Patron of the Art of War
is a Star Wars Rebels fanfiction by cecilyjones taking place sometime during season three. Sabine has been captured by Thrawn for her artistic talent and, in his mind, to protect her. She is forced to make art for him. All the while Thrawn is trying to tame her out of her rebel behavior. Meanwhile the Ghost Crew tries to figure out how to rescue her from their most dangerous enemy.
Summery: Grand Admiral Thrawn is a great admirer of the arts, and of artists. Especially Sabine Wren. He has taken it upon himself to remove her from her dangerous circumstances. For her own good, of course.Sabine Wren does not appreciate this. And neither do Kanan Jarrus and the rest of the Specters.
This fanfiction contains examples of:
- Affably Evil: Thrawn, as usual. It's especially creepy when he's threatening Sabine or taunting her all while being completely calm and polite.
- Armor-Piercing Response: When Thrawn is imprisoned and request to see Sabine he starts to pester her about everything he could have offered her and then ask her to remove her helmet and look him in the eyes to deny that she wasn't tempted. Her response is that he hasn't earned the privilege to see her face, then leaves.
- Art Reflects Personality: The art that she has made on Thrawn's request shows her despair over the loss of the Ghost Crew. When Ezra later sees them, he can feel the pain that she is in.
- Badass Boast: In Mando'a, Sabine tells the Emperor that he can't stop the rebellion and the empire will fall, Thrawn is quick to have her muzzled ending her rant before she can finish.
- Badass Normal: In a brief scuffle Sabine was able to make Thrawn winded and takes satisfaction in making it an effort for him to subdue her.
- Baddie Flattery: Thrawn gives a number of compliments to Sabine. This only serves to creep her out, they are not even sexual.
- Big Damn Heroes: The crew pulls off an epic one for Sabine completely pulling one over Thrawn and capturing him in return.
- Big Damn Reunion: When she is rescued the Ghost Crew is over joyed to be reunited with Sabine. Sabine is especially relived having believed that they have been dead for a month.
- Bound and Gagged: Sabine's hands are bound a number of times throughout the story. During the exhibition, she is later gagged after she starts giving a Badass Boast to the Emperor of all people.
- Break the Cutie: Sabine does have moments where she breaks down. Thrawn is attempting to “tame” her. At the same time, he doesn't want to completely break her as that would diminish her artistic abilities. She does put up a strong front and defies him whenever she can. Sabine struggles with the experience afterwards but her friends are there to support her.
- Catharsis Factor: After watching Thrawn try and tame and weed out Sabine’s rebel behavior and feeling so sure of himself that she will eventually cave and beg him to let her be part of his collaboration of artist, it is quite satisfying for when the Big Damn Heroes moment comes and Zeb slams him into the wall knocking him out and then Ezra follows up by stunning Thrawn when he comes to.
- The Cameo: The Emperor and Darth Vader make an appearance at the exhibition.
- Child Soldiers: It's subtle, but Thrawn is surprised for a moment when he sees Sabine, in person and without her helmet, for the first time. He remarks to himself that she looks younger than she is. He then reminds himself that, in the eyes of the Empire, she's a terrorist, and goes about his plans.
- Cope by Creating: Having to make art for Thrawn, Sabine puts her grieve and sadness over the Ghost Crew's death into her work.
- Cry into Chest: Sabine practically cries into Kanan's chest upon seeing him again out of pure relief that he, and the others, are really before her and have just saved her.
- Damsel in Distress: Sabine is captured by Thrawn. She is forced to make art for him, and he constantly tries to break her down.
- Dark and Troubled Past: The other artists that Thrawn has under his “care” all came from worse situations then they are currently in. Perrik had been a court artist for the Hutts and could have killed for the slightest mistake. Mirasta had been a slave. Ala was disowned by her noble family. Sabine is the only one that stands apart from them in that she is forced to be there.
- Death Faked for You: Thrawn makes Sabine believe that the Ghost Crew died in an attempt to save her. She doesn't believe it at first but when no rescue comes, she starts to lose hope and believes it. It isn't until the Crew rescue her that she is finally sees them alive.
- Defiant Captive: Played with. Sabine makes a number of efforts to defy Thrawn. However, he seems to expect most of her outburst. Almost seems pleased some times.
- Disappointed in You: Sabine think's the Ghost Crew would be disappointed in her giving in to Thrawn's demand.
- Distant Finale: The final epilogue takes place years later, the empire has fallen and Ezra has already been found and brought back by Sabine and Ahsoka.
- Eye Scream: Thrawn makes a very clear threat of this when Sabine doesn't make the painting he wants, instead made something else in defiance, and has a droid come very close to removing her eyes. He stops it before it can actually happen but it is clear that he will follow through next time. Sabine ends up complying to his demand.
- Gilded Cage: Sabine's prison cell is an art studio. She has no allusions that it isn't still a prison cell.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Sabine berates herself for caving in so easily to Thrawn's demand upon the threat of losing her eyes. Thinking of how Kanan has been able to function with his sight loss makes her feel pathetic. Now she knows that she has a price after stating how Thrawn could never afford her.
- Hope Spot: Having put a tracker on the Chimaera the Ghost Crew knows where it is at all times sans hyperspace. After four weeks of waiting when the ship does go into hyperspace the crew waits to see where it arrives, possibly hoping to make some sort of quick plan to rescue Sabine. Their hopes are dashed when the Chimaera arrives at Coruscant.
- Instant Sedation: Averted, it takes a little bit for the sedatives that Sabine is given to take effect.
- I Shall Taunt You: A lot of Thrawn's comments to Sabine can be considered taunting.
- The Kindnapper: Thrawn seems to think he's "saving" Sabine by turning her into one of his personal artists, as this will spare her the fate that awaits her if the Empire gets their way. She, of course, tells him (multiple times) what she thinks of his whole scheme.
- Lured into a Trap: The opening mission was a trap set up by Thrawn to capture Sabine in order to “protect” her.
- Made My Self Sad: When Sabine paints a canvas green she doesn't really understand why until Mirasta points out that it feels alive. It is then that Sabine realizes it's a representation of Hera, who she believes is dead. She has to choke back a sob.
- Mama Bear: Hera has a lit bit of this in the final chapter for Jacen.
- Mistaken for Servant: In the Distant Finale, Perrik sees Ezra with Sabine and asks if he is her Jedi bodyguard. Rather annoyed Sabine states that Ezra is her friend but Ezra makes it clear that if anyone hurts her they'll regret it.
- Neck Lift: As part of the Psychic Strangle, this happens to Sabine.
- Oh, Crap!: The Ghost Crew's reaction when they see that Thrawn is personally overseeing Sabine's capture.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: A villain example, Thrawn escapes rebel custody on his own.
- Papa Wolf: Kanan has to keep himself from wanting to use the force to snap Thrawn's neck while he has Sabine pinned down on her knees. Kanan stays by Sabine's side upon her return to give her support. He also looks Thrawn dead in the eyes with his blind ones and tells him he has no problem to do so after Sabine refuses to after he was goading her.
- People Zoo: The exhibition that Thrawn puts on for his artists not only features Sabine's art but the girl herself. Cuffed and later gagged so the attendees can gawk at her.
- Properly Paranoid: The Ghost Crew knows that Thrawn is expecting a Big Damn Heroes rescue for Sabine so they have to bide their time and wait for the right moment. When they go to Coruscant, Kanan and Ezra leave behind their lightsabers. Even then they have to be discreet otherwise they'll never be able to rescue Sabine.
- Psychic Strangle: Sabine gets this from none other than Vader himself.
- Ship Tease
- Kanan and Hera have a couple of moments. The standout being shortly after Sabine's capture, Kanan goes to Hera's room to comfort and hold her when she is distressed over it as he reassures Hera that Sabine is strong, and they will save her.
- There appear to be subtle teases in regard to Sabine and Ezra, almost all from Ezra, that accumulate in the last sentence of the story where Sabine wraps her arm around his.
- Shout-Out: Kanan figures out that Thrawn is judging the heights of his and Ezra's stormtrooper disguises and sees that Thrawn is figuring out that one of them being too short.
- Taking You with Me: Sabine makes an attempt to burn down the exhibition when the Emperor and Vader show up knowing she will likely die in the process. Her attempt is stopped before she can even get close to starting a fire.
- Telepathy: Ezra, with some help from Kanan, reaches out to Sabine to give her strength and hope during her captivity. Sabine feels this in her dreams. She doesn't know what it means but it has the intended effect. It's implied that either Ezra did this several times or the experience stuck with Sabine for her to have those dreams over the course of her imprisonment.
- Troubled Fetal Position:
- Sabine's body completely goes into one on its own while she is unconscious in the bacta tank. This seems to be a reaction to her last sight being of Thrawn.
- She goes into another one after Thrawn tells her captivity is to save her.
- Villain Ball: Absolutely averted. No surprise as it is Thrawn after all. He knows Sabine well enough not to let her have any chance of an actual escape. Forcing Sabine into the Damsel in Distress role.
- Villainous Medical Care: After his capture of Sabine leaves her with severe injuries, Thrawn makes sure she gets the best medical care available.
