The Song of My People
"Thrawn, how goes the recovery of Chu'unthor?" asked Lady Ciaran, getting very close to the Chiss Admiral's face and grinning like a schoolgirl. "I want it."
"It's progressing at a nice pace." said Thrawn, unperturbed. "I've analyzed their art, and I believe I've found a way to win their cooperation. All that I require now is time to perfect the art myself."
"You're already an accomplished artist Thrawn. I have a painting of yours in my Vault." said Ciaran, both because she believed it true and because she wanted at Chu'unthor as soon as possible.
"Perhaps in some fields of art, but this is more akin to a ritual to them. Perfection of the craft will allow us to negotiate from a much better position." Said thrawn, before making the kind of face that was contemplating failure for the first time. "On the other hand, attempting such an act with anything less than perfection will earn us nothing but ire, and I suspect they may try to force us off the planet entirely."
"That would be less than ideal." said Ciaran. It was an understatement, but not by much. If the worst truly came to pass, they could go in full force and take the prized ship as Ciaran had suggested upon first discovering exactly what they had uncovered on Dathomir.
"Indeed, hence my need for practice. I've also discovered that it is in fact an art requiring more than one person, so I've appropriated several Abyss Watcher agents that are passably skilled in the required field already and drilling them to perfection." said Thrawn, gesturing to the gathered agents he had shanghaied into his project. Ciaran didn't mind at all though. Whatever it took to get that ship.
"Very well then. Just tell me when you do set out. And remember," Ciaran raised a finger expectantly. "the sooner, the better." With that, she left the room, leaving Thrawn and his men to their own devices.
Thrawn took a deep breath to prepare himself. "Alright gentlemen, once more, from the top. With
feeling this time. One, two…"
XXX
The Singing Mountain Clan watched the approach of the foreign party cautiously from the shadows as they made their way closer to the Singing Mountain. The Abyss Watchers were no doubt aware of their observers, simply electing not to acknowledge them so as to prevent confrontation. Eventually the Singing Mountain Clan decided that the off-worlders had gone far enough, and their progress was halted by a tall, regal woman getting on in years, flanked by several younger, more military women.
"What business have you with the Singing Mountain Tribe?" she demanded, looking down on the approaching party.
Choosing not to respond, their leader instead turned and nodded to his men. Each set down the cases they had been carrying and removed an instrument from each. While they were preparing the instruments, the leader began breathing exercises. The Clan members watched on in silence, ready for treachery of any kind.
No was forthcoming however. Nodding to his followers once more, the leader turned away from them. His small band struck up a merry tune, and a second later, the man himself broke into song.
As the song wore on, the watching members of the Singing Mountain Clan broke their stoic facades, and began clapping along as if the singer were one of their own. For while the song was similar to their own works, it was clearly original, and deserved the respect any composition of such quality demanded.
By the time the song wound down, everyone save the leader of the Singing Mountain Clan had been caught up in the music, though her closest body guards were more restrained in their involvement than the others. As the last notes faded, the leader of the Singing Mountain Clan stepped forward.
"An excellent composition. Who is the composer?" she asked, looking down her nose at the other party's leader. To his credit, he gave not a single inch either physically or mentally.
"Why thank you, I composed it myself." While his words were boastful, his tone had no such feeling. Instead it was if he were merely stating facts.
"What business do you have on Dathomir?" she asked, moving on to actual business. The sudden change in topic didn't even cause her counterpart to slow in the slightest.
"I am Mitth'raw'nuruodo, and I've come on behalf of Lady Ciaran to negotiate the recovery and repair of the crashed ship Chu'unthor." he said eloquently.
"I am Augwynne Djo, leader of the Singing Mountain Clan, and defender of such artifacts from those who would do harm with their power." she said, giving no impression that Thrawn's words had impressed her. A lesser man would have cowered in fear.
"Then you are in luck. Lady Ciaran is renowned as the foremost philanthropist and champion of humanitarian efforts in the entire galaxy. The Chu'unthor would be in not good hands, but the best hands, fulfilling its purpose of educating the future generations." Said Thrawn, painting an ideal picture of both his employer and her goals with the ship. It wasn't a bald faced lie, but it was a generous interpretation of the truth.
"Such a ship bears great potential for both good and evil. Even if this Ciaran would not use it for ill, what guarantee have we that she will not change when given power, or have the ship taken from her by force by those who will corrupt its purpose?" questioned Djo.
"Is not depriving the galaxy of its potential good evil? Even the evilest acts can be well intentioned. Our goal is just as pure as yours." A murmur ran through the gathered members of the Singing Mountain Clan, but Augwynne barely reacted at all.
"You goal carries the potential to feed evil. Never concede to evil. Ours eliminates the good, but also prevents the evil. And that is our oldest and most sacred law. When we concede to evil, even in a small way, we feed it, and it grows stronger." she said resolutely.
"I have studied your culture intensely, and am well aware of your guiding doctrine." said Thrawn. "I also acknowledge that our plan carries risk. But a war where one takes no risk is a war one will lose without a doubt."
"Are you suggesting our methods are futile?" she questioned.
"No. They simply fail to account for the galaxy at large. They are insular, limited." A shushed gasp ran through the crowd. "It is not enough to deny evil. To truly eradicate it, one must embrace the light."
"The teachings of old. You are well versed on our history." she said. Djo stared at Thrawn for longer than anyone could be comfortable. Thrawn hardly even blinked. "Very well. You have proven you would treat the ship with respect, and use it's potential for good. We will require that you be prepared to destroy it utterly should the risk of it falling into the hands of evil arise however."
"I would do so even if you did not request it, as a final, spiteful vengeance upon those who would dare pervert the noble purpose of Chu'unthor." said Thrawn solemnly.
"Follow me." said Djo, turning to leave, Thrawn and his men following close behind as she led them to the great crashed ship of Chu'unthor.
AN: I'm very tired.
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