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aeon2407 · 1 year

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WIP Snippet #1: Thrawn: Of Metal Beasts and Void Fury (Star Wars X Warframe)

Just a little something I've been working on in my spare time. Nowhere close to finished. A surprisingly rare crossover given the similarities between these two fandoms and the sheer potential of it all.

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Proxima Centauri B, Alpha Centauri System

Two Months After Lothal Massacre

Yissa Hammerly had accepted that she might die in space the day then-Commodore Thrawn made her his second officer, fast tracking her promotion to Lieutenant Commander in the process. She’d swore to herself that it would be this particular ISD after that night phase with Yana in the observation deck. She just hadn’t expected her death to be this slow. Or stressful.

By some miracle, the Chimaera was mostly intact, and the few remaining staff that arrived with them from other ships, all critically breached and therefore a death sentence for most of the crewmembers, had moved in. On the flip side, the sections on the Chimaera that were damaged meant that there was nothing they could do to survive sustainably.

The water recycler was placed near the engine room and therefore had a giant hole boring through it, so water was being rationed. The engines themselves were completely destroyed, collateral in the purrgils’ scramble for Clouzon-36. Half of the aft was permanently sealed off, so were the ensign dorms and cargo bay. If the shields had failed to reactivate all of them would’ve had radiation poisoning after the first hour of being in this kriffing system, irradiated as it was. At least the excessive radiation helped power what meager equipment was still functional and kept them from freezing.

And then there was the crew, or at least what’s left of them. A Class-II ISD, as the Chimaera was upgraded into some years ago, was designed with a crew of at least 40,000 in mind, not 9217 injured or recuperating personnel. But their Grand Admiral was a survivalist as much as he was a strategist, and his crew strove to be nothing less, so he’d organized everyone into something resembling a functional operation. All four remaining TIE/Ds went in shifts to scout the planet they were orbiting. Bless, they’d found water, enough to double their stock from one year to two.

Food was an issue, though. The Seventh was an expeditionary fleet as much as a warfare unit, so there were some grains and livestock on board in case they stumbled across an inhabitable planet and wanted to test the composition. The problem was all of those things were obviously considered cargo, and the cargo bay was sealed for a reason, so all they really had were some MREs from the enlisted and noncom mess and some pre-made meats and greens from the officers.

She had scheduled for the meat to be eaten first, being ranking officer while Thrawn was still recovering in a bacta pod and Artur was busy keeping the political ones in line at the end of a blaster, but they’d burn through those about the same time he woke up a week later, right before they put that devil child on ice. The MREs they had, even rationed to three people per pack and one meal every other day, would only last them three months, so three weeks from now they’ll have to start considering… alternatives. There hasn’t been time to send off their dead yet.

Her mood has been in shambles for weeks, and only her little dovi and her loyalty to Thrawn kept Hammerly from making her way to the airlock. Xoxtin didn’t have that same support network, and Pyro, Yissa’s poor, traumatized princess, had found her floating past a viewport, clutching her family crest with tear streaks frozen on her face. A pragmatic, cynical corner of Yissa’s mind tried to look at that particular event as having one less mouth to feed, but she was too damn sympathetic for her own good and couldn’t keep up that line of thinking, not even when it was Xoxtin.

It was six days before Skerris followed her.

She pressed an ear to the wall of her bunk, Pyro snuffling her neck as her princess gently snored, and listened to the faint vibration of the ship as the comm tower broadcasted a customized message on all frequencies. It was a long shot, Thrawn’s far-fetched theory being put to the test. Regardless, the one thing that wasn’t running out was power, thanks to the double-edged miracle that was cosmic radiation, so it was left on. Hammerly already accepted her death as a real and very likely possibility, but for the young lieutenants like Lomar, Fentaugh, Agral, and Pyro, a slimmer of hope, no matter how small, keeps them going.

For their sakes, she hoped Thrawn was right.

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Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Imperial Navy has never been to this system before, but Senior Captain Mitth‘raw’nuruodo of the CEDF has, a long time ago. Thrawn remembered the event vividly as one of the rare times when his intelligence and deductive reasoning utterly failed him.

Beasts of morphed flesh and hardened steel, numbering in the thousands and coordinated by a woman of unmatched power, there is indeed a powerful faction in a nearby system, on this side of the Chaos. And now, with retrospect and the knowledge of Lesser Space mythology, he firmly believes that the system his ship had been dragged to for questioning was what the humans called the Origin.

Their technology was advanced, their powers frightening, and Thrawn was taking a gamble and hoping that they still monitor this system. Having met the Lotus, she most likely still has at least a scout ship nearby. He had taken gambles before, but this is one he cannot afford to lose. Not his crew.

Not his family.

#grand admiral thrawn #thrawn #mitth'raw'nuruodo #hammerly #hammerly x pyrondi #pyrondi #isd chimaera #ezra bridger #thrawn trilogy #sw rebels #thrawn books #warframe #sw fanfic #warframe fanfic #star wars #what ezra did was really fucked up and i will die on that hill

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gia-batmm-crickle22 · 9 months

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I made Pyrondi a red head!

Also, Hammerly X Pyrondi 🥰 My Sapphics (HCs: Hammerly is pansexual, Pyrondi is bi)

#star wars content #star wars gacha #star wras hammerly #star wars pyrondi #star wars #sw #hammerly #pyrondi #hammerly x pyrondi #hamondi #gacha

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itsagrimm · 2 years

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Pyrondi: Soooo.... Pyrondi: The Grand Admiral and his aide? Hammerly: Thrawn and Vanto totally fuck. yeah they are so gay. It's so funny how they try to hide and- Faro: WE WILL NOT SAY A WORD! Pyrondi: ... Hammerly: ... Faro: Since they sleep together the Admiral is in such a good mood and I am not saying no to that. Pyrondi: true. Faro: It's good for ship moral. Hammerly: sure. Faro: And I really would like to have that promotion. Pyrondi: ok, same. Hammerly: aye.

#nobody is being weird about this okay #whoever tells high command about this Faro will hunt you down for this #thrawn #grand admiral thrawn #eli vanto #thrawn x eli vanto #isd chimaera #karyn faro #commodore faro #hammerly #pyrondi #senior captain thrawn #thranto

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aeon2407 · 1 year

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Pyro's Pyrotechnic Love Life - Chapter 1

For @contentment-of-cats. Also on AO3.

IMPERIAL MILITARY INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

From: MAJ Tagge, Artur K.

[[email protected]]

To: SRLT Pyrondi, Ilyana K.

[[email protected]]

Classification: Personal Unclassified

[AUTOMATICALLY TRANSCRIBED FROM AUDIO TRANSMISSION]

SUBJECT: Heads Up

Hey Yana,

I know you’re probably on leave by now, but that’s exactly why [sizzle] [flora rustle] I’m sending this before we go dark on comms, just on the off chance I manage to reach you in time. So, according to STORCOM, we’re being transferred to the Seventh to supplement your ground forces. I only just got the orders, and apparently we should be moving on the second Primeday next year, thirty-two hours of hyperspace after that to reach Lothal, so I’ll be shipboard in two weeks.

Vader was not pleased, to say the least. Tried to threaten me into staying with the 501st, but luckily Veers intervened before I could say or do something really stupid and throw my life away. Personally, I can’t wait to get off this ship. The Executor is a fast track to promotion, but still, you know?

I’m sending this because I wanted to give you fair notice before we pack up over here. Looking forward to catching up the past year and a few over some caf whenever you’re up for it.

By the way, I know it’s two days early, but have a prosperous New Year Fete, Pyro. Say hi to Faro for m- Oh [expletive], gotta go. Miro, blow it! Revy, get up there. [explosion] Don’t let them pass! Oh [expletive] [blaster fire] [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] [expletive]

[TRANSMISSION END]

Signed,

MAJOR Artur Kyric Tagge, 1st Battalion, 75th SCAR Regiment, Stormtrooper Corps, Imperial Army

Confidentiality Note: This message is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, or otherwise protected from disclosure. Dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message or the information herein by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited under Article 22, Section 337 of the Imperial Legal Code and punishable by prosecution. If you have received this message in error, please notify the Imperial Security Bureau immediately and destroy the original message and all copies.

Status: Seen

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From: SRLT Pyrondi, Ilyana K.

[[email protected]]

To: MAJ Tagge, Artur K.

[[email protected]]

Classification: Personal Unclassified

SUBJECT: Better not be dead you [expletive]

You’re not just gonna leave me hanging like that you [expletive], especially not after that last message. Are you ok? Alive? I’m getting kind of worried here, so you better respond or I’ll be using you as live ammo when you get here.

Prosperous New Year Fete to you too, Artur. Faro said hi.

Signed,

SENIOR LIEUTENANT Ilyana Kaiti Pyrondi, Imperial Star Destroyer CHIMAERA, 7th Fleet, Imperial Navy

Status: Received

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From: SRLT Pyrondi, Ilyana K.

[[email protected]]

To: MAJ Tagge, Artur K.

[[email protected]]

Classification: Personal Unclassified

SUBJECT: Please don’t be dead

It’s been a week. Please respond. I’m pretty sure you haven’t died because if you were then it’ll be all over the HoloNet by now. So, either you’re tanked or you can’t access your account for whatever reason.

I hope you can get back to me before the transfer. I miss you.

Signed,

SENIOR LIEUTENANT Ilyana Kaiti Pyrondi, Imperial Star Destroyer CHIMAERA, 7th Fleet, Imperial Navy

Status: Received

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Command Bridge, ISD Chimaera, Seventh Fleet

“Do you know why they’re coming to us specifically, sir?” Yissa Hammerly asked as she followed Commodore Faro onto the bridge. She didn’t answer right away, didn’t even turn to acknowledge the question, as they both came to a stop beside the command chair, just behind the crew pit.

“Sir, you have a transmission from Grand Moff Tarkin. I’ve taken the liberty of transferring him to the holocomm in your office and asking him to hold while I inform you and oversee temporary transfer of command”, she informed Thrawn, unable to fully suppress a smirk at forcing Tarkin of all people to basically shut up and wait. Thrawn turned to make eye contact with his XO, red eyes glowing with amusement as he stood.

“Thank you, Commodore. I would very much appreciate it if you would listen in and contribute”, he said, maintaining eye contact all the while as Faro’s ears turned a shade at the attention. The corner of his mouth quirked up ever-so-slightly as she gave him a sharp nod.

“The bridge is yours, Commander Hammerly”

“Yes, sir”, Hammerly acknowledged, resisting the urge to role her eyes at the two ranking officers. Those two might as well have been bending each other over the armrests for how obvious they were. She knew, the entire bridge crew knew, so did Pellaeon and Yve. Fraternization policies within the Seventh were much looser than what the ICMJ dictated, both Thrawn and Faro being of the opinion that all crewmembers were mature, consenting adults and could therefore do whatever the kriff they want with each other as long as it doesn’t interfere with their duties or affect morale, but no one expected the CO and XO of the entire fleet to bunk each other so soon. Still, Yissa had to admit, those two make for a cute couple.

Faro stayed behind just long enough to whisper into her ear. “I don’t know why they’re coming to us, but the system flagged a personal message from their CO to Pyrondi three weeks ago. You should ask her.”

Hammerly nodded mutely and carefully placed herself in front of the chair as Faro followed her commander out of the bridge, shooting a glance to her right at Pyro, her precious Pyro, who, to be fair, had been a little spasmodic and distracted lately. Well, more than usual, that is, which was a feat she didn’t think even Thrawn could’ve accomplished.

It was when she saw Yana lose focus on station with her eyes welded to Personal Datapad #3, the one hidden beneath her console, that Hammerly’s curiosity won out.

“Lieutenant Pyrondi, a word.” Hammerly was careful to keep any and all hints of intent out of her voice as Pyro jumped slightly, almost flooding the console with a horrifying amount of caf, before turning her way. “The bridge is yours, Commander Woldar”

“Understood, Commander Hammerly”, the third officer acknowledged, giving her a questioning look. ‘Not now’, she answered with her eyes as Yana followed her outside.

Once she’d made sure that they were alone, Yissa slipped them into a closet and faced her lover immediately.

“You’ve been off lately. What’s going on, Yana?” she asked, face soft, tone firm, letting Yana know that she wasn’t in any trouble but also that there was no point trying to deflect. They wouldn’t lie to each other, ever, but deflection, or partial truthfulness, was a common tactic from Pyro whenever she tried to get out of being chastised.

Of course, Pyro being Pyro, she tried anyway.

“Going on with what, Yiss? I’m just a little tired lately. A bit homesick. Missing my ma’s Fete dinner got me in a mood. I mean, you know how good her cooking is, an-”

Cock her head, raise her right eyebrow, hand on hip. Yana broke.

“Fine, fine. It’s about the transfer, alright?”

“What about it?” Yissa pressed, voice turning inquisitive as she leaned down to look her lover in the eyes, right hand moving from her hip to cup Yana’s cheek. “We’ve had transfers before. Hell, I was a transfer from the Thunder Wasp. What’s so special about this one?”

Yana took a deep breath, almost like bracing herself for impact, and stared at her feet. “Their CO is Artur Tagge”

Before “I know, so what?” could leave her mouth, Yana followed up. “We’ve been good friends for a long while now, and you have nothing to worry about, but… He’s my ex. And sometimes it’s hard to forget that.”

Hammerly stopped short. Whatever she’d been expecting, it wasn’t that. But the shock quickly fell to the wayside as she saw Yana’s face. She seemed… heartbroken, but in a different way than expected. A familiar way.

“He hasn’t been responding to my messages, and in the last one he sent he was attacked. I can’t get in touch with him, STORCOM won’t tell me shit, and even General Tagge doesn’t know anything about it. I’m worried, Yiss.”

Yissa, knowing exactly when to use words, silently wrapped her arms around Yana and held her tight. The twinge of jealousy in her chest can be dealt with later.

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From: MAJ Tagge, Artur K.

[[email protected]]

To: SRLT Pyrondi, Ilyana K.

[[email protected]]

Classification: Personal Unclassified

SUBJECT: Sorry

I’m okay. Sorry I couldn’t get back to you sooner. There was a spy on the ship, that’s how they ambushed us. ISB detained the entire battalion for a week, and they didn’t allow us datapad access. Yularen himself got involved in this one, which really expedited the whole thing, and the rat is enjoying a nice vacuum sleep now.

You might’ve heard that we’re on our way now. I picked up something for you as a more personal apology.

Again, so sorry I made you worry, Pyro.

Signed,

MAJOR Artur Kyric Tagge, 1st Battalion, 75th SCAR Regiment, Stormtrooper Corps, Imperial Army

Status: Seen

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Primary Docking Bay, ISD Chimaera, Seventh Fleet

0900 Hours – Galactic Standard

Thrawn stood in front of the docking bay, Hammerly to his right and his Deathtrooper guards behind them. Faro had the bridge.

The muscles in Hammerly’s throat and arms are tight, her facial heat slightly above baseline human range. Her expression has shifted slightly from its usual resting state, indicating agitation or protectiveness.

The Revenant, a Katarn-Class shuttle along with a small Lambda, the Disciple, came out of hyperspace and made their way toward the Chimaera, nine TIE/ag escorts surrounding it in a staggered defensive formation, led by a TIE Phantom fighter. Thrawn noted with some satisfaction that the Army, or at least the 1st Battalion, has seen fit to install hyperdrives onto their TIE fighters, if not shields. But to his understanding, that was more likely to do with Major Tagge’s willingness to upgrade equipment at his personal expense than strategical clarity from High Command.

His superior ears picked up the hum of quad turbolasers powering up and holding their charge a little too long before reverting to standby. The Chiss crinkled his eyebrows slightly in concern. Pyrondi had defensive protocol timing memorized and always executed them perfectly. That prolonged targeting period was extremely irregular, and therefore quite concerning. Perhaps the shuttle failed to transmit proper clearance codes in time and she got apprehensive, but it was worth investigating, nonetheless, especially if her health was involved. He wasn’t so demanding an Admiral as to deny his officers time off to recover if they ever need it.

As the Revenant made its final approach, Thrawn’s wrist comm informed him that three Sentinel-Class shuttles along with their TIE/IN escort compliments, composed of ten fighters each, have docked at the Harbinger, and six more Sentinels with TIE/ad escorts are being processed aboard the Dark Omen and the Inexorable. According to IHC operation files, the 1st Battalion had a total personnel count of 650, composed of 30 officers, 500 combat enlisted, and 120 additional personnel in various ancillary elements. In Tarkin’s words, they were here as a ‘test of merit and leadership proficiency.’ Whether that test applied to Thrawn or Major Tagge was left unclear, but he will assume that it was both until more information becomes available.

The Revenant’s troops marched out in a loose wedge formation, utilizing the wider aft ramp instead of the side door. Their rifles are all at the ready instead of carried or slung. The majority were armed with either TL-50 or DC-15 blasters and a WESTAR-35 pistol holstered at the hip or upper thigh along with at least one vibroblade strapped to the armor.

The pistol and vibroblade seemed to be part of the standard loadout, as every trooper he could see had them, but a fair number had E-11s snipers or Z-6 cannons as their primary. Their armor was, according to the files, made out of a duraplast-titanium alloy, colloquially known as titanplast, instead of the standard plastoid, coated with anti-thermal and antiglare, and was being considered for standardization across the entire Corps by recommendations from both Major and General Tagge and with heavy encouragement from its manufacturer TaggeCo. A metal tab, just under the rank plaque for officers and encoded into the pauldron for enlisted, marked every single one of them as being SCAR-qualified and therefore part of the elite Imperial Special Forces, a membership also denoted by the black coat of paint on their armor.

Their body stances indicate widespread exhaustion and minor injuries, and there are blaster marks on a majority of their armor, indicating that the battalion has recently seen combat.

There was one glaring thing though.

“Sir, isn’t Major Tagge supposed to be on that exact shuttle?” Hammerly voiced his question out loud. Thrawn gave her a sharp nod of confirmation before they walk toward the highest-ranking trooper in his sight, a brunette Captain who was coordinating cargo offload with her helmet tucked primly under an arm. She eyed him as they approached. Her expression is tense. Her eyes indicate a level of caution and distrust commonly found in tightly bonded groups when approached by an outsider.

“What’s your name, Captain?” Hammerly asked, a touch more authoritative than what he’d expected. The Captain reacts to the tone of voice as a provocation. Her cheeks flare with extra heat, the muscles in her torso and shoulders are tight and body stance indicate heavy desires to physically attack Hammerly.

“Revy Maklar, sir”, she outright sneered at Yissa, who reeled back at the disrespect. If it had been naval personnel, Thrawn would’ve given them a non-judicial punishment for insubordination and disrespecting a superior officer. But Maklar, whose name he recognized as the battalion’s XO, held a commission from the Army, not the Navy, and therefore does not answer to Hammerly, even though she was the fleet’s 3IC. As per regulation, the only naval officers who can command the Army component of a fleet or task force are the CO and XO, first and second in the chain of command respectively, and the captain of whichever ship that component was on.

“I apologize for my second officer’s hostility, Captain Maklar. Do you know where Major Tagge is? We were expecting him in this shuttle”, he intervened before the situation could escalate. Pyrondi might be the more explosive of the duo, but Hammerly’s temper was infamously short and she already had two non-judicial punishments for assault along with a court martial for sending three superior officers into bacta tanks. Thankfully Thrawn had been able to stop the Admiralty from demoting her back to Captain. The three unsurprisingly well-connected officers became the priority targets of Colonel Yularen and swiftly arrested and dishonorably discharged for harassment and attempted sexual assault. The court martial on her record has stalled her progress towards flag rank, though. Another one would likely stop her incredibly promising career dead in its tracks.

Maklar adjusts her posture and tone instinctively, showing respect for commanding officers. “Major Tagge should be in the secondary bay, sir. He came on the Disciple.”

With a grateful nod and a quick word of thanks, Thrawn dismissed the officer back to her work, turned on his heels and gave Yissa a blank stare, just long enough for her to notice, before making his way to the connector between the two shuttle bays.

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“Officers on deck!”

Every pilot and engineer in sight snapped to attention. Both aforementioned officers noticed the Major immediately. Armed and dressed similarly to his troopers aside from the black pauldron with red lining prominent on his shoulder, denoting him as both an officer and a member of Special Forces Command, one notable difference in the man’s setup was the gauntlet on his right arm, an armored power cord running between the bodysuit and titanium plates, tight against the outer contours of his arm and ending at his jetpack. Another was the vibrosword prominently strapped to his hip.

He was standing next to two stasis tanks, Xoxtin nearby, lips quivering and barely holding back tears, comlink forgotten at her feet. Hammerly raised an eyebrow at the sight. There’s one hell of a story there, she was sure. Whatever, or more likely whoever, could reduce the obnoxiously proud and insubordinate Aliana Xoxtin to tears rightfully earns Yissa’s apprehension, if not respect.

Then again, if anyone could ignore Xoxtin’s familial connections and terrify her at the same time, it would be a Tagge, especially Cassio Tagge’s children. She’d heard stories of the Tagge twins, Aylin and Domini, from Pellaeon, stories of how no one on the Harbinger, not even the group of officers who let their little head do most of the thinking, dares to touch the pair of ensigns with anything even resembling ill-intent after the last person to do so, some idiotic second lieutenant trying to blackmail the girls into his bunk, actually got his commission stripped, kicked down to enlisted, and shipped off to Bracca as low in the ranks as you can go to serve out the rest of his naval commitment.

With that thought, she turned her gaze to the living legend and regard him, this time as Yana’s partner instead of Commander Hammerly, as he talked with Thrawn. Clean-shaven oval jawline, sharp brown eyes, and dusty brown hair trimmed into a guard six created the image of a proper soldier. Slightly tanner skin tone, the kind that you can’t get from any sun in the galaxy, puts his mixed heritage on display. The scar running down his jaw and the muscular build evident even under his armor marked him as a seasoned combatant and a war veteran.

Despite standing in front of a superior officer, a Grand Admiral no less, he held himself with the dignified posture expected of Core nobility, proud and tall. And by the Celestials he was tall, head reaching the tip of Thrawn’s pointed ears and able to maintain eye contact with the Chiss simply by tilting his chin up slightly.

Truly, his appearance lived up to the stories and commendations. The Heir of Tagge. The Pride of Tepasi. His Lordship of the Beskar Nerve and the Durasteel Spine. The young lieutenant who took control and led a decimated platoon during the San Diego Offensive to a stalemate long enough for reinforcements to arrive, earning himself a Distinguished Medal of Imperial Honor and a brevet straight to Major in the process, confirmed in rank the month after. He should be a Lieutenant Colonel in two to three years, especially with concurrent victories during the Terran War and an extra four years in the 501st already on record. Way too young, in her opinion.

Hammerly scanned his eyes. None of the disdain or smugness that she’d expect, only a fair amount of reserved respect directed at Thrawn. He shot her an inquisitive glance, trailing his eyes downward before snapping them front once more. Hammerly felt herself seethe.

Was he kriffing serious!? Copping a look at her chest in front of a flag officer and his own troops? No, calm down. He was probably checking her plaque, nothing more. Get yourself together, Hammerly. Stop assuming the worst. You’re secure in your relationship, damnit. Act like it.

“Commander?”

Yissa snapped her eyes towards Thrawn, embarrassed at being caught losing focus. “Sir?”

To anyone else, Thrawn looked at her the same way he looked at anyone else. Blank, critical, analytical. But to Hammerly, who had been at his side ever since he was XO under Commander Cheno on the Thunder Wasp and she was still just a wee little lieutenant, the concern and disappointment in his eyes were clear. The concern warmed her heart, but that disappointment hit her like an ISD’s orbital bombardment.

“Escort Major Tagge to his quarters and answer any questions he may have. Ensure that he is settled in without issue, then report to my office.”

“Yes, sir”, Hammerly responded, keeping her eyes firmly forward. She didn’t want to see how disappointed he was in her any more than necessary.

“Very well. Lieutenant Xoxtin, for future reference, you are expected to prioritize a crewmate’s safety and wellbeing above protocol, understood?”

It was a testament to how broken Xoxtin was that she didn’t even afford him the subtly derisive reply, only a meek nod in response. Hammerly felt a crease form between her brows. What the hell did Tagge do to her?

“Good, lead Sergeants Golovan and Emiri to the medbay then return to your post immediately.”

Without waiting for a reply, he dismissed them all and turned back the way he came, undoubtedly making his way back to the bridge. Hammerly turned towards the portside corridor, gesturing wordlessly for Tagge to follow.

“Commander?”

Yissa took a deep breath to calm herself, not wanting to make too bad of a first impression, before turning back around. “Yes, Major?”

“I was told to report to the Army Operations room as soon as my battalion has settled in. Can you direct me on how to get there from my quarters or should I ask a crewman later?”

She raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You’ve been on a Star Destroyer before.”

“Lord Vader made modifications to the Executor’s layout. I’m not exactly sure where the bunks would usually be.”

“Ask for Chief Petty Officer Laminar, she’s good with directions.” She was also generously proportioned, even more so than Hammerly herself, and an amazing flirt, but he didn’t need to know that did he?

“Thank you, Commander. Much appreciated”, he said, giving her a smile that she couldn’t help but be skeptical of. There was something about him she couldn’t stand. It was probably just her blueblood Corulagi upbringing telling her not to trust a Tagge under any circumstances, even if Cassio was technically her distant, very distant, uncle. But then again, Yissa was related to Tarkin in pretty much the same way, and she doesn’t trust him either. Same with Romodi and Kuat.

Yissa refuses to acknowledge her relations to Motti as they made their way to the officer’s country. This was shaping up to be an interesting deployment.

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aeon2407 · 1 year

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Pyro's Pyrotechnic Love Life - Chapter 2

For @contentment-of-cats. Also on AO3.

There will be some, in my opinion, important character building for the next chapter or so. I need you all invested in Artur for this story to have the appropriate impact.

Mando’a Translator: https://lingojam.com/Mandoa-EnglishTranslator

Mando’a Dictionary: http://mandoa.org/

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Senior Officer Quarters, ISD Chimaera, Seventh Fleet

Artur had a feeling that Commander Hammerly didn’t like him much as he was left alone in his new room to unpack. They knew each other from the voluntold social events on Coruscant his aunt dragged him to, her family being immortalized next to his in the Avenue, and she was cold and disinterested then, but never agitated like he’d just seen her.

And to think Aunt Domina honestly thought she could finesse the two of them into a marriage. He’ll readily admit that she was gorgeous, and if anything time in service has only made her prettier, but if his aunt thought that was all it would take to get him chasing after her, then he’ll readily let her keep underestimating him.

Getting into that publicity stunt of a relationship with Syal after he and Pyro split got the head of house off his back easily enough, although that too ended soon after he introduced her to Soontir. The wedding was nice though, and she seemed genuinely happy, which was good.

A chime at the door pulled him back into real-time and he didn’t even have time to turn around fully before getting slammed ass-first into his bed by a gray projectile with the strength and velocity of one of Revy’s left hooks. And that comparison unfortunately came from firsthand experience.

“You’re here. You’re actually here!” Aylin screamed into his face, causing him to hiss and flinch slightly as the noise punched against his bacta-coated eardrums. Aylin noticed, but then when did she ever not notice, and pulled away from her tight hug in concern, allowing him to see Domini standing still at the doorway, at attention and pointedly eyes-front.

Artur felt his heart break. They’d had an argument on Tepasi last year, an argument that resulted in a fractured jaw, a vibroblade being drawn, his body being slammed through the dining table, three crashed speeders, a night in TPD lockup, and nine million credits in public damages. They’d both said things that should never, ever be said to family, things Artur wasn’t even sure he’d say to a rebel.

His father deployed him around Hutt Space for two months as punishment the very next day. Damn near busted him down to Captain for ‘conduct unbecoming an officer’ and only just about stayed his hand.

The worst part? He remembered what they argued about. Gently lifting the older, and much shorter, twin off his lap and onto the mattress, he walked slowly towards Domini. “I’m off-duty, Domi. At ease and come in.”

She stepped through the threshold, allowing the door to slide shut behind her without a word. He gently tapped a finger under her chin to make her look at him. They simply stared at each other in silence, and two minutes later he had an armful of hysterical ensign squeezing the life out of him. Her singular rank tile was digging into his chest. He didn’t care. He simply squeezed her back and let the guilt bleed out of them both. Apologies can come later; they needed this now.

A genuine smile spread across Artur’s face, his first smile since the recent botched Gerrera mission that took two of his best. He felt the smile get wider as Aylin wiggled into the middle of the Tagge sandwich. They were home.

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Army Operations Room, ISD Chimaera, Seventh Fleet

He was late. Not the best first impression he could’ve made, but he ended up hugging the twins all the way back to their transport, on the other end of the ship, before their favor runs out.

Artur made a note to see what he can do to repay Gilad Pellaeon. Commander should do nicely, maybe Commodore once Faro inevitably gets promoted into the Admiralty. Those snots in High Command hate the idea of women in command, especially the Core World naval ones like Motti, but they were also pragmatic. They’ll promote her eventually, and if not then some strongarming is par for the course with flag rank.

Fixing the collar and doing a quick onceover of his uniform, making sure he had the small bag for later, Artur handed his cylinder to Miro. “How are they?”

The new sergeant, his first draft pick fresh from SCAR School barely a year ago, looked at him, featureless through his helmet but perfectly readable. “Relkus is stable and sleeping off his meds, sir, but Lieutenant Pryl has been fading in and out for the past twenty minutes. Emiri’s with them now, and Captain Maklar will be coming over as soon as the meeting is over.”

“I’ll be there after a tour of the bridge. Notify me immediately if there are any developments.”

“Yes sir. Permission to switch post and stand guard at medbay, sir?”

Artur smiled gently. “Permission granted, Sergeant Golovan. Open the door, then you’re dismissed.”

Right on cue, the door slid open. Miro returned his cylinder, gave him a customary salute, and basically bolted down the hall.

Chuckling at the man’s eagerness, Artur stepped into the room and immediately felt five important sets of eyes on him, along with every other officer on their post.

Both his XO and OPSO were here, Pik and Waffle he recognized as adjacent upperclassmen from Scarif, and the last person was wearing a Major plaque atop a standard, with the exception of the stylized chimaera on his right shoulder, Army Green uniform, the only spot of color in an otherwise Special Forces Black group sitting around the central holotable.

“Sorry I’m late, everyone. Had some personal business to sort out first.”

The Major rose from his seat and extended a hand, which Artur shook. “Cherric Carvia, 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Artur Tagge, 1st Battalion, SCAR. Pleasure’s all mine. I trust you’ve been introduced to my senior captains?”

Carvia nodded, sending Vix Shenaad a small smile, one that she returned with a saucy wink. Artur’s eyes widen slightly at the exchange. Vix was infamously flirtatious, if not promiscuous, but already!?

Pushing the surprise out of his mind, he tried to focus on the matter at hand. “So, what is this about? Why are we all here?”

Revy smirked, Vix chuckled, Pik and Waffle stood to attention. What the hell was going on?

Carvia slid a datacard over, looking noticeably miffed. “An informal ceremony. New orders from High Command… sir.”

Artur physically jolted at that. ‘Sir’? Why the hell was his promotion early? Or at all? His father made it clear that there wouldn’t be another tile on his plaque for a while yet.

Gingerly slotting the card into his datapad, he silently read over the lines of Aurebesh.

Oh. Oh. Much appreciated, Your Excellency.

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Commanding Officer’s Office AKA ‘Thrawn’s Gallery’, ISD Chimaera, Seventh Fleet

Yissa took her time getting to Thrawn’s office, taking every chance she could to stop and check on operations. A new lieutenant here, a fresh and confused ensign there. Eventually, though, she had to suck up her shame and ‘face the music’, as the Coruscanti saying goes. Professional pride denied her the option of dragging her feet, and as such it took no time at all before the second officer found herself standing in front of the surprisingly unguarded door, wiping sweat off her palms as to not dirty her cylinders before slotting one into its slot.

“Commander Hammerly reporting, sir.”

Thrawn looked at her from his chair, features somewhat obscured by the holographic map projected atop his desk. He gestured for her to come in, and while approaching the desk she recognized the map as a troop movement diagram of the infamous San Diego Offensive.

“Have a seat, Commander. Tell me what you see.”

Yissa complied wordlessly, grateful for the deviation from what she was sure was going to be a brutal dressing down. At first glance, it seemed to be a standard battle map, but upon closer inspection someone, presumably Thrawn himself, has highlighted 3rd SCAR Battalion.

Gently turning the fob, she rewind the chart and let it play out again, taking note of the positioning, movement, and engagements between the battalion, the accompanying 501st Legion, and enemy troops, sorting the decisions into order of quality, then as either proactive or reactive, then by death toll, so on and so forth.

Yissa winced as Companies A, B, and D misjudged and got slaughtered in a pincer maneuver. Most of C Company fell shortly after that. 2nd Platoon held out impressively though, retreating into the city center and adopting shock-and-awe guerrilla tactics for the next four hours before the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions arrived.

Pausing the map, she looked up at Thrawn to see him looking at her expectantly. Taking a moment to sort out the information and her corresponding thoughts, Yissa made her report.

“The commander failed to account for enemy movement and led his battalion to a disadvantageous position here, west of this hill.” She pointed to the position. “Once the Major is killed, the captains saw fit to crest the hill, either to take the high ground or reroute towards the residential area where their specialty training can be utilized fully. This decision was a mistake as they failed to notice these two regiments repositioning themselves on both flanks, here and here.”

Pause to breathe, point to relevant locations on the map, then continue. “Company C was rearguard and as such survived slightly longer than the rest, but the lieutenant in command of 2nd Platoon seemed to be the only one who realized that relocation to and bunkering down in an urban environment was the most viable option. The guerilla tactics used afterwards to prevent Terran military reestablishing a foothold in the city contained multiple errors and left the platoon exposed to enemy fire on several occasions but were overall quite impressive given the situation.”

“As astute and observant as always, Commander. Everything you said was correct. What else do you see?”

Frowning, Yissa leaned forward and let the battle play out again.

And again.

Finally, she saw it. “The lieutenant didn’t retreat. He repositioned for a counteroffensive.” That revelation recontextualized the entire final four hours and her impression of the lieutenant in question, which she realized was Tagge himself. He wasn’t reserved in combat, he was brutal. He inspired loyalty, evident by the way his troops didn’t show any sign of hesitation in their movements. Those same movements indicated that he has a brilliant mind for tacti… No. Oh no.

She looked at Thrawn with dawning horror. If she knew him, and she was somewhat confident that she did, he did in fact had a punishment for her and forced her to figure it out herself. That smirk, that very rare, very smug victorious smirk, confirmed it.

“Yes, Commander. For the foreseeable future, you will be mentoring him in exospheric and fleet force warfare.”

Sometimes, she really wished the ICMJ didn’t frown upon the homicide of one’s commanding officer.

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Command Bridge, ISD Chimaera, Seventh Fleet

The entire bridge officer corps was looking on in silence and a hearty dose of ‘what the kriff’ as the Chimaera’s WSO slam into Major Tagge for a hug with the velocity and accuracy expected of a Pyrondi Firing Solution, trademark pending, causing him to stumble back a step. The ‘what the kriff’ factor doubled when the senior officer wrapped his arms around the tiny lieutenant and squeezed her tightly.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you”, Pyro could be heard muttering rapidly into his chest. It took Woldar a full twenty seconds to comprehend the situation unfurling before his eyes, and another ten to muster the willpower necessary to separate them. Pyro obviously needed this, whatever this was, but that didn’t change the fact that main watch doesn’t end for another two hours and there were professional standards to maintain.

The Commander decided that in this case basic was best and took a second to fill his lungs. As third officer, he didn’t get many chances to do this.

“TEN-HUT”

Detach, on her feet, attention. Woldar glanced towards the helm at Agral, who held up his chrono. One-point-eight-one. Not too bad.

Tagge, on the other hand, took his sweet damn time straightening out his tunic before doing the same to his posture. “Commander Woldar, I assume?”

Woldar took the offered hand and shook. “You assumed correctly. Welcome aboard, Major.”

They exchanged some customary words and the current bridge commander was just about to give Tagge a brief tour before realizing that Pyro was still standing at attention.

“Oh, at ease, Pyrondi. Back to your post.”

“Thank you so much, sir.” There was no mistaking the friendly snark in her voice, and Seffric smirked. The smirk turned into a full smile when he saw Tagge leave a giant packet of Tepasi taffies on Pyro’s console and into a chortle as the man quickly made his way out of the bridge before the lieutenant realize that the candy was sugar-free.

The eventual tantrum of that realization was spectacular, but that’s a story for another time.

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Kuat Drive Yards, Kuat

0815 Hours – Galactic Standard

Five Months Later

Ah, mandatory retrofits, that biannual two-week period mandated by High Command (read: Trohren Kuat) when specific ships have to report to KDY for maintenance and upgrades and when crewmembers use their mandatory shore leave to either spend quality time with their dependents or get absolutely shitfaced and publicly make terrible adult decisions. Sometimes both, as was demonstrated when Pellaeon had to discretely post bail to get a very drunk and very naked Marinith out of CSF custody.

It was the Chimaera’s turn for a retrofit, and with a scheduled upgrade to Class-II that stretched out to a month of the Harbinger and by default Pellaeon leading the Seventh. It was Faro’s turn to draw from The Cap, and out of twenty-two resort and entertainment worlds inside Thrawn’s white kepi, she drew Canto Bight.

Canto. Kriffing. Bight.

Now, no officer ever went broke serving on an ISD, except for that one Captain in the Fourth getting scammed that one time, and without much in the way of creature comfort or physical temptation in their portion of the Outer Rim they all had quite a chunk of credits squared away, especially with a decent number of senior officers in their little group. But Canto Bight, contrary to the myths and endorsements and adverts of being an affordable resort world, was the epitome of indulgence, which meant absolute luxury, which translates to absolutely atrocious prices, barely cheaper than Coruscant.

And, according to the rules their young naïve selves agreed on when The Cap came into existence, they now have to spend their leave there. And Odo Lomar would cycle himself out of an airlock before he, or any of the others, let Hammerly use her blueblood status to pay a single credit beyond what her paygrade allowed.

Which leads to today, when all personnel are expected to be at least planetside by 1200 hours standard, and they’ve yet to find a place to stay.

The nerd herd, as the rest of the ship has taken to calling them, were all huddled into a corner table in the officer’s mess, staring at Faro’s datapad as she scrolled through three different booking applications looking for a decent ISB-approved hotel or even a residential unit for rent that they can afford but still has enough room to fit them all.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if Thrawn and his gigantic pay was here with them, but he was on Coruscant, voluntarily for once, to get in touch with an art curator, some guy named Luthen, about ancient star maps. Woldar went back home to see his parents, and Cherric was with his new girlfriend and SCAR Company D on a training session and hunting trip to Bogano. Pik was already drafting his eulogy.

The housing situation has gotten to the point where Pyrondi left to get Tagge for consultation, much to her wyf’s reluctance, and Phyrre already proposed sleeping in the ship to cut costs. That one earned her a flick under the nose from Faro.

Agral 14 – 15 Yve. Jashin was doing better than his wife for once.

They were just about to give up, break tradition and draw a second location when Pyro came busting in, Tagge stumbling behind her, being dragged by the sleeve. It made for a hilarious sight that put an amused smile on everyone’s face and drew a snort from both Yve and Agral, seeing the Chimaera’s new Stormtrooper Commander being dragged around like a disgruntled tooka by an officer half his height, a third his size, and three ranks his junior.

Odo laughed right alongside Faro when Pyro got onto her tiptoes and pushed him down into a seat by the shoulders. Artur Tagge was damn tough and took shit from no one, not even Faro, but Pyro, and Pyro alone, had him by the heartstrings and everyone on the ship knew it. Yissa especially so.

“Tell them what you just told me, sir.”

Tagge made a show of sighing dramatically, blatantly taking and chugging half of Pyro’s caf, the lieutenant’s indignant protests bouncing off his kepi, before looking around the table. “My family has a penthouse in Canto Bight. It’s high up, private, and within walking distance of every attraction you could think of. No one’s using it right now, and there are more than enough beds if you want it, but I’ll have to come with you to actually get you through the door, which means I’ll probably be butting in on your vacation too.”

Lomar looked around to see everyone, even Yissa, seriously considering it. On one hand, he was offering a high-class place, seemingly without a catch, and Pyro has vehemently vouched for him since he first got shipboard.

On the other, having him and Yissa in the same place may very well end their vacation early and force Thrawn to deal with a court martial offense. Those two haven’t been on good terms since they started working together. Or, rather, Yissa wasn’t entirely on board with Tagge, most likely some remaining jealousy, while, as far as he could tell, the SCAR Commander was genuinely trying to bridge the gap. The two were professional enough when necessary, but the undertone of tension and hostility during their training sessions, why Thrawn thought that was a good idea was beyond him, was hard to miss.

“Where is this penthouse, anyway, sir?” Agral asked, already pulling up a detailed map of the city on his own datapad.

“Mon’t Car’l Tower.”

Appreciative sounds all around, but no one was really surprised. Mon’t Car’l Tower was the pinnacle of residential luxury in the Outer Rim, famously housing military leaders and purrgils of industry such as Conan Antonio Motti, Raith Sienar, Trohren Kuat, Wilhuff Tarkin, and yes, Cassio Tagge, during their rare trips to Cantonica.

Agral typed in the address, eyebrows and hair merging into a singular fiery mess atop his head as he spun the map around and highlighted a few other locations. Yve looked down from her seat atop her husband’s shoulders and her eyes widened with a soft “wow”

Lomar leaned over to see the screen and whistled. Fifteen-minute airspeeder ride from port, across the street from the Canto Casino, surrounded by clubs, bars, and nudie bars, and right on the beach with a private slice of the coastline. This was convenience of location like nothing he’d seen before. It was perfect.

“I say we go for it”, Faro spoke up. “Could do everyone here some good to get to know you better, Artur.” Lomar definitely did not imagine the side-eye she sent Hammerly at that statement.

He glanced at her, amused. “No-plaque leave, Auntie Karyn?”

“No-plaque leave.”

He looked around with a relaxed smile, putting his plaque on the table as everyone else did the same, gesturing their assents to let him join. “Well, in that case, everyone please call me Artur.”

Odo smiled. As long as Hammerly behaves, there shouldn’t be any problems.

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Jashin ought to punch Lomar in the mouth for jinxing the whole damn thing, because this right here was a massive problem if he’d ever seen one, but his beloved wife’s already beaten him to it, and now Yissa and Yana are taking turns slapping him upside the head and cursing him out like the sailors they are while Faro gives him her you-kriffed-this-up-and-I-am-holding-you-accountable glare, the one that has seen countless incompetent enlisted, NCOs, and officers alike disappear from the Chimaera. It wasn’t his fault really, but sailors were a superstitious lot.

He wanted to contribute to the violence, he really did, but Yana stuck him with pulling their storage cubes out of the wrecked shuttle while Phyrre tries to get a fire going nearby using some oil from the ship’s secondary reserve tank.

Maybe she can still be spaceworthy with some fixing, but for now, lacking the proper resources and tools, the Disciple was just a giant chunk of dead weight, the newest feature in this dense and snowy forest they’ve found themselves in, somewhere in the Mandalore sector. Artur had a theory and had ventured offsite to confirm it. They can still use the ship for shelter if needed, but other than that it was useless.

Solar radiation storms. The scourge of all spacefarers and the magnetic property of which the Interdiction Program was originally based upon before the nerds at Sienar decided to use gravity wells instead. Throughout his twenty-four years of living almost exclusively in hyperlanes and six years of Imperial service, Jashin has never been through one. So of course, his first encounter with the dreaded phenomenon would be getting yanked out of the Hydian Way with their engines burnt out on a flimsy little Lambda instead of the tough-as-Faro Star Destroyer he’s been helming for the past five years.

They got lucky, though. If the momentum of being forcibly returned to sublight hadn’t carried them into a nearby planet’s atmosphere, the storm would’ve left nothing for the fleet to find. It was a sobering thought.

A rustle behind him got Yissa and Faro aiming their holdout pistols in his general direction and Yana pulling an unholy amount of ‘blaster’ out of her ass, both hands needed to lift the rainbow-tipped RSKF-44 she previously had hidden… somewhere. He didn’t really want to know.

“Nice reaction time everyone, but it’s just me”, Artur said as he emerged from the bushes, white tunic covered in snow, and stopped suddenly to stare at Pyro’s arm cannon.

A deep, resigned sigh. “I can’t convince you to get something that actually fits in your hands, can I?”

A grin, the slightly manic grin of a trigger-happy gremlin. “Nope.”

Pop the ‘p’ for extra effect.

“Okay. So, good news: I know exactly where we are”, Artur said.

“And where’s that?” Lomar piped up now that the two small but violent officers had stopped their brutal assault on his skull.

Another sigh. “That’s the bad news”, he said, looking straight at Yana. “We’re on Krownest.”

Never in his life has Jashin seen a person go through so many emotions in so short a time. Pyro’s skin must’ve paled at least four shades in the time it took him to realize why Krownest sounded familiar.

The reports of Mandalorian Clan Wren leading an insurrection and killing Viceroy Saxon just a few months ago came to mind, and he suddenly realized that they’d crashed deep inside rebel territory, where the general reception for Imperials was a blaster bolt between the eyes.

Oh, as they say, shit.

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Evergreen Forest, Krownest

It took an hour for Wren’s cadre of soldiers to reach the crash site, another five minutes for them to notice the blaster barrel sticking out of the ground nearby, and by then the Chimaera crew already had their shots lined up.

Artur, having learned from Terran snipers the hard way, took point, hitting unarmored necks with frightening accuracy. Pyro wasn’t far behind, barely wasting a shot as her pistol ripped a hole through the beskar plates. Karyn, as ranking officer and with multiple deployments in the Clone Wars, coordinated the rest. The cadre of Mandalorians, supposedly the greatest warriors in the galaxy, dropped like flies.

“I hope you have a plan, Artur, because if you don’t we’re dead.” Karyn said, the briefest hint of nervousness slipping into the edge of her voice. The man in question was busy digging around the bodies’ pouches, pulling out a comlink with a triumphant grin and flicked it on.

“Gar verde cuyir kyrayc, an ashi ti aru'ela narser kelir me'dinuir te adla vencuyot.” Artur spoke clearly, his voice carrying an authority only found in people used to issuing commands. “Ni echoy dayn sha'kajir bal jorhaa'ir at Ursa Wren.”

Yana’s eyes widen at the demand, which made Yissa’s eyes widen at the previously unknown fact that her wyf knew Mando’a. A female voice, young and very obviously confused, traded words with him for a moment before the line went dead.

The group stood there in stunned silence for a second before Karyn decided to break the silence.

“Do I even want to know what you just said?”

He glanced at her, and was that guilt in his eyes? “Basically, I told them that their soldiers are dead, if they send more we’ll just kill more, then asked for a cease-fire and an audience with Ursa Wren. Her daughter just accepted on her behalf.”

…

“You asked for WHAT!?”

4 notes · View notes

aeon2407 · 23 days

Text

Pyro's Pyrotechnic Love Life - Chapter 10

Late post. Quite late actually. But here you go. Dedicated to the amazing @contentment-of-cats as always. Also on AO3.

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Command Bridge, The Levinbolt, Task Force Spearhead, Fleet One

“Marshal on deck!”

Everyone snapped to attention as Artur stepped onto the bridge, in the uniform of a Tagge Armada Marshal – minus the cape, that was for ceremonies – and took his seat.

“As you were, everyone. How long until breakout?”

“Two minutes, sir.”

“I saw that the Executor stopped around Naboo for a few minutes. What was that about?”

“Uh… They stopped for Lord Vader, sir. He took his personal TIE for a separate mission after Death Squadron affirmed their loyalty to the Dynasty. They will arrive right after us.”

“Ah. All good, then. We’ll be expecting a guest coming up from planetside within the next few days. He is to be considered arm and dangerous at all times, but at the moment he is an ally and should be treated as a guest of honor. The name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. The codeword is ‘High Ground’. Any questions?”

A murmur of confusion, some small requests for clarification, and they were all settled. No one mentioned Order 66 or the numerous warrants and bounties on Kenobi’s head. They were all committing treason soon anyway.

“Captain on the bridge.”

Artur turned around. Yana and Yissa were both wearing the distinct red and gold uniform, the rank device for Captain and Commander respectively shining on their collars. “Commander, Captain, glad you could join us.”

Yana smiled at him. “Happy to be here, sir.”

“Stent, I’m reassigning you to late watch. Take a break.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Commander Hammerly, Sensors is yours.”

“Yes, sir.”

She took the newly vacant spot, getting herself used to the layout. Jashin, Odo, and Phyrre were already settled in, all three staying as senior loots after the jump over but would be promoted soon. Brilliant officers should be in command. Yana was the Levinbolt’s captain the same way Marinith was the Chimaera’s captain, so she took a spot next to the chair. “Orders, sir?”

“Break out over Tepasi, check in with Armada HQ, then pick up Kenobi. I have a meeting with the core family tonight to go over the details. Are you sure you’re up for this? The Empire gave you a second chance.”

“TaggeCo gave me a second chance, helped me break free from the exploitations of the Youth Corps when Commandant Martal wasn’t able to. My loyalty is with my family and the Chimaera first and foremost, but the rest of it is with you.”

A warm smile. A loving look. “Good to hear. Lieutenant Agral, how long to breakout?”

“Thirty seconds, sir! Slowing down hyperdrives, stabilizing sublight engines.”

“Lieutenant Lomar, signal Tepasi Control, tell them we’re on approach. Request Drydock One and a full resupply.”

“Aye, sir. Tepasi Control, this is Armada battleship Levinbolt on final approach, twenty seconds to breakout. Requesting Drydock One and a full resupply. How copy?”

“Levinbolt, Tepasi Control. Good copy, Drydock One on standby.”

“Commander Hammerly, be on the lookout for any approaching vessels once we break out. We’re an Armada ship, not many have legitimate reasons to dock with us.”

“Copy that, sir. Sensors at full range, we’ll see them coming.”

“Sir, breaking out in five.”

“Captain Pyrondi, you have the bridge. Lieutenants Lomar, Agral, report to my office once we land.”

The two exchanged glances and sounded off their affirmatives. Artur left to update the family and get himself updated on other parts of the plan. A coup on this scale took plenty of moving parts, and therefore plenty of chances for something to go wrong. The key was quick, decisive responses to the thing that went wrong.

They were still in the delicate stages. One false step could send it all burning up. He needed to make sure that didn’t happen.

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Commanding Officer’s Office, The Levinbolt, Task Force Spearhead

“Lieutenants Agral and Lomar reporting, sir.”

“Come in you two. Take a seat.”

They did so, sitting with perfect academy posture. Artur stared at them. “I’ll get to the point. This is about your families. You two are already onboard with this plan, but we want to make sure that the Agrals and the Slicing Clan are with us too.”

The House was powerful, but not all-powerful. There were factions they didn’t mess with unless they absolutely had to. The Slicing Clan was on top of that list, and the Agral name was known throughout the galaxy for a reason.

The two looked at each other before turning back to him. “We can’t speak for our families, sir, but with permission we can call them. I think both of our families will agree to it.”

Artur nodded. Well within expectations. “Permission granted. Get an encrypted line and call them.”

Hopefully they were amenable to Titanfall. The Agrals would be a problem, but if the Slicing Clan turned hostile their best course of action was mutual destruction. That alone spoke volumes to their power.

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Tagge Armada HQ, Unlos Tagge, Tepasi

Thirty Hours Later

“So that’s why, even with the tentative agreements between us and both factions, King Jashin Agral Sr. and Matriarch Shiya Lomar want to meet. Should be a simple discussion on the finer details, nothing too complicated. How are things on other fronts?”

Domina leaned back in her seat as Artur finished his report. It was just the two of them in this room, catching each other up on things. Not even Lapin was there.

She scrolled through her datapad. “Neither Organa nor Mothma have cracked, not that we expected them to. The ISB is putting pressure on their families, Organa specifically has to worry about his daughter being charged with accessory to treason. As for Mothma, she’s been shown footage of Narkina 5, specifically what female prisoners go through. There are fates worse than death. We’ll let her stew in it for a few days then offer her a deal for information.

Ulric is doing his job, gaining allies and influence. Palpatine is getting delayed or outright falsified reports from all agencies. Orman reported that Vader is regenerating without issue, apparently the midichlorians are helping him along. We’ll take Coruscant when he is back and fully reacclimated. Should take another three days for him to fully form, then he’ll start the recovery process.”

Artur nodded. “I’ll prepare the fleets and inform Thrawn. What about the Spectres? Any news?”

“Yes. Kanan Jarrus was released from postop today. His body accepted the eyes seamlessly and he’s undergoing nerve therapy to reacclimate himself to sight.”

“Good. That’s good. Death Squadron?”

“Enough resistors to fill two ISDs, Vader deemed the rest to be loyal to him and by extension to us. The resistors are scattered in brigs across their fleet.”

“Shame, but expected. What do we do in the meantime?”

“You’re still on leave. As far as Palpatine is concerned, everything is normal. Keep it that way until it’s time to strike. Go prepare. Train with that new knee. Be with your girlfriends, which by the way, are you sure you can handle three, Artur?”

“Three?”

“Yes. Ilyana, Yissa, Merri.”

“Merri?! No, no, she’s… uh, I’m not sure, but-“

“Let me stop you right there. That girl has been crushing on you for years. I know because she was one of the scouting targets for the Armada. You took her virginity and left her to wake up by herself in a cold and empty medbay. Whatever you feel, make it clear to her. Don’t pussyfoot around like you did with Ilyana all those years ago. Be solid, be firm, make a tactical decision.”

Artur nodded. In hindsight, he could’ve at least taken Merri to his quarters before leaving for the bridge so that she’d wake up warm and with some privacy. Shit. “I’ll talk to her after my bridge shift. Thanks Auntie, needed that.”

“I know, kiddo. Go on, your fleets need you.” A chime on her comms. “On second thought, standby. Lapin just received code ‘High Ground’ over comms. Kenobi’s at TIS. Go pick him up. Put him on the Levinbolt while I arrange transportation.”

With a nod, Artur stood and left the room, mind still debating the Merri Barlin Situation. He needed to talk to Yana and Yissa. It was as much their say as it was his, and of course that was assuming Merri would even accept their little arrangement in the first place.

One step at a time, Artur. One step at a time.

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Arrival Gate, Tepasi Interstellar Spaceport

Obi-Wan was calm. He was on the right path and he knew it, it was just a matter of navigating that path. Said navigation now required him to get involve with the Tagges to get Anakin back, so that was what he was doing.

So why did he feel so exposed sitting here? Oh, right, security cams. He’d spent all of two hours on Coruscant. It was still strange being back in the Core, even if Tepasi had more nature. Not that it was a particularly high bar, every planet had more nature than Coruscant.

A man was approaching him. Even without looking, Obi-Wan knew who it was as the other man sat down next to him. That volatility and wrongness in the Force was unique to one and only one being. “Artur, pleasure to-”

“Don’t use my name, don’t say anything, just put this cloak on and follow.”

Right. A Tagge would naturally attract attention, especially here, and attention was the last thing either of them wanted right now. Obi-Wan took the offered cloak – gray and white – and slipped it over his head before following the scion to a speeder outside.

“We’re taking you to one of our ships in orbit. You’ll be treated as a guest, but try anything or be anywhere you’re not supposed to be and I’ll put your old ass in the brig myself, understood?”

“Understood. I’m just here to save Anakin and kill Sidious. That’s all.”

A silent nod turned into a silent drive. Obi-Wan took the time to meditate and tried to reach out to Anakin. He knew they had him in a blind spot in the Force, but he tried anyway, just to be sure. Eventually, they arrived at a private landing pad, where a TaggeCo shuttle and a squad of black-armored stormtroopers – SCAR Troopers – were already waiting.

Artur parked the speeder in the back of a nearby hangar. Obi-Wan tensed instinctively as one of the troopers – an officer with cropped brown hair– approached them. “All good to go, sir. Still as planned?”

“Still as planned, Revy. Kenobi, this is General Revy Maklar, my ground forces commander. You answer to me, her, and Ilyana Pyrondi, in that order.”

Obi-Wan was staring. He couldn’t sense Revy at all. She knew that too, judging by the knowing smirk on her unhelmeted face. “What’s wrong, Kenobi? Never seen a Force Null before?”

So that was what she was. He’d suspected, given that there was nothing in the Force where she was supposed to be. Not the blank void like what most droids were either, just natural air where there should’ve been a Human woman. He’d also noticed the scar on her neck, the surgical mark of a freed slave, but wisely avoided commenting on it.

“Pleasure to meet you, General. Obi-Wan Kenobi, at your service.”

She shook his hand and motioned for him to follow. The trip up to the Levinbolt was as silent as the trip from the spaceport, Obi-Wan growing increasingly unnerved sitting between a Force Null and the non-Sensitive Apprentice of Darth Vader. They said nothing to him besides the necessary instructions as the shuttle landed in a hangar bay. Artur escorted him personally to his quarters, bigger than anywhere he’d slept in before, even Satine’s chambers.

“This will be your room for the duration of your stay here. We’re arranging a transport for you to Anakin on Byth, but until then you’ll be confined to this ship. Here’s your access card, don’t lose it. Any questions?”

Obi-Wan took the card and turned it over, tucking it into his robes. “How is Anakin? Have there been any reports?”

Artur’s expression softened. “He’s fine. Should be fully formed within the next few days, then he’ll need to go through the recovery process too. Uncle Orman’s with him – best bioengineer in the galaxy. He’ll make sure Anakin is stable, but you’ll need to be there for your old padawan, both physically and emotionally. We need the Chosen One at his best for what’s to come.”

Obi-Wan sighed, relieved. Anakin was stable and would recover. The severe damage he’d done to him on Mustafar would be healed. “Thank you. For doing this. Helping him. Thank you.”

“Wasn’t exactly for altruistic reasons, but you’re welcome regardless. Get some sleep if you want, there’s food and drinks in the preservation unit under the countertop, spare clothes are in the closet. Call for help if you need anything.”

Obi-Wan thanked him one last time and was left alone. He tried to sleep off nerves but couldn't, so he got a bite to eat. Good food, better than anything he had on Tatooine by far. Then he took advantage of the shower – hot water on a combat ship was a ridiculous level of luxury – and the clothes being provided. Different stuff, different styles ranging from casual sleepwear to formal suits.

He settled on light gray robes that he recognized as belonging to the Tenno, the Tepasi religious sect in the Temple of Lotus, just without any of the regalia denoting title or achievements. They were light and comfortable, airy yet warm, just like Jedi robes. He hesitated before throwing his robes into the washing cycle but did so eventually, clipped his and Anakin’s lightsabers onto the leather belt, and left for the bridge.

….

Where was the bridge again?

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Thirty Minutes Later

“Master Kenobi. I trust you had no trouble finding your way around?”

The teasing smirk on Artur’s face told them both that he knew damn well otherwise. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “You really are Anakin’s apprentice.”

“I’m Vader’s apprentice. Get it right.”

“Apologies.”

“Accepted. Your transport arrangements will be ready in an hour. Until then, there’s a meditation room and a dojo onboard.”

“Dojo please. I need to practice before we take on Sidious.”

“Right this way. Captain, you have the bridge.”

“Yes, sir.”

Obi-Wan noted the distrustful glare from the captain, Pyrondi if he wasn’t mistaken, and almost shrunk away. He followed Artur out of the bridge as the tiny captain turned back to her datapad.

A shiver shot through his spine. Small Brunettes.

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The Stinger Mantis, Tepasi Sovereign Space

Sixteen Minutes Later

“Unauthorized shuttle, power down and stand down immediately. This is your final warning.”

So obviously some mistakes were made.

That was an understatement actually. Many severe mistakes were made.

Cal was locked in probably the most powerful tractor beam he’d ever encountered, with more firepower than he could’ve imagined aiming at him, and no backup to speak of. He was kriffed.

“BD, open a channel to that ship.”

“Beep boop?”

“Just trust me on this, buddy.”

“Boop boop bah.”

“Thank you bud. Tagge battleship Levinbolt, this is captain of the Stinger Mantis speaking. I’m not here to cause any trouble. I’m here to see Obi-Wan Kenobi. I know he’s here, so don’t bother denying it.”

A beat of silence. “Power down and stand down. I will not repeat myself again.”

A woman, the same one that identified herself as the captain of that posh ship keeping him trapped. She had an edge to her voice, a cold sort of fury that told Cal he’d better obey or she’d erase him from existence.

“Copy that. Powering down now.”

The first thing he did was cut comms with the Levinbolt. “BD, send a signal over the encrypted line. Request backup and extraction for two, then hide in the floor.”

Some arguing and beeping later, BD was finally squirreled away in the hidden compartment under the caf table and Cal was ready to fight his way out if necessary. The Mantis was reeled in via tractor beam and he tucked himself into the little corner next to the boarding ramp.

The plan, as stupid and suicidal as it sounded, was to fight his way through the initial boarding party, find himself either a set of armor or uniform, find and disable the tractor beam, then fly out. Simple, right? Cal split his saber in two, prepared to deflect blaster bolts and ready for a fight from all angles as the Mantis settled into the hangar bay and familiar bootsteps approached.

He wasn’t ready for them to pump gas into the ventilation system.

BD squeaked in alarm as Cal slumped, unconscious. He tried to fight back as troopers in black armor flooded the main cabin. The droid managed to shock one of the troopers before another one turned and shot him point blank with a restraining bolt. BD felt his programming freeze and locked up as they scooped him up into a durasteel box.

After years of fighting, running, and hiding, Cal Revano Kestis, one of the last Jedi Knights left alive, was finally captured.

His comlink chimed and was promptly turned off. On Tanalorr, Merrin frowned, told Greez to babysit Kata, and took her fighter to Naboo. ‘Quick check in’ her ass, her idiot of a husband was probably captured or on a suicide mission somewhere.

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TaggeCo Veteran Rehabilitation Centre, Tepasi

Kanan, or Commander Dume as he was registered here, had been diligently going through every exercise they wanted him to. Some were very useful in helping him regain hand-eye coordination, which had atrophied over the past year, while others were useless to him on account of Force sensitivity. He went through all of it regardless, being with Hera in their dorm after every long day.

It was a wonderful thing, being able to see her again. She was as beautiful as the day he last saw her, perhaps even more so now. He got to watch, and listen, and feel, as the child, their child, grew more and more in her womb.

Life under the Tagges had restrictions and he knew there would be plenty of compromises in the future, but at least his family was all safe and any new additions wouldn’t be born on the run.

So of course, in typical post-Order-66 Jedi fashion, he felt one of his old creche-mates, his best friend of all people, appear over orbit and almost immediately dulled. Not dead, but unconscious.

He went through his day, went back to his dorm, and immediately grabbed the comlink next to his bed. Lapin had given him their personal comm code for emergencies. “Lapin?”

“Is this about the Jedi we just caught?”

“Uh, yes. I think I know him. You got Cal Kestis right?”

“Yep. If you wanna talk to him, I can arrange that.”

“Please do. He was my best friend back before.”

“Keep your inbox open. I’ll send details after I’m done eating.”

“Thank you.”

They ended the call right as Hera walked in. Kanan filled her in on what happened, which led to a long conversation about his time in the Temple.

Kanan didn’t sleep that night. If there was one thing he knew for certain about Cal, it was that the man could be more stubborn than Master Windu, and just as good with a lightsaber.

It was going to be an interesting conversation.

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Residential Wing, Tagge Manor, Tepasi

Lapin rubbed their eyes and sighed. How many kriffing Jedi were still alive!? And why was half of them suddenly their problem?

They called Artur and told him to tell Kenobi about what just happened. They had three Jedi right now, all of them connected one way or another. Might as well put them all in a room together and see what comes out of it.

#star wars #star wars rebels #sw fanfic #pyrondi #star wars empire #hammerly #cal kestis #nightsister merrin #cal x merrin #obi wan kenobi #domina tagge #lapin tagge #hera syndulla #scar trooper

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