Infiltration (Thrawn x Reader)

Chapter 10 - Canto Bight

A few months later, almost a full year on the Chimaera

———

I was leaving the training room, ready to grab some breakfast, when I ran into Eli.

"Hey Lilya," he said as he fell into step next to me. "Did you have a good training session?" I looked at him curiously.

"How'd you know that's where I was?" I glanced down at my outfit. Oh, right.

He chuckled. "That, and you have a pretty strict schedule with your team." I shrugged. That too.

"It's not just training our physical bodies. We do that, of course. But we try to train our minds in there too."

"Ah, is that why you guys are sometimes in there most of the day?"

I glanced up at him. "When we're not on a mission, yes. It's saved our lives plenty of times."

He made a little 'hmm' sound, and walked into the cafeteria with me. We sat down with our food at the officers table.

"So, how does one train their mind?"

I smiled and finished chewing. "Well, for starters, Kandria gives us daily reports to study."

"Like what?"

I thought about what would be a good example. The reality of it was, many days the information was pretty boring information, though that made it no less useful. I didn't know if knowledge was power, but I did know it could mean life or death.

"Keep in mind this is only one example among many, but planets. She started years ago with the most populated planets and the ones with Imperial interests. Now when she sends us one on a planet, it's almost always a sparsely inhabited world. I'd say we're knowledgeable on at least 400 planets."

"And when you say knowledgeable?" I chuckled, chewing my bland food.

"Space ports, populations, atmosphere, environmental conditions, landscape, languages spoken, Imperial presence, Rebel presence," I made a hand motion that says you get the gist. He nodded, looking impressed.

"You said that was just for starters," he pointed out after we both took a couple bites. I took a drink of water.

"We also challenge each other in... unofficial ways." I smiled when he raised an eyebrow. "In our dueling, we train our brains as well as our bodies and reflexes. We slow down and learn from each other, quickening not only our physical instincts, but our mental ones.

"We also have discussions a lot when we're not working, often turning into debates." I chuckled. "Though they sometimes get heated, for the most part, I see it as a good way to stretch the mind, see things from each other's perspective, even if we don't agree.

"Then there's the gambling. No, we don't take each other's money," I added when he looked a little surprised. "But the card games aren't all bad." I shrugged. "There are no limits to training your brain, Lieutenant Commander Vanto," I said with a sly smile.

He smiled. I just... liked him. Outside my team, he was my favorite Imperial. I almost felt like I could trust him. He seemed to be pondering something, a small smile still on his lips.

"You know, though I don't think there is anyone like Thrawn in the universe, you might be as close as it gets."

This took me aback, and I realized my jaw was slacked open. I shut my lips, unable to think of a response. My mind might work slightly like Thrawn's at times, but we are very different people. The real me is bubbly, explosive, kind, passionate to the point of, well, giving up my crown. Thrawn is not one of those things, except maybe passionate, though he hides it well. I sighed inwardly.