Thrawn: You're smiling, Commodore. What happened?
Karyn: What? Can't I smile just because I feel like it?
Hammerly: Ronan tripped and fell down the stairs today.
჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻
Thrawn: That's ridiculous. Eli doesn't have a crush on me.
Karyn: Yes, he does.
Hammerly: Yes, he does.
Pyrondi: Yes, he does.
Eli: Yes, I do.
჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻
Karyn: We’re playing Scrabble. It’s a nightmare.
Pyrondi: Scrabble? Scrabble’s great.
Hammerly: Not when you’re playing with Thrawn, it’s not. He puts words like “ephemeral” and I put “dog.”
჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻
Thrawn: It's cold outside... perhaps it would be best if we hold hands? We shall stay close.
Eli, blushing: Okay.
Karyn: It's fucking summer.
჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻
Ar’alani: *sees Thrawn and Eli together*
Ar’alani: They're good for each other. I would put them on a boat.
Karyn: You mean... you ship them?
჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻
Ronan: I’m not stupid, you know.
Eli: Well, you’re doing a really good impression of it!
჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻
Vah’nya: Name something you believed in as a child that you no longer do as an adult.
Eli: Myself.
჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻
Karyn: Sorry I'm late, I was doing stuff.
Ronan: YOU PUSHED ME DOWN THE KRIFFIN’ STAIRS!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
A quick look at Thrawn's perspective during Away Mission: Part 1 & 2 of my Rebel!Vader fic! I wrote this up to get a better handle on what was going on behind the scenes while writing Part 2, and figured I might as well post it for you all to enjoy :)
Cool Ranch Vader 2 summary:
Last we saw them, the desperate attempts of Admiral Piett and his allies to hide Lord Vader's defection to the Rebellion had been discovered - by none other than Lord Vader himself!
Now, we come to the fallout of the unfortunate events of "It's Not Easy Being Evil," and continue the shenanigans of the Imperial team. With cameos from the Rebels, of course!
This has been kicking around in drafts for a few months. I was cleaning it out and...
With thanks to @shards-of-silver for getting me off my ass.
Upon promotion to senior lieutenants, there are perks.
Ensigns sleep a dozen to a barracks, junior lieutenants share a four-rack of bunks around a common area and share sanitary facilities. Senior officers of lieutenant commander or higher have their own private quarters increasing in size and amenities, and at flag rank a suite of rooms. But nothing beats the heady rush of getting your own room with a door that closes. Despite what the contractors say, those bunk partitions don't do squat to stop you from hearing every snore, fart, or wet dream from your fellow juniors. There's a corresponding increase in cubic storage along with the bigger room and one may trust the newly-minted senior loots to go a little crazy.
Thrawn as a new commodore aboard rearranged officers' quarters by duty station, so now all bridge officers are housed a literal thirty second run to the bridge or assigned six-man lifepod. Faro has always run a looser ship in terms of culture, and there are times when bridge officers' country is decorated for various holidays and observances. For example, observances of Longnight see small dishes of food and lanterns set out to guide and appease the spirits of those lost in the vastness of space. But today there is something new outside of Agral and Pyro's twofer.
A sign-up.
It's a datapad on a sticky at reading level with a stylus on a cord.
"Sign up for tabletop games night - Quests & Quarries, Pirates & Privateers, Hyperspace Hellscape, Ancient Lands Archaic Warfare, and other RP games coming to a horizontal surface near you!"
The list is growing fast.
A note above the hatch control says, "Game in progress. ENTER QUIETLY."
"Already the social hub," Faro mutters and then jumps out of her skin when Thrawn agrees with her. Even in boots, he moves almost silently. "Let a lass know, sir! You almost scared it out of me!"
Thrawn's shadow - Vanto - is not here or otherwise she'd have stood a better chance of hearing the approach. He is looking at the sign-up sheet and then at the door sign, then turns to her.
"These are not like Scrabble?"
Pyro's love of table games is legend. She even collects them.
"No, Commodore. These are, well, a kind of strategy game." Thrawn visibly brightens. His skin changes color, his pupils disappear as the nictitating membrane crosses them in a three-part blink. "Players create characters and ascend levels in different scenarios called dungeons. It's kind of like academy war-gaming, but more flexible and personalized."
"They will not mind if we enter and observe?"
"They'll snap to attention for a flag officer on deck or I'll have them cleaning the stormtroopers' urinals with ear swabs, but I do not think they'll object."
Faro taps the hatch open and as they step in Vanto barks, "Commodore on deck!"
The response is satisfyingly swift.
"Officers, as you were," Thrawn nods. "I do not wish to disturb the game in progress, only to observe."
Of course, the furniture is bolted to the deck, but there are an additional folding couch and two additional folding chairs added to the room and-
"Pyrondi, where did you get the holotop?" Karyn hasn't seen one in probably twenty years. This one replaces the low table normally issued to this accommodation, bolted down as per regs. "It's got to be a month's pay."
"I bought it at an antiquities shop on Coruscant. Lomar did the new innards, and then all of us wrote code." Us being - apparently - herself, Lomar, Hammerly, Barlin, Agral, Yve, and Carvia.
"Major Carvia, what is your part in this madhouse?" The man budges loots up the couch to make room for their captain and commodore in the armchairs. "Surely you're not a player?"
"I helped Pyro carry this up here and did the coding for groundpounder dungeons. No offense, but this bunch is all Navy." The major wags his finger at Pyro. "I will thank you, youngster, not to refer to items as 'antiquities' that I am old enough to have owned brand new."
"Everyone do a stretch, get some snacks, and we'll come back into it in fifteen?" Pyro asks and everyone agrees, getting up a little stiffly after hours gaming. "Sync and go."
Thrawn looks over the table, at first studying the current dungeon, but then with more interest at the leather-bound manuals of flimsi, and beautifully made sets of dice and other paraphernalia.
"Please, Lieutenant, explain." Thrawn settles in one of the armchairs, accepting one of Pyro's fruit teas and a packet of sweets.
"Well, first these are the handbooks for players and dungeon masters. These others are for aspects - beings, arms, character classes." Pyrondi takes a small bag and empties it into her hand. "These are my dice."
"Is a gambling chip counted as dice?" Thrawn looks intently. "These are thystine and aurum leaf, correct?"
"If a binary decision is needed, yes, it counts. They are thystine, but as you can see, every player has their set and aside from the chip they can have sets of seven to fifteen, it depends what games they play."
Vanto's set is doonium, which makes Thrawn smile fleetingly. Carvia's is some kind of bone or ivory. Agral's is synthetic fireopal. All sets are as individual as the player.
Oh, no. ART.
"And what about the crystal ball?" Karyn asks. It's a perfect sphere set on an elaborate base.
"Oh, that's a toy I picked up from a junk dealer. He said it didn't work, but when you ask it a yes-or-no question it gives you a nonsensical answer. Watch. Is the mess going to serve hash for firstmeal again?"
The sphere roils with smoke and then shows a wavering answer in its center.
Better not tell you now.
"See? It gives positive, negative, or non-committal answers. To be fair, I don't want to know if we're having hash again."
The players filter back in and take their places as Thrawn is given a rough crash course in play. Pyrondi looks around, sets up a triptych screen to hide her materials and plans, and then asks if everyone is ready. Snacks and drinks to hand, all affirm and the game resumes. Karyn watches her superior as he watches the game with eyes bright. Pyro is a force of chaos and order, handling players firmly but also throwing wild situations at them. The dice can't be rigged or fooled on a dice pad, holding them firm.
Thrawn reminds his officers that night phase is coming, and they have watch coming up. The party breaks up with others putting the room back to order and bidding good rest.
"If you do not mind, Lieutenant, Captain Faro and I will join for the next game."
"Please do, sir. The more the merrier."
Karyn almost groans but holds it in.
"As I remember, you said the same thing before you wiped the walls with me at Scrabble."
Here's what I want to know after the Ahsoka finale: What happened to Chief Hangar Master Xoxtin??!! I don't think she would approve of the way Thrawn and the Great Mothers are f'ing up her hangar bay. 😆
