously.
What the hell happened here?
“This is why your crew is weak, Admiral. You tolerate insubordination,” Vader said, his voice almost a growl.
“My lord-”
“No,” Vader interrupted. “Commander, what use does Admiral Thrawn have for you?”
“My skills with numbers, my lord. He has me evaluate patterns that-” Vanto cut off with a sharp inhale. He brought his hands up to his throat, but there was nothing to grasp.
“Then you can be replaced by a droid.” Vader said, lifting his hand.
“My lord, that is my aide. I ask that you release him.” Thrawn requested, calmly. There was nothing else he could do.
“You'll find a better one, since this one doesn't take his duties seriously.”
“He was following my orders.”
“Your orders were to have your commander socialize while everyone else was at their station?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Then let this be a lesson to you as well.”
Vanto’s arms dropped. He gave up and stopped struggling.
“The emperor gifted him to me. Would you go against his wishes?” Thrawn asked, sternly.
Vanto dropped to the ground with a thud. For a moment there was no other sound.
Then, he started wheezing, showing a sign of life.
“You asked the emperor for… a boy?” Vader asked, his words clipped.
“Yes. He has unique talents, I assure you he cannot be replaced by any droid.”
“Then train him better.” Vader commanded as he left the bridge.
Thrawn and Faro moved quickly to check on Vanto.
“He's okay, he's breathing,” Faro said gently. “Sir, what was that?”
“I don't know, Commodore,” Thrawn responded. “Please, make sure he receives medical attention.”
“Yes, sir.” Faro acknowledged.
They helped Vanto sit up. He was moving groggily, but was able to support his own weight.
“Damn, what happened?” Vanto asked.
“I'm not sure,” Faro responded. “Come on, I'll help you stand.”
The trip to the medbay was short, as Eli’s vitals were well within satisfactory range. He was instructed to wait for 15 minutes regardless, and if nothing changed, he could return to duty.
Faro waited by his side. Eli waited for them to be alone before he asked any questions.
“What happened while I was with the troopers?” He asked.
“Lord Vader decided that it should take you 30 minutes to complete your tasks and return to the bridge.”
“Based on what?” Eli asked, furrowing his brow.
“I don't know, that's just how he operates,” Faro shrugged. “You weren't back by the time they left the admiral's office, and he started asking about you.”
“Why would he care? Admiral Thrawn ordered me to get the troopers anything they needed.” He decided to leave out the details. Regardless, he was doing what he was ordered to do.
“Yes, well, Lord Vader checked in with some troopers. He was not happy to hear that you were at the mess hall.”
“So what, I'm not allowed to eat now? I didn't realize Lord Vader was so serious about my meal times.”
“Vanto,” Faro paused and shot him a look of concern. “I'm not trying to argue with you, but you should let it go. We were worried about you back there.”
“Ah. Yeah, you're right. I'll keep my head down around him.” Vanto frowned.
They returned to the bridge in silence. The rest of Vanto’s shift passed uneventfully, and nobody asked what happened. They knew better.
Vanto had finished his bridge shift, but as the Grand Admiral’s aide, he had his Thrawn shift next. He picked up a stack of datapads first, then a tray of food from the officers’ mess.
A lieutenant passed him in the corridor, just outside of Thrawn’s office.
“Overtime, sir?” She glanced at Vanto with a knowing look.
“Yes ma’am. The Admiral doesn't rest, and neither do I,” he rolled his eyes.
He placed the tray precariously onto the stack of datapads in his right arm, and keyed into the Admiral’s office with his left. The door slid open.
“Commander? Enter.”
Eli placed both the tray and the stack datapads on Thrawn's desk.
“What are these?” Thrawn asked, glancing at the datapads.
“I have no idea, I just tried to look busy,” Eli answered, sporting a sly grin.
“I see. Thank you for the food, Eli,” Thrawn said. The pitch of his voice was unusual, and the concerned expression from earlier had returned to his face.
“Don't look so sad, I'm perfectly okay,” Eli leaned forward, placing one hand on the desk. “I know what'll make you feel better.” He moved his other hand to unclasp his tunic.
“No.” Thrawn interrupted.
Eli paused. “No?”
“Lord Vader knows that he can use you against me. We cannot afford to take any risks while he is present.”
Eli sat down and met Thrawn’s eyes. “Okay, if that's what you think we should do, I understand.”
Thrawn nodded slowly.
“So, I guess we should talk.” Eli paused.
“He strangled me from across the bridge, everyone saw it.” Eli instinctively rubbed his throat. “Do you know what he is?”
“I believe he may be a jedi.”
“A jedi?” Eli blinked. “Weren't they wiped out in the clone wars?”
“Not all of them.”
“Huh. Well, that's a problem. We don't have any way to protect ourselves against him,” Eli realized. “Are we just keeping our heads down and doing whatever he says?”
“Yes. Between Lord Vader’s power and Emperor Palpatine’s suspicions, we have no choice.”
“I see,” Eli frowned. He ran a hand through his hair. “And that means we can't see each other?”
“Yes,” Thrawn said. “I believe Lord Vader is able to sense emotions. I do not know the extent of these abilities, but he will exploit any weakness he finds. I will not give him another chance to harm you.”
“I understand.” Eli said, looking down. “I'm sorry you had to see that. I don't know what I'd do if I saw him doing that to you.”
“There is no need to dwell on it. I will speak with Lord Vader.”
“Okay,” Eli nodded.
There was a pause.
“So, the other thing.” Eli crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. “Thrawn, did you actually ask the emperor to give me to you?”
“I did.”
“When?”
“At our first meeting with the Emperor, when he invited me to the garden.”
“What?” Eli’s face flushed. “You didn't even know me!”
“You showed the aptitude to be uniquely capable.”
“I don't know if to be flattered or offended,” Eli mused. “But you're smart for not telling me earlier, I would have been furious.”
“Did you not know?”
Eli blinked. “Why would I know?”
“A lieutenant never receives an aide, you said so yourself,” Thrawn stated, with no doubt in his voice.
Eli was left with no words. He already knew that Thrawn upended his life, this was hardly new information.
The pause in the conversation grew to be uncomfortable.
“So, we're going back to how we were before?” Eli frowned.
“Yes.”
“Okay,” Eli whispered. “Maybe I should have left when you offered.”
“Perhaps. I informed you of the risks.”
“Not what I was looking to hear.” Eli stood and turned to leave. “You're right though. You always are.”
Eli walked out of the office, leaving him alone.
Thrawn glanced at the tray of cold food and pushed it away. He couldn't shake the image of Eli’s crumpled body on the command walkway.
I want to add that I have read some fic that I felt were bad but they had something about them - story, theme, a specific moment, etc. - that was so interesting or chewy that I think about it to this day, even years later.
So what if you're not someone's next great author? You could also haunt their dreams and nightmares simultaneously, and be the ghost in their daydreams. Don't ever give them peace.
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2087
