Ballad of the Winter Rose
A SW Rebels/Doctor Who Romance
Written by: Nehru_Amidala aka FossilQueen1984
Genre: Gothic romance, drama, hurt/comfort, dark fantasy, slight horror
Cast list: Minerva- Jenna Coleman, Thrawn- Lars Mikkelsen, Governor Pryce- Cate Blanchett, Agent Kallus- Dee Bradley Baker, Lynette Kaic'kul- Pauley Perrette, Acolyte Nox aka Kanan Jarrus- Freddie Prinze Jr., River Song- Alex Kingston, Sister Entropy- Tina Turner, Aristotle (aka C'baoth!)- Sir Ian McKellan (spoiler character)
Pairings: Thrawn/Minerva, past Kanan/River Song
Rating: T/PG-13 for battle sequences, thematic elements, blood, snogging, SPOILERS for Thrawn
Universe: Doctor Who and AU! Rebels
Chapter Soundtrack: Cursum Perficio- Enya, German opening/Ruined Landscape- The Neverending Story OST, The Blitz, 1940/The Battle- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Chapter 14: The Battle of Bataan, Part 1
Once he had calmed down enough to even consider being in the same room as Governor Pryce, Thrawn began looking at aerial holo-photos of the labyrinth to see where the cult was hiding out. As they were updated in near real time, Thrawn was able to track their movements his eye. He was about to put on his pith helmet (he was in his office at the moment), when a holo on his desk caught his eye. Picking it up, he watched it as the recording showed himself dancing with Minerva at last year's Festivus fete on Naboo. Eli had recorded it. He knew once Minerva came around, she would be fighting them off herself, and once he got there they could finish off the cult once and for all. Of course, this was all contingent on what Pryce had planned for striking at the Rebels overrunning Bataan at the moment. "I promise you, Beloved, I will find you," Thrawn vowed. Shutting his eyes, Thrawn hardened his resolve and left to meet with the woman who had caused the misfortune to begin with.
Serenely sitting behind her desk, Anihdra Pryce sat motionless as Tarkin and Yularen relayed their horror that the chief map maker had been abducted by the Rebels! She thought it hilarious they were shedding tears over a skinny little girl who had no business being an Imperial officer. Of course, she dared not reveal her true feeling to her superiors because then the jig would be up! It was here Thrawn entered the room.
"Colonel Yularen, Moff Tarkin. I see Governor Pryce has brought you up to date."
Yularen replied, "Yes she has, and Pryce has a brilliant plan. Since the Rebels and the cult are fighting each other, Pryce suggested that we place chargers all over the city and when they go off, we flush out the Rebels while we raze the city."
Thrawn shut his eyes and nodded, while that was a coherent plan, it seemed like Pryce was hoping he and Minerva would die in the razing. If there was one thing Thrawn was not going to do, it was roll over and play dead. Minerva could handle a lot on her own, but against a bloodthirsty cult she would need back up. He agreed with the plan, and after leaving he ordered a small squad of death troopers to stay with him at all times during the upcoming battle.
Meanwhile, Minerva had not gone down without a fight, earning herself the moniker of "Action Girl", once the drugs had worn off post questioning. Three acolytes and two initiates had fallen by her sword, and Acolyte Nox had gotten a nasty scratch on his arm. Fed up to the teeth (and sensing the coming storm) he left before Sister Entropy entered the room.
As he relayed battle positions to his fellow cult members, Kanan's mind wandered back to where the problem had all started. Closing his eyes, he reached out with the Force and meditated, allowing himself to relive the bittersweet memories that had brought him to this moment…
It had been by sheer accident that Caleb Dume, now known as Kanan Jarrus, had discovered the ancient time portal on Jakku. The Clone Wars were winding down out on the Outer Rim, even though it would be another two years before Dooku was slain by Anakin Skywalker. What was even more unlikely was that he would fall madly in love with an older woman named River Song. There had been something about her that had drawn him close, and as they were compatible together they married and had a baby daughter, Minerva.
At the time, they were ruling the city state of Athens. It was the Dark Ages of Grecian history, Macedonian invaders from the north had swept through the country, and what advances that had been made in writing and art were lost, but not in the court of King Kanan and Queen River. It was probably the only bright spot in the entire Peloponnesian peninsula. It was hoped that their reign would last forever, but the Force would not allow it.
One dark stormy night, Minerva could not sleep so River and Kanan were walking the elegant marbled halls with her, singing and cooing over her. "Shhh, there there little one, Daddy's here," Kanan cooed as he cuddled his daughter in his arms. Using the Force, he soothed the infant and soon she was sleeping. Handing her back to River, there was a sudden rapping at their chamber door. The night steward lumbered towards the door, and revealed a drenched man in ragged brown robes, his wild hair and a bushy beard. Around his waist was a lightsaber. What was a Jedi doing here?
Led in cautiously, he prostrated himself before the royal couple and uttered, "Merry meet and prithee my lord and lady, grant me rest here; for I have traveled a long way." Kanan knelt down and assisted the man to his feet. "Welcome to Athens, fellow Jedi. I am Kanan Jarrus, this is my wife, River Song, and our daughter Minerva." What a surprise to see another Jedi!
Slowing standing, the man was invited to sit on a bench and when he had recovered himself, he introduced himself, "Thank you greatly for your hospitality, Jedi Jarrus and Lady Song. I am a traveler on this world. The locals call me Aristotle, but you are certainly welcome to call me by my true name."
"What is your true name?"
"Jedi Master C'baoth."
When the older male uttered his name, a sudden shiver ran up Kanan's back and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it possible C'baoth was a sinister figure? Nah, couldn't be- he was tired. Bidding everyone good night, Kanan took his daughter and put her to bed, before falling asleep himself.
The months passed and Aristotle proved to be a popular philosopher. Writing and the arts flourished again in the city states, and in this way Athens reclaimed its glory as the City of Athena, after whom Minerva was named. They would often go to his lectures, his resonant voice would bounce off of the walls and would seemingly hypnotize the audience for hours. Things seemed to be going well.
However, beneath Aristotle's kindly veneer, cracks could be seen and Kanan began to slowly pull away from the philosopher Jedi. Meditating in the Force, Kanan witnessed C'baoth's slow decline into madness. He had begun saying that the Jedi were the de facto religious force on the planet and had begun taking children to be trained. Also, he had charmed River into spending time with him, and it certainly did not help matter that their relationship had cooled. He had learned that C'baoth also knew of the portal and was using star ships to scare their enemies and was using his own daughter as bait. It also didn't help that she would toddle after him happily.
His heart turned to stone towards his family after that, in his opinion they were traitors and as a Jedi you left traitors to rot. Knowing something of the Time Lords from his wife, he summoned John Saxon to abduct his daughter, now something of a map making prodigy, in the middle of the night. The palace was set ablaze, and it was back through the portal for Kanan. When he exited, he left his old life behind and returned to business as usual for an ex-Jedi.
Because Nox had left mysteriously, Sister Entropy was left to clean up the mess. When she entered the shed, her jaw dropped when she espied the bodies of her loyal followers scattered on the floor, felled by a single stroke. Clenching her jaw, she bellowed, "I don't know where you got training, but you're going to have to go through me!" Minerva was still a bit drowsy, but frightened enough when the older woman charged at her and landed a blow. Minerva parried, and the blade sliced off one of Entropy's chandelier earrings. Backing out of the back door, the fight continued even as storm troopers began entering the labyrinth and shooting the cult members.
The cold had not yet gotten to Minerva, but she knew she would need to find warm clothing if she wanted to survive. As she and Entropy battled it out, Minerva noticed that Entropy was getting winded from the physicality of the battle. This was her chance. Running with her head down, Minerva took her blade and jutted it straight into Entropy's stomach with a slight twist before ripping it out. She could feel the blood on her hands as she removed the blade from Entropy's limp body. Taking the woman's hood, Minerva cleaned her blades and hands.
It was now that she could see the star destroyers overhead razing the city and around her buildings were exploding like fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day. She had thrown on a random cloak, when some storm troopers spotted her. "It's the map maker! Officer Hektor, are you safe," they inquired anxiously and they mowed down the delirious cult members. Minerva confirmed that she was safe, but they needed to keep moving, who knew what else they would encounter?
Minerva was correct because it was at the very moment Thrawn entered from the opposite side of the labyrinth, when he spotted Minerva making her way to the center, hacking away at Rebel terrorists who had joined the fight. Making his way through with his blaster drawn and flanked by deathtroopers, he readily dispatched any Rebel and/or cult member they faced. By now, snow had started falling harder and the trek was getting harder. On top of that, Thrawn caught sight of Sister Entropy, mortally wounded but very much alive lurching towards Minerva. Refusing to let this harridan hurt his beloved, Thrawn gave chase.
It was at this critical moment Pryce gave the orders for the star destroyers to raze the city.