The blue streaks of light outside the viewport turned back to stars when the Chimaera jumped back into realspace. Lothal was visible further in the distance, its swirls of blue across the grasslands partly obstructed by clouds.
After their mission in the Trion sector was completed and the Chiss navigators were returned to the Ascendency, Grand Admiral Thrawn reported back to Coruscant, returning Darth Vader to his master by the same occasion. From what Thrawn had told (Y/N), the Dark Lord had given him a short list of improvements that could be integrated into the TIE Defender's schematics after piloting one against the Grysks. He had listened to his advice and ordered the necessary changes to be made.
Now that they had the new improved prototype ready in the factory down on Lothal, Thrawn, along with his best pilot Commander Skerris, was coming back to give it a test run.
Because they were not on an actual mission at the present, most of the Chimaera's crew was given a shore leave. It was welcomed unanimously after the last few weeks spent on the ship. (Y/N) decided to do some exploration down on the surface. Apparently, there was a little bit of snow near Capital City, so she put on some comfortable pants, a wool sweater and topped it with a warm vest and a pair of fingerless gloves. Her vest also had the advantage of covering her now noticeable belly. It was still quite small, but it was definitely there and she didn't want anybody to see it.
The lieutenant embarked on one of the earliest shuttles. It was pretty early in the morning and the sun was out, reflecting on the white snow on the ground. When she arrived, she started by strolling down the main streets, walking in a few small shops and buying herself some snacks along with a large cup of a deliciously fragrant drink. She had never tasted something like this before. It was sweet but with a slightly spicy twist to it and she enjoyed the warmth it brought her.
After walking around for a while, she decided to head to the city's outskirts and take in the lovely scenery. She appreciated finally having this time alone after being confined on the same ship as thousands of people for so long. The crisp fresh air and beaming sunlight also helped elevate her mood. She eventually arrived where the last houses left place to the open grasslands and she started walking up a small hill.
When (Y/N) reached the top, she was a little bit out of breath but she enjoyed the exercise. She looked back at the city and at the water glistening under the sun on the horizon. She then turned to the other side and admired the open grasslands. She took her time to absorb the tranquility of the whole scene for a while before she decided to explore further.
After another decent walk, she stopped near a rocky headland and decided to sit down to eat. The ground was cold, but at least she found a spot without any snow. She picked the piece of dried meat she had wrapped in her pocket and slowly ate it while taking in the view. The sun was now high in the sky so she guessed it was probably near midday.
(Y/N) was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard a small meow nearby. She looked around her and finally caught sight of a lothcat leisurely walking up to her. The young woman had seen a couple around town earlier but they didn't really seem friendly like this one. He meowed again when he reached her and he started playing around happily. She couldn't help but chuckle at how cute he was.
"Come here, you. Are you hungry?" she asked gently, trying not to startle him.
He rolled around to face her and meowed as if he was trying to talk back. She slowly extended her hand, offering the rest of her dried meat. He approached and sniffed her hand, but didn't take the food. Instead, he walked all the way up to her and jumped on her lap. Surprised, (Y/N) didn't move at first. The lothcat rubbed his head against her belly and started purring. He did it another couple of times and then simply settled on her lap. She slowly lowered her arms and began scratching his head, making him purr even louder.
"Well, aren't you precious?" she told him. "You know, your fur blends in perfectly with the snow."
She couldn't say she had seen a lot of them before, but she had never heard of white or albino lothcats. She continued to stroke the friendly creature for a while, its purring soothing her and making her feel completely at peace. She got lost in her thoughts for a long moment, contemplating the serene landscape around her.
Eventually, the white lothcat raised his head as if he had heard something. He started looking around and (Y/N) let him jump off her lap. He turned his bright blue eyes in her direction one last time and quickly ran away. It wasn't long before she lost sight of him.
She looked at the sky and decided to start heading back to the city. She stood up and stretched her legs a bit before beginning to walk down the hill. It had definitely been a lovely day.
She made her way back into town, stopped at one of the markets and grabbed another something to eat before slowly returning to the spaceport. She picked a tasty meat sandwich full of roasted vegetables on some kind of flatbread and she finished it on the way. She also considered coming back some other time to do like Ania usually does and buy a stash of local spices to bring back with her on the ship. Her friend was definitely onto something.
°°°°°°°
"They stole your prototype?" (Y/N) repeated with incredulity.
"Yes. Bridger and his Mandalorian friend then proceeded to crash it in a field and steal its hyperdrive." Thrawn said.
The two imperial officers were laying in bed in his cabin and talking about their day. She had told him about her encounter with the lothcat and how she discovered that she really enjoyed Lothali street food, but he definitely got a lot more action than her.
"I have to give it to them, they sure are bold." she said with a small laugh. "Sorry to say that, but they seem like a fun bunch!"
"It's difficult to argue with you on that point. Before jumping in the Defender, Bridger fell off a pile of crates right in front of us and simply waved at us while still laying on the ground." he narrated. "Hadn't he been an enemy of the Empire and on a personal crusade to sabotage my entire project, I think I might have actually liked him."
(Y/N) laughed and snuggled closer to her blue-skinned companion.
"I let Governor Pryce handle the situation down on the surface, but she didn't manage to find the rebels before nightfall. If it has not changed in the morning, I'll send Rukh to take care of it." he continued.
"I don't know how you stand him. At that point, you're probably the only person aboard the ship he hasn't harassed yet." she said with an irritated sigh.
"He's a very capable warrior. His great sense of smell also gives him an advantage when tasked to find or eliminate a target."
"You don't need to remind me about that." the young woman said, rolling her eyes. "You know, he actually smelled that I was pregnant. Apparently, my own human scent was mixed with the baby's and he followed me around the ship to see for himself what was going on."
"That's interesting." Thrawn replied, raising himself on an elbow to look at her. "It might indicate that the baby has a significant amount of my own genetic material if Rukh was able to detect it this early. It had already measurably altered your scent, maybe more so than if the child was predominantly human."
"So you're betting our child will look more like you?" (Y/N) asked jokingly.
"That's just a theory. We won't really be able to know before its birth." he said in all seriousness.
"Can we just let it be a mystery and simply hope it's going to be healthy?" she sighed.
"Of course. I'm simply eager to meet him, or her." he said, gently kissing the young woman's belly.
She chuckled and combed her fingers through his hair. The Chiss continued to kiss her while making his way back up to her. Their lips connected in a long soft kiss while he held her closely, his hand eventually slipping under her shirt. She smiled and raised her arms so he could help her take it off. He obliged gladly and continued to caress her body more ardently, planting kisses down her neck and making her heart race.
They took their time enjoying each other before she let him take off her underwear. It wasn't long before Thrawn made (Y/N)'s body ache for more. He undressed in between kisses and then laid back behind her, holding her against him with evident lust. His hand made its way down her waist and her hips, digging in her flesh, and she arched her back to allow him in more easily. She sighed when she felt her body stretch around him and he began to move.
As a pleasing sensation slowly rose through her body, the young woman unconsciously tilted her hips and bent her knee forward. The Chiss adjusted his own position and she felt him going deeper. He gave out a low moan of satisfaction and continued to caress her figure, avidly grabbing her waist and her hips. (Y/N)'s hand slid all the way down between her legs and soon she began to moan louder at their combined touch. Eventually, she felt the need to hold onto the sheets in anticipation and her partner felt her muscles tighten around him.
She muffled a small scream in her pillow when Thrawn held her down and carried on until she was completely fulfilled. She followed his last movements while he surrendered to the sensations in his own body with a deep sigh. He then laid down behind her and held her close, kissing the back of her neck softly and letting her fall asleep in his arms. A warm feeling of contentment soon made him drift into the same peaceful slumber.
Comfortably nestled against Thrawn, (Y/N)'s dreams were once again inhabited by strange visions. She was laying in the middle of a grassy plain, looking up at the moons and the thousands of stars illuminating the night sky. She heard a wolf howl far in the distance, but when she sat up to look around her, she could not see any. Instead, she found the white lothcat she had met earlier that day, his bright blue eyes staring back into hers. After a moment, he slowly climbed on her, laid down on her stomach and began to purr softly. She laid back in the grass and sinked into the darkness of the sky, the last thing she could discern being the glow of the stars surrounding her.