A real treasure.
At the end of it, you just crave to hug Thrawn for his naivete while loving Eli for how adorable, patient, and selfless he is. So, I refuse to redact it more. Please, bear with me and keep reading it in the comments because Thrawn's care for Eli and any kind soul around him is pure cotton candy.
[Extra: the note in the photo says:Photo in-universe: the story goes that this is a snapshot of a "post-purgilled-Thrawn" Eli's desk. He still has some old Thrawn stationary, from his service on the Chimaera, and Ar'alani made him a new one, that she decided to have printed in basic (and Eli's is mad about it because he "can perfectly read Cheunh, as the little note says"). The card key holder is a gift from Ch'eri, few months after Eli's arrival, so that he could "still see Thrawn's face every day". The portrait is a gift from Thrawn, done by a local artist during a vacation they had on Lysatra.
~
“I do not understand,” Thrawn said, his usually impassive face troubled as he gazed at the datapad report. If Thrawn were a lesser being, Eli reflected, he would almost say the Chiss was confused.
“What’s there to understand?” Eli asked. “It’s the result everyone expected.”
The glowing red eyes bored into Eli’s. “Everyone?
“Mostly,” Eli hedged. Yes, that was definitely what he might characterize as confusion. “Really, it’s just navy politics as usual.”
“But it violates all tactical reason,” Thrawn objected. “Commander Cheno acquitted himself well, and the actions of his ship won the battle and saved many lives. How does High Command conclude that he must be relieved of duty?” []
“As I say, politics. Gendling’s well connected, and his delicate little pride got bruised, so he’s taking it out on Cheno.”
Thrawn looked again at the datapad. “It is a foolish waste of resources.”
“Agreed,” Eli said. “But it could have been worse.”
“How so?”
“Really?” Eli asked, frowning. Was it *really* not obvious to him?
“You were the one Gendling really wanted to nail to the bulkhead. Cheno might have been able to save himself if he’d told the panel you’d overreached your authority. But he didn’t. Since they had nothing on you, they threw him to the wolves instead.”
Thrawn was silent another three steps. “A foolish waste,” he murmured again.
Eli sighed. “You might as well get used to it.”
Again, the glowing red eyes turned on him. “What do you mean?”
Eli hesitated. It really wasn’t his place to say this. But if he didn’t, who else would? And for all Thrawn’s military skill and insight, he seemed incapable of seeing this one on his own. “I mean, sir, there’s a good chance that you’re going to leave a trail of damaged careers in your wake. In fact, you already have.” []
“There was no such intent on my part.”
“I know that,” Eli said. “It’s not because of anything you’ve done. It’s just the political reaction to—well, to you.”
“That was never my intent in accepting the Emperor’s service.”
“Intent isn’t the point,” Eli said patiently. “The problem is that you don’t fit into the neat little box navy officers are supposed to fill. You’re not human; worse, you’re not from the Core Worlds.”
“Neither are you or many others.”
“But the rest of us Wild Space yokels aren’t flying rings around all the politically connected elite who think they’re such flaming-hot stuff,” Eli pointed out. “You’re showing them up, and they resent you for it. And if they can’t take you down, they’ll go after the people they think helped make you who you are.”
“People like you?”
Eli let his gaze drift away. Yes, people like him. People who still had the lowly rank they’d graduated the Academy with while everyone else was energetically climbing the ladder.
But this conversation wasn’t about him. This conversation and warning were about Thrawn. “They’d probably come after me if they thought I was worth the effort,” he said, sidestepping the question.
“Do you suggest I try to be less capable?”
“Of course not,” Eli said firmly. “You do that and more people will die and more bad guys get away. I’m just pointing out that you need to be aware that you’re in the political crosshairs.”
“I understand,” Thrawn said. “I will endeavor to learn the rules and tactics of this form of warfare. In the meantime, is there anything we can do for Commander Cheno?”
“Just wish him well, I guess,” Eli said.
"Everything seems so distant now.
Faded away.
Do you remember when you asked me if your association with me was damaging my career?
My path?
How a fool I was.
How a fool, because a tiny part of me was blaming you.
When you were teaching me everything.
Giving me everything.
Your loves ones. Your memories.
Yourself.
I wish I knew.]
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