The loyalty of heart and mind

She stands beside the door. Her hand rests on her concealed sidearm. Her stance holds alertness. Her expression holds fear.

"Do you fear Vah'nya will be unable to draw out the necessary information?"

Ar'alani's expression shifts, now suggesting a degree of annoyance. "It's not fear, Mitth'raw'nuruodo" she said. Her voice holds the same annoyance, but to a lesser degree than her expression. "I hope you realize how disconcerting your mind-reading tricks are, even when they don't work."

"I don't read minds, Ar'alani. Only faces. If not fear, then what?"

Ar'alani is silent for two and a half seconds. "What do you know of the Second Sight?" She speaks more softly now. The annoyance is gone, but her voice still holds fear.

"Very little. I'm not privy to the deepest secrets of the Ascendency."

"Nor should you be" Her voice now holds a degree of contempt. "You were sent to the Empire to learn about it, not to join it."

"I took the advantage of the tactical situation presented to me. What is it about this situation that most concerns you?"

"I cannot tell you."

"Then you rob us of our best hope of victory. Partial information is of no use to me."

Ar'alani is silent another two seconds. "You should not know this," she said. Her voice holds resignation, but also stubbornness. "The Council will be furious if my words leave this room."

"They will not."

"Not even to your Emperor?"

"He commands only the loyalty of my actions, not the loyalty of my heart and mind. The deepest secrets of the Chiss will always remain secrets."

"I can only hope that's true." Ar'alani voice holds renewed concern. "There are tales of his powers. Unlike you, it is rumored that the CAN read minds."

"The secret will remain safe."

~

I have literal goosebumps every time I read this excerpt.

The bond, the trust, the loyalty between them.

Ar'alani sadness in saying that provocative "your" referring to the Empire, as a challenge, so to be immediately reassured about Thrawn's true allegiance.

His mind.

His *HEART*.

[Photo: so thrilled to officially present to everyone this sweet -introspective- and extremely huggable Thrawn bear by @scifigirlnextdoor]