main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends Saga - Legends Ἀνάγκη – Necessity beyond Sway | Thrawn, OC, drama/tragedy, pre-ANH to TTT | Epic, e-book available

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Chyntuck, Oct 6, 2014.

  1. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    @Ewok Poet, in answer to your spoiler-tagged question (which is a very good one)—and this is a total guess here, but—

    I'm only half clear on this myself, but we do know that she's got this unique "way of shining in the Force" even though she's not actually Force-sensitive, and I'm wondering if it's some flavor of psychometry seeping in from her Kiffar side. Kind of the reverse of psychometry: rather than being able to see flashbacks of past events triggered by objects involved in those past events, she herself is the touchstone object that triggers the flashback.

    Sorry, I know that's not very helpful. [face_blush] :p
     
  2. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    I edited my post to add a VERY strange idea...you might want to unlike it if you think I've gone mad. :p

    As for what you said...

    I remember Chyntuck answering to my question about psychometry already and said that Ayesha was not capable of it. At the same time, she sort of reads art?! Perhaps she has a gene mutation that allows for VERY limited psychometry and for HER BEING AN ITEM TO READ?

    MY BRAIN HURTS.
     
  3. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Oh, Ewok Poet, mine too! But in a good way. :D

    And yes, that seems plausible. Even the other idea wouldn't be totally unimaginable and would certainly count as

    a quite new and different spin on the "mystical pregnancy" trope.
     
  4. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Wow, all this activity? Thanks all for your interest in this story. I'm going to catch up on a few replies here.
    Pssst. Disney lied. Check this out:
    [​IMG]

    This was created by someone on these boards, but I can't find the place where it was originally posted to give them credit.
    But seriously, most of the answer is in canon-canon (as it, it's in the films.)
    I'll confess right now that the medical science behind that scene is total baloney -- or even non-existent, since I didn't even bother to check what happens with brain activity when people go in a (natural or artificial) coma in RL. Let's just admit that GFFA sedatives are supposed to shut down your brain altogether ;)
    Thanks :)
    Are you awake yet? [:D]
    Thank you both [face_blush] I'm quoting your posts here not only because it's good for my ego, but also because you make important points on which I won't elaborate too much in these replies [face_whistling]
    Side trip is a brilliant novella and there's some fantastic Thrawn-Corran Horn interaction in there but the main plot isn't something you need to know in order to follow the rest of this fic. The important element is that Thrawn killed half a dozen mynocks with the same blaster shot and managed 1. to get into Vader's good graces, 2. to have the Noghri allocated to his command, 3. to identify the location of the Rebel base on Derra IV. But you should still read it, because the story of how he gets all that is very entertaining :D
    Define "completely"... [face_whistling]




    Now to reply to the important plot-related questions without giving it all away... :confused: [face_nail_biting] [face_thinking]
    *checks her magical timeline document* This chapter takes place on 38:3:20-23 GrS, so approx three months before the Battle of Hoth (which according to Legends takes place on 38:6:8 GrS). The Legends timeline doesn't give a precise date for the Battle of Derra IV (it says at some point between 38:3:31 and the Battle of Hoth) so I've given it a tentative date of 38:4:20.
    The answers to all that will come of course in future chapters, but if you go back and re-read:

    Part I, chapter 37: Power
    Part II, chapter 4: The uncle
    Part II, chapter 9: The fellows

    ... you'll be able to confirm or invalidate your guesses if you pay attention to the right details.

    Yes, I know, I'm a horrible tease, but at this point, to answer your fantastic comments properly, I'd have to either write a summary of the next ten-odd chapters under a spoiler tag, or to post the chapters straight away :p and I haven't written all of them yet. But I will add three general background points for the plot:

    1. There is only one prophecy at work in the GFFA, i.e. that the Chosen One/Anakin Skywalker will bring balance to the Force. Events in this fic are simply contributing to make it happen.

    2. Ayesha doesn't have any sort of magical/latent Force/psychometry powers. She can read art because she's a talented artist and she understands how other artists think and what they try to express when creating their art (which Thrawn is also shown doing all over the place in canon). As for the rest, as I said in this fic's summary, she's just being "bounced around by the vagaries of galactic history."

    3. Chapters 9-17 of part II were about how Thrawn tried to kill another dozen mynocks with one blaster shot -- to keep Ayesha away from the Emperor and to continue his work in the Unknown Regions unimpeded and with the Emperor's support. His underlying assumptions were that a) he was dealing with the Emperor on an equal footing and b) that he could manipulate the Emperor without the Emperor being aware of it. I think we all know what could go wrong with that plan. So the question is, who was (and might still be) manipulating whom?

    As a side note, there were two Force-related clues in Part II, chapter 7: The painting and Part II, chapter 12: Potted plants that Thrawn didn't pay attention to, plus another one in Part II, chapter 17: Exile that he didn't know about because he was too busy scheming in court. More generally, it's fair to say that Thrawn doesn't pay enough attention to the Force (as will also be the case later in TTT).

    I hope you don't all hate me now *runs away and hides*

    Thanks again all for the magnificent reviews! I'll be back with chapter 21 on Thursday [:D]
     
  5. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    Alrighty, after giving Spring a kick in the butt, here I am . . . :p

    15:

    The warmth and affection in this chapter were just wonderful to read. I had an inkling of what would be coming with the 'Lifeform' title (and how endearing is that, btw??), and her added weight and appetite really just tipped it off for the better. I am a pendulum between true joy and happiness for them and concern – this is such a tumultuous time, politically speaking, and in many ways, a child can be a pawn to be manipulated and used against them as much as it can be a blessing. I just hope they make their way off of Corouscant as fast as they can together.

    And then:

    “Your capacity to rejoice over the happiness of others never ceases to astound me, Ayoo’sha,” he said in response to her questioning look. “You give all your love without ever expecting anything in return. You experience your friends’ every success, every moment as keenly as if it were yours. You have no idea whatsoever how exceptional that makes you, and I hope you never will.”

    I think that that is one of my favourite things about Ayesha, as well. She has been through so much, but there is just this joy and vivacity and ability to love at the center of her being that just amazes me. [face_love]

    And their 'we're going to be parents' reaction was spot on perfect. I went to quote a chunk, and then found that I kept on expanding where I was copying. :p


    16:

    Where to start with this chapter? First off, I loved seeing the reaction of her friends at the Centre; along with both the science for their hybrid child and their getting an up close and personal look at their baby. That first moment hearing the heartbeat, in particular, was beautifully written - as was her introducing the Lifeform to Uumana. (Your comments about why she did that, later, just absolutely struck a chord, as well. [face_love])

    But Simon's concerns and practical advice and expertise were the highlight of this chapter. I love the idea of Ayesha going to stay with her Wookiee family until their child is born. She would get the best possible care there, and it's not Coruscant. [face_worried][face_love]


    17:

    She gave him a mock angry look. “You can call me stubborn all you want, I’m not changing my mind. I’m always happy to spend time with Ada’ Yakooboo and Rumpy, especially now, but it’s not them I’m having a baby with, you know. So I’m not leaving until you leave, period.” She paused. “Unless you’d finally care to tell me what all this is about, of course.”

    Thrawn let out an exasperated sigh. “Ayoo’sha, as I have told you many times already, I cannot disclose any details to you before you are safely out of the Emperor’s reach. He will be returning to Coruscant on the twentieth of this month, and I would much rather execute the final phase of my plan without having to worry that you might unwittingly give it away.”

    Ahh, I, like Thrawn, would so rather she left now. The political tensions are leaping dangerously high in this part of the story, and while I know that Thrawn knows what he is doing, I still do not like the threat looming over their heads. [face_worried] If you can't communicate the scope of the threat because the stakes are so high, I would really rather have her safely gone out of harms way - especially since they decided to bring a child into this situation. [face_worried]

    She shrugged. “I won’t. That’s what Uncle Quin’s plants are for, aren’t they?” Both eyebrows shot up, making her smile. “I’m not entirely stupid, Thrawn. The most brilliant mind in the Navy must have rubbed off on me.”

    [face_laugh][face_laugh] Boo-ya!

    Then, that was wonderful news for Matt and Valeria! [face_love]

    There was a long silence. “Then this was not the right time to have a baby,” Ayesha finally said. “Or maybe there is no right time for us to have a baby at all.”

    Thrawn took a step back as if stung. “Do you truly regret that we are having this child?”

    “No,” she replied. “But if the Lifeform is going to have the sort of childhood I did, I will regret it forever.”

    Ahh, they are breaking my heart here! :( I so understand and feel for Ayesha's concerns and pains, and once again I am torn between joy for them and really, really wishing they had waited until things were more settled.

    Then – what a masterstroke on Thrawn's part, getting himself 'exiled' like that. It was a neat solution tied up in a neat little bow, but still. [face_worried] He is playing this game with the Emperor, and the powerful men he angered and aggravated are not the sort to stop with merely his exile, I fear. I just hope, hope, hope that any sort of retaliation will have to wait and then – sorry, what's that? No more Empire. :p

    Her smile faltered when she saw cloaked Royal Guards step out and amble to the open transparisteel panel. “Ayesha Eskari,” a voice said from under the red hood. “His Majesty the Emperor is requesting your presence.”

    . . . .and then you did that. :mad: I hope you are proud of yourself because I could not scroll down fast enough for the next chapter.


    18

    “Prisoner transfer from Coruscant, Sir.”

    Thrawn cocked an eyebrow. “The Admonitor is leading a mapping expedition. This is not a prison ship.”

    Aaand my bad feeling for this chapter started just about here.

    . . . you wouldn't.

    . . . but you would. :eek::mad:

    This chapter was so, so hard to read – both for Ayesha's pain, and Thrawn's. She's already been through so much in her life, and now this. Fully healthy minds can break underneath a fraction of this, but I do hope that she can pull herself through this – yet again, with that same warmth and zest for life we all love about her still intact.


    19

    Random happy moment: Stent!! :D [face_love] I was so happy to see a familiar Chiss face here. But now that that's done . . .

    Aaand reading this one was harder than reading the last. Thrawn's complete shut-down, and then his cool, calculated way of getting things done after sent a shiver up and down my spine. I almost feel sorry for the men who treated Ayesha like that. They don't know what kind of sleeping bear they prod. Nyota's Heart comparing Thrawn to Spock really fits esspecially well in these chapters, with the outwardly calm, cool control and the volcanic whirlpool going on underneath.

    My eyes burned when he asked about the baby. There was a whole two months in which that could have happened, and if it was the Grand Admiral or the Emperor – those missing days give me the creeps to think about – we'll find out I suppose. But just the fact that something that brought them so much joy and hope is now gone . . . :(

    Ayesha's reaction when she was awakened was heartbreaking. There's really nothing more that I can say than that. :(

    But then - Black Sun . . . Corellia? Is this going where I think it is going?


    20

    It is! [face_dancing]

    I do not have the words to say how much I adored fanon and canon being merged in this one. I, like many, think that including Vader as you are in this story has been a master-stroke, and this chapter was no exception.

    Speaking of – kudos for keeping the 'evil' vibe within Vader alive and running, even while he is helping and doing a good thing for Ayesha here. (His anger on her behalf I truly enjoyed.) Thrawn's moving pieces on the chess board so as to earn Vader's favor was perfectly spun, and then -

    “Quiet,” Vader intimated. “I will ease your pain, but for that I must know.” The heart monitor’s beeps sped up. “Do not resist,” he grumbled. “Show me.” There was a long pause. “So he saw it too. What did he want?” She breathed something that sounded like a whimper. “What did he want?” he insisted. “Show me.” She let out a wail of pain and started flailing on the bed. Thrawn took a brusque step towards her, but an invisible hand pushed him back and slammed him against the wall behind him. “The name,” the Dark Lord barked. “Did you tell him the name?”

    “I didn’t,” she screamed. “I didn’t tell him anything. He took it from my head. He took everything from me, like he did with you.”

    The Dark Lord stepped back as if stung.

    Ahh, and here's my heart – a semi just backed over it . . . again. :(

    The sharp, staccato way you write Vader is perfectly IC, even while helping here. But her last line really just hit me in the gut – so, so true, and I loved how this was such a pivotal role behind the scenes for Vader's eventually turning on his master. Once again – this was such an excellent way of blending your tale into the bigger picture at this time.

    On thing I'm hoping is that Ayesha's innate 'brightness' in the Force helps her heal from this in ways that would not have been possible for an otherwise 'normal' mind otherwise. At least, that is what I am really, really hoping for.



    Gah, and I am caught up!! This is not where I want to be caught up, at all. :( ;)

    So I, like many, am eagerly awaiting more. =D=
     
    AzureAngel2, Kahara, Chyntuck and 2 others like this.
  6. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Mira's reviews are gorgeous and articulate. And yum on the cool exterior masking a volcanic whirlpool - =D= lyrical that! And true. It's a turn on too [face_laugh] =P~
     
  7. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    OK, Chyntuck, I went back and read those three chapters you mentioned, and the spoiler tags below include the text that I'm guessing contains the hints of which you speak:

    [Thrawn:] “I also happen to know something about him that no one else does, which gives me a distinct advantage.”

    He remained silent for a few seconds. “What is it?” Ayesha asked. “This isn’t just some state secret. You almost seem embarrassed.”

    “It is a state secret, but I am also a little embarrassed, or at least somewhat uneasy. I do not want you to... to misinterpret what I will say.” He took a deep breath. “Since the Battle of Yavin, Lord Vader has been obsessed with the Rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star. I recently found out that the young man’s name is Luke Skywalker.”

    She clapped both hands over her mouth. “The baby lived?” she spluttered. “Padmé’s baby lived? He thought he killed her. He thought he killed them both.”

    “So it seems, Ayoo’sha. Or at least so Lord Vader believes. He says that he can sense the boy’s presence in the Force, and that he can thus identify him as his son.”

    The bed sheet fell off her as she pulled her knees to her chest. “This is so sad,” she whispered. “This is so awfully sad. That poor man...” She abruptly turned her gaze to Thrawn. “You’re using it against him,” she said angrily. “I told you the memories he shared with me, and now you’re using that to... to manipulate him.”

    “I do not manipulate Lord Vader,” Thrawn said coolly. “Nobody does. However, having this information does give me, shall we say, a bargaining chip in my alliance with him. I can help him find his son.” His tone softened. “I did not betray your trust, Ayoo’sha. I am not throwing his past in his face. As a matter of fact, I have never told him that you shared his story with me, although it is quite obvious that he is aware of it nevertheless. But I need something to bargain with in order to ally myself with him. I am of no use to him when he believes I am merely leading a mapping expedition in the Unknown Regions.”

    “Haven’t you been listening?” Vos snapped. “He needed sustenance. She wasn’t merely food to him, she was a delicacy.” Thrawn arched an eyebrow in incomprehension. “Don’t you see how exceptional she is?” Vos went on impatiently. “I understand that you’re not Force-sensitive, but can’t you see how brightly she shines? There’s a vergence around her, she has a role to play to bring balance to the Force. Her soul is richer and more luminous than you’ll ever know, and that makes her a threat to the Sith. That’s why they don’t just want to feed on her. They want to make her dark, to destroy her. And that’s why Sidious keeps her around. For now he’s just toying with her, but I assure you, when he finds out exactly what her role in the Force is, he’ll take everything away from her to prevent her from fulfilling it.”

    . . .

    [Quinlan Vos:] "The Force works in mysterious ways. She found a way to channel the Light with her art, and maybe that’s part of her role in restoring balance.”

    “What does it mean, to restore balance?”

    “You want a crash course in Jedi lore now?” Vos asked in exasperation. Thrawn nodded firmly. The former Jedi gave him another exasperated look before launching into an explanation about the Battle of Ruusan, the Light and Dark Sides of the Force and the re-emergence of the Sith. “Now the Galaxy is shrouded in darkness,” he concluded. “It is people like Ayesha, who are at the centre of a vergence in the Force, who will bring back the Light.”

    “Does this mean that there are more people like her?” Thrawn asked.

    The Kiffar sighed. “Yes, I’m sure there are. There’s this prophecy about the Chosen One, who is to restore balance to the Force. We thought we’d found him at one point, but we were wrong. He failed and he was killed like the rest of us.”

    She was developing a bad headache and her vision was beginning to blur, and after a while all she could see was Miltin Takel’s bloodshot eyes that were glowing at her across the table. Random images started shooting across her mind as sharp claws pried them one by one from her memory – a kind-looking man in rags reciting poetry, an angry Zygerrian with bony spurs protruding from his chin, a purple-haired woman in a dark alley, a blank-faced Twi’lek in an armchair, a Kiffar warrior on the landing pad, a blue finger caressing her neck, a blue hand trailing down from her shoulder... “No,” she whispered. “No. You can’t see that. It’s private.”

    All eyes in the vicinity shot to her. “My dear young lady, you are as white as the plains of Hoth,” the Emperor said. “Are you feeling all right?” Ayesha let out a small moan as the pain intensified and the memory flashes became a flood. The claws were now digging deeper into her brain, as if looking for the images they had lost. A Besalisk. A Sullustan. A small child. A newborn Wookiee. A treehouse. A besieged fortress. A duel. Thrawn’s japor snippet. Another japor snippet, this one around a woman’s slender neck. A gloved hand, a bulging belly...

    There was a swoosh of something indefinable across the room and Grand Admiral Takel was slammed against the back of his chair. “Enough!” Darth Vader thundered. “You will learn respect for what is not yours, Takel. Or you will have to deal with me.”

    I'm glad I went back and reread these, because they reminded me of

    the vergence issue and the role of vergences in helping restore balance to the Force—in other words, they're a way of "helping along" the prophecy of the Chosen One.

    And if I may say so myself, I am starting to think more and more that

    my guesses are being confirmed rather than invalidated—though some details may of course work out being different.

    But the main thing is that

    stories that go so deep and provoke so much speculation and discussion are just plain :cool: !
     
  8. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Thanks again for the lovely reviews [:D] I'm going to quickly answer a couple of tidbits now and then post the next chapter before I run off to work.
    [face_devil]
    And like Ny, I'll say that this was beautifully phrased. Thank you :)
    Thanks! I wasn't too sure how closely I should integrate the plot of this fic with the canon story arc. I'm happy to see that you find it's working out.

    I should have know that a reader who went to the trouble of counting days would also go to the trouble of re-reading the chapters and picking them apart! ;) (Seriously now, thanks. I'm really, really flattered.)

    About the excerpts you quoted:
    The first two are exactly what I was thinking of. There's a tiny tidbit missing in the third one, but from your previous comments it's clear that you already got that plot point anyway.
    Absolutely :)
    Thank you! [face_blush]


    Thanks again! Next chapter up in a few minutes.
     
    AzureAngel2 and Ewok Poet like this.
  9. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Tags: AzureAngel2 Findswoman Gemma K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku Mando-Man Mira_Jade Raissa Baiard
    Please let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from the tag list.

    And as usual, thanks to Nyota's Heart for beta-reading [:D]

    -------------------------------------------

    Chapter 21: Hostage

    Doctor Cottle was astounded by the speed of Ayesha’s recovery after Vader’s nearly-disastrous visit to the med lab. “This is nothing short of miraculous,” he grunted on the second day when he came for her evening scan. “She improved more in the past forty-eight hours than in all the time we kept her in bacta immersion. I remember hearing about this when I was in med school back in the days of the Old Republic, but I never realized that the Jedi could use it on other people. If she keeps it up, she’ll have completely recovered by the end of the week.”

    “What of her brain?” Thrawn asked.

    Cottle pointed at a monitor featuring two nearly flat lines. “Nothing. It’s only performing the most basic vital functions right now, the reflexive ones. If I didn’t see the surgery scars vanish at this speed, I’d think she’s in the coma that comes before death. As things stand, my guess is that... I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s like she’s saving her energy and redirecting it where it’s needed.” Thrawn let out a small sigh of relief. “That was a good call, Admiral,” Cottle growled. “But let me tell you one thing. I’ll kill you if you ever bring Vader to my lab again. Or maybe I won’t need to, chances are he’ll kill you himself.”

    Thrawn gave him a sheepish smile and returned to the datapad he was studying. He had been strategizing for a battle above Derra IV since Darth Vader had left the Admonitor, and the information that had been reaching him from the homing beacons embedded in the smuggled blasters seemed to confirm his assumption that this was indeed the location of the Rebel base. He was putting the final touches to his plan when Cottle came by three days later. “We’re good to go,” the doctor said gruffly after running the overhead scanner. “Flesh and bone are one hundred percent healed. I’m transferring the sensors to a batch of monitors outside. You wake her up and talk to her, and I’ll be back if I see there’s anything wrong.”

    Thrawn gave him an uncertain look. “Are you sure it is time?”

    The doctor shrugged. “I’m navigating uncharted space here. Maybe the right time was yesterday, maybe it’s tomorrow, but Vader didn’t leave us with a user manual. Let’s take a leap of faith and say it’s today. We’ll figure out something else if this doesn’t work.”

    He flipped a switch, turning the monitors off, and walked out of the cubicle. Thrawn gazed at Ayesha’s pale face for a long moment before leaning closer and whispering ‘father and son’ in her ear. Her eyes snapped open and swept the room before focusing on him. “Qubshi?” she breathed. “Qubshi be-khadeeb?”

    There was no mistaking the sense of relief that washed over Thrawn’s features. “I am here, Ayoo’sha. I am here. How are you feeling?”

    “Thirsty,” she croaked.

    He activated the headrest to bring her to a half-sitting position and offered her a cup of water. She sipped it slowly, washing her mouth, and licked her parched lips before putting it down. “What is this place?” she asked as she took in the room again.

    “This is the sick bay aboard the Admonitor,” he said. “You have been very ill.”

    She gave him a puzzled look. “The Admonitor? How... how did I get here?”

    He looked at her carefully. She seemed utterly disoriented, but she was thoroughly awake, and there was a serenity about her that reminded him of her smile when Quinlan Vos put her in a healing trance after Paraseel Malki had suddenly reappeared in her life. He took a deep breath. “You were brought here from Kashyyyk. You were... arrested as a means to dissuade your father from joining the Rebel Alliance. I am not aware of the exact circumstances but...”

    She shuddered violently as the memories came flooding back. “Yes, I remember now,” she whispered shakily. “I remember all of it. They came for me and... and...” Her hand went to her belly and she burst into sobs.

    Thrawn laid one hand over hers and wiped her tears with the other. “Calm yourself, Ayoo’sha. Calm yourself. Use the Wookiee self-control techniques that your mother taught you. You must focus.” She was still crying uncontrollably. “Focus,” he repeated. “Do not slip away now. Focus.”

    She gasped for breath. “Home,” she rasped. “I want to go home.”

    Thrawn arched an eyebrow. “I cannot take you back to Coruscant, Ayoo’sha. There is...”

    “Not Coruscant,” she hiccupped. “I want to go home to Rwookrrorro, with Ada’ Yakooboo and Rumpy.”

    “I cannot take you to Kashyyyk either,” Thrawn answered patiently as if explaining something to a small child. “There is an arrest warrant against you. But you will stay here, with me, and everything will be all right.”

    She suddenly pushed his hands away and stared at him in disbelief. “He gave me to you. He gave me to you to keep me prisoner, and you accepted.”

    Thrawn was a little taken aback, but he caught himself quickly. “You are not a prisoner here, Ayoo’sha,” he said as soothingly as he could. “But it would not be safe for you to leave the Admonitor. You...”

    She was glaring at him with smouldering eyes. “Go away.”

    “Ayoo’sha, please,” he spluttered, visibly at a loss what to say or do. “You are not well. You have been through a terrible ordeal and you are still recovering. You must remain calm.”

    He tried to hold her hand. She recoiled in horror. “Don’t touch me,” she hissed. “I’m not allowing you to touch me. You’re no better than Zaarin if you even come close to me.”

    She was exuding such loathing that Thrawn took a step back. A single tear rolled on his cheek. “Ayoo’sha, please, please, in the name of our love...”

    She turned away from him. “There’s no love between us, Admiral. I’m a hostage and you’re my captor. That’s all there is to it.”
     
  10. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    I almost hesitate to say that was the hardest thing I've read, because it's like asking for something harder. :p But it was. Truly. For those familiar with the Tolkien worldscape, it's like Luthien telling Beren to go slag himself or Arwen giving Aragorn the boot. :( I understand entirely where that all is coming from and look forward to how things unfold. =D= =D=
     
  11. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    This is one of those short chapters that packs an extra-huge wallop precisely by virtue of its being so short. Definitely rough to read Ayesha rejecting Thrawn this way, but also speculation-inducing. [face_thinking] Part of it seems to be a really, really, really bad side effect of the healing trance: Vader put a story about being arrested on Kashyyyk into her head in the course of his Jedi healing trance, and perhaps because of that now Thrawn looks to Ayesha like someone who's forcibly keeping her from visiting her loved ones. I wonder, too, if she doesn't quite believe the Kashyyyk story.

    But another part of it seems to be coming from the way Thrawn tells her about it. She starts with "Qubshi be-khadeeb"—so she is clearly in love with Thrawn during the first moment she comes out of the trance. It's precisely when he mentions the fictitious arrest on Kashyyyk that she starts to change, and especially when she feels her belly. Gosh, if she somehow has come to the impression that Thrawn was complicit in stealing (killing?) her baby... :eek:

    I don't usually say this about Mondays, but this next one can't come soon enough! :D
     
    Gemma, AzureAngel2, Kahara and 3 others like this.
  12. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005
    There is so much here that I want to go over it line by line. (we teacher types call this "a close reading of the text." :p )

    Her eyes snapped open and swept the room before focusing on him. “Qubshi?” she breathed. “Qubshi be-khadeeb?”

    There was no mistaking the sense of relief that washed over Thrawn’s features. “I am here, Ayoo’sha. I am here. How are you feeling?”

    “Thirsty,” she croaked.

    He activated the headrest to bring her to a half-sitting position and offered her a cup of water. She sipped it slowly, washing her mouth, and licked her parched lips before putting it down. “What is this place?” she asked as she took in the room again.


    Okay, so he can come in close enough to hand her a cup and adjust her headrest. She calls him by her term for beloved. There is no perceived threat by Ayesha at this point.


    “This is the sick bay aboard the Admonitor,” he said. “You have been very ill.”

    She gave him a puzzled look. “The Admonitor? How... how did I get here?”

    He looked at her carefully. She seemed utterly disoriented, but she was thoroughly awake, and there was a serenity about her that reminded him of her smile when Quinlan Vos put her in a healing trance after Paraseel Malki had suddenly reappeared in her life.


    She is still okay, even knowing that she is on a military ship. Still no perceived threat from Ayesha. So far so good.

    He took a deep breath. “You were brought here from Kashyyyk. You were... arrested as a means to dissuade your father from joining the Rebel Alliance. I am not aware of the exact circumstances but...”

    She shuddered violently as the memories came flooding back. “Yes, I remember now,” she whispered shakily. “I remember all of it. They came for me and... and...” Her hand went to her belly and she burst into sobs.

    Thrawn laid one hand over hers and wiped her tears with the other. “Calm yourself, Ayoo’sha. Calm yourself. Use the Wookiee self-control techniques that your mother taught you. You must focus.” She was still crying uncontrollably. “Focus,” he repeated. “Do not slip away now. Focus.”

    She gasped for breath. “Home,” she rasped. “I want to go home.”

    Thrawn arched an eyebrow. “I cannot take you back to Coruscant, Ayoo’sha. There is...”

    “Not Coruscant,” she hiccupped. “I want to go home to Rwookrrorro, with Ada’ Yakooboo and Rumpy.”


    So "home" is Kashyyyk, not Coruscant. Home is the one with her parents and her brother, not the place with her lifemate.

    “I cannot take you to Kashyyyk either,” Thrawn answered patiently as if explaining something to a small child. “There is an arrest warrant against you. But you will stay here, with me, and everything will be all right.”

    She suddenly pushed his hands away and stared at him in disbelief. “He gave me to you. He gave me to you to keep me prisoner, and you accepted.”


    I noted how he phrased it: you will stay here, with me as if the decision has been made and she was not a part of it. She has not consented to this; Thrawn assumed this woud be what she wanted and never thought to ask her. This is the point where she suddenly pushes him away and stares in disbelief. I think it's the "you will do this, the decision has been made and you do not have a choice" part of his statement that triggers it. Yet she is disbelieving - as if to say "you, too?".

    and her realization -- he gave me to you -- who is "he"? The emperor? Vermin or Zaarin or whatever his name was who tortured her? Or.. Vader?

    He tried to hold her hand. She recoiled in horror. “Don’t touch me,” she hissed. “I’m not allowing you to touch me. You’re no better than Zaarin if you even come close to me.”

    Look at her words: I'm not allowing you to touch me. That seems pretty much an issue of consent. She makes the decision, she chooses. As long as Thrawn decides what happens to her or where she can or cannot go, he (at least in her mind) owns her.

    She was exuding such loathing that Thrawn took a step back. A single tear rolled on his cheek. “Ayoo’sha, please, please, in the name of our love...”

    She turned away from him. “There’s no love between us, Admiral. I’m a hostage and you’re my captor. That’s all there is to it.”


    Loathing and love. What a mess. Can you love someone who presumes to make decisions for you? can you love someone who doesn't give you a voice of consent?

    Which brings me back to this:


    She shuddered at the physical contact and opened her eyes... “Show me.” There was a long pause. “So he saw it too. What did he want?” She breathed something that sounded like a whimper. “What did he want?” he insisted. “Show me.” She let out a wail of pain and started flailing on the bed. Thrawn took a brusque step towards her, but an invisible hand pushed him back and slammed him against the wall behind him. “The name,” the Dark Lord barked. “Did you tell him the name?”

    “I didn’t,” she screamed. “I didn’t tell him anything. He took it from my head. He took everything from me, like he did with you.”


    When "he" took everything from Ayesha (and here I'm guessing it's the Sheevster), did he also take away her memories of the trusting bond that she had established with Thrawn? Is this some manipulation on Sheeverino's part to hold a control over Thrawn, like he used Padme to control Anakin?
     
    Gemma, AzureAngel2, Kahara and 4 others like this.
  13. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    divapilot - that was gorgeously articulate and insightful! Thank you. Thank you. My brain hurts LOL trying to puzzle out what the actual trigger was and what the solution could actually be to healing. @};- ^:)^ In fics where Luke and/or Mara have amnesia for their relationship or their bond, at least the friendship remains!!! Can you imagine what it would be like if Mara forgot everything ... every gentle, compassionate, caring gesture of Luke during TTT and just thought of him as a "mark." :_| !!!
     
  14. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Argh. This is one of those situations where divapilot and Findswoman said a lot of the things I wanted to say...which makes me angry for not having replied before, as there was only a single comment when I woke up. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

    I have to go and look at my old comments this weekend, but for now, this is what I'm thinking...

    Some artificial memories are messing with her actual ones and, at this point, it's either that she was not on Kashyyyk at all, or that she was sent to Kashyyyk with the purpose of tracing her own family, so Rebellion on the planet could be stopped.
     
  15. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    So many wonderful comments about the saddest chapter yet. I truly hope that their love can survive what was done to her and after what they just said to one another. And now I am off in search for handkerchiefs.
     
    Chyntuck, Gemma, Kahara and 1 other person like this.
  16. Gemma

    Gemma Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 25, 2013
    I didn't see her kicking him to the curb like that - especially with the don't touch me phrase. And then when she says there is no love between them -- I'm thinking he's in deep trouble with her.
     
  17. Kahara

    Kahara FFoF Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    Okay, was not expecting that. :eek: Though now that I see it, it seems logical. Given everything that has happened, Thrawn being his "do what I say and I will take care of absolutely everything, no need to worry over controlling your own destiny or anything" recent self is pretty much the worst person for a confused, threatened Ayesha to encounter first thing. [face_worried] The need to get back home and panic when she can't -- while I can see that being influenced by whatever memory change happened, it probably has deeper roots than that. Anyway. What everyone said, about this being a painful confrontation to read. I'm very curious where they go from here.
     
  18. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I should have written my answers over the weekend, because now it's Monday morning and I'm going to be late for work. I'll catch up as soon as I can, but I'm not sure divapilot's "close reading of the text" left anything for me to say anyway [face_thinking]

    Tags: AzureAngel2 Findswoman Gemma K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku Mando-Man Mira_Jade Raissa Baiard
    Please let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from the tag list.

    And as usual, thanks to Nyota's Heart for beta-reading [:D]

    ------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 22: Doctor Cottle

    Doctor Cottle kept Ayesha for a few more days in the med lab for observation. “Your vitals are stable and you’re in remarkably good shape for someone who spent such a long time in a bacta tank, but you’ll need some rehab for your arm, or better yet some exercise,” he told her as he completed her daily check-up. “But first you need to gain some weight, you’re far too skinny. This isn’t how Prashat described the Admiral’s wife,” he added with an engaging smile.

    “I’m not the Admiral’s wife,” she snapped. “I’m his prisoner.”

    Cottle looked at her carefully. She was glaring laser bolts at him. “Whatever,” he said gruffly. “You still need to gain some weight. I’ll also arrange an appointment for you with the ship’s counsellor, when you’re ready to talk.”

    “I don’t need to talk,” she retorted. “I need to go home.”

    Thrawn came to visit her every morning and every afternoon. She gave him the silent treatment, but he sat at her side and spoke to her nevertheless. He tried to find the words to tell her how worried he had been, how they’d had to keep her in bacta immersion for over a month and how, in desperation, he had sought out Darth Vader to put her in a healing trance. She turned her back on him and didn’t utter a word.

    In the afternoon of the fourth day after she came out of her death-like sleep, Doctor Cottle walked in. “I’m discharging you, they prepared your private quarters,” he grumbled, handing her a comlink. “My comm number is saved in there. Call me if you don’t feel well, okay? Okay?” he repeated when she didn’t answer.

    She stared at the comlink for a moment, then at him, and suddenly flung the small device at the wall. “What do you care if I don’t feel well?” she screamed. “What do you care at all?”

    Cottle waited for a few moments before he replied. “I’m a doctor, Miss Eskari. What makes me a good doctor is that I care about my patients, all of my patients.” He paused. “Now go and settle down. I’ll come and check on you, whether you like it or not. That’s what I do for my patients and I’ll do it for you, no matter how loud you yell at me.”

    Corporal Prashat was waiting for her outside the med lab. He blushed intensely, like every time he saw her, and led her to a door guarded by an army trooper in a stately hallway two levels above the sick bay. “This is what the Admiral arranged for you,” he explained shyly as they stepped inside. “It’s normally VIP quarters. We don’t get any VIPs in the Unknown Regions, so you won’t be disturbed.” He pointed at a travel bag on the floor. “Major Vermel went to your apartment in Coruscant and brought this. The Admiral thought you’d like to wear your own clothes when you came out of the med lab, but we also got some jumpsuits and boots for you. It’s a bit cold in space,” he added apologetically.

    He showed her around the spacious, cosily furnished suite. There was a lounge and dining area, a small study corner by the door, a kitchen, a bedroom with a double bed and a ‘fresher that had running water – an exceptional luxury aboard a starship. Her favourite soap was by the bathtub, there was cortyg brandy in the kitchen cupboard, the refrigeration unit was stocked with jars of wasaka berry jam and chyntuck chutney and the walls were decorated with holos of Nazmat Koch’s paintings and a copy of her khraashyr. The pang of sorrow she’d experienced at the sight of her travel bag – the same one she’d packed for her trip to Kashyyyk when the Royal Guards came to fetch her on that fateful morning three months ago on Coruscant – turned into an overwhelming wave of grief, and she cut short Prashat’s explanations on how to use the climate regulation console and pushed him out before he could see her cry. When the door slid open in the afternoon and Thrawn walked in, she was still curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest. He sat at her side.

    “I came to see how you are doing,” he said. “I hope you will be comfortable here. I did my best to decorate this suite according to your preferences. I thought you would like to have your own space until... well, for a while.”

    Her eyes shot up at him. “You think I’m going to come around, don’t you? You think I’m just going to surrender and pretend that everything’s okay? I won’t. A cage is a cage, even when it has golden bars.”

    Thrawn sighed. “This is not a cage, Ayoo’sha. You are not a prisoner here.”

    She gave him a furious look. “There’s an armed guard outside the door and you walk in what you call ‘my own space’ without asking for my permission. I’ve been a slave and a hostage before, Admiral. I know it when I see it.”

    He composed himself and stood up. “I apologize for intruding, and I will not do it again. But the guards are there for your protection, not to prevent you from leaving your quarters. You are free to move around this ship as you wish. They will escort you only to make sure that you are unharmed.”

    She laughed bitterly. “Around this ship,” she spat. “A ship where I never chose to come in the first place.”

    He sighed again. “It was not my decision to have you brought here under these circumstances, Ayoo’sha. But now that you are here, what would you have me do?”

    “You could tell them that I’m dead. I’m already dead inside anyway. And then you could let me go.”

    There was a silence. “Let us admit that I did this,” he said. “There is an arrest warrant against you. Where would you go?”

    “I could go and hide in the Centre,” she countered. “Or I could go and hide with Uncle Quin.”

    He took a deep breath. “Ayoo’sha, there is something you should know. I tried to contact your Jedi uncle when... when you were not recovering. Lord Vader was obviously not my first choice to put you in a healing trance. I spoke with Flo. It appears that the Centre was found. One of the volunteers came to her and said that the area was swarming with plainclothes Imperial agents when he went for his shift, a few weeks after we left Coruscant. He was very nearly caught himself. I then commed your father – thus putting at risk this entire task force, I may add – who told me that Intelligence came for your uncle as well. Your father believes that I betrayed him and I was not able to persuade him otherwise. Quinlan was not captured but he is on the run. When I finally got hold of him and asked if he could come here, or if I could bring you to him, he said it would be far too dangerous for the both of you as well as for his family, and he logged out before I could even make my case.”

    “What about Simon and Uumana and Old Dex?” she asked, shaking with anguish. “What happened to them? Were they caught?”

    He sighed once more. “I prepared a micro probe droid for Vermel when he went to Coruscant last month. The images it collected show signs of a struggle in the premises.” What he didn’t tell her was that one of the images showed the rotting corpse of a Twi’lek sitting in an armchair in the Centre’s lounge.

    She buried her face in her hands. “I did it to them,” she mumbled. “I did it to them.” And she started sobbing uncontrollably.

    Thrawn sat at her side again. “Ayoo’sha’nek, please, calm yourself. You...”

    “Don’t call me that,” she screamed. “I am not Ayoo’sha’nek. I am not your sunshine on a fresh snowfield. I’m Ayesha Eskari of clan Vos, of the tribe of the Green Vines of Rwookrrorro, and I’m a hostage of the Empire. So call me Miss Eskari or Prisoner Eskari or give me a number, as it’s rumoured that you people do, but stop pretending that everything’s okay. Nothing’s okay and nothing can ever be okay. Your Empire took my life, your Empire took my friends, your Empire took my baby and your Empire took my freedom from me. Your Empire is my enemy, so are you, and as soon as I find a way out of here I’ll join the Rebel Alliance.”

    “It was my baby too,” he said very softly. “It was our baby.”

    “Shut up!” she shouted. “Just shut up and go away. I hate you and I never want to see you again.”

    * * *​

    When Thrawn came back the next morning, he rang the doorbell and waited for her to open the door. “May I come in?”

    “Do I have a choice?” she countered.

    “Yes,” he said firmly. “No one aboard this ship can enter your private quarters without your permission.”

    “Then the answer is no. Go away.” And she closed the door in his face.

    The same scene repeated itself in the afternoon, and the next morning, and the next afternoon, and the following day and the day after that. Doctor Cottle came by in the evening. “I won’t disturb you for long, Miss Eskari,” he said when the door slid open. “I just came for a check-up.”

    “I don’t need a check-up.”

    The doctor chuckled. “Don’t be stupid. You do.” He squeezed past her into the lounge and turned around to see her glaring at him. “Listen to me, young lady. Yes, you’ve been through hell, and yes, you hate the whole world right now, including me. But I-am-still-your-doctor,” he enunciated, emphasizing each word. “And I’ll keep looking after you no matter what. Stop behaving like a stubborn roogak and come and sit over here, and you won’t see me for a second longer than necessary. But I’m not leaving this room until I examine you.”

    “You have no right to examine me unless I consent,” she retorted. “But then, it doesn’t really matter, does it? You didn’t even ask for my consent when you treated me in the first place.”

    “You weren’t in a fit state to give your consent, Miss Eskari. Your lifemate gave it for you.”

    She gave him a look of pure hatred. “Well, that won’t cut it now. I don’t have a lifemate anymore and I’m not letting you anywhere near me. Either you get out of here or you break your medical oath and examine me by force.”

    Cottle stared at her for a moment, then sat on the couch. “I’ll take a third option,” he grunted. “I can wait until you change your mind.”

    She glared at him some more, then, as he didn’t appear disposed to move, she went to the bedroom and locked the door. He was still on the little sofa when she came out in the morning. “Good, you’re up,” he growled before she could speak a word. “I need to use the ‘fresher.” And he disappeared for a few minutes.

    “What are you doing here?” she asked when he came back to take his seat on the couch.

    He gave her a wicked grin. “I told you. I’m waiting for you to change your mind.”

    She glared at him again, took a jar of wasaka berry jam from the kitchen and went back to bed. She heard him open the door and converse briefly with Thrawn when the Chiss came for his morning visit, then again in the afternoon. He knocked on the bedroom door in the evening and pulled her out by the wrist. “I ordered you some dinner. And I need to use the ‘fresher again.”

    “Please,” she mumbled when he came back. “Just go away.”

    “I can’t do that, Miss Eskari. I’m your doctor. I need to examine you.”

    She found him asleep on the sofa the next morning. “Your couch is uncomfortable,” he growled as she walked past him on her way to the kitchen. “I’ll have Supply bring a better one. But then, you need to know that you’ll see a lot more of me than you ever bargained for.”

    She turned around and looked at him. He seemed utterly exhausted, there were black circles under his eyes and a grey stubble was forming on his cheeks. “That’s fine,” she said indifferently. “As long as you’re here, there’s someone else to open the door for the Admiral.”

    He looked at her carefully. “You really don’t want to see him, do you? You blame him for what happened to you.”

    “I don’t want to see anyone,” she retorted acidly. “That includes you. I want to be alone.”

    There was a silence. “Here’s a deal,” Cottle grumbled. “You let me examine you and I’ll talk to the Admiral so he stops coming here. You can be all alone for a whole week until my next visit. No one will disturb you except the med droid I’ll send around for your physio, and the one I have in mind doesn’t talk much. That okay with you?” She hesitated. “It’s a good deal, Miss Eskari. A real bargain, I’d say.” She finally relented and nodded. “Good. Now sit over there and don’t change your mind. I need to use the ‘fresher.”
     
    JadeLotus, Kahara, Ewok Poet and 4 others like this.
  19. Csillan_girl

    Csillan_girl Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 6, 2003
    ...and finally, I'm online again - moving is a pain in the ***, I tell you!

    Oh, my - so Ayesha's memories of her time with Thrawn are still there, but somehow, they were twisted into something negative - that really makes me wonder what happened to her, apart from what we already know.
    "Your Empire did that to me". Yes, exactly.
    But perhaps she will be able to realize that it was not Thrawn himself who did it... :(
    Best thing he can do now really is to leave her alone for a while, I guess...
    at least there is someone who really cares about her well-being!

    And the Centre - oh no!!!
    This situation is getting worse by the minute, oh my! SO sad.
    But that makes me wonder who tipped the Imperials off...
     
    Kahara, AzureAngel2, Chyntuck and 2 others like this.
  20. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005
    Oh, so sad about the center. Poor Umana, and even sadder for Simon, who understands her fate without him to care for her.

    Cottle is great. I love how he wins her over by sheer stubbornness. (Well, maybe not winning her over but at least cracking through her armor a bit.) if there is any hope for a reconciliation between Thrawn and Ayesha I think he will negotiate it.

    There was going to become a time when Thrawn's loyalty to Ayehsa and his loyalty to the empire would collide, and here it is. No wonder she is still feeling like a prisoner.
     
  21. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    I really, truly like Dr. Cottle's persistent tenacity @};-

    I too literally thought: Oh no!!!! The Centre! :_| I really don't know who said it originally but you really cannot go home again. :( :( !!! I don't think Vader would have twisted the memories of Ayesha and Thrawn together. He would 1. have no reason to. and 2. It would be irrelevant to his own "plans" ;) regarding one-upping old smarmy pants. [face_laugh] Another moniker. [face_mischief]

    Most heartbreaking exchange about losing the baby. Once Ayesha opens up, eventually, and sees/talks to a counselor who will blend empathy and candor, it'll be definitely two or three steps in the right direction. Someone who (like Cottle) isn't doing things for the Empire, but would be a caring, competent professional on either side of the political line. And woot, Ayesha as a Rebel?! How awesomely cool! Luke's warmth with Han's snark! Barrier breakers extraordinaire. Worked a particular form of healing on Leia, after all. [face_batting]
     
    Kahara, AzureAngel2 and Chyntuck like this.
  22. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    I hope that Cottle can find a way to get through to her somehow. [face_nail_biting]This is such a big mess!
     
    Kahara, Gemma, Chyntuck and 1 other person like this.
  23. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    This chapter is arguably even scarier than the last, because here it becomes clear that Ayesha is rejecting Thrawn completely of her own free will, in a state of sound mind—not because anyone is forcing her to. There is no mind control here, no outside consciousness that has taken control of Ayesha or is directing her thoughts and actions or anything of that nature. It's all her, and she means it. Especially the way she rejects his unique, beautiful nickname for her—that just really drives it home somehow.

    And it was all because of something that happened in the last chapter and a half. Looking again at divapilot 's masterful analysis, it looks like one partial trigger may have been the tall tale Thrawn tells her about being arrested to dissuade her Ada’ from joining the Rebel Alliance. What she says in this chapter about joining the Rebel Alliance herself seems to stem from that.

    In a way, though, can one really blame her? She has been taken prisoner, she has been assaulted at the hands of Imperial soldiers, and her baby has been taken or killed by them (we still don't know which). And to top it all, she's been transferred to her own mate's ship as a prisoner. How can it not look to her as though he was behind it all? Indeed, I imagine that may have been the whole point... more on that below.

    I also echo divapilot in feeling that this all must be a horrifying but an inevitable side effect of Thrawn's attempts to bite off way more than he can chew in the scheming and manipulation department—here too he has been very much trying to kill "half a dozen mynocks wit the same blaster shot," as you say. His desperate attempt to serve multiple masters is coming back to bite him in that blue behind of his. No one, absolutely no one, out-manipulates His Sheeviness.

    And yes, he's the one I still think is ultimately behind all this—him and not Vader, who in contrast has been Ayesha's advocate throughout. Palpatine no doubt planned it this way all along: to wreak vengeance on both Thrawn and Ayesha by pitting them against each other, setting things up so that one really does treat the other like a prisoner, complete with having to tell her things like, "No, we can't go to Kashyyyk, no, you have to stay here with me"—all out of pure necessity. Kind of a masterstroke, really.

    But I do very much like this Cottle fellow, and I am eager to see what will come of his valiant attempt to fight stubbornness with stubbornness and hopefully get to the bottom of things. :cool:

    Very sad to hear about the loss of the Centre and especially of Uumana. :( Glad Quin got away, though, and the fact that nothing specific has been said about Dex suggests that maybe he got away, too? [face_thinking] Ayesha says, "I did it to them," no doubt thinking back to the very first time she reluctantly consented to bring Thrawn there. And there too—as much as I wish I could say, "no, it's not your fault"—I cannot help but think maybe it was part of the Sheevster's plan to make that or things like that seem to be her fault.

    Wow, this turned into quite the long, rambly review. But how could it not, when there's just so much here that's so cool? :D
     
  24. Gemma

    Gemma Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 25, 2013
    What a horrible mess. I guess my hopes for the Twi'lek friend have been dashed. The Centre being invaded was just another blow for Ayesha. This is getting really sad.
     
  25. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Sorry I'm late - been poorly throughout the past week, caught a bug my mother had before me (are we Jedi now?) and all.

    Before anything else.. Uumana. :( :( :( :( Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. :( That was some gore I did not expect out of nowhere. :(

    I knew that Simon would make it, but whatever he's going to be like the next time he appears (unless he's, ironically enough, going back home as they might not seek him there), I am hurting for him in advance.

    Now, on to Thrawn vs. Ayesha...


    "The pang of sorrow she’d experienced at the sight of her travel bag – the same one she’d packed for her trip to Kashyyyk when the Royal Guards came to fetch her on that fateful morning three months ago on Coruscant"

    Oh, so that is what we didn't see here. My spoilered comments were on to something. Now I am pretty sure that there was far more to that trip to Kashyyyk either in Quin's own agenda or that the Emperor and COMPNOR, perhaps, interpreted a harmless trip as a "Hello there, Rebellion!" scenario.

    Prashat looked away discreetly as Ayesha accompanied Thrawn to the door and kissed him deeply, oblivious to the presence of the young corporal. “Vermel will come for you in no more than three months,” Thrawn reminded her. “I am counting on your father and brother to take holographs of the Lifeform’s growth and to feed you appropriately in the meantime.”

    Ayesha laughed. “Don’t worry about that. If Ada’ Yakooboo has his way, I’ll be the size of a fat bantha next time you see me. Now go before I change my mind and jump into that speeder with you.”

    And now we know who was the informer. Right? Right? She was out ih the open, with no shield trees nearby...so. He's young, he was unnaturally servile from day one, he came up with the "wife" thing and he's just odd overall.

    There has got to be more to him than meets the eye.



    As for the doctor? I am hereby not echoing everybody else's statements as his persistence is scary. How do we know that he, or the droid, won't be drugging Ayesha up? After everything she has been through, her complete lack of trust is completely justified.

    This may be a crackpot theory, but if what they have been working together ALL ALONG? What if Vader is the only innocent token bad guy in this?




    Things I had a problem with, regarding Thrawn's behaviour in this chapter...

    - Alcohol for the recovering rape and multiple mind0nvading victim. Ummm, Thrawn, dude... the sanity policy called and you need a check. Do you know that victims of any kind of abuse are vulnerable to substance abuse as well?

    - Dude, her body, her choice, once again. The pain she went through, her loss...cannot compare to your loss, soz. Now go and cry men tears.

    - If she is giving you the silent treatment and you keep on yakking, how about get the kriff out of there instead? Hear me? Kriff off.

    -It's not a cage? Oh my Force, it is a cage. She is in the kriffin' Unknown Regions and where could she escape to? The vacuum of space?

    Anyway...glad Quin made it alive and if anybody touches Ada', I may as well go into ballistic mode. I love that furry beast and I am pretty much here for him. ^:)^
     
    AzureAngel2 and Findswoman like this.