Chapter Text
This is the tale of two very different young men. Their names were Thrawn Beauregard Palpatine and Cas Taylor. Born in Boston, he was the second of two boys, the older being Cole. Cole will not be important, as sadly he and his parents are murdered. Thrawn was the beloved son of Senator Palpatine of the Naboo. Born through unnatural means, but no less loved, he grew up in his father's careful training. Cas, however, grew up very differently. He was 6 when his family was murdered while he was at a friends, and taken by ruthless pirates off the streets at age 7. Abused for two years, he was sold at a slave market, where the alien bounty hunter, Seran, bought him and treated his wounds. While Thrawn competed in athletic and artistic contests, Cas was training in combat and learning to be a Bounty Hunter. Thrawn was heralded a prodigy in the Core Worlds and celebrated by dignitaries as important as the Supreme Chancellor while his father rose to power in the Senate. Cas grew to be among the best of the Phantom Hunters. With such different backgrounds, it wasn't likely that they would ever meet, much less work together. But fate had other plans. When Thrawn's father ascended to the position of Emperor, he sent his son to bring stability to the Outer Rim by culling the criminals and corruption that he would find there.
Cas was striking out as well on the war path for revenge, the Phantoms having been massacred by the Night Hatchets.
Somehow, Thrawn found himself chasing the Night Hatchets after they ambushed his team and decimated them.
This brought him into contact with the young human on a wild planet as they both hunted the lone group that had taken out Thrawn's men. The human wasn't as tall or broad as Thrawn but was still solid muscle. He flicked his bangs back to gaze at Thrawn with hard blue eyes. "Well, well, the Imperial Prince himself."
Thrawn's expression was carefully neutral. "I seem to be at the disadvantage. Who are you?"
"Cas Taylor, last of the Phantom Hunters.”
"You say that as if I should know the name."
"I wouldn't expect you to. The high and mighty like to pretend we don't exist, but they still hire us. Phantom Hunters were one of the top bounty hunter gangs until the Night Hatchets wiped us out, not that I expect you to know them either. You were born into privilege, why would His Imperial Majesty bother to tell his son about lowly bounty hunters like us?"
Thrawn tipped his head to the side. "There is pride in you. Tell me, why should I let you leave this encounter alive?"
"Because we hunt the same prey. The damned Night Hatchets. I know what they did to your men. It's their leader's way of saying he doesn't give a shit about who you are. Get close enough, he'll take you out, too. He likes to play, Night does. He kills by hand. Twists his victims at the waist until their spine breaks in half then snaps their necks if they're still alive after that."
"Not a nice person. Then again, neither am I. And tell me, what are you?"
"Answer me this, Your Highness. If your father was in trouble, and you were the only one who could save him, would you? No matter what it took? No matter the obstacles you faced doing it?"
Thrawn was silent for a long moment. Then, he deactivated his lightsaber and offered a hand.
Cas grasped it. "I am that son, Your Highness. I am the son fighting to save the man who's as much my father as my biological father was."
Thrawn nodded and turned away. "Come. Our quarry has fled this world. And, Cas? Don't call me by my titles. My name is Thrawn.”
Cas smirked. "Very well. At least I didn't call you pretty boy like my friend Blaine might have."
"Your friend would probably have ended up missing his tongue."
"Would have been more merciful than how he went."
"I do not pride myself on either mercy or cruelty. I do what needs doing and regret nothing." Thrawn led the way back to his ship, pulling a cowl over his trademark eyes.
"Nothing at all? Ever? Guess the Imperial Prince should be called the Ice Prince."
"And I do not take well to teasing from men I do not know."
"That wasn't a joke. Regrets mean you have a heart, and I'm doubting that you do."
"Lack of regret is not lack in compassion, merely the acknowledgment that regret is a waste of time. I do not obsess over mistakes or the things I cannot change."
"I was taught that regret was no obsessing over what you couldn't change, but holding on to avoid making the same choice later. Regret was a way to know you did not wish to make that mistake again."
"We had different teachers." Thrawn opened his ship and lowered the ramp. "I must report to my father. Come, the holosuite is in the stateroom."
Cas followed at a distance, his body tense, ready to fight or run. He was young but had the air of both predator and prey. There was pain in his signature and under it a deep rooted fear.
Thrawn showed no sign of reacting to his signature. Suddenly, a squealing creature dropped from a nearby vent and onto Cas's head.
Cas froze in place, waiting.
Thrawn whirled around and scooped her off of him. "Sorry. My Ysalimiri recently had a litter and her kittens are everywhere."
"Well better they land on my head then drop all the way to the floor. Heh, cute little thing."
"They're not dangerous, but they can be surprising." Thrawn set her on the floor and she scampered off. "There are seven, not counting Curry. Watch where you step."
"Sure. I've heard of ysalamiri, but until now I've never seen one."
"I have owned them since I was a young man. My camouflage."
"Clever." A few more steps, then he couldn't see as his red bandana was pulled over his head. "Hey! Think I found one of the kittens, or it found me." One of the kitten was eagerly pulling on the bandana, blinding the young bounty hunter, growling as it pulled.
"That's Ginger." Thrawn coaxed the girl off of Cas. "She has a pink rim around her scales."
Cas pulled off his bandana. "Hi there, sweetheart. You're adorable."
"Thank you." He ushered Cas into the holosuite, carefully balancing Ginger against his chest.
Cas looked around. "Nice setup. Long range coms are a pain to get out here."
Thrawn gave it a brief glance-over before typing a series of codes into the panel, one-handed. "Father insisted."
"I don't blame him. Fathers will worry, no matter how old their son gets. Seran did, and I'm sure His Majesty does too."
Thrawn allowed Ginger to climb to his shoulder. "It can be wearing."
"Trust me, don't chaffe. You never know when it will be gone."
Thrawn muttered. "That's what you think."
The holo pad burst to life and the Emperor was revealed. "Ah, Thrawn. Reporting in, prompt as usual. Who is this?"
Cas bowed. "I am Cas Taylor, Your Majesty. Your son and I hunt a common enemy at the moment, hence my presence."
The Emperor turned back to Thrawn. "You trust him?"
"Not as far as I can throw him."
"Feeling's mutual."
The Emperor nodded. "Good. Cautious and crafty. Keep an eye on him."
Thrawn seemed slightly annoyed by the Emperor's praise.
Cas kept quiet, waiting until Thrawn was finished speaking with his father.
The Emperor studied Thrawn and shook his head. "Disguises don't suit you. Are you merely here to report the addition of this gentleman?"
"My squad was killed by a group of Mercenaries. I am in pursuit."
"I see. Do you require reinforcements?"
"Not many Imperials around here, Your Majesty, and our prey is smart. If we wait we'll lose them."
"Where will you go next? Thrawn?" The Emperor turned back.
"Dantooine."
"Sounds fun," was the sarcastic remark from Cas.
"I will send an operative to meet you there. Thrawn, you'll know him. It's a friend."
"Lovely."
Cas had since stopped paying attention as two more baby ysalamiri had appeared and were trying to pull his bandana out of his hand. He was lightly tugging it, letting the babies play tug-o-war.
"Charming creatures." The Emperor commented. "Be on your way, Thrawn."
"Good-bye, Father."
"Farewell, Son."
Cas glanced over as the call cut out. "You seemed irritated for a while there," he said, still tugging against the babies' attempts to pry his bandana from him, Ginger scampering down Thrawn to join in the play.
"Did I?" Thrawn gestured to the bluish and green kittens. "Thyme and Celery."
Cas laughed. "Celery? Poor baby. Yes, you did. Something wrong?"
"Of course not." Thrawn was an excellent liar. "And Celery is not a bad name for a green Ysalimiri."
"If you say so." Thyme squealed and scampered up onto Cas's shoulder to sniff him. "Hi, little guy."
"Curry should be in her Baobab tree in the stateroom. I will set course for Dantooine." He stepped out, catching up Celery as he went.
"Guessing I need to follow since Thyme has decided I'm a good climbing toy."
"Don't leave Ginger. She likes to chew wiring." Thrawn stepped into the cockpit and disappeared.
Cas looked down at Ginger. "Well you're a naughty girl, aren't you?"
Ginger blinked innocently and climbed onto his boot top.
He held a hand out to her for her to inspect.
The Ysalimiri sniffed him and climbed on, sitting with her tail curled neatly about her.
Cas chuckled and lightly stroked her little head. "What a proper little lady."
Ginger raised her head to a proud angle. In the stateroom, there was a crash of furniture falling.
Cas and the babies all turned. He set them down, drew his vibroblade sword, and moved towards the noise.
Thrawn was muttering to himself as he got up from the floor, a stool next to him, toppled over. "Not a word."
“Are you okay?”
Beside him, a box had fallen open. A single picture stared up from the floor. "No, I am not pfassking, okay." He gathered the picture back up.
"Hey, take easy. No need to bite my head off."
Thrawn clutched his own. "I apologize. I'm going to meditate. Don't disturb me."
"Uh, sure. Anything I can do?"
"Find the other kittens. Explore the ship. Take a nap. Have something to eat." Thrawn disappeared.
Cas rounded up the trio of babies, greeting Curry, and set them with her. He scoured the ship for the rest.
One thing that struck Cas was how many pictures there were all around the ship.
"Wow," he said, admiring one painting as he pulled a kitten free from a vent.
It was of Curry with her litter, newlyborns. The detail of the paint was astounding.
He was still looking at when Thrawn found him, holding the last three kittens.
"Ah. I see you've found my portraiture."
“It’s beautiful.”
"Thank you. My hobby." He had grey paint on his fingers.
"Are you okay, after earlier?"
"I had... an experience that rather unceremoniously knocked me off my feet. I'm fine now."
"Mind if I ask what happened?"
"Let's just say that a talent for the future is not always a benefit."
“That bad?”
“Very. Are you hungry?”
"You have no idea. I haven't eaten in three days."
"Then come along. You should have mentioned it earlier. Now I feel like a bad host."
"Eh, forget about it. We had other things on our minds. I wasn't focused on it until you mentioned food."
"I get that way sometimes." Thrawn led back to the galley, gently dropping the kittens into their bed.
Cas opened his mouth to say something then collapsed. "Damn. Time release drug dart. Guess I'm taking a nap instead."
Thrawn shrugged. "I'll have something waiting when you wake up." He dragged Cas to a sofa and laid him out.
"Thanks. You're a real prince. Sorry, I get stupid when I'm tired."
"I will keep that in mind." Thrawn shook his head.
Cas smiled and passed out as the drug took full effect.