genessia | [01 || Action OTA]

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Waking in an unexpected place was bad enough, but adding in what appeared to be a mass-produced pamphlet was just adding insult to injury. Still, reading all the offered information, there was only leaving The Bay with the necklace on as instructed. Thrawn remained silent and inscrutable as he stood and calmly listened to the welcome hologram. It wouldn't be the first time he was on his own in an entirely unfamiliar place. It would help a great deal to have better information, and while the hologram offered that, Thrawn very much doubted the answers he wanted would be so simple or so readily available to the general public if one did go to the location specified.

Alright, then, first things first. Basic needs dictated food, water, and shelter. Supposedly those waking here with no knowledge of how they came to be in this place was a common occurrence. Common enough to warrant temporary housing for those who have found themselves in this same situation. The 'smartphone' was of more primitive tech; it used a screen rather than a holographic image. It responded to his touch easily enough, though, so it was put away into a pocket for further investigation later. The key was, ostensibly, to this temporary housing. That would be what was investigated next, then. And so, still in the full white uniform and gold shoulder bars of rank, Thrawn set off through the streets of Genessia.

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[When Kay -who happens to be walking near the Genessia's City Gates- spots Thrawn, his first thought is that Cassian is the one to blame. A few days ago they had been talking about how lucky they were that no Imperials lived in the city. Looks like the Universe took that as a challenge and decided that, Ha ha, frag you, why would anything nice happen to Rebels?.

The universe, in Kay's opinion, could go frag himself.

He stands still for a second too long like a deer in the headlights, deciding what to do. Playing the mindless droid won't work now that they changed the Imperial symbols in his shoulders for the orange Starbird of the Rebellion. Maybe if he keeps walking Thrawn will miss him. 7ft tall droids sure aren't hat suspicious, right?]

[ Yeah, that's not happening. A seven foot droid standing still, staring at him, is going to stick out. It's actually something of a bit of poetic irony it's this particular imperial, too. Even when Kay starts walking again, it's most assuredly too late.

Without hurrying, Thrawn still somehow manages to fall into step beside Kay. ]

Judging by your make and model I believe you are a security droid. And I believe your memory banks are intact because you show recognition in your behavior.

[Well, crap, there was an attempt. Kay keeps walking even as Thrawn catches up on him but at least he's not trying to walk faster. That would look even more suspicious. Not like there's any way to save face now.

He turns to look at the man, all silence and bright optics. He rather not answer and make things worse but he's oddly curious about what the Admiral will do next.]

Maybe?

[ With his hands clasped at the small of his back, Thrawn nodded calmly. A coy answer - this droid had a more developed personality than many. ]

Since all factories are now under imperial control, but you have the rebel insignia displayed, logic would dictate you have been operational long enough to be reprogrammed. If would also mean you have been operational long enough to know the name of this place.

[ See? Nothing nefarious at all. Though Thrawn and Kay are gonna need to get off the street soon. A 7 foot robot and a freaky smurf in bright white attract attention. ]

[This droid honestly should just beat the daylights out of Thrawn and run for the hills but he's trying to be diplomatic here. Kay likes this world and doesn't want to bring their war here. If what he knows of Thrawn is true, then perhaps he can be reasoned with. He's certainly as good as deductions as they say.]

You are very observant. [Kay stops walking and stares at the red eyes. No point in keeping up with appearances.] And if you just arrived, you should have received a, frankly ancient, device that informed you about where you are and how you got here. Right, Admiral?

[Actually, giant robots and blue skinned people aren't all that out of the norm, considering that one of Kay's friends is a 8ft tall blue shark-man.]

But let's not be said I can't be polite. This city is named Genessia, there are five more. It's not our Galaxy.

I did.

[ He just wanted to see what you'd say about it. Likewise, Thrawn stops walking. He still has to look up to see Kay, though. ]

It is curious you would say that first. Does it relate to your reprogramming? Or, more accurately, did the one doing the reprogramming also become your master?

[ In case, y'know, you wanted nightmare material. ]

Then your question was unnecessary. [Yet the man still asked. It tells Kay more about him than anything else.]

No. I have no master. [Kay might not be able to lie but he doesn't have to go into detail about the truth either.] And neither do you here. The Empire fell in our world, we won. However, I suppose that depends entirely from when are you from.

[When, not where. Kay knows about it thanks to Kylo Ren being in the city some time ago.]

I never had a master.

[ It's said in an offhand sort of way as Thrawn is obviously deep in thought. The empire may have been deeply flawed, even tyrannical. But as far as Thrawn was concerned, it was better than the alternative. Or at least the rumored alternative, and if the rumors were right, then this would likely end very badly for the entire galaxy.

Thrawn could pass for a pantoran if not for the blood red eyes, eyes that refocus after a moment. ]

What replaced the Empire?

No? What was Emperor then? After what I've heard of you, I didn't expect you to be naive.

[As far as Kay is concerned, Palpatine tried to be everyone's Master. Only a fool won't realize it.]

The New Republic, a democratic government. It might be a new concept for you, but everyone had freedom of speech after the Senate was restored. [That's what he's been told at least. Kay doesn't know as much about the New Republic as he would like.

And now, for a sort-of-out of the blue question...]Why did you side with the Empire?

[ Thrawn grimaces, briefly shaking his head with disappointment. A democratic government meant there was little to no clear leadership to the military, and the galaxy would suffer for that. Opening his eyes, he looked up at Kay again. ]

I had an emperor. I never had a master. Beyond semantics there is a difference. As you say that you do not have a master I instead thank you directly for speaking with me.

[ And with that, he simply walked away. Amazing the difference being polite can make. But if Kay honestly thought a droid that Thrawn spoke to for about 5 minutes would get an answer to that last question he was very much mistaken. ]

[In Kay's opinion, the Galaxy would suffer less now most planets and their people won't be exploited for the benefit of a few. He's far from a sentimental droid but the planet where he was created, Vulpter, is a floating ball of garbage thanks to the Trade Federation and the Empire's intervention.

If Thrawn truly believes that the Emperor cared about anything or anyone that wasn't himself, then he is being delusional. But the Admiral has been polite so far and a quick dismissal is probably the best outcome this conversation could have had. Kay nods at the offered thanks, he certainly wasn't expecting them, and watches him go.

Frag, the droid mutters to himself before heads towards Attleton instead to the place he was previously going. He needs to tell Cassian about this as quickly as possible.]

Maybe unluckily, anther early encounter would be another tall robotic form - in this case the cyborg, Grievous. He was more often in Nova City, but he did visit Genessia itself on occasion and this was one such case - and he noticed the official-looking uniform and very distinctly non-human wearing it.

Even if he did not know about the Empire itself.

As always, he was only truly clothed in his long cloak, the rest of his body being that hard casing of metal. The appearance of a walking metal skeleton, complete with a skull-like mask through which alien eyes stared.

"Are you lost?" Are his first words. Offering help, perhaps, even though the voice itself was rather harsh. There was just some certain look many new arrivals had, being in the unfamiliar.

Thrawn truly despised not knowing specifics about his situation. Waking in an unfamiliar place was bad, and it was worse that what explanation that was offered was mass-produced, which suggested this sort of thing happened often.

Thrawn first investigated the pamphlet, and though he did not care for adornments of any sort, did put the necklace on a instructed. For the moment he would need to wear his imperial uniform until he could find suitable replacements.

He did not expect to see the leader of the Separatist droid army. It's a matter of record that Grievous was dead, but here he was, asking if Thrawn was lost.

The surprise only shows in a raising of both eyebrows, and a slight pause before Thrawn finally answered;

"No. I am seeking more reasonable clothing, and a more sustainable living space."

"Then you should be seeking out the job opportunities here. There are many and varied," Grievous advised. "There are also many places available to live, for those who can afford it. Getting the most suitable job is key to that. As for clothing, that is easy enough to obtain from any shopping district, even for the newly arrived."

He sounded politely official, if not particularly friendly - yet also not unfriendly. Perhaps strange for one of his reputation.

"I thank you for the advice."

There was a sense of surreality to the moment. Thrawn had, of course, studied much about the Clone War. Varying battles across varying worlds and through them all Grievous held true to a pattern; he was brutal, he was ruthless. Acting as a helpful informant was nowhere in that pattern.

"One can't help but wonder why I'd need to fit within the system that is already in place."

Thrawn could, and likely would with ease, but the answer told a great deal about the one answering.

"If you do not intend to fit in are you instead intending to cause the city trouble?"

There was a harder edge to these words. Nobody caused trouble for Nova City under his watch - and got away with it. The other cities... Well, they could fend more for themselves. But he had adopted Nova as his new people and those he was very defensive about. There were very few, if any, Jedi arriving as an unwelcome distraction so he could focus instead not on war but as his duties as a Deputy Guardian.

Ah. There was a sense of implied threat in those words. Interesting it was in reference to a city, rather than a set of ideals, as the Separatists had claimed. Thrawn had his own opinion about that, and that the conflict had ultimately been an engineered one by unknown agents. This seems more like the recorded Grievous, though. And though thrown by the cyborg's appearance, Thrawn had shown little in the way of surprise.

"I do not intend to cause any trouble. I simply wondered why I needed to fit here."

Grievous cared little about the ideals or politics of Dooku, Sidious and the Clone Wars - so he could abandon such things here. He had been promised that he would have armies to fight and destroy the Jedi and their end was his main goal. They'd long been an enemy, even before modifications and enhancements that heightened that hatred. Of course only the Count and the Sith Lord knew about or of the extent of that manipulation - even though Grievous had been told here that his brain had been tampered with, he didn't know any detail past that.

"Do you have a preference to be so... independent?"

"I find that since no one shares the same viewpoint, it's far better for all if find my own viewpoint on my own."

As much as Cassian might think him an Imperial, Thrawn had never been a standard one. He wasn't fully committed to any idea from a galaxy far far away save the chiss ascendancy, thus he was undecided in declaring himself as anything.

But as surreal as it was, he was now being afforded an unlikely chance. General Grievous was dead in the time that Thrawn knew. Now he was not, and what's more seemed to make of himself a helpful informant. How far would that go?

"It does beg the same turnaround. Is this a question that is often asked of newcomers?"

While Kay was on the way to Attleton to warn him, Cassian had actually left for Genessia early on this day. A small miscalculation to deliver the bad news in person, and the result was Cassian Andor running into Thrawn completely unprepared on the streets of Genessia City.

He was wearing civilian clothes today, but as soon as he caught sight of the distinctive uniform his hand went to his blaster. A bad slip-up, but it'd been months, and this... this felt like the ground had just vanished under his feet.

There's another moment of hesitation as he cycled through possibilities for his next move. But fact remained, too many people knew. His face, rank, affiliation, they're public knowledge, and quite well-known at that thanks to the Guardian Elections.

"Admiral," he said, approaching the man with a grim expression.

Thrawn was already investigating the possibility of different clothes. The white uniform had been problematic since he'd first put it on. It was becoming a beacon now, and it's intended function was rendered moot. Cassian not-so-casually putting a hand on his blaster and addressing Thrawn only confirmed that. The fact Cassian also addressed him by his rank wasn't lost on Thrawn, either. He did have the same look of calm, mild disdain for Cassian a he had for everything else.

"Do you intend to shoot someone who is unarmed and offering no threat?"

That he would ask this question of all, it would have been ironic, hilarious even if Cassian had been in the mood for jokes. As it was it just spiked paranoia in him, a paranoia he knew to be baseless but still couldn't shake, no matter how silly it was to entertain that his face would be known to Grand Admirals. Or would it...? Wouldn't it be known, after Operation Fracture?

He caught himself, it didn't matter. He couldn't let himself get distracted by trivialities. He met the disdainful red eyes calmly, his own eyes hard and cold. His hand didn't waver from his blaster.

"Of course not. Not in plain sight."

As it turns out, Thrawn would haven't been around for that to have taken place yet. Close, but off by a few months.

Right now Thrawn takes a few steps closer, puts one arm behind his back, and uses the other to make an open handed gesture at Cassian.

"Then I must then wonder what I have done to you to earn such open hostility."

His lips pressed together slightly in displeasure before he schooled his face back into something almost neutral. He couldn't be bothered to make a proper effort, though, not when there was nothing left to hide.

"The uniform you wear is enough for that." He nodded at the white clothes. "To a man who chooses freedom over tyranny, it doesn't take more than that, Grand Admiral."

"Interesting you should say that and yet think first of shooting me."

With his arms loose at his sides Thrawn stopped at what amounted to point blank range. If Cassian did intend to go through with using his blaster, that is.

"If your first impulse is the use of lethal force, one has to question the validity of that choice."

He felt a stirring of anger at that accusation, but ruthlessly forced it down. He couldn't afford to be reckless, not now, not with this man.

"I value freedom," Cassian repeated. "People often make the mistake that they equal compassion with weakness."

And yet they would soon be attracting attention, standing here ready for a showdown with his hand on his blaster. He forced it down, his already taut body tensing further with the self-restraint it took.

As calm and collected as he had been from the moment they started speaking, it's almost by sheer will alone that Thrawn had forced Cassian to back down. After all he hadn't touched Cassian. He hadn't even raised his voice. And yet Cassian had not fired, and had even taken his hand off his blaster.

"If you value freedom, and value compassion as you say, how can your first impulse be the use of lethal force? If you are relying on violence then you may speak of 'freedom' as a value, but it is too hypocritical to add 'compassion'."

Over the years Thrawn had grown quite adept at reading humans. Like many others, Cassian was showing many signs of emotional upheaval, specifically anger. He was doing well with controlling it, but it was there nonetheless.

"Because to show no mercy to those who don't deserve it is the best way to be compassionate to the rest. Because an Empire and its helpers can't be toppled with words alone." His eyes narrowed at Thrawn. "Others have tried that. They didn't succeed. I have no time to waste on words."

They weren't his field, anyway, he's a weapon to be pointed and fired, and if there's nobody else to point him he would point himself. But still a weapon he remained.

He shook his head and snapped, "But I'm not here to argue morals with an Imperial. I'm just here to tell you we're here, and we're watching."

Han froze when he caught sight of Thrawn. That was just about the last person he wanted to see, especially here. He did notice that Thrawn didn't have his Grand Admiral bars, but it occurred to him that maybe he was from an earlier point. Han wasn't really sure, but he didn't like the bad feeling it gave him.

"Not again...I had more than enough the last time..." he muttered. "Well, at least the fleet isn't here to make it worse...I hope."

As it stands, Thrawn has no idea who Han is. 'Last time' would suggest a prior meeting but this would be the first time they met. Puzzling.

"No, I can say that much with assurity."

"Kriffin time travel..." Han muttered. "It would been later from your POV. I don't mind saying though that it's where you met your end. Yeah...we came out on top when it was all said and done." One of Thrawn's own people had done him in, but Han was smart enough not to leak too many details.

There was one other thing he noticed...or the lack of it. The ysalamiri that was usually with Thrawn was missing. He kept his mouth shut on it, though. No need to tip him off about something that ended up such a nuisance later on. Let 'em find out on their own about the anti-Jedi beasts.

Chiaki was focused on a game, her pokemon; Mimikyu, Eevee and Bulbasaur sitting around her as she played. It had been another game she had nearly finished and one she hadn't been able to play for the past couple days.

Glancing up she looked over slightly she was sure she had never seen that person before. So she decided to speak up while her pokemon was focused on playing the game themselves.

"Hello... Are you new here?"

Addressed by a human girl, Thrawn looked down at her.

"I am. I am given to understand sudden newcomers are fairly common to you."

He was still wearing his white uniform, but now he clasped his hands behind his back and turned his head to watch her pets. If pets they were. They seemed intelligent enough to be capable of problem-solving. At least in a digital format anyway.

"Do they do that often?"

She nodd3ed slightly, by this point she was more than award new arrivals happened every now and again at least, though not always fairly often.

"It's a normal thing for it to happen now and again." She looked at her friends, nodding slightly.

"With me yes, because I taught them how to play video games." She said with a smile before adding, "They have fun."

"Interesting."

Thrawn found found the idea of sentient, or at least semi-sentient beings an easy distraction It was both an interesting subject and a way to subtly learn more about his current situation.

"Your current living situation must be very tolerant to allow you to keep three pets."

She nodded slightly. Though she herself didn't call them pets, more her friends.

"They are, but I don't see them as pets. Not that others won't see it that way. But most landlords seem to be quite lenient with the number of people who live with someone. It's also not hard to find a place."

Finding room and board should not be difficult, then. The word 'friend' likely meant very different things to Chiaki and Thrawn. He raised an eyebrow at her statement, though.

"I see. Then do you feed them? Give them water?"

"I do, I give them certain food and of course water. After all, everyone eats and drink like anyone else."

But one could also say that for pets as well. Never the less Chiaki turned her head to look at them for the moment. "But they eat different things to me."

"By the act of giving food you tame a thing, thus making it dependent on you."

Thrawn put one hand behind his back.

"In taming them, you make pets of them."

Even if it seems like Chiaki has the best of intentions. There's a saying about good intentions.

"I think I'd be more dependent on them than they would be of me. Even if it's in an area I am not fond of."

But that is her and her no wanting to fight or cause any form of violence.

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