TLV IC Inbox

[falkeditupagain]

[It seems someone has decided to change his voicemail following graduation. Hes trying so hard to sound professional, business like, but Hanna's usual enthusiasm bleeds through easily.]

You have reached the mailbox of Hanna Cross. If you don't have an appointment, my secretary will follow up with a return message shortly. [a short pause.] meaning me. I'll get back to you, don't worry.

And if this is an emergency what are you doing on the phone? Cardio is your friend. byyyye!

Comments

[falkeditupagain]

Just Hanna is fine. Don't have to be so formal. I just figured you'd appreciate a handshake instead of just a spoken agreement.

[Hanna gives him a good shake anyways, dropping his hand back in his lap once they're done.]

Now how do you feel about nicknames...

[artistinexile]

I understand completely, Hanna. When one is meeting for the first time - or when we seek to establish a new agreement - we typically will say one's full name first, and the given name after.

[does no one understand DRAAAAMA on this ship?]

'Thrawn' is a nickname. A Core name.

My full name is Mitth'raw'nuruodo.

But I have been given many nicknames in my lifetime.

[falkeditupagain]

Oh...uh you probably don't want me trying to repeating that. At least not first try. Maybe later you can text it to me phonetically and I'll practice in private so I don't butcher it.

[He pauses a moment, considering.]

Now how do you feel about Mr. T?

[artistinexile]

You will not succeed. Human tongues are not particularly adept at my species' naming conventions without a good deal of studying.

I suggest you call me Thrawn.

[VERY MUCH SUGGEST IT]

[falkeditupagain]

Well, just sounds like I've got a lot of studying to do. No problemo.

And if you are absolutely sure I can't sell you on Mr. T then fine. Thrawn it is.

[artistinexile]

Thank you.

You should know that even my own species only uses our full names in certain ceremonies and upon meeting one another for the first time.

Incidentally, I understand 'Mr.' to be a civilian title. As you accurately guessed, I have been in the navy for the last thirty-five years.

Do you wish for me to address you with a nickname?

[falkeditupagain]

Oh...yeah that explains a lot. What was your rank then? Must be something impressive for a thirty-five year long career. That's eleven years longer than I've been alive.

Just Hanna is fine, but I am a little curious what kind of nickname you'd come up with.

[artistinexile]

If we were going by my species' names, your 'Core' name to me would be something similar to 'Shannafa'.

Not necessarily - some rise to the level of their ability and no more, while others are hamstrung by political maneuverings. Unfortunate cases.

Before I died, I was fortunate enough to be made a Grand Admiral. I do not know how that translates to Earth navies. Here it means I was in command of my own flagship - the ISD Chimaera - plus nine others of equal size and a host of smaller craft. To give you a sense of scale, the Chimaera alone was capable of hosting 50,000 officers, crew and stormtroopers - ground troops, should a land invasion be deemed necessary.

[he misses his ship. :( he misses his bridge crew]

[falkeditupagain]

Oh...is the S from the last letter? Kind of interesting that it's not like Nafalk or something, which definitely sounds alien to me, but I like Hanna just fine, so. No worries on that.

[He'd settled in to listen, leaning against the counter as he talks about space ships bigger than he's sure the biggest naval vessels could carry on Earth when a word catches him, perking up a little. Stormtroopers.]

Wait, what? Woah woah woah, back up. Are you telling me that you- Do you know what a Jedi is?

[You have a choice Thrawn, he looks way too excited about this. Answer affirmatively or unleash the geek.]

[artistinexile]

In my part of space, family name comes first. So yes - you would have it correct. But I believe most would miss that and pronounce you as 'Nafalkcro'. Very similar to the name of my first officer, actually.

[Though Hanna and Samakro would likely get along way, way worse. The thought amuses Thrawn; if Hanna thought THRAWN was uptight, he had no possible idea.

Thrawn tilts his head and nods. This is....going to be interesting. He likes interesting]

I've met several.

[falkeditupagain]

Huh. I used to hate my middle name cause I thought it sounded weird, but front and center like that it makes it sound cooler.

[The dam has been unleashed, Hanna's eyes wide as he confesses. Now to determine something very important.]

What the fuck, yes!!

So... does the name Skywalker mean anything to you, and if it does...What color is his lightsaber?

[artistinexile]

[a slow blink. Of course]

It does.

[in two respects, actually; one of them hidden]

Are you perhaps referring to the Jedi Anakin Skywalker?

[falkeditupagain]

Yes. A-and Obi-wan? His master?

He ring any bells? I cannot believe... [Ganondorf and a dude who had met Anakin Skywalker? Fucking sweet as hell.] This is so cool...

[artistinexile]

He mentioned no master, but our time together was brief. Perhaps had we met at another time, he would have been able to expand on this.

When I first met him he was General Skywalker, on a mission during the clone wars. He had extraordinary ability, but it was his warrior’s way that impressed me the most. Though we met just the once, I considered him a friend and was able to use our connection to leverage a meeting with Supreme Emperor Palpatine years later.

[falkeditupagain]

[General Skywalker, huh? And Emperor Palpatine. Yeesh. That's an unfortunate time to be alive in that universe. Though he supposed any time that he knew of wasn't exactly great. It was called Star Wars for a reason.]

Yeah? Man... I cannot believe you got to meet him. [He realizes though, focusing on his connection instead of Thrawn himself is kind of fucking rude, so he'll gather his fanboying up and shift back step.]

Anyways, your ship, you should tell me about it! You ever use the enclosure so you can walk through it? That'd be so cool... getting into space is like, really serious stuff where I'm from, not just anyone can do it. So it's totally rad you're just in charge of a whole ass fleet like that.

[artistinexile]

Knowing where I was and who I was with when I died, I should likely think it would be akin to walking through a graveyard.

[this is dour but Thrawn appears not to notice it]

My room here is the same as my officer’s quarters on the Chimaera, however. That will have to be enough for the moment.

Would you be interested in seeing the ship sometime?

[falkeditupagain]

[Hanna frowns, not having meant to bring up something upsetting, but he doesn't seem to be that bothered my it.]

Oh man, did your whole ship go when you died? I'm sorry... I mean, I would, but not if it's going to just depress the hell out of you.

[artistinexile]

My fleet. Yes.

[If Thrawn is upset, he doesn’t show it.]

The Chimaera will always play host to bittersweet memories. I would be pleased to show her to you.

[falkeditupagain]

[Hanna is quiet a moment before he gets off his stool, walking over to closet where there is a large trash bag hanging from the door, reaching into it, he pulls out a paper crane.]

You got a list of crew members in your cabin?

[artistinexile]

[suspicious, watchful eyes follow Hanna, as he brings up his questis - a high-powered datapad]

I have one here. Why do you ask?

[falkeditupagain]

Well, I've got a shit ton of these, I fold them for a friend of mine, and I know I'm not going to fold like...what did you say? 50,000 crew members? But...if I do this-

[Sitting back down on his stool he methodically unfolds the crane and pulls a marker from his pocket.]

I could just write some names down, 50 per crane? Cut it down to 1000? You can string them together...like this- [He pulls his comm out of his other pocket, pulling up the picture of the string of cranes he'd given to Laura recently.]

Then you could still have your crew with you on board, at least until you're able to see them again. Pretty doable, honestly.

[artistinexile]

[Thrawn stares at Hanna in that cold, inscrutable way of his, eyes glowing malevolent red.

Whatever he's thinking, he doesn't share. Instead he picks up one of the cranes, turning it over with his fingertips, focusing his hard stare on this tiny, precious, worthless piece of paper art.]

You seek to commemorate my dead.

[falkeditupagain]

[Hanna, still waiting with his marker above the paper nods.]

I mean, unless you'd prefer me not to? I don't really know if you do that, some places don't so I guess I shouldn't have assumed, but they're military, monuments are pretty common in honoring the dead, this would be similar, just smaller.

[artistinexile]

[what to say to all of this? Thrawn is always a little careful about his misinterpretations in Basic without his aide, and lack of language barriers on the Barge still won't permit him from speaking one of his native languages.

He looks at the crane in his hand, silent, brooding. His crew was loyal til the very end - to the Empire, yes, but to him especially, hand-crafting their uniforms to reflect the underside painting of the Chimaera in solidarity. He doesn't need the list of names; he could tell Hanna all of the ones he's interacted with at least once by heart.

This is a strange mourning ritual; something he'll need to look up later, more Earth-centric than anything either Chiss or Imperial space would have. On Csilla, prior to his exile, Thrawn would have had a monument of his own in the wake of his death, standing prominently next to his patriarch's. Doubtless Thurfian would have rejected it out of hand, now, but Thrawn never cared for being remembered or commended even when he was alive.

How to properly mourn his imperial dead? Hammerly, his chief sensors officer, who delayed outside Imperial officers to afford him more time at the expense of her career; Pyrondi; his weapons officer, who was always ready to try his unconventional ways of conducting battles; Xoxtin, his chief hanger master, who stood up to Darth Vader's own irritating First Legion death troopers without blinking. Rukh was already gone, pre-deceased him for some time. Fifty thousand others, just on the Chimaera alone. A devastating loss for the Empire, to be sure, but this is more of a personal acknowledgement. If he had the time, Thrawn would burn their names into the minds of those who were responsible for their deaths, chief among them himself.

At least he doesn't need to count Karyn Faro or Eli Vanto among the dead.

What to do with this delicate piece of paper in his hand? He could crush it in an instant; hardly a fitting tribute for those whose own lives were snuffed out just as quickly and easily.

He makes a promise, then and there, to bring them back. Bring them all back. His first deal has to go to the Chiss, of course. They must be protected or they'll die just as fast as the Chimaera's crew. But after that...yes. He will make certain that these flimsy memorials will not be necessary.

Thrawn glances up, his glowing red eyes refocusing, realizing he's sat in silence for far too long to be polite. In all actuality it looks like he's forgotten Hanna was even in the room with him.]

I thank you for your offering, but these will not be needed.

[falkeditupagain]

[Hanna doesn't mind waiting, he's patient enough for it when he has the chance to be, and interrupting a guy's thoughts while he reflects on his deceased fleet? Well.

He's smart enough to leave him to his thoughts for the minute. What he does instead is start scrolling through his comm, finding an instance of Thrawn's full name written out and writes it in bold, blocky text over the unfolded crane, folding it back up while he waits.

And when he's finally present again, remembered in his own room, he slides it across the counter to him.]

No problem. Just, take this one at least. So you don't forget you either.

I always find that's the first person I overlook.