Accepting Attraction:
Anakin landed the Theta near his somewhat buried and very banged up Interceptor, the scorched yellow paint easy to spot in the snow thanks to the lights on the front of the shuttle. Since he could feel Rex and Cody's signatures strongly now, and sensed no distress from them, he powered down the ship, figuring they weren't going to be dashing back to it in need of a quick getaway.
And there was something – or someone - here powerful with the Force. Very powerful. He hadn't felt the Force so strongly in a single place since he'd been trapped in that very strange Mortis realm. Which meant that Anakin felt drawn to discover just exactly what – or who – was sending his nerves into such high alert.
Not in a bad, 'Danger, danger!' way, though. It was more like the first time he'd seen an endless ocean of water when all he'd known before that was a container's worth. Awe inspiring. And not quite believable.
And fortunately for his tight timeframe, Rex and Cody seemed to be in the same place as the source of power.
But he had a more immediate concern. Because yellow paint wasn't the only color that stood out amongst all the white.
Anakin bounded down the ramp and over to the Interceptor. "Artoo!"
His concern grew when his beloved astromech didn't respond. He climbed onto the fighter and knelt beside the exposed blue dome. Because he'd turned off the shuttle, his only illumination was moon and starlight. But his hand didn't need to see to feel the small hole in Artoo's dome where there shouldn't be one. "Oh, buddy…" Anakin's head fell from the weight of his sorrow, resting on the cold dome. "I'll fix you as soon as I can, okay?" he whispered. Please don't be permanently damaged so that you're not yourself anymore. Please.
The young Knight clenched his fists with the fear and hate that threatened to overwhelm him – fear that he would lose one of his best and most faithful friends, and hate for himself for not being able to stop them from flying into the wormhole in the first place even though the Force had tried to warn him – but after a few moments, he forced himself to relax and give the emotions to the Force for safekeeping, like Obi-Wan had taught him.
"Strong emotions have their place, little Ani, but in the heart of a Jedi is not that place."
"Yes, Master," he whispered to the night breeze, just like his nine year old self had done, hearing Obi-Wan's voice in his head just as clearly now as if he'd been standing right in front of him.
He rose to his feet and lifted Artoo with him with a raised hand and a solid grasp on the droid through the Force. Floating his injured – because he didn't want to think of it being worse than that – friend in front of him, he took Artoo to cargo area of the shuttle and then he walked back down the ramp and turned his focus to the glacier covering the landscape in front of him. Now, where the kark are Rex and Cody? All I see is snow and ice and rock. But I can feel them nearby.
With no recourse but to follow his instincts, Anakin strode forward towards where he felt his friends and the overly strong Force presence. Soon, he crossed paths with three recent looking sets of footprints in the snow and he smiled briefly to himself. Well, they're not exactly trying to hide, at least.
It was only a few seconds later when Anakin stopped and spun back around to look at the ground near the Interceptor.
It was as he'd thought; his footprints were the only ones anywhere near the fighter. How kriffing strange. How did the boys get out of the fighter if they didn't walk out of it?
Now thoroughly confounded, Anakin jogged back to where the footprints suddenly started and followed them at a quick clip.
The footprints led him to a short flight of stairs cut into the ice. Stairs that led to apparently nowhere. What in the seven hells is going on with this planet?
Further confounded, he nevertheless ascended the ice steps and put his hand on the nearly vertical wall of the glacier in front of him. All of his senses were telling him that Rex and Cody were close by, but he doubted they were somehow on top of the glacier, so that only left inside of it. Anakin closed his eyes and FELT the ice through the Force, much the way he had on Ilum when he thought he'd been trapped by a dead end the first time he'd gone to get a Kyber crystal.
And just like so many years ago, he found that this ice wasn't as thick as it looked either. Clever. Don't know how they did it, but very clever. Pressing harder against the false section of wall, he shattered it with a burst of Force energy. Anakin stepped into the glowing blue tunnel that brightened as he entered and whistled in appreciation at the sheer beauty of the ice. And then he strode forwards.
Elsa didn't know how to feel about the clone Commander as she led him and his brother into her home. In some ways, he met every requirement that she was looking for in a man - a handsome, natural leader who didn't seem to be overly in awe of her powers, but still appreciative, all while making her feel things she'd never felt before. But in other ways, he couldn't be more wrong for her.
Like his actual age.
And the fact that he didn't even come from her planet.
Some would also say his lack of Royal blood was also a problem, but that didn't bother her. Anna had married a commoner and that had only raised a few eyebrows from the less progressive thinking Kingdoms, so she should be able to do so as well.
The big question is... Where would we live?
His planet somewhere up in space, or here?
And why am I even thinking about marriage already?
The tunnel led them to another large chamber in the glacier. This one was her masterpiece of design that she'd spent days perfecting. The glowing blue floor was subtly engraved with a massive snowflake that could only be seen from the balconies above. On the main level, around the edges of the snowflake, she'd made kitchen, dining, and sitting areas. All of the furniture was made of a warm wood native to the area and covered in teal or silver accouterments as required. (Cushions and tablecloths and so on.)
A spiral staircase right in the center of the snowflake and made of ice led up to the next two levels of rooms carved into the glacier with balconies circling the room. Like the spokes of alternating wagon wheels, ice bridges connected the stairwell to the balconies, nearly creating another snowflake above their heads.
Hanging from the bridges and balconies were layered rows of large, twinkling snowflakes embedded with the glowing algae, turning the entire chamber into something like a massive chandelier.
The whole place was probably too cold for most people to comfortably live, but it was perfect for Elsa. She had only ever felt physically cold once in her life, and that was an event she hoped to never repeat.
She led the soldiers to the base of the stairs and then turned to watch their expressions as they took the last few steps.
She found herself watching Cody only, fascinated by the way his amber eyes flicked over everything in rapid succession and then swept the entire room again much slower. The way his finely shaped mouth crooked up in approval shouldn't have made her heart skip a beat, but it did. When he tilted his head back to fully take in the masterpiece above him, her gaze fell to the strong line of his throat and something naughty in her wanted to kiss him there.
She bit her lip to quell the urge and tore her eyes away from Cody's throat only to collide with Rex's amused gaze. She flushed with embarrassment instantly. Funnily enough, the nearly identical man didn't make her stomach flutter with butterflies at all. And even though she knew his dark amber eyes were the same as Cody's, she had no desire to stare into their depths like she did with the other clone. Stars, I'm in such trouble.
Elsa cleared the sudden lump that had taken up residence in her throat and tried not to particularly meet the eyes of either of the brothers as she asked, "So… What do you think?"
Cody turned his focus back down, and she could feel the intensity of his gaze even without really looking at him. "It's beautiful, Elsa."
"Very," Rex agreed with a smile.
"I've never seen anything that I like more," Cody added. Without her command, her eyes shot to his and her breath caught as she found the soldier looking at her so deliberately, she just knew he was referring to herself and not the decorations.
Elsa found herself drowning in those amazing eyes that looked more brilliant and captivating by the moment. "Thank you," she whispered. And then with an epic burst of willpower, she turned away from him and moved towards the kitchen area. "Are you two hungry? I find myself suddenly famished." For more than food, if I'm being totally honest with myself.
"Sure, I could eat," she heard Rex say eagerly from behind her.
And wasn't that interesting that she could already decipher the slight differences in their voices.
Elsa looked back over her shoulder and smiled at the older looking clone. She wasn't surprised to find him almost right on her heels. "I'll find something nice and filling for us, then. You look like you could use a good meal or two."
"You have no idea," Rex said with an eye roll.
"He was injured," Cody explained as he caught up just as they reached the large ice island with tall stools on one side. She indicated that they should sit as she passed it by.
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Rex said, looking bashful and rubbing his head with a gloved hand. The clones put their helmets down on the island as they sat. "Took a bit of a bump to the head. Been out of it for a few days, I guess. Just got back on my feet before our ship got sucked into a wormhole and we ended up here."
Elsa paused as she pulled a large container of frozen stew out of the icebox and looked back at the guys. "What's a wormhole? And I'm assuming it has nothing to do with the small slimy creatures that crawl around in the earth."
They laughed nearly identically. "No." Rex shook his head. "It's an anomaly that rips a hole in the fabric of space and connects one area to another. Usually very dangerous and volatile. But if you can find a stable one, also a great way to save on traveling time."
She raised an eyebrow as Cody shoved his brother. "You've been spending too much time with your reckless General, vod. What you mean to say is wormholes should be avoided at all costs unless you have a suicidal streak."
Rex laughed, unfazed by the reprimand.
This was immediately followed by a new voice drawling from the tunnel entrance, "Now Cody, you know Obi-Wan is every bit as reckless as I, you two just like to pretend otherwise."
Elsa gasped and nearly dropped the container as she turned and spotted the intruder. He was casually strolling towards them, head turning back and forth and up as he took in her house. Unlike the clones, this man was taller, had a dark blond mane of curls, was technically more handsome, and wore dark tunics and tabard belted around his waist as opposed to armor, but she still got the impression of a soldier. Or a knight. Yes, that's what he looks like.
The clones had also leapt to their feet. "Sir! You came for us!"
The new man smiled widely and slid into a stool beside Rex, indicating the men standing at attention should relax and do the same with a casual wave of his gloved hand. (Why he only wore one, she'd hopefully discover eventually.) "Of course I did, Rex. No man left behind. You know that."
Rex beamed at the man Elsa could only assume was the General they talked about so much. "Yes, Sir. Even if you shouldn't have. We aren't worth the danger to your life."
The General squeezed Rex's armored shoulder with clear affection in his crystal blue eyes. "Of course you are. Besides, Ahsoka needs you back. She lost it when she thought she felt you die."
Rex's face fell. "Badly?"
The still unnamed man nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Padmè had to sedate her. You know Togrutan's have a habit of following their mates into death from the heartbreak alone if they don't outright kill themselves on purpose."
"Shab," Rex whispered, burying his face in his hands as his shoulders hunched in on themselves. "My poor Soka."
"It's okay, Rex," the young man reassured. (He looked way too young to be a General, but then again, their soldiers were also much too young in real time for the jobs they'd been created for.) "I'll get you back to Ahsoka and everything will be all right again."
Rex sucked in a breath and looked at his General. "Thank you, Sir."
This earned him a pained looking smile. "Don't thank me just yet. We've still got to fly back through the wormhole."
"Lovely," Cody muttered, drawing the General's attention to him. Elsa got to see his blue eyes widen almost to the point of popping out.
The blond gawked at Cody for a few seconds before he sputtered out, "Wha.. What… What the kark happened to you? You are Cody, aren't you?"
Elsa giggled as the brothers exchanged looks. Rex's was amused. Cody just looked pained; like he was resigning himself to a future filled with similar reactions. And Rex was looking forward to it. But I promised to make him look younger too, for this Ahsoka, apparently, so Rex is going to also be gawked at undoubtedly. Hehe.
"I am Cody," he grumbled, shooting her an apologetic glance for not currently sounding grateful about it. Elsa just smiled in a 'don't worry about it' way.
"But how?! Your scar… And your face is…"
Cody was starting to grin, now finding the other man's shock amusing as well. "We met a very powerful friend. She saved me. I was badly injured escaping the Venator. Shrapnel in the side. In the process of healing me, she kinda went a little too far."
The General stared at Cody for another second before huffing, "I'll say." Then he turned those piercing blue eyes on her and gave her a casual sweeping look from head to toe and back again. Elsa belatedly put the frozen stew down, feeling silly holding it still. The General's gaze was appreciative but not lustful (and she knew THAT look too well) when he met her eyes again. "So you're the massive source of Force power I felt. I wasn't entirely sure it came from a person, but now I see that it does." He held out his gloved hand, "Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight."
Elsa was pleased to be proven correct about his status as a knight. And also surprised that he'd felt her presence. But then again, now that she thought about it, she thought she could feel him too. Like there was something in her blood that thrummed with awareness of him. And no, not in the same way she was aware of Cody. She had no desire to kiss this man, but like he was a kindred being. He hummed with power too.
He's like me.
"Elsa, the Protector, and former Queen of Arendelle. It's nice to finally meet someone like me."
As she spoke, she daintily touched her fingers to his hand and he automatically turned his hand to grasp them gently. Under the glove, his fingers felt strange. Too hard and stiff. Which only raised her curiosity. Anakin's eyebrows rose briefly upon hearing her title, but then he smiled brightly just before raising her hand to his mouth to kiss courteously. He let her go immediately after that, as was polite. He knows court manners. Interesting. "A pleasure to meet you, My Lady. You should make the acquaintance of my wife. She is also a former queen of her planet and I think the two of you would like each other very much." His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Especially in regards to gossiping about fancy dresses and the idiotic men in their lives."
Elsa laughed softly. "I would like to meet her. And I can definitely talk about dresses. But as for men… I don't have one."
Anakin looked surprised at this. "Really?"
Before she could answer, Rex did. "Well, that's not entirely true."
Anakin turned to his Captain as both Elsa and Cody started shaking their heads frantically. Which Rex ignored, of course. She was discovering that the clone had a devilish sense of humour, even when he was sad. "Oh?"
The blond brother shot his dark haired sibling a smirk. "Yeah. Cody, here, would love to be her man if she'd take him."
Elsa's eyes shot to Cody's as Anakin looked between the two of them speculatively. In Cody's gaze she found confirmation of Rex's words, even if his face was wearing a grimace of apology.
The thing was that she didn't want him to apologize for it. Not really. Elsa was thrilled by it to her very core.
And that's when she finally admitted to herself to she wanted Cody back.
The question is…. Now what do I do about it?
A/N: So I have some news.
I'm now unemployed. Because I've moved. I have another job lined up, but it doesn't start until April at the earliest, which means I'll have lots and lots of time to write for you guys. That's the good news. The bad news is that after cleaning stalls and taking care of horses for 26 years, I feel it's time to try and do something a little more meaningful with my life before I kick the bucket and my headstone says, 'Here Lies the World's Best Stall Cleaner'.
What I really want to be is a full-time writer. I'd prefer to just write fanfics for you all, but it's already been proven to me that that just isn't possible. So I've started converting as many of my stories as I can into original works and have set up a website where you all can continue reading your favourite stories in a somewhat different version for a small fee. (50 cents a chapter or $5 for an entire finished story is what I'm currently thinking. Anyone agree with me that this sounds fair?)
I'll also continue picking away at the fanfics that I can't convert because they're just too strongly based on canon, but probably not as often as you're used to. (Which is already months between updates because of how many stories I have, lol.)
If there's anyone out there who'd prefer that I write your fanfics full-time as they are instead, well... you know what to do. And if you don't, pm me. My Facebook page, TheLoneRebel's Stories, will have updates and new information as it becomes available.