A/N:

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Frozen or any of its characters. Disney owns the rights to these. This is a non-profit work of fan fiction. The only thing that belongs to me are the creepy creatures I've come up with, the general plot, and the futuristic elements populating this world/galaxy/universe.

Thanks to the always busy cattleworks for feedback :)

Plans Gone Awry

"Breaking News: Weselton Brimsby, proprietor of Duchy of Weselton-Pleasure Emporium, and affectionately known as 'the Duke,' was brutally assaulted this afternoon, along with members of his staff. The perpetrators, identified simply as Roxanna and Christopher, are at large. Inhabitants of Arendelle-255 are warned that the pair are armed and extremely dangerous.

Arendelle News was able to interview the Duke as he was being treated by medical staff:"

"Mr. Brimsby, can you share your experience with our audience?"

"Monsters! I tell you, they were monsters! Ah! My neck! Orderly! I need a fluffier pillow! This Roxanna, she is a cunning harlot … A devious diva! I stared straight into the freckled face of death." Cough, cough. "And her lacky, Christopher, a clumsy, moose-faced brute! The two of them destroyed my property, stole my goods and assaulted both myself and my staff. Oh! The agony! The injustice of it all! I offer a reward of ten—did I say ten?" Cough. "Of one thousand credits, as well as a limited 25% discount to the Pleasure Emporium, for their capture, dead or alive!"

"Thank you, Mr. Brimsby ... The woman known as Roxanna, apparently the brains behind the operation, is described as having red hair, with freckles about her cheeks. She stands 5' 4" and is prone to random acts of violence. Her accomplice, the alleged 'moose-faced brute' Christopher, is described as muscular, with a prominent nose and blond, shaggy hair. He is just over 6' 2" and is also known to be violent."

"Yes, you heard it all here on Arendelle News, where the facts are nothing but the facts … And now a word from our sponsor, Oaken's Trading Post … Hoo, hoo!"

"I've heard enough, that's for sure. Turn that off," ordered Kristoff. His eyes followed the holographic display as Oaken's face eroded into a series of sparkling points, then vanished altogether.

"Moose-faced," chuckled Sven. "Brains …" he snorted. "With that 25% discount, I'm tempted to head right back to the Duke's Pleasure Emporium, and turn the two of you in."

"He's not moose-faced. He has a manly nose, and I think he's actually kind of ha—" Anna caught herself midstream—"um, nevermind." Her cheeks glowed bright red and she quickly turned away.

Kristoff raised an eyebrow, but before he could process much further, the comment about "brains" eclipsed his thoughts. "Brains? Hey, wait a minute! So, Rox … um, I mean, Anna's been on this planet for … what? Half a day? And now she's the brains behind this operation? I didn't even know we had any kind of operation!"

"Which illustrates exactly why she's the brains and you're not," mocked Sven.

"Oh, come on! And besides, let's get real … she'd be, I don't know, dead inside of fifteen minutes if I left her out here alone," remarked Kristoff. He turned to Anna, "No offense."

"Hmph."

"Which makes you nothing but a useful tool," Sven added.

"Odin's balls," Kristoff blurted. Anna punched him, which, in retrospect, he should have expected. "Ouch! Will you quit that!" He sunk deeply into the seat, massaging his newly assaulted arm. "All I wanted today was to pick up a utility robot." He sighed heavily. "Instead, I've got a bounty on my head, and"—he motioned empathically—"I'm on the lam with the rock 'em, sock 'em redhead … along with a snowcat who keeps forgetting that his intelligence is artificial! Maybe I need to repeat that … artificial!"

"Yet, somehow," Sven added calmly, "I'm the one smart enough to keep out of the Duke's crosshairs."

"You think? Just wait until all the opportunists catch up with us. They'll be pulling you apart, piece by piece. Whatever's left'll end up in someone's scrap heap."

"Do you really think people will be out looking for us?" asked Anna. Her brow furrowed. There was more than an ounce of worry there.

Kristoff carefully thought out his response. The truth was that Arendelle-255 was teeming with dirtbags, and there were plenty that would mercilessly hunt them down if they could profit from it. "I have a plan. We're going someplace safe. I've got … um, family here. They can help restock our supplies and hide us until we figure things out." He frowned. "I won't say there won't be danger, because there's no avoiding it, but we should be good once we push into the Vortex."

Over the years, Kristoff had survived many threats and while he was worried, it was mostly for Anna. She was a newbie to the planet, and as spirited as she undoubtedly was, Arendelle-255 was a harsh mistress that didn't offer many second chances.

"What's this vortex thing? You've mentioned it a couple of times."

Kristoff looked at Anna briefly, then pointed out toward the horizon. If the elements could express an emotion, then what the pair witnessed in the distance was the embodiment of malevolent anger. Twisted and tortured fronts violently clashed, birthing writhing tendrils of raging snow that shot straight back into the sky, as brilliant flashes of ball lightning briefly inflamed the dense miasma from within. Even from their distance, the storm looked massive.

As the snowcat approached the Eternal Vortex, a strangely still wall of fog appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Anna's eyes widened, then rolled back into her head so that only the whites were showing. She grasped Kristoff's arm tightly, and spoke in a strangely distant voice. "The storm awakens. Enraged by its solitude, it strikes against all."

"What?" expressed Kristoff in bewilderment.

"A haiku," offered Sven.

"Hai-what? Nevermind. Sven, run an area scan. Run a scan on Anna, too." Kristoff turned to Anna, worried. Her body remained rigid, and her grip unrelenting.

"Not good news. There's something out there," warned Sven.

"Crap!" This could be serious. He cradled Anna and commanded, "Into the Vortex, buddy, as fast as you can take us!"

Anna still clung to him tightly, but then her grip relaxed. She shuddered and looked up at Kristoff with a gentle sigh. He was relieved to see that her eyes returned to their normal teal, although they still seemed somewhat unfocused.

"So lonely," she muttered.

"Huh? Sven, what about the scan on Fiesty? I don't know what's wrong with her … maybe some kind of seizure … ?"

To his surprise, Anna ran her fingers softly across his bicep and chest. She snuggled into him, breathing deeply, as if his very scent offered comfort, and presented him with a lazy smile, but then her eyes suddenly came alert and her expression fell flat. "Wh-what are you doing? "

"What am I doing? Listen, you're the doer here … and what about the fit, or seizure, or whatever you just had! Is there something you're not telling me? You sure are full of surprises."

"Her pulse is somewhat elevated and there's a rise in her body temperature. I ran a cursory scan. I could dive deeper," interjected Sven.

"What? No! No scans. I'm okay," Anna assured everyone, although she did look flushed. Once again aware of her posture, she immediately distanced herself from Kristoff, letting go of his arm. She bit her lip then looked back at him with a measure of reproach, as if he had somehow taken advantage of her.

Maybe he took her expression the wrong way … regardless, it cut Kristoff like a razor, hard and deep. He wasn't expecting it, neither the accusing look nor his reaction to it. What was going on with him? To mask his hurt, he segued. "Sven, the area scan? Any more details?"

Sven projected an infrared scan in front of them. A distorted, but large, heat signature was displayed, indicating an object off in the distance from the snowcat, located at the epicenter of the mist.

"Jötnar?"

"I don't know; it would make sense … but something's not quite right about that signal."

"Maybe things are getting scrambled because of the Vortex?" Kristoff was puzzled. "Well, whatever the case, we'll soon be leaving it behind." No sooner did he utter those words that they smashed straight into the storm wall.

Swirling white, sometimes gray, snow enveloped them, violently buffeting the vehicle as it trudged headlong into the Eternal Vortex. The landscape was nothing but a frenzied blur, both visually and otherwise, occasionally aflame with the ball lightning spied earlier from a distance, but now much closer and intense. The flashes only served to obscure the visibility further as light refracted and scattered throughout the front. Battered by the ever-shifting wind, Sven struggled to maintain course, even with his heavy, purpose-built tracks.

Kristoff knew that only the most sophisticated equipment could track their progress through the Vortex; he doubted the Duke had access to any. That was one reason he decided to take this course. He opened a panel in the front console and rummaged through the compartment until his fingers settled on a cloth bag. Retrieving it, he opened it to find an oblong crystal of alien origin. The crystal felt weighty and oddly warm to the touch.

A nearby aperture opened, as if by command, and Kristoff pushed the crystal into the enclosure, letting it settle there. Almost immediately, it began to pulse with light, emitting an amber glow.

"Locked and engaged," announced Sven. "We're on course."

Anna looked at Kristoff curiously. She seemed about to ask him a question, but he turned from her and slumped back into his seat. "Let me know if there's a problem, Sven." It was a long day, the screaming wind and the rocking of the snowcat made it impossible to truly relax, but he was going to try his damndest. He closed his eyes in an attempt to let the tension drain.

An hour had passed, maybe longer. Kristoff couldn't unwind, not really. It wasn't the raging storm that bothered him. He'd been through the Vortex plenty of times. And it wasn't even the sudden appearance of the fog that weighed on his mind—not that he was dismissive of that potential threat; inhabitants of Arendelle-255 always had to be wary. No, his problem was that he couldn't get Anna out of his head. Not only had she managed to get him sucked into a series of unsavory predicaments, but her very presence was causing him to act contrary to his instincts—and that was a fact that truely unsettled him. Wasn't he the guy who never got involved in other people's problems? He, of all people, should know better.

Adding to all of that, his gut told him that there was more to her story than she was letting on. Could he even trust her? In the long run, people were bound to screw you, and here he was, hopelessly tangled up with her. He was probably making a fatal mistake. And what sort of insanity had taken root in his mind to bring her to the Trallis?

She poked him. He ignored her. She poked him again, and he opened a single eye to look. The momentary sight of her took his breath away. Idiot! It was another problem. He decided not to say a thing and continued to ignore her, closing his eye once again and breathing deeply. Not more than a second later he felt a wet finger enter his ear. He bolted upright. "Geez!"

"It's too quiet. We need to talk. Stop ignoring me."

He sighed. "There's a raging storm outside. I'd say it's not quiet enough." He rubbed at his ear. "You know, I'm beginning to understand why this fiance guy was plotting against you …"

Anna ignored his comment. "You mentioned family? What's that all about? Is this gonna be something like Oaken's family?"

Kristoff coughed violently. "What? No!"

"Hmm. Okay. And did we really have to throw ourselves into this Vortex thing? It looks a lot more dangerous than any of those weasel guys would ever be." She pointed to the windows that were being battered by the wind and snow.

"We're gonna have more than just those weasel guys on our tail now." Kristoff grimaced. "Every living soul we run into from here on is a potential threat. The Duke's put a hefty bounty on our heads—you already know that." Anna looked at him intently, as if she was trying to read his mind and gauge the truth in his words. "As for my family, you'll be meeting them soon enough. But, um, fair warning, they are a bit different … Maybe a lot different."

"Ah! So I was right! This is going to be an Oaken-like family. Got it."

"You're infuriating."

She smiled at him mischievously, letting him know she was teasing. Just at that moment, Sven took a sudden turn, causing Anna to careen into Kristoff. "Hey!" they both exclaimed.

"You did that on purpose."

"I did not," countered Kristoff.

"I told you not to get any ideas … I'm pretty sure I made myself clear back at the Duke's." Anna attempted to recover as gracefully as she could.

"Gah. Did I mention that you're infuriating?"

"Hmph!"

The snowcat rapidly entered what looked like a natural depression, except for an invisible barrier that prevented the wind and snow from entering the area. It, otherwise, blended into the terrain. Gradually Sven moved deeper into what developed into a gulch. The noise from the storm was less prevalent now and they continued to travel another 20 meters before coming to a hidden tunnel entrance; soon they were underground, beneath the raging blizzard and the cab became relatively quiet.

Inside an expansive tunnel, multi-colored crystals lined the walls in odd patterns, illuminating their way. "Whoa," remarked Anna. Her head swiveled from left to right. "It's beautiful. What is this place?"

Kristoff smiled. "We're in the Cave of Crystals. It leads to where my family lives."

They trudged on for another ten minutes before the snowcat stopped upon arriving at an especially large cavern. Even more bright crystals were found here, illuminating its walls and ceiling. Various stalactites and stalagmites descended from the cavern's roof or rose from its floor. Crystals sprouted from them as well. The entire space was illuminated in a hue reminiscent of the morning sun surrounded by a sky full of scintillating stars.

Carved into the living rock, a variety of avant-garde buildings could be spotted. Small circular windows with distinct, thick, glass-like coverings gave the structures unique character. Each building's facade was typically covered in photoluminescent blue-green ivy, further distinguishing them from ordinary. In some cases, exotic flowers haphazardly grew in clumps showcasing a variety of distinct blooms. These blooms gave off their own light in a variety of pastels.

Kristoff and Anna exited the snowcat, with Anna turning to and fro as she pulled in the surroundings. They walked for a bit, when she suddenly stopped and twirled in a half-circle. "Wow. Kristoff, this is amazing! Your family lives here?" She place a hand just above her brow. "Oh, look, there's a bunch of other tunnels over there. Where do they go?" Then she pointed to a nearby building. "And look at all the glowing flowers!"

He laughed heartily. "It is amazing. Isn't it? Now just a warning, my family can be a little inappropriate … and loud. Yeah, loud …" He looked at her face briefly. "I'm not scaring you? Am I?"

Before Anna could reply, an oval hatch opened from one of the buildings. A host of creatures exited, each of them about as large as Kristoff, with a fair degree of variance. These creatures had oversized ears, and outsized noses. Their eyes were bulbous and uniformly dark. Their skin gray and rough surfaced.

"Trolls!" exclaimed Anna.

"Shhh. They don't like to be called 'trolls,' they call themselves the Trallis."

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, I should know that … but ... they're your family?"

"It's a long story," answered Kristoff, giving her an awkward grin.

Soon enough, the group of Trallis were just steps away from Anna and Kristoff. Heading the procession was a hunched figure outfitted in a green robe adorned with yellow crystals. He came directly up to the pair. This Trallis sported a large mane of jagged green hair with yellow highlights. His worn teeth shown as he spoke, "Kristoff, it's good to see you! But why are you here? And who is this outsider you've brought with you?"

"Grand Pabbie, this is Anna. Anna, this is Pabbie. He's the leader of the Trallis, and my grandfather."

"It's very nice to meet you," responded Anna. "I've never actually met a Trallis before, although I've heard stories." The Trallis, of course, were a reclusive race who avoided contact with the outside world. Occasionally, denizens of the known universe would come in contact with them, but they famously vanished shortly thereafter, leaving behind rumours and scant knowledge regarding their origins, culture or general habits.

"A human," muttered someone from the crowd.

"It's puny," remarked another, "and has funny looking lumps on its chest."

"I like the spots around its nose!"

"You are a female human," stated Pabbie. "A woman. Yes?"

Anna nodded.

A less weathered Trallis wearing red crystals and with features resembling Pabbie's, but with short, straw colored hair, poked at Anna. "Soft. A lackluster mate for our Kristoff."

"Mom!" cried Kristoff.

Turning to Kristoff, she declared, "Deary, she's a bit of a fixer upper—don't you think?"

"Um… that's—"

Another Trallis embellished with blue crystals interrupted, "And she walks funny, too. I noticed the way her hips swayed when she walked away from Sven. That can't be normal!"

Kristoff attempted to respond, but his mother did so instead, "Now, Cliff, you know better. You shouldn't be pointing out this Anna's handicap. It's one thing to declare her inferior because of her less than sturdy appearance, but the poor dear likely has no control over the way she locomotes. Why, look at the proportion of her hips compared to her waist! It's no wonder she's a cripple."

Kristoff did a face palm. "What? Okay, that's enough! First of all, this isn't about me finding a mate. And, secondly, she's actually quite beautiful by human standards …" It was in that instance that he realized what he had just said … out loud … in front of Anna. He could feel his face reddening. "I mean, not that I really noticed, or anything. Um …" He avoided making eye contact with her and turned to Grand Pabbie. "The point I'm trying to make is that we need your help. We ran into some trouble." Kristoff paused, then began to recount the events leading up to the moment. "It all started when I went to pick up a utility robot from Oaken's …"

A short time later, Grand Pabbie sighed and nodded in acknowledgement. "I see. Well, yes, of course. We'll see what we can do to repair Sven, restock your supplies, etc. We'll be monitoring outside activity on the surface, just in case you may have been traced. In the interim, feel free to stay for as long as you like. It's always good to have you, Kristoff. And any friend of yours is welcome as well. Welcome Anna."

Anna's stomach rumbled. "Speaking of supplies. Is there any chance I could get a sandwich somehow?"

Her question was answered with a peal of laughter.

~* In the House of Westergaard, on the planet Isles, part of the Epsilon Crucis system *~

Prince Hans Westergard of Crux carefully regarded himself in a mirror held by his robo-servant, Sitron. The Prince's auburn locks were immaculate, including his perfectly groomed sideburns. He rehearsed a gamut of expressions: sincere, concerned, mournful, and hopeful to name a few. "How was that, Sitron?"

"Impressive, as usual, Your Highness," replied Sitron. "The convincing range of your expressions are ever increasing. Using the most sophisticated biometrics, I could only judge that your emotions are nothing but sincere." The robo-servant was programmed to never lie.

"Hmm, yes, of course." He brushed at his coattails and adjusted his maroon cravat. The pale blue blouse he wore was tailored precisely to fit his athletic frame, accentuating his broad shoulders and trim waist. It was important to convey his message properly. Crown Princess Elsa of Corona Borealis was famous for her attention to detail, and news regarding the disappearance of her sister had to be delivered with the right measure of emotion and exactitude. "Check my vestments for lint, will you? I want to make sure everything's perfect."

It galled him. How that blasted red-headed ninny left the planet undetected left him in a twist. Heads were already rolling. His carefully laid plans were ruined and now it was time for some triage to salvage what he could.

It had taken years—yes, years—of research and careful timing to spring his scheme and arrange a marriage to Princess Anna. She was young and naive and about as close a chance to ascension to a throne as Hans could hope to get. Being thirteenth in the line of succession meant him having to game the system. And now all his plans had been laid to waste.

What was of more concern was why she had left … no, fled the planet. Initial investigation had unearthed a certain B-9 robot abandoned in a shipping bay. Further digging revealed that the robot was slated to be transported to Arendelle-255—a ghastly, lawless, frostbitten planet on the outskirts of the known universe. That she was clever enough to effectively disappear surprised him. That she escaped to a planet as miserable as Arendelle-255, did not.

Had Anna somehow gotten wind of his scheme? Impossible! Yet, it made the most sense. Hans had only gotten as far as he had due to the fact he never underestimated his prey. If … if … Anna had somehow figured out his plans to usurp the Corona Borealis throne, he would need to arrange for an accident. He wished he could rectify the situation and continue with his original strategy, but sadly, the only safe course was to eliminate the princess. Well, there was always Plan B. Rumor had it that a long lost princess had resurfaced in Corona Australis.

Hans walked beside his robo-servant, catching glimpses of himself on its polished white surface. He had already instructed hand picked members of his personal guard—each of whom were selected from the Crux Special Forces and extensively trained in hand-to-hand combat as well as military tactics—to form a rescue squad and find the Princess. By rescue he, naturally, meant assassination.

Eliminate the Princess was the prime decree. If circumstances dictated, he would arrange for the tragic malfunction of the rescue ship's drive. The antimatter containment field's sudden collapse would prove a mystery to all. The resulting explosion would leave no trace. It was a last resort, but a necessary precaution. He hated wasting well trained troops, as well as such a fine ship. In any case, Princess Anna must never surface, nor could his own secrets ever be revealed.

As they approached the palace's private interstellar communications center, Hans took a few deep breaths to prep himself. Gradually, he managed to summon the necessary emotions. He concentrated on the memory of his three older brother's who ignored him for two years. Tears began to cascade down his cheeks. "Sitron, open a channel to Princess Elsa." There was, of course, a private line that existed between the two royal houses.

A two dimensional projection appeared a few minutes later, revealing a spectacularly beautiful woman with deep blue eyes and platinum blonde hair, not that beauty ever stirred Hans. His lust was for power.

"Elsa! Forgive me, Your Royal Highness!"

"Prince Hans?" He could see her take in his visage and her face suddenly showed concern. "What … what's happened?"

Hans got down on one knee. Clutching his chest, and barely containing his emotions, he beseeched the Crown Princess, "I beg your forgiveness. I have the gravest news … " He sobbed, but then managed to get himself under control. "Elsa, dear sister … I-I don't know how to say this any other way … so let me speak plainly … Anna, our beloved Anna, has been k-kidnapped."

"What!" Princess Elsa's expression immediately crumbled. She, staggered momentarily, but then recovered. He knew the sisters were close and that was a weakness. The fool!

"I know. I know. I feel the same way exactly. Anna is the love of my life! I promise, I will do everything possible to get her back, unharmed."

"D-do you have any idea who the kidnappers are?"

"As far as we know right now, it's only one person. His name … the bastard's name"—Hans's expression changed swiftly to exhibit unbridled hatred—"is Kristoff Bjorgman."

A/N - Boom!

Originally, I wasn't intending to bring Hans' perspective into this chapter (or any chapter). I'm still not sure if it's a good call. Let me know what you think.

Oh, and in case you didn't know, Crux is the constellation known as the "Southern Cross." Epsilon Crucis is an orange hued star that is part of that system. Whereas, Corona Borealis and Corona Australis are the constellations known as the Northern and Southern Crowns, respectively.