#apologies for the days-late response I have been mired in uni work

[syntheticsystem]

How do you think it would go if thrawn opened up to Eli vanto about his sister (her original name when she was little would have been Vurika before it became Borika after she married the one guy ) & brother thrass ? Do you think Eli would try to ask about them (maybe wanting to know more about them or just curious about thrawn) or try finding thrawn missing sister when he’s with the Chiss?

ooh, so this is a difficult one because I don't think thrawn really would open up to eli about these things. however, if he did, then eli would absolutely want to know more. I just don't believe he'd know how to ask about it...

in general, I think eli is curious about both the chiss and thrawn's past. but... he refrains from asking about these things out of respect. these parts of thrawn almost feel taboo, since eli still believes he's an exile. it would be a similar case here: eli would be incredibly curious, but also a little worried that anything he says might push thrawn to silence. instead, he would probably just listen (very attentively), let him talk, then hope that another opportunity for thrawn to discuss it comes up. at best, he carefully prompts thrawn while he's talking, in an indirect way (hoping to keep him talking).

personally though, I find it likely that thrawn never opens up about these things. however... that doesn't mean eli can't find out about it all. once he's with the chiss, he'll inevitably end up learning more about thrawn; facets of him he's unfamiliar with. perhaps at first, thrass and the fact thrawn is a merit adoptive; later, about his upbringing on rentor, his old name, and at last vurika. I also think that learning all this HAS to change eli's view of thrawn. as much as he's a big grand admiral of a fascist regime now, he had relatively little autonomy earlier on in life. in a way, eli had more autonomy joining the empire than thrawn did the expansionary defense fleet. thrawn wouldn't seem as invulnerable as he believed, I think.

also, knowing he had another name (vurawn), how merit adoption works (based on potential or, basically, 'usefulness'), the fact he has/had a family left behind on rentor, plus how vurika was taken away, eli would find new sympathy for him. thrawn seems even more 'human' to him — no longer a mysterious exile, but just another person carrying the same losses, griefs, disappointments as anyone else.

either way though, eli is researching this damn blueberry to hell and back once he's landed up with the chiss. his sister, too. the mitth, merit adoptives, taharim academy. whether it's by asking ar'alani or sifting through results on his questis, he'd end up learning about this stuff, and it'd likely leave him feeling vaguely sad for thrawn. I can also see him investigating where vurika ended up, regardless of how he learns about her (or how successful he is).

anyhow, thank you as always for the ask! I was quite uncertain answering this one; as I usually make clear, I am no expert in thranto (and I know relatively little about the ascendancy trilogy)! I hope it is nonetheless a semi-satisfying answer :)