Title: The Reenlistment of Eli Vanto

Summary:

"Each person has goals. Some of those goals are open, visible to all who care to observe. Others are more private, shared only with one's closest friends or associates. Some are dark secrets that one hopes will never see the light of day. But eventually, inevitably, those deepest goals must be made manifest if they are to be reached. They must be opened for someone to hear, or see, or offer assistance. Everyone who brings those goals into the light must be prepared for either acceptance or rejection. And he must be ready to bear the consequences. All of them." - Timothy Zahn

Gentle reminder:

Thrawn and Eli Vanto never met as low ranks in the Freak Fleet verse; Eli's life has taken the path he had originally intended for himself, becoming a supply line officer, and Grand Admiral Thrawn stumbled upon him during a routine inspection immediately after the Battle of Atollon, after he overheard him saying the word 'Chiss' and the far-fetched stories of the Chiss warriors. Thrawn had him transferred aboard the Chimaera, promoting him to the rank of a lieutenant, and made him his official aide-de-camp (a military officer acting as a confidential assistant to a senior officer).

BTW If you paid careful attention while reading the book, you might have noticed Thrawn had originally thought Eli to be an agent planted on him by the Nemoidians; only he wasn't. Now, in this verse…

Jump back in time:

Empire Day (CH1 – Imperial State of Mind), few hours after Thrawn returned from the private audience with the Emperor

"You could have turned on the lights, Lieutenant," came a smooth, cultured voice from behind. "Unlike humans, Chiss are able to see clearly in the dark. That particular myth is, indeed, true."

Eli literally jumped in shock.

He felt the blood freeze in his veins, the color draining from his face. His heart skipped a beat and then suddenly kicked back into overtime, beating so fast he thought he would collapse. He turned slowly, only to find himself staring straight into the barrel of a blaster pointed right at the middle of his head, held steadily by none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn.

So, this was Thrawn's way of saying: "Busted."

"Kriff," Eli muttered under his breath, unable to tear his eyes away from the instrument of his imminent destruction; and as he heard the safety being switched off, he found himself mildly disappointed that none of his original expectations of facing death came true. He had thought that maybe his entire life would suddenly flash in front of his eyes during his very last moments, but there was nothing that came to his mind, nothing at all. There was only that damn barrel and a sense of failure, a feeling of having his life uselessly spent for naught.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, swallowing hard, biting his lower lip, refusing to scream in desperation or to plead for mercy, awaiting the inevitable end—which, even after more than a minute, never came.

He jerked his head and opened his eyes wide, only to see the Chiss watching him intently, the red eyes glowing much brighter than usual in the darkness. The arm holding the blaster slowly lowered.

"Now that you have finally calmed down, Lieutenant—or perhaps I should simply address you as Eli Vanto, since I am afraid your career at the Imperial Navy has been effectively terminated." The red eyes narrowed. "Maybe you could finally turn on the light and engage in a civilized conversation. There are many things we need to discuss."

Eli gaped, speechless.

He continued staring at the Grand Admiral, his eyes frantically searching the Chiss face for a reason behind such inexplicable behavior—he should be dead—but he could barely see anything besides the glowing red eyes. Those eyes, which watched him back, giving off a steady, dim glow that reminded him of a flame slowly burning in a fireplace. There was no anger in them, no imminent threat. Only that faint glow.

"Since I cannot make it an order anymore," Thrawn said in a calm, patient tone, "Eli Vanto, please, if you would be so kind to turn on the light?"

Eli finally snapped out of it, closing his mouth. Then he leaned over the table, turning on the light, the admiral's office instantly brightening up to the pre-set standard aboard any Imperial Navy ship.

"Thank you, Eli Vanto," Thrawn said, and to Eli's further bewilderment there was a trace of genuine gratitude in the smooth, cultured voice.

"And now, I believe you might need to sit down for the conversation. What you are about to find out might come to you as a shock."

Oh, really, you don't say, Eli thought acerbically. No doubt the Grand Admiral was merely playing games with him. Something was definitely not right here.

"Thank you, Admiral," he said instead, each word dripping with sarcasm. He didn't need to call him 'sir' anymore; but on the other hand, calling him just Thrawn seemed weird as well, so he opted for the shortened form of his military rank.

"But I prefer to stand."

The Chiss shrugged in dismissal and walked past him, sitting down comfortably into his command chair. "As you wish, Eli Vanto, although I have no doubt you will eventually change your mind."

Eli bit his tongue. The Grand Admiral wanted to have a civilized conversation. Well, that was fine with him. It was better than an interrogation by the ISB, although he had no doubt that would follow shortly.

"I'm afraid it's going to be a rather one sided conversation, Admiral. I assume you know why I'm here. And given the nature of my mission, my own knowledge has been strictly limited. I can tell you nothing you don't already know."

Thrawn slowly inclined his head. "I know, Eli Vanto, but you came here with the intent to steal and broadcast information that would have immediately led back to you, and I couldn't have allowed that to happen."

Eli's eyed narrowed, his brow furrowing in confusion. The Chiss was making absolutely no sense.

"You saw right through it from the very beginning," he said, his voice rising as a trace of genuine anger found its way into his tone. Oh no, no, no ! He had seen Thrawn work. He would not allow the master manipulator to get to him.

"You allowed Rebel Intelligence to think that their cleverness in using my supposed knowledge of the Chiss against you was successful."

His stomach clenched painfully as the realization hit him, and his arms dropped to his sides. "You went along with it, even going as far as making me your official aide-de-camp, giving me access to your conversations with High Command and information on the Imperial Military. And the intel I obtained?"

He swallowed, feeling himself go pale even as he spoke. "How much of that was real? You gave me exactly what you wanted the Alliance to hear."

It had all been for nothing.

"But then...why are you doing this? Why have you stopped me?" Eli held out his hands helplessly.

A ludicrous thought suddenly popped into his head. "Or possibly... No, it can't be..." He lowered his voice as he asked, "Are you also a Rebel sympathizer?"

Surely it couldn't be. A member of the High Command couldn't have possibly become a traitor on his own, could he? It was so unlikely that it was practically impossible.

Wasn't it?

The Chiss blinked, staring at him for a couple of heartbeats, and then he did the most unexpected thing: he actually laughed aloud, guffawing in open amusement, a spark brightening those glowing red eyes.

Eli felt his jaw drop.

He had no idea what was so funny about the whole notion, but that hardly mattered right now. What made him completely, utterly mystified was the very fact that the cold, impassive Grand Admiral, the Chiss who kept his cool under all circumstances, simply burst out in laughter. It didn't last long, a couple of seconds at best; but it was definitely a very human-like laugh, and Eli could tell it actually took him a serious effort to put the cold, impassive mask back in place.

"Oh, I am truly going to miss these moments," the Grand Admiral said once again in his smooth, cultured voice. Had Eli not just seen it with his very own eyes, he would not have believed such an abrupt change was even possible.

"One should keep one's allies within view and one's enemies within reach. But what if one falls into both categories? Or possibly, hopefully, neither."

Eli stared at the Chiss, growing more and more confused. "Your words make absolutely no sense, Admiral. As for my own choice, I don't know… I simply believe in doing the right thing. This is not the service I originally signed up for anymore. We are supposed to protect the people, Admiral, not shoot them."

Eli frowned, straightening as he looked at Thrawn with disapproval.

"It's as if the Galactic Empire is becoming a giant war machine, and you are at the very heart of that war machine, Admiral. If the decree of the Emperor is genuine, then soon there will be much more than the Seventh Fleet at your disposal. The Alliance has to know what they are standing up against, even if it means blowing my cover and sacrificing my life in the process of getting that information to them. That is all. I want to give my life meaning, and standing up for the oppressed has a lot more meaning than simply following the orders of my superiors."

"Oh, Eli Vanto," Thrawn sighed, his expression softening imperceptibly, giving the rebel sympathizer a long, deep stare.

"You are certainly correct that the Empire is essentially becoming a war machine. It is that which makes it indispensable for the near future. For the things to come, I have need of a strong, militaristic government with a large, enormous mobile fleet."

Eli blinked. "Huh?"

The Grand Admiral took out a datadisc from his pocket and inserted it into the computer interface, switching on the holoscreen. The room suddenly turned into a holographic gallery—only, the 3D holograms that appeared weren't the usual sculptures. Instead, they were images of real corpses, hideously mutilated humanoid bodies; the 2D pictures themselves were close-ups of the bodies, featuring the scars and tattoos.

"The Chiss call them Far Outsiders, Eli Vanto. And this," he said, making a wide hand gesture in the general direction of the sculptures, "is their art."

"Art?!" Eli shouted, feeling suddenly nauseated; it took everything he had to keep from vomiting. This was sick. This was beyond sick.

"You call this art?" he gasped disbelievingly.

Thrawn shook his head, his eyes staring intently at one of the corpses. "No, they do."

The glowing eyes focused back at Eli, and Eli was surprised to see that Thrawn looked as if he, too, was uncomfortable seeing the holos.

"Their whole culture is centered on pain; they tend to glorify it, not as a motive for action but rather as a state of living. They mutilate themselves in order to become closer to their gods, insisting on using purely organic technology, believing everything mechanical to be an abomination. They are coming with an invasion force capable of subjugating this entire galaxy, Eli Vanto; and their only goal is to cleanse it of all infidels, of all impurity, of all sentient life as we know it and replace it with their own. They cannot be reasoned with. They are brutal, merciless, and unstoppable."

The red eyes went back to the holoimages, going over each, one by one, until they rested on a close-up of the most hideously looking scarred face.

"To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not only their battle tactics, but their philosophy, their history, their art. These corpses are haunting me in my sleep, Eli Vanto; for no matter how many years I've already spent looking at this supposed 'art,' all I see is pain, suffering, and death. There is nothing that can make me understand their savagery. But then, there are things in the universe that are simply and purely evil. A warrior does not seek to understand them, or to compromise with them. He seeks only to obliterate them. Considering the supposed size of their invasion fleet, that goal can be reached only with the sheer, brute force of destruction. Desperate times call for desperate measures, Eli Vanto."

Eli gulped.

The Grand Admiral openly admitted to failure? He openly admitted to having no idea how to defeat an enemy? Having no idea of what to do? Of being ... afraid? Desperate?

The Chiss gave Eli a long, contemplative glance. "This is the reason I was willing to go even to the greatest lengths, going as far as allying myself with a Sith, letting him put his shackles on me."

He gestured at the white uniform, the pale blue lips marring in a sardonic smile.

Eli jumped in horror. "You made a deal with a Sith? What are you..."

Eli shook his head again, hit with yet another shock. "You can't be serious. Emperor Palpatine is a Sith?!"

"Oh yes, Eli Vanto." The smile on the pale blue lips widened, and the Chiss let out a strange, guttural sound.

"Emperor Palpatine is the master; Darth Vader is merely the apprentice. The truth is, the heroes and the villains of this galaxy are nothing but the two sides of the same coin. Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious. Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. It is a terrible truth."

"I think I really do need to sit down," Eli mumbled, feeling his world suddenly turn upside down.

He lowered himself on the edge of the Admiral's desk, gripping it with both hands as if to keep from falling off. This was much worse than he realized. Official history was nothing but a set of lies. Did General Draven of the Alliance Command know the truth? He probably did—but then, Eli never really belonged to the Rebel Intelligence. He was an Imperial officer whose findings at the Information and Supply Outpost made him disillusioned with the state of the Galactic Empire. Disillusioned enough to accept an offer from Captain Cassian Andor to use his knowledge of Thrawn's species in order to approach him in the hope of being reassigned aboard his flagship, thereby opening up the opportunity to feed the Alliance intel on the Seventh Fleet. No one would possibly suspect someone like him to be capable of such betrayal, the Rebel Intelligence repeatedly assured him.

As General Bittenfeld somewhat bluntly but aptly put it in front of the whole of Chimaera's StormTrooper Corps, Eli was the little lost bantha club.

Oh, that part was certainly true. He hardly even needed to pretend, he had been so out of his element aboard the Chimaera. And he never expected that he would have been made an official aide-de-camp to the Grand Admiral himself.

Thrawn raised an eyebrow. "You are so daring, Eli Vanto. First, breaking into my office, and now sitting on my desk. Although, to be honest, I shouldn't have expected anything else from you. Feel free to use the refresher as well, I suppose."

Thrawn's expression turned contemplative once again.

"It is so fascinating to compare Anakin Skywalker with Darth Vader, for they truly are two very different individuals. And yet they still remain one and the same. Recently I started wondering whether it was the Force itself that caused the change; whether it is somehow influencing him, poisoning his thoughts; that perhaps if there was a way to suppress the Force, Darth Vader, free from its poisonous influence, might revert back into Anakin Skywalker—or whether he might become an entirely different person. As you can probably imagine, it is somewhat difficult to experiment on a living subject possessing the power to kill with a single thought. Never mind."

Eli watched the Grand Admiral, who was obviously lost deep in his thoughts. Still, his right hand was firmly holding the blaster, which, while not aimed directly at Eli at the moment, would only take a twitch of the hand to change. Running was useless. He had seen the Chiss during a practice fight with his assassin droids. He knew that he stood absolutely no chance of getting away. Thrawn would shoot him down within milliseconds.

"Curious that Palpatine claimed to have known of the Far Outsiders for as long as I have, yet he has never been able to identify them, for their spies have already infiltrated the highest circles of Galactic society," Thrawn continued, seemingly unaware of Eli's internal dilemma. "Indeed, he was rather shocked when I commented that it was very clever of him to keep agents of the Far Outsiders so close to him so he could keep an eye on their activities."

He flashed Eli an evil smirk.

"Palpatine had literally no idea what I was talking about. Despite all his Force powers and all his self-proclaimed visions of the future, he could not see that there had been enemy agents right under his nose all along. And what's more, the agents had the audacity to employ the very same tactics Palpatine himself had used in his own rise to power, becoming members of one of the most influential social orders in order to open the hidden doors to the Core Worlds."

There was the slightest shake of his head.

"Oh, Palpatine was furious. He almost killed me in anger in the process. He is in a desperate need of anger management classes."

Eli frowned. "How come you knew, then?"

Thrawn shrugged. "I suppose the primary reason is merely the difference between human and Chiss vision; we can see things that you cannot, including many things that may be hidden by outward appearances. I simply knew. I am afraid I cannot claim credit by saying it took a genius to figure it out."

Eli barked out a laugh. He hoped Thrawn had tact enough not to put it that way to the Emperor.

"Do not misunderstand, Eli Vanto. Palpatine is building the war machine for his own purposes; indeed, he has his own, very specific vision of the future. Only, he took it somewhat personally that someone else has been trying to snatch away his precious fiefdom from him—which corresponds nicely with my own goals, since he allows me use his ships and soldiers to fight not only the Far Outsiders but also the other threats with the potential to become just as deadly."

Then suddenly, a horrifying idea came to Eli. "You said their agents already infiltrated the highest circles of Galactic society. What about the Rebel Alliance? How do they—we—well, whatever, fit into the bigger picture?"

The Grand Admiral shook his head. "Ah, no, the Rebel Alliance has nothing to do with this. Your intentions are certainly laudable; however, unfortunately your little freedom crusade happens to undermine all my efforts, hence my personal opposition. The military abilities of the Rebellion are undeniable, but their chances for long-term stability are nonexistent. Multiple species with multiple viewpoints and racial philosophies simply cannot not hold military power together, not without a central figurehead uniting them. Such a dominant voice must certainly be wise enough to adopt ideas and methods from its allies and member peoples, but there must be a dominant voice, or there is only chaos. In this part of the galaxy, that voice is the Empire."

Eli frowned. "If you know the Emperor can't be trusted and yet you believe that the Empire as a whole is a better way of governing the galaxy, then wouldn't it be better to overthrow the Emperor?"

Thrawn shook his head. "No. I need Palpatine as much as he needs me. Do you know why Palpatine appointed humans to all the important posts thorough the Empire? Why the military is almost exclusively human?"

Eli's brow furrowed in thought. The first thing that came to his mind was that Palpatine was a human supremacist. However, the way the Grand Admiral put it suggested there must have been a different reason.

"I don't know... He's a Sith. Maybe it's connected to the Force somehow?"

Thrawn smiled softly. "Very good, Eli Vanto. You have a bright mind. Palpatine is not a human supremacist per se; he surrounds himself with humans because he can influence them more easily than most near-human or non-human species, and he is especially skilled in a Force technique called the battle meditation."

Thrawn's eyes glinted. "That means he can coordinate his own ships and soldiers through the Force."

"No kriffing way," Eli hissed. Did that mean what it sounded like? It couldn't be! They couldn't all be merely remote controlled puppets waiting to be activated upon the Emperor's whim.

"That's impossible."

"Oh, I assure you it is possible," Thrawn countered. "I have experienced the effects of the Force powers firsthand. And I am planning to make use of such highly valuable skills when the right time comes. It is an alliance mutually beneficial for both. I need him as much as he needs me."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Eli's eyes narrowed. He was beginning to see where Thrawn was coming from, but his reasons and plans on how to deal with it...well, that was a different matter entirely.

"My hearing is perfectly fine, Eli Vanto," the Grand Admiral said dryly, waving a hand dismissively.

Eli pulled down his cap and ran his right hand through his hair.

"Well, pardon my language, but if you're trying to sway me to your side, then your persuasive methods suck, Admiral. You honestly think you're going to convince me to let a Sithspawn run rampant over the galaxy for who knows how long, to go along with your insane plan of fighting one evil with another evil, all while threatening me with a blaster? Try again."

It was insubordination of the highest order; but then, as the master manipulator had mentioned earlier, Lieutenant Vanto's service to the Galactic Empire had been effectively terminated.

Thrawn flashed him an evil smirk. "Oh, Eli Vanto, you could melt the icebergs of Csilla with your attitude alone. However, you are most certainly correct in that my persuasive methods leave much to be desired."

Abruptly, he stood up, holding the blaster out to him. "You may take your best shot. You will not get another chance."

Eli blinked, sliding off the desk as he took the blaster from Thrawn's hand. This could be his only chance to escape this situation alive. Grand Admiral Thrawn had only shown him pictures of a few alien corpses, offering an unsupported story about their origin; it all could have been part of a larger conspiracy, or he could have been playing a very different game.

Eli gripped the blaster with his both hands, pointing it right at the Grand Admiral's chest, aiming for the heart. It took everything in his power to keep his hands from shaking.

"And now, perhaps we can engage in the real conversation, Admiral," he said, looking the Chiss directly in his glowing red eyes. "You really think your insane masterplan will work?"

The Grand Admiral raised a blue black eyebrow, his eyes first flickering down to the barrel pointed at his chest then shifting back to Eli, rewarding him with a long, contemplative glance. "I would have answered your question anyway, Eli Vanto."

He shook his head and took a deep breath as if to steel himself. "And my answer is that I hope it will."

"You hope it will?" Eli shouted angrily, suppressing the urge to strangle the Grand Admiral. "You hope?!"

Thrawn gave him a small shrug. "Your whole Rebellion is built on hope, Eli Vanto. I would have expected you of all people to be able to understand my position."

Eli let out a soft snort, rolling his eyes. "You are very confident. Have you ever been dead wrong? Have any of your schemes ever failed, Admiral?"

"Yes," Thrawn admitted in a firm, steady voice, slowly inclining his head.

Eli blinked. "They did?" he asked skeptically. That was not the answer he expected to hear from the proud Chiss, actually.

Thrawn gave him a small smile, empty of all amusement. "Indeed, they did," he confessed in a bittersweet tone. "It may come to you as a surprise, Eli Vanto, but even a man like me makes mistakes from time to time."

"Oh?" Eli wondered aloud. This was growing more and more strange. "So what happens when you make a mistake, Admiral?"

"Usually, it results in a massacre." Thrawn let out a soft sigh, and then his face hardened.

"Perhaps I should propose an alteration to the design of the grand admiral's uniform. Crimson red would have been much more appropriate for a man of my standing, I suppose. Everyone would know immediately with whom they were dealing," he said in a tone tainted with deep sorrow. It was more than apparent that this was not meant to be a silly joke at himself. He was deadly serious.

Eli shook his head, still aiming straight at the alien's heart. "Your persuasive skills really suck, Admiral."

Thrawn only tilted his head to the side. "I am simply telling the truth, Eli Vanto. It is hardly my fault that the truth is not to your liking."

"Is that so?" Eli said doubtfully. "Then perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what kind of game you really are playing, then? No more krayt spit, Admiral. I want the full truth."

Thrawn released a deep sigh, sitting back and steepling his fingers in front of his chest. He regarded Eli for a full minute before answering.

"The full truth is that the Chiss have their very own set of rules and their very own set of values, often completely different from the ones of your kind, Eli Vanto. They also have rather specific views on warfare which prevents them from engaging in pre-emptive strikes against their potential enemies, placing the Chiss Defense Fleet in somewhat difficult situation—rendering it basically useless, particularly against such ruthless enemies as the Far Outsiders. Therefore, I decided to take the task of defending my people upon myself; for many years, I had been manipulating all potential enemies of the Chiss Ascendancy into making the first move, until the inevitable threat of the Far Outsiders made the Defense Hierarchy desperate enough to make use of my somewhat controversial and unconventional tactics to save the Chiss people from total extinction."

Thrawn looked pensive for a moment.

"At one point in my life, I had encountered humans; and not only had I managed to befriend them, but I also had maneuvered them into doing my every bidding. It was not done with malicious intent, Eli Vanto," he added in response to the look that crossed Eli's face.

"It was merely the best tactical option available, and I knew they could be trusted to carry out their part effectively. As a result, I was tasked with further undercover vanguard missions into the Galactic Republic, and later into the Galactic Empire, in order to determine whether the major galactic governing body could perhaps be used to deliver a devastating blow to the Far Outsiders. According to my in-depth analysis of the Trade Federation technology, the Far Outsiders would definitely want to strike down infidels who used such mechanical servants as the Trade Federation did. They would have attacked the Ascendancy eventually, but not before cleansing the known galaxy first. For once, the Defense Hierarchy agreed with my professional assessment that the religious fanaticism of the Far Outsiders is a weakness that could be used against them."

He grimaced.

"Possibly their only weakness. And the Council of Families decided to take it further by suggesting that I could perhaps eliminate the other threats to Chiss non-combatants as I came across them, those which the Defense Fleet couldn't deal with because of our Non-Aggression Law."

Eli scoffed, shaking his head at the sheer absurdity.

Non-Aggression Law? Non-Aggression Law?! What great non-aggressors they were...the Chiss Ascendancy deserved a kriffing peace prize, Eli thought sarcastically.

"Oh, I can easily see them all secretly patting you on the shoulder, saying: 'Thrawn, you nailed it. These humans are doomed anyway, so let's use them to fight our wars for us so we don't have to break our stupid rule.' Emperor's black bones, Admiral, your people sound really wonderful."

Thrawn let out a soft sigh. "The Chiss do not ask to be judged, Eli Vanto. Not by you, not by anyone. Like I said, we have own set of rules and our own set of values, often completely different from yours. We are neither good nor evil; we are the Chiss. The full truth is that while the Chiss possess a natural curiosity about anything that catches their glowing gaze, whatever else happens beyond their limited range of vision is considered strictly none of their business."

He fell silent for a couple of heartbeats.

"For all practical purposes, I have been sentenced to a life in exile after engaging in a pre-emptive strike, the most severe punishment available according to the Chiss criminal code, because only the most severe sentence would allow me to operate independently. Had I been successful in my mission, then I would have been granted official pardon and would have had my official position reinstated. Had I not been successful, then the Ruling Council could claim that I acted purely out of my own volition, thus denying any responsibility for my actions."

Eli felt a creeping chill in his gut. "So, what you're saying is that the whole galaxy really is your blaster-fodder, then? Perfect, disposable front-line soldiers of the Chiss Ascendancy?"

Thrawn was sent here to fight a losing battle, after all. What would he have to lose?

To use Thrawn's own words, a battle was won by strategy and tactics, and if the only thing one did was fight, they would inevitably die. Still, the Chiss Command apparently believed at least their undercover Chiss Security Bureau operative would live long enough to come back and use his experience to cut off the head of the monster as a reinstated commander of the Chiss Ascendancy Forces.

"I am a Chiss warrior, Eli Vanto, which means that by lending my services to the Galactic Empire, the Imperial citizens have become my responsibility by extension."

"During my undercover missions into the Galactic Empire, I had come across an interesting name: Darth Vader. Further investigation revealed that 'Darth' was a title used among the so-called Lords of the Sith. And when I was brought in front of Emperor Palpatine, I recognized him immediately. His Majesty was none other than Darth Sidious, the same mysterious man with whom I had discussed the threat of the Far Outsiders years ago over a long range holonet transmission soon after with my first contact with humans. Since it was Darth Sidious sitting on the throne, not Darth Vader, it meant that I found myself face to face with an extremely dangerous Force-wielding individual whose powers must have been even greater than those rumored of Darth Vader. Such a threat to my people I would be unable to eliminate at that time; however, if I could sway this threat to my side, given that Palpatine already heard of the Far Outsiders, then perhaps something good could come of it after all."

He let out a small chuckle.

"Given the efficiency of the Jedi generals during the Clone Wars, I had hoped to make an alliance with General Skywalker, and instead I unknowingly made an alliance with his new master. From a strategic viewpoint, I couldn't have possibly wished for a more favorable outcome. I made the connection between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader much later, by the way. They truly are two very different individuals."

"Once I discovered Palpatine's true nature, I realized I could not only deliver a devastating blow to the Far Outsiders, but I could actually obliterate them using the combination of the Emperor's deadly Dark Side techniques and the resources the Galactic Empire had to offer. Though without the help of the Chiss Defense Fleet, it still would have resulted in hundreds of trillions of unnecessary losses in the process."

He shook his head. "That is unacceptable to me."

"And I certainly do not plan to use my human warriors as disposable front-line soldiers, Eli Vanto. I intend to fight side-by-side with them in the upcoming war. My ultimate goal is to create the chimaera, a hybrid made up of disparate parts—Chiss and human warriors—strong and powerful enough to drive the Far Outsiders out and away with minimum collateral damage to the non-combatants on either side. There is still plenty of time. However, since the Chiss do not accept new ideas without careful consideration, it may take years, possibly even decades to bring the Ruling Council to the point where they would be ready for such radical change as allying themselves with outsiders on an official level. Until the time comes, Admiral Parck is willing to carry out my will and eliminate the other threats to the Ascendancy, as well as the threats to the Galactic Empire in my stead since Palpatine is rather adamant about my presence here in this part of the galaxy."

Did this Admiral Parck know there was much more to Thrawn's exile? Something told Eli that Thrawn was keeping the man in ignorance on purpose. He would definitely not want a man who was willing to give up his entire career for Thrawn to know how sneaky the Ascendancy government truly was.

Oh yeah, you really nailed it, Thrawn, what a genius you are... Crimson red uniform would suit you nicely. No wonder you don't want that man or anyone else to know. No wonder you seek help from a Rebel…

Thrawn gave him a long, measuring look.

"Eli Vanto, we now come to it, the reason for which I have chosen you as my aide and confidant despite your hidden agenda: I have envisioned you becoming an ambassador to the Chiss, representing humans and all other beings of the galaxy to my people. 'Judging is acting on limited knowledge,' states an ancient Chiss saying, and the amount of information the Ruling Council has on the so-called Uncivilized Territories remains severely limited. They need to realize that humans are more than mere savages who had once colonized the cold, inhospitable planet that would eventually give birth to the Chiss, and that they do not all deserve to be simply left to their fate. Not when the Chiss Ascendancy has the power to do something about it."

Eli snorted. "What a wonderful image we have made for ourselves in the eyes of a third, neutral party that cares little for the never-ending fight between the Light and the Dark."

"Yes," Thrawn agreed, slowly inclining his head.

"Based on the classified information I was privileged to see before coming here, the last time the Chiss were in contact with the known galaxy was more than three thousand six hundred years ago. And here you are, still waging your star wars only with different colored lightsabers. However, I am positive you will be able to change the image of the Uncivilized Territories for the better."

"Why me?!" Eli cried out in desperation. "How could I possibly pull off something like that?"

"Be yourself."

Eli's brain froze, and he stared at Thrawn like he had grown a second head. "That's it? That's the super secret masterplan of the great Grand Admiral freaking Thrawn?!"

Eli kicked the desk in frustration. "Go change the hearts of the mighty, self-righteous Chiss Ascendancy by being myself?! That's the best you could come up with?"

The Grand Admiral only raised an eyebrow at Eli's loss of temper, leaning forward to inspect the desk for any possible damage.

"Eli Vanto, do you know the difference between a good commander and a great commander?"

"No. But I'm sure you do," Eli retorted, still completely bewildered by Thrawn's logic.

"You humans are truly insufferable sometimes." Thrawn released a long-suffering sigh. "A good commander makes you believe he can do anything. A great commander makes you believe you can do anything. You can do this, Eli Vanto. I know you can."

Eli felt the warmth coming to his cheeks. "You can't mean that. I'm hardly perfect."

Thrawn let out much deeper sigh this time, giving him a solemn look. "Sometimes I do wonder why I even try. No one is perfect, Eli Vanto. You don't need to be perfect. You need to believe in yourself. That's all it takes. In any case, I am confident you are the right person for the mission."

"And why is that?"

"You are young. Pure. Innocent. You have never killed in your life. You never could kill in your life, not unless it was in self-defense. And even then, such an act would leave you broken, shattered. You have all the virtues of humanity that I wish to present directly right in front of the shortsighted, glowing gaze the Chiss Ascendancy, Eli Vanto."

Eli stared, speechless. Thrawn had got to be kidding him! He had given him the blaster, knowing the whole time that he was in no danger. "You gave me the gun to make me feel in control in the situation. You knew I couldn't have pulled the damn trigger."

Thrawn gave him a faux innocent shrug. "Accidents happen, Eli Vanto. A gun can always misfire on its own."

Eli's eyes boggled. "A joke? You're...you're actually joking?!"

"Ah, yes, how low I have fallen." Thrawn shot him a hard glare that reminded Eli of his father when he had been about to scold him for pulling an especially idiotic stunt.

"Eli Vanto, until now you have been feeding the Rebellion with the misinformation I wanted them to know. However, had I not stopped you right now, I would have had to personally sign the order for your execution soon after. And I had no desire to do so. Not only because it would hinder my schemes."

His expression softened imperceptibly. He shook his head.

"Join me, Eli Vanto. Become part of something bigger, much bigger than your Rebellion. Give your life meaning. Help me forge an alliance that would ultimately save the lives not only of my people but of all your people as well. Please give this message to Admiral Ar'alani of the Defense Hierarchy from Mitth'raw'nuruodo, the Syndic of the House of Humans: The Chiss are not the only ones who deserve to survive the Far Outsiders. After thousands of years, it is finally time for the Chiss to come to the assistance of their far-removed kin in the greatest war the galaxy is about to see."

THE END OF ALL ROADS LEAD TO CORUSCANT

Eli is a Rebel in this verse, who would have ever thought? Now you know how Colonel Yularen must have felt. Also, you may re-read the whole story to see how many hidden clues you all have missed. If you want to hide something, place it in plain sight, and make it funny, that way no one will think you're being serious.

Thank you for freaking 700 kudos in total! (´⊙ω⊙`)! The Freak Fleet galactic storyline is over for now; the further development depends on what they do with Thrawn in the Rebels Season Four. Are they going to kill him off? Will Thrawn remain in the galaxy? Will he leave for the Unknown Regions after the end of the show?

What could possibly go wrong if Thrawn decided to drop by and help Parck with something he was unable to defeat on his own? Oh, wait, a planet could blow up... *cough* In any case, I believe I have all the possible scenarios covered…

One thing is certain, I don't want to write my own take on the Yuuzhan Vong invasion to the Galaxy: The New Jedi Order consisted of 20+ novels written by more than a dozen of well-paid authors, and I am writing this for fun in my own free time.

However, I'd like to write more Freak Fleet Files stories, jumping back and forth thorough the whole series, expanding the characters' backstories even further. And perhaps write a couple of purely canon compliant stories with Thrawn and Eli, or purely legends compliant stories with Thrawn and Pellaeon. Their first meeting, perhaps? Pellaeon's and Parck's first meeting after Hand of Thrawn duology, anyone?

Those of you who are unfamiliar with the Far Outsiders, aka Yuuzhan Vong, in Legends they were alien marauders that nearly destroyed the New Republic years after Thrawn's death (25 ABY—29 ABY), responsible for the deaths of nearly 365 trillion (!) sentient beings during their invasion of the galaxy. Oh, and they certainly had undercover operatives that had been sent to the galaxy as a vanguard, e.g.: Executor Nom Anor.

I merely made use of the Order of the Canted Circle. Imagine how furious Palpatine must have been in my verse. (Since the Yuuzhan Vong were outside of the Force, the Jedi (or Sith) were unable to sense them or see through their disguise.) In the Chance Encounters, Pellaeon unknowingly cut right to the heart of the matter…

"Please continue, Captain," the Chiss encouraged him, nodding his head fractionally, his blue face relaxed, "I simply wish to understand. Tell me what I had missed."

It all started making sense. The only time when the Grand Admiral ever lost was when he had been missing a vital piece of information.

"You cannot see," Pellaeon realized, watching the red eyes go wide as if he had struck a nerve, as if he had said something of a much larger significance, "because it is not there yet. They cannot see it either."

It all made perfect sense. Thrawn was able to follow people's thought patterns as if was a second nature to him, as if he truly possessed the skill to see through their souls, the ability to read their minds. He was able to analyze their works of art, they spoke to him, told him everything about the beings that had created them.

How could he see something that had not been there?

"Then how is it possible you can?"

(aka the moment Thrawn realized Palpatine had played him)

The situation became so desperate that the New Republic allied itself with the Imperial Remnant under the command of Grand Admiral Pellaeon, and eventually even the Chiss Ascendancy (which meanwhile merged with Admiral Parck's Empire of the Hand) emerged from their self-contained bubble, at least for a short while.

BTW Guess what the Chiss scientists came up with, Alpha Red, a biological weapon that could wipe out the entire Yuuzhan Vong species. It was never used, though. And later during the Killik Expansion (Dark Nest Crisis) the Chiss came up with the idea of launching a parasite bomb which would slowly infect all Killik as it spread throughout the species.

So if you think I am making the Chiss look darker than they really are, well, I'm sorry to say that I am not. They are neither good nor evil; they are the Chiss. I don't buy the Chiss being 'good old samaritans' or 'saviors of the galaxy,' a popular trope that popped up in fanfics soon after Thrawn novel. Chiss are sneaky and manipulative (Zahn named them after chess game after all), an overly proud species that doesn't really care what happens to the rest of the galaxy ( Outbound Flight, Survivor's Quest). It doesn't mean they cannot be changed, though.

My "conspiracy theory" on how Thrawn's exile to the Galactic Empire could have been fake even in the Legends:

In Survivor's Quest, the Chiss Ascendancy is basically freaking out because of a supposed arrival of a new, unknown threat (aka Far Outsiders/Yuuzhan Vong), thinking of evacuating the entire Chiss population into the Redoubt as their only hope for survival. Why? Well, because the Ruling Council realized that their field agent had failed in his mission, of course.

In Hand of Thrawn, Admiral Parck did not believe Thrawn had been dead for more than a decade. He thought Thrawn had been on some secret mission or whatever ... And so he patiently waited, waited, and waited; only after Mara Jade's little job interview, and later upon discovering the Thrawn's clone's dead body in the cave, Admiral Parck, Baron Fel and Commander Stent must have realized that Thrawn had indeed died by Rukh's hand at Bilbringi, and the clone on Nirauan must have been Thrawn's back-up plan.

In Survivor's Quest, Admiral Parck then reluctantly admits to Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker that there are diplomatic relations between Empire of the Hand and Aristocra Formbi of the Chiss Ascendancy. So how did the Chiss Ascendancy get to know of Thrawn's death? From Parck, most likely. And then suddenly, a couple years later the Empire of the Hand more or less merges with the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, becoming sort of an independent operating unit. It all fits together like a puzzle.

PS: "The Reenlistment of Eli Vanto" is a nod to the "The Reenlistment of Baron Fel," a story about Soontir Fel's recruitment into Thrawn's services by Michael A. Stackpole and Timothy Zahn. Unfortunately, the story itself never got published, though it is my hope one day it will and then I will be able to finally read it. A fangirl can hope.

(I love Imperial Baron / Rebel / Assistant Syndic Fel of the Chiss Ascendancy, and his son, Jagged Fel: a human who grew up among the Chiss, and later even became the Emperor of the Imperial Remnant, falling in love with Jedi Knight Jaina Solo of all people, making her his Empress, founding the Fel Empire dynasty with the Force-wielding Imperial Knights as its protectors. He is the real BAMF.)

Obviously, In the Freak Fleet, it's Eli Vanto who assumed role of an Assistant Syndic a few decades earlier. No. Allow me to rephrase. Eli Vanto is dead in this verse. It's Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto of the House of Humans.

BTW The last paragraph is a nod to Jagged Fel's speech from The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand:

"I am not loyal to the Chiss because my parents were accepted by them, or because I have grown up among them. I'm loyal because they embody traits I admire and respect; they make those traits part of the very fiber of our society. Traits such as strength in the face of aggression, such as acknowledgment of duty before self-interest. The Chiss, however, are not the only people with admirable traits, not the only ones who deserve to survive the Yuuzhan Vong, and not the only ones I identify with. Not anymore."