Chapter: 32 The Extraction
"No soul is lost forever. Redemption begins with a single step, a simple word, and an open mind."
A fractured paradise! Determined to locate her missing sister by any means, Elsa Dellian ventured to a Rovani settlement known as "The Court of Miracles." Once there, she sought the help of their captive, old acquaintance and notorious pirate...Captain Jack Convore. But the negotiations were short and a fleet of pirates descended upon the Dantooine settlement. Elsa joined Jedi Masters Yelena and Mattias to defend the Court of Miracles, but ultimately struck a deal with Convore. If she helps him reclaim the Black Pearl, he will provide vital aid in the search for Anna. With the galaxy spiraling into disarray, battles continue to be fought in the shadows. While Elsa finds herself captured aboard the Black Pearl, the Republic sends an elite task force to the Inner Rim world of Bogden...
To the ignorant, close-minded spacer, Inner Rim world's were considered the safest. But with twenty moons and a consistent flow of smugglers, Bogden was anything but safe. Conflict had once been so common, that the remnants of such bloodshed now formed a ring of debris around the planet. No one came to Bogden unless they wanted to disappear or have someone killed. The ghastly world was a swampy mess shrouded in muck and despair. Some spice-runners and other arms dealers had shifted operations offworld due to the planet's insidious rumors. Some said you could get lost in Bogden's marshes for decades and every mangrove would still be identical. Legends told of spacers who were driven insane in those sinister swamps. Yet still, there were those who chose to call Bogden home.
Beyond the wetlands and gunky slopes rested a dimly-lit compound. A scarce assortment of varying power cells kept its halls aglow as the darkness of night set in. The compound's quaint porch creaked when a stocky Pau'an stepped out. A long-barreled blaster rifle swayed in his arms as he patrolled the perimeter. His inky, black eyes swayed across the foggy land before he called on his comlink. "Sector's secure, ma'am. Another quiet night."
"All fog and crickets out here," a Rodian gunman called in from a muddy pathway. "Just the way I like it."
On the opposite side of the complex, an orange skinned Nautolan walked his route. "We're all clear on the northeast side," he boasted. "Business as usual."
"Does it ever change?" a fourth voice jested. It came from a scar-faced Zabrak stationed in the nearby tower. He peered through the scope of his sniper rifle and observed the nearby terrain.
"For the credits we're getting?" a Sullustan bellowed while entering the complex. "I'll take staring at trees on this dungheap any day."
"Hey Tunkus," the Pau'an said. "Ma'am isn't answering her calls. Go relay the all clear, will ya?"
"Of course," the Sullustan grumbled. "After all, I do everything else around here." The obese alien trudged down a set of decrepit stairs. He paused upon hearing faint bleating behind one of the doors. "Hey," Tunkus murmured. "Hey!" He furiously punched and kicked at the door until the sounds silenced. "Shut up!" The Sullustan's jowls flopped with his scowl. "Damn cattle." He scratched his flabby rear and proceeded to the back of the complex. The sound of a conversation in the darkness made him freeze. Tunkus' bulbous, black eyes further widened upon seeing the flickering light of a hologram. "M-ma'am?" he stuttered.
A woman's pale finger rose from behind her seat and served as a silent warning for Tunkus to wait. She proceeded to speak with the unseen hologram. "I trust everything is to your liking?" the woman asked.
"She's phenomenal," the client responded. Their voice was intentionally distorted through the holocom. "Worth every credit and there are others I know of who would pay handsomely for your merchandise."
"Shoot me the names and talk to your middlemen," the woman said. "I'll see what best suits who and we'll be in touch." She hung up the call and spun in her seat. Tunkus watched his superior pour a packet of scarlet spice into a thin pipe. The brief spark of her igniter illuminated her face and she smoked the powdery stimulant. "I love me a good deal," she coughed as the drug ravaged her insides. "What is it, Tunkus?"
"Just wanted to give you the all clear, Ma'am." he said. "The boys have the perimeter locked down. The other compounds have called in 'all clears' as well."
The woman nodded and scratched at her thin, blonde bob. "Cattle behaving?"
"Some of the newer finds still need to break, Metora." Tunkus admitted. "Just give them some time. They always crack."
"And what about the womp rat?" Metora inquired.
"Barely alive," Tunkus scoffed. "Looked sickly so I put her in isolation to avoid infecting the rest of our merchandise."
"Always resourceful," Metora grinned while her pupils dilated to the size of grapes. "That's why I pay you the big credits, Tunkus." she lauded. Metora finished off her spice and the patter of a child's feet sounded behind them. She turned with a gasp, only to recognize the scraggly youngster.
With unkept hair and filthy clothing, the little girl looked up at Metora and said, "Mama...I can't sleep."
Metora coughed on her spice and laughed through her jitters. "Oh sweetie," she said and scooped up the child. "You have to so you can grow up to be big and strong like me."
Her daughter's hazel eyes glanced down the hall. "I hear people talking from my bedroom," she said. "They sound sad."
"Oh do you?" Metora growled while glaring at Tunkus. The Sullustan got the hint to go deal with their problem. Metora poked her daughter's nose while her eye twitched profusely. "Now just you remember, they're just sad because they don't want to work. And Mama's doing her best to make sure we have lots and lots of money. But how do we get that money?"
Her daughter thought for a moment. "They have to work?"
"Th- that's my girl," Metora stuttered. "Mama loves you." She kissed her forehead and carried her back to her room. "Now please, try and get some sleep. Promise you'll do it for me."
"I promise," the child relented while being tucked into her cot.
Metora looked at the dilapidated dresser at her bedside and pulled open the drawer. She observed the freshly-lacquered grip of a snub-nosed blaster pistol. "Sweet dreams," Metora whispered to her child before concealing the 'snubble' pistol back in the drawer. She returned to her quarters and scrolled through her personal datapad. Names and accounts teeming with credits flashed across the screen. A greedy smirk crept across Metora's lips as she read over her new clients. Her unblinking, frantic eyes hungrily scoured the list.
Tunkus primed an electro whip in the adjacent room. The Pau'an, Nautolan, and Zabrak watched their designated sectors over the compound. The Nautolan smirked and lounged against his side of the porch. "Hey Freep," he heckled the Rodian over comms. "Do you really think Theelin are that attractive?"
"Not this again," the Zabrak sniper groaned. "Save the chatter for your own time. You can't even get a girl to look at you, tentacle head."
While the Nautolan shook off his cohort's insult, he ignored the fact that Freep never answered. Deep within the thickening fog, Freep's blaster had sunken into the mud. His booted feet convulsed and kicked up chunks of mossy soil. A hulking, heavily-armored figure kept him in place and tightened its deadly grip. The Rodian wriggled and writhed, but his helmeted assailant was persistent. He had closed in on Freep like the elite predator he was. The Rodian's frail, suction-cupped fingers haplessly tugged at his attacker's wrist. Daunting red streaks were brandished across the predator's white vambrace as he pulled upward. With a swift jerk, Freep's neck snapped like a mangrove branch. The Rodian's body collapsed into his killer's arms and was illuminated by a turquoise visor. With an ominous, crimson handprint etched across his helmet, the soldier examined the perimeter. He hid Freep's body in the bushes and spoke through a comlink in his helmet.
"Target neutralized," he declared in a deep, grizzly tone. Three similar-colored visors emerged from the bushes beside him. One of the armored troopers knelt alongside the marsh and studied the terrain. The orange markings on his gear prompted the other three troopers to follow his lead.
"Nicely done, Sev." the unit leader complimented in a strikingly identical voice. No matter their resonance, each trooper shared the same genetic makeup. Beneath their unique helms, each was a clone of the notorious bounty hunter, Jango Fett. Under the service of the Galactic Republic, these four soldiers were one of several commando units.
The scarlet trooper nodded and looked over his rifle. His yellow-clad comrade turned to their leader and asked, "What's the play, Boss?"
"We're less than a klick from the compound, Scorch." Boss explained and motioned to his green-coated counterpart. "Fixer, flank left with Sev. I want a readout of how many hostiles we're dealing with. Scorch, you're with me. Move out, Delta Squad."
"Hanging with the big man himself," Scorch quipped and followed Boss. The clone commandos trekked smoothly across the marshlands. With swift hand signals and discreet nods, the warriors closed in on the complex.
The Black Pearl's brig was cold and soundless. An aisle of empty cells filled a chilling void in the ship's underbelly. Elsa Dellian started to stir within the furthest enclosure while her captors rummaged through her belongings.
Kristoff pulled up a seat and Sven leaned over him. He clasped Elsa's lightsaber hilt and ran a finger across the teal plating. "What do you think it is?" he asked the Cevrian. Sven mooed and he scoffed. "Okay, it's definitely not a bomb. Or is it?" Kristoff's eyes fixated on the saber's bright activation switch. "I mean..that could be a trigger." He frustratedly smacked himself in the forehead. "Now I'm letting your paranoia get to me! Why would a Rovani have a bomb on her?" Sven grumbled and Kristoff rolled his eyes. "What do you mean, 'You tell me.' Huh? Look, I'll prove it isn't a bomb. Then maybe we can tell someone." Sven waited patiently while Kristoff realized he'd have to rise to the challenge. He swallowed hard and clenched the hilt. With a deep breath, he cautiously swiveled the handgrip downward and the sleeve came undone. "Please don't blow up," he uttered. "Please don't blow up."
Kristoff yelped when the hilt disassembled under his forceful fiddling. The emitter rolled into his hand while a Diatum power cell clattered to the floor. As the pieces dispersed, a translucent energy chamber caught Kristoff's eye. The oblong case plummeted until Kristoff snatched it in his hands. Sven's eyes widened at the sight and he gave the peculiar chamber a sniff. A unique glow shimmered from within and prompted Kristoff to hold it closer. He steadied his thumbs and cautiously pried the energy chamber open. He gasped when a royal blue kyber crystal emerged between the casing.
He held the gem just as he would any of the other kyber pieces. Back on Aren, Trolls wore the crystals ceremoniously. They were earned through great trials and donned with respect. "Where do you think she got this?" Kristoff asked Sven.
"It found me," Elsa spoke up and startled both of them.
Kristoff gasped, dropped the crystal on his lap, and reached for his blaster. The Padawan could sense the nervous uncertainty radiating off of him. "You!" he blurted while Sven remained wide-eyed. "How long have you been awake?"
"Long enough," Elsa admitted. "Now may I please have my things back?" Kristoff and Sven exchanged suspicious glances. "Can you at least put that back the way you found it?"
"No way," Kristoff asserted. "Not until you give us answers, Rovani."
Elsa huffed. "Very well."
"What are you and that pirate doing aboard our ship?" he asked.
Elsa bit her lip and wondered how much of the truth she should spare. She opted for none of it and chose a different approach. "You're not like them," she intoned.
"Excuse me?" Kristoff blurted.
"The rest of this crew...or the other invading pirates for that matter. I've seen wickedness in various forms across this galaxy. I saw it just today as brigands descended upon innocent Rovani. Having witnessed this animosity firsthand, I know when someone is and isn't capable of it."
"Wh-what are you getting at?" Kristoff stuttered.
"This isn't the life you chose, is it?" Elsa inquired.
Kristoff hung his head and sighed. "You don't know a thing about me."
"But am I wrong? Is there not a reason I'm still locked up without your superiors knowing?"
"I don't know."
"Who are you really?"
"I don't know!" Kristoff snapped and his voice echoed down the cellblock. He fell back in his chair while Sven grumbled concernedly. "If you know so much, why don't you tell me what I am," he murmured.
"I don't have all the answers-" Elsa replied and looked to Sven. "-but pirates seldom show restraint and you chose to stun me. You valued my life enough to give me a chance. Something tells me there's more to both of you than what you've become."
"What we've become?" Kristoff scoffed to Sven's dismay. "Look, we didn't have a choice."
"You always have a choice," Elsa affirmed. "And losing your way doesn't make you unworthy of finding it again. I can feel the pent up pain swirling inside you." As Elsa spoke calmly, she noticed Kristoff's eyes watering. He bit his lip and battled back a series of swelling tears. "You are more than your past, and your future starts when you decide what happens next."
Kristoff's gaze alternated between the kyber crystal on his lap and the blaster in his hand. He looked to Sven and recalled the hardships they endured back on Aren. He once again felt the grief of almost losing him in a skirmish and watching the Troll village burn. Such imagery prompted him to recall what Barbossa and the others had done to the Court of Miracles. "We didn't mean for any of this to happen," he admitted. "We were promised a better life. But soon our saviors seemed more like oppressors. We tend to this ship while its captain claims to be cleansing the galaxy of corruption. Yet the treasures they've relieved off those said to be corrupt have always left a bitter taste behind. The Rovani didn't do anything to deserve today's assault and I cannot in good conscience continue down this path. But...I don't know how to make any of this right."
"Then let me help you," Elsa said. "You may not know who you are, but we can find that out together."
Kristoff took a deep, solemn breath. "Who...are you?" he asked.
Elsa clasped the cell bars and shut her eyes. Sven and Kristoff yelped in unison as the pieces of her lightsaber began to tremble. Each fragment rolled towards her cell before hovering to eye level. Kristoff's jaw dropped as the pieces intricately swirled back into place. The translucent chamber popped open like a clamshell and awaited its powerful host. With a mighty Force-pull, the kyber crystal darted from Kristoff's lap and landed back in its chamber. The arcetron metals interlocked once more and the power cell clicked beneath the pommel. Once the emitter tightened atop the energizer, Elsa called the completed hilt to her hand. "I," she began and ignited the lightsaber. The sudden extension of bright blue plasma sent Kristoff and Sven shuddering back. "-am a Jedi." Elsa concluded and sliced the bars in front of her.
There was a long pause after she deactivated her blade. She stepped out of the cell and entered a daunting silence. One filled only by the void of outer space. "Wait," Kristoff blurted. "So you could've gotten yourself out this whole time?"
"Possibly," Elsa replied. "But then I never would've learned about you and..."
"That's Sven. I'm Kristoff."
"Elsa," the Padawan introduced herself.
"Elsa Ajedi?" Kristoff deduced.
"No. Elsa Dellian. A Jedi is what I am."
"So like a sorceress," Kristoff comprehended while pretending to wield magic. "Or more like a witch?"
Elsa froze in disbelief. "You really have no idea what a Jedi is, do you?" she asked earnestly. Kristoff and Sven conferred with each other before unanimously shrugging. "Where are you from?" Elsa couldn't help but ask.
Kristoff was about to answer when all power to the brig extinguished. "Now what?" he groaned and Sven answered in Cevrian. "I know the power's out, buddy. That's very observant."
"Jack," Elsa mumbled.
"It could be a faulty one," Kristoff admitted. "If someone reroutes the voltage to-" He hastily stopped himself. "We're talking about two different things, aren't we?"
"Jack is my far less reasonable partner," Elsa growled.
"Is he a Jedi too?"
"By the Force, no. But I'm stuck working with him for the time being. You see, apparently the Black Pearl is his and he's going to stop at nothing to get it back."
"And you're helping him do this?" Kristoff queried. "What's in it for you?"
"He's agreed to help me find my sister if I can get him his ship back. I truly am sorry about his assault before." Elsa pat Kristoff's shoulder in the darkness. "May I please have my satchel?"
"Oh, right." He handed her belongings back and she rifled through them. His eyes narrowed when he heard Sven sniffing suspiciously. "What is it, big guy?" The Cevrian grunted nervously and ushered the humans back against a wall. They hid in the shadows as some of Barbossa's pirates felt their way through the darkness.
"Where is that blasted boy?" one of them snarled.
"If this was his doing, the captain'll have his head." another barked.
While hiding, Elsa removed a cylindrical remote from her satchel and pressed down on its lone button. While nothing occurred within the ship, her remote sent a signal to its wing. The miniaturized, magnetized device she'd stuck on suddenly flowered. Its thin, metallic panels stretched toward the stars while a yellow light flashed from its core. A high-pitched bleeping soon emanated from the peculiar device.
A high-pitched bleeping soon emanated from Yelena's vambrace. "Mattias," she beckoned amidst the Rovani settlement's wreckage. "Elsa's activated her homing beacon."
"Looks like Plan B is a go," Mattias answered.
"Like it was going to go any other way," Yelena scoffed. "If we hurry back to the ship, we can track her signal to-" The Jedi froze and observed the quiet destruction around them. Smoke billowed atop charred tents and scorched soil. While Rovani families reunited amidst the ash heaps, Mattias caught a glimpse of Ezzie limping about. Her emerald eyes were stern and hardened by her resolve.
"Ezzie?" Mattias worried and stepped towards her.
"Just go," the Rovani spoke coldly and averted her eyes.
"We never meant for any of this," Mattias assured and reached for her shoulder.
"You weren't even supposed to be here!" Ezzie snapped and swatted his arm away. "Elsa said she'd come alone. She just wanted to see the prisoner. I should've known this was all-...that it would-..." Ezzie pulled at her hair. "I was so stupid!"
"None of this is your fault," Mattias said.
"You're right," Ezzie snarked. "It's probably yours. Criminals and Jedi go hand in hand, right? One's never far without the other. Were you followed?" Her accusation prompted other Rovani to rise up and holler behind her. "Did you lead those pirates right to us?"
"That is enough!" Yelena's voice boomed. "Lament all you want but you will not blame us for the wrongdoings of the wicked. We helped you, whether you like it or not."
Ezzie looked over her tired and wounded people. She sighed and answered, "We don't want your help." Clopin and her militia stood alongside her. "The Rovani can look after themselves."
Mattias saw how scared little Dain appeared beside his father and dared to persist. "Ezzie-" was all he could say before Yelena gripped his arm.
"Destin," she called him. "Leave them be. Elsa needs us...Anna needs us." Hearing his Padawan's name prompted him to turn. "We're done here," she said and they made for their ship.
Each passing step felt heavier than its predecessor. Leaving the Rovani behind left Mattias feeling disgusted with himself and Yelena could sense it. "This is wrong," he told her as they trekked across the plains.
"All of this is," Yelena replied. "We just have to decide which wrongs we're willing to justify. Mattias, we cannot stray too far from our path. It could take us to places we may never return from."
"But all of those innocent Rovani," Mattias grieved. "They'll have to rebuild all over again. What if it is our fault?"
"Guard your mind." Yelena asserted. "You can't let what that young woman said get to you. Pain prompts the worst of words. We mustn't take responsibility for the actions of wrongdoers. We may be Jedi, but we cannot always help those who do not wish to be helped."
"What if this is all a grandiose mistake?" Mattias asked as they entered their caravan cruiser. "Have we become so desperate that we're willing to believe in enchantments to find Anna?"
"Desperation is normal," Yelena said while buckling in. "But it is part of an emotion we must control."
Though Mattias gripped the ship's controls, he couldn't bring himself to take off. "The council says I need to trust in the Force and that I need to 'let her go.' They were telling me that within the first week. I don't even want to know what they told the masters whose Padawans-..." Mattias swallowed hard. "-perished."
"There is no emotion," Yelena quoted. "There-"
"-is peace. I know, Yelena. But right now, all I'm feeling is emotion. I should've been there for Anna. I never should've split up on that damn ship. She could be anywhere or nowhere...alive or gone and it's all equally terrifying. And like what happened to this Rovani settlement, I feel it is my fault."
"To know our code is one thing, but to practice it is another." Yelena said. "It is something we all must be reminded of from time to time. You barely eat and hardly sleep. I can't watch you keep doing this to yourself. You must make peace with the crisis in your life before it ultimately destroys you."
Mattias nodded grimly. "I-...I understand. We'll pursue this lead and will go home if nothing turns up. No more straying."
"No more straying," Yelena attested. "I'm going to survey the vessel and make sure nothing was damaged in the attack."
She left him sitting in the cockpit's deafening silence. He connected her vambrace to the ship's mainframe and pinpointed Elsa's homing signal. Mattias was about to take off when a voice came to haunt him.
"I'm not in the mood for another lecture." His Padawan's words echoed within his mind.
"Alrighty then. I mean, I was going to let you fly the ship but-" Mattias chuckled while recalling their exchange.
"No no! Please go on, master."
"I got it all warmed up for you." Mattias shimmied to the co-pilot's seat and imagined his apprentice taking the controls.
"Which way do I go?"
"For now, the stars are your limits. Show me what you're made of."
Mattias couldn't bring himself to look at the empty seat a moment longer. He leaned against the dashboard, buried his hands in his face, and let the tears fall.
"So let me get this straight," Kristoff began. "You're not even actually Rovani?"
"It's been a rough day," Elsa confessed as they snuck through the darkness.
"So what happened to your sister?"
"She was kidnapped by the Sith," Elsa replied.
"Do I even wanna ask what those are at this point?" Kristoff gulped. Sven growled and Kristoff gasped. "He says someone's coming!"
"From where?" Elsa asked while trying to sense them for herself. By the time she did, it was too late.
"Everywhere," Kristoff answered as pirates rounded each corridor.
Thinking quickly, Elsa flung her arms behind her back and stood in front of Kristoff. "Take my wrists," she ordered.
"What?" Kristoff blurted while Sven got the hint.
"Just do it!" she whispered sharply as Barbossa himself approached.
"Let me go!" Elsa exclaimed while Kristoff snatched her wrists and Sven aimed his blaster. "Pirate scum!" she overacted.
Barbossa stared her down while his cohorts peeked from behind. "What have we here?" he grumbled through a sneer.
"We-um..." Kristoff cleared his throat and tightened his grip on Elsa. "Caught this Rovani sneaking around the hold, captain!"
Barbossa's long, grimy nails scratched across his scraggly beard. "Perhaps you and the Cevrian are good for something after all, boy." he remarked. "Though the question remains." He leaned towards Elsa until his musty breath was unbearable. "How'd a little missy such as yourself get aboard me ship when we never landed?"
Though Elsa's heart raced, she fought to shroud her fear. With a cold tone and raised brow, she answered, "I'm resourceful."
Barbossa's shadowy smirk was devilish. "Resourceful enough to be causin a stir to me power grids. Nuisance or not, you're a long ways from your tent...Rovani." Elsa's stomach dropped as Barbossa gripped her shoulder. "But lucky for you, my little saboteur, this captain's in a generous mood." The crew guffawed as he continued. "Yer family must be worried sick," he taunted. "It seems only fitting that we send ya back to 'em." His sinister, blue gaze fixated on the corridor ahead. "To the airlock!" he laughed. Before Elsa, Kristoff, or Sven knew it, the group was being usered down the hall. The haughty mob of pirates hooted and hollered while Elsa's new companions reluctantly played along. Barbossa's laugh was deep and braying while his monkey lizard's consisted of screeches.
While Sven seemed more reserved, Kristoff worriedly looked to Elsa for guidance. "Keep moving!" he demanded and pushed her forward. He used the push to lean in close and whisper, "Now what?"
Elsa observed her surroundings as they approached the airlock. "I'm working on it," she mumbled back. "Just trust me-" An idea sparked up in her mind and she faintly grinned. From a viewport, Elsa glimpsed the vast void of space as they entered the chamber.
"Grab the manual hatch and prepare to jettison," Barbossa ordered one of his pirates.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Elsa warned. "Lest you feel the wrath of true sorcery." While some of the pirates seemed perplexed or superstitious, others didn't even understand what she said. "Send me a step closer towards that airlock and I will invoke a curse over this ship," Elsa threatened. "I'll call upon a vengeful spirit to bring about insidious destruction. Your ship's power was just the beginning!"
"I don't mess with curses," the pirate at the airlock murmured much to Barbossa's annoyance.
"All of you must depart from this ship," Elsa demanded. "Or the spirit will claim your lives for your sins."
Barbossa rolled his eyes at her and glared at his scruffy minion. "Why isn't the airlock chamber opened yet?"
Though the pirate clasped the airlock's manual lever, he couldn't bring himself to continue. "But...the curse, cap'n." he worried.
"Ya can't seriously believe a word this Rovani wench says," Barbossa scoffed.
A stern-faced, burly brigand shoved his way through the group. He pulled the superstitious pirate away and took hold of the lever himself. Just before he could pull it, he noticed his sleeve climbing on its own. His narrowed eyes widened as an invisible power suddenly pulled his sleeve upward. His stone-cold demeanor crumbled and he howled with fear. The other pirates looked upon their comrade in disbelief and turned to Elsa. She kept her eyes fixed on her target and had to channel as much subtle Force ability as possible. With an abrupt burst of energy, Elsa sent him flying across the chamber. Before he was hurled, he managed to pull the lever and pry open the doors towards the airlock. Several pirates shouted as the Padawan picked her next target. She went for anything she could accomplish with the least amount of energy. Hats were thrown off, bandanas came undone, and pirates were pushed against walls.
"I warned you!" Elsa bellowed.
Suddenly, the Black Pearl's power restored and lights flickered back into the chamber. "Power's back!" a panicking pirate yelled. "Make for the escape pods!"
"What?" Barbossa snapped. "Stand your ground, ya lily-livered worms!" Elsa used the Force to trip several pirates while they fled. Only then did the captain notice her discreetly moving her hand.
"How'd you do that?" Kristoff asked betwixt the madness. "You know, restore the power."
"I didn't," Elsa replied and spotted pirates paralyzed with fear. "Now play along." Elsa raised her hands and declared, "Now the spirit will claim your souls in the name of-" She noticed Kristoff and Sven looking equally frightened. Wow, she thought. I didn't even do anything yet and they're both really going for it.
Hearing a sword unsheathe behind her changed her perspective entirely. Elsa gasped, reached into her satchel, and withdrew her lightsaber. She spun and ignited it just as Barbossa brought his weapon down. The captain's vibrosword buzzed against her lightsaber and the combatants locked eyes. The sounds of pirates fleeing in escape pods echoed around them. Barbossa boasted a toothy grin and further pressed his blade. "Now the pieces be fallin into place," he remarked. "Ya may have fooled a chunk of these moof-milkers but I know better...Jedi."
He relished in her moment of fear, for she knew exactly what she was in for. With her ruse foiled, Elsa had no choice but to duel Captain Barbossa.
Fixer went prone and used his markings to blend with the foliage. Sev took up a scouting position in the mangroves. Under the cover of low-lying branches, the commando attached a long-range sniper scope to his rifle. "Call it, Delta." Boss' voice spoke through his helmet.
Sev peered through his scope and analyzed the compound. "Two hostiles on ground level," he grumbled and tilted his scope upward. "Sniper in the tower."
"Do you have a shot?" Fixer asked.
"Always," Sev asserted both cold and calmly.
While Sev remained trained on the enemy sniper, Fixer used macrobinoculars to scour the premises. "Got another target moving inside," he said. "Possibly more."
"We know what they're smuggling in there," Boss affirmed. "We're going 'weapons tight' once we enter the compound. Don't throw your shots and watch each other's backs."
"These sick sleemos," Scorch remarked. "What are we waiting for? Let's ruin their night."
"On me," Boss whispered as he and Scorch descended into the swamp.
"Just say the word, Boss." Sev called and zoomed in on the Zebrak's head. "One shot, one kill."
"Control yourself, Delta." Boss whispered. "Scorch and I are moving in on the porch now. Going dark on our end until nearby hostiles are neutralized."
"Be our eyes, will ya, buddy?" Scorch teased much to Sev's impatience.
"Hold," Sev ordered. Boss and Scorch sank into the water while the Zabrak kept watch. He leaned from his tower and observed the murky marsh beside their compound. To him, the sunken clone helmets were nothing more than muddied stones. The sniper loosed an ear-popping yawn and moved to the tower's opposite side. "Move," Sev said.
Boss and Scorch continued their advance. They crawled against the grimy dock and took cover behind the porch. Scorch awaited orders until Boss gave him another hand signal. The commando slid a finger across his neck and used one of his hands to catch the other. Scorch gave Boss a thumbs up and snuck around the opposite side.
"Sniper's got two more sides to check before he switches back," Sev warned.
Boss capitalized on the time window and tapped the porch with his rifle. The Pau'an thug's brooding gaze listed over. He didn't think anything of the sound until a second knock arrived. His crooked, jagged teeth emerged through a sneer and he stepped towards the sound. His chalky brows furrowed when he made out a blocky silhouette around the compound's corner. He cautiously primed his blaster and stepped towards the shadow. In a single, rapid motion, Boss pulled the Pau'an by his rifle. Before the thug could shout, the clone punched him in the throat. His eyes widened with pain and surprise as a distinct puncture sounded beneath him. When Boss lowered his fist, he revealed the retractable vibroblade on his gauntlet. All the Pau'an could do was hopelessly hold his neck and search for air that wasn't coming. Death claimed him as he fell back into Scorch's arms. The commando huffed and cushioned his fall to avoid any unnecessary noise. Scorch dragged his body off of the porch while Boss discarded his rifle. When the commandos were finished, it was as if the Pau'an simply never was.
The Nautolan twiddled with one of his head tendrils and huffed. "Okay, but for real," he called in. "About the Theelin...I'm more of Twi'lek kinda guy." His chortle ended when his comment fell on deaf ears. "Freep?" The Nautolan's lip quivered and he leaned over his side of the porch. "I know you nerfherders are no strangers to giving me the silent treatment, but Freep's my main man. I think something's up." He glowered when the Pau'an didn't respond. "Okay. Now is not the time to prove me right with this silent treatment crap. Freep, come in." The Nautolan's nerves got the best of him. "Forget it. I'm calling it in."
"Potential alert," Fixer warned. "Neutralize that Nautolan."
"Relax," Scorch insisted. "I got this." The brightly-marked clone advanced until the doors opened beside him. Tunkus had stepped out to smoke spice and gasped. "Damn it," was all Scorch could say before the Sullustan slammed the doors shut.
"Intruder!" Tunkus called. "Northeast side!" He dashed down the hall and sounded an alarm. "Northeast side!"
The Nautolan spun and noticed Boss trying to sneak up on him. He opened fire and the clone lunged for cover. A spray of scarlet lasers illuminated the porch as the Nautolan screamed angrily.
"They're compromised!" Fixer exclaimed.
"No kidding," Sev muttered and nestled his finger on the trigger. He fired at the Zabrak sniper just as he shifted positions. The powerful, indigo laser skimmed across the tower's edge. "Kriff," Sev cursed and recharged his rifle.
Boss was pinned by the Nautolan while Scorch moved to flank from the rear. He was about to aid his commander when the Zabrak fired dangerously close to his helmet. "Karabast!" Scorch yelled and rolled behind a tree. "Can't get to you, Boss. I'm a little pinned myself. Sev, aren't you a sniper? I mean, you never shut up about it."
"Stow it before I shut you up," Sev growled and moved to a different angle. Meanwhile, Fixer rushed towards the porch and fired on the Nautolan. His distraction caused the thug to shift directions and gave Boss the opportunity to shoot him dead. Controlled bursts from his DC-17 rifle had the Nautolan toppling over. "Come on," Sev willed to the hidden Zabrak in his sights. "Stick your head up." With Fixer out in the open, the Zabrak rose to take a shot at him. "Good night," Sev uttered and pulled the trigger. His bold laser struck the Zebrak's temple with enough force to send him plummeting off the tower.
"The grounds are secure," Fixer declared. "For now, anyway."
"I knew you could do it, Sev." Scorch jested. "Your mother would be so proud." Sev gave his fellow clone an unseeable death stare.
"Delta Squad," Boss announced. "Form up on me." The commandos assembled before the compound's locked door. Boss threw a hand forward and said, "Initiate door breach maneuver."
Despite her strong connection, Elsa's concentration with the Force had faltered. With each passing strike in her duel, she could feel herself giving into fear. Elsa ducked under Barbossa's slash and went for one of her own. Despite how deadly the captain was, Elsa was still attempting to wound instead of kill him. She tried to find an angle at which she could at least disarm him, but Barbossa was far too quick. Per usual, Elsa felt herself falling on the defensive. She rolled and leapt to avoid a series of unorthodox strikes. Only a mild Force push could put some distance between them and buy Elsa time to think. Her thoughts were thrown off by Barbossa's incessant, heinous laughter while he charged with wild eyes.
"We gotta help her," Kristoff told Sven as they watched the duel. The Cevrian pointed up at a band of pirates still loyal to Barbossa. They were rushing over to flank Elsa until Sven barreled into them. He and Kristoff engaged them in a shootout from the rafters while Elsa and Barbossa locked blades once again.
"Tired?" Barbossa taunted before kneeing Elsa in the gut. He attempted a slash while she was stunned, but the Padawan managed to Force push him back. He could feel her power weakening and smirked. "All the grandeur...that fancy sword...and for what?" he mocked and surged forward. Elsa hurriedly parried his jabs only to be kicked in the chest. She stumbled back into a set of piping and her stray lightsaber sliced it to pieces. The pipes clanged around her feet and produced an ear-splitting symphony.
As Elsa lay aching in her daze, she considered her fighting style. No matter how many duels she'd been in, she always ended up on the defensive. It wasn't long before she realized, that was just how she lived. While she'd come to accomplish extraordinary feats, she always reeled herself back in the end. Elsa wanted to fit the mold the council had ordained for her. She wanted her master's approval amongst countless others'. Elsa had told herself that to endure was to be strong, but was it actually living? As her opponent closed in with his ominous sword, Elsa rose to meet him. With her saber poised for an upward, Niman slash, Elsa went on the offensive. She Force-pushed the fallen pipes into Barbossa and lunged forward. The blunt impact coupled with a cacophonous clamor served as the perfect distraction.
Barbossa freed himself of the metallic entrapment to see a flash of blue plasma heading towards him. He swiftly blocked Elsa's incoming attack and slid away from her second. Elsa attempted a series of rapid blows which concluded with their blades meeting. However, the Padawan had overextended and Barbossa took advantage. Her arms strained while he forced his sword leftward. With one rapid strike, Barbossa batted Elsa's saber out of her hands.
While Elsa's eyes followed her weapon as it spiraled across the chamber, they noticed something far more grievous. Several, dark crimson droplets accompanied a dreadful shredding sound. Elsa watched them splatter against the metal flooring while a deep stinging caught up with her. No amount of adrenaline could dull the burning sensation emanating from her right side. With frantic eyes and twitching lips, Elsa slowly rotated her arm. Ezzie's white shirt had dampened with blood from where Barbossa had gashed her. On instinct, Elsa put pressure on the agonizing laceration. Never before had she been injured in such a way. It made Ledai punching her on Rodia seem like child's play. Her heart thundered as she looked at her own blood fleeing between her fingers. Nausea plagued her as the possibility of death became a chilling reality.
Barbossa was relentless as he returned to attack again. Elsa yelped, backed away, and tripped on one of the fallen pipes. As she hit the ground, she tried Force-pushing the captain away. While it worked for the time being, stretching her arm caused a profuse amount of pain to it. Barbossa came at her again and she grabbed the closest pipe she could find. Elsa fought through her torment and hoped the suffering would be numbed by another wave of adrenaline. She raised the elongated pipe to defend herself and Barbossa cut into it. His sword nearly sliced straight through and he withdrew to strike again. Elsa jabbed the pipe like a battle staff, but Barbossa easily cut through it the second time. The pipe's remnants rolled to Elsa's sides with nothing more than her bloody handprints.
Kristoff watched the chaos and dodged lasers to reach Elsa. "Captain Barbossa!" he pleaded. "Let her go!" Barbossa glared at him as he continued. "Please."
"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request," he scoffed while Kristoff remained puzzled. "Means 'no'."
The pirate moved to deliver the final blow, but his sword was met with another of similar making. Elsa peered over Barbossa's shoulder as he too turned to witness his hinderer. One look at those dark, kohled eyes and Barbossa was already grumbling. "Convore," he hissed.
"Captain Convore to you," Jack quipped. "Considering I'll be leaving with my beloved Pearl."
"I knew ya were a bewildering sort-" Barbossa jeered. "-but I never thought you'd take up arms with the laserblades."
"Who could resist flying with Cap'n Jack Convore?" Jack remarked only to shut himself up. "Don't answer that."
Barbossa had traded enough words and furiously jabbed at Jack. While the two dueled across the chamber, Kristoff slid to Elsa's aid. "Oh no," he murmured after seeing her arm and hands. "Try not to move." Without hesitation, Kristoff ripped off his sleeve to use as a makeshift bandage. He tied it around Elsa's arm while she observed the duel. "We need to get out of here-"
"No," Elsa interrupted. "We need to stop this. I can't let Jack kill him."
Kristoff almost had to slap himself. "Wait...did I hear that right?"
"You did," Elsa grunted through her pain. She observed what Kristoff and Sven had done to the remaining pirates and sighed. "No one else needs to die."
"But after everything they did to the Rovani," Kristoff insisted. "Did to you!" He shouted and aggressively gestured to her arm. "I've been with this crew for some time now and the things I've seen-"
"Then by that logic-" Elsa asserted. "I should kill you too!" She noticed how frightened she made him and quieted her voiced. The over-exertion also added more pressure to her wound. "The cycle has to stop somewhere, Kristoff. Whether you like it or not, you pleaded with your captain to spare me because youcouldn't bring yourself to kill him. If I'm right, please help me do this." Kristoff took a deep breath and looked to Sven.
Barbossa furiously swiped at Jack, who slashed across the top of his hat. Jack's blade severed two of Barbossa's plumes and further enraged him. The ring of their clashing vibroswords filled the chamber as Jack drew him closer to the airlock. Meanwhile, Elsa and Kristoff tried to flank the combatants from the catwalk overhead.
"Are you sure you're okay to run?" Kristoff worried.
"Fine," Elsa winced while clutching her arm. "Just have your blaster ready."
Kristoff set it to stun and took aim at Barbossa. He was about to fire when the captain's monkey-lizard swooped in and grabbed his rifle. "Jack!" Kristoff cursed.
"What about him?" Elsa asked out of genuine confusion.
"Oh," Kristoff realized. "No, Barbossa named his monkey-lizard Jack."
"Of course he did," Elsa groaned.
The monkey-lizard screeched and was about to escape when it scurried straight into Sven's face. The Cevrian roared and startled the creature into dropping Kristoff's rifle. Elsa watched it clatter beneath the catwalk and rushed downstairs. "I'll grab it!" she hollered. "Just buy me time!"
"Buy you time?" Kristoff contemplated. He looked down and saw how close Jack was to luring Barbossa towards the airlock. He huffed and rushed to intervene. After noticing a tethered set of wiring beside him, Kristoff hurriedly started unwinding it.
Barbossa parried Jack's thrust and cackled. "Ya think I don't know my own ship?" He calmly stepped away from the airlock. "You'll have to do better than that if ya think yer luring me into the void."
"Airlock's just to clean up the mess when I'm done with you," Jack snarked and prepared to attack. To both his and Barbossa's surprise, Kristoff came swinging in from the catwalk overhead. The unwound tether snapped and sent Kristoff colliding into Jack.
Barbossa smiled and flourished his blade. "Thataboy, lad. I always knew keepin' ya around would pay off." His steely eyes shifted between Jack's dazed self and the airlock. "It's time to solidify this mutiny and send dear Jack on a voyage to-"
Barbossa's haughty demeanor diminished. His body briefly convulsed as a blue stun ring enveloped him. The captain's sword clamored to the floor and his body tumbled face first. Elsa limped out of the shadows while holding Kristoff's rifle.
"Bravo, love!" Jack cheered and sprung to his feet. "Now you grab his ankles, the turncoat here can get his arms, and we'll-"
"Throw him in the brig," Elsa asserted.
Jack's hand was already hovering over the airlock panel. "Now Elsa," he insisted. "If I may enlighten you as to the kind of man who-"
"You may not," Elsa said. "We had an agreement. Kristoff and Sven, lock the captain in the brig."
Jack grimaced and pointed downward. "You mean the now former captain, right?"
Elsa glared at him while Kristoff and Sven carried Barbossa away. "I'm done playing your game," she said. "The ship is yours, so help me find my sister."
"I'm a man of my word, aren't I?" Jack simpered and strutted towards the bridge.
Kristoff sealed Barbossa in a cell just as he awakened. "Why, lad?" he grumbled from behind the bars. "After I gave ya everything? I treated ya like a son."
Kristoff's brows furrowed with remorse. He was going to glance back but focused on Sven instead. "I'm not your son," he replied. "And I already had a father."
Barbossa spitefully banged on the bars like a ravenous animal. "It doesn't matter where ya go, boy!" he spat. "I made ya the man ya are! This life doesn't just leave ya behind. Whatever ya choose to do, you'll see me there!"
Elsa accompanied Jack to the ship's command bridge. He was overwhelmed with ecstasy to place his hands at the ship's controls once more. Jack withdrew his compass and its energy glowed across his wrist. Meanwhile, Elsa rejoiced at the sight of a wall-mounted medkit and hurriedly opened it. She sulked upon discovering an empty case. "Pirates..." she murmured and tightened her makeshift bandage instead.
"Now then," Jack beckoned her over. He handed her the compass and its green magic struggled to bond with her. Its needle spun uncontrollably, just as it had when Clopin tried. Elsa could feel the energy surging from within the device, but was unsure of its origin. It was neither good nor evil, but rather dependent on the user. It was a conduit of sorts. "Focus," Jack explained. "Concentrate on what or who it is you want most. Let the compass feel that from your mind...all the way to your thump thump."
Elsa's heart pounded as the compass connected with her. She relaxed her mind and flooded it with thoughts of Anna. Pleasant memories caved to the traumatic experience on Scarif. She missed her sister dearly and the compass manifested her desire into a direction. Elsa gasped as the enchanted needle steadied. "Jack," she whispered. "I-I think it's working!"
"Oh that's just part of the fun, love." Jack jested. "Place it on the pedestal."
Elsa was initially confused until Jack gestured towards an obsidian plinth. What seemed like an ordinary pedestal came alive once Elsa placed the compass atop it. The mist enveloping the device spread down the plinth and across the ship. Elsa stood back in awe as the Black Pearl was suddenly guided by the mysterious enchantment. She looked to Jack as if he could explain it all. The ship's hyperdrive roared while he simply said, "Let's get ourselves a redhead, eh?"
"Showtime," Scorch boasted while Fixer and Sev covered his flank. He withdrew an explosive charge from his backpack and stuck it against the compound's door. "Look alive!" he warned when his charge started counting down. The clones braced as their bomb sent the door spiraling out of its socket.
"Go!" Boss commanded. With their rifles primed, the commandos stepped through the dust cloud.
"Entryway secure," Scorch said. "No sign of the Sullustan."
Boss glimpsed a wall-mounted panel and motioned towards it. "Fixer, slice that terminal and cut power to the compound. The rest of you, switch to night vision."
Fixer typed away at the panel's mainframe until he was able to override its system. "Alright," he said. "Blackout in three...two-"
Darkness consumed the halls and shrieks echoed back up to the commandos. "Proceed with room clearing," Boss said. "Sev, take the lower level with Fixer. Scorch, you and I will sweep this floor. Remember, not everyone's hostile in here so 'weapons tight'.
"I hate 'weapons tight'." Sev growled and parted with Fixer.
Boss and Scorch kicked down the door nearest to them. Their helmet-mounted spotlights swayed across the room and found nothing more than a broken table.
They barged into the next room and a pair of trembling, pale hands shot up. A Pau'an woman winced as the clones' lights nearly blinded her. "Please," she begged. "Don't shoot."
"Get on the ground," Boss asserted while Scorch moved in to restrain her.
He snapped a set of binders on her and cuffed her to a nearby desk. "We're clear," Scorch reiterated.
"Next room," Boss replied.
Across the hall and shrouded in blackness, Tunkus was a nervous mess. "I-...I don't know who's left." he worried.
"Did you get a distress signal out?" Metora asked.
The Sullustan worriedly nodded. "Right before they cut the power, but I don't know if help will reach us in time. We gotta axe the cattle and beat it."
"No," Metora intoned. She snagged Tunkus by his floppy jowls and pulled him close. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to acquire all those pathetic skugs?" She ripped the blaster out of his holster and forced it into his hands. "You go out there and defend what's mine to your last breath. Got it?"
Tunkus gulped. "But those are Republic soldi-"
"To your last breath," she hissed and shoved him out the door. While Tunkus mustered what little courage he could find, Metora recovered her datapad. She proceeded to wipe it clean of all accounts, files, and transactions.
Tunkus stumbled down the hall and saw the approaching clones. He wildly opened fire and several lasers grazed Boss' armor. "Contact!" Scorch shouted and shot back. They exchanged blue and red lasers across the darkened hall while Metora's heart raced. She impatiently tapped at her datapad and hoped its contents would erase in time. With frenzied fright and fury, Tunkus emerged from cover. He fired thrice before Scorch blasted him in the gut.
"He's down!" Scorch announced and made Metora's heart sink. She looked down at her fully-erased datapad, threw it on the floor, and smashed it with her heel. Knowing the crash would lure the commandos over, Metora nonchalantly left the room. She let their spotlights shine across her face, but continued on her way. "Freeze!" Scorch warned. Metora didn't oblige, entered the adjacent room, and locked the door.
The clones prepared to breach while she approached her daughter's bed. "Mama?" the child worried and clutched her blanket. "What's going on?"
"Just keep your head down, sweetie." Metora insisted. She started to open the dresser when the door was blasted open. Her daughter screamed as the clones' spotlights swayed.
"Hands up!" Boss ordered. "Get on your knees, now!"
While Metora did raise her hands, she remained standing. Her open palms shook while she glanced at her daughter. "Don't shoot!" she pleaded. "I have a child!"
"Get on the ground!" Boss demanded. Her wild eyes swayed between her child and the open dresser. "On your knees!"
"I'm innocent," Metora bluffed and backed up towards the dresser. "We're prisoners just like the rest."
"Stop moving!" Boss asserted.
Metora froze but continued to peek at the dresser. She bit her lip at the sight of her snub-nosed, blaster pistol. "Mama?" her daughter worried from the mattress.
"It's alright, baby." Metora whispered and flashed a devious smirk. "Everything's gonna be alright." Her look did anything but reassure the child. In that instant, Metora lunged from the dresser and scooped up her pistol.
She spun to fire on the clones, but Scorch and Boss had each put a laser in her. "No!" the child screamed as Metora dropped to her knees. Her pistol fell and Boss kicked it across the room. The gang leader succumbed to her lethal wounds and toppled into her child's embrace.
"Oh hell," Scorch cursed as Metora's daughter wept.
"Secure that child," Boss ordered.
"Yeah," Scorch somberly complied. He reached for the child as she cried atop her fallen mother. From the moment he grabbed her wrist, she started viciously swatting at his forearm. The Kaminoans had engineered clones to withstand all forms of combat stress. Still, it pained Scorch to cuff the girl after what she'd just witnessed. The least he could do was move her to another room away from Metora's body. He winced as her cries became a muffled echo with each passing step.
"You alright, Scorch?" Boss checked in.
The wittiest trooper in Delta Squad barely had anything to say. "Fine, sir. Let's just...keep moving."
Boss cleared his comm channel. "Fixer, what's your status?"
"Got a locked door here, sir." Fixer reported.
"About to unlock it," Sev asserted before blasting the panel with his rifle.
Fixer just glared at him. "One day you're gonna do that, and it's not gonna work. You're just gonna fry the system."
Fixer and Sev ceased their banter when they heard several voices mumbling from within. When they swayed their lights across the room, they found a horde of malnourished prisoners. Chains rattled as they raised their hands to protect their weary eyes. "Holy kriff," Sev murmured.
"Boss," Fixer called in. "We found them. We can get a headcount going but there's at least forty here." The imprisoned people varied in species and age while only sharing their shattered spirits. They flinched when the clones came closer and revealed bruises on their arms. "Why don't you hang back?" Fixer told Sev. "Nothing against your blood-red paint job. It's just...well-"
"Powerful?" Sev concluded.
"Terrifying, actually." Fixer corrected. "And I think these folks have been through enough. Guard the hall." While Sev departed, Fixer cautiously approached those imprisoned. They held their breath as he gingerly removed his helmet.
A shackled teenager recognized his tired face. "You're a clone," he croaked.
"That's right," the commando said. "CC-1140. But you can call me Fixer. The Republic is here to get you all out." While some blissfully rejoiced, others weakly nodded. A few translated Fixer's words for those who didn't speak Galactic Basic. Fixer knelt beside the teenager and used his retractacble vibroblade to cut him free. "Could use a hand down here," he called to the rest of Delta Squad.
"We're on our way," Boss replied with Scorch in tow.
The teen was absolutely awestruck at the commando before him. "I was just looking for work, you know?" he whispered. "They promised me opportunities and the next thing I knew...I was getting jumped and shackled."
Fixer shook his head. "Well you don't have to be afraid anymore," he assured. "You're in good hands."
Sev stood guard and noticed there was still an unchecked room. With Boss and Scorch arriving soon anyway, he opted to investigate it himself. He breached the door and shifted his spotlight across the cramped chamber. Pipes and rusted panels led to a cage in the room's center. Sev quickened his pace when he noticed a hunched figure trembling within. "Boss," he called in. "Got another captive down here."
"I thought I told you to guard the hall," Fixer remarked.
"Yeah, well...you were taking too long." Sev grumbled and blasted through the cage's lock plates. Its thick gate slowly swung open and Sev knelt at the entrance. "Republic commandos," he told the captive. "We're gonna get you out of-"
Suddenly, an unexplainable amount of energy pushed Sev backwards. His blaster clattered to the floor and his back struck the wall. This unseen, energetic influence kept him pinned no matter how hard he fought. "This is Delta 07!" he called in. "Could use some backup!"
"That's a first for you," Fixer muttered.
"I'm on my way," Boss replied. "Scorch, assist Fixer."
Sev was at the energy field's mercy as it dragged and slammed him across the room. He grabbed hold of a pipe, but the energy ripped it from the wall. He crashed against the floor and his helmet went rolling towards the door. Sev's scarred face watched as a trembling hand emerged from the cage. The commando remained pushed against the ground, unable to move. A pair of weakened legs in shredded pants stumbled forward. Dirt-stained sleeves and fingernails came into view. Knotty and disheveled auburn locks led towards a weary face. Fury filled the young woman's bloodshot eyes. Her freckled cheeks were stained with tears as she gritted her teeth and pushed Sev again. The youth was desperate to survive.
Malnourished, exhausted, and barely coherent, she succumbed to her bodily limitations. Her powerful grip over Sev diminished with her wavering rage and she collapsed beside him. From the moment he was liberated, Sev immediately crawled for his rifle. He cautiously took aim at the fallen youth as Boss came through the door. "You alright?" his leader asked.
"Not sure," Sev growled and cautiously retrieved his helmet. "Don't know what she is, but maybe she should stay in the cage."
"Hold on," Boss replied and dared to pick her up. He carried the woman back upstairs to regroup with the other commandos.
"This is who 07 was having trouble with?" Fixer jested. "I told him he was scary."
"How quickly can you pull up a missing person's report, Delta?" Boss asked.
"By yesterday," Fixer bragged while scrolling through files on his vambrace. "Who am I looking for?"
"I've seen her face in briefings before," Boss said. "Cross-check reports out of Coruscant from the Jedi Temple."
Fixer searched until he found an image closely resembling the woman. "Think we got a match," he remarked and tilted his vambrace towards Boss. "Anna Dellian, Jedi Padawan. The woman stirred upon hearing at her name.
"Anna?" Boss spoke and held her close. "Padawan Dellian?" She angrily threw a hand up and Sev braced for the worst. Boss caught her wrist and tried sternly reassuring her. "You're alright!" he intoned. "We've got you."
"Bl-...Blazer?" Anna croaked. She could barely keep her eyes open while listening to Boss' voice. "Blazer..."
"She and some of the others need serious medical attention," Fixer said while feeling her forehead. "We've got to get back to the ship for immediate extraction."
"About that," Scorch grieved from the stairs as the other commandos turned. "I've lost our ship's signal on my scanner. All readouts are negative, as if it just vanished."
"Or was blown up," Sev grumbled.
Raging shouts and stray laserfire echoed from outside the compound. "That doesn't sound good," Scorch added.
Sev joined him upstairs as they observed gunmen closing in from all sides of the swamp. "Kriff," Sev snarled and readied his rifle.
"Bad news, Boss!" Scorch warned and rushed back downstairs. "Looks like they got a distress signal out. We've got multiple hostiles inbound!"
Boss set Anna down among the other freed prisoners. "Keep this door sealed until we return," he told them. "Lock and load, commandos. Looks like we're shooting our way out of this one." Lasers blasted through the windows while Scorch and Sev took cover. "Return fire!" Boss ordered. Each clone stationed himself at a corner of the compound. Incoming smugglers were gunned down while others tried to flank.
"On my last clip!" Scorch hollered. "Sev?" His brother scoffed and tossed him a spare magazine. "Much obliged!"
"Just quit spraying and actually hit something," Sev affronted.
Fixer was holding his corner until a strange beeping sounded beside him. A thermal detonator bounced by his feet and he rushed to throw it back out the window. He'd gotten the orb partially through the sill before it exploded outside. The blast hurled Fixer towards the stairs and left a gap open for the enemy. "Northwest is breached!" Boss called while helping Fixer up. "Fall back!"
"Back where?" Scorch asked. "They got us boxed in!" He ran out of charges again and was about to ask Sev for more. He stopped upon realizing his brother was also out. Both clones had no choice but to switch to their sidearms.
Boss checked his ammunition and formulated a plan. "Deltas, get the prisoners out. I'm gonna punch a hole and draw their fire. Move!" He charged forward and blasted away at the advancing foes. He kicked their explosives away and scavenged a rifle when his ran empty. Lasers scraped across his armor and decimated his backpack. He dashed out of the compound, downed several enemies, and took cover in the marsh. While Boss drew their fire, the commandos started guiding the prisoners out.
Realizing that some of the smugglers were turning back for the compound, Boss rose to reengage them. His blood ran cold when his empty blaster clicked. "Get out of there!" he warned his team while hurriedly switching to his pistol.
In that instant, something thundered over Bogden's darkened skies. The bold roar of a ship's engines startled the masses into looking up. A blackened hull pierced the clouds and a row of laser cannons rotated downward. "What the?" Boss uttered.
"It's the Black Pearl!" A smuggler panicked and fled into the swamp. Several of his comrades shot at the ship until it fired a single laser. The bright, blinding beam illuminated the night and sent them scattering. Boss rushed to regroup with his team while the starship descended on the compound. It's shining ramp extended and the clones braced for anything.
Elsa's boots clanked against the ramp as she ran down with raised hands. "Don't shoot!" she shouted. "I'm a Jedi!" She sparked up her saber and waved it towards them.
"Looks like it's our lucky night," Scorch quipped.
A series of lasers emerged from the treeline. "They're regrouping!" Boss warned. "We need to move!" The commandos guided the prisoners aboard while dodging incoming fire.
"Come on!" Elsa beckoned Kristoff and Sven to help. Together, they assisted the weary captives and got them aboard. She had just finished rescuing a haggard Snivvian when she noticed a familiar mess of red locks. The disheveled strands draped over Fixer's shoulder as he carried a prisoner up the ramp. "A-" Elsa uttered as her eyes began to water. "Anna?" She dashed towards the commando for a closer look, but was hindered by incoming laserfire. While using her saber to deflect blasts, Elsa suddenly heard someone crying from within the razed compound. Is that...a child? she thought and sprinted in. Elsa traced the wails to one of the bedrooms and found a sobbing child. She flailed in her binders and Elsa hurriedly cut her free. The little girl leapt into Elsa's arms and gripped her shoulders for safety. "I've got you," Elsa assured. "I'm going to get you out of here."
She cradled the child in her arms and sprinted for the Black Pearl. Elsa's heart felt like it would burst by the time she reached the top of the ramp. "We're all in, Jack!" Kristoff yelled from the hold. "Get us out of here!"
With everyone accounted for, Jack swiftly pulled upward and disappeared into Bogden's stormy atmosphere. With the chaotic cacophony of lasers behind them, those aboard lost themselves in the silence of space. The child in Elsa's arms refused to let go under any circumstances and was terrified of the clones.
"Elsa," Kristoff called. "Are you alright?"
The Padawan's eyes remained fixated on a particular survivor. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "Kristoff, can you-" she gestured to the child in her arms.
"Of course," he replied much to the child's dismay.
"No!" Metora's daughter screamed and kicked. "No!"
"Hey," Elsa whispered until she calmed down. "It's okay, sweetie. This man is my friend. He's not gonna hurt you, and he's got a really fuzzy buddy."
The child reluctantly transferred into Kristoff's arms while Elsa approached one of the captives. Fixer was administering an antibiotic when Elsa knelt beside them. "Anna?" she called as tears filled her eyes.
"E-..." Anna's eyes fluttered open and she looked over Elsa. "Ezzie?"
"It's me, Elsa." she assured. "Your sister."
"Elsa," Anna replied monotonously. Her gaze was vacant and unfocused.
It was enough to make Elsa gingerly embrace her and break down crying. "No matter what's going on," Elsa sniffled. "We're going to get through this. I promise." Elsa tightened her hug and Anna maintained a blank stare. While her body was present, her mind had drifted somewhere else. Her concealed emotions manifested as a single tear escaping her eye.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this week's chapter of "The Frozen Force." I appreciate your kindness and support as our season two adventure continues! Anna's been rescued, but where has she been? How did she even get there? What web of corruption is being spun before us? Return to Coruscant to experience recovery and MURDER on the next Frozen Force Friday!
Long Live Imagination and May the Force be with You!
~ Michael