Beyond - Legends ~ The reason I didn't update...~ finished on ff.n, part II started

Volle Punktzahlfür dieses update!

Thanks for this update. Now I can dream sweet nonsense at the German North Sea Coast.

Your postcard from Asia was cool by the way.

I am back on-line in two weeks time.

Will miss you, hon!

 

Nah, Katharina. None of those is close to what I like. *lol* Good that we can all have our own Thrawn.
Pretty Thrawn, I think the artist has an account and fanarth thread here, too. I just can't remember. And of course the image I tried to turn into colour...
I will make sure TRIDU goes a bit morer there. But never all out. I am not writing such scenes a lot.

Not gonna tell you, Chilla . Maybe you'll remember when/if I use it.
And we all have enough imagination for Grand Admirals, terraces and untoward. Help yourself.
She starts to forget and even forget that she forgot. This can only lead to heartache. But really, who'd not look back. At least occasionally.
More afraid, yes, but in a different way.
I think everybody tells him wahtever he asks. You don't say nay to a man like that.
You and your questions - I will have to think about it.
Poor Pelly. He gets to intercept all the crazy fangirls.

I like the second one better as well, serenity. Probably because my rendition of Thrawn always sucked. Thank you, I do my best. I think.

Thank you, Azure.
Hope you had sweet dreams.
Guess, I'll be in New Zealand in two weeks time...

Note: Sorry for the delay. I was on the company outing which alsted the whole weekend. Then tragedy struck at home and - things took some time. Since the update was mostly done, I can still present you with something, though. *phew*

---

[u]One-Hundred and Forty-Six[/u]


[i]Get your sorry ass out of bed and do something for the Empire!

Go, go, go! This is not a pleasure cruise!

Move it!
[/i]


All in all the debriefing had gone well and in an orderly fashion after the initial irritation. I hadn't earned any brownie points but considering the overall lack of chocolate in my immediate vicinity that was not really surprising. I got up and yawned my way through the sonic. After yawning while brushing my teeth had objectionable consequences, I stopped and tried to focus on the day ahead of me instead.

I didn't even know my schedule. Everything had been so geared towards the inauguration that now that it was over I didn't know what it was that it had interrupted, I was sure there had been something. A look on my pad would help, but I was intelligent enough to remember on my own. Right?

Staring into my tea didn't bring any enlightenment either. And where was Arn? I could also ask Rukh. Well this should teach me. If I ever managed to earn any brownie points, I should eat them before they were inevitably disallowed again. I gave in and consulted my pad that showed a very ordinary day. The bulk of my time was still taken up by lessons of all kinds, sprinkled with time to eat and what I decided to call meetings. One with Dave after lunch. Since my 'other business' was done now, I could be expected to concern myself with that again. Not much fun. If anything, I was further from weaselling concessions out of Thrawn than before. That I could amend with a meeting in the evening.

I didn't linger on that thought for many reasons and instead wondered why Seros had not changed back to the curriculum but still was teaching me poise according to planet when dancing. Either there were more balls luring in the near future or he just decided to get through with this now since we were already at it. I prayed it was the latter.

Arn was suspiciously absent from lunch which I spent also in Seros charming company. He wondered aloud how I had managed to get through the inauguration. The explanation that there had been a buffet did not convince him any. So I was also back at table manners.

I took a deep breath before I opened the door to meet with Dave. Seeing him again since such a long time, it seemed to be forever so

 

*runs in from the German North Sea coast*

Imagine, I was close to the city of Heide and forgot to ask you about the phone number of a certain GSFF member. But my holiday was so brief that I did not even contact morri in Hamburg.

ANYWAY, I am back now to congratulate you for another update with which you earned every brownie point possible from me.

I hope you tell us soon what happens next and do NOT take a little detour over Japan, considering the latest earthquakes. Please go straight to NZ!

 

My attempt at humor was obviously as over as Isard telling knock-knock jokes to tortured "Rebel sympathizers"...



What I have read, Mellana suddenly realized she missed missing home, Arn doesn't believe in stand-by seating on shuttle flights, and Thrawn got your dress off and... then nothing.

It was good to see Dave, albiet awkward; or was the interaction with Fel & his wife more awkward? Quite undecided.

The choice of language use for the ball was terrific, giving it an almost Victorian feel.

Did I forget anything? Oh, yeah; Ruhk's pointed advice - pun intended - treat your dagger like a pimple, stop paying attention to it, and no one else will either.

 

Apology accepted.
You may try that sort of humour again when I - well, give it a few months. I'm just that close to picking a fight with anybody.

 

I never get PMs that notify me whenever there's a new chapter. I just check this site manually every now and then. How can I change that?

 

MsLanna is not doing PMs any longer. I also check often to see if there are any updates. If you are reading other stories, ask to be put on the PM list.

Her updates on the weekend are like the sprinkles on cookies. Yummy tidbits that have you wanting more.

The icing is when I actually get to go somewhere other than that long tedious week of school, homework, work and volunteering. As you can tell my life is currently boring.

It would also help if I had more money.

On to my review.

As wonderful as always. But I have to go back a few of your posts to the meeting with the Fels.

"The kids will keep you up and running, "Syal promised. "Do you plan to have children?"

I glanced at Soontir, who nodded imperceptibly. "Future developments may necessitate it."

"Ms. Morrison!" She was almost angry. "What kind of attitude is that? How can you even consider having children this way?"

"Baroness, I realise I am unfit to be a mother currently." I wondered how to word this tactfully. "I am counting on nature to have employed mechanisms that will activate my motherly instincts should a child happen to me, because it would be my child and that's a difference. I very much intend to love my child."

"And the husband?" We both looked at the baron at this unexpected intervention.

"If possible," I managed.

His lips tightened for a moment.


Are they trying to figure how close you are to falling in love with Thrawn?

 

I understand the whole PM thing. i've been keeping up, just haven't posted in a while. time is an elusive thing often times I find I just have enough time to read, but not to take time to wait for the reply page to load, type a message and then wait to make sure it went through lol college is a bummer at times

great updates by the way, they're really good

 

i cant belive you dont remember the galaxy gun lets hope you
remmember before palps get it built oh and try to remember palps is flagship
with the death star beams, oh well hopefully you be given a break soon, hopefully with
choclate

 

Thank you, Azure. *munches on brownie points*
Japan is not going to happen. Some otehr time. I hope.

Sorry about being awkward, Ale. But - it is.
I blame reading a series with a very Victorian tone for the ball. Great coincidence. And now I need more ways to sneak words like 'untoward' and suich into my fics.

Sent you a pm, Katharina. Hope that helped?
But since I tend to update regular on Sundays (if sometimes a Sunday late ) I think this is not too difficult to follow.

Well, serenity, they might. Or just being curious as to how I intend to handle things. I am not sure Thrawn has a heart.

Yah, pms can be troublesome, Amanda. Doing them 'right' takes time I don't want to waste on it right now. But if you don't remember the story and don't care what happnes, why read it anyway?

Galaxy Gun, Warlord? I need to ask the Wook about that. So many superweapons. *sigh*
Chocolate will beinvolved alter on. A trat for fangirls, but not feasible right now...

---

[u]One-Hundred and Forty-Seven[/u]
[i]
Get your sorry ass out of bed and do something for the Empire!

Go, go, go! This is not a pleasure cruise!

Move it![/i]



Yes, I got it. You may stop shouting now. Demotivation had somehow gotten its paws on me. It was probably the lack of anticipation (or horror) that got to me. Adrenaline was just another drug. Possibly. There were again lessons with Seros. And lunch with Seros.

On my sulking question if there were any balls in my future that would necessitate intimate knowledge of all the details he was showing me, Seros replied that Thrawn could not show up with a different woman each time. I didn't know why not, but wisely kept my mouth shut.

Likewise, Fi had just shaken his head in disappointment when I wanted to know if I really had to go armed to all those possible future balls. "Do you really believe that any of the attendants has been unarmed?", he asked in return.

I looked at the guests again in my memory and had to admit that, yes, I had been assuming just that. The idea that all of them had at least a knife stashed away on them somewhere was scary. It would be easy for the guys and their uniforms, maybe I could ask his Admiralship about that, but the women. I tried to think of Saedrin wielding a knife. She'd be formidable, and Syal - the mind boggled.

So I did as told and disentangled my knife from several positions on my body, not all without showing my knickers. At least this was Fi, not Dave. That I didn't want my knickers to show in front of Dave was improvement. I hoped. If I wanted to go in any romantic direction, he was not it. I'd have to look at his Admiralship for that. And see how he didn't go into the same sentence as romantic? It was hopeless.

Fi agreed, though he was commenting on my skills to get at my knife in a short enough time for it to be useful; like before I was dead. But as the exercises went on, that became less and less likely. I'd be dead, no matter what happened. Lyk agreed with that assessment as he tried to improve my shooting abilities. Where the frag was Arn? Did he finally get some time off? And if he did, did that mean I would, too. Some day.

The idea of holidays did nothing to improve my aim. And it did not become true either. Instead I found myself facing Thrawn again. This was getting - regular, unsettling, predictably consequential. I tried not to think about it. "Where is Arn?" I wanted to know."

"Advanced training".

I was tempted to probe but didn't. Thrawn had that inflection that was almost not there but sure telling you the topic was closed. "When will he be back?"

"When he is done. You need not worry about that, Mellanna."

"He's been a permanent fixture in my life here." I ran my fingers through the complicated motion of a Chiss shrug equivalent. Raising my shoulders now would imply guarding my neck and insinuating that Thrawn was about to cut my throat. "Naturally, I do wonder."

"There are

 

If I wanted to go in any romantic direction, he was not it. I'd have to look at his Admiralship for that. And see how he didn't go into the same sentence as romantic? It was hopeless.

Poor Mellanna. Especially since she?s slowly falling for the guy. Maybe he?s not the ?romance? type, but he?s a man.

"You owe me one." Was I imagining things or was he now looking smug.
"One what?" Maybe I should worry.

That made me laugh. Very good.

The major part was laughing about the notion of him being a small problem.

Very true. Men are always trouble and he?s trouble big time.

Can?t wait for next weekend to see what happens next! More Thrawn, I hope. Keep up the good work!

 

"Mellanna," he forced me to look up, "this is not going to be easy. And you need to realise that I am the least of your problems."

Is he now? Well, can´t wait to read about her big problems.

And you go on enjoying your stay in NZ and thanks for the beautiful landscape photos. Actually I would forgive you if you would stay on there, as long as you keep writing and making me laugh on skype.



I sense the new drive of hapiness in your updates. Not in the story itself, but in the actual author being abroad in a beautiful scenery and delicious food!

 

Sorry for not replying to your last update.

Wonderful uppie! I have to say I really enjoy how Thrawn is appearing in every chapter now. Plus, the dialogues are always very interesting. So he's all nice now? I wouldn't believe him that he's a small problem, either.

I did enjoy the small banter with him. Although bugging a Grand Admiral is a bit dangerous. So.....what is the thing you owe him? *curious*


Anyways, I look forward to the next non-update!


I sense the new drive of hapiness in your updates. Not in the story itself, but in the actual author being abroad in a beautiful scenery and delicious food!

I have to agree. You seem very happy. But lol - because of Nicole's post I got a mental image of you sitting on top of a pile of food..... xD

 

all caught up
great updates

 

"You owe me one."


Ooooh, this guy's good!

 

Falling, Katharina? Let's hope so. Might make a nice splash if Thrawn forgets to catch ehr at the end.
Hm, the silly idea seems to ahve fans. So I'll go through with the whole embarrassing concept. You have been warned.
And yes, Thrawn. He'll feature prominently for a while. I think. My blue muse is quite stoked with the new input.

Well, with 1,8m height, how can he possibly be a small problem, Azure?
But do I really want to know what otehr problems there are?
New Zealand and Choices of One. Perfect mix that leaves me wishless in the face of a shooting star.

The theory is easy, Chilla: each Sunday there should be an update. Sometimes, life gets in the way. Or New Zealand.
Is he all nice now? Why? How long? And how to cope with it?
I like to write banter, though Thrawn doesn't lend himself to that. Stupid scugger.
NZ makes happy, and Choices of One even more so. The combination results in living in headspace even when you're out walking rl. Absolutely amazing. I can only recommend it.

Thanks, Maggy.

I am not sure how to take that, Ale.
It was a spur of the moment idea, and one I am not really happy of ahving in tehre anymore already, but since it will have a follow up... *le sigh*


Note:
I owe deep thanks to Timothy Zahn. I was looking forward to Choices and it did not disappoint. As hoped, there was more info about his Admiralship I can draw on and use. And, though not intended, Zahn himslef made some ideas I ahd about Thrawn canon in a few black-on-white sentences. Only FANGASM can approximately describe the way that feels.
So there, it was not my idea, it was all canon.

---

[u]One-Hundred and Forty-Eight[/u]

[i]I shouldn't be here, but it is too late now. The crowns of the trees sweeps by under me as I circle higher, up the valley, up the cliffs. The sun feels golden, like liquid honey and the green glows under me with eerie intensity. It is enough to distract anybody, but I cannot be distracted. I must be careful as I soar over the trees to spy.

He has seen me, and I can feel him open his hands to catch me even as I try to evade. But I can just change. It is a new shape I have not done often yet, but I feel confident as I hurl towards the ground. I spread my wings to break the fall and slip away just over the ground and find myself hopping to a stop on the green. I am a blackbird. The wrong shape, not a sparrow. The bigger body couldn't handle the sharp manoeuvre. I am confused.

I look down over the valleys, the tree glowing in the slanting light, with longing. The window is open, but I can't get away. Birdmaster is looking at me intently, he wants to know what I was up to. I want to flee, soar free again, but he holds me with the invisible cage of being able to catch me within the first beats of my wings.

His pale face is all angles that become more pronounces by the thin strip of black beard running along his jaw line. His eyes glitter cold as he demands, questions. And I have nothing to tell him. I want to take flight. But I have to respond. How?

do something for the Empire...

I turn but there is nobody. And the Empire is the last thing I need to worry about perched high over this golden green country. Birdmaster is still demanding and I cannot just do nothing. He will surely. He reaches out.[/i]

A hand shaking my shoulder insistently until I opened my eyes. Rukh was standing beside my bed, doing his best to wake me up.

"Mellanna," his growl is unmistakably impatient.

"Just a dream," I mumble, rubbing my eyes. But the gaze of Birdmaster is still glowering at the back of my head. I have no answers and no truths to offer. So I stumble into the fresher and try to wash it all off. It works and will until I lie down to sleep again. The urge to return into my dreams was old and I never really got

 

Chiss novels, wonder if there any good?

Excellent update. Oh my what will she do with her time off? Annoy the admiral, sounds like fun.

Head of state? Maybe she got a fan girl following. Or maybe there is just jealousy and Thrawn wants to show off.

Choices of One was indeed wonderful.

 

You are at the receiving end of my creepy grin now!

When I dream of blue man with 1,8m height you are to blame!

 

Oooo! or is the proper term: squee (?!?) A mystery within a story!

Who is this "Birdmaster"?!?! I like the sudden twist... if it is truly that.

And training to be a Head of State?!?! Intrigue is back in TRIDU!

 

head of state? i recall i made a joke about you becoming empress at one point
now what has thrawn got planed for you and will you like it........ proberly not

 

More!!! And yes, classic literature is sometimes HARD to read. Especially in a foreign language.

 

I don't know, serenity. But looking at the big novels of humanity, I'm scared. Those are not much fun to read. Annyoing him? Or himannoying me? We'll see. And the Head of State thing is having some purpose that will ebcaome clear - some time.

Well, as long as you leave enough of him for me to dream off, Azure.

I am afraid you are things I do not, Ale.
But intrigue is certainly abut to happen.

Yes, you did, Warlord5. But who says that sometimes author and reader do not think alike.
Yah, Mellanna probably won't like it.

As you wish, Katharina.

---

[u]One-Hundred and Forty-Nine[/u]

As expected the material on the Ciutric Hegemony was extensive and boring. But I could not remember getting a single interesting thing to read since I arrived, so what was new. The Hegemony was comparatively small for galactic standards. It consisted only of a handful of worlds, the most of them not even moderately important.

There was a high percentage of aliens around, so even I saw Krennel's human-centric ideas as some kind of problem should he stay in power. Since I didn't think I could change his mind, the best idea was to put him some place where he could feel important, but not do much damage. Promote out of the way, or however that was called.

In the meantime, Ciutric IV. It was an uninteresting place, but probably the best to set up as capital for the small cluster of stars of the Hegemony. Axxila was more important economically, hell even Liinade III was more important economically, but neither was situated conveniently at the meeting point of several trading routes. And as it seemed, neither had much of a say in what the Hegemony did, either. Krennel did as he pleased. All I had to do was make him find something else more pleasing. A piece of cake. If only I could get one.

But with the Imperial Shipyards on Axxila, producing a substantial parts of the fleet - that explained any interest Thrawn would have in the place. It was sure not pretty. I wondered which out-of-the-way place one could give Krennel to rule that would satisfy his hunger for glory but not be really worth anything. If only I could set up another Outbound Flight, make it the prestigious place to be and ship him of as Commander of the mission. I allowed myself the daydream of shipping the rest of unwanted elements away under his command.

The comm brought me back to the unfortunate here and now that still sported the problem of Krennel unsolved. Thrawn had deigned to reply. I was not sure if I was surprised, pleased or worried. After reading, I went for slightly annoyed, though I was not sure if I was more annoyed with him or me. (Me probably, but I'd never admit that.)

The reply informed me, politely, that it was good to see that I finally had decided to take on my position with the necessary commitment. And there was already a choice of music and literature on my terminal had I had the mind to look.

Well, I sure had the mind to do so now. And there it was. All labelled nicely in Cheunh. Well, thank you, sir. I picked a music file by random and had it replayed. It reminded of ambient music, though what I thought of as synthesisers might just be proper instruments here, not to mention that piano was most likely not one. Chewing on my lip I browsed the selection of novels. All looked rather long, and translations happened to other people. I would raise that topic with Thrawn, should I remember.

There was also included a detailed vita of his Admiralship. Now, now. It looked that I had managed to score one of the old boys. At least he didn't quite get up to double my age. And if I recalled correctly you were not starting to be old until your late seventies in the GFFA. But on the other hand it didn't look as if Chiss got much of a childhood. Thrawn had joined the military aged twelve. That didn't sound right if you were not either a Mando or already fully grown up. Considering the evidence, I opted f

 

Arrr.... I was SO unprepaired for this!!! I know after some thousand pages that probably sounds really stupid, but I WAS! Oh God and I laughed so much! Brilliant chapter!

??but it was definitely a fiancée, former since his Admiralship got himself exiled. For a long time I simply stared at the monitor, the false piano jingled in the background.? Perfect.

?I didn't really look forward to that, but at least I could understand it.? I know that feeling. Starting a foreign language is a bit**.

?Of course I have nothing else to do in my ample spare time than to translate Chiss literature." LOL. We had the same mental picture there.

"Did you look at the end?"
I almost huffed. "Of course not. I like my books to surprise me."
He gave me a very unreadable look. "It will not disappoint you there." I know what I would do now ? take the book and read the end. *lol* It will be interesting to see what our "Sherlock in blue" considers ?surprising?.

"What about right now?" He took a step towards me, my face was but a hand's breadth from his white uniform. ? *BANG* (sound of my jaw hitting the desk).

"Lay back and think of the Empire?" Oh dear? flashback to one of my less romantic moments. My ex-boyfriend said that once. ?Lay back and think of England?. ?WHAT?!!!!? *lol*

But there was always that voice at the back of my head, nagging. This was but another plan. ? I feel with her. That would be my worry, too. Can Thrawn love? It doesn't appear like it. You might end up falling head over heals for the guy and you mean nothing to him. You are just part of the plan, but what when the plan succeeded and the game is over? On the other hand this is Thrawn we are talking about. That man is sex on legs. I would take full advantage of the situation. Go for it girl! There IS lots of trouble ahead. SURE. But still.^^

Khanathitera? Sounds familiar?

At least Moon had had the decency to wait. *lol* Well it must be quite unnerving to think that there is a limited time-frame set by his admiral-ship. *lol*

Arrr. It?s inhuman to stop here! You cannot make us wait for whole week for the next update!!! I LOVE IT! Wave my hand in Jedi fashion "You will not stop writing now. You will not."

 

What about right now?" He took a step towards me, my face was but a hand's breadth from his white uniforn
well thrawn is very good at taking people by surprise and you never saw it coming, guess the reality not like the fantasy eh?
cant wait for your next update things getting very intresting and its hard to wait
just wondering would your child be blue? or maybe normal human complexion but have daddys eyes the possible combinations

 

It was brilliant right up until I got lost and don't know what happened. Did Rukh find you in your bunk, or his Admiral's bed? (I'm confused... )

Otherwise, all the build up, all the hinting and coying... and you put it all off for at least another week. How seaky of you!

*sighs* at the realization that there is another week ahead before the next part.