With caution and intrigue

A long silence follows. Reaching out with your powers, you seek out Thrawn's presence aboard the bridge of his flagship. You find him with little difficulty, though the state of his mind has you in awe. It was neat and well ordered, his patterns of thought flowing fluidly and precisely, not unlike a scientist or mathematician. The content of that flow however, as well as the emotions that accompanied it, were completely opaque. It was as if you were gazing upon an unfamiliar grid of numbers. As you puzzle over his astounding control, Thrawn's answer comes over the comm channel.

"If we are to have this discussion in person, then we shall speak aboard my ship. I trust you have a shuttle amongst your vessels?"

"A shuttle will be unnecessary," you reply smoothly.

You teleport yourself aboard Thrawn's ship, directly onto the bridge. The interior of the vessel was just as smooth and angular as the exterior, its architecture sleek and streamlined for practicality. A wave of guarded curiosity settles over the assembled crew, men and women of the infallible Chiss species and there standing at the head of it all, with a genuine look of cautious surprise upon his face, was Thrawn.

He stood tall and imposing, easily surpassing you by more than a few inches. Blood red eyes scrutinize you curiously though the emotion that touched his features vanished as quickly as it came. You note that at this point in the continuity, he was only a Commander of his own vessel, having not yet earned the status of Admiral to lead his own fleet, meaning he was young by Chiss standards and probably didn't carry as much as authority amongst the Aristocra as you had hoped. Of course, being young meant he still had burning ambitions to fulfill, regardless of his meticulously calculating approach.

"You have my complete and undivided attention," he states.

You note that his voice is considerably smoother and more cultured in person. Even at this younger age, you can tell with certainty the undertones of confidence and self-assurance that came with superior intellect. He was studying you, an anomaly for which you doubted even a man of his considerable academic background was prepared to encounter so brashly.

"As I've stated, I am a man of many talents," you tell him with equal confidence. "Would you like to speak here amongst your crew or someplace more private?"

"Here will suffice," he states plainly. "Considering the manner in which you've boarded my ship, anything you say that is privy to me is also privy to my crew."

You couldn't find reason to fault him with that logic.

"They must consider themselves fortunate to have a Commander so trusting of their loyalty."

"I've hand-picked every able-bodied man and woman aboard this vessel. My confidence in them is unwavering."

"Do they understand Galactic Basic?"

"I've ensured that their training had covered all the necessary scenarios."

"Very well then. In that case, I must ask that all of you keep an open mind in what I have to tell and show you."

The crew falls silent as they listen with rapt attention. With a wave of your hand, the viewports of the bridge darken considerably and without warning, you begin playing footage of your Omniscient scrying into the war ravaged galaxy. A gentle roll of murmurs emerges from the crew, though Thrawn remains silent.

"The known galaxy is currently at war, ladies and gentlemen," you state as you display real-time footage of the Battle of Christophsis. "A conflict known as the Clone Wars is spreading quickly through the mid and outer rims between loyal Republic systems and their Separatist adversaries, but the nature of this conflict is unlike any other war in recorded history. The clashing armies are artificial in nature with Separatist forces composed almost entirely of droids and the Republic's fielded by clone soldiers. Ultimately, you can conclude that this isn't a battle between star systems but more accurately a constructed conflict between a select few individuals."

You take specific notice of Ahsoka Tano, the Togruta apprentice to Anakin Skywalker, cut down a battalion of battle droids alongside her Master. You make a mental note to modify her age when you return to the Star Forge as you greatly desired to add her to your harem.

"What does this have to do with us?" questioned a young Chiss woman who stood at Thrawn's flank. "Neither side knows that we exist so we have little reason to believe they will turn their guns against the Ascendancy."

You give yourself a charming smile as you direct your gaze to whom you could only assume as Thrawn's second-in-command. She matched you in height and was clad in the same, formfitting officer's uniform as Thrawn though you noticed that the collar insignia was a silver in color and not gold like her Commander's. Pitch black hair was tied back tightly into a neat bun and fiery red eyes scrutinized you unflinchingly. You found her utterly breathtaking.

"And might I know your name, my dear?" you ask.

"Lieutenant Commander Ar'alani, and don't presume you can speak to me with such familiarity," she answers smoothly, choosing not to give you her full name. "This conflict has little to do with the Ascendancy or its people, so I fail to see the point you are making by showing us this footage."

"At ease, Lieutenant," Thrawn commands her. "Whether or not a faction is an enemy in the moment has little weight. Study them anyway in preparation should you ever find yourself opposite of their blasters. Even so..."

Thrawn turns to face you fully.

"I trust you have a reason for showing us this footage?"

"I do," you agree as your focus, and thus the feed, shifts to a blown up display of the Galaxy, specifically a region roughly galactic north of the Tingel Arm.

"There is a threat looming beyond the Rim, a threat you have already made contact with in recent years."

The murmurings of the crew resume, this time noticeably more agitated. More importantly, you take particular note of Thrawn narrowing his eyes ever so slightly.

"I believe your people refer to them as the Far Outsiders though they call themselves the Yuuzhan Vong. I believe this crew in particular has had a skirmish with one of their scouts."

"How is it that you know this information?" Thrawn asks with a low, almost indiscernible growl in his voice.

"Do you believe in Gods, Commander?" you ask simply.

"There are many strange phenomena that occur in this Galaxy so I am not opposed to the existence of such beings, though I must impress my skepticism if you claim to be one."

You smile ever so slightly as you focus the video feed on the cluster of razor-like worldships and their innumerable fleet of supporting vessels. The entire viewing screen is filled with the distinctly organic craft with many vaguely resembling crabs, whales, spiders, and jellyfish. The bridge grows silent as you show them the full extent of the Invasion Fleet. Searching the memories of the closest ensigns, you're able to find that the advance scout they had stumbled upon was unusually resistant to blaster and maser technology, which resulted in a prolonged battle that heavily damaged this ship and two others in a patrol squadron of seven. It was only after being subjected to nearly an hour of continuous fire that the "frigate" sized Vong ship was finally destroyed.

"This Commander is the full might of the Vong's invasion ****. They're amassing just beyond the Galactic Rim near the Helska System, with an advance **** of roughly 100,000 Vong teraforming Helska IV into a suitably hospitable world for their species. It is from this system they plan to invade the Galaxy at large, and when they do neither the Republic nor the Ascendancy will be safe from their holy war. Tell me Commander, would a mortal be able to tell and show you this level of evidence?"

"You could simply be lying to us," Ar'alani challenges.

You shrug with little care, expectant of such skepticism.

"Perhaps a more practical demonstration is in order."

You turn your back to Thrawn and Ar'alani, and snap your fingers. In an instant, you teleport a solitary Vong warrior across the vastness of space into the middle of Thrawn's bridge.

The normally composed Chiss cry out in alarm at the sudden appearance of the grotesque and towering form of the Galaxy's most feared enemy. You had read several books and comics back home regarding the New Jedi Order timeline, how Luke and his companions would comment how the Vong seemed to be dead to the ****. The narrations did the real thing little justice, as even with your God powers the undeniable hole in the **** that was this life-form truly disturbed you.

Said warrior screeched lividly when it realized its new surroundings, the muscular Vong grasping its serpent-like Amphistaff in a grip that turned its knuckles white. In an instant, it leaped to its feet and charged you, its heavy chitin armor clanking loudly upon the deck. With a raised hand, you freeze the warrior in place, a film of aqua colored light completely encasing him in stasis.

"This my friends is the face of your enemy. Uncaring of others, unflinching in the face of danger, and completely without mercy, literally billions more await eagerly to begin their conquest on what they view as a heretic galaxy," you explain as you begin pacing around your captive alien with a single hand at the small of your back. "They as a culture abhor technology, viewing it as the ultimate insult to their Pantheon of Gods, and have come to purify the Galaxy of all things mechanical in nature, as well as enslave its people. I trust this demonstration eliminates any remaining doubts?"

Thrawn rubs his chin thoughtfully, his eyes cold and calculating. You patiently await his answer.

"Very well. You've convinced me. How do you propose we combat such a threat?"

With a second snap of your fingers, the warrior vanishes as you return him to Helska IV. The species had yet to attack at this point in the timeline, so you had little reason to end the warrior's life beyond petty impulse.

"The way I see it, you have three choices in front of you," you state plainly. "The first is that your species continues its isolation, fortifying your borders to the best of your ability. The Vong will invade, sweeping across numerous worlds including your own. Due to your isolation, you're left to battle the threat alone. Ultimately, like the Republic, you will fail and the survivors of your people will be assimilated into their **** ranks. The second is that you reach out to the Republic, build relations and aid them in their war. Following the conclusion of the Clone Wars, the Republic and the Ascendancy can cooperate and reach a mutual agreement to address a common enemy, though there is little chance that the invaders will wait until you've properly recovered and prepared. Finally, the third option is that I supply your people with the necessary arms and vessels to defend yourselves, just as I plan to do with numerous other systems."

Thrawn grows silent as he contemplates these options, though you have little doubt he will entertain other scenarios beyond those you've just listed. The Commander was known for his proactive approach against threats to the Ascendancy, an MO that put him under scrutiny by his Elders in the Aristocra. Dangling the industrial resources of the Star Forge in front of him, resources that would be invaluable to the EDF in the face of a Vong invasion would be too good of an opportunity to refuse. Ever the tactician however, he questions you to your own motives.

"And what is your stake in these affairs? I won't presume you offer your aid freely."

"Why Commander, my price is quite simple. I merely desire a date with your lovely XO."

Silence reigns over the bridge. For the first time in this meeting, you catch the upward twitch of a smile in the corners of Thrawn's mouth. You can feel his amusement at the sheer ridiculousness of your request. Beside him, Ar'alani stands flabbergasted at you, unable to form any words to confirm nor deny your proposal.

"Of all the attitudes and personalities I've considered of deities, yours is perhaps the most perplexing," Thrawn admits with amusement. "While your Star Forge would be an undeniable boon to the Ascendancy, I simply can't in good conscious **** my XO into this agreement. What are your thoughts on this matter, Lieutenant? Do you agree with Master Hazelton's terms?"