Chapter Text
"Whenever you're ready, Senator," the squad leader of her small escort said, nodding to Leia.
"Thank you, Sergeant," she replied.
Looking at the cell door in front of her, she reflected on what had brought them here.
Three weeks ago, they had won their stunning victory at Endor.
Two weeks ago, Coruscant had fallen, and with it the Imperial Palace.
One week, ago she had arrived to help with some of the administrative efforts.
Then three days ago they discovered that Palpatine didn't just have one detention block but a second, smaller and more clandestine one which had been unknown to all except a few of his own senior staff.
Run almost exclusively by droids, Leia could see how it had escaped detection for so long after Coruscant's fall. Once its few human overseers had left, the droids just continued according to their programming. The biggest surprise, however, was when they discovered just who the lone detainee in those cells was.
Grand Admiral Thrawn had been presumed dead for five years. Lost when 7th Fleet had been pulled out of Lothal's skies. That assumption had well and truly been shattered once they had access to the cells' security footage. So the Empire must have recovered Thrawn somehow after Lothal and brought him here in secret. But just why Thrawn was being held prisoner was a mystery. He certainly hadn't joined the Rebellion - Leia smiled wryly at that thought - so he must have fallen foul of Palpatine some other way. The fact that the Empire had given Thrawn a state funeral with full honours ruled out an obvious crime that could be pinned on him.
Leia suspected he had somehow crossed Palpatine rather than the Empire as a whole. Interviews of captured Imperial personnel had painted a picture of the man that was somehow at odds with the Empire's more atrocious acts.
The discovery of Thrawn became a closely guarded secret and it was Leia who was given the task of assessing the former Grand Admiral's condition and state of mind.
With a final sigh, she reached out to the control button and opened the door. She knew from the video feed that the cell itself was quite spacious. This was mainly for the benefit of guards or visitors as the prisoner wasn't able to access more than half of it. He had been secured to the wall by a heavy chain around his neck, allowing him to lie down and move a few steps but not much else. Especially since his wrists and ankles had been placed into restraints as well. Palpatine clearly hadn't taken any chances with his prisoner. Or he just wanted to humiliate him further. Probably a bit of both.
"Grand Admiral Thrawn," Leia addressed him calmly. "My name is-"
"I know who you are, Senator," Thrawn interrupted her, his voice rough from not being used on a regular basis.
So at least he was still sane, Leia thought. Or sane enough to perceive the world around him.
"Is he dead then?" Thrawn asked.
"The Emperor?" Leia couldn't think who else he could mean.
He nodded so she continued.
"Yes. He died three weeks ago. At Endor, on board the second Death Star."
She watched his face closely for a reaction. So far it had been unreadable but now there was a hint of… satisfaction? relief? She wasn't quite sure.
"The Empire is in disarray - and as you can see we now hold Coruscant itself."
"I congratulate you on your victory," he said, a hint of irony in his voice. "So I am now your prisoner instead of Palpatine's. Is that why you are here?"
Leia couldn't quite hear it in his voice and Thrawn's expression only showed the barest hint of emotion, but she sensed desperation coming from him. It suddenly occurred to her that the man sitting across from her, wrists casually placed on top of his knees, seemingly oblivious to the chains he was wearing, was putting all his efforts into appearing calm and collected.
Looking at him closely she realised he was trembling - not much and a less perceptive observer would have missed it - but Leia hadn't become an experienced politician by being unobservant.
She admired Thrawn's iron self-control but now that she knew what to look for she could see he was afraid.
She slowly came closer and went to her knees so their eyes were level. She reached out, intending to place a reassuring hand on his arm. But as soon as she touched him he pulled away, visibly tensing. The chains clinked at the sudden movement.
"I'm sorry," she said soothingly, holding up her hands. "I meant no harm."
Thrawn didn't meet her eyes. At that moment he reminded Leia more of a captured animal than a sentient being.
"How long have you been locked up in here?" She asked gently.
He stared at the floor for a few seconds before answering, his voice not much more than a whisper. "I am not certain. Perhaps three years? After my arrest on my way back to Lothal… I was interrogated for a while in a different section of the palace. A few months later I was brought here. It has become impossible to keep track of time."
Hera frowned inwardly. She had seen reliable reports that Thrawn had been at Lothal when it was taken back from the Empire. That he had been on board Chimaera when the ship had been pulled away by the Purgills. Had that been a recording? A holo created to cover the fact that the Grand Admiral had actually no longer been in command? It would have to wait, he was in no condition to be interrogated.
"Thrawn," she said quietly, trying to put as much warmth into her voice as she could. Once again she tried reaching out to him and once again he shied away.
She suppressed a sigh and continued.
"Lothal was liberated shortly after you claim to have been arrested. That was five years ago."
He raised his head and looked at her, stunned disbelief on his face.
"Five years? I've been trapped inside this... place for five years?"
He dropped his head into his hands, taking deep breaths to keep his emotions in check. Leia resisted the urge to place a hand across his shoulder. A move so natural that it should have brought comfort to almost anyone. But Thrawn had been without comfort for so long. Who knew when he had last been touched by anyone who didn't mean him harm.
Leia remembered that this particular cell block was run by droids.
"How long has it been since anyone has been here?" She asked when he had composed himself again.
He gave her the ghost of a smile. "His majesty the Emperor graced me with his visit before he left for Endor. He was outright gloating about the impending annihilation of the Rebel Alliance.
I am pleased to see his confidence was misplaced. He was the last one to step through that door. In fact apart from the occasional interrogation he was the only one I ever saw." He stared at the floor again, obviously lost in thought.
Despite who he was and who he had sworn allegiance to before his fall from grace, Leia couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
"Thrawn, would you like me to remove those chains? If you allow me to touch you that is.”
He gave a resigned sigh and nodded weakly.
"I am your prisoner now. Do with me as you wish. I shall offer no resistance."
"When I look at you I don't see a prisoner, Thrawn. I see a man in need of help. We can talk about your crimes and suitable punishment once you are recovered. Now hold still and try not to flinch this time."
She was pleased to see genuine surprise on his face. As she placed a hand on his neck to remove the metal collar and chain she could feel his whole body becoming tense. Working as quickly as she could, she disconnected collar, wrist and ankle binders and then withdrew a little so he could relax again. Or at least relax as much as he was able to.
"Thank you," he said, gingerly fingering the angry wound the collar had left behind and then slowly stretching out his arms. For the first time since she had entered the cell and he had realised he was no longer in Palpatine's hands, a look resembling content came across Thrawn's features.
"Now," Leia said once she had allowed him to enjoy his newly won freedom. "I'd like to move you to the medical facility for examination and treatment. No further harm will come to you and as long as you cooperate there won't be any need for restraints."
He looked at the floor once more, his face unreadable. "You may not see me as your prisoner but I am well aware I remain in your hands. If that is what you wish then I will comply."
She nodded and turned to go when Thrawn grabbed her hand. Fearing an attack, despite everything, she was surprised to see pleading in his eyes.
"Please, stay with me. I... I don't want to be alone again".
"I was only going to go to the door," she sighed. So now he was happy to have physical contact with her? She settled down again.
"Corporal Tellin?" She called. She knew her team had followed the entire conversation and guessed correctly that the medic was only waiting for her signal. Sure enough, shortly afterwards he appeared with one of the troopers who was carrying a stretcher.
"They're here to help you, Thrawn," she said when he started to grip her hand tighter.
He closed his eyes and nodded."I know. It's just... I can't help it."
Tellin knelt down next to him. "I'd like to get you onto the stretcher. Are you able to move there yourself or would you like us to assist?"
Leia admired Tellin for being empathic enough to find the right words. They all knew, Thrawn included, that it would have been difficult for the former Grand Admiral to move even the short distance to the stretcher without extreme discomfort. So rather than patronising him, Tellin allowed Thrawn to accept their help, however much he resented being touched by the two men. Throughout it all he kept hold of Leia's hand.
"Thank you," Tellin said, pulling out a syringe from his med kit.
"With your permission, I will administer a sedative so you can rest while we take you to the med centre."
Thrawn looked at Leia who nodded at him. Closing his eyes, he resigned himself to his fate. "Very well, please proceed."
Tellin wasted no time and pressed the syringe against Thrawn's vein. Shortly afterwards, Leia felt his hand go limp and she was finally able to free herself.
She stepped away from Tellin as he ran various tests on their prisoner. Taking hold of the collar Thrawn had been forced to wear, she pulled it as far as the chain would allow.
Less than three metres, she guessed. That was all the freedom he had had.
"Senator?" Tellin pulled her out of her thoughts. "We're ready to move him."
"Thank you, Corporal. Your thoughts?"
He grimaced. "Given everything he's been through he's remarkably lucid. Traumatised of course; there are obvious signs of extensive torture which they didn't bother healing properly. I guess he's in near constant low-level pain. And he's lost a lot of muscle mass. He's far too light for a man his height. But like I said, he appears to be surprisingly strong from a mental point of view.
He'll recover but it will take a long time and he'll need help. Mental help. You saw that he's essentially touch starved. Stars know what they did to him. And him a fellow Imperial, too.
If he was one of us I'd ask a close friend to help him get through this." He shrugged. "But in his case? I guess Command will want him well enough to stand trial. After that it won't matter I suppose."
Leia looked at Thrawn, he was probably getting the first proper rest in a very long time.
Tellin was right. Thrawn had been a Grand Admiral, one of Palpatine's chosen. It didn't matter that he hadn't been there when the Empire fell. The Rebellion had a clear policy when it came to the Grand Admirals. If captured, they would receive a fair trial. And then they would be shot.
She was essentially looking at a dead man.
Unless... A thought came to her. Perhaps there would be another option for this particular Grand Admiral. She got out her data pad, looking through a list of high-ranking Imperials that had recently been captured. A close friend, Tellin had said. There! There she was - Admiral Karyn Faro. Recently of 11th Fleet. Surrendered voluntarily and currently in detention awaiting trial.
She looked at Thrawn again.. It was worth a try. At worst, Faro would get to see her old commander again and get a chance to say goodbye this time. At best - well, Leia would have to see if her plan had any legs to stand on.
"Sorry, Corporal," she said out loud. "I just had to check something. Let's get the Grand Admiral to med bay. And let's show him that contrary to the Empire, the New Republic treats even their high-security prisoners with dignity and respect."