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, Thooraki/Thurfian, Eli/Vah'nya
Author's note: Please do not nitpick with the ideas presented here. I will not change my stories to make you happy. Also, big thanks to Darth Bernael for suggesting the idea for the ops mission.
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, Thooraki- Hugh Bonneville, Thurfian- Elizabeth McGovern, Eli- David Tennant, Vah'nya- Stephanie Sheh, Ochi of Bestoon- John DeLancie
Author's note: I claim nothing, except this is probably the VERY FIRST fan fiction is Star Wars fandom history to pair Thrawn with Jaina Solo. Having read all the Legends books, I can say for certainty that everyone will be in character. Any naysayers will be fed to Moro no Kimi.
(Waltz of the Flowers- Tchaikovsky)
Stave 5: Undercover on Berchest, Part 1
Jaina stood there for a moment in stunned silence with Thrawn's pet ysalimir in her arms, and she was in a blissful daze. Thrawn had kissed her, he had actually kissed her! Oh wow! As happy as she was with this action, she washed her face and smartened up. She was still on her shift, as far as she knew. Come to think of it, what were her hours? As his aide, she was technically "on call" so that meant if she was needed for an ops at 3 in the morning, she needed to get up and be ready to do whatever it was Thrawn needed for her to do. The question lingering over her head was why he kissed her. Was Thrawn thanking her for her assistance earlier for the meeting with the other sector command staff? Did he have feelings for her? What was it? Ugh! Why was love so complicated?
She decided to ask Thrawn about it, and she knocked on the door to his office after putting Odin back in his cage. Thrawn was busy at his datapad typing up his report for Lord Vader and Emperor Palpatine about the battle maneuvers that had been enacted earlier that day, noting the improvements made after the crew had been dressed down about yesterday's sloppy efforts that had fallen short of his and Vader's high expectations. "The door is open, Jaina," he told her without looking up. Shifting from one foot to the other, Jaina stood at the threshold. Nervous.
Thrawn knew without looking up what the problem was, it was the fact he had kissed her. He had done it half out of impulse, and the other half out of affection. He had been a bit to forward, he had to admit. Ignoring her was not going to help, it was only going to push her away. That was the last thing he wanted, so he invited her in and had her sit.
"It's about the kiss you gave me a little while ago."
"I know, Jaina. I was being rash and I apologize. I was being to forward with you."
"Please don't apologize, Grand Admiral. I..I just want to know why."
Now, it was Thrawn's turn to search for the right words, at the moment he was too flummoxed to even tell her he had slowly fallen in love with her over the last five years, how she had invaded his dreams, how he wanted to teach her everything he knew, marry her, see the galaxy and maybe have a family down the road. How did you tell that to someone who had only just time traveled to his time a little less than a full day ago? Even if he did, there was no guarantee she would accept him. He was going to have to have faith and hope she understood what he did next. Thrawn knelt and took her hands in his.
"Jaina Solo, will you allow me the honor of courting you?"
Jaina was blushing bright red, was he serious? Allowing her shielding to drop, she could tell he was being serious. She asked him, "Just how long have you been in love with me?" She asked him about all those times she had seen his picture, had she seen him? He said yes, and they both wondered how that was even remotely possible. They decided it was a mixture of Fate and the Force. After agreeing to remain professional during their shifts, Jaina happily accepted Thrawn's courtship proposal. After hours, Jaina brushed up on her Cheunh and rhetoric, and she taught Thrawn about the tricksy inter-political movements of the Imperial Empire and how to best navigate the byzantine relations between the Moff Council and their subordinates.
In the two weeks that followed, it was noticed and commented on by just everyone that Aide Antilles had some sort of effect on Grand Admiral Thrawn. While he was still a pillar of ice and steel, he was finally hitting his stride with his relationships with the Imperial governors and those he needed to curry favor with them order to gain their patronage. He was better at turning their prejudices back at them and apply his usual psychoanalysis and making them squirm. Jaina was quickly picking up on reading people without relying on the Force, and she was soon sparring against his droids, and occasionally against him. They were quite the dynamic duo, it was said.
It was about this time Konstantin learned his extended family on Berchest had run into some trouble with the Imperial governor. What the trouble was, he was unable to say, but as the Konstantin's were a well established and loyal Imperial clan and it bothered Kassius to no end. It had been the better part of a decade since he had seen his uncle, aunt and cousins. Considering his rank and he still had some clout among certain circles within the Imperial High Command. So, he called a meeting and asked for advice. It was decided to stage an undercover mission with a select few fellow officers.
The few officers he trusted were Thrawn and Eli, and they needed a girl to go along with them, so Jaina had to come along as well. He had called a meeting and when everyone had gathered, he informed them of the news, and it did not go over well at all. Why were they wasting time and credits on nothing but hearsay? At least that was what the gathered officers were thinking, but Konstantin argued while this was purely a family matter, he owed the Imperial governor of Berchest a favor, so he was stuck.
Eli asked why they needed to shlep all the way to the northern forests of Berchest for some family drama, "I think we can all agree this is a waste of time. We don't have the manpower of the accrued time off for this. Besides, this is family business, why are we needed for?" He lowered his caf mug onto the table.
"For your information, Professor Whom- a recent soil study has revealed perfect conditions for manufacturing and storing glitterstim spice. Such a windfall could be used to line Governor Trenzalore's pockets, money that should be going into the Empire's coffers," Konstantin informed everyone.
Jaina nodded and inquired, "Spice is used in some medicines, but the current export taxes between systems are unfathomably high, and there is always a chance the Bounty Hunter Guild or the Hutt cartels would try to cut in on the production business, which is strictly prohibited by Imperial law. So, why would your family get into such a sordid business?" Thrawn agreed, this was purely family business, but spice found on a familial estate was a slippery slope- it needed to be investigated.
However, the undercover mission needed to be cleared by a higher up, and this task fell on Vader's desk less than a day later. The Sith Lord was grouchy, he had sent Boba Fett to track down the mystery Rebel pilot who had blown up the Death Star. So, when Konstantin's inane request came in and he saw Jaina's name attached to it, he hastily signed off on it. Better to keep Jaina off the radar for now. He could see it now, he as Emperor with Jaina as heir apparent, with Thrawn as her consort. They would bring peace to the galaxy, and Sidious would be dead.
He also sent a note to Thrawn to stay close to Jaina, something like this was sure to draw the Emperor. Train her to fight, was what he wrote. That taken care of, he got news from Fett.
The trip to Berchest lay ahead, and Jaina was excited for her first undercover mission.