(voice) un: ren

[sololoquy]

[Kylo Ren’s voice comes through the magitek a few hours after the chaos of the ambush has evaporated.]

I have discovered some information of importance that may aid us going forward.

[Look at him, being a team player. He has grown up so much. (No he hasn’t)]

As it turns out, our terrorists are not affiliated with the colors they wear. I was able to determine that they acted alone, without the instruction of the Empress of the Crashing Wave.

I believe an unknown third party may be attempting to escalate tension in order to incite civil war between the clans.

Comments

[sololoquy]

The Force did not reveal such details to me. I was only able to glance before the guards approached.

[mitthrawnaruto]

I see.

[It is the last drop of relevant information needed in regards to their aggressors, noted and filed away; Thrawn anticipates he'll need to look elsewhere to fill in the gaps that now remain. Of course, that leaves only one remaining matter to be addressed.

Thrawn's posture squares where he stands, leveled directly at Kylo Ren. There is no mistaking it.]

Was it Rey that was with you in the Merchant's District during the attack?

[sololoquy]

[Thank the Force he's not looking directly at Thrawn when he casually drops Rey's name.]

No.

[That lie is easy. Thrawn doesn't actually have any authority over him, and so there is no reason to fear retribution should he catch him in said lie. But he does look up with slightly narrowed eyes of his own after he's delivered it, because he wants to know:]

What made you think so?

[Surely Rey had not told him, even possibly not knowing he was an imperial agent. Surely she did not waste his time like that.

He has to know if he's been making all this effort for absolutely no reason at all.]

[mitthrawnaruto]

[Narrowed eyes, a stricken posture— Ren clearly did not expect to be confronted with her name, nor the accusation he thought he'd so narrowly avoided earlier being brought back to the forefront of their conversation.

He may also be lying.]

During our first meeting I chose to withhold the name and description of my informant in the hopes of protecting her from any...loyalist resentment. [After all, Ren's own approach at the time had been acute and invested, his attention sharply focused on determining whether or not Thrawn had truly met the woman.] Imagine my surprise when I was instead met with curt elusiveness on your part during subsequent inquiries as to your relationship with her, particularly when you were so helpfully forthcoming with the names of those in the Resistance already situated here.

[He meets that narrowed stare, watching to see if Ren might understand exactly he's revealed before Thrawn opts to show his full hand.]

An evasiveness that I now have noted only seems to surface when I broach topics that you do not wish to discuss in detail.

[sololoquy]

[It takes him a second to swallow everything that Thrawn feeds him. Somehow, he'd manage to talk himself into a corner without saying almost anything at all. It'd be impressive, if it wasn't pressing in on all of his various insecurities.

So he stands, to make himself look bigger. It takes him a second to straighten, but his frown only gets deeper. It becomes clear that he is a man used to being heeded, and someone who thrived on intimidation as much as he did on his own power.]

Usually, when I've made it clear that I don't want to talk about something, people stop asking.

[His right hand flexes, and then contracts back into a fist. He's debating his next move -- he could mind trick him, erase this entire encounter and start over. That's the most attractive option.

Or he could wait for Thrawn to move on from the idea himself. The latter was less work, and less of a guarantee that it would not come back to haunt him.]

I will permit you one last question on the topic of Rey. And then, I do not want to hear you mention her to me again.

[He really really doesn't want to talk about anything to do with her, agreement or no agreement.]

[mitthrawnaruto]

[Ren stands, and in a rare moment the two are of equal height and similar stature— no uniform heels or armored tunics acting as an imposing pretense. There is silence. The air is still, and Thrawn's glacial features remain still and unaffected by the ultimatum now being delivered in barely concealed anger.

He inhales once in patient thought, and then— ]

I refuse.

[sololoquy]

You refuse?

[Some of the monotone leaves his voice and escalates to anger, because he can't tell if Thrawn is defying him or if he is choosing to give up the invasive line of questioning.]

[mitthrawnaruto]

Was my response unclear?

[This, Commander Vanto would claim, is yet another instance of Thrawn's inability to properly navigate human politics. No soft-edged speeches, no humble willingness to play along with any given parameters when it comes to stating his opinion.

Or his intent.]

I do not accept your terms. Nor can I promise that I will limit myself in what subjects I discuss, either with you, or with any of the other members of this guild.

My words are my own. I will utilize them as I see fit.

[sololoquy]

Then we are done here.

[Thrawn, in his honesty, has made it clear that he cannot be trusted to keep his mouth shut in any instance, and that is not a person he will be discussing any perceived ideas about himself or his life with.

He moves to the door, with the intent of showing the other man out.]

Should you decide you are capable of respecting the boundaries I've layed, then perhaps we can try again.

[mitthrawnaruto]

Perhaps. [Thrawn muses coldly, bowing his head only for propriety's sake, already moving to take his leave. There is no point to delaying it or dragging out the discussion when they're at such a critical impasse.

And like a nexxu beast keeping its belly close to the ground, Ren has already revealed his own vulnerability.

The door slides shut behind him; his steps are steady.]

Perhaps not...