Beyond - Legends Fate, So Beautifully [Thrawn/Jaina Solo, time travel, darkfic]

Fate, So Beautifully


A Star Wars Romance


Written by: Nehru_Amidala


Inspirations: the myth of Hades and Persephone, Sailor Moon, Edward Scissorhands, The Nutcracker, The Thrawn Trilogy, Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, Downton Abbey


Pairings: Thrawn/Jaina (Main!), Luke/Mara, Han/Leia, Jacen/Tenel Ka, Anakin/Tahiri, Ar’alani/Paelleon, Eli/Vah’nya


Tropes used in this story and trigger warnings: time travel, true love conquers all, earning a happy ending, grey vs gray morality, miscarriage, premature birth, abandonment, redemption, rising to meet your fate, to see with eyes unclouded


Timeline: Mix of Legends and Canon


Voice cast list: Thrawn- Benedict Cumberbatch, Jaina- Anne Hathaway, Luke- Mark Hamill, Mara- Karen Gillam, Han- Harrison Ford, Leia- Carrie Fisher, Jacen- Elijah Wood, Tenel Ka- Renee Felice Smith, Ar’alani- Angie Harmon, Paelleon- Joe Spano, Eli- David Tennant, Vah’nya- Stephanie Sheh, Ysanne Isard- Lucy Liu, Supreme General Bak’if- Mark Harmon, Ar’alani- Angie Harmon, Al’iastov- Liv Tyler, Che’ri- Jessica Brown Findley, Thurfian- Dan Stevens, Aristocra Formbi- Allen Leech, Captain Niriz- Antonio Banderas, General Covell- Michael Weatherly, Lieutenant Tschiel- Art Parkinson, Captain Voss Parck- Matt Smith, Kira- Lisa Maxwell




Stave 17: Resistance on Raxus, Part 1


From what Jaina knew of the battle of Hoth and the following confrontation with Vader, it would take a month (thirty standard days) to reach Bespin, give or take a day or so. Thrawn knew what was coming, as she had told him already. Today was 12 August, so the soonest they could reasonably get to Mustafar would be in the middle of September, maybe the 11th or 12th. Even then, Vader would be more depressed than usual, with Luke’s rejection. Then again, Jaina’s existence was going to be a major blow to the Jedi’s psyche. The revelation would hopefully not change the future. Thrawn knew he was the Hades to Jaina’s Persephone, and Leia was going to be hellbent to separate them when they eventually returned to the future. For right now, things were calm, and they were looking forward to the wedding.

That morning, Jaina was typing up a report about the handling of the TIE Defender. Jaina had jumped at the chance to test it out, and Thrawn had given her permission. After all, she was her father’s daughter, and the (best) pilot on board. She had found it exhilarating and handled better than Uncle Luke’s X-Wing. It was hard to decided which was the superior ship, the TIE or the Falcon. She was weighing her options and avoiding bias when typing up the report. Thrawn was taking a break from paperwork and was sparring with his droids.

“Nnngh!”

Hearing Jaina’s pained cry, Thrawn halted the training regimen and was at her side instantly, wondering if Vader had moved his plans up, if what Jaina felt was a remnant of Luke losing his hand and the deep dark secret Vader was formerly known as Anakin Skywalker. Jaina winced, a splitting migraine making it difficult to finish her report for Isard. Thrawn held her gently, “Are you all right? Is it your uncle’s confrontation?”

Jaina took several deep, ragged breaths before being able to collect her thoughts. “I felt a tremendous shift in the Force, and it has nothing to do with my family. It’s…it’s coming from inside Chiss Space, and I can’t focus. It’s like a burst of light coming forth after eons of darkness.” Thrawn wondered if this had anything to do with the Grysks, only time would tell. Jaina asked what the Grysks looked like, and Thrawn described them as tall, bipedal vultures, bedecked in ancient robes that reeked of fine food and stale wine. One of them had replaced their eye with a mechanical one. They commanded troopers of humanoid origin completely made of flames. Jaina wondered if they had something in with their odd kyber crystal. Thrawn said it was a possible theory, and it merited discussion in Lord Vader. Sharing a kiss, Jaina assured him she was fine. She was able to finish her report on time and submitted it.

Over lunch, Jaina and Thrawn were looking at wedding venues that could hold a fair amount of people, and private enough to keep the gossip rags away. Currently, Ar’alani, Al’iastov, Bak’if, Eli, Lyste, Paelleon and Vader were on the invite list, the rest was pending. Veers and Piett were jockeying for invites, and their requests were being considered. She was reading over the reports detailing more crackdowns on former CIS worlds, worlds she had learned about as a child. When she and her brothers had been much younger, they had accompanied their mother on her trips, famously to Munto Cordu. Hearing that Hithrir kidnapped her had royally angered Vader, but

“According to the latest reports, there is a growing resistance on Raxus, and nobody can seem to solve it with a diplomatic response,” she said to nobody in particular. Thrawn said it had been over a decade since anyone from the Imperial Navy had set foot on the planet’s surface. Jaina wondered if she should volunteer to go. “It would be as a favor to Isard, of course,” Thrawn told her. A short call with Isard, and she gave the go ahead.

It took very little time to pack, and after snogging with Thrawn for almost an hour, he saw her off and got back to work putting in a request to take up the much coveted mapping mission to document as much of the Unknown Regions as possible, barring any interdimensional mishaps. Looking at how the timeline would playout, it more or less had the Seventh Fleet away long enough to avoid the fiasco at Endor. Just as well, I will not lose Jaina to the Emperor, Thrawn promised himself as he began to fill out the paperwork. Considering he was from that part of the universe, it made sense to lead this campaign. He knew Moff Gideon wanted to undertake the mission, but he was tied to whatever was going on at Mount Tantiss on Wayland.

The shuttle flight from where the Seventh Fleet was stationed (between the Sereeda Waypoint and Lothal), was about 2 hours. Jaina knew that it had been the capital of the Confederacy during the Clone Wars and was currently under Imperial occupation. Raxus was a planet of beautiful cedar forests and many inland seas and oceans. The capital city of Raxulon was comparative to Theed, but had been rebuilt because the puppet government was an architecture major, and wanted to curry favor as a result. Because of that, it avoided becoming an industrial ghetto. Also, many high-ranking Imperial families had second homes here.

The shuttle landed, and Jaina (who had brought her lightsaber with her) was escorted under the overcast sky to the maglev train station, where she purchased a first-class ticket, and sat inside the cozy cabin as the trees and mountains passed by in washed out colors. Jaina sat on the leather bench, fancying she could see hidden elf villages, like the ones in stories she would read as a child. Before long it began to rain, and Jaina began to drift, her subconscious mind drifted onto what had frightened her earlier…

There was a black plain, reeking of death, and in the center a palace that seemed to be carved entirely of obsidian, suddenly an earthquake, the shadow of some intense eclipse multiplied threefold, then the return of green, life, and in the center of that great expanse, a splendid crystal palace, and inside of it, a pure kyber crystal…

Jaina woke up, that’s what the Force was trying to tell her, that the kyber crystal somehow came from this planet, the Force seemed to radiate from it. What would happen now? She decided to keep her faith and let whatever come next come on it’s own. A serving droid came by with a snack cart, and Jaina had some tea and biscuits. When the train reached the station, Jaina checked in at the garrison outside of town for the night, a curfew was in place for everyone, civilian and officer alike.

Jaina’s sleep was peaceful, and she woke up in a good mood. She sent a message to Thrawn, letting him know she had arrived safely. From what she had seen, Raxus was a lovely world, and hopefully she would explore it more. However, she had business to attend in Raxulon. Of course, she had not been told where she was to inquire. She had two choices, the Governor’s Residence or the Planetary Senate building. Weighing her options as she walked along, she figured she would try the Residence.

The Compound was behind the wrought iron gate, with a calming front courtyard. Some stormtroopers were stationed there and inquired about her business. “I am First Lieutenant Jaina Antilles of the Seventh Fleet, fiancée of Grand Admiral Thawn. I was sent her by Ysanna Isard to help figure out a diplomatic situation for the rising resistance.” The guards checked her story, and when it was cleared, she was allowed inside.

The residence was warm and well cared for, more living museum than anything else. A protocol droid greeted her and said the governor would see her now. Walking up the staircase with a light tread, she felt a slight tremor in the Force. What was that? Shaking it off, she stepped into the office. The governor was a man not too much older than her father, a glass of wine half finished on the desk. He reminded her of an onion, he was round and bald, used to working desk jobs away from battle. “I see you are here for the diplomatic post. Sit in the window seat, and I will see you get a posting for your visit.” Remembering what she learned on Berchest, she sat down and gazed out the bay window, her eyes falling onto the alley out back, and she thought she saw something elfin gazing up at her. She shook her head, and the Gelfling was gone!

“You saw the Fae, also?”

“I think so, yes.”

“You would do me a great favor fighting it.”

Jaina, who was well versed in folklore, knew it was foolish to fight a member of the Fair Folk, and something was shifting in the Force. She was thankful she had brought her lightsaber with her. She was allowed to stay in the guest quarters of the compound, and she gave thought to what she had been tasked with. She would go alone, and fake the Fae’s death.

The rain had let up after dinner, and Jaina used a Jedi mind trick to fool the guards to let her go out alone, and she ran along the empty streets, her cape fluttering behind her in the cool, late summer breeze. The lamps lit her way as she jumped from building to building, down stairs and balconies, until she had reached the city limits. The moon was clouded behind high wispy clouds.

Onto business! She ran deeper into the forest, letting her shielding drop. It was wonderful feeling the Force flow through her again, it was like finding a part of herself long since forgotten and lost. The unknown Force signature was close, she could feel it. Not more than a quarter mile into a thicket, Jaina stopped.

“I am here! Who are you?”



There was a light chuckle, and Jaina turned around. Standing at the opposite end of the glad was small, slender elfin humanoid who barely came up to Jaina’s waist. The woman’s fur was cream colored, her bright brown eyes were shining, the small mouth on the slightly elongated muzzle was amused. Her manner was gentle, and in her hands was a lightsaber.

“I am Kira, a Gelfling, and the Force is with me, as it is with you.”

 

Brilliant interweaving of original story arc and SW canon!
I like how you have Vader's character, he's himself as we know him in the OT but... different.
Thrawn and Jaina are a fascinating pairing. I like Thrawn anyway. You make him tender with Jaina without sacrificing any of his natural strategic brilliance. And in the 'future' Mara having triplets just rocks!!

 

Thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it. Thrawn is hard to write if you don’t keep him in character, and I made sure to brush up on my Tim Zahn before I started writing this. Thrawn is not as up to snuff as I want in “Ballad of the Winter Rose”, but that was my first SW story, so I was feeling everything out and it could be better written, in my opinion. With this, I have enough experience reading the Legends novels that I felt confident mixing that in with the Canon universe.

 

Thank you, Nehru_Amidala for keeping me notified. I enjoyed reading as always and look forward to the continuation.

Also, good to "see" you WarmNyota_SweetAyesha.

P.

 

Fate, So Beautifully


A Star Wars Romance


Written by: Nehru_Amidala


Inspirations: the myth of Hades and Persephone, Sailor Moon, Edward Scissorhands, The Nutcracker, The Thrawn Trilogy, Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, Downton Abbey


Pairings: Thrawn/Jaina (Main!), Luke/Mara, Han/Leia, Jacen/Tenel Ka, Anakin/Tahiri, Ar’alani/Paelleon, Eli/Vah’nya


Tropes used in this story and trigger warnings: time travel, true love conquers all, earning a happy ending, grey vs gray morality, miscarriage, premature birth, abandonment, redemption, rising to meet your fate, to see with eyes unclouded


Timeline: Mix of Legends and Canon


Voice cast list: Thrawn- Benedict Cumberbatch, Jaina- Anne Hathaway, Mara Jade- Karen Gillam, Paelleon- Joe Spano, Eli- David Tennant, Kira- Lisa Maxwell, Aleksandr Kallus- Sean Bean, Lando Calrissian- Billy Dee Williams, General Bragg- Michelle Yeoh



Stave 18: Resistance on Raxus, Part 2


Jaina could sense the Force was strong with Kira, and obviously Gelfling were a secretive race. She didn’t blame her at all, goodness only knows what Sidious would do if he discovered a race of Fair Folk residing within the confines of Imperial Space. It would not rewrite history and evolutionary science everyone knew it; this would destroy millennia of Sith and Jedi practice. She weighed these options in her mind as she ignited her lightsaber. Kira bowed to the taller woman and quipped, “Shall we begin?” Jaina nodded, and the sparring began.


Neither woman let up, and it was a friendly match, and at some point, Jaina finally asked about the odd kyber crystal and the strange planet in her vision. Kira considered what to tell the human, and simply replied she and Thrawn were going to have to wait. Jaina inquired about how she had gotten her lightsaber. Kira gave no answer but a friendly wave, and the next thing she knew she was being shaken roughly.


“Lieutenant Antilles, wake up!”


Jaina looked up and was a little disoriented at the sight of 4 or 5 stormtroopers poking around in the underbrush, a thermal blanket hastily thrown over. A woman’s voice called out for them to continue the search for the Fae, she wouldn’t get far. Bragg walked over and helped Jaina up. “At ease, Lady Thrawn. It’s not every day someone goes toe to toe with a Fair Folk with a lightsaber. Odd choice of weapon,” the older woman commented as she handed Jaina the lightsaber. She lied through her teeth, saying her fiancée would be interested in studying such a weapon. Bragg nodded, that seemed like something up the Grand Admiral’s alley. Taking a speeder, Jaina was given a hot breakfast and updated the governor and Thrawn with what had happened.


When she had bathed and was eating breakfast, the governor made Jaina repeat her story, so he had it on record, and Jaina omitted parts of it, for obvious reasons. Once the report had been filed, Jaina decided to hit the open-air market in Raxulon’s main avenue outside the planet’s Parliament. That would be the perfect place to go (quasi) incognito and scrounge around for any potential leads.


The market itself was held outside on the broad avenue directly in front of the Parliament building. Considering the early time, it was still cool for that time of year. So, she was glad she wore the cloak, it added a bit of flair to her uniform. Once she had parked, she took the long way round, to make herself blend in. The stalls were all of a uniform balsa wood, bleached by the sun and withered by winter snow and ice. All sorts of things were for sale, homegrown produce and cheese, earthenware crockery and tilework, art of all kinds, old books, and clothes, and more than a few knock offs. Meandering her way around, she thought she saw some drones hovering overhead. Shading her eyes with her hands, she saw a dozen or so circular droids hovering in two-minute increments in between random stalls, than buzzing maybe 20 or 30 feet in the air, and moving onto the next group. These weren’t Imperial droids, either local or maybe hacked by the Rebels? Everything seemed to point random movements to the everyday citizen, but Jaina knew Thrawn would be musing, the wheels in his active mind pondering what the pattern, timing, where they were had been programmed- leading to where the Rebels might be hiding.


I really, really hope nobody I know is involved in this, that’s going to make things awkward, Jaina thought to herself. She began recording the drones and was going to send the video to Thrawn when she heard her stomach growl. She was a little hungry, so she walked over to where the produce stands were.




It had been a simple enough mission, stir up local resentment on Raxus, at least according Drats Draven, and as far as Aleksandr Kallus was concerned, the man was a dithering idiot. Just swoop in, make friends with the locals, and the rest would fall into place. Skywalker and Organa were busy tracking down Captain Solo, and Vader was following in hot pursuit. So, here he was, wearing faded denim trousers and a borrowed top from Luke. Calrissian was somewhere, flirting with some good-looking person, and looking for some new cape to add his growing collection. He was about to edit Zeb’s guide to galactic mythology the Lasat had been compiling over the last 5 years, when he noticed a young woman examining the jogan fruits.


Clearing his throat, he asked, “Good morning, can I help you?” Jaina recognized Kallus at once but hid her recognition. Jaina explained she was doing a security sweep of the area, and pulled out a notebook and inquired about inventory, and requested a sample of his fruit. She said this in a pleasant way, and Kallus found himself studying this young woman as she munched on some fruit, declaring it delicious.


Female Imperial officers never did security checks, that was considered men’s work. She was quite young, fresh out of the academy. The way she carried herself indicated she was from the upper echelons of society of the Core Worlds, Corellia perhaps. What he noticed next caused him to shudder. Her uniform bore a maroon cloak, indicating an upcoming marriage to some high-ranking officer, the hint of a chain around her neck suggested some sort of promise ring, and the shoulder patch indicated she was serving in the Seventh Fleet, specifically the Chimaera. Was it possible she was to be married off to Grand Admiral Thrawn? He could imagine it was some sort of arrangement, family connections perhaps. He hoped she didn’t find the transmitter he had hidden in his boots.


Jaina paid him for the fruit but fined him seventy two credits for not having the correct paperwork, just fill it out down at the local bursar’s office and you’ll be fine, is what she had advised. It was about the loud, jolly voice of Calrissian cut through the crowd, “Hey Skander! Just a great deal on some Selonian silk, hello! Where’s the fire, Little Red Riding Hood?” Jaina groaned, of course Uncle Lando would have to make a pass at her. He did not yet know who she really was.


Jaina spun around and hissed, “Excuse me?” Lando quickly threw his hands up in self-defense and quickly backpedaled. Jaina produced a notebook and shook her head, “I don’t where you got your pickup lines, pal, but they don’t work. Let’s see, illegal drone flying in a market area without a permit, sexual harassment of an Imperial officer, minor offenses really. I don’t want to ruin your day but hitting on random locals will get you run out of town. The woman selling cheese could be an informant,” she told him. Noticing him pale considerably at the chance at having been found out, he stammered an apology, but Jaina still gave a 600 credit fine. Lando looked at the piece of paper, and complained she was forcing him to break his budget. Jaina glared at him, “Pray I don’t alter the deal any further, Rebel.” The last word had been a whisper in his ear, and he was plenty spooked. One of the reasons they had come to Raxus was because he, Kallus and the Spectres were not recognized here. Luke, Leia and Han, yes- them no. What scared him more was that she had used the words Lord Vader had spoken to him less than two days ago.


Lando continued to grumble when he shelled out the credits and was allowed to leave. The drones were still buzzing overhead, and Kallus was shooting daggers at his partner in crime. At this part of the mission, they were supposed to be getting a feel for the local atmosphere, and the hostility towards the Empire, but Lando just had to go and hit on the wrong officer, now didn’t he?


“What in the nine hells were you thinking? That girl is engaged to Grand Admiral Thrawn,” Kallus bellowed as he unpacked more fruit as some tourists from Tatooine stopped by to examine the produce for export. “Hey, I thought she was cute! So, sue me,” Calrissian retorted hotly. Kallus argued he had to go and blow their cover. Of course, they happened to be overheard by a low-ranking officer who was on leave. “You’re under arrest,” he shouted, a little too eager to prove to his superiors he was competent enough. He jumped over the table and hollering for someone to arrest the Rebels. At the mention of the Rebels, people began screaming and scrambling to get away from the ensuing fire fight. In the melee and crowds pushing and shoving, Jaina commed Bragg and said she was pursuing the escaping Rebels. Bragg, who was in a teleconference with Thrawn, groaned when she heard Jaina went chasing after the fleeing Rebels. “One of them is Aleksandr Kallus,” she informed him. Thrawn’s anger went through the roof, which meant nothing good.


It was a fire drill trying to escape from the speeder lot, as the place was crawling with stormtroopers, shooting left and right. Civilians were either shooting back, or taking cover when Jaina came barreling out, shooting at them, and destroying Skander’s hat Zeb made for his birthday. He loved that hat! Revving the engine, he backed into a row of rental speeder bikes and knocked them all over as he pulled out and made a run for it down the main drag running outside of town. Jaina gave some warning shots!


Lando tried to shoot back, but Jaina dodged the shots. “Damn! She reminds too much of Han,” Calrissian remarked in an offhanded manner. “Never mind that, our mission’s a wreck,” Kallus retorted, “all because you can’t keep your hands to yourself!” Lando clobbered Kallus for that crack, and the ensuing fist fight sent the speeder careening over a bridge…and into a creek! Worried, Jaina pulled her speeder bike over, and observed that they were okay, and were limping up into the mountains. Sussing out their general direction, Jaina figured out where the Rebel base could be. Time to head back to report what she had discovered.


When she got back to base, she was very surprised to see Thrawn there, holding her lightsaber. “As you can see, Jaina got this from the Fair Folk, very unusual,” Bragg was explaining. Thrawn ignited it and held it as one would hold a sword. “I see what you mean, I will make sure to study this artefact with great scrutiny. Ah Jaina, there you are. Are you all right,” he asked quietly. Bragg said she would be in the next room, allowing the young couple a moment alone.


Kissing Jaina, Thrawn wanted to know what had happened, he was going to throttle that traitor Kallus for assaulting his wife. Jaina begged him not to, “I know you and Kallus have bad blood, but please! Don’t force anyone’s hand.” He kissed her on the forehead, and while he promised he would not harm anyone, he would hesitate to rain hell onto those who dared threaten the stability of the Empire. Thrawn stroked her hair softly, “I cannot promise you this, those who threaten you must be dealt with accordingly. It is a tradition among the Chiss aristocracy I must honor. That will extend to our children as well.” Jaina sighed, if this had to be done, it had to be done.


Back at the base up in the wooded hillsides, Hera Syndulla had been frantically pacing up and down the ramp of the Ghost. There was no news from either Kallus or Calrissian, and she had no idea how the recon mission went. Leave it to Draven to leave out the details when everyone had Vader breathing down their necks. She was about to radio for back up, when who should stumble into the clearing but a defeated looking Kallus and Calrissian.


Unimpressed, Hera could only guess what had happened. What she was about to hear would both upset and frighten her. Having they come inside to warm up, she gave them some hot tea before lecturing them.


“Don’t blame us, Draven gave us bad intel!”


“Can your karking mouth, Calrissian! We all know you were the one who threw Solo and Leia under the speeder to save your precious tibanna gas mine?


Hera shouted at them to knock it off, they were acting like children! Hanging their heads in shame, they managed to apologise and explain what had happened. “What do you mean, Grand Admiral Thrawn is engaged to be married?”


Just like that, everything on the mission changed.

 

Superb encountering Lando and Hera.

 

Thanks, I wanted to bring the Ghost crew back as they and Thrawn still have unfinished business, and that will be in the next chapter.

 

Official requested fanart of our favorite Imperial-Rebel couple with baby Rhiannon (yes, the baby is a girl!) from AwesomeCon 2022.

 

I have to chuckle at Bittersweet Symphony. I had made just that pairing myself a few years back! Harmony of the Spheres? As always, a very enjoyable read. Your characterization of Thrawn seems to grow more focused, natural and true with every post. Loved the inclusion of the Rebels characters. I'm hearing Ann Hathaway's voice now when I read Jaina's dialogue. Brava, Neh_rami!

 

Fate, So Beautifully


A Star Wars Romance


Written by: Nehru_Amidala


Inspirations: the myth of Hades and Persephone, Sailor Moon, Edward Scissorhands, The Nutcracker, The Thrawn Trilogy, Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, Downton Abbey


Pairings: Thrawn/Jaina (Main!), Luke/Mara, Han/Leia, Jacen/Tenel Ka, Anakin/Tahiri, Ar’alani/Paelleon, Eli/Vah’nya, established Kallus/Zeb


Tropes used in this story and trigger warnings: time travel, true love conquers all, earning a happy ending, grey vs gray morality, miscarriage, premature birth, abandonment, redemption, rising to meet your fate, to see with eyes unclouded


Timeline: Mix of Legends and Canon


Voice cast list: Thrawn- Benedict Cumberbatch, Jaina- Anne Hathaway, Aleksandr Kallus- Sean Bean, Lando Calrissian- Billy Dee Williams, General Bragg- Michelle Yeoh, Hera Syndulla- Vanessa Marshall





Stave 19: Resistance on Raxus, Part 3


“What do you mean, Grand Admiral Thrawn in engaged to be married?”, Hera’s stunned disbelief and shock at what she had just heard. Of all the Imperial officers she had the displeasure of dealing with over the years, Grand Admiral Thrawn was at the top of her list. How could someone who was cold hearted and seemingly indifferent to the suffering of entire worlds find somebody to love? Was he capable of loving, much less having knowledge of the Four Loves? It was taking her a moment to wrap her head around the whole idea of some naïve young woman married off to Thrawn either in a politically and strategically planned arranged marriage, or Thrawn wanted the girl for selfish and perverted reasons. Sitting down, she inquired about the name and asked Chopper to hack Imperial Holo-net servers to see if they could track down exactly who the mystery woman was.


Chop went about it in his obstinate way, what did he care about the sex lives of organics? He was a droid, and the only organics he cared about were Hera and Jacen (who was with his grandfather on Ryloth at the moment) … and the rest of the Ghost crew to a lesser extent. He whistled an off-color joke to Kallus about him and Zeb (who were engaged to be married), and Kallus shot the droid a dirty look. “Look, just search for video feed so we can put our collective heads together and salvage this mission. That is, if Thrawn hasn’t found out about this.”


Calrissian shook his head, “You two are as mopey as Morpheus from The Sandman, and before issue 6, I might add. This Thrawn is not as good as he thinks he is.” Hera and Kallus just stared at him, was Lando really being serious? Lando said he was joking a bit, but added he had never dealt with said Grand Admiral, but having dealt with the likes of Darth Vader less than a week ago, how bad could some art student wannabe be?


Chopper pulled up the video, and it was one of the longer files, pulled from a glitterstim smuggling operation out of Berchest, in the cold, wild north. Dimming the lights, all three Rebels watched as the young woman walked down the stairs, the silk of her gown rustling with each step. Waiting for her at the bottom of the richly carpeted staircase was the Grand Admiral waiting at the bottom. When his eyes met hers, it was noticed that a visible blush rose onto the cheeks of both parties. Kallus and Hera, who had been trained to read non-verbal body language, were shocked to see Thrawn’s feeling for this young woman were in fact genuine, and even more surprising, Jaina’s feelings were reciprocated. The tender kiss, the waltz, everything screamed that the young couple were very much in love with each other. There was mutual respect for the other, and it was going to be a happy marriage. Hera turned her head away when Thrawn and Jaina kissed- UGH!


“That’s a sure thing, then. What’s our next move,” Kallus asked as Chop turned off the video, before beeping the Wedding March. Hera weighed her option, she knew if there one thing you could never do, that was underestimate Thrawn. “I think we keep going, after all, if Thrawn’s girlfriend is planetside, he’s going to be busy fielding intel from other parts of the Seventh Fleet,” Hera explained cautiously. She wasn’t sure at all if Thrawn was planetside, but she did not want to get a verbal smackdown from Draven again. Even if the man had Mothma’s ear, the Rebellion was on the run from Vader at the moment, so this was not going to sit well with the higher ups if the mission ended in a failure. Why turn tail and flee from an on the books mission just because the man you considered public enemy numero uno was planetside, even a slight chance?


Back at the Governor’s Palace, Thrawn was looking at the updated wanted posters for Lando, Hera and Kallus. Thrawn wasn’t too surprised to learn Hera and Kanan had a child together, and the toddler was very sweet. Jaina would be a wonderful mother to him, if we were forced to kill Hera’Syndulla. However, I have no intention of separating the two, considering what I was about to do to Jaina, and abducting a child is a line I will never cross, Thrawn mused as he jotted down notes. With the rigid clampdown in place, the Rebels would most likely meet in some underground club, and if this was the case, going undercover was going to be the best option. He still had some Mandolorian armor from his cadet days, and he was pretty sure it still fit.


It was now Jaina walked in, wearing a metal bikini top with navy blue silk sleeves, with open slits at the top, the boy short panties had an overskirt on top for additional modesty, and soft dancing slippers. Her hair was expertly braided, and her makeup only added to her beauty. Thrawn groaned, she was driving his crazy. Jaina winked, and appreciated the affect she was having on her besotted beloved.


“You madden me, woman!”


“That’s the point!”


Thrawn responded with a searing kiss, and Jaina tried not to moan. Thrawn gazed at her quizzically, the unspoken question if she wanted to have sex after their mission. Jaina gazed at him warmly, “I want us to make love when we get back.” Lacing his fingers with her, Thrawn promised Jaina he was all hers when they got back. From the back of the door, Bragg giggled softly and told the lovebirds to please hurry up, she had updated intel.


The underground club had already been infiltrated by ISB, and it was easy for them to get in and case the joint, Thrawn sitting at the bar and conversing with local law enforcement. Jaina used years of ballet and was having a good time. The hours grew later, and Jaina kept getting tipped by older men, but they were scared off by Thrawn. “He’s my boyfriend,” she explained. After the sun set, the neon lights turned on, and the house DJ began record spinning. Dancers mingled with the guests as dancers and attendees ordered food, conducted under the table business deals, or generally kicked back to have some fun.





The heavy synth beats of Baltimora’s Tarzan Boy were blasting at 100 decibels when Lando, Hera and Kallus ducked in and split up, as they were all in disguise. Hera strolled up to the bar, and was taken aback by the Mando who nodded at her. “Picking up a bounty,” she inquired playfully.


“ ‘m married to the pretty lil package over there,” the Mando drawled, the slight Concord Dawn accent cutting against his teeth, leading Hera to believe her neighbor was a clone’s child. According to Rex, clones having kids with civilians was a common enough occurrence, Darman and Etian being a prime example. Hera nodded, her eyes scanning for Lando (who was flirting with a Rutian Twi’lek and some other woman) and Kallus who was making a beeline for Jaina. Thrawn watched carefully, letting the Rebels fly free for the time being.


Kallus walked up to Jaina and began to dance with her. Jaina used a Jedi Mind Trick, so he thought she was someone else. “You know, you remind me of someone I met earlier,” he told her. Jaina laughed, “I get that a lot, honestly. Someone like you got a boytoy at home? Hear there’s a good market for that on Tatooine.” Kallus turned three shades of red and sputtered he was married to someone he loved, thank you very much!


So, you married the Lasat Zeb Orrelios after all- that does not surprise me, Thrawn mused as he nursed his drink. It was about now that Lando had found his contact, a small looking human who was running the sabaac table. The three walked over, and a long conversation ensued, and then the trio left separately. Jaina sent a thought to Thrawn and he confirmed it was time for phase two. He commed Eli and asked him to have one the TIE Defenders fueled and ready to go. Eli nodded, a race between Hera Syndulla and the daughter of Han Solo- this would be quite the contest!


With the contact inside the Ghost, Hera was getting the take-off flight check prepped, and everything was going well, until the electric nets appeared over the front viewport! Bloody kriff! “Chopper, prepare for takeoff! We’ve been ambushed,” she shouted as Kallus made for the back gunnery as Lando and the contact strapped down. Piloting around the trees, Hera maneuvered the ship as best she could, but the dragging nets kept snagging at the darkened canopy, and it took a few sharp twists and turns to get it off, and that was proving to be a distraction because no sooner had they escaped the planetary atmosphere…they were caught in the tractor beam! There was a sound of blaster fire as the contact committed a hasty suicide, but the information had been given out so it had been a waste, really.


Hera could feel her eyes widen in fear as the Chimaera loomed on the horizon. “Hera, what do we do? How did this happen,” Kallus frantically asked, making his way to the cockpit. Hera shook her head, “I…I don’t know. He played us for fools, all of us.” Making his way forward, Lando whistled as he felt his stomach plummet. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he said softly.





Back on the Chimaera, Thrawn and Jaina were back in their uniforms and Thrawn was looking forward to seeing Kallus squirm. Kissing Jaina softly, he told her to stay close. The ship was guarded by two squads of stormtroopers and the hatch slowly landed, Hera, Lando and Kallus, defiant and cuffed. Thrawn approached them, Jaina at his right side. “Captain Syndulla, Lando Calrissian, and former Agent Kallus, a pleasure to see you all again. I believe you have been introduced to my fiancée, Jaina Antilles.” Thrawn had the three led away to the detention block.


Jaina asked what would happen now that they had been captured, followed by the stormtroopers. “We let them sweat for a little while, as the Ghost is combed over. The contact committed suicide, which is a shame. Hera, Kallus and Calrissian will not contradict each other, however. That said, they are not worth much to the Emperor right now, he is more concerned with Skywalker and Princess Leia,” Thrawn told her as they headed for their quarters. He said no more, leaving Jaina wondering what his next move was.


She did not have time to dwell on anything as she had a report to type up for Isard and the others on that end back on Coruscant. She made notes of what was said, where it happened and all the other details Isard was sure to scrutinize with a microscope. She had just finished and was about to meet Eli for lunch, when Thrawn called her in to his office for a moment. He had pulled up a hologram of his TIE Defender, and asked Jaina a question.


“Heart’s half, how would you like to pilot a TIE Defender against the Ghost in order to prove the Defender’s superiority to the Rebellion’s X-Wing, and beat Captain Syndulla at her own game?”

 

More fanart of Thrawn and Jaina! This is one of a set of five from scenes, three which have been written and two which are upcoming!


Yes, Moff Gideon is officiating.

 

Fate, So Beautifully


A Star Wars Romance


Written by: Nehru_Amidala


Inspirations: the myth of Hades and Persephone, Sailor Moon, Edward Scissorhands, The Nutcracker, The Thrawn Trilogy, Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, Downton Abbey


Pairings: Thrawn/Jaina (Main!), Luke/Mara, Han/Leia, Jacen/Tenel Ka, Anakin/Tahiri, Ar’alani/Paelleon, Eli/Vah’nya, established Kallus/Zeb


Tropes used in this story and trigger warnings: time travel, true love conquers all, earning a happy ending, grey vs gray morality, miscarriage, premature birth, abandonment, redemption, rising to meet your fate, to see with eyes unclouded


Timeline: Mix of Legends and Canon


Voice cast list: Thrawn- Benedict Cumberbatch, Jaina- Anne Hathaway, Aleksandr Kallus- Sean Bean, Lando Calrissian- Billy Dee Williams, Hera Syndulla- Vanessa Marshall, Dai Bendu- Tom Baker, Yiv the Benevolent/SkekUng- Alan Rickan


Author’s notes: The next story arc contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the films Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, as well as The Dark Crystal.




Stave 20: All Roads lead back to Atollon, Part 1


Jaina’s fingers ran over the holographic diagram, taking in the sleek design, the sharp lines. It was a lean, mean flying machine and she was going to pilot one of these bad boys. “Growing up, Dad and Hera always bickered about who had the better ship, and occasionally Uncle Luke would say he was the best pilot,” Jaina told Thrawn as they ran over a racecourse. Thrawn nodded, he had seen footage of Solo and Skywalker engaging in dogfights against Vader’s forces, and both men were great pilots, in their own ways. For sheer ingenuity and quick thinking, Solo (and Hera) were tops. However, when it came to elegance and overall reliability in battle, Skywalker was the top ace. The way he piloted was otherworldly, and Thrawn suspected this was because Luke augmented his piloting skills with the Force, or the Force aided his piloting skills. He wasn’t sure, and Jaina admitted it was most likely both. Any accomplished pilot was the best at something, but not everything. Thrawn kissed her forehead gently, “Having been trained under your father and Uncle, you have mastered both styles into your own.” Jaina could only blush as Thrawn drafted something. Jaina asked what he had written as they headed for Paelleon’s office. Thrawn explained it was a seizure warrant, and he was seizing anything illegal on board the Ghost, and conditions for release. From what she had heard from Wedge and other defectors, usually this involved a stiff fine and a release into house arrest. “Captain Syndulla has a young son at home, so she would be better of there,” he explained. Jaina said Lando and Kallus would limp back to wherever the Rebel base was.


The door whooshed open, and Paelleon nodded to them and signed the warrant, before joining them on the walk back to the detention area, on the other side of the ship. “So, what did you have in mind?” Thrawn said it was simple enough race around the scraps floating three clicks outside the Sluis Van shipyards. Jaina was completely stoked, and Thrawn had a ghost of a smile cross his face.


Hera, Lando and Kallus had been trying to plot some sort of escape, and hoped they weren’t facing execution, as there was really nothing they could be held on. “If Hera gets house arrest, she’s got a rebuilt mansion, her dad and baby boy to go home to, we’ve got nothing,” Calrissian was complaining. Kallus snorted, “I am going traveling with Zeb for our wedding, so you’re up a creek without a paddle, Lando.” Hera raised her hand when she heard someone order troopers away, and who should walk in but Thrawn, Jaina, and some older officer.


Hera turned her head towards her captors in an imperious manner, “Well Thrawn? Have you come to gloat? You’ve got your wish, you’ve finally captured the leader of Phoenix Squadron.” The last part of her retort had taken on an angry, sarcastic tone. Thrawn tilted his head in an ironic manner, “That was my wish eight years ago, but priorities change and you of all people should know that Mrs. Dume, or is it Madame Syndulla-Jarrus?” he replied, throwing her veiled insult at him right back. Hera could only glower at his returned insult about her late husband, her dearest compatriot, and the only one to ever truly hold her heart in his roughened hands. Hera could not think of any sort of comeback, Thrawn had them all trapped, seizure warrants in hand, but she could not help but think there was something else planned.


They walked back to the docking bay, where the Ghost had gravity breaks under it as a security measure, and Chopper frantically rolled over to them. The astromech was waving his mechanical arms around wildly, complaining how stormtroopers had boarded the ship, taken measurements, raided the fridge, and deactivated him! Kallus and Lando snickered at this last part, served him right for the years of trouble he had given them. Hopping impatiently from one foot to the other, Hera finally demanded why Thrawn had them all there.


He knew this and finally spoke, “You are of course well aware I have signed seizure warrants for you, Agent Kallus and Calrissian. However, one thing remains for your return to your family on Ryloth, a race.”


“A race? Against whom exactly, you?”


“No, my fiancée, Jaina Antilles. She will pilot my TIE Defender against the Ghost, a set course near the Sluis Van shipyards. If you win, you leave with your freedom. If you lose, I impound the Ghost, Kallus is exiled to the true Lasat homeworld with Garazeb Orrelios, you return to your father and young son, and as for Calsrissian,.. I imagine he rejoins Skywalker and Princess Leia on whatever you were doing for the Rebellion.”


All three exchanged a look, a race around the asteroids sitting outside the shipyards? All of the hair-raising pin turns and corkscrew curls, for their freedom? Jaina watched them intently, and it was for the first time Hera Syndulla could see how much Thrawn’s intended looked like Han Solo, it was uncanny. Were they related, his sister perhaps? She knew Thrawn would keep his word, and this was their only shot, so she agreed.


As part of the race, Thrawn was to be Jaina’s co-pilot, while Lando and Kallus were allowed to be her crew, as was Chopper. The starting point would be the defunct fueling depot a kilometer away from the guard towers out front, allowing plenty of room to rev the engines and a quick start. The pre-determined course had been downloaded into the navicomputers of both ships and had been agreed to by both parties.


Before boarding the TIE Defender, Thrawn gave Jaina a soft kiss, and asked if she was ready. Jaina nodded, she was looking forward to what was going to happen next. Slipping on her helmet, the shuttle they were on made the hyperspace jump and within the hour they had arrived at the shipyards.


The race had been all set up, the mining droids set to record the race for official records (everything having been signed off on already) and with not a moment too soon the signal lit up and they were off!





The race was on, and Hera’s knuckles were quickly turning white with every hairpin turn, and for every hundred meters she seemed to gain, that damned TIE Defender was keeping pace. Whoever Thrawn’s fiancée was, she was a piloting ace. She was keeping up and halfway through the second lap, Hera was starting to fall behind. Zeb was worried, “Who is this girl, anyway? Han Solo and Qi’ra’s?” Hera bit her lip, Jaina’s piloting style was a dead ringer for Solo’s. Han was always boasting about how he made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs, and it annoyed Hera to no end he used parsec as a measure of time, not distance. No self-respecting pilot would make such an amateur mistake…at least in her opinion.


There was no time to wonder about such things, she had a race to win. The finish line was in sight, and just as soon as she was sure she had the race in the bag… the TIE came screeching ahead and had to make a series of U-turns to lose it’s excess energy. Once again, Thrawn had won.


Sullen, she switched her comm on and glowered at Thrawn, “Well, you won. What do you want?” From where he was sitting behind Jaina, Thrawn considered their options and merely stated to head back to the Chimaera, and from there back to their families. Hera agreed, but Lando hotly debated he had nowhere to go. “Bully for you, eh? Serves ya right, throwin’ Skywalker and Leia under the speeder,” Zeb jeered. Hera told them both to can it.


As they piloted back, Jaina let out a gasp as she watched the sun rise over Sluis Van’s planetary surface. Having been in space before plenty of times, she had never witnessed the rising sun come into view over a planet’s surface before. She was in awe of the sight, before Thrawn shouted, “JAINA!” Snapping out of her dreamlike wonder, she kicked into high gear as a school of purrgill suddenly wandered into their path.


CRUNCH! Tentacles ensnared both ships before jumping to parts unknown.

 

Fate, So Beautifully


A Star Wars Romance


Written by: Nehru_Amidala


Inspirations: the myth of Hades and Persephone, Sailor Moon, Edward Scissorhands, The Nutcracker, The Thrawn Trilogy, Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, Downton Abbey


Pairings: Thrawn/Jaina (Main!), Luke/Mara, Han/Leia, Jacen/Tenel Ka, Anakin/Tahiri, Ar’alani/Paelleon, Eli/Vah’nya, established Kallus/Zeb


Tropes used in this story and trigger warnings: time travel, true love conquers all, earning a happy ending, grey vs gray morality, miscarriage, premature birth, abandonment, redemption, rising to meet your fate, to see with eyes unclouded


Timeline: Mix of Legends and Canon


Voice cast list: Thrawn- Benedict Cumberbatch, Jaina- Anne Hathaway, Aleksandr Kallus- Sean Bean, Lando Calrissian- Billy Dee Williams, Hera Syndulla- Vanessa Marshall, Dai Bendu- Tom Baker, Yiv the Benevolent/SkekUng- Alan Rickman


Author’s notes: The next story arc contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the films Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, as well as The Dark Crystal.




Stave 21: All Roads lead back to Atollon, Part 2


The sudden jolt of purgrill ensnaring the Defender and the Ghost frightened both crews, and it was now that Thrawn realized that the Bendu’s prophecy was finally coming to fruition. Letting his guard down, he frantically grabbed Jaina’s hand, and kissed her fiercely. Jaina melted into the kiss, and suddenly the lights gave way to the psychedelic colors of hyperspace. Jaina dropped her shielding, she was going to need to use the Force for whatever was coming ahead. For the first time in their relationship, Jaina could see the fear and dread cross her fiancée’s face. She had heard him and Grandfather speak of the Dai Bendu in hushed tones in meetings before, and she knew Uncle Luke had been an avid reader of the ancient order that had preceded the Old Jedi Order. “Thrawn, I’m still here,” she told him. Her words reached him, but he needed to come back to her. She squeezed his hand, and when that didn’t work, she sent him a steamy Force image of herself as a pin-up girl. That snapped him out of it!


“Jaina! What?”


“Welcome back!”


Thrawn was able to refocus, part of being a Chiss military leader meant remaining stoic in the most difficult situations, this led to clear thinking and quicker use of critical thinking skills, both of which were in short supply within the higher ranks of the Imperial Navy. However, how many of them had to deal with the Damocles’s triangle of an existential threat hanging over your head? Even after he and Bridger had limped back to Known Space, and more or less parting on neutral gorunds, Thrawn had feared Jaina would be taken away, this whole thing was nothing more than the galaxy using him as toy, some cruel joke. Thankfully, as time passed, this had been proven this was not the case. He had given Jaina Solo his heart and soul, and in return, she had given him hers, and so much more. He would kill the Dai Bendu if push came to shove.


Jaina held his hand, and it was about now the crystal they had found began to glow, it illuminated the dark cockpit. Jaina held it in her hands, as it levitated and glowed brightly, switching from deep lavender to nearly white, a slight blue tinge to it. Thrawn and Jaina watched it, something in the Force was drawing them all back to Atollon. Jaina asked what would happen when they reached Atollon. For the first time in his life, Thrawn did not have a plan. “I…I do not have a plan,” he confessed. Jaina squeezed his hands and assured him it would turn out all right. They had to keep their wits and create a temporary cease and join forces with the Specters until they could figure out what was going on.


It was about now that the purrgill finished the jump out of hyperspace, and so suddenly, everyone had to brace for impact. Thrawn pulled Jaina close, as they buckled up. Both ships bounced around the atmosphere, before skidding to a hot landing on opposite sides of what remained of Chopper Base. Thrawn and Jaina had passed out, and there was something ringing at the back of Jaina’s mind as she woke- how her head ached! Her ears were ringing, and she felt dizzy upon standing up. Groping for her lightsaber, she called out, “Thrawn? Thawn?” Turning around and to her horror, her beloved was gone. He wasn’t gone, he had been taken. The Bendu had kidnapped him, her heart’s half, for whatever retribution to be doled out for a long-ago battle.


She would not let that happen; she would not let that happen. Like her mother and grandmother before her, she would trust in the Force and dive into the belly of the beast and free the great love of her life. Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, Mom and Dad, please forgive me for what I am about to do. I know you still hate Thrawn for the awful hell he put our family through…but I have given him my heart…and he has given me his. I have learned so much, I have felt the call of the Force. Thrawn must live, she silently prayed. Attaching her lightsaber to her belt, she opened the landing hatch, and walked out into the windblown ground.





Jaina Solo, back before she had time traveled, had seen the ruins of Rebel bases and command centers when she and her brothers had visited with their mother, the future leaders of the New Jedi Order. How long ago that seemed, the weed covered ruins marred with rusted dents, empty buildings, the silent tombs dedicated to the brave and selfless beings who had died. Surely the Empire had erected such memorials. After all, who decided what side was right over the course of war? Was it up to governments to declare ethics after such massive war caused by the machinations of the Sith, one of whom was a blood relation?


The buildings were half standing, windblown and rusted out, krykna nests littering the place. Here and there, sun bleached bones of the dead, along with decrepit remains of stormtrooper armor and crashed fighters littered the place. This was a graveyard, windswept and overgrown with weeds. It was as though some great power wished this place to be forgotten, but the scars would remain and one day xenoarchaeologists would discover this place. Would this hypothetical civilization see it as something out of a science fiction serial? Shaking her head, she reached out with the Force, and used the kyber crystal to find Thrawn. Her relief was short lived, she sensed danger.


Poking around, she was able to find a speeder bike that still worked, thank the Force! Hopping on the speeder, she set off at high speed. She could feel the dread and fear eating away at her psyche, she had to hurry. In her rush, she zoomed by the Ghost, which was still mostly intact. Hera waved after her, “Hey, get back here! There are better men out there!” Kallus shook his head, “She’s not going to leave him. Better follow.” Hera stated at him, and the man shrugged. They needed to know what was going on. Calling Lando, they were able to get the speeder bikes and followed in close pursuit.





When Thrawn had returned to consciousness, it was not to Jaina’s gentle, welcoming embrace, it was in the unforgiving expanse of the Dai Bendu. He was being held upright, and the Bendu had to come to claim the fulfillment of his dire prophecy, Thrawn’s blood and life. “You have dared to return to this sacred place, and for this your life is forfeited,” the booming voice intoned darkly, as a violent storm brewed overhead, thunder and lightning declaring war with each other. Thrawn tried to speak on his own behalf, but instead he was forced to confront his deepest traumas, made to relive them, to break him down before he died. He was in physical and spiritual agony, and time and again, he cried out in Cheunh for his life, but the Dai Bendu, being a true neutral, cared not one way or the other. Peace on Atollon would be achieved once more, and if was through the blood of one more mortal being who held no proper reverence for the Force, then so be it.


“STOP!”



From over the edge, a familiar voice cried out, and this was followed by a savage Force Push, and Thrawn found himself falling and floundering in mid air as he was wrenched away from the Bendu, only to land in Jaina’s safe embrace. Blushing, he happily kissed her, and Jaina let him slowly stand. “You leave him alone,” Jaina ordered sternly as she activated her lightsaber blade. The Bendu was quite taken aback by her brazen actions, who was this little Jedi? Curious about this newcomer, he knelt so his face was on the ground, his white eyes looking squarely at the young woman standing protectively in front on the Grand Admiral.


“Who are you, young one? This is not your time, why is this one so important to you?”


Standing forward, Jaina announced, “I am Jaina Luthien Padme Skywalker Organa-Solo, daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa of the late planet Alderaan. I am the granddaughter of the late Senator Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader. I am the padawan learner of Mara Jade, wife of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, head of the New Jedi Order. I am also Lieutenant of the Imperial Seventh Fleet of the 181st Task Force, I am the heart’s half to Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Lord Vader’s heir apparent.” She cast aside the lightsaber and the kyber crystal floated and glowed so brightly, it blocked out the sun for some minutes.


Dai Bendu gazed intently at the young woman and the kyber crystal, neither of this world or this time. Yet, the Force had brought them here, and he could see she was telling the truth. Slowly, he relented. But, there were others on the planet that had to be faced. “I see, you have a crystal of immense power. There are others on this planet who crave it. Face them and I will allow you all to leave,” he informed them, before disappearing. Thrawn ran to her and held her close, “Are you all right?” Jaina nodded, was he okay? Thrawn assured her he was shaken, but he was better now that she was there.


It was about now Hera, Kallus and Lando scrambled down the equipment, having been addressed by the Bendu as well. Kallus cautiously approached the couple, “How do we do this? I mean, what will the terms of the short-term cease fire be while we fight off this army of whatever the space moose mentioned.”

“He’s the Dai Bendu, a celestial,” Jaina corrected him as Thrawn and Hera hovered nearby, leery about working together, given the bad blood between both parties. Lando moved supplies from the speeder bikes into backpacks, the trek would have to be made on foot. Kallus nodded and asked about her lineage. Was it true, her being Vader’s granddaughter? Thrawn confirmed it and was highly insistent that part of the cease fire include Jaina’s lineage remain secret. Time travel was a common enough problem, it was well documented among historical records taken from the Transitory Mists.


Once everything had been packed, a spoken agreement was held to, simply put- cooperation during their time on Atollon, no mention of Jaina’s heritage to either side’s higher ups, and the house arrests would be taken off the table. The seizure fine would still have to be paid, however. Once everyone agreed to it, they were off.


Meanwhile on the other side of the plain, waves upon waves of garthim roamed the sand beds, awaiting orders from their Skeksis master, SkekTek the Scientist, or as he was known to the Chiss, Yiv The Benevolent.

 

This is certainly an interesting concept from the get-go, Thrawn and Jaina as an item. Especially given the former is older than the latter.

There's definitely an uh-oh, given Jaina is a captive of Vader. In any case I'll be very interested to see how this time travel is occurring.

I do like how you blend what I know of canon and Legends material rather smoothly. Great blast from the past with the Bounty Hunter's Guild. It's evident that in THIS timeline Boba Fett didn't destroy it yet.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate the comment about keeping the melding between Legends and current canon smoothly. Considering that Rebels happened before the OT, it’s pretty easy to keep it with the timeline going. Also, while the Bounty Hunter Guild Wars were a fun read, I kept them around to act as something of a foil to the NR and Imperial Remnant.