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Luke Skywalker

For the first time, Luke saw what the mysterious Grand Admiral Thrawn looked like. In the ship's cafeteria, he sat with Leia and some members of Rogue Squadron. All day, he was holding on and staring at the hologram of the Grand Admiral escorted by Death Troopers.

Everyone noticed how the Hero of Yavin was engrossed with the hologram and it was then did Leia decide to speak.

"Luke? What's wrong?" Leia said looking at him.

Luke only continued to stare at the hologram.

"Luke?" Leia said while waving a hand in front of his face.

Finally, Luke shook his head and turned to Leia.

"Oh, sorry Leia. What is it?"

"You've been staring at the hologram of Thrawn ever since General Madine revealed a hologram of him. What's wrong?"

"Oh it's nothing to worry about Leia. He just...looks...familiar." Luke tried to laugh it off, but his smile slowly disappeared when he turned back to the hologram.

Wedge, who was sitting next to Luke, decided to butt in.

"Familiar? You mean you've seen him before?"

"Yeah. I think so." Luke answered.

"Think back. Maybe's it was during one of your missions, maybe it was before Yavin, maybe during your childhood perhaps?"

"Well that are certain parts of my childhood that was a little fuzzy."

"Maybe it was when you first encountered Imperials as a child, maybe it was when you were kidnapped by slavers according to Biggs-"

"Oh stop it Wedge, you're getting a little too personal. He'll figure it out on his own. Isn't that right Luke?"

Leia received no reply.

"Luke?" She turned to him and saw his eyes were as wide as saucers.

Slavers? Luke thought.

His memory was a little fuzzy, but he remembered a man wearing tan clothing, goggles, and a scarf covering his face looking down at him.

The man reached out to him.

"Are you okay little one?"

Those eyes.

Those intimidating red eyes.

He remembered now.

"No." Luke said while in shock.

Anaxes

Grand Admiral Thrawn

In the bathroom of a high-rise apartment, Thrawn stared at himself on the mirror. He was wearing nothing but his underwear.

Behind him, there was the sleeping form of a woman tucked into a bed.

He could not sleep because he was worried about his plans.

Thrawn turned on the sink and splashed his face with water. As he cleaned his face, his eyes laid upon the scar on his chest, where a small hole used to be courtesy of a Gaderffii Stick.

Memories started crashing into him.

Memories of his first assignment issued by the Emperor himself.

17 years ago

Imperial Center, Inner Rim

Cadet Thrawn

Thrawn stood in front of the door to the Emperor's office. Two Royal Guards stood on either side of the door. He made sure his uniform was straightened and opened the door. The Chiss was met with the sight of multiple advisors and a single Imperial Officer with red hair and a beard talking with his majesty.

The Emperor had his hands together with his index fingers on his chin. He finally laid his eyes on Thrawn.

Everyone must leave. I must confer with Cadet Thrawn here and Admiral Teshik.

The advisors and the Royal Guards quickly left the room though some of the advisors glared at the Chiss.

Both Admiral Teshik and Cadet Thrawn stood in front of the Emperor and knelt down in front of his majesty.

"Rise my friends." The Emperor said. Thrawn and Teshik stood at attention.

"Now, I amglad the both of you are here. How do you like the Imperial Academy so far Cadet?"

"I am elated to serve in his majesty's Navy and I was glad to teach many to serve and bring peace to this galaxy." Thrawn said.

"Please Cadet. Be honest here. Tell me more."

"While I have met many cadets who have a lot of potential, I have also met a lot of officers who abuse their powers."

"Ah yes, these officers will be dealt with momentarily. I am thankful you were truthful to me Cadet."

"Thank you your majesty."

"Now, for your first assignment. I have suspected that Lord Vader may be plotting to overthrow me."

Both of them raised an eyebrow. "My lord?" Thrawn said.

"For that case, I need someone I can depend on who can challenge Lord Vader should the need arise. I need you Cadet Thrawn, to learn everything you can about Lord Vader and to create plans to defeat him."

"Why not one of the Inquisitors your majesty?" Thrawn asked.

Palpatine was in thought for a moment. "I do not trust them. Just like Lord Vader, they are all aiming for the throne. Admiral Teshik here already has some information that can get you started. He will provide everything for you. It is imperative that you get every information possible. Do you understand Cadet?"

"Yes your majesty. Understood."

Palpatine leaned back. "Then go my friends. Do what must be done. Once you complete this mission Cadet Thrawn, your promotion to Captain will be much more swift."

"Thank you my lord." Teshik and Thrawn bowed before leaving the room.

Later, Thrawn and Teshik walked down the hallways heading towards the landing pad in silence.

"So, you're that alien everyone's been talking about huh?" asked Teshik.

"Yes sir."

Teshik glanced at Thrawn to see him staring ahead, as if ignoring the Admiral.

"You do not need to be worried Cadet. I have served among aliens when I was in the Republic Navy."

"Thank you sir, but that's not what I'm worried about."

"Then what is it?"

Teshik saw that Thrawn stared at a brown haired woman pushing a cart as she passed by. He noticed that she gave Thrawn a wink.

"Ah, you have a thing for the Imperial Court Painter I see. Well, since we're still here, you may say your goodbyes. After all, this mission may take months."

Thrawn saluted the Admiral. "Thank you sir."

"You're welcome. Once you're done, take a shuttle and head to the Imperator. I'll be waiting."

6 hours later

ISD Imperator

Cadet Thrawn

Thrawn stared at the pictures that lay in front of his desk in his room. They were pictures taken from within Vader's castle. According to Teshik, they were taken by some Royal Guards.

Next to him, Teshik was analyzing the pictures as well.

"Vader does seem to have a liking towards ships. Lots of tools in his hangar, but overall, his castle seemed empty." Teshik said.

"I'm more focused on the hangar. Look at what's in the glass case on the table."

Teshik saw a glass case next to the tools, but he could not make out what it's inside.

Something clicked in his mind as he recalled his time during the Clone Wars.

"A Jedi Padawan Braid?" Teshik says.

"Specifically made of Silka Beads, meaning it belonged to a hairless Padawan. Possibly alien."

"You're telling me, Vader could possibly be an alien?"

"No, what I'm saying is it belonged to someone meaningful to Vader. Now look at this picture."

Thrawn pointed to a picture of a sleek, silver yacht.

"A J-Type 327 Nubian Royal Starship. Used only by the Naboo Sovereigns." Teshik said.

"Yes, one most likely used by the former Queen and former Senator, Padme Amidala. Question is however, why would Vader keep it?" Thrawn said.

"Well, it is one of the most desirable ships for collectors. Thing is worth at least a fortune."

Thrawn stared at the ship in silence.

"I think I'd like to start my investigation at Naboo."

1 Day Later

Theed

Thrawn walked down the streets of Theed, holding on to a hologram of the Imperial Admiral in charge of Naboo's defense.

"I don't know what to tell you Cadet. The two stormtroopers that escorted Lord Vader to Amidala's tomb were officially ambushed and killed by the Queen's guards."

"And unofficially?" asked Thrawn.

"Lightsaber burns. They were killed long after the 501st eliminated the last of the Jedi, meaning it was Lord Vader that killed them."

Thrawn put some thought into it.

"Did you lead the invasion fleet Admiral?"

"Negative. That would be Admirals Jan Dodonna and Adar Tallon. I'm merely here for guard duty, still haven't fought in a battle yet dammit."

"I see, thank you for your information Admiral Declann."

"It was my pleasure Cadet Thrawn, it's not everyday a Cadet was given a special mission by his majesty. Good luck on your mission. Declann out."

Thrawn turned off the holoprojector and finally arrived at his destination, a tap cafe where he will meet a historian.

For a while, Thrawn looked around, until he noticed a blond haired woman in a blue dress, sitting at a table in a corner looking quite bored.

"Are you Miss Agolerga?" Thrawn asked, standing next to her.

"Ah yes, you must be Cadet Thrawn. Please, have a seat."

Thrawn took a seat and began asking her questions.

"So Miss Cia Agolerga. I was told you are a historian and the daughter of Maxiron Agolerga."

"Yes?" She asked quizzically. "I thought you wanted to question me about Padme Amidala."

"Indeed I do. You see Miss Agolerga, your father performed a ceremony in secret for a woman named Vere and a man named Set. Curiously, this Vere woman fits the exact profile of one Padme Amidala. Now, I would like to know, did your father know who they were and did he tell you?"

Miss Agolerga stayed quiet.

"You know Miss Agolerga, withholding information is enough to give you jail time, and I'm certain you don't want that to happen."

"Alright, just please don't jail me." She said.

"Of course, as long as you provide the information I need."

"Ok, my father did know who she is. Through many holovids, my father pieced the puzzle together and identified Vere as Padme Amidala."

"And the man?"

"He had a cybernetic arm and had a Jedi Padawan's braid."

"Interesting, from the medical reports after the 1st Battle of Geonosis, one Anakin Skywalker was reported to have an arm cut off which required a cybernetic arm. Am I correct to assume your father identified this Set as Anakin Skywalker as well?" Thrawn asked.

"Correct. My father saw many holovids of them during crucial times of the Clone Wars. Considering how Skywalker and Amidala were seen many times together, it was not hard for him to piece the puzzle together."

"Hmmmm, very interesting. I need you to come with me Ma'am."

"Excuse me?" She asked confused.

"Do not worry, you're not in trouble."

Cia Agolerga got up and cautiously walked with Thrawn. She kept an eye on him as they walked in silence.

A few minutes later and passing through some Imperial patrols, they arrived in an emptier part of Theed.

Thrawn grabbed her arm and dragged her to a dark alley.

"Unhand me!" She said as she struggled.

"Calm down, I'm not going to harm you. I just need to ask you some questions without anybody else listening."

He let go of her, but she was still angry.

"The corner of the tap cafe was not enough?"

"It wasn't now please calm down." He pleaded.

"Fine, just don't hurt me."

"Good. Now that you're cooperating, I need you to tell me everything about the House Palpatine and its lone surviving member."

In orbit over Naboo

ISD Imperator

Cadet Thrawn

As Thrawn walked up to Admiral Teshik who was viewing Admiral Declann's fleet from the viewport, he pondered about his next move.

"So how was your investigation?" Teshik asked.

"Informal. I learned a lot."

"So what's the next step?"

"Tatooine."

Teshik quickly turned to the alien.

"Tatooine?"

"Yes, however, I need to go by myself, keep a low profile."

Teshik was still confused for a moment.

"Well...what do you need?"

4 days later

Tatooine

Cadet Thrawn

Thrawn walked down the ramp of a civilian freighter. Dressed in tanned clothing, boots, a scarf that covered his entire head, and goggles, he would fit right in with the locals.

He could see a squad of stormtroopers inspecting the cargo that was being hauled off. One of them approached him.

"Identification." The stormtrooper said.

Thrawn handed the soldier an identification card with a fake alias.

The soldier looked at the identification before radioing in.

"Command, this is TK-4375, can you run a check on a certain Taz Forenda? Native of Serenno. Identification F7W019DMSFGF3."

There was silence for half a minute before the trooper got a response.

"Copy that. Everything seems to check out. Enjoy your stay." The trooper said while handing him back his ID card.

Thrawn put the card in a pocket and walked out of the spaceport.

Once he got out, he was, as expected, met with the sight of a busy city full of what people in the Core Worlds would call, "scum".

He walked among the streets, trying to find a place where they sold speeders. One passerby, tried to pickpocket Thrawn. Unfortunately, Thrawn noticed and twisted the arm of the robber.

With a yelp, the robber fell to the ground, clutching his arm. This action did not go unnoticed by the locals, as they stared at the mysterious man that quickly incapacitated the robber.

Without a word, Thrawn continued his search. He was distracted by some graffiti that was on the side of a building.

Thrawn did not know how long he was staring at the graffiti until a little boy came up to him.

"What'cya looking at mister?"

Thrawn looked down to see a tanned skinned Human boy with brown hair looking up at him.

"Just looking at some art."

"That's art? My parents say it's trash."

Thrawn chuckled, "Well, in the eyes of an artist, this would be considered art."

"You're an artist?" The boy said, looking at Thrawn with disbelief.

"Yes, you could say that I am an artist."

An artist of war. Thrawn thought.

"Wow, that's so cool. The only artists here are vandals and others left this planet."

"A shame really. Anyways, can you point to any speeder rentals?" Thrawn asked looking down at the child.

"Sure." The boy said with a smile as he pointed down the street. "Just go down four blocks from here and turn right. Follow the street until you're nearly out of town. You should be able to see the rental."

"Thank you very much." Thrawn began to walk when they boy stopped him. He motioned him to come closer.

"All of the rentals are owned by bandits. Be careful. Once you rent a speeder, they'll send bandits after you."

Thrawn smiled. "Thank you, I'll be ready for them."

10 minutes later

Thrawn was lead by a pretty old Devaronian in a black cloak who was missing a horn

"Villie has exactly what you need kind stranger."

The Devaronian pulled back the cover over a speeder, revealing a V-35 Courier.

"V-35 Courier. Completely brand new. Normally, Villie charge customers 2000 credits. For you, only 1000 Credits."

Thrawn eyed the speeder, noticing some scratches and bumps.

"Brand new?" Thrawn eyed the Devaronian suspiciously.

"Look, Villie is trying to run a business here."

Thrawn looked around and noticed the other speeders are in an even worse state.

"Fine, I'll take it."

"Excellent, Villie is pleased." Thrawn took out two Imperial Credit Coins and handed it to the Devaronian.

Thrawn hopped into the speeder. It took him about a minute to learn how the controls work before he was off towards the Jundland Wastes, noticing it was slower than he expected it to be.

2 Hours Later

A speeder sped through the desert, its passengers, searching for the man who rented a speeder.

There were four individuals on board, two Humans, a Rodian, and a Trandoshan.

"Over there!" One of the Humans yelled as he spotted a parked speeder at the bottom of a sand dune.

The Rodian turned the speeder off the road and parked next to the abandoned speeder.

For several minutes, the four bandits searched the Courier, finding nothing of value nor an occupant.

"There's nobody here. Someone must've warned him about us and fled." One of the Humans said as he holstered his blaster.

"U tinka he's still nearby?" The Rodian asked.

Before the Human could answer, a laser bolt struck the Rodian on the head. The other three took cover behind the Courier.

"Where is he?" A Human yelled.

"Top of the dune!" The other Human said as he took a pot shot.

The Transdoshan got up to fire his blaster, but was put down by two bolts to the chest.

"I got him!" One of the Humans said as he primed a Thermal Detonator.

"Wait no!"

The Human was shot on the chest once, causing him to fall along with the detonator. The other Human scrambled to get away but was too late as he was consumed by the blast of the Thermal Detonator.

Thrawn meanwhile, slid down the dune, holding a SE-14C Blaster Pistol. He check the bodies to find anything of value, and put a DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol in his ruck sack and decided to hold on to the Transdoshan's A295 Blaster Rifle.

He cursed as he saw the blast from the Thermal Detonator damaged the engines of both speeders.

Thrawn concluded he was closer to his objective than Mos Eisley.

Holstering the SE-14C and holding on to the A295, Thrawn set for the long walk to the Jundland Wastes.

3 Hours Later

3 hours of walking, Thrawn was completely drained. He thought trekking through the wilderness of Csilla was bad, Tatooine was worse.

Off in the distance, Thrawn could see a sand storm coming. Having no choice, he chose to move on, hoping to find shelter.

30 Minutes Later

This assignment, the galaxy just couldn't make things easier for me huh? Thrawn thought.

Luckily, Thrawn was wearing a scarf to cover his head and goggles to cover his eyes which protected him from the sand. However, he still had to fight through the strong winds, nearly losing the A295 a few times. Unfortunately, he ran out of water a long time ago. He cursed for not being better prepared.

After a while, Thrawn saw a dark shape in the storm.

Rejuvenated, Thrawn doubled his efforts, in hopes of finding shelter.

Once he got closer, he was able to make out a vaporator.

That means, there should be a farm nearby. He thought.

For the next few minutes, Thrawn searched the area, finding two more vaporators. Finally, his efforts were rewarded with the sight of a building.

Salvation. Salvation at last.

Thrawn quickly ran to the door. Realizing it was locked, he started banging on it.

"Help! Please! Let me in!"

The arch provided him with cover from the storm and he leaned on it with his left shoulder.

Finally, the door opened to reveal a woman in tan clothing.

"Come in quick!"

Thrawn quickly ran inside.

The woman closed the door quickly and turned to see the stranger breathing heavily and sitting on the floor, his back on a wall.

"Who is that?" Thrawn heard a male voice.

"A stranger. Please come quick, he needs help!" The woman said as she knelt next to Thrawn.

Thrawn seeing no point in wearing the scarf and the goggles, took them off.

The woman gasped as she saw the stranger's face.

Out the corner of his eye, Thrawn saw a figure. He turned to see a man holding a cycler rifle.

Quickly, the man aimed at Thrawn just as Thrawn aimed the A295 at him.

Before either could fire, the woman stepped in between them.

"Stop it! I will not have any fighting in this house!"

Thrawn could see a child peering from the man's leg, staring at him.

"But Beru-"

"No buts Owen. The man needed help and I let him in. Please, he is a guest in our house."

There was a moment of tense silent before Owen lowered his rifle, with Thrawn doing the same.

"Fine, but I want him to tell us what's he doing here, and what is he."

Thrawn opened his mouth but no words came out. After several tried, he still could not speak.

Beru, realizing the stranger was thirsty, ran into another room and came out with a glass of water.

He greedily drank the whole cup of water.

"Thank you, huf, ma'am." Thrawn said.

"You're welcome dear. Come on, get up." Beru said as she helped him up.

Thrawn chose to leave his rucksack and the rifle there as Beru helped him to a dining table in a room.

He sat down as Beru gave him another cup of water before sitting down. Owen sat down as well, but the child was no where in sight.

Thrawn could see that the rifle was still in his hands.

"Alright, speak. What are you doing here and what are you?"

"My name is Thrawn. I am a Chiss and a former Commander in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force. I was exiled by my people and was forced to find a planet to call home."

"Chiss?" Beru asked.

"My people reside in the Unknown Regions. We are isolationist and prefer to not contact the rest of the galaxy."

"So of all places, how did you end up in the deserts of Tatooine?" Owen asked.

"I was chased by bandits out of Mos Eisely. Used my speeder as a bait and ambushed them. That's how I got the rifle. Unfortunately, my speeder and the bandits' speeder was damaged in the firefight."

"Bandits huh? You must be good if you were able to take out a bunch of bandits."

"I wasn't made a Commander for nothing."

Owen turned to his left to see the boy entering the room holding an Imperial badge.

"You're an Imperial." The man sneered as he took out his rifle once again.

Beru grabbed the rifle before he could aim it.

"Stop it Owen, you know the Empire doesn't allow Imperials in the military."

Thrawn sighed. "No, he is right."

Beru was shocked and she lessened her hold on the rifle. Owen took aim at Thrawn.

"My name is Cadet Thrawn of the Imperial Navy."

"So, Cadet Thrawn. What are you doing here in Tatooine?"

"I was sent here to study the Tuskens, and find ways to stop them from ambushing Imperial Convoys and weary travelers. My first objective was to go to a known Tusken Village in the Valley of the Spirits. I mean you no harm, I only want to complete my objective and return to my superiors."

Owen stared at Thrawn intently for half a minute before lowering the rifle once again.

"Fine, but once that sandstorm is gone, you're gone too got it?"

"You have my word as a Chiss that I will leave and bring no repercussions to you nor your family."

Owen raised an eyebrow, noticing how he gave his word as a Chiss and not an Imperial.

"I noticed your confusion. Yes, I gave my word as a Chiss. Honor is a big part of our culture and I know how much people distrust Imperials in the Outer Rim."

Beru smiled at Thrawn. "I believe you Cadet. You can stay."

"But Beru-"

"Oh hush you. Do you want to be a bad example for Luke?" Beru said as the boy clutched Beru's hand.

"Now please, sit. Dinner's almost ready." Beru said as walked to a stove.

Owen sat down and stared at Thrawn.

"So why did they send a cadet for this mission. Shouldn't they be sending someone who is more suited for this field?"

"As an alien who is the top of his class in the Academy and has experience leading a large force, some high-ranking commanders wanted to test my mettle and sent me on this mission. Completed, than I'm looking at a promotion to Captain."

"And if you don't complete it?" Owen asked.

"Well, it's either I complete it, or die trying. I can't come back until it's complete."

"Must've been harsh."

Beru came in and set a plate of Bantha Steak in front of Owen, Thrawn, and Luke who took a seat near Owen.

"You met the Garrison Commander at Mos Eisely?" Owen asked as he cut a piece of steak.

"Not yet. Haven't met any commanders in the Outer Rim yet. Only Core World Commanders."

"Hmph, then you should probably tell your superiors about him. He's under the payroll of the gangs and bandit groups here."

"Oh I will. I thank you for that information."

"Certainly, I was pretty angry when I saw one of my friends beaten and robbed by a gang, only for the Commander to release them the day after."

Beru took a seat, a steaming plate of steak in front of her.

"So tell me Cadet, how did someone like you end up in the Imperial military? Everyone knows they discriminate against aliens, but why you?"

"Please, call me Thrawn. Only my superior officers call me Cadet."

For the next two hours, Thrawn told his story, carefully altering it to avoid any mentions of the Emperor.

After he was done telling the story, Beru collected their plates and brought a sleepy Luke to his room. Meanwhile, Owen led Thrawn to a spare room.

"How old is your son by the way? He's been pretty quiet."

"Oh, he's not our son, he's our nephew."

Thrawn rose an eyebrow.

"So where are his parents?"

"Dead. His father was a navigator on a spice freighter. Died when the freighter was caught in a firefight between pirates and an Imperial warship and was destroyed. By whom, I don't know. As for his mother, she died giving birth to him."

Owen could see a pang of sadness on Thrawn's face. "Must be very hard on him."

"Oh, we didn't tell him yet. We just told him he was found abandoned on our doorstep."

Thrawn looked at Owen. "You know, this may backfire on you."

Owen sighed. "We know, but we just don't feel ready to tell him just yet."

He opened the door to a room.

"So, uh, here's the guest room." The room was empty aside from a bed and a small desk with a lamp on it. "We usually don't have any guests so we never bothered to decorate the room."

"No it's fine. Compared to the jungle I was forced to live in, this is paradise." Thrawn chuckled.

"Anyway, I'm sorry for pointing my gun at you. This is Tatooine after all, one can never be too careful."

"Oh I understand. I would've done the same thing too to be honest." Thrawn said as he set his ruck sack and his blaster rifle next to the bed.

"Heh, y'know, you're a good man. The only Imperials we've ever encountered were some nasty pieces of work, but you're different. Anyways, I have to leave early in the morning with Luke to get some supplies if the sandstorm lifts. G'night." Owen said as he closed the door.

Thrawn smirked, glad at Owen's change of attitude. He took off his clothing aside from his underwear and undershirt and sat on the bed.

In case of an emergency, he placed the SE-14C on the desk, the A296 leaning on the wall next to his bed, and put the DL-44 under the pillow.

He made an inventory check to see if he missed anything. So far, his water and his food have ran out, the last bits of water used to dampen his scarf in the sandstorm, he still has a Thermal Detonator, a knife, a blanket, an emergency beacon, a flashlight, and a holotransceiver.

Picking up the holotransceiver, he made a call for Admiral Teshik.

After a few minutes, the hologram of Admiral Teshik showed up.

"What's your status Thrawn?" Teshik asked.

"I'm currently sheltered by a moisture farmer and his family because of a sandstorm. I was ambushed by some bandits and my speeder was destroyed. From here, I calculate at least a day's trek to the Tusken Village."

"Understood, anything else?"

"Yes, where are you and the Imperator right now?"

"We're currently in orbit over Ohann, took out two pirate ships and a smuggler. We're currently on standby if you ever need help. Is there something you need?"

"Yes, I need you to investigate the Garrison Commander at Mos Eisely. I've been told by the locals that he likes to take bribes from criminals."

"Hmm, very well Thrawn. Be on alert, there's a fleet that's suppose to make a stop on Tatooine tomorrow. I don't know how this will interfere with your investigation, but better safe than sorry. I'm not too sure how the locals will react to the arrival of an entire Imperial fleet."

"How big of a fleet?" Thrawn asked.

"4 Venators, 2 Victorys, an Imp Star, and 3 Acclamators."

"That's pretty big for a backwater planet like Tatooine, where are they going?"

"No idea. The Acclamators are carrying some secret cargo to some place in the Outer Rim. I heard rumors such as a new battlestation and expansion to the Unknown Regions."

For the next few minutes, Thrawn told Teshik of his contingency plans, what he's learned so far, and what planets he planned to visit and investigate. Teshik was impressed of Thrawn's contingency and future plans. He secretly took note to try to have Thrawn under his command.

Once they were done, they bid farewell and Thrawn was immediately lights out once he placed his head on the pillow.

Next Morning

Thrawn woke up after a good night's rest. He couldn't hear the wind, indicating the sandstorm already blew over. Taking his time, he dressed himself, and holstered his SE-14C.

Once he was done, he made his way to the dining table. He noticed Beru was brewing some coffee.

"Morning ma'am." Thrawn said as he took a seat.

"Morning Cadet." Beru said as she put a cup of coffee in front of Thrawn.

"I told you to call me Thrawn ma'am."

"Then stop calling me ma'am then. It makes me feel old." Beru said with a smile.

"Alright then Mrs. Beru."

"It's Mrs. Lars actually." She said as she took a sip from her coffee.

"Pardon me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, we never told you our last names didn't we? Silly me. Yes, our last name is Lars."

"Very well then Mrs. Lars. Where did Mr. Lars go anyway?"

"Oh, he left early this morning with Luke to get some supplies from Mos Eisely. Should be back within an hour."

"Thank you." Thrawn took out a map and started analyzing possible routes to the Valley of the Spirits. Seeing Thrawn was busy and likely would prefer not to be disturbed, Beru left the room to do some chores.

For half and hour, Thrawn analyzed the map, looking for routes where it would make him a hard target for ambushers. Unfortunately for him, the fastest route is through some mountains, perfect places for an ambush. The safest route is through a dry river bed, but without a speeder, it's suicidal for him to reach it.

He didn't hear the knocking at the front door, nor the sound of Beru greeding someone.

"Hello there."

Thrawn turned around to find an aging bearded old man in a brown cloak. He noticed there were strands of gray hair on him.

"Ben, this is Cadet Thrawn from the Imperial military. Thrawn, this is Ben. He's a family friend of ours." Beru said as she gestured to Thrawn.

"A pleasure to meet you sir." Thrawn said as he shook Ben's hand.

Ben however, looked very confused. "What's an Imperial cadet doing all the way out here?"

"Well, if you have a seat, I'll tell you. It's a long story."

Thrawn told Ben the same story he told Beru and Owen.

"Very interesting. I didn't know the Imperial Military made exceptions."

"So...um."

"Just call me Ben."

"Ben, what's your story."

"Nothing much really, born and raised here in Tatooine, hunted all my life, and I was some sort of vigilante in my younger years. Warded off raiding Tusken parties, took down bandits who went after travelers, but I was warned to never do it again by the Garrison Commander at Mos Eisely so I stopped. He told me his troops will handle it from now on, but all I've seen were more frequent bandit attacks and no protection from Tusken raiding parties." Ben said sadly.

"Not to worry Ben, I've contacted one of my superior officers to investigate the Garrison Commander. His days are numbered." Thrawn said.

"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel confident."

"I can see why. Many Imperial Officers are corrupted, especially in the Outer Rim. Trust me, Admiral Teshik is a well respected officer. He is what many considered, a model officer. Very loyal, and has a clean record."

"I'm sorry, did you say, Admiral Teshik? As in Osvald Teshik?"

Now, Thrawn was intrigued. "You know him?"

"Know him? His name popped up several times in the holonet in the Clone Wars. A very well respected tactician so I've heard. Didn't know he was an Admiral now. What about the others?"

"Like who?"

"Jan Dodonna, Josef Grunger, Octavian Grant, Wullf Yuleran, Barton Coburn, and Shoan Kilian. I already know about Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin. Everyone in the galaxy knows him."

"Well, Dodonna, Coburn, and Kilian are currently retired. Grant and Grunger are Admirals now, and Yuleran resigned his admiral's commission and last I heard, he now holds the rank of Colonel. He must be pretty high up to be able to regularly confer with Tarkin, and Vice Admiral's Terrinald Screed and Dodd Rancit before the latter's demise."

"Oh? What happened to Admiral Rancit?"

"He was exposed as a traitor and Lord Vader had him executed."

Thrawn noticed a brief pang of sadness on Ben's face.

Before Thrawn could say anything, he heard shouting outside.

"Help! Someone help!"

"Beru!" Ben yelled.

Thrawn and Ben ran outside, to find Beru holding Owen who was clutching his right leg.

Ben took Owen's other arm to help him walk. Meanwhile, Thrawn led them to the living room where they set him down on a couch. He analyzed the wound on his leg.

"It's nothing serious. What happened? Where's Luke?"

Owen winced as he touched his wound. "Bandits took him. They were hunting for slaves to sell again. Couldn't stop them. Tried to fight back but they shot me in the leg as a warning. Their leader, I guess, got mad at the bandit for shooting me because I'm worthless in the market now. I was only saved when an Imperial patrol ran into us. There was a firefight and the bandits fled on speeders with Luke. I told them troopers what happened and they said they'll tell their commander. What a load of shit, that commander won't do anything so I came here to see if you could do anything Thrawn."

Thrawn looked at Ben before turning to Owen. "Where do you think they're holding him?"

"There's a warehouse to the west of Mos Eisely. Pirates in the past used it to sell their goods there. Only place where Imperial patrols never show up."

Thrawn turned to Ben. "Are you a good shot?"

"Can't be a hunter if I wasn't a good shot." Ben answered.

"Do you have a blaster with you?"

"An old DC-15S in my speeder. Still works fine though."

Thrawn nodded and walked to his room. He came out with his rucksack, a DL-44, and the A295.

"Take this." Thrawn said as he handed Ben the DL-44. "You're gonna need it."

"Are you sure about this? Wouldn't this impede with your mission?"

"Yes I'm sure. This is happening because of the failure of the Garrison Commander to perform his duty."

"Very well." The both of them made their way out the door. Owen tried to get up, but was held down by Beru.

They both hopped into Ben's X-34 landspeeder. Thrawn found Ben's DC-15S below the chair and took it out.

"So where did you get this?"

"Took it from a bandit who attacked some weary traveler."

"Ah, and do you know where you're going?"

"Know it?" Ben started the speeder. "I was the one who raided that place and stopped their business years ago. Looks like they came back."

They were silent as they sped through the desert.

4 Hours Later

Thrawn, with his goggles and scarf covering his head, peered around the corner of an abandoned building, A295 at hand. Next to him, Ben held his DC-15S with the DL-44 in a holster.

"This the place?" Thrawn asked.

"Definitely. Place hasn't changed one bit."

Thrawn could see the criminals guarding the place. He could see a sniper on top of the warehouse, and some bandits guarding the front entrance.

"They've got the place pretty locked down. How did you get in there anyway?"

"There used to be an underground tunnel that led there, but it was sealed up by the Imperials two years ago."

"Well, if anything, that sniper needs to go."

"I agree, so a frontal assault? Do you think you can handle it?"

Thrawn smirked. "These bandits are amateurs. I've trained with both the Chiss and Imperial militaries. I can hold my own. What about you?"

"I can handle them in my sleep."

"Wait wait." Thrawn said as he put his hand on Ben's chest. He motioned him to take a look and pointed at the front entrance.

Ben could see an Imperial Officer talking to a a bald Human, possibly the leader of the bandits.

"It's the Garrison Commander. Looks like he came to collect his bribe."

Thrawn could see the Bandit leader pat the Commander on the back before leading him inside.

"There is a front entrance and a back entrance. However, there's no way we can take the back entrance too as well without getting spotted by that sniper, so a frontal assault is the most feasible option."

"Got it, I can snipe that sniper from the inside of this building. I'll provide covering fire while you secure the entrance. Once cleared, we'll breach together."

"Got it." Ben had his DC-15S at the ready, while Thrawn hopped into the window of the abandoned building. He took a peek from another window and saw the sniper. It was a Human with a cycler rifle. However, he saw a big Rodian walk out the building carrying a Rotary Blaster Cannon.

Got to kill them fast or Ben will never make it.

Thrawn took aim at the sniper with his A295 first. He fired, striking the sniper on the head and quickly fired at the Rodian with two bolts to the chest and one to the neck.

Both fell in quick session and he began to fire at the other bandits as Ben quickly ran to a crate.

A Weequay tried to rush Ben but was quickly taken down by Ben's DC-15S.

Another Weequay tried to throw a Thermal Detonator at Ben's position, but he was quickly taken down by Thrawn. There was an explosion with three bodies flying out, telling Thrawn the Weequay primed the Detonator prior to his demise.

Hearing no more blaster fire and seeing Ben motioning him to come over, Thrawn ran out of the building to Ben who was trying to open the door.

"We've got a problem, they've barricaded the door. We need to move quick before they leave."

"How long has it seen we first opened fire?" Thrawn asked.

"About five minutes. Why?"

"Oh nothing."

Ben looked at him with a questionable look on his face. "Okay, so how are we getting in?"

They looked around until Thrawn noticed an undamaged Courier. Without a word, he hopped into it and starting it while Ben searched for anything such as explosives to get the door opened.

Finally, he saw the speeder heading straight to the door.

"Wait wait!" He ran out of the way just as he saw Thrawn jump out of the speeder.

The speeder smashed the door in and sparks started flying out of its engines when it stopped. There must've been some bandits near the door as evident from the number of bodies laying on the ground.

Thrawn brushed dirt off his clothing and walked up to an unamused Ben.

"You know, you reminded me of someone I used to know."

Thrawn smiled under his scarf and rushed inside, blaster at the ready.

Ben and Thrawn quickly took down two bandits who tried getting up. At the far end of the warehouse, they could see the Garrison Commander and the Bandit Leader making a run for it. Thrawn was about to chase them when Ben put a hand on his chest.

"Our objective is to find Luke. Those guys' days are numbered anyway."

Thrawn sighed. "Very well."

They took a look around the warehouse. There crates full of weapons everywhere and cages. Thrawn was disgusted, there were cages full of malnourished Humans, Twi'leks, and even some Yuzzems. One by one, Ben and Thrawn destroyed the locks to the cages, letting the occupants free. They were all joyful, hugging, kissing, and shaking the hands of their saviors.

Finally, Thrawn noticed the last cage, with a sleeping blonde boy. Thrawn put up his goggles and could see that Luke was not harmed.

He shot the lock and opened it. Thrawn knelt down and shook the boy. His eyes opened slowly and looked up at Thrawn.

"Are you okay little one?"

Luke was quiet and looked drowsy. Thrawn picked him up and walked to Ben, who was tending to a sick Twi'lek.

He perked up when he saw Thrawn carrying the little boy.

"Is he alright?"

"Just a little drowsy, but he's fine."

The boy looked at Ben, before falling asleep again in Thrawn's arms.

Thrawn looked up at the ceiling at the sound of a TIE Fighter flying by.

"Teshik." He said.

Thrawn handed Luke to Ben and ran out the rear entrance. He was met with the sight of several Stormtroopers and the kneeling forms of the Bandit Leader and the Garrison Commander. Near them were some speeder bikes. In the sky, Thrawn could see a shuttle heading towards them escorted by two TIE Fighters.

"Hold it right there." Thrawn saw two Stormtroopers aiming their blasters at him.

"Drop your weapon."

Thrawn dropped his blaster and took out his Imperial badge.

"I'm friendly."

The Stormtroopers continued to aim their blasters at him.

"Where did you get that?"

Thrawn saw the shuttle landing and the ramp lowering.

"From the Emperor himself."

One of the Stormtroopers laughed. "Likely story. Get on your knees. Put your hands behind your head."

Thrawn saw Admiral Teshik walking down the ramp.

"Stand down trooper. You're interfering with a mission assigned by the Emperor himself." Thrawn heard Teshik say.

The two troopers stood at attention and saluted the Admiral. Teshik walked passed them and shook hands with Thrawn.

"So I went to the Garrison HQ and to my surprise, the Commander wasn't there. Luckily, a local saw him and directed us to here. Wasn't expecting you to be here though."

"The nephew of the couple that was sheltering me was kidnapped by these bandits. A local drove me here in a speeder and we came in to rescue him. Thought I could also hitch a ride if I rescue the kid. I knew you were going to visit the HQ today so you weren't far if I needed help."

Thrawn and Teshik turned to see Ben walking out with Luke holding his hand. Behind them, the captives staggered out, blinded by the brightness of the sun.

"Looks like my hands will be full. You need a speeder?" Teshik said.

Thrawn turned to Ben. "Hey Ben, could you take me to the Valley of the Spirits after dropping Luke home?"

Ben shrugged his shoulder. "I don't see why not. Sure."

Thrawn turned back to Teshik. "Well there you have your answer."

Teshik looked at the captives who were being helped out by the stormtroopers.

"Vice Admiral Amise Griff is coming in to pick up these captives."

Thrawn turned looked at Teshik, not feeling too sure about this. "Griff is power hungry. He'll use this to paint himself as some kind of hero for a promotion. I don't like this."

Teshik dismissed his warning. "Admiral Grunger and Vice Admiral Damon Krell will keep him in line."

However, Thrawn wasn't too sure and was still reluctant, but he complied. "Fine."

He walked back to Ben and Luke, motioning to them that they're leaving.

Teshik saw Thrawn pick up his blaster before leaving and shook his head.

This guy is really something else.

4 Hours Later

Thrawn and Ben hanged back by the speeder, watching as Luke was reunited with Beru and Owen who was using a cane to walk. They were crying tears of joy.

Ben smiled. "A very happy sight indeed. I've almost forgotten what it's like to have a family."

"You and me both."

They stood there watching before Owen and Beru approached them with Luke holding Beru's hand.

"We'd like to thank you, both of you for rescuing Luke. We wouldn't know what to do without him."

"It's no problem ma'am." Thrawn said.

"Thank you though. You're welcome to visit us anytime."

Thrawn smiled. "Thank you. I'll come back and visit one day. Right now, I need to continue my mission. I don't want to make my superiors angry for getting sidetracked."

Ben and Thrawn hopped into Ben's speeder.

"I'm sorry for not trusting you earlier Thrawn." Owen said as he stood next to the speeder.

"It's alright. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything, what is it?" Owen asked.

"Raise Luke right. Raise him to be strong, to be a fighter. One day, when he's ready, he can join the Imperial military if he wants to. I'll look after him if he does."

Owen nodded. "We will. It's up to him if he wants to sign up, but I'm glad you're willing to look after him if he does."

"Well Thrawn, shall we leave?" Ben asked.

Thrawn nodded before turning back to Owen and Beru. "Until next time. Just keep your promise."

"We will." Owen said.

The speeder lurched forward, the family watching them disappear into the horizon. They'll be waiting for his return. It may take years, but in the meantime, they're determined to keep their promise.

6 Hours Later

"Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up or come with you? Tuskens like to roam around these areas." Ben said from the drivers seat.

"I'm sure. I can just call for Admiral Teshik to send a shuttle after I'm done. There's other planets I need to visit for my mission after all."

"Very well. May the force be with you Thrawn."

"You know, people don't say that anymore."

"I know, but old habits die hard."

Thrawn smiled. "Then good luck to you. Look after the boy."

"I will." Ben said as he drove off.

Thrawn turned to begin his trek on the dry river bed towards the Valley of the Spirits, blaster at the ready for any, unexpected surprises.

The Next Day

Thrawn searched the abandoned village. Earlier, he watched the village from a distance for hours, waiting to see if any Tuskens decide to visit. After seeing none, he decided it was safe to check out the village.

Inside, he found the place in ruins. The tents were kept up though, no doubt, the doing of any visiting Tuskens. This place has been revered as a holy, but cursed place for the Tuskens. Intel reported the Tuskens liked to send sacrifices here to appease the "ghost" that resides here.

Thrawn inspected the clothings littered everywhere, the owners having already decomposed long ago. He could see some unnatural cuts on them. Some seemed to have lost their limbs, their heads, and even some were cut in half. Not even the children were spared. On one of the tents, Thrawn found a perfect circle in the back of it.

They all screamed one word for Thrawn.

Lightsaber

He was interrupted from his thoughts as he heard the crackling of electricity. Somewhere in the village, there was a loud boom and a flash of blue. Thrawn rushed to where the weird phenomenon took place. He did not expect to find a Human in the village. From behind a tent, Thrawn had a clear line of sight on a man.

The man wore a brown coat, red shirt, a belt that crosses his torso, black pants, large brown boots, and cracked glasses.

"Damn thing dropped me off in some abandoned camping area in a desert. Could've at least dropped me off in the city, at least I'd get some help." The mysterious man said as he hit a device he was holding.

Thrawn donned his goggles to cover his eyes.

"Freeze!" He said as he aimed his blaster. Simultaneously, the man also aimed a weird kind of pistol at him.

The two of them eyed each other, none of them willing to make a move.

"Looks like we have a Mexican standoff." The man said.

"Identify yourself." Thrawn said.

"Whoa whoa there, I'm friendly. I don't want to harm anybody." The man holstered the pistol. "See?"

Thrawn however, was still cautious, but lowered his blaster nonetheless.

"Fine, but I want you to tell me who you are."

The man nodded, but then his eyes widened.

"Look out!" He said as he took out his pistol and fired a blue laser bolt at something behind Thrawn. However, Thrawn aimed his blaster at the man.

"Whoa hold on. I wasn't aiming at you. Look behind you."

Thrawn kept his blaster aimed at the man as he looked behind him. His eyes widened as he saw the body of a Tusken Raider, still clutching a gaderffii stick. He turned back to the man.

"I guess I owe you a thank you." He said.

The both of them were alerted as they heard the Tusken war cry.

"Tuskens." Thrawn muttered.

"Is that what they're called?" The man said as he took out his pistol.

"Listen, I knew you for less than five minutes, but I'm willing to work with you to get out of here."

The man took out the device from earlier. "Well, I could open up another portal to home."

Thrawn was confused. "A portal?"

"Yes a portal, one that leads to my dimension. We can go there, and I'll be able to bring you back to this dimension in let's say-"

He was interrupted as a slug flew past his head.

The two men quickly put down the Tusken who fired at them. Thrawn could see two more Tuskens aiming their rifles at them from a long distance. He quickly fired his A295, one of the Tuskens was shot on the head, the other was hit twice to the chest.

The mysterious man put down another Tusken with his pistol by shooting him on the leg, causing him to fall, and then firing one more time on the head as the Tusken tried to get up. He then went back to trying to get his device working, not noticing the Tusken sneaking behind him with a gaderffii stick. Thrawn couldn't get a good shot at the Tusken without hitting the man.

"Look out!" Thrawn said as he shoved the man. The Tusken swung, hitting Thrawn on the head, making him fall. As he was down, the Tusken then used the traang and swung down, stabbing Thrawn on the chest. He cried out in pain.

Before the Tusken could swing again, a blue laser bolt struck him on the head.

Thrawn's vision began to blur.

Poison. They dipped it in poison.

"Shit shit, hold on there." The man appeared in Thrawn's vision as he was blinded by a blue flash coupled with the sounds of crackling electricity. He could feel the man drag Thrawn.

His vision began to darken and he started losing his senses, but he could feel the ground transition from the sands, to a cold, hard, metallic ground.

He heard voices, but they were quiet as he began to lose conscious.

"Gruncle Ford, who is that?"

"There's no time. Get me my medical kit now!

4 Months Later

Thrawn stood once again, in front of the Emperor's Office. He straightened his uniform as the Royal Guards opened the door for him.

4 months of visiting multiple planets, learning about Vader's past.

Inside, the room was empty aside from the most powerful individual in the galaxy. He approached the seated Emperor and knelt.

"Is your mission a success Cadet Thrawn?"

"Yes my lord. I have learned everything and have drawn up plans to counter Lord Vader should the need arise."

"Then I assume you know his true identity?"

"Yes my lord."

Thrawn didn't look up, but he could hear the Emperor cackle.

Present Day

Thrawn walked to the landing pad at the Teshik Estate where a shuttle awaited him. He was genuinely surprised when he found a certain cybernetic Admiral waiting for him.

"Admiral Screed, I was not expecting you to be here."

Admiral Terrinald Screed motioned him to get closer.

"So I've talked to Osvald and Gilad." Screed whispered.

"And?"

"I'm in."

"You do know that you should probably free your two Twi'lek slaves right?"

"I did, but with no where else to go, they opted to stay and take care of my son, but they'll get paid though."

"Fine, but I everyone needs to do their part. I have a mission for you."

"Alright, say it."

Admiral Screed commands a large fleet consisting of warships smaller than Victorys, the largest being the Gladiators.

"Your fleet has been used to escort important convoys throughout the Empire. I want you to send to me the list of all cargos and to inform me of all future cargos and their destinations."

"Very well, I'll send them as soon as I get back to the Demolisher."

"And one more thing. Four years ago, you personally escorted a convoy from Kamino to an unknown location in the Deep Core. Curiously, it was at the same time when it was announced that all Cloning tech in Kamino was destroyed. Tell me, what was the cargo and what was the destination?"

Admiral Terrinald Screed, the former fight-hand man of the Emperor, a hero to both the Republic and the Empire, friend of the legendary Jan Dodonna, and currently falling out of favor from the Emperor and the Imperial Courts, was sweating nervously.

Two Hours Later

ISD Admonitor

Grand Admiral Thrawn

Thrawn walked down the hallways of the Admonitor, thinking of the new information he received from Screed. Lescah was perched happily on his shoulder, but there something else that troubled Thrawn.

His whole life, he's been plagued with war and violence. When he was younger, he and Thrass would often steal food and fight others to survive. When he was a Commander of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, he fought hard to protect his people and eliminate any potential invaders. As an exile, he had to constantly fight to survive. In the academies, he was constantly bullied and was in many fights, all of them he won. Now, he's fighting two wars, one in the shadows, and one for all to see. Besides being with his "girlfriend", a term he didn't learn until he was out of the Academy, he's had almost no time for peace where he could forget about everything.

He was distracted as he came upon a room with its doors open. Inside, he could see many Stormtroopers, pilots, technicians, officers, etc. seated in front of a projector, waiting for a movie to start. Twilight Sparkle and Spike were in the back, standing, while General Mohc and Captain Niriz were leaning on a wall to the right.

The projector must've been encountering problems again as the screen only showed the Imperial logo slowly bouncing off the walls of the screen.

The seated audience held their breath, some of them standing and putting their arms around each other's shoulders.

"Wait hold it, hold it!" He heard a stormtrooper yell.

The Imperial logo then perfectly bounced off one of the screen's corners.

As soon as it did, the audience went wild, some celebrating, and some throwing food into their while they were jumping.

Niriz, Mohc, Twilight, and Spike openly laughed. Thrawn meanwhile, smiled, enjoying watching the childish antics of the men and women under him.

Even in times of war, the people that fight could find a time for peace, where they could forget all about their worries and relax.

These people all have parents, siblings, children, friends, homes, and dreams, and he would be damned if the Rebels and the Emperor would take it away from them. He swore, he would end them and finally bring peace to the galaxy as was promised years ago.

Author's Note

Tbh, I'm not proud of this chapter, but ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Anyways, that concludes any more involvement from Gravity Falls. I swear it will tie in with another one of my fics (as soon as I get out of this writer's block) and for a Gravity Falls Crossover I had planned. I originally wanted to make all of my fics tie in to each other (back when I wrote Displaced fics before abandoning them) so I decided to revive that idea but with only three of my fics.

Yes, that audience part was inspired by this.

Why? Because Imperials are Humans too. They're not all heartless monsters like Captain Ozzik Sturn (Ten points if you instantly recognized that name.)

Been getting headaches lately (Probably from pulling all nighters or sleeping late for studying and doing homework) and my stomach hurts while I'm writing this.

It's probably that Foot Long Chili Cheese Coney I ate from Sonics.

Yeah, definitely the Coney.

I had to slap myself for not realizing Terrinald Screed was canon now after reading Tarkin. Had a small heart attack when I thought I accidentally added the Demolisher in Phalanx Squadron.