"Colonel Yularen's shuttle has just landed, Admiral" said Lieutenant Hammerly.
"Very well. Send him to my office along with Admiral Konstantine. Notify me when Lieutenant Lyste and Agent Kallus arrive onboard with the prisoner" the blue skinned man answered. He then made his way out of the bridge and (Y/N) was left with her crewmates.
"Do you think the rumors are true? That the rebels have Jedi that can control minds?" Hammerly asked her.
"I wouldn't be surprised, honestly. Otherwise how can you explain how easily they manage to slip out of our hands? It can't be natural. Who knows what that Force thing allows them to do." (Y/N) answered.
"Yes, but I've also seen some security footage and it's unbelievable. They use their lightsaber to redirect blaster bolts, to cut through doors... I'm kind of jealous, I wish I could move things with my mind and have a sword like that."
"If I were you, I would rather be normal. Just remember what happened to the Jedi Order. They were exterminated, the survivors live like hermits and are hunted down by those Inquisitors like the others talked about in headquarters."
The young woman continued to converse with her fellow lieutenant for a while when suddenly a bunch of orders came in at the same time. Their prisoner had been let out of his cell and someone was trying to help him escape. They sent some troops to intercept them when they heard another call from Thrawn.
"Assassin droids? Lieutenant Lyste?" she heard Commodore Faro exclaim from the walkway.
The crew looked at each other completely baffled. There really was a traitor in their midst. A murmur of surprise rose on the bridge. Most of her colleagues could not do much except listen at the moment. The Commodore was still receiving calls from across the ship.
"Use torches, blast the door open, whatever it needs! Don't let them escape!" she told one of the stormtroopers down near the landing bay through her comm.
"Seems like the rebels are going to slip out of our hands again." Hammerly whispered to (Y/N) before turning back to her station.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." she answered in a low voice, her thoughts drifting away as she also turned back to her sensors.
It had been a couple of weeks since they left Coruscant and began chasing rebels and the Ghost crew. Admiral Thrawn had already gone to investigate a case of sabotage in one of Lothal's factories, but now they apparently had someone within the imperial ranks helping them and probably feeding them information. (Y/N) was doing her job as usual, but she couldn't shake the growing feeling that the Empire had it coming.
While in the last years they had mostly focused on intercepting rebel ships, pirates and smugglers, being stationed for a long time above an occupied world had given her the opportunity to see with her own eyes what was really going on down there. She already had a pretty good idea beforehand, but it was different than playing an active role in the repression. She had heard and read reports, seen some security footage, and it made her work increasingly difficult.
(Y/N) was conflicted. On one side, she had an allegiance deeply rooted in the training she had received at the Royal Imperial Academy and by the fact that, for the last few years, she and the Chimaera's crew had provided security across the controlled systems. She looked around at her crewmates, an uncomfortable knot forming in her stomach. She had learned so much during her time serving under Admiral Thrawn's command and she was attached to her colleagues after all they had been through together.
On the other side, she was now seeing the real extent of all the destruction caused by occupation. They were transforming pristine natural landscapes into industrial complexes, extracting or stealing valuable resources on various planets, oftentimes against the people's will when they were not simply enslaved or forced to work for the Empire. She remembered some of her older crewmates telling her of the time they had found an imperial ship specially made to accomodate enslaved Wookies. The lieutenant had also recently heard about the relocation of numerous families on Lothal, about farmers forced to go work on the assembly lines and she knew deep down that it was also happening all across the galaxy.
For the longest time, she believed her parents were right when they encouraged her to join the Imperial Navy. That confidence in them and her own decision was now undermined by fear. She feared that someday her homeworld would also be destroyed by the Empire. She had realized just how deep the scars of this war would be for every planet they had already disrupted, pillaged or enslaved. Entire cultures and traditions, entire nations crushed under their boot for the sake of order and stability. (Y/N) didn't want to have a part in this destruction anymore.
When she was finally dismissed for the night, she wandered around the ship trying to get a hold of her thoughts. Even if she wanted to leave the Navy, she wouldn't know what to do next. She would become a deserter, she couldn't simply go back to live on Naboo and spend her days running in the fields like her younger self did. It was also not like she could just call the rebels and join them. It made her wonder how Lieutenant Lyste had come to establish contact with them and become their ally.
(Y/N) wondered if she should go down to the detention level and ask him some questions. "No, that's a bad idea. If they see you talking with him they'll think you're his accomplice." she admonished herself. Instead, she chose to go to a more legitimate source of information. She turned around at the next corner and headed to the Admiral's office.
Just like the last time, she waited for him to let her in and went through the door. When she walked in the small hallway, she was surprised to find him working on an assassin droid.
"Am I disturbing you, Admiral?"
"Not at all, (Y/N). I was just refining the programming on my new training droid. I'd rather not have another incident happen like it did today." He pressed a button at the back of the machine and it shut down.
"You train with assassin droids?" the young lieutenant's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"I do. I find them to be the most reliable and pretty much the only worthy opponents on this ship." He slowly walked away from the training mat and closed the door behind him. He lightly placed a hand behind (Y/N)'s back, motionning her to follow him into his office.
She noticed there were new objects scattered around, including a large piece of concrete with numerous graffiti on it. She took a longer look at it and instantly liked the vibrant colours used by the artist.
"This particular artwork was made by the Mandalorian rebel Sabine Wren." Thrawn explained calmly.
The young woman realized he still stood close behind her, his hand resting gently on her waist. Thinking about what her friend Ania had said a few weeks back, she resisted her first instinct to move away from him. She had to admit it actually felt quite nice. She shifted her weight on her other foot, getting a little bit closer to him without actually leaning on him.
"Her style is pretty unique. If she wasn't a wanted criminal, I think she'd have a chance at becoming a successful artist." (Y/N) said pensively.
"I agree." Thrawn lowered his gaze from the concrete wall to look at her. "You're very observant." he added, and when she raised her eyes to look back at him she realized he was smiling.
"Thank you, Admiral" she smiled back, a light blush colouring her cheeks.
"You can simply call me Thrawn when no one else is around, (Y/N)."
He had spoken with his usual low and measured voice, but she still felt butterflies in her stomach when he said her name. Although the silence between them as they looked into each other's eyes barely lasted more than a few seconds, to (Y/N) it felt way longer. Her heart beat increased and she felt the blush on her cheeks deepen slightly. The faint glow of his red irises reminded her of embers, and it certainly felt like they were burning through her. Unable to speak, she simply nodded and looked around her, trying to regain her composure. Thrawn let her distance herself from him, clasping both hands behind his back. She couldn't see the hint of amusement on his face as she started walking around to look at some of the other pieces in his office.
"I was wondering," the Grand Admiral started. "You undeniably have a great interest in other peoples' art and a visible aptitude to recognize talent. Are you yourself an artist?" he asked.
"I think it's more of a hobby for me. I used to enjoy sculpting back on Naboo but I had to give it up when I enlisted. I still draw, though. It's more convenient for a life aboard a Star Destroyer." She turned around and leaned back against the edge of his desk to face him. "I believe I would have pursued a career in that field if I had stayed home."
"I'm not surprised. If you agree, I would like to take a look at your work someday." Thrawn said with what seemed to be a genuine interest.
"It's not much, but I guess I wouldn't mind." (Y/N) agreed. "Just give me a heads up next time you have some free time." she added, a small smile appearing on her lips.
At that point, (Y/N) had completely forgotten the reason for her visit. She moved a little and her hand knocked on the painted helmet beside her. She took it and examined it for a moment.
"Whose helmet is this?"
She examined the paint job again, recognizing the animal on it. It was a lothcat, or an abstract representation of it.
"This helmet belonged to the prisoner that was apprehended by Lieutenant Lyste and Agent Kallus, Miss Wren's associate Ezra Bridger. As you are aware, he managed to escape once again."
She nodded quietly, staring at the lothcat on the helmet. She grazed her hand across the surface pensively. She had initially come here to ask Thrawn about Lieutenant Lyste, but the mention of Agent Kallus made her realize something. According to the reports, he was the man mandated by the ISB to help Governor Pryce track down the rebels on Lothal, so how could he have not recognized Bridger the second they caught him? Also, if she had managed to realize this, how come that Thrawn hadn't? Suddenly feeling uneasy, she placed the helmet back on his desk and stood up.
"Is something wrong, Lieutenant?" he inquired, his expression unreadable in the room's dim light.
"I just think I've taken up enough of your time. I'm going to head back to my cabin if you don't mind."
She bowed her head hastily, he acknowledged and answered with a similar polite bow before letting her find her way out of his office. He lingered for a moment, standing still and looking at the door that just closed before unhurriedly walking back to his chair.