Chapter Text
“Commander I’vant reporting as requested, Admiral.”
Admiral Ar’alani glanced over her shoulder at him, nodded slightly in acknowledgement, before motioning with her eyes out the starboard viewport.
Eli’Vant’o, mid-commander in the EDF, followed the motion to his right, eyes widening as they alighted on the unmistakable arrowhead shape of an Imperial Star Destroyer. He looked quickly back to his admiral.
"Sir-” he started.
She raised her eyebrows slightly and motioned again at the ship. Eli took a few steps closer to the viewport and sucked in a breath. There were, in fact, dozens of ships, of all sizes and shapes.
On the lead ship Eli could now make out the achingly familiar serpentine artwork on the hull. Something clenched deep in his chest, a tingling sensation spreading out to his extremities. Holding himself very carefully, he slowly turned toward the command chair.
An almost hidden smile graced the corners of Ar’alani’s mouth. “Mid-Commander”, she said, addressing the comms officer to her left, “open a frequency.” After a nod from the comms station she began.
“Imperial ship, this is Admiral Ar’alani of the Chiss Ascendancy ship, Steadfast. Identify yourself and state your purpose. You are in Ascendancy space.”
Ten very long seconds ticked by before the answering crackle sounded over the comms line. “This is Mitt’hraw’nuruodo of the Chimaera. It is pleasing to hear your voice, Admiral.”
Eli slumped against the bulkhead he’d gripped while awaiting a response, relief washing over him.
"Do you require assistance, Chimaera? You or your fleet?” Ar’alani inquired. His lack of stated rank and affiliation had not escaped her notice.
"No. We are in fair shape. However, a chance to greet one another face to face would be pleasing.” came the evenly modulated response.
“You may bring a shuttle over then. Ar’alani out.” She turned and faced her bridge crew. “I’vant, with me.” She nodded to her second in command and left the bridge, Eli hurrying to catch up.
Once in the corridor she slowed her pace and turned to face him as they walked toward the docking bay.
“Well?”
“He didn’t use rank or claim to be serving the Empire.” Eli said, knowing she had noticed all this as well. “And that looks like a lot of the ships from the Seventh Fleet.”
Ar’alani nodded and continued her forward motion around corners and into turbo lifts. “Agreed. And it looks as though repairs must have been carried out, if the story of purgill carrying them away from Lothal is true.”
Eli nodded in agreement. “It’s been almost a year. They’ve obviously made progress and they’ve traveled quite a ways, too. Our projections had them nowhere near this sector.”
"Mitth'raw'nuruodo again defies expectations.” Ar’alani said wryly. “Come. Let us go greet him.”
They continued to the hangar in near silence, Eli’s nerves growing tighter and tighter the closer they got.
They arrived only moments before a small imperial shuttle entered the bay. Thrawn had wasted no time in leaving his ship, Eli realized. The thought pleased him. He kept his nervousness well under wraps as the ship landed and standard docking procedures began.
After two minutes Ar’alani stepped out from behind the blast doors and walked toward the lowering ramp.
Eli meant to keep pace with his admiral, but found his feet unable to move forward. He saw two black-armored death troopers emerge first from the shuttle, then the olive-colored uniform and face of Mira Hammerly, followed closely by the tall blue-skinned alien Eli had lived and worked with for a full decade.
Thrawn looked slowly around the hangar bay, his eyes and mouth holding a small smile as he took in Ar’alani waiting for him. His eyes quickly swept past her to Eli, still frozen at the far end of the hangar.
Thrawn appeared to straighten, his shoulders raising as if a weight had been lifted from them. Eli saw him murmur something to Hammerly and begin briskly walking toward his former commanding officer. He didn’t stop there, though.
He saw Ar’alani’s eyebrows raise as Thrawn said something to her in passing, not slowing down as he strode past her. Instead, he continued until he was less than a meter away from Eli.
Eli swallowed and continued to stare wordlessly at him. Thrawn came to a complete stop and looked him over.
“I-” Eli began, before being enveloped in a strong embrace, the breath pushed out of him in a surprised “oof” as Thrawn pulled him close. Eli’s cheek was pushed against Thrawn’s left shoulder; Eli found himself unbothered by the position. He raised his arms and gripped Thrawn back in a just as deep hug. After a few moments he felt Thrawn’s breath slow and the tightness of his arms relax. Thrawn stepped back and moved his hands to Eli’s upper arms, a wide smile upon his face. Eli felt a goofy grin splayed across his features but couldn’t find it within himself to care about the scene they were causing. Over his shoulder he saw Ar’alani roll her eyes and shake her head while Hammerly chuckled softly.
“I am pleased to see you again, Eli Vanto.” Thrawn intoned quietly, his glowing red eyes staring steadily at him.
Eli nodded. “Same here, sir.” He looked at the shuttle, Hammerly, then pointedly at the lack of rank insignia on Thrawn’s white grand admiral tunic. “Looks like there’s quite a lot to catch up on.”
Thrawn noticed where his eyes had landed and nodded. “Indeed. Are you free?”
Eli laughed and looked across the hangar bay to his admiral. “We will begin a debriefing, for both sides, in one hour.” Admiral Ar’alani said, ensuring her voice carried across the open space. “Until then, Mid-Commander I’vant, I ask you to accompany Mitt’hraw’nuroudo around the Steadfast. Dismissed.”
Eli saw her motion to Hammerly to follow her toward the bridge. Thrawn waved his hand at the death troopers who returned to the outside edge of the shuttle.
Eli moved his hands up to where Thrawn was still gripping his biceps. “C’mon then, let’s get a move on. He gave both of Thrawn’s hands a quick squeeze and began walking out of the bay. He threw a look back at Thrawn, “You coming?”
Thrawn threw a quick smile back and followed after him.