Chapter: 3 A Cold Reception
"Limits, like rules, are sometimes unknown until broken."
A noble opportunity! Under the temporary tutelage of Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi, padawan Elsa Dellian travels deep into the Anoat Sector of the Outer Rim Territories. Nervous being so far from the Jedi Temple since her earliest memories, Elsa tries to steady herself. While she feels safe alongside "The Negotiator" himself, Elsa worries what tribulations await their diplomatic mission on the ice planet of Hoth.
The Republic Y-wing starfighter thundered out of hyperspace and Elsa felt her stomach churning from the gunner's seat. A dull headache formed in the back of her head as she tried to recline. Her eyes widened upon realizing her woozy groans were heard from the cockpit. "Elsa?" Obi-wan asked. "Are you alright."
"I think so?" she grumbled. "Is flying always this...sickening?"
"For some, yes." the Jedi Master said. "I'm not a particular fan of interstellar ventures myself. Just try to focus on our destination."
Elsa took a deep breath and peered out her viewport. Amidst the vast array of stars was the great, pale sphere of Hoth. Given how nauseous and overheated she felt in the cockpit, Elsa looked forward to touching down on the desolate ice planet. She clenched her seat cushion as the ship rumbled through Hoth's atmosphere. As the ship soared over its ceaseless snowscape, Elsa awed over the beauty of it all. A herd of tauntauns dashed across the glacial plains as icy winds battered their furs.
"I thought Hoth was devoid of intelligent life," Elsa said. "What diplomacy are we possibly going to engage in out here?"
"The Republic has a small outpost established on this world," Obi-wan explained. "I've been called in by its overseer to discuss a matter pertaining to a spacer dispute."
"Who better to request than 'The Negotiator' himself?" Elsa admired. "Your reputation precedes you, Master Kenobi. I wholeheartedly agree that Jedi could solve so much more through the skillful art of conversation."
"If only more padawans thought as you did," Obi-wan jested. "Keep that mindset and it will serve you well in your trials, Padawan Dellian." Elsa beamed with a hint of pride, feeling as though Yelana had done right by her. She also couldn't fathom how Anakin Skywalker could turn out so reckless with a master like Obi-wan. She considered it an honorable privilege to study under him. She promised herself she'd heed his teachings and prevent being anywhere near as unorthodox as Anakin or even her sister. "Standby," Obi-wan said. "We're coming up on the outpost now."
Elsa felt the landing gears grind beneath as the ship descended. The Y-wing sunk into a slope as if the planet consumed it. In reality, the outpost's hangar had been intricately carved to blend in with its icy environment. The snow-covered plains transitioned to a durasteel facility teeming with faceless clone troopers. Elsa pressed her face against the viewport, awestruck at the sight of them all. She'd only seen Republic forces plastered on propaganda posters and swirling on HoloNet footage.
"By the Force," Elsa marveled. "Look how diligently they work."
Obi-wan chuckled to himself. "You can get a better view outside the ship."
"Right," Elsa murmured and hastily unbuckled. She scrambled to join Obi-wan as they were met by a lumbering Ithorian. A pair of black eye stalks stretched from his dark red skin and blinked fervently at the sight of Jedi. His Republic uniform was well-pressed for presentation, but Elsa was particularly interested in the device harnessed to his back. Its elongated prongs stretched to both of the Ithorian's mouths and picked up each sound it made. "Master Kenobi," Elsa whispered. "What are those?"
"He's wearing a translating vocoder," Obi-wan answered. "With two mouths and four throats, Ithorians speak in stereophonic tones. That unique device will instantly translate any word he says in Ithorese to Galactic Basic so we can understand him."
"Fascinating," Elsa replied.
The Ithorian's guttural language was barely audible over the vocoder's translations. "Welcome to Hoth, Master Jedi. I am Marshal Kobb Rubo and I thank you for answering my call." He shook hands with Obi-wan and Elsa observed Kob's elongated, glossy digits. Kobb motioned to a heavily armored clone with turquoise markings. "This is Commander Surge of the 213th battalion stationed here."
"It's an honor," Surge said and saluted. His helmet tilted towards Elsa and gestured to her robes. "Given your colors, young one...I'd think you were in my unit."
"Is this your apprentice?" Kobb asked.
How I wish, Elsa regretfully thought to herself.
"She's on a temporary assignment to study diplomacy," Obi-wan answered. "Speaking of which, what is it you need of us?"
The ensuing silence prompted Kobb to throw up is hands. "Surely there will be time for negotiations later. Allow me to show you around the facility. I'm certain at least the youngling will find it most exciting." He strutted ahead with the commander in tow.
Elsa turned to Obi-wan for orders as he raised a finger. "Always remember, Padawan Dellian." he said. "Patience is the greatest virtue."
"I couldn't agree more," Elsa insisted, much to Obi-wan's commendation.
"If only my former padawan was as level-headed as you," Obi-wan added.
His closing statement made Elsa's heart pound. She battled to conceal a giddy smile and trailed after Master Kenobi. Though she sought not to get distracted, Elsa found herself dwelling on his compliment as they toured the outpost. The expansive hangar was traded for tightly-packed, underground corridors burrowed deep into Hoth's terrain. The group passed through a maintenance depot where multiple droids and vehicles were constantly being serviced. Elsa stood mouth agape at the amount of creative construction and repairs happening all in one chamber. She wished she could design droids as sturdy as an astromech or capable as a protocol.
Noticing her amazement, Obi-wan placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Tell me, Elsa. Do you fancy yourself as an inventor?"
"Of sorts," she confided in him.
"Why don't you survey this facility's happenings?" he asked and then leaned in to whisper. "I sense something off-putting about Marshal Rubo. I need you to wait here while I find out what exactly is going on."
"I understand, Master Kenobi." Elsa replied as Obi-wan returned to Kobb. She spun towards the whir and flicker of machinery. So many clone troopers and technicians bustled about, laboring away at their daily tasks. While Elsa could sense the dull stasis most of the clones were entranced in, one seemed particularly frustrated.
"Come on you blasted-" the clone grunted. He struggled to keep a gonk droid level while servicing its circuitry. The blocky machine could hardly stand as the clone shuffled between its legs. "Hold still, will you?" A spurt of oil leaked from the gonk's undercarriage and splattered onto his helmet, prompting laughter from his comrades. Elsa gasped as the clone's miscalculated repair caused the gonk to collapse toward him. She reached out with the Force and stopped the droid from smashing his face into the chilled ground. The clone looked upon his rescuer and scrambled to his feet. His hands hurriedly wiped away fresh oil before being plastered to his sides. "I was just finishing up! CT-1127 awaiting orders, general."
Elsa was equally embarrassed and fiddled with her braid. "Oh I'm no general," she insisted.
The clone relaxed into a slouch and gestured to her robes. "Apologies...Master...erhm...Jedi. I just assumed based on the coloring of your uniform that the 213th had finally recieved a Jedi general."
How my sister would be soaking up this moment, Elsa thought.
"But what do I know?" The clone continued. "I'm just a shinie."
"Shinie?" Elsa inquired.
"It's what they call rookie clones. My armor's all shiny having never seen the field of battle, especially on a deserted planet like Hoth. I've run plenty of simulations though. Lemme tell you, nothing like blasting holograms for hours." Elsa didn't have to be a Jedi to sense his overflowing sarcasm. "But I'm in no rush to see combat. Everyone has to pay their dues until they're called where they need to be. My dues entail dealing with rustbuckets like this gonk."
"Hey," Elsa intoned. "That GNK-series power droid is getting by just the same as us. Perhaps I can be of assistance." She knelt beside the clone and examined the gonk's circuits.
"Need a Jedi's help, eh Clumsy?" another clone jeered.
"Clumsy?" his partner scoffed. "I thought we settled on Poodoo?" The boisterous duo cackled off to themselves and returned to their post.
"Please don't listen to them," the shinie whispered. "Just call me 1127."
"I use to think all clones had nicknames," Elsa admitted. "But I've spent most of my years in the Jedi Temple, and the 213th consists of the first real clones I've ever seen."
1127 sighed. "Don't tell anyone this, but you're the first Jedi I've ever seen." Elsa paused and raised a brow to him. "It's true. I was so far back in the recruiting battalion, I didn't even see Master Shaak Ti on Kamino. I'm a real mess, I am. When it comes to a nickname, I want to feel I've earned it. Once I accomplish something remarkable, then I can feel like more than a number." Elsa chuckled softly. "Something funny to you?"
"Just that we may not be so different," she insisted. "I don't exactly fit in at the Jedi Temple." She twisted wires and cranked a gear into place. "At least you know what the others call you. I just keep to myself. There are thousands of Jedi rising to protect the galaxy, so where do I even fit in that?" She shifted a circuit board across its proper panel. Her eyes narrowed as an epiphany struck her. "1127," she beckoned. "Look here." He leaned over her shoulder as she pointed to the gonk's inner workings. "See the amount of pieces that go into keeping this gonk alive? What if it's the same for us?"
"I don't follow," 1127 admitted.
"Sure, we may be pieces in the grand machine of life. Others may even look just like us, but we serve unique purposes. If one of us disappeared, the rest would be in disarray. But if everyone performs at their best-" Elsa finished connecting wires and sealed the gonk's lateral hatch. She flipped a switch on its undercarriage and ran her hands across the top. Elsa loosed a resonating sigh as if she was breathing life into droid. Both she and 1127 flinched as the gonk rebooted in optimal condition. "Success!" Elsa cheered and quieted herself hastily after.
The droid hobbled into its first few steps and turned to its savior. Elsa giggled as it emitted joyous, rather comical honks of gratitude to her. "Did the Jedi teach you that?" 1127 asked.
Elsa felt safe around the rookie. He'd openly confessed a portion of his age-accelerated life to her and she believed they shared similar struggles. "I'll let you in on a secret," she said. "I'm actually working on a droid back at the temple myself."
"A Jedi and an inventor." 1127 gave the gonk a few pats and chuckled to himself. "Whatever droid you're building will be in great hands."
Obi-wan followed Kobb down a continuous path of icy corridors. "I do hope you've enjoyed the tour, Master Kenobi," Kobb said. "I understand how this outpost may seem quite dull and rage-inducing, but I assure you it has its perks."
"Whatever are you going on about?" Obi-wan asked, slowly losing his valued patience.
"The quietness of this cold, cold place." Kobb lamented. "It's enough to drive anyone insane. When I graduated top of my class at the academy, the last thing I expected was to be the glorified supervisor on some snowball in space. If I have to listen to these clones any longer I'll-"
"Marshal Rubo," Obi-wan asserted. "Though I sense you believe your position to be a waste of Republic resources, you'd best explain yourself before my presence is deemed one as well." The Ithorian's vocoder strobed as he mumbled to himself. "You requested Jedi aid with trade negotiations."
"I-I do need aid," Kobb admitted. "It's just..." He glanced over at Commander Surge, who was stationed at the back door. "I've had to keep things quiet for as long as I can." Obi-wan stroked his beard inquisitively as Kobb came clean. "Several days ago, a foreign object crash landed several miles from this outpost. We thought it was a meteor, but it's procedure to send someone out to investigate. The last thing the patrol expected to find was a Separatist reconnaissance module."
Obi-wan's eyes widened. "And you waited this long to inform anyone?"
"Oh I informed someone," Kobb insisted. "I've placed a call to the Separatist Alliance, not as an enemy...but as a business man."
"Have you gone mad?"
"Spare me the lecture, general." Kobb groaned. "I've brokered a deal with them. They'll get their recon module back in exchange for one hundred Twi'lek prisoners. Imagine what kind of information must be on that module for them to agree-"
"Because there will be no deal!" Obi-wan exclaimed. "Ryloth is under Separatist occupation, and they would only use its people as a bartering tool to trick you into this foolish agreement. How could you go through with this?"
"So I could be a hero, General Kenobi." Kobb jabbed a leathery digit at the Jedi. "Not all of us can swing a lightsaber, you know. Have some faith in negotiations, Mr. Negotiator. Once the exchange is made, I'll be given a promotion. The Republic will see that while I can't liberate all of Ryloth, I can gather what tailheads I can for the greater good. A promotion will follow and I can say goodbye to this dismal rock. Who cares what becomes of the 213th if it means inevitable freedom? Surely a general who expends clones daily can understand."
"You speak for yourself," Obi-wan retorted. "None of the qualities you possess are those of a proper leader. I'm contacting the Republic immediately."
"Sirs," Commander Surge interrupted. "A Separatist dreadnought has come out of hyperspace. They've dispatched a landing carrier to our sector."
"Right on schedule," Kobb chuckled. "Come, General Kenobi. If you truly wish to help, I'll need you to see our Twi'lek friends have been treated fairly for my heroic exchange. Commander Surge, prepare retrieval on the recon module."
Obi-wan remained stern-faced as Kobb strutted into the elevator. "All you've done is put everyone in this facility at risk," he said.
"Risk is part of the game, is it not?" Kobb quipped. "I do hope I look presentable. The holograms don't do my face justice, you know."
As the two reached the outpost's surface level, Obi-wan sensed a drastic disturbance in the Force. He peered across the glacial plain and observed the hulking, Separatist carrier. "Marshal," he said. "You need to listen very closely."
Kobb finished wrapping a scarf around his bulbous neck. "Please. I-"
"You called for my help, here it is. Whatever you're seeking on that ship isn't there. We need to begin outpost evacuations effective immediately."
Kobb's unfazed demeanor faltered for a moment. He noticed the severity in Obi-wan's glare, yet still he persisted towards the carrier. Its dreadful ramp extended as a brigade of battle droids marched out. Alone, their skeletal frames would prove laughable. But together, the cadence of their metal heels was ominous to the ears. A hunched, heavily armored figure marched between the droids. His hardened frame matched the snowy ground as his taloned feet dug into it. His sharp-clawed hands were clenched with each stride across the plain.
"But..." Kobb stuttered. "Where are the Twi'leks? We had a deal!" He ran to the Separatists as fast as his stocky legs could carry him.
"No!" Obi-wan warned.
Kobb closed in on the droids' deadly leader, feeling nerves overtake him with each step. The cyborg's skull-like face resembled those of the Kaleesh warriors of his past. His piercing, yellow eyes observed Kobb as he pleaded. "What is the meaning of this?" the Ithorian asked. "I have the module, as was agreed. Where's your end of the bargain?"
"Right here," the caped leader said and ignited a green lightsaber. Before he could strike down the cowering Marshal, Obi-wan used the Force to pull him back. Kobb yelped as the lightsaber barely missed his neck and he found himself stumbling into Obi-wan's arms.
"I don't understand," Kobb panted. "I followed the rules."
"Yes," Obi-wan admitted before staring at his adversary. "But General Grievous doesn't."
"Kenobi," Grievous growled. "Now this is interesting." Obi-wan rushed Kobb inside as the general commanded his droids. "Storm the base and recover the module! Slaughter Republic forces, but Kenobi is mine!"
Sirens blared as Elsa and 1127 bolted to their feet. The gonk beside them swiveled worriedly as clones scrambled across the maintenance bay. Sporadic rumbles shook the base until the duo lost their footing. "Is this some kind of drill?" Elsa asked while hoping to be proved wrong. Her senses overwhelmed her with notions of doom and destruction.
Obi-wan's voice crackled through Elsa's wrist comm and she leaned in to listen. "Elsa!" he warned. "The base is under attack." Her heart sank upon hearing such as he continued. "Can you fly the Y-wing?"
"I've never flown before," she admitted.
"Evacuation procedures are underway. Stay with the clones and get offworld as quickly as you can. Once at a safe distance, contact the Republic and do not wait up for me."
Elsa bit her lip. "But-"
"I'm doing my job so you can do yours!" Obi-wan's harsh tone caught her by surprise. The sound of blasterfire and the swing of his lightsaber made her heart race as the transmission ended.
"Master Kenobi!" Elsa haplessly called into her comm.
Commander Surge skidded into the bay. "Maintenance teams!" he announced. "Fall back to the gunships and prepare for immediate evac! Second company will cover you!"
1127 and Elsa exchanged nods and rushed alongside the group. She used the Force to prop the gonk droid on a nearby hovercart and continued on her way. "We're getting bombed!" someone shouted as a series of bursts rocked the outpost. An ear-splitting blast sent ice and durasteel spiraling across the corridor as everyone lunged for cover. Elsa and 1127 sought safety down the hall, but found an intense firefight between clones and battle droids instead. Blue lasers zipped between red beams as the second company held their ground.
Just when the Separatist wave seemed beaten back, a flashing orb ricocheted off the walls and landed beside a clone's foot. "Grenade!" he yelled and rushed to throw it back. He scooped the thermal detonator into his palm as it unfortunately exploded. Fiery shrapnel blasted across the corridor and smashed a hole directly through the clones' defensive line. Elsa shuddered at the sight of so many massacred clones. The droids advanced mercilessly, firing indiscriminately into the smoke. The rest of the second company was forced to fall back under the incoming wave, keeping their heads down to avoid stray lasers.
1127 noticed a clone writhing among the dead. His skirt-like kama was torn, but nonetheless remained a symbol of his rank. "It's Commander Surge!" 1127 realized. "We can't leave him." He scavenged a fallen blaster rifle and fired bursts at the incoming droids. Noticing his heroic efforts, Elsa reached out with the Force to suspend several fragments of debris. She used them to form a makeshift shield to hover beside 1127 as he grabbed Surge.
"Eat laser, you dirty clankers!" the belligerent commander roared. He drew his pistol and fired wildly while 1127 dragged him to safety. "Die! Die! Die!" He blasted away until empty clicks echoed across the hall.
Once 1127 cleared the corner with Surge on his shoulders, Elsa sealed the passage with debris. "It won't hold them for long," Elsa apprised.
They hurried to catch up with the evac teams in a hangar filled with gunships. 1127 plopped Surge beside the nearest craft and examined his scorched armor. "You're gonna be alright, commander." he assured.
"Good for nothing, clankers." Surge hissed. "Speaking of good for nothing, hey Jedi..." His helmet tilted up so his visor would meet Elsa's hip. "What good is a lightsaber if you're not going to use it? We could've held."
A clone medic slid to Surge's side and opened a medpac. "I'll take it from here," he said.
"We could've held!" Surge reiterated as his medic tried to calm him down.
Elsa backed away and started hyperventilating. The commander's words coupled with the ensuing atrocities conjured a venomous guilt within her. She thought of her lacking saber skills and what the other padawans spoke of her.
"When you keep to yourself, you don't realize how many people actually talk about you. Elsa Dellian, the padawan recluse who can barely hold a lightsaber." Hans' poisonous words seared into her mind as she envisioned all of the deceased clones. Perhaps she really could've saved them. Maybe it was her duty as a Jedi to perish either alongside them or give her life so that they might live.
I shouldn't be here, Elsa tormented herself. This was a mistake. I-
"Hey!" 1127 shouted. "Snap out of it!"
She rubbed her temples and focused on him. The tumultuous ruckus of boots shuffling into gunships filled the air. "Out of my way!" Kobb wailed through the pandemonium. The frantic Ithorian practically threw himself onto the nearest craft and slid into a corner. "What are you waiting for, pilot?" he whimpered. "Take off!"
"Wait," Elsa insisted. "Where is Master Kenobi?"
"Who knows?" Kobb blurted. "Who darn well cares?" Elsa glowered at the Republic marshal, disgusted with his true nature under pressure.
With a deep breath, Elsa hopped off the gunship as 1127 leaned over. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"Master Kenobi is still out there," she replied. "I can't just leave him!"
"You'll be killed!" 1127's words faded beneath the overhead bombings. Though determination was imprinted across her face, fear pried from within. Her body moved impulsively down each, blaster-scorched corridor. No matter the risk, Elsa knew she'd never sleep again had she left on that gunship. The clamor of marching droids made her slide for cover. The steady beat contrasted her racing heart as she slowly reached for her lightsaber. Her fingers grazed the hilt as she contemplated what skill to use. Combat techniques meshed together like a ball of frustrating forms. The snowy clusters in the corner of her eyes seemed to move and she quickly spun. Instead of being clumps of snow, what she'd observed was actually a familiar...white-armored figure.
Before 1127 could utter a word, Elsa Force-pulled him to her side and shushed him. "What were you thinking?" she whispered sharply.
"That you needed backup," he replied with a shake of his rifle.
Elsa simpered and pat his shoulder. "Thanks. I'm glad y-"
"Corporal," a battle droid stated. "We've cleared the northwest corridor and Republic forces are in full retreat. There's still no sign of the module."
The corporal's vocoder sounded raspy and battle-damaged. "The General wants the entire base overturned until it's recovered."
"Roger roger."
Elsa and 1127 exchanged perplexed glances. "Any idea what they're talking about?" she asked.
"When you work in the maintenance bays, you tend to overhear things." 1127 admitted. "The marshal had several technicians attempt to decode a foreign object. When they failed, he said he had alternative means for it. We can't let the clankers take it, especially after all of this."
Elsa bit her lip and stared down the bleak corridors. "But-"
"We don't know where General Kenobi is," 1127 intoned. "But we can make a difference right now and secure that module." He started towards the opposite passageway. "Time is against us, and you have a choice to make."
As Elsa observed 1127, she imagined his corpse among those blasted with the second company. "Lead on," she decided and dashed after him. Their heels kicked up ice pellets as they rounded an unscathed corner. 1127's hand jolted upright as he realized they'd been beaten to the lab. A squad of snow-splattered droids had fanned out to search the room for their module.
"I count three B1's." 1127 said. "How do you want to go about taking these steel skeletons down?" Elsa clenched her fist and knelt to observe the droids. She fought to firmly clasp her lightsaber and when she did, she couldn't pry it free. Frustration boiled within as she couldn't bring herself to a decision. Beneath the surface of Hoth, Elsa felt just as frozen. She couldn't even understand why. Noticing her internal conflict, 1127 placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "I'll take point," he reassured her and crept into the room. Elsa watched as the clone crouched beside a droid who'd strayed too far from the others. It shuffled through an array of clamoring trays, and 1127 used the sounds to his advantage. Elsa gasped as he lunged for the droid's lanky neck and snapped it. Sparks flashed across the snow while loose wiring slipped between 1127's fingers. He left his kill amongst the rest of the scrap and remained in cover. Elsa had barely comprehended what he'd done by the time he'd made short work of the second droid.
She focused on their lifeless parts as a third came into view. "OOM-348?" It inquired. "OOM-349? Where'd you go?" While the B1 units weren't the brightest, Elsa still felt sympathetic towards them. She secretly wished the droid would depart in search of its comrades and be spared a cruel fate. Before it could beckon its squad once more, 1127 kicked at one of its ankles. The droid collapsed into the snow and met the clone's lethal heel.
His stealth came to a daunting demise as a fourth droid emerged from a blind spot. "Clone!" it shouted and trained its blaster on him. 1127 dodged a spray of red lasers and sent one of his blue bolts surging into its head.
The droid collapsed as the doors behind it opened. A thickly-armored droid stepped over its blasted predecessor, permitting its dreadful presence to command the room. Its steel was of the darkest greys and blues as it lumbered towards 1127. "Karabast!" the clone cursed. "It's a super battle droid!" He fired several lasers, all of which merely scraped the droid's hefty casing. It reached for his blaster and crunched it as if it were paper. 1127 flailed in the super's grasp and haplessly punched away at its soulless face. While holding him in one of its clutches, the droid pressed its wrist-mounted blaster to 1127's chest. The clone desperately elbowed it away and howled with pain from the impact. Elsa cringed as the super flung 1127 across the lab and into a storage shelf. She lunged into the room and threw her hands forward. Reaching through the Force, Elsa hoisted the super into the air to keep it from pursuing. Once 1127 realized his blaster was destroyed, he called to Elsa. "Destroy it!" The super still shifted its arm, despite Elsa's grip on it. "Watch those wrist rockets!"
"I-" Elsa grunted as she applied pressure on the droid. Her simple ensnarement became a formidable device of crushing proportions. The droid's metal casings dented as its face began to scrunch. The bolts on its wrists and ankles trembled as Elsa coiled her fingers. "I..." She looked into its hollow eyes and searched past its programming. Through those vacant voids, Elsa saw the same potential the gonk carried...or any droid for that matter. She wondered what separated her own creation from the super battle droid, and in turn released her grip on it. "I can't do it," she admitted as the droid listed back to the floor. "It's as alive as we are." Despite her words, Elsa hung her head in shame...only to raise it at the sound of a weapon priming. The super didn't care if Elsa had spared it and took aim at her. A scorching, scarlet laser zipped from its wrist as 1127 leapt in front of her. The shot struck across his face and his body was sent spiraling into debris. "No!" Elsa wailed and thrust a hand. Acting on sheer impulse, she pulled the droid towards her and hastily ignited her lightsaber. Her ensuing uppercut left the foe skidding across the floor in a neat bisection.
Elsa felt nauseous as she glared at the droid parts. She furiously deactivated her lightsaber and threw it across the room as if it were ablaze. Her heart thundered as she saw 1127's limp legs stretched beneath a toppled shelf. His body was no different then those blasted to shreds in the second company as Elsa realized she'd failed once more. How could she even call herself a Jedi when such guilt clawed within? Her eyes swelled with tears until she heard a familiar groan. The legs shifted and she rigorously Force-pushed the debris off of them. A dazed 1127 sat up as Elsa rushed to his side. She found relief in his human face, as it was just as nervous as hers. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I was weak."
"Weak...no," 1127 coughed. "Scared, yes. I am too." A distant glint caught both their gazes as a metallic device came into view. "I don't believe it." 1127 rushed up to it and examined the hexagonal, Separatist symbol etched on it. "It's the module! We gotta get this thing out of here."
Elsa's boot bumped 1127's damaged helmet and she quickly recovered it. She hovered her hand over the still smoking plastoid and grimaced at the cracked visor. "I believe this is yours," Elsa said.
"I'll trade you," 1127 quipped as he offered Elsa her lightsaber. She stared at the gleaming hilt with seething anguish, yet willed herself to take it.
The doors beside them hissed open and the repeated crackle of lightsabers followed. Blues and greens whirled in bright conflagrations as the dueling intensified. "You've failed, Grievous." Obi-wan jeered. "The outpost has been evacuated and the module along with it!"
"General Kenobi!" 1127 called.
"We have the module," Elsa added.
There was a brief pause as Grievous turned to them. His yellow, reptilian eyes blinked in astonishment. "Excellent," he declared and batted Obi-wan's saber away.
"What are you still doing here?" Obi-wan scolded while dueling. "Run!"
"All units, converge on my position." Grievous commanded.
Time was of the essence as Elsa sparked up her lightsaber. Her stance was wobbly and her form nonexistent. Grievous' rapid strikes were grossly intimidating and lacked any opening. If she couldn't even best Anna, what made her think she could fend of a Separatist general? Though exhausted, Obi-wan continued to valiantly retaliate. Elsa couldn't risk another close call and stepped towards the fray. Before she advanced any further, she heard 1127 shout from behind her. "Incoming!" Elsa spun and saw waves of battle droids marching down the hall. She raised her blade to block incoming fire, and gained confidence from deflecting the first bolts. Without a weapon, 1127 cradled the module and pressed himself against the wall. On the opposite side, Grievous stepped away from his opponent and raised his arms. To Elsa's horror, the general split his forearms and grabbed two more lightsabers. Obi-wan struggled to withstand the fury from all four of Grievous' arms while Elsa grew overwhelmed with laserfire. 1127 crouched as the wall around him became blasted to pieces. She deactivated her weapon and joined the clone in cover as he protested. His yells muffled against her ears as she retreated into her mind.
Elsa's heart pounded until she felt it would explode out of her chest. Her shallow breaths hastened until her fingers went numb. At this rate, she believed the hall would be their icy grave. Both her and Obi-wan's lightsabers would be the latest additions to Grievous' infamous collection. The module would fall back into Separatist hands with who knew what dreadful information. Her quest to become a knight would end, and no one would ever understand what had truly transpired. If only she had been stronger...faster...bolder...
Doubt clashed with insurmountable fury as Elsa let out a wild scream. She flung her hands to the unseen sky as their surroundings quaked. Pipelines fractured and icicles rained across the flooring. The droids ceased fire while several lost their balance. Grievous and Obi-wan could hardly continue dueling as the ground beneath them fissured and the ceiling caved in. Nothing 1127 shouted could stop Elsa as she pushed her Force powers onward, as if she was folding the entire base in on itself. She loosed an animalistic cry as the walls bursted into crumbling chunks. She reaped destruction in one hand and safely encased her companions in the other. Layers of tightly packed snow collapsed on Elsa's invisible bubble as she burrowed through with the Force.
Obi-wan slid to her side and hoisted his hands to aid her efforts. "It's too much!" he warned. "We'll find another way!"
Elsa refused to yield as veins pulsed across her neck. Her braids came undone and her locks swayed in sweaty masses of platinum blonde. The seams encasing her fingers ripped and stitching spewed like threaded entrails. Tears fled her tightly shut eyes as an avalanche of snow crashed through her barrier. Amidst the rising chaos, Elsa let go...submitting herself to a frigid fate. The cold, quiet blackness claimed her as she reached a higher level of sensation. Though she saw nothing, she felt countless droids buried beneath the snow. She somberly sensed General Grievous crawling out of his entrapment like an insect and escaping to the surface. A sharp coldness manifested across Elsa's face as her eyes fluttered open. Buried and immobilized by snow, she used what motion she had in her fingers to dig an air pocket around her face. She spit out sludge and gasped in the chilled darkness, wondering how deep underground she was. The snow shifted beside her as she felt a familiar presence in the Force. An energy field shifted her free of her burial and sunlight struck her eyes. Two prominent silhouettes loomed over her with the brightest sky behind them.
The closest figure came into focus, and Elsa gently embraced an exhausted Obi-wan. "It's alright. You're safe now." he assured. "Try not to move too much. You're very weak."
"You almost fell over telling her that," the clone behind him said. Elsa's hope fleeted as she realized his armor was lined with yellow markings instead of blue.
"Very funny, Cody." Obi-wan sighed. "Any sign of Grievous?"
Cody shook his head. "He might've made it offworld before we got here. By the time we got the distress signal we-"
"1127," Elsa blurted. Obi-wan and Cody paused in bewilderment as Elsa limped across the snow. "The clone that was with me. He was right beside..." She scoured the glacial plain with bloodshot eyes. "1127!" she screeched until her throat went raw.
"You two were down there for quite some time before our relief teams found you," Cody admitted. "I'm sorry. There's no one else down here."
"No," Elsa intoned. "You found Master Kenobi, you found me...we'll find him." She dropped to her knees and shoved her hands into the snow. With twitching eyes closed, Elsa whispered to her sacred ally. "With the Force as my guide, I ask to find my friend. No, I beg you. Please show me my friend." Elsa searched through her mind's eye and visualized the recesses beneath her. Past the refuse and discarded droids, she swore she felt the man she'd come to call a friend. "There!" she exclaimed and Force-pulled mounds of snow. Obi-wan huffed but ultimately joined in. Cody and the clones under him watched as both Jedi hoisted clusters of snow across the plain. Elsa heaved until fatigue dragged her face-first into the very hole she'd created.
Obi-wan placed a calming hand on her shoulder as she sat up in silence. "Elsa," he whispered mournfully. "I'm so very sorry."
Hoth's bitter winds brushed against Elsa, yet she didn't budge. She remained knelt in the snow, staring in her bleak pit of despair. She thought of the code and how "There is no death, there is the Force." Yet here, there was only death and the Force had forsaken her. Elsa reached up and took Obi-wan's hand. He raised a brow as she squeezed and shoved it off of her.
Elsa dove into the snow and clawed with her bare hands. Her hair was a disheveled mess, blocking half of her view as she dug with her last ounces of strength. Obi-wan and Cody exchanged a grim glance before the Jedi Master approached her again. "Elsa," he said.
She didn't waste energy on a verbal response. All she could do was whimper and shake her head while her aching fingers scooped clusters of snow. "She can't go on much longer, General." Cody relented. "We need to get her out of here. She-" Elsa swept a mound of ice away before collapsing beside it. A black-gloved hand stretched out from where she'd excavated and Cody nearly choked. "I'll be damned. I need a relief squad down here, now!"
Elsa rolled over with straying eyes as the others continued her digging. A frail, wobbly smile found its way across her face as 1127 was hauled out. His armor was completely coated in a layer of frost as they yanked off his helmet. "By the Force," Obi-wan gasped. "He's alive."
"You can thank the ventilators in his helmet for that one, sir." Cody admitted.
1127 coughed and let his arms relax. He was barely able to shift the device nestled between them to Obi-wan. "General...this...is for you." he croaked.
"The module," Obi-wan realized. "Well done, trooper!"
"Thanks for saving me," 1127 said as they loaded him onto a stretcher.
"Don't thank us," the master replied and motioned to the stretcher beside him. "Elsa never gave up on you."
"I knew there was something extraordinary about you," The rookie clone said and offered Elsa quivering smile. "What were you thinking?" he winced.
"That you needed backup." She quipped and they shook weary hands. She used her thumb to brush the ice crystals off his knuckles and hummed deeply in thought. "I think I've got a nickname for you."
"Which one have I earned?" he asked.
Elsa smirked through her tiredness and uttered, "Frost."