Fandom Star Wars: Demesne [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

“I, uh, actually never played much of the games,” Eli said, “My dad told me they were rigged when I was young so I’d stop wasting my credits on them – like the water pressure never being strong enough in some of the guns, and things like that,” and so he hadn’t spent much of his time making a ‘favorite’, when he didn’t play them at all. “He said we could buy the prizes cheaper than we could win them.”

Which was probably true, in most cases, though he was pretty sure some of the giant plush creatures costed upwards of 100 credits. The games might be cheap, but playing them enough times would rack that kind of profit up for the owners of them. Eli wouldn’t have the patience to play that many times in a row, though.

“I was more into the rides and the food,” the terrible, greasy, fried foods. He knew it wasn’t healthy, but he was going to just ignore that today and enjoy what he could before he had to return to reality.

Though this would remain a part of his reality.

And he’d hopefully get to continue to have more fun adventures with Cora.

~***~

Adlai had mentioned it, and he meant it for twofold reasons – to introduce them to Skye, and to actually go see them. He wasn’t sure if it would be wise to introduce them to Skye, and explain a slightly different story to his parents or not. ‘Hi mom and dad, this is Skye, I actually broke up with Eira because I met her.’

He’d find a better way to phrase it so his mom didn’t give him that Look.

“Honestly, I was considering it within a week or two, if I can get the time off. I still have to be here for Eira’s play, so I can’t wait too long,” or else he’d be off planet, and going to see it from Serenno would inspire far too many questions from his parents about going to see an ex’s work. They wouldn’t quite buy the ‘we’re still friends’ thing.

He was trying to keep them innocent.

“I imagine we’d be there at least two weeks.”

~***~

Eira heard the hint in Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s tone, but she just chuckled and shook her head, “No, I doubt I can analyze music like you can analyze art,” she had seen him at the gallery. He gave her that brief insight his head, but she elaborated, “I make music. I have a different understanding of it, than someone outside of it who analyzes it.”

For she assumed Mitth’raw’nuruodo stood outside of the artworks he examined, the way plenty of other art historians and critics did. Musicians, and artists, had different ways of understanding the work – even the work of others – than outsiders did. She considered both to be valid, because many were trying to appeal to outsiders of the craft, and be admired from within.

“Unless you’re hiding from me the fact you’re actually an artist yourself?” Her grin remained playful, “If so, I’d certainly love to see your art, and then maybe I’ll consider sharing works in progress of my own.” She did wonder what sort of art he would lean towards, if it was something he partook in. She couldn’t imagine him painting.

Somehow sculpting seemed more up his alley.

 

[cleopat]

Yeah, the games were definitely rigged, but that was what made it fun to try and figure out a way around them, which her brother had somehow accomplished in one afternoon trip. And most games across different amusement parks were rigged in the same fashion.

Then to show off some stuffed prize proudly throughout the amusement park without having to spend too many credits.

Cora never ate too many of the fried foods offered at the different parks, largely because her parents wouldn’t allow her. One of their children? Eating greasy, fried food? Never!

That didn’t mean that she and her siblings didn't sneak some when they enjoyed a park without their parents. “Do you have a favorite food?” she wondered. And if this park had it, Cora would be tempted to try it, assuming they were finished with most of the rides by then.

She didn’t want to go on a rollercoaster or anything of the sort after ingesting something deep fried.

~~~

Two weeks. Two weeks of pretending to only be the bodyguard, and nothing more to Adlai, because in Skye’s eyes, hinting at anything more this soon after his and Eira’s ‘breakup’ would hint at her being the other woman.

What a wonderful first impression that would be on his parents.

“Two weeks on Serenno,” she murmured, her fingers still trailing through his hair. Two weeks spent on a planet that was once considered enemy territory for her. It was an odd feeling, and it only reminded her of how no one on Serenno could ever know who she was. Or maybe they would eventually come around, like Adlai did with past prejudices.

“Is there anything you do in your visits to Serenno besides just visiting your parents?” Skye wondered if Adlai had any favorite sites he liked to visit, or if there were other people he wanted to see, like friends. She really had no idea what would be on Serenno, or if she would be bored the entire time.

~~~

“Or maybe it’s because you make music, that you would have a better understanding of it than others.” It was her process, and she knew how she felt when she composed something, he assumed, just as one who makes art understands the emotions they pour into their work.

But that was one reason Thrawn studied the history and the art of civilizations. To better understand those emotions they pour into their work, and how it may be used to better predict their future moves, if they would fight back or be fully pacifist, and more.

“But no, I am not hiding that fact. I merely collect art, I do not create it myself,” Thrawn said with a shake of his head. He hadn’t even really tried before, but that urge never took hold of him, nor did he ever have time to truly indulge in an afternoon of painting or sculpting.

He would just leave it to the creators of each civilization.

“You should still consider sharing your own work, if only to me,” he insisted. Maybe, just maybe, if he could figure out music, then he could figure out Eira’s mind better.

 

[Lucyfer]

“I mean, it’s pretty hard to beat a traditional funnel cake,” Eli answered as Cora asked him his favorite, “but I also like, uh,” he flushed, realizing just how bad it was to say it aloud, “spicy peanut butter and jelly bantha burgers, as well as deep fried chocolate-cream cookies.” His flush deepened a bit, “The cheeseburger it’s—it’s really an acquired taste, I think.”

How outer-rim did he look right then?

Surrounded by the delightful quaint environment of a Core diner made him suddenly remember how bizarre these things must sound to Cora. “And I haven’t had it in years, I’m probably misremembering how good it was,” although he realized he would also, absolutely, eat one if given the chance.

Just…perhaps not in front of Cora. They probably wouldn’t have something that weird at this par, right?

~***~

Going home was always a reprieve. Adlai didn’t make too many plans when he went there, but of course, he did enjoy a few favorite things. “I do see some friends, as well,” that much was no doubt expected, “and I will visit a few of my favorite restaurants and stores, but I try to keep my visits fairly relaxed. I always end up doing a bit of work in spite of myself.”

He chuckled a little at his own inability to stop working.

That was probably not a surprise to Skye, though. Especially given how much of his work wasn’t exactly anything he was getting paid for. It was a work of passion to fight against the Empire, something that didn’t have a timeline or real schedule. He still found ways to do that on Serenno.

“We could find some things to do, I’m certain. There’s enough to see, I just don’t usually spend my time that way,” he was from there, he preferred to just relax, but he wouldn’t mind showing her his favorite spots, as well as some of Serenno’s more typical tourist sites, or notable locations.

There was plenty to see.

~***~

“A different understanding,” Eira said, holding up a finger, “not better.” There were some who thought differently than her, but having been in the spotlight for so long, and seeing people take her art and interpret it in so many ways, she had learned that understanding fell on many levels. The artist had their intent, but so often it was twisted to something else by the culture it fell in to.

“You know, I do have music that is readily available,” though she imagined what he was really trying to do was hear her do it live. He’d heard her before, of course, though she hadn’t played much that was her own work. Some of it she had composed, but the lyrics were rarely hers, one of the secrets of the trade.

There were a few that were out there, though.

Their host came back before she could note anything else, with their drinks which were set down before either of them. “Are you ready to hear what is available, or shall I give you two a few more minutes?”

“You can go ahead,” Eira encouraged,

“Thank you,” he inclined his head – this place lacked menus, changing things up to keep it fresh too often for such a thing to be useful. “There are a couple of options available for you, Miss Nevan, we apologize for not having others,” they were familiar with her diet, though Eira imagined Mitth’raw’nuruodo might find the words strange at first – no doubt the place catered to typical human fare, “We have a creamy mushroom and orecchiette pasta in a lemon-mint sauce, which is preceded by a light salad with a vinaigrette dressing, or our ruby curry, served with a medley of sweet peppers, tofu, bamboo shoots, carrots, basil, and rice, preceded by a chopped salad with a garlic dressing.”

Dessert was never a promise, and one was allowed to pick that if they wanted it, “The first sounds quite good,” Eira said, “I’ll have that, please.”

“Of course,” a nod, before the host looked to Mitth’raw’nuruodo, “We have those options available for you, as well, Grand Admiral, though you may substitute mushrooms with lamb if you prefer, or tofu with the dlarnic grazer. We also have other options, if you would like to hear them.” There were always more options for those who ate meat.

 

[cleopat]

A spicy peanut butter and jelly bantha burger was not the item Cora was quite expecting, and although she bit her lip to stop the chuckle from escaping, she did smile at the answer. “I haven’t heard of that one before, so I’ll take your word for it.” The combination of the spicy peanut butter, jelly, and bantha did not quite sound so appetizing to her, but if she was ever presented with the chance to try one, she just may.

“But I think I’ve had those fried cookies you mentioned, and I enjoyed those.” Fried sweets really sounded like it shouldn’t be a thing, because of how unhealthy it was, but a younger Cora enjoyed it as a secret treat. A forbidden snack between siblings.

A little indulgement during their time together at the park wouldn’t hurt things either. “Maybe we can find something today that we both haven’t tried before,” she offered. They could share a new food creation that had been unnecessarily deep fried.

But Cora would suggest for them to wait for that until after they had ridden all the rides they wanted to. They didn’t need an unfortunate accident because they ate greasy food.

~~~

Skye wasn’t so surprised to hear of how Adlai spent his visits back home. Fairly relaxed affairs, with perhaps a little bit of work, but mainly spending time with family and friends. She knew he misses his home, and that one day, he would be able to move back to Serenno and be closer to them, but he had his job on Coruscant.

A job that would last until the Empire was defeated. Until then, visits would have to suffice.

“Would it be odd to be seen showing your bodyguard around?” she wondered. They wouldn’t be able to be out as a couple just yet, even to his parents. At least, that’s what Skye thought. So soon after a seemingly long-lasting relationship with Eira, certain assumptions might be made about Skye, and she definitely did not want that as a first impression.

“We’ll have to be careful.” No light touches, no furtive glance that hinted at anything beyond a platonic relationship. In some ways, it was exciting, but in others...it was not.

~~~

As Eira corrected him, Thrawn chuckled lowly. “Of course, a different understanding.” Thrawn knew that everyone simply held different views, and he was never one to underestimate an opponent for differing views. It was why he studied their art, their history, to better understand their views.

Before he could further comment on her music, that yes, he did want to hear her live, their host came back with the drinks and to explain the fixed menu for the evening. As the host listed off the items, Thrawn took a sip of his drink.

Thanks to many dinner parties he had been forced to suffer through, Thrawn knew of the food the host listed. Before? He would have been lost, unfamiliar with many of the items that weren’t typically found on Csilla, but now, he knew what he liked, and what he couldn’t stomach, and he often did not stray far from that.

“I’ll have the ruby curry, but with the dlarnic grazer,” he said. Tofu was one of those foods he realized he did not like, for the texture was always too odd for him.

“An excellent choice,” the host said. “I’ll bring your salads out shortly.” With a nod of his head, the host left them alone once more

Thrawn didn’t allow the silence to linger for too long. “I would love to hear some of your music.” See if he could fight past his misunderstandings of music to listen to what Eira performed.

 

[Lucyfer]

The fried cookies were a safer decadence, and Eli nodded in agreement with that. They were tasty, and he wouldn’t be dissuaded from trying more of those. “Yeah – we should at least be on the lookout for something new,” Eli agreed.

He wasn’t sure what sort of concoctions would be out there that he hadn’t heard of, or tried, but he knew he’d be interested in it. “Though, maybe after we’ve had our fun with rides,” he added, unaware that was Cora’s thought as well. “I’m not usually queasy, but I’d rather avoid testing the limits anyways.”

Not when they had a whole day to enjoy, and he didn’t want to ruin it.

Their food was brought out to them soon, and it did look quite delicious. Eli was quick to thank their waitress before digging in, glad he hadn’t eaten much before this brunch. He’d been hungry, going off his usual schedule, but this was worth it.

This whole day was bound to be worth it. “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had at one of these parks?” Eli opted to ask, since the subject of food remained at the forefront of his mind with the food being delivered, and devoured.

~***~

Adlai shook his head a little, humming before he answered, “No, it would not be the first time. Most of the bodyguards I’ve had, have come from Serenno so it was not necessary, but I have had some in the past not familiar with Serenno. Naturally, I gave them a bit of a tour. Practical reasons, and not so practical reasons.”

One should know the areas that Adlai went to, and become familiar with them, in case of a threat, after all. It wouldn’t be too odd, at least, to be seen showing Skye around so she could be familiar with his haunts and know what to look for in them.

“I don’t think we’ll mess it up,” he added, shifting slightly so he could see her face better, “we have not done so here on Coruscant, and the paparazzi here are a lot worse than Serenno,” not that he was advocating for them to be less cautious there, but they’d avoided scrutiny in the midst of a break-up on Coruscant. A high profile one, at that.

He didn’t think they would mess up and let the public know too soon.

~***~

Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s order was made quickly, and their host took note of it before leaving them once again, allowing them to return to the conversation of music. Eira just chuckled at his desire to hear her music, when it was easily accessible. She understood what he meant. “Well, perhaps someday,” she allowed. Without an instrument, she certainly wasn’t going to start anything right then.

“The instrumentals are more important than the words,” at least, to much of her music. So much of it lacked words, so it was more the sounds that told the story over the words. Perhaps that would make it easier for Mitth’raw’nuruodo to enjoy.

Perhaps it would make it harder, with no solid point of reference in something understood.

That brought up a query, “Do you find abstract art to be as easy to understand as other forms – portraits, landscapes, and the like – or do you find those to be more difficult?” To her, it seemed the abstract pieces might be more difficult, in the way she imagined instrumentals were more difficult for most to grasp in a meaningful way, but she wondered if it remained the same for him.

Perhaps, somehow, that was easier for how his brain worked.

He was able to see something more in the abstract, that the concrete subjects lacked.

 

[cleopat]

Cora chuckled her agreement to Eli. “Yes, I think after the rides would be best as well. I’m not normally queasy either, but an eight-year-old me learned the hard way to not eat before the rides.” And her siblings just let her eat some funnel cake before a rollercoaster.

Bastards.

Their waitress came back out with the food, and Cora hummed in delight at how delicious everything looked. She hadn’t eaten anything that morning yet, and so she was quick to dig in after thanking the waitress. “Weirdest thing?” she repeated between bites.

That was a tough one for her to answer. She shrugged, “I’m not sure. I actually wasn’t that quiet of an adventurous eater as a child, so I normally stuck to food I recognized.” Obviously, it was something she grew out of. “Although I do remember seeing fried butter.” She scrunched her nose at the thought. “Okay, it may not be that strange, but still. Butter?”

~~~

So they could easily pass as a new bodyguard simply being shown Adlai’s typical areas of Serenno. To better understand the area and the layout, should the need for such knowledge arise in some threatening situation. It would have been preferably to be shown around as someone Adlai was romantically linked with, but it was still far too soon.

Skye hummed in thought. “And I suppose sharing a bed would be out of the question? We wouldn’t want your parents seeing anything they shouldn’t,” she chuckled, just imagining the look of his mother if Skye walked out of Adlai’s bedroom in sleep clothes, or even just his shirt.

That would be embarrassing.

She leaned up and forward some, so her face hovered over Adlai’s. “And that would just be a shame,” she said, before leaning down and pressing her lips to his.

~~~

For now Thrawn would accept Eira’s comment about music. About how instrumentals are more important than the words. Maybe he could try to understand by comparing elements of the music to elements of painting. Or maybe he was ill-fated to be lacking understanding in something for once.

But the question she posed was something he understood and felt confident in answering. “The answer to that question is relative to which planet the art originated, but in general, most abstract art is easy for me to understand.” And then there were some cultures, those that needed further studying, that eluded him to some extent.

In the end, he always managed to crack the code.

“How the artist thinks can be interpreted through the use of a certain color palette, or perhaps with the shapes and patterns. What may appear as chaos to someone can be easily understood as a story to one who knows what to look for.” But ultimately, whether the art was figural or abstract, Thrawn managed to understand the story.

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli did lift his brows as Cora confessed, without details, to an incident. He wouldn’t ask for details. He could imagine well enough, and his look turned sympathetic – if not a little amused. He wouldn’t wish her fate on anyone. Thankfully, he’d always avoided it himself, and never had to deal with a messy aftermath.

She did think of foods, and came up with one Eli had seen, but admittedly never tried, “Yeah, I’ve never understood that one,” he said, “yet it’s pretty common. I just can’t imagine who came up with the idea to eat a stick of butter when it’s fried. Do people just eat sticks of butter?” He shook his head.

It was weird.

Butter was definitely tasty on things, but on its own? That didn’t sound appealing. “I’ve had someone tell me it tastes like Nabooian toast, but I just can’t imagine it.” He was pretty sure they were pulling his leg; he didn’t have any plans to try it, at any rate.

He was definitely going to veto that one.

~***~

Adlai had chuckled at Skye’s question and her movement, “Unfortunately, sharing a bed would be out of the question,” Adlai confirmed as he looked up at her, letting her complete the thought in his head.

It was such a shame.

He met her kiss, a muffled, “mmm” escaping at the point of contact, before he wound a hand around her, and let his fingers graze down her spine. Tempting as it was to tangle them in her hair again, he was still enjoying the feel of flesh more.

It’d been far too long.

He’d definitely have to find a way to tell his parents sooner than later, though. And the galaxy. But…it was still too soon. And he hated that.

~***~

“Hmmm,” Eira allowed the interested hum as Mitth’raw’nuruodo spoke of finding more meaning in the abstract work than he did in the straightforward. If he ever figured out music, he might find it was the instrumentals that made more sense to him, then. Of course, that would require him to figure it out.

Eira had this one advantage over him, for now.

“Does it often require any substantial history or cultural studies alongside it, or do you find that comes secondary?” Certainly, he needed a bit of background in order to understand what things could mean to the artists. He had to know how to differentiate abstract art from different worlds, and know what they meant to those worlds. “I don’t know how many trends may be seen across cultures, how many things mean the same, or if it is always so different.”

Yet another advantage – studying the Jedi culture was almost impossible, almost all lost.

Mitth’raw’nuruodo would find it next to impossible to study, thanks to Palpatine’s purge.

 

[cleopat]

Cora shook her head. “I think people try it for the novelty and bizarre factor.” That had to be it, right? She didn’t want to think that someone would willingly eat the fried butter.

“But I do doubt this person that told you it tasted like Nabooian toast,” she said. There was no way. “So I think we both agree that if we see a vendor for fried butter, we’ll pass on it,” she chuckled. They could stick to what they knew was good, or something that looked and sounded good. Cora was willing to try new things.

Or, after thinking back to the butter, try most things. Everything wasn’t required.

“What about you? Did you get the chance to try anything weird at these fairs back home?” The spicy peanut butter and jelly hamburger seemed odd enough to her, but Cora knew food could get much weirder.

~~~

The feel of soft fingers trailing sent a delectable shiver down her back. Skye wished they could just remain in bed forever, forgetting about the problems of the galaxy.

But, even if she did forgo some of her Jedi teachings, some still remained with her, such as her dedication to protect the galaxy. And that meant helping to bring down the Empire. That was for another day, and for the moment, she could relish their time together.

Unfortunately it could be a few weeks before they could do this again.

Skye pulled away, but she still lingered over Adlai. “Though, sneaking around could be exciting,” she suggested with a sly smirk.

~~~

“I would say that they all are learned together,” Thrawn explained. “Sometimes studying their history or their culture beforehand is advantageous, but I am also able to see their history in the art itself and guess what their culture may be like, or if they’re prone to war.” Studying both simultaneously is often what Thrawn ended up doing, as it has proven to be most effective for him.

“Spotting familiar trends in art can be another indicator of their culture. For example, two worlds with similar patterns may have a long history of alliance and trade.” Worlds that were friendly toward one another made it easier to share ideas and traditions, and thus, share some similar imagery in art as well.

“And with such trends, it becomes easier to understand the art of the worlds connected.” With knowing of alliances playing a role in that understanding.

If only music came so easily to him. Oh the histories he could hear, the strategies he could imagine. But art was enough for now, even if he did still wish to hear Eira play something one day.

 

[Lucyfer]

At least Cora also doubted the taste of the fried butter as being anything delicious. Eli would probably never find out. Certainly, not on this venture, as Cora voiced her desire to veto it. He did shake his head at her question, “Nothing really more bizarre than the peanut butter thing,” he admitted. “At least, not to me. Some people think that Nerf Oysters are weird,” he just shrugged.

With how normal the butter was, he hadn’t thought of it as the most bizarre, even if he understood it less than the peanut butter monstrosity. It had seemed odd even at the time, but he was convinced to try it, and didn’t regret that.

Maybe he actually wouldn’t regret the butter….

‘Not now, Eli.’

He did finish up his brunch, finding it was quite good, though he was eager to get on towards the park and enjoy that environment with Cora. Still, he wouldn’t rush her to finish; they did have all day, after all.

There wasn’t a rush at all, which was nice.

~***~

Adlai laughed after Skye broke away and suggested sneaking around, though he shook his head a bit. It could be, and yet he knew that the odds were they’d be caught by a well-meaning droid, cameras, or one of his parents. Here, it wasn’t so problematic if a droid caught them, the droid wasn’t going to gossip about it everywhere.

There?

A droid would absolutely tell his parents. “We’ll still find some time, have some moments…,” he allowed, hand trailing lazily back up to her neck, and brushing along the edges of her short cut, “But the droids are more inclined to tell my parents what’s going on,” he rolled his eyes a bit. It was such a teenage concern.

Yet, in this case, it was also a legitimate concern until he let his family know the situation. They didn’t need to find out from a droid. He should be the one to tell them and he was still considering how he’d go about doing that.

~***~

It seemed that Mitth’raw’nuruodo was familiar with enough trends in art, across cultures, that he could still often identify the history and culture of a world without extensive study. It was impressive, and Eira did not bother to mask that in her expression as she looked at him, listened to him speak.

Perhaps that was how he surmised what Palpatine was.

Eira could not ask that of him, of course. She had to be ignorant of it, to be ignorant that he was likely studying her, as well. Well – not wholly ignorant. Even if she wasn’t a Rebel, a Jedi, it was obvious he held an interest in her, and logically that followed he would try to understand her in some ways.

“What’s an example?” Eira asked, but opted to tease as she suggested, “What have you learned about Mygeeto that helps you understand it’s people?” So far as Mitth’raw’nuruodo knew, she was from Mygeeto, and Eira had no doubts he’d been looking at their art, with the fractals and shatter methods they used to create it.

It wouldn’t really tell him much about her.

It wasn’t the culture she grew up in.

She wondered how frustrating it was for him.

Besides, he had asked her about it before. It was time he shared what he’d figured out.

 

[cleopat]

Nerf Oysters?

Cora wouldn’t comment on that one, but she would accept Eli’s words as truth. The concept of what is defined as bizarre varies among individuals, and someone from the Cora would have different ideals than someone from Wild Space.

Soon enough she finished up her brunch, not so long after Eli did. “That was really good,” she commented, and her breakfast experience was certainly made better by current company.

The waitress returned, and seeing that both were done eating, she asked, “Are you guys finished? Would you like anything else?”

Cora shook her head, “No, I’m good. Thank you.”

~~~

Skye pouted, but it was all in good nature. She knew the dangers if they were too careless. She had to be patient, and Skye had plenty of practice with that.

“Well, we don’t need any droids going around gossiping about us,” she chuckled. And, again, she didn’t want that kind of reputation with his parents before they actually knew that Adlai and Skye were in a relationship.

Which felt very odd to Skye to think about. A relationship, something that the Jedi Council would have disapproved of. Her old Jedi teachings would have forbidden. But this was a different time, where she learned to survive as someone else.

“I guess in the meantime,” she murmured, head leaning down, “we’ll just have to make up for all that time we will lose.” Skye passed his lips to press her against his neck. “And spend this time together.” And not think about Shay or their meeting.

~~~

Thrawn was used to people either tuning out his observations about art, or allowing surprise to flicker on their face. But when Eira didn’t mask how impressed she was, he felt a sense of pride that he normally didn’t feel under similar circumstances with anyone else.

“Mygeeto?” he hummed, contemplative. Eira’s homeworld, and a planet he had studied the art of quite recently, namely due to the woman sitting across from him. “Assuming I knew nothing of the world already, and I was only looking at their art, I would surmise that their world is a cold and harsh one, by their use of fragile materials to create fractals.”

But that was easy information to figure out. “But further, the shattered patterns could represent a shattered society, one that was shattered by some great conflict, most likely a war.” And indeed, Mygeeto has seen its fair share of battles.

“And although seemingly fragile, the reinforced fractal designs tells me that fatigued the people may be, they are still resilient and not so easy to crumble to outside forces.” He paused, allowing Eira to soak up his words while he took a sip of his drink. “What do you think of that?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli also shook his head at the request for more food, “All right, we’ll get you checked out at the front when you’re ready,” the waitress said, and left them for the moment. Eli had no real reason to wait, of course. He wanted to continue on with their day and check out the amusement park sooner than later!

So, he rose from his seat, but he wouldn’t immediately head towards the front counter to pay, but offer his hand to Cora to help her out of the seat, and of course, just to hold her hand once again, to stay with her during this venture.

After all, it was for them.

He wasn’t soon to forget that. Her company was far too pleasant to forget that. “Ready to go check out the amusement park?” his tone was a bit playful, not at all expecting she wanted to linger longer here, when they’d been talking about the amusement park this whole time.

She had to be just as eager to check it out, too!

~***~

Mitth’raw’nuruodo offered his interpretations of the common designs, and what that showed to him. Shattered and resilient, the words seemed true. Mygeeto had gone through plenty of traumatic events even recently, and likely would continue to. She wondered, though, how it differed so from other worlds and other art, that had been through the same things.

She let out a contemplative hum, “I can certainly see that in the people I know from Mygeeto, but now I’m curious: with so many worlds impacted by the Clone Wars not long ago, how does Mygeeto’s depiction of their trauma differ from another worlds? Can you tell how they deal with it differently by their art?”

She considered a moment, “Like, Serenno’s art,” he may have looked into that, if he disliked Adlai enough, “or perhaps the art of Christophsis? I know the latter has a similar climate to Mygeeto.” Cold, with spires, though their spires were more truly crystalline than ice. “Well, if you’ve looked into their art.”

Eira looked down a moment, embarrassed to suddenly be asking him for comparative reports to places he may have never considered or looked at before. But she was interested, despite all that she knew about him, his understanding and what he drew from it was still fascinating.

 

[cleopat]

Cora was ready to leave the moment the waitress stepped away from their table once more. Eli seemed just as eager to leave, as he stood up before she did and walked to her side to hold out one hand for her. What a gentleman.

And she wouldn’t object to holding his hand again.

She took it and stood, not letting go of his hand once she was standing. “Oh, I think I’ve been ready,” she chuckled. And she has been, as they talked of previous experiences at amusement parks and the varying odd foods that they had in the past.

They hadn’t discussed too much on rides, which were arguably always the best part of the parks. Would ferris wheels be too cheesy? Would Eli want to try any of the adrenaline inducing rides that would fling them in the air? All of that would be something she would discover soon, at the very least.

Eli didn’t seem like the type to her that would skimp out on most of the rides. She certainly wouldn’t.

~~~

Thrawn took a second to consider her words. The extent of the Clone Wars was indeed felt far, and there were so few worlds in this part of the galaxy that did not suffer casualties from it, and they all dealt with their tragedies in their own way, which he could observe in their art.

Then he noticed the downward turn in Eira’s expression, as slight embarrassment slipped into her mind of her questions for him. “I don’t mind the questions,” he assured her with a faint smile. There was someone who was finally interested, genuinely interested, in hearing what he had to say about art. There was no need for embarrassment or apologies over that.

“The answer to your question though, is yes. By looking at the material utilized often in the art, followed by common patterns and themes, I can easily gauge the impact the Clone Wars had on their planet.” Just as he had with Mygeeto, and every planet showed its unique personality and how they dealt with the Clone Wars and its aftermath. “For example, the materials utilized in the art of Christophsis is much sturdier than that of Mygeeto, which, should I know nothing of Christophsis, it is a planet that never truly considers itself weak, or one to back down from battle.”

Thrawn did know that several key battles of the Clone Wars took place there. “They are a truly resilient people, perhaps even to the point of exhibiting rebellious ties.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli hadn’t been sure whether or not to expect Cora to let go of his hand once she rose. He was glad when she didn’t, and kept a hold of it, as he closed his hand around hers. He smiled wider with her words, “Good.” He gave a nod, before leading towards the counter to get the bill settled so they could go. He was eager to see Coruscant’s amusement park, and find out what they had to show that worlds like his own didn’t have.

“Ready to settle up?” The waitress asked at the register, and Eli nodded, sliding his datapad out of his pocket as she gave the amount together. He was quick to offer his datapad to scan to get the credits from his account, “Thank you for coming in!”

Eli nodded again, “Thank you for having us,” he squeezed Cora’s hand as he slipped the datapad back into his pocket, and turned them towards the door so they could head out and get on their way to the amusement park.

“Anything you want to try and find first?” Eli asked Cora, not sure what would be in front of them first, though he could see the park from here as they walked. He could see plenty of the rollercoasters from this distance, though that was to be expected. They towered over everything else, after all.

~***~

Eira looked back up as Mitth’raw’nuruodo acknowledged the questions were fine, and he had no problems answering them. He knew of the planets indicated, at least the two ice ones, enough to make a comparison. He thought the latter was more likely to offer trouble and hold rebellious sentiments based on its art.

An interesting conception, and she couldn’t help but tilt her head, “Is it that easy to tell things even in worlds like Coruscant? I’ve always found Coruscant to be such a mix of cultures. Can you see an overarching one in the art of this world?”

Her curiosity remained genuine. Coruscant was, after all, something of a mixing pot, even under the Empire.

It had been moreso before the Empire, but it still was now as they hosted art of other planets, and had senators and other representatives from all across the galaxy. She wondered if Mitth’raw’nuruodo could still see through that to one unifying culture, to various leanings, that overrode all the others, or if Coruscant was too mixed for such a thing to be adequately done.

 

[cleopat]

Cora had almost wanted to insist that she pay for the bill. After all, the last time they went out to dinner together, Eli also paid for that meal. Faro had been with them at the time, and while that was only a group of friends spending the evening together instead of two people on a date, Cora still wanted to return the favor.

One day, she was determined.

For now, they headed out to the park after exchanging niceties with their waitress, and Cora’s mood was still relaxed as hers and Eli‘s hands remained clasped together in a silent gesture of their enjoyment of one another.

Eli asked which ride they should try first, and Cora hummed in contemplation. “Well, since we just ate, we probably shouldn’t do anything that could potentially lead to an unfortunate accident.” And on their first date nonetheless! “What about bumper speeders?” she then suggested.

It was a fairly fun ride that did not threaten their recent brunch. Cora recalled how much she enjoyed ramming her own bumper speeder into one of her siblings’ in a form of childish competitive fun.

~~~

The curiosity that gleamed in Eira’s eyes remained endearing for Thrawn. He enjoyed someone asking him questions about art without any hint of mockery, which had only been too common in the past, as much as he enjoyed discussing said art.

And suddenly he wanted to bring her along to another art gallery and hope for a better ending than the one at the Alderaan exhibit. Take her to an art gallery and hold discussions of the varying pieces together, and see what she had to say before his own calculated input.

As Eira offered another question, this time more focused on Coruscant, Thrawn took a sip of his drink as he considered. “Coruscant, like the other Core Worlds, offers a unique case study. As you mentioned, there is such a blend of cultures here, both very new and also those with old roots deeply ingrained within society here. I think because there is so much variety of art here, that in and of itself tells me a story of the planet.”

And Coruscant holds a deep, complex history from what he had studied in the past. The Jedi Temple. The center of the defunct Galactic Republic.

“It tells me of a planet that’s welcoming to outsiders, so one that attempts to avoid conflict if possible.” Which he knew hadn’t always been successful, especially in the waning days of the Clone Wars. “And perhaps one that doesn’t focus too much on its past, but rather looks to what can be improved upon in the near future.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Bumper speeders caused Eli to grin wider, and he nodded, “I don’t think that’s prone to cause any issues,” and he enjoyed the thought of it. It had always been a favorite of his. He was able to be a little vindictive without serious repercussions, and all in good fun. It was never truly malignant.

There was a bit of a line at the amusement park’s entrance, but they were working through it fairly quickly. Again, Eli had that strange realization that there were no aliens in line, no aliens servicing people to get in – no alien presence at all. He tried to ignore it. Certainly, there would be some in the park, right?

It wasn’t as if there was a sign or anything barring them from coming.

They eventually reached the tickets, and the man at the counter verified, “Two adults?”

“Yeah, uh – active military.” Eli knew that got a discount, so he thought it was good to mention it.

“ID?”

Eli was quick to flash his credentials as they were in the datapad he carried, and have that scanned, before the man looked expectantly to Cora for her own.

~***~

Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s assessment of Coruscant wasn’t far from the truth, so far as its ideals went. Of course, in practice, Coruscant was not nearly so good at holding to that, but it was something they tried, and admirably so. Given there was an entire galaxy to oversee, doing it perfectly was likely an impossibility, though Eira had been a part of those who tried to do it, all the same. She no longer believed it could actually be done perfectly.

That didn’t mean they needed to stop trying, though.

“I think that seems about right for Coruscant, though I know even Coruscant doesn’t always get it right,” Eira noted aloud, “it certainly doesn’t get stuck on the past,” how quick the Jedi were forgotten, how quick their temple turned into an Imperial Palace, rather than preserved as a historic monument.

That was more the Emperor’s doing, not so much the people.

A sip of her own drink, and she asked, “How did you begin to realize art said so much, Mitth’raw’nuruodo? What made you see all of this?” It couldn’t have come from a simple appreciation of art, so she was fascinated with the idea of how he saw this, if there was a trigger, or if it had always been this way.

 

[cleopat]

Eli’s responding grin pleased Cora and sent a wave of heat through her body. Good, everything was going well so far, and they could agree on their very first ride with no issue. She could only hope that would continue, but with all the time they’ve spent together in the past week on missions, Cora liked to think they got to know one another more than they thought.

They reached the ticket booth, and when prompted for her military credentials, she pulled out her credentials to show the ticket seller. The man nodded and told them the cost of the two adult tickets, discounted included. Before Eli could pay though, Cora stepped up with her datapad already out, so her credits could be scanned from her account.

“I got this one,” she told Eli with a wink, and once the tickets were paid for, she put her datapad back in her pocket. The seller handed over the tickets, and Cora took them, handing one to Eli. “I suppose you don’t know which way the bumper speeders are, do you?” she chuckled after they had stepped away from the ticket counter.

Maybe there was a map they could download somewhere.

All the while, she kept her hand in his, unaware of the thoughts of the lack of aliens that Eli held. It was too normal of a site for her to not see aliens on Coruscant, so she simply never thought of it.

~~~

It certainly doesn’t get stuck on the past.

Thrawn was curious to know more of what Eira thought about that statement. It certainly seemed to him that she had more to say, but she asked her next questions before he could pose his own questions for her.

That seemed to be a common theme whenever he was around Eira.

He knew of some of Coruscant’s past, but there was always more to be learned, and he wanted to know what Eira already knew. If how she talked about the past could give him any insight into her life.

With Eira’s next question, he gave a slight sigh. “Unfortunately, I do not have that exciting of an answer to offer you. I have always held an appreciation for art, ever since I was younger. Eventually I realized what information could be surmised and gathered from art of any particular culture, and during my younger days,” back home, when he was but a young boy at the academy on Rentor, “I proved how strategically beneficial this information could be.” Even if some were still so inclined to think his interests a foolish waste of time.

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli was a bit startled when Cora stepped forward to pay for the tickets, but he wouldn’t take offense to it, nor would it be shock enough for him to release her hand. He let her pay with a chuckle, “Okay, I guess that’s even,” he said, knowing he’d gotten their brunch, and a dinner before. Admittedly, with Faro, but still.

He wasn’t the kind to keep track – of his finances, yes, but not things like this.

As they walked into the park, another scan offered no aliens wandering around the main open area. He noted a few signs to various ‘thematic’ areas, but none of the themes really helped Eli to know where the bumper speeders were, “No,” he answered, but he did approach one of the signs that had a scan option.

One scan, and he was able to get an updated map of the park on his datapad, which had many of the rides, games, and activities labeled. “Looks like it’s in, uh, the Imperial Cup area,” it seemed design after sporting events and games, and so held rides, games, and other such things of that nature.

He supposed it made sense why bumper speeders might be over in that area, “Let’s go check it out!”

~***~

While there was no exciting tale of finding his own purpose and having an awakening, it still gave insight into Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s life. She wondered at what art he’d been privy to at a young age, and how it had been useful for him then – and how it had been useful for the Chiss themselves, if it was. “You’re fortunate to have found your skill so young, so many of us struggle to find what it is we’re good at.”

Some never did.

She’d certainly never expected to be where she was at now, when she was younger, using her skills in this fashion. She couldn’t even say which of her skills was her ‘best’, although she knew which was her favorite.

“I certainly hope you didn’t have too many opportunities to prove those skills, though,” war and battle were never desirable things, “at least, with regards to violence. If it’s helped in other ways, I suppose I can encourage it,” but she didn’t really know if it did, and she left that open for him to elaborate on if he cared to, rather than directly ask this time.

She knew that was possibly a mistake. She’d figured out that leaving space tended to mean he jumped back to querying her.

 

[cleopat]

“Yes, we are,” Cora agreed with a good natured chuckle. She always felt guilty when people spent too much money on her. She had money, dammit. And a lot of it. She could pay for a few dates herself.

The bumper speeders were nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t matter as they found a map to scan for their datapad. Once scanned, the updated map on the datapad showed where they needed to go for the ride.

“Oh that doesn’t seem too far,” Cora commented as they set off in the direction of the ride. There was a decent sized crowd strolling through the park, a mix of families, groups of friends, and couples similar to Eli and Cora on casual dates.

“What do you think you’ll want to go to after the bumper speeders?” she asked as she briefly glanced back down at the map to see what rides are in the same vicinity. Some high velocity ones, and there was one that dropped them from high in the air, but most of the rollercoasters were a bit further away.

~~~

Thrawn did find his skill and his interests so young, and even if he had to push to pursue them and insist they were useful, he was still able to study them and convince others of their use. Even if it was obvious that many found his fascination with art boring or pointless. Not everyone could appreciate art like he did.

It was a shame, really.

He didn’t comment on her statement about hoping he didn’t have too many opportunities to use his skills. It was a conversation that may sour the evening, and Thrawn didn’t wish that. And besides, he now had an opening to start asking questions of his own.

“What about you? Did you find your skill so young?” He still hadn’t delved too much into research on her background, which he vowed to fix as soon as he was able to. It was a horrible mistake on his part for not doing so when there was information he needed to obtain from her. “Did you always aspire to be an actress?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli shook his head. It wasn’t too far, although he imagined as they continued on, things would never seem ‘too far’, but they’d end up walking more than they ever did on the starships. At least there was no end to the benefits of the amusement park. The greasy food might even make little difference to the diet with all the walking. He knew that was likely a fool’s dream, but he was fool enough to maintain it for the moment as they walked into the area that grew increasingly more sporty.

Flags of the various amusements in the area were offered, mascots made for fake teams representing other parts of the park were in place, and numbered jerseys were offered for sale at plenty of booths as they drew closer. There were plenty of rides and games here, most of the games having to do with things like throwing objects, feats of strength, or other Core World games that occurred every four years. He was sure if they looked hard enough, they might even find a track and jumping contests, though he wondered at that.

There were also signs for ice skating, which was apparently one of the seasonal events. He doubted the ice was real ice, though.

“Mmmmm,” he considered Cora’s question as he looked around at the area, “I’m guessing the Alpine Toboggan is a bit too much for right now,” given the food, though he chuckled at the design of the luge ride, “Maybe the Seabreeze Fliers?” It seemed pretty much like a swing ride with the designs of aerial bikes as the swings. He didn’t think that’d be too intense.

~***~

It was precisely as Eira thought – Mitth’raw’nuruodo took the opportunity to question her in turn. It wasn’t bad to encourage this sort of thing, though Eira knew she could only give him so many opportunities, and only let him know so much. He was Imperial. More than that, as her mind constantly reminded her, he was in league with the Sith, and intelligent. He could figure things out if he was given too much.

And he was likely to know if he was being lied to, too obviously.

“I found skills that I have and use today, quite young,” Eira admitted, “though I never aspired to be an actress,” no, she aspired to be a counsellor as a Jedi, and even after that, she thought to fade away into anonymity, or do peacekeeping work in some other fashion when she left them. Pursuit of music, of acting, was done for the perks of it all – the money, the fame, the access. None of it was her calling. “I prefer making music to acting, but I can do more as an actress, and I’m apparently quite good at it.”

Her smile was a bit teasing, “Who am I to judge my place in the galaxy if billions of people say it’s acting?” Not that her music was disliked, far from it, but acting was still the more lucrative function. Even the best musicians and composers didn’t come close to what an actor or actress could make, or the kind of familiarity they had. After all, their visage was seen everywhere.

“Honestly, I don’t aspire to be a musician, either,” she said, a rueful smile as she shook her head, “but I know I’ve already mentioned my humanitarian dreams to you before.” And this was how she achieved them, the means to the end, really. There weren’t too many direct paths without money, after all. “Did you never have dreams of being something besides an official in wars?” She teased, “no thoughts of being a museum curator?”

 

[cleopat]

The park was busy, with much to offer its many visitors on a daily basis. Many of the little souvenirs and expensive memorabilia were of no interest to Cora - she only cared about the rides, and maybe a few of the games. And, of course, the company that was with her that day.

She chuckled at Eli’s first suggestions, “I think so. It does sound fun though, so maybe in about an hour.” By then most of their breakfast should be digested enough to not threaten to expel from their stomach after a high velocity ride. She hoped.

“The Seabreeze Fliers should be fine.” After the bumper speeders, of course, which they were getting closer to. “And then later on, we can try out one of the rollercoasters,” she said with a grin, as excited as she was with forgetting about the constant stress of their duties and recent missions.

Finally a day that wouldn’t try to kill them. Well, hopefully.

A small line led to the bumper speeders, but one that they wouldn’t have to wait terribly in before their own turn. “Do you think we’ll miss anything exciting back on the ship on our one day off?” Cora had to ask with a chuckle. No doubt it would be just another boring day, with no unexpected visitors or anything of that sort.

~~~

Eira said nothing new to Thrawn, nor anything unexpected or outside the realm of what he had anticipated. She hadn’t anticipated on becoming an actress, or even a musician, although she preferred making music over acting. It was simply something she fell into by circumstance. One could see the merit in making money in one career in order to help sustain another interest. Certainly his position as Grand Admiral allowed him access to rare art or art of smaller cultures.

Before he could get out his own questions, Eira fired back some of her own. “I always knew I would be involved in the military,” he answered. Thrawn simply never saw himself in any other role. “Art was always a hobby of mine, one for which I found practical use at a young age. After all, the best way to defeat one’s enemy is to know them.” Although it was a hobby that the other Chiss always regarded as slightly odd, some accepted what Thrawn could see that others couldn’t and its inevitable uses, like Ar’alani.

He was quick to turn the questions back on Eira, before she had a chance to distract him further. “How did you find yourself in this profession if it wasn’t something you truly wished to do?” That Thrawn was curious about, though he did guess that ultimately money played a role in her decision, if she did truly wish to eventually find her way into humanitarian missions.

He continued, “Were any of these skills that you found young applicable to your humanitarian desires?” Thrawn wanted to learn more about a younger Eira, what her childhood may have been like, and what led her on her current path of fame and holofilms.

If that is indeed the only path she is currently on, he had to remind himself, as he knew Tarkin would.

 

[Lucyfer]

“One?” Eli arched an eyebrow, though he was certain that Cora meant to try out many of the rollercoasters while they were in the park. There were certainly plenty scattered about, and Eli would be interested in trying most of them, even if some of them were no doubt going to make him a bit nervous. Like ones that went backwards through loops. Or any of them that had jumps, which Eli didn’t understand how they worked and how the cart got back on the rails of the ride. He might find out.

They got into the line for the bumper speeders, and Cora’s question pulled his smile down a little. ‘Yeah, we will.’ She definitely didn’t know about the Inquisitors, then. He wouldn’t mention them directly, but he knew he had to answer for his flicker in expression, “With my luck, probably,” he sighed.

“Just so long as Thrawn doesn’t call us back for it, though,” he didn’t think Thrawn would. Eli had no business dealing with Inquisitors, nor did Cora. Unless for some reason they had questions to ask them, but Thrawn wouldn’t point them in their direction, would he? ‘If he thinks its for the best of the Empire….’ Eli wouldn’t dwell on it.

Or, he’d try not to.

Thankfully, they’d stepped in line at a good time. The current participants were finding their vehicles slowing to a stop, and starting to get out, letting those in line start to move up to get closer to the rides – and Eli and Cora would be among those able to go find a vehicle.

~***~

‘How much war is a part of Csilla to have such a dream?’ Eira wondered it, but would not have asked. She might have asked why Mitth’raw’nuruodo saw the art of war the way he did, and not arts of peace. She supposed that might also bear no fruits for the conversation, though, and she considered what he had to ask.

She’d answered questions about her childhood a thousand times.

Her parents knew by now what their own answers had to be, if they were ever approached.

“Most humans do not find themselves where they want to be,” Eira said, “or do you imagine that every taxi driver longed to do so since they were young?” It was slightly teasing. There were some, no doubt, who did – but most did not. Most fell on it because of circumstance rather than any real desire to do it. No doubt, the same was true of their host for the evening, and many others. Eira knew she was fortunate that her unwanted position was something like actress, but it still went to show how few people got what they wanted out of life.

She shook her head, “To actually answer your question, my parents were able to afford me many teachers when I was young, and among the skills I did learn, acting and music were present,” he knew already she had a strange grouping of language skills, it would make sense if she was among many tutors in her past. And it was…technically true.

Her parents had given her to the Jedi Order.

“Then the war happened. I had not determined what I wanted to do before the war – I knew I wanted to help people, but I had not figured out how,” well, she thought she’d known, like any teenager. That was as true then even for Ae’lia, who realized…no, she didn’t know, but she was on the wrong path. “After it, I knew for certain, but it was…quite hard to pull off without the connections and money, so I came to Coruscant, and I was one of the lucky ones who come here with dreams of grandeur. I was able to stand out, and find employment among the stars.”

She chuckled, “Should I worry about you trying t get to know me?” It was a tease, and Eira knew the truth of the answer – yes, yes she should. “You don’t think I’m your enemy, do you, Mitth’raw’nuruodo?”

 

[cleopat]

“Of course more than one,” Cora clarified. She wanted to try out as many as they could possibly fit into one day while also riding the other attractions and finding the most ridiculous food they could.

Eli’s expression flickered with her question, but he continued before she could question it. It was only based on suspicion and what has happened in the past. Still, his explanation didn’t quite seem right to Cora. Was something going on in the ship that she didn’t hear about this morning?

She didn’t have a chance to voice her suspicions, to ask him if there wasn’t more that he wasn’t saying. The line moved until it was their turn to find a vehicle.

“May the best officer win,” Cora said with a smile, before she left Eli’s side to pick out a vehicle. All of the speeders were the same, except for variations in colors, so Cora didn’t linger too long on choosing one and eventually settled for a vehicle with dark green markings. The ride operator waited for everyone else to get into a speeder, then allowed for the ride to begin.

~~~

Thrawn couldn’t fault her for pointing out that not everyone ended up in jobs that they desired, through many reasons. It happened back home often enough, with families playing a large role in such decisions. But he knew it was more typical for wealthier families to have slightly more control over their careers.

And he certainly had the impression, based on what Eira has said, that her family were well off. “Surely if your parents were able to afford you many teachers in your childhood, you would have some of those connections or money needed.” Unless there was more to the story. “And from my understanding of the entertainment business here, it seems like it would be easier to become a humanitarian.”

Thrawn would admit there were still aspects of their society he was learning, as Tarkin and Eli reminded him on occasion.

With Eira’s next question, he knew the truth, though he didn’t wish to admit it right then. He shouldn’t. Not when he needed to get to know Eira better. “One should never reveal if they think an ally is their enemy. It ruins the surprise,” he teased with a sly smirk, even if there was a small chance it wasn’t actually a tease.

She could be his enemy; Governor Tarkin certainly thought so.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Agreed,” Eli said as they were given freedom to move and pick out their speeders. Eli went to a bronze one, taking his seat and preparing for the start of the ride, already figuring out his path to get towards Cora, assuming no one else would bump into him. Which, of course, was highly unlikely.

And proven impossible as it did get started.

He was almost immediately rammed in the side by a kid, who was laughing with glee at it. Eli put on a mock-wicked grin and got his speeder around to ram them right back, earning another peel of laughter, before he turned off to go after others, and take his own hits from them.

It was fun, though.

It’d been far too long since he’d done something like this, and even as an adult, it hadn’t lost much of its allure. He was laughing along with the kids and teenagers, but kept in mind Cora as he continued to weave his way through the others to get behind her green vehicle, and slam into it from behind.

“One for me!”

As if it would really matter or be kept track of for too long.

~***~

Eira didn’t let her expression entirely falter under his query about her parents and connections, but it did. Intentionally so, at least, for she knew she would have to circle back to that before going anywhere. She couldn’t leave that unanswered, even if it wasn’t a direct question. At least to his credit, he didn’t lie.

She just shook her head and chuckled, “Well, I’m not your enemy, Mitth’raw’nuruodo,” she said in that same teasing tone, “Sorry to ruin the surprise,” even if he was with the Sith. Even if he was her enemy. She still believed in those that were against her, in their general…well, humanity wasn’t the word, but she didn’t have a better one. She didn’t go out to make anyone but the Sith themselves her enemy. She wouldn’t change that perspective, either.

She wouldn’t dehumanize.

It was why she had been a terrible General.

“As for my parents,” she sighed, and shook her head, “We’re not on the best of terms, to be honest. They disagreed with many of my decisions during the war, and more or less cut me off. We’ve worked on our relationship since then, I’m sure my monetary support helped, not that it was needed,” it wasn’t, her parents weren’t poor, but one could always have more, “as well as my fame, but there’s still tension.”

A wane smile, that brightened for their host as their meals were finally brought to their table.

 

[cleopat]

Cora felt giddy as she picked out her speeder and sat in it. Memories of her childhood came rushing back to her, and she momentarily reminisced of playing this same game with her siblings. Despite being four of them, they were all relatively close in age, with her only being six years younger than her oldest brother. It allowed for them to bond with such memories as these before her older siblings started out on their own lives.

Upon the start of the ride, Cora immediately made haste for Eli, but she was stopped by a laughing kid who rammed into her side. She couldn’t help the grin that crossed her face at the absolute glee on the child’s face.

She turned her speeder back around and rammed back into the kid, who let out another bellow of laughter.

Not even a second after the kid left, someone rammed into her from behind, and Eli’s unmistakable voice revealed him as the perpetrator. “And only one for you!” Cora moved her speeder and maneuvered it so she could see Eli clearly.

She needed to step her game up.

With determination, she maneuvered her speeder around others and aimed wherever she could - from this angle, she hit him from his front left. “And one for me!”

~~~

Thrawn allowed himself to chuckle. “I’m sure you’re not my enemy, Eira.” He certainly hoped not. He hoped that all suspicions, from both himself and from Governor Tarkin, led to nothing and that she was truly nothing more than an actress with a humanitarian streak.

One thing Thrawn knew though was that his suspicions often led to credibility.

Thrawn gave her a nod of understanding after she explained the situation with her parents. He and his family were...complicated, to say the least, and though he had already told Eira some of his family, Thrawn doubted she would be able to understand the depths of its complexity without delving more into the hierarchy of Chiss society.

The waiter interrupted their current conversation with the food. Thrawn passed him a courteous nod as his meal was placed in front of him. “Do you two need anything else?” the waiter asked.

“No, thank you, everything is fine.”

The waiter smiled and nodded and glanced over to Eira, if she had anything to add.

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli laughed as his own car was finally hit by Cora. He considered challenging it, since it was the front and he’d been turning towards her, but he supposed he wasn’t quite oriented well enough to call it his. At least when she pulled away, he was able to get oriented once more, and drive his car right into hers once more, “Two!”

It would continue in such a fashion for a while, others hearing them call out, and a few getting in on the fun – and just making it their total, not a person they’d hit so many times, to the point Eli ended up adding one into his total by mistake, and then just rolling with it, and making it about the number of cars he hit in general.

Shame he hadn’t started with that – he’d have a higher number by the end of the bumper cars. At least it definitely made the situation more fun, so when it was called time, he was still laughing about the fun. He was a little shaky getting out of the car, though that didn’t seem to be too abnormal.

Of course, the line progressed to let other people fill in, and some of those who had been in previously went back in line. Eli didn’t plan to. “So, what do you want to do next?” He asked, noticing out of the corner of his eye the gate shut on a pair of twi’leks – it looked to be a mother and daughter.

Eli didn’t think so many people had gone through already, and he didn’t hear precisely what the man at the gate said initially, but he heard the call, “Hey, if you were already in, you can go again as much as you like – no need to get back in line!”

Eli was pretty sure that wasn’t standard, and the ignorant kids who had headed back into the line were quick to break from that to come forward once more, rushing ahead of the two twi’leks to get back into cars.

~***~

Eira shook her head as the waiter cast her a look, “This all looks good, thank you,” she said, and allowed their host to leave them be so they could eat, and of course, continue their conversation. Although talking about parents wasn’t a line Eira wanted to continue; her parents had been dragged into her lie enough.

“Since you didn’t want to make a career of art,” she said, shifting from the earlier topic of careers that had led them to parents and connections, “keeping it more as a passionate hobby,” though using it in his work, obviously, by getting to know people, “what culture outside of your own does have your favorite pieces? Or what culture seems to produce the most interesting art pieces you’ve gotten to study?”

She’d seen much, of course, though she hadn’t gotten to study it, and she allowed herself to add, “I admit, I haven’t studied it much, but I’ve always found the artistry of coral shaping by the Mon Calamari and Quarrens to be interesting, as well as many of the paintings I’ve seen by Mirialan artists.” As they did with their tattoos, they had a way of weaving so much meaning into so little.

The minimalist Jedi that was still inside her, favored that.