Chp. 4 At War with My Mind | BKLD

< Karyn Faro and I have been selected to return to Lysatra once again.  

Eli had gotten that message in the middle of the summer. He had been on Thunderwasp, in the middle of the desert, dying from the heat and somehow that one single sentence had turned the day around. 

>Try to sound more excited

<Karyn Faro and I have been selected to return to Lysatra once again!

Eli had nearly laughed hard enough to fall off his horse. He had responded with an equally quippy remark and the rest of the summer passed like this. Eli, miserable on the ranch, head in the stars and Thrawn apparently equally as miserable in the Core. They exchanged messages on and off, recommended book titles to each other and made comments about the weather. 

It is innocent enough—a change of mental scenery. Everyone here wants to talk about their daily life: cows, the weather, the lack of rain. But Thrawn questions him about deeper topics—the meaning of an allegory in a book they both read, the recent discovery of yet another life form, an art theory that usually goes well above Eli’s head. It’s nice. 

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Carry Forward

Thunhe is alone in the chow line when Mid Captain Afwik approaches her. “Mid Warrior Thunhe,” he greets; his voice is surprisingly warm and kind when he isn’t ordering her into the bridge office for usurping command. 

She offers him a respectful glance, spine straightening. She would salute, but she has a tray in her hand and doesn’t feel like sacrificing her rice pilaf for the sake of formality. “Sir,” she says. 

He doesn’t seem to mind and instead offers his own tray to the mess worker who slops some rice into no section in particular. He grimaces, but doesn’t remark on how his food will now be sharing quarters on the metal chow tray. “The commodore told me that you’re heading up a morale committee.” 

She nods to another mess worker who scoops fried meat neatly into the quadrant next to her rice. Her stomach dances with delight. “I am.” 

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Day Ten: Speaking in Tongues

The first time they kiss, it is Eli who takes the lead. Of course it is. Thrawn, ranked Admiral, has led them through battles, schemes, and plots, but it has always been Eli who has tenderly taken his hand and guided him through social settings. Eli has, always will be, an indispensable ally, a friend a—

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Day Seven: Injury

A warrior knows fear intimately, it is what ignites their instinct to continue fighting when all hope is lost. Fear is not supposed to paralyze a warrior, yet as Thrawn strides down the sterile corridors of the EDF medical facility, Thrawn can feel his fingers and toes going numb. Six months ago, Eli’s position was overrun and his ship was lost. Most of the crew, including himself, was captured but what had sparked a rescue mission had been the capture of the Navigator. According to reports, she had been given instruction to abandon ship with her caretaker but had jumped out the hatch at the last possible second, leaving the caregiver to eject alone and the young girl to be captured. 

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