Prompt:
Admiral Thrawn, after meeting (Y/N) (L/N), invites her to join his ranks in the Empire after learning about her history and experience in the Clone Wars.
Requested by WinterHoneyCake
She/Her❥
2nd POV
♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎
"I don't know what you mean, Admiral?" you questioned while taking a shot of a brownish-red liquid. It stung on the way down, and you had to blink away tears. Chiss alcohol was something different than the type of cheap alcohol you were used to, "You want me to join the Empire? Do you have any idea who I am?"
You had met up with Thrawn a few times over the last few months, and the two of you had grown pretty close. You two met in this very bar, but today, Thrawn brought his own alcohol for the two of you to sip on for the next few hours. You wouldn't claim you're best friends with the Admiral, but you weren't only acquaintances either.
"I do in fact know who, and what you are, (Y/N)," Thrawn replied while easily downing his drink, "You were General (L/N) of the Jedi Order and Grand Republic."
Lights were going off in your brain. Every sense in your mind was telling you to either run and never return, or cut down and kill the Admiral to end this all. Yet, you stayed your blade, "What do you want?" you snarled. There was no reason to try and deny Thrawn; he knew what he was talking about.
"Calm down, please," Thrawn said, as if you shouldn't be reacting this way, "Do you see Stormtroopers? I'm not here to cause a fight or capture you. I just want to talk."
"Talk then," you snapped, eyeing everyone in the bar. Of course, there were no Stormtroopers, but if Thrawn was lying, the Stormtroopers could be undercover and without their pearly-white armour and blasters.
The Chiss nodded and clicked up a holocom. It was some sort of space ship, nothing you had ever seen before, "This, my friend, is the Death Star. Strongest and most durable ship the galaxy has ever seen. It can destroy planets as easy as you or I would swat a fly."
You gulped, and Thrawn continued, "Our Officers who are on the job to fully construct this ship have located some flaws. Lord Vader is far too busy to worry about something like that, not to mention the Emperor, so I have decided the next best thing to narrowing the vulnerability of the Death Star is to find a force sensitive to do it for us."
You cocked your head in confusion, "And what if I say no? The Empire has done nothing to benefit me, and your Lord Vader killed my friends and family. You and your kind are not welcome here!"
"You knew who I was this entire time," Thrawn pressed, "You never seemed stigmatizing before. Even if you say no and never want to see me again, I will understand and respect your wishes. I will never send Stormtroopers after you although that's against protocol. What Vader doesn't know won't hurt him."
What?
The Grand Admiral Thrawn was vocalizing against Vader? That was something you never thought you would ever witness. Thrawn was right though: although you knew who he was this whole time, you never stopped your meetings. Now that you thought about it, you couldn't understand why. He and his Empire were personally responsible for the deaths of so many Jedi, including your young Padawan, Siri-o.
There was not a finer, more talented Padawan in the Order, yet somehow she got overrun by the Clone Troopers she so desperately trusted.
"If Vader learns of my true nature, we would both be killed," you rebutted irritably, "I refuse to walk into a death trap. You have only heard stories of Order 66, but I refuse to live through the nightmares even once more. Vader desecrated and destroyed everything I have ever loved and cherished. I will not risk everything just to help your Death Star."
The Chiss nodded while taking another drink of his alcohol, "You would be under my personal protection, and under that protection, I would not have you around when Lord Vader is nearby. Although I know of your secret due to my endless research into the death of the Jedi, I will not give you away to Vader."
All of this sounded too good to be true.
Ever since the Jedi purge happened, you'd been poor and sick all the time. No money, no home, no clean and dry clothing. All of this sounded so appealing at its very core considering all of that was included if I took this job. And it's not like there are any other Jedi around that the Empire could try to destroy, so what is the downside to this deal?
You glanced down at the sticky table below and sighed, "I'll have to think about it."
"Very well," Thrawn replied while standing up and laying a few credits on the table to take care of the bill, "Why don't you take a walk with me. I don't want to talk about the job anymore. I just want to be with you."
Instant butterflies erupted into your gut.
As a Jedi, you swore up and down to the Council that you would never develop romantic feeling towards another living creature, and you especially wouldn't act upon it. This was against the Jedi Code... everything you were feeling in this moment was wrong.
Yet, you wanted more.
"Sure."
That was all you could manage to mumble out at the Chiss' comment. God, that was a stupid response. Thrawn himself was obviously interested in you considering he wanted to continue to be by your side, yet all you could mutter out was 'sure.'
Honestly, considering how you came from a group with zero relationship experience, this didn't surprise you. You were still embarrassed nonetheless.
Thrawn held out his blue hand to yours, and you took it hesitantly. He began to lead you out of the bar. The outside air was mucky and heavy, but it wasn't bad. You didn't mind the hot air; it helped you feel more focused actually.
"So where are we going?" you questioned the Chiss.
"There's a really pretty riverbank nearby that I used to visit frequently when I was just a young explorer," Thrawn replied while leading you down a well lit path.
Under normal circumstances, you knew that a woman like yourself should never travel alone with a man, especially one with alcohol in his system, but you were a Jedi. If Thrawn tried anything, you'd chop him into tiny pieces then throw them into this river he had a fondness for. You weren't scared.
You allowed him to walk you from the road and into a little shrouded clearing. No one would've been able to see it from the path that you once walked on unless they knew what they were looking for. Thrawn has a pretty secure and secret spot.
The water from the river sloshed up and down the surrounding rocks. It made a nice bubbling sound that filled you with a sense of security. You haven't felt safe in a very long time.
"I would come here with my mother whenever she began to grow old," Thrawn exclaimed while sitting down on one of the larger rocks. You joined him in a sitting position by his side, "Although my work was important in finding old artifacts and other ancient objects on this planet, I knew my mother needed me more. So, on her final days, we just sat together right here on this rock. We didn't need to share words: we just knew what the other was thinking."
Although you've known Thrawn for a pretty good amount of time since the two of you met, you had no idea about this side of him. Of course, you wouldn't have kept seeing him if he posed a large threat, but this was unexpected. Thrawn had a huge heart and apparently loved those closest to him more than his work,
"That's a lovely image you've put into my head," you replied while inching your hand into his, "I'm so pleased you and your mom could spend those last few days together with such a gorgeous environment to accompany you. She must've been so happy."
"I'd hope so," the Chiss responded, "Because this was the last thing she ever saw. There was a beautiful sunset that night— it caused such vibrant colours to reflect off of the moving water. She told me she loved me, and then she just... died in my arms."
You sat there in sad silence. At least his mother was comfortable and obviously very loved. It's good that Thrawn felt loved in that moment too, even though she's gone. Something struck inside you after Thrawn finished telling you something that meant so much to him. Why did he trust you, though? He barely knew you, although the two of you have grown remarkably close,
"I'm so sorry, Thrawn," you whispered, your eyes locked on the rippling water, "I never knew my mother or father. I was taken from them when I was just a kid, but I know they loved me. I'm happy you could properly say goodbye to your mother. That fills me with such a happiness."
Thrawn squeezed your hand lovingly, "The Jedi were your family, weren't they?"
You looked away and removed your hand from his. Although you love spending time with the Chiss, he brings back such painful memories that sting with a single thought, "They were, yes. I had all of the brothers and sisters I could have ever asked for. The Council was like our strict parents, and although they annoyed me endlessly, I miss them so, so much."
"I'm sorry for what my Empire has done to your family," Thrawn whispered, "Even after all of my research into your people, I still believed they were evil, corrupt, and it was the best thing to have them just... removed from the galaxy. After meeting you, (Y/N), I am not proud of my old beliefs. You have proven me wrong, and I am sorry."
"You had nothing to do with the purge, so don't blame yourself," you responded while looking back at him. His eyes... you hadn't noticed it before, but his eyes had such a soft nature to them. There was childlike warmth in them, alongside a shroud of seriousness. It seems like all Thrawn has known his whole life was seriousness.
He pulled you into his chest and just held you there. The rhythmic beating of his heart against your ear began to loll you off to sleep, "Thrawn?" you mumbled into his white Officer shirt, "What will happen to me if I take this position for the Death Star? Be honest. I will be able to sense it if you lie."
"There's two ways that it could go," the Chiss hummed; his fingers moving slowly in your hair, "One, you aren't discovered because I will disguise you well, and you and I can just live together in the galaxy; producing a weapon that can maintain endless peace... or way two."
There was a hint of something in his voice when he said 'way two.' Ominous nature,
"Lord Vader finds out who you are. This is a whole different thing. Either, he could take you from me and train you to be an Inquisitor, which who knows if I'll ever see you again if that happens, or he could straight up kill us both for treason against the Empire."
You gulped at that.
You would prefer the second option to the first one, although you'd rather die than be away from Thrawn at this point, so dying together couldn't be too bad?
"I feel like a jackass to all of my Jedi family and friends, but I feel like I have to come with you to help out," you mumbled slightly while rubbing tears from your eyes, "I can't bare not seeing you again. I will help you, Thrawn."
Thrawn positioned his pointer finger on your chin and tilted your lips up to meet his. He tasted of plums and cherries: absolute heaven. The Chiss kissed you hard, but there was a sense of softness in the kiss too; one of pure love,
"Thank God. I was very worried you would decide against coming with me... I was hoping you'd come for more selfish reason than fixing the Death Star. I need you by my side."
"And by your side, I will be," you responded while deepening the kiss; all your pain and suffering immediately rushing out of your body.
You are now free!
December 5th, 2022