Chapter Text
It is instilled in many that one must attract a mate, and that you must provide for them, and what you provide is to include: protection, security, biological, societal, and political, and economic advantages. To deviate from any of these, is a failure.
Your mate is to feel protected, secure, that they have a superior partner, that there is no doubt in their mind that they have made the correct choice, there is no one better, there is no reason to seek out another, because they have the optimal mate.
What is most important is that when one of the partner’s fails, is that there is no complicity, no enabling. Failure is failure. A true partner and mate recognize this and will do what must be done to correct the error before it becomes a true mistake that can potentially be repeated, and lead to bleak and tragic consequences in their future.
One must endeavor to always do whatever it takes to ensure that your mate is provided for and your partnership secure, no matter the cost.
"Our biology is against us," Thrawn smiles sadly, he inclines his head, he means for his words to be lighthearted and offer amusement, they do not. His partner winces, Thrawn frowns. The Adoption Services through the Imperial sector has denied them again. Thrawn has a theory that if Eli went to the interviews as a single parent, he would be approved, as it happens, Thrawn accompanies his partner to each interview.
"It's not funny, it isn't right," Eli stands to his feet and starts to pace, when Eli is upset, he paces, moves around in a mad panic, like he is doing now. Thrawn watches him move.
"There are other alternatives," Thrawn reminds him, Eli pauses for a moment, he turns to Thrawn, he knows of those alternatives, and it makes Eli uncomfortable.
"We are both of a species where males are biologically incapable of procreation without a female. That is a fact. You are willingly to settle for adoption, when you could have a blood progeny."
Eli raises his hand to prevent Thrawn from speaking further, Eli's face contorts into mild disgust.
"What you are suggesting is wrong."
"It is not wrong. Surrogacy is noble a service."
Eli scoffs, he turns away from Thrawn.
"This isn't simply surrogacy,"
"Yes, it is. You or I impregnate her, she carries the child to term, and it is ours to raise. Where is this savage and barbaric deviant from the surrogacy that you know?" Thrawn speaks evenly.
"The difference is, when humans have a surrogate, the male doesn't fuck the surrogate! She is implanted with the fertilized egg." The idea of Thrawn or him, sharing something so intimate with a stranger makes Eli ill.
"The results are the same, application is irrelevant." Thrawn says coolly. Eli runs his hands though his hair and be starts to pace again, his frustrations are hardly contained. Thrawn does not understand where Eli is coming from, he can only see logic without emotion, without preconceived notions such as ethics. Things just are, science is science, morality absent.
"It is an honor and privilege to serve the Ruling Families, surrogates are valued tools and assets among the Chiss." Thrawn's eyes follow Eli as he continues to move around the room.
"It makes me uncomfortable, the idea of you sleeping with someone else with the sole purpose to impregnate them." Eli pauses, he wraps his arms around his front, he hunches his shoulders, he keeps his head low, and sighs defeated.
Thrawn joins his partner's side, he rubs Eli's back comfortingly before he moves his hand up and massages Eli's neck, then cups his face, Eli leans into Thrawn's touch, his tensions melt away.
"I alone cannot provide you a child, in this way, I can give you what you want, it fits your parameters of a blood child, I know that's what you would prefer. If we keep the same surrogate, our children will be blood of us and true siblings."
Thrawn and Eli embrace they are silent for several heartbeats, before Eli breaks the silence.
"Let's try adoption one more time."
The baby cannot be more than a few months old; it is crying and has not stopped since the stormtrooper commander brought the baby back to base along with the rebels they have captured, apparently the baby had been found in the compound the Bridger's were settled. The stormtrooper has limited patience, and has shouted, hissed and smacked the baby, all these actions have failed to appease or placate the infant, nor has the violence been able to quell the child into submission.
Thrawn has watched the infant and the stormtrooper since they have arrived. Thrawn kept his distance, but he could not ignore the child, it was like he was drawn, entranced by the human baby.
"What will happen to the baby?" Thrawn asks the officer in charge of the executions, the officer shrugs.
"Who cares? Maybe put into the system to be adopted, maybe it will join its parents." Thrawn narrows his eyes, the intensity of the red glow of his eyes increases. The officer gulps and swallows slowly, his heart rate increases, he can feel perspiration form.
Eli had a bed feeling when Thrawn messages him that he has a surprise for him when he got home, Eli anticipated that he would witness another court martial, maybe a demotion, Thrawn's not been demoted yet, but there is a first time for everything, despite his constant promotions, High Command did not hold favor for the Chiss, the promotions were from the Emperor, and no one argues with him, even still, a demotion wasn't beyond the realms of possibility. Thrawn's luck was bound to run out at some point, and Eli did not think Thrawn was prepared, despite how many steps ahead he tended to be in battle.
Eli arrives home, apprehension and dread fills him, he feels weighted down, he hesitates, his hand pauses, just before he reaches the door control, the door hisses open, and Thrawn appears, wearing his scheming smile, Eli's anxiety worsens, something stirs within the pit of his stomach, Thrawn covers Eli's eyes and leads him somewhere.
Thrawn removes his hands from Eli's eyes, and it takes a minute for Eli to adjust to being able to see, and to process what is being seen. a cradle with a baby, a sleeping human baby, in the cradle that Eli's father made for them. A baby. In a cradle, in the nursery that Eli was considering redecorating as his office.
Eli gasps, there is a mobile of ships and stars that he just noticed, there is music playing softly from a music box on the small dresser, and there is a baby. Thrawn watches Eli intensely, Eli looks at Thrawn, who looks back, Eli stares at him pointedly, Thrawn returns the same intensity, he raises a brow. Eli opens his mouth to speak, but quickly closes it, he turns to the baby, and then back to Thrawn, and then back to the baby.
Eli storms out of the room, Thrawn follows him, Eli stops and turns around, he strides up to Thrawn with purpose and agency. Eli's smile is strained and angry, Thrawn frowns.
"Questions," Eli's voice is strained.
"Answers," Thrawn says mildly, a bit amused.
Eli points down the hall, to the room where there is most definitely a sleeping baby that was not there this morning.
"That baby, there's a baby in the nursery, a baby that wasn't there before, Thrawn!" Eli shouts, he then covers his mouth with his hands, his eyes widen, and his face warms. Shouting disturbs babies, he feels shame.
"Those are not questions," Thrawn smiles slightly. Eli sighs, he does his best to reign in his emotions and to settle his thoughts, he exhales deeply, he rubs his face and tries again.
"What happened to the parents?" Eli does his best to keep his even and free from emotion.
"Dead. Executed. They were rebel leaders; they were believed to be connected to a cell on Lothal." Thrawn shrugs and speaks casually. His cavalier attitude disturbs Eli.
"So, what's the plan here?"
Thrawn tilts his head.
"Plan?' The red glow of his eyes dims slightly, he is confused.
"What are we going to do with?" Eli gestures to the room where the baby is sleeping.
"I thought it was obvious. It-he would be our son."
Eli exhales.
"We agreed we would try adoption one more time, and here we are. A baby of our own, finally." Thrawn moves forward, filling the space between them, he reaches for Eli.
"That is what you wanted," Thrawn rests against Eili, Eli's head against Thrawn's chest, he closes his eyes and nods.
"Yeah," Eli sighs," what's his name?"
"Ezra." Thrawn says softly.
"Ezra," Eli repeats.