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When she’d agreed to venture into Lesser Space with Senior Captain Thrawn, Che’ri had hoped that the mission would get her a little time off from her studies. Her note from Thalias, unfortunately, confirms the opposite.
Three chapters a day ?
With a groan, Che’ri pulls open the text she’s supposed to be reading and stares at it. As usual, everything runs together into a distracting mess. Kicking her heels against the side of her bunk, she furrows her brow, squinting at the characters that seem to be wriggling all over the screen and crowding in on each other. No matter how hard she tries, she just can’t pick the words out. Huffing in frustration, she tosses the questis aside. It bounces off her pillow and onto the floor, its soft case landing with a quiet thud.
“Is something bothering you?”
Che’ri’s head snaps up at the soft voice from the doorway. Before she can respond, Thrawn crosses the room in a few strides and scoops her questis off the floor, placing it beside her on her bunk. She picks it back up, then realizes he’s still waiting for her reply.
“It’s nothing, really,” she says, a little embarrassed. “I’m just having some trouble with my reading assignments.”
“What kind of trouble? Do you want me to help explain something?”
“No, it’s nothing like that,” Che’ri mumbles, rubbing her eyes. “I think I’m just bad at reading. It’s like my eyes don’t want to see the words.”
Thrawn tilts his head slightly, his chin resting in one hand. “May I use your questis for a moment?”
Che’ri nods, handing him the tablet as he sits down beside her. His quick fingers skip over the screen, opening a settings panel and flicking through options. The text changes font, spaces out farther - and resolves into words.
“Is that better?”
Che’ri blinks. Could it really be that simple? She takes the questis back and scrolls through her assignment, marveling at how easy it is now to understand the text. “Yeah, it’s a lot better. Thank you.”
“I’m glad,” Thrawn says, giving her shoulder a gentle pat. His eyes linger on her face, flicking over her cheeks and forehead; his expression is thoughtful, and a little more distant than usual.
“The little stars on your face...are they freckles?”
Che’ri smiles. The scatter of bright speckles across her skin is one of her favorite things about herself. “I think so. I’ve had them for a long time. I think all sky-walkers have them.”
“My sister had those too.”
He says it so softly, like the words are holy. Like a prayer. Che’ri freezes mid-breath as the sentence settles in. She waits for him to say more, but he stays silent as he casts his gaze down to the floor, his mouth pressed into a thin line.
“Does that mean…?”
Thrawn nods, almost imperceptibly. His fist is clenched tight, nails digging into his palm. Che’ri reaches out and takes his hand in both of hers, and his fingers uncurl, closing gently back around her own. She squeezes back, her eyes fixed on the deep purple crescents his nails have left in his skin.
“You must miss her,” Che’ri says quietly, thinking of her own birth family.
“Terribly,” Thrawn replies, his voice barely more than a whisper. “She always seemed to know what I needed. Even when I couldn’t put it into words.” He reaches up to rub away a tear, smudging the crisp edge of his scarlet eyeliner. Unsure what else to say, Che’ri leans against his side, resting her head on his arm, and feels him relax a little under her pressure.
Thalias has told her a little about the procedure for discharging a sky-walker who can no longer do their job. From what she’s heard, it sounds a lot like being cast out in the middle of nowhere without a map. Thrawn’s sister could be anywhere. But she must be
somewhere
. Che’ri wonders how many other people Thrawn has told about her. The knowledge feels precious, and fragile, like she should wrap it deep in her heart to keep it safe.
“Well,” Thrawn says, after a shaky sigh, “I should let you get back to your studies. I’m glad those new text settings are better for you.” Slipping his hand out from her grasp, he shifts his weight, preparing to stand up.
“Wait,” Che’ri says suddenly, taking hold of his sleeve. Thrawn settles back down, the corner of his mouth twitching into an amused smile at her direct approach. “Yes?”
Che’ri picks up the questis once more, fiddling with one of the charms attached to the corner of the case. “If you’re not busy…I thought - maybe I can focus better if you read it to me as I follow along. If you want,” she adds hastily, hoping her request isn’t too presumptuous. Her nervousness vanishes when she looks up and sees Thrawn’s smile spread to the rest of his face, his eyes brightening.
“I’d love to,” he says, taking hold of the questis. Positioning it where they can both see the screen, he begins to read, and Che’ri’s eyes follow the text as she listens.
And for the first time in as long as she can remember, she finds herself enjoying her studies.