I'm glad I was able to at least mention the character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars voiced by Adam McArthur somewhere in this story.
It may be a good idea to go back and reread chapter 13 before reading this chapter.
Warning: This chapter is REALLY dark. Like, EXTREMELY dark. Reader discretion is advised.
Merely one standard year prior to the Imperial invasion of Mewni, Jedi Master Kit Fisto participated in the Battle of Mon Calamari. Dispatched by the Jedi Council along with Padawan Ashoka Tano and a squadron of SUCBA clone troopers to assist Anakin Skywalker, Kit was selected for the assignment because of his natural sub-marine abilities. As a Nautolan native to another "water-world", that of Glee Anselm, Kit was a very strong swimmer and was just as comfortable breathing water as he was air, thanks to a set of gills on either side of his head.
Upon his return to Coruscant following the campaign, Kit's young Padawan friend Marco Diaz begged the Jedi Master to recount his adventures.
"So there we were," Kit said dramatically while a starry-eyed Marco hung on his every word, about halfway through his tale. "Held captive by Count Dooku's ruthless compatriot, Riff Tamson. Master Skywalker and I blocked from escape by electric eels, Representative Binks and Senator Amidala strung up by their arms! Tamson demanded that we give up the location of young Prince Lee-Char, torturing us with painful electrical shocks from the eels!"
"But...you didn't even know where the prince was," Marco said, recalling the earlier part of the story where Ashoka Tano and the Prince had escaped when the others were captured.
"Indeed! Not that we would have told that old Karkarodon if we had, of course."
"Haha, of course!"
"Tamson grew impatient, angry that we would not talk. So, to make us talk, he attacked Senator Amidala!"
Marco gasped. "No!"
"Yes! He chomped down on her dive helmet until it fractured, the intense undersea pressure forcing water through the crack! When we still did not give up the Prince's location despite Padmé's helmet filling with water, Tamson realized that we had indeed been telling the truth and we did not know where Lee-Char was."
"So what did you do?"
"Well, just then, Tamson was alerted that Prince Lee-Char had been spotted by the droids, so he had no more use for us. He left, leaving the poor Senator to drown. Though Anakin and I could not leave our, uh...'eel cells' to aid her, our arms were free, and we could still use the Force. I've taught myself a number of sub-marine Force abilities over the years, but we were so deep and under so much pressure, it was difficult to perform what I had in mind alone.
"I instructed Master Skywalker to help me push the water away from Padmé's helmet, creating a bubble and preventing more water from leaking in through the crack. It worked for a short time, but unfortunately, the eels shocked Anakin again, breaking his concentration, and I could not hold the water back on my own."
"So how did you save the senator?"
"Actually, Anakin and I were not the ones to save her. Representative Binks was."
"Get outta town!"
Kit laughed heartily. "No, it is true. He used his...um...well, he referred to it as 'Gungan waterproofing.' He used his Gungan waterproofing to seal the crack in Senator Amidala's helmet. It was not the most pleasant sight to see, but I must say, it was extremely effective." Kit laughed again. "You know, Jar Jar Binks is actually quite a resourceful fellow, far more so than his appearance and demeanor would suggest."
"Not as resourceful as you!" Marco said excitedly. "I mean, using the Force underwater to create a bubble for Senator Amidala to breathe from? Who would think of that?! I sure wouldn't have!"
Kit chuckled, finding Marco's exuberance a refreshing change from the dull and serious Jedi Council meetings. Some of the other Jedi Masters did not approve of the way he so openly spoke of his exploits on the battlefield, similar to the way they chided Anakin Skywalker for doing the same. But the way Kit saw it, if Marco wanted to know, what reason did he have to keep it a secret? There were no skeletons in his closet to hide.
Besides, Kit thought, perhaps someday, the experiences of my own that I share may help the boy out of a jam someday.
If Jedi Master Kit Fisto could have said "I told you so" from beyond the grave to the other members of the Jedi Council...he wouldn't have. But he would have flashed them a toothy smile that would have gotten the message across.
Marco gently set down Star's lightsaber on the edge of the platform at the pool's edge, careful not to let the glowing emerald blade switch off and plunge him into darkness. Star's lengthy mane of blonde hair swirled around in the water before him as he carefully half-floated her in front of him.
"Okay...just gotta be real careful about this...and do what Master Fisto did."
Marco shivered. Though the water was chilly, it was not the source of his trembling. His nerves were frayed. It was all up to him to get Star out of here safely, and he was rightfully scared. The phrase low midichlorian count repeated over and over in his mind.
Slowly, Marco knelt his left cybernetic leg on the stone floor beneath the water, leaving his chin just a few centimeters above the surface, his right leg at a right angle in front of him. He sat Star on his thigh, making it easier to hold her steady with just his left hand. Gazing at her unconscious yet distressed face as her head flopped limply to the side just above the water's surface, he swallowed nervously.
"Come on, Diaz. You can do this."
Holding up his right palm facing Star, Marco carefully focused his concentration on her head, calling the midichlorians in the water surrounding her neck. The water began to move, creating a crater-shape in the surface below Star's head. As slowly and as carefully as he could, Marco slowly lowered his prosthetic leg, sinking Star down closer to the bottom. The divot in the water's surface became a bowl as Marco held back the liquid away from Star's head.
It's working!
But Marco was struggling to keep his hold on the water. His hand shook uncontrollably as he fought to retain it, silently pleading to himself not to lose his connection to the Force. Just as he lowered Star into the "bowl" so that her nose was level with natural surface of the water, he lost his hold. The water quickly rushed to regain its original shape, and Marco had to abruptly jolt Star upward to keep water from filling her nostrils and mouth.
"Drat," Marco muttered to himself. "That's okay, I wasn't expecting to get it on the first try. Just breathe, and..."
Repeating his process, Marco began again, pushing the water apart around Star's neck and then slowly deepening the air pocket as he lowered her carefully down. But, once again, just before her nose dipped below the surface, he found that he could not hold the water back any more and his connection to the Force broke, causing the water to come rushing back in.
A third time Marco tried, then a fourth and a fifth, but each time he reached a threshold where he just was not strong enough in the Force to retain the water. As he failed for a sixth time, Marco began to realize that there was no possible way he could perform the task required of him, and at the seventh failure, tears of fear and frustration began to leak from his eyes.
"I can't do it...I'm not strong enough...I just can't do it..." He hugged Star to him, her soaked blonde hair clinging to his cheeks as he clenched his eyes shut, sobbing as he pressed his cheek against hers.
"You are plenty strong enough, dear boy."
Marco shot straight up, quickly grabbing Star's lightsaber from the platform and whirling around in the water, searching for the source of the voice that suddenly echoed through the tunnel.
"Who's there?!"
"Its only me, Marco."
This time, the voice did not reverberate through the tunnel, but instead came quietly from right on Marco's shoulder. The Padawan jumped and nearly lost his grip on both Star and the lightsaber, quickly regrouping to keep from losing both beneath the water. Once he did, he saw Glossaryck floating just before him in the dim, emerald light.
"Hello!" waved the little blue man.
"Glossaryck!" Marco exclaimed. "Where have you been?! We needed you!"
Glossaryck looked smug. "Mm...I don't think so. I think you're doing just fine on your own."
"In what way...are we...doing fine?" Marco stumbled over his own words. "Nothing about any of this is fine! Why didn't you show up earlier? With your help, we may have actually stood a chance against the Empire!"
The little blue man chuckled as he slowly circled Marco's head. "You greatly overestimate my power, dear boy. They would have overwhelmed me, too."
Marco felt utterly defeated. "Alright, fine, I don't have time to argue with you. Can you help me get Star out of here?"
Glossaryck shrugged. "I don't know. Can I?"
"...Will...you...help...me? Please." Already frustrated and annoyed by his previous failures to help Star to safety, Marco was becoming quite agitated by this conversation.
The Force-guru's reply was another shrug. "What is it that you are attempting to do that doesn't seem to be working?"
"I am trying," Marco nearly shouted, "to create a bubble around Star's head for her to breathe in while I take her through the drain pipe! But I can't do it. I'm not powerful enough and I can't hold the water back. But I'm sure you could do it very easily."
"Of course I could," Glossaryck replied. "But I won't."
"What?! Why not?"
Glossaryck chuckled. "Well, because then you wouldn't learn anything."
Marco was dumbfounded. "Learn any-?! Glossaryck, this isn't the time for this! The others are all waiting for me and Star outside and we've got to get out of here before those stormtroopers find us and trap us in here!"
"On the contrary, Master Diaz." He looked Marco straight in the eyes, suddenly dead serious. Marco actually felt a chill. "It is exactly the time for this. One never learns a skill faster than when time is of the essence."
"But-!"
"The Dark Side is strong with you, Marco. It is inside you, as it always has been. Use it. It will give you the strength you need."
Marco scowled. "You are really getting on my nerves."
The smirk Glossaryck gave in return was somewhat unnerving. "Is that so?"
"Yes! We could have already been on the other side of that wall now if you would just help me! But all you're doing is ticking me off!"
"Oh, good!" Glossaryck said with a chuckle. "That's what I was going for."
Marco saw red. "Why, you little-! I oughta-!" And suddenly, Marco understood. Glossaryck actually was helping him. Anger. Fear. Passion. These were the emotions that Dark Side Force-wielders draw from. And Marco was certainly frustratingly mad. And scared.
He was afraid, not just of his and Star's current predicament, but of the Dark Side of the Force itself. To say Marco didn't want to dip into the Darkness would be a gross understatement. The very idea terrified him, scared that once he started in that direction, he wouldn't be able to come back.
He didn't need to voice these concerns, though. It was as if Glossaryck could read his mind.
"Don't worry, Marco. You won't lose control." Glossaryck gestured to Star, still unconscious in Marco's arms. "Remember, you've got plenty of Light to keep you grounded. Right there."
It was conflicting information. Everything Marco had ever learned about the Dark Side was that it was corrupting, consuming, and nearly impossible to pull away from. Not to mention that the memory of his loss of control at dinner when Janna told him she had lost Kit Fisto's lightsaber was still fresh in his mind. Yet, Glossaryck seemed so certain that Star's mere existence would prevent the darkness from sinking it's hooks into him.
Marco sighed. If Glossaryck wouldn't do it for him, then he didn't really have a choice.
Just try not to think about it too much...
Marco repeated his earlier process of kneeling on the stone bottom beneath the water, balancing Star in a seated position on the knee of his mechanical leg, and raised his hand. Glossaryck watched with interest as the Padawan closed his eyes, his breathing loud and heavy, but slow and consistent.
It's there...it's inside me...it always has been...
Despite the fact that he had unknowingly tapped into the Dark Side before, Marco was not actually sure how to purposely utilize it. With hardcore focus, he searched within.
Draw it out...feed it...use it...
Nothing.
...
...
...
...for Star...
There it was. Marco could feel it, the Darkness. It was cold. And yet, somehow, it was also hot. Burning. Scalding even. He drew it out by will, focusing the roiling Dark energy to flow out from the deep internal well in which it resided, up into his arm to the tips of his fingers.
Very little conscious thought propelled Marco's actions as he focused the Force around Star's head instead of on the water beneath her chin. He slowly lowered his knee and Star sank down, the water yielding to the invisible bubble he had formed around her. Marco allowed himself to slip beneath the surface of the water as well, and as he opened his eyes, the glow from Star's lightsaber in his hand showed him what had hoped to see.
A perfect bubble of air surrounded Star's head, suspended beneath the water. Most of her hair was outside of the air pocket, floating behind her like a many-tentacled blonde jellyfish.
Now Marco had a slight predicament. How would he get Star through the drain? He only had two hands, and he needed one to hold her lightsaber for a light source and one to direct his use of the Force on the space around her so that she could breathe.
Maybe I don't need the light...
Careful not to break his concentration, Marco extinguished Star's lightsaber, plunging himself into darkness, and shoved it under his belt. He quickly reached out toward where he had last seen Star's arm and managed to grasp his best friend's left wrist with his now free right hand. Mentally reaching out with the Force, he found that his suspicion was correct. He could indeed, to some degree, "see" his physical surroundings in the Force. The limits of the walls, the floor beneath him, the surface of the water, Star, and even her bubble. But most importantly, he could feel the opening of the drain tube in the wall.
Marco kicked off the bottom, aiming for the drain, holding his right arm outstretched in front of him so that Star would be beside him instead of trailing behind. Because both of his arms were currently occupied with very important tasks, his strong cybernetic leg was a convenient attribute to help him swim toward his destination.
At last, almost half an hour after his friends had made their own way to safety, Marco and Star entered the drain. It was only just wide enough for them to fit through side by side. Now forced low to the stone floor and assisted by the current, it was easier for Marco to advance himself and Star along by pushing against the bottom with the toes of his boots.
Marco opened his eyes. He could see light refracting through the water back to him from the drain tube's termination point. It was about fifteen meters away.
And that's when Marco came to the horrifying realization that he was out of breath. He kicked against the bottom faster and harder, which only expended the remaining oxygen in his lungs faster. His lungs burned, screaming for air. Worse still, his panic was causing his concentration to falter and Star's bubble was starting to collapse.
No! No!
In a desperate bid to reach safety, Marco tried to force himself to pick up the pace, but his oxygen-starved muscles lacked the stamina to go on.
I'm not gonna make it...I'm not gonna make it...
He looked to his right. Star's bubble was shrinking, and it was beginning to leak.
No...gotta...save...Star...
Even if he couldn't make it out before he himself drowned, Marco vowed that he would ensure Star lived. With the last of his strength, he pulled Star in front of him. While he focused on keeping her breathing pocket intact just a little longer through his left hand, he let go of her arm with his right and held the palm up straight. Willing the Dark Side energy within him to give him strength, Marco performed an underwater Force-push, launching Star forward and down the drain pipe. She disappeared into the light at the end of the tunnel in just two seconds.
Goodbye, Star...
Marco dropped his connection to the Force, and as he did, all semblance of feeling exited his body. He could no longer even hold his head up, or his eyelids open. Closing his eyes, Marco blacked out.
The stormtroopers stood at attention and saluted as their leader strolled past, his hands clasped behind his back. He found the stormtrooper Captain waiting for him with the prisoners, the three stunned Mewmans lying on the ground with their wrists in binders. A trio of stormtroopers surrounded them, each holding their blaster rifle trained on one of the prisoners.
"Sir!" the Captain greeted as he addressed his superior.
"Remove the binders. And wake them up."
"Yes, sir!"
The Captain holstered his weapon and bent down beside the nearest of the three Mewmans, which happened to be King River. He unlocked and removed the binders from the King's wrists, then did the same for Senator Eclipsa and Queen Butterfly. Then he produced a medical syringe from his belt and gave each of them an injection in the arm, beginning with the Queen since he was already beside her.
As such, the Queen was the first to awaken when the stimulant roused her from the effects of being stunned. She was not expecting to see the being who currently stood over her, and her eyes went wide as she gasped his name.
"Toffee."
The Septarian smiled, a smug and evil expression accentuated by the exposed upper row of sharp teeth. "Please, Moon, I must request that you to address me by my full title."
Moon slowly pushed herself up off the ground. She was not aware of any title the Septarian had earned, but that did not matter to her. "Oh!" she said in a mockingly apologetic tone. "How could I be so rude? Please forgive me, Traitor Toffee."
Toffee laughed. "Oh, Moon, no! I meant Moff. Moff Toffee."
River opened his eyes, catching sight of their captor. "Oh, great. It's the lizard guy." He quickly got to his feet, prompting the stormtrooper guarding him to press his blaster against the back of the King's neck. River didn't seem to even notice. "Come back to try to undermine the Butterfly family again, have you?"
If Toffee's face could have possibly become more smug, it did so. "No need. You see, you are being removed from power. By the authority of Emperor Palpatine, I have been granted governing authority over the entire system of Mewni."
"He can't do that!" Moon said as she drew unsteadily to her feet. "He doesn't have the authority to remove local planetary political leaders from power!"
"He does if those rulers are suspected of treason against the Galactic Empire. Which you are." He slid a datapad out of his jacket, scrolling through text with a pointed finger. "Let's see here...ah, yes. For conspiring with known traitors of the Galactic Republic, now First Galactic Empire, ordered to be executed by the highest authority." He tossed the datapad over his shoulder. "So tell me, Queen Moon, where are your daughter and that little friend of hers?"
"Not here," Moon growled.
A moan behind the King and Queen caused all three to turn, where they saw Eclipsa finally rousing from her stunned state as well.
"Ah, Senator Butterfly," Toffee greeted. "Welcome back! You have also been found guilty of treason!"
"Guilty? You can't find me guilty. There hasn't even been a trial."
"Actually, I can." The Septarian sounded faux apologetic. "During this very difficult and trying time for the galaxy, the Senate has had to pass some emergency legislation. The right to a trial by a jury of peers has been suspended for those individuals suspected of treason. As such, by the authority granted to me by the Emperor of the Galactic Empire, I hear-by relieve you of office, and strip you of your senatorial credentials."
Eclipsa shrugged. "I honestly suspected as much."
Toffee looked almost disappointed that the Senator hadn't protested more. "Mm." He turned back to Moon. "Now, your majesty, returning to the previous subject. We know your daughter and her friends are here on Mewni, don't try to deny it. So I ask again..." He leaned closer to Moon until his snout was nearly touching her nose. "Where are Star Butterfly and her friends?"
For a moment, Moon said nothing. When she did finally answer, she spoke so softly that River and Eclipsa almost could not hear her. "Go to hell, sleemo."
And Toffee backhanded her across the cheek.
"Monster!" River cried as his wife crumpled to the ground. He charged at the Septarian. "I'll-!" But he was cut off as the stormtrooper behind him fired his blaster, stunning the King again.
Toffee calmly addressed the trooper Captain once more. "Put them on the racks."
"Yes, Sir!"
A great, muscular hand grasped Marco by the arm and yanked him out of the drain pipe. The Padawan immediately began to cough up water as Buff Frog gingerly laid him on the creek bank beside Star.
"Saber Boy! Are you alright?"
Marco opened his eyes to Buff Frog, Tom, and Janna standing over him, their faces etched with worry.
"Yeah. *cough cough* I think so. *cough*" As he caught his breath, he turned his head to look at Star. "Is she...?" But his own question was answered as he noticed her chest slowly rising and falling beneath her waterlogged blue dress as she breathed.
"She's fine," Tom answered. "Didn't even cough up any water."
Expelling a bit more liquid from his own lungs as he carefully sat up, Marco checked out his surroundings. The drain from the Butterfly Castle laundry room emptied into a creek in the forest, rays of sunshine filtering down through the leaves of the trees overhead. Aside from the drain pipe, nothing else anywhere in sight gave any hint at civilization. Beside he and Star, he noticed that Tom and Janna had both removed their soaked jackets, which hung from a low tree branch where the sun could shine on them.
Gee, I must have taken a really long time to get out here if they had time to dry their clothes...
"Hey, where's Sir Lavabo?"
"He took off," Janna explained. "Said he needed to go 'perform his duty'." She made air quotes around the last three words.
Tom took a step forward, pulling Marco's lightsaber from his belt and tossing it back to its owner. "He gave this to me before he took off, though. What took you so long, Dude?"
Marco shrugged off his hoodie as he got to his feet. "It's, uh...difficult to explain. I'll tell you later." He folded his hoodie in half and wrung it out as best he could before putting it back on again. It was still damp, but better than being soaking wet.
The sound of blaster fire in the distance reached Buff Frog's ears. The Mewni General tensed up. "Come on," he urged. "We must get you back to ship."
Janna nodded and quickly retrieved hers and Tom's jackets from where they'd been hung to dry. "Right. Which way?"
Buff Frog looked around. "Let me see...ship is in clearing behind castle on southwest side, drain is on south eastern side of castle, so..." He pointed in the direction of the creek's flow. "That way." He bent down and scooped up Star, carefully placing her over his shoulder. "Let's go."
Revived by the stormtrooper Captain for a second time, River awoke to find himself suspended upright by his arms and legs, the sky above him filled with smoke from the explosion that had destroyed the castle's front gate. "Huh? What is this? What's going on? Release me at once!"
Looking left and right he found that he was hanging in between his wife and sister-in-law, both hanging in the air in the same manner as he by energy fields holding their wrists and ankles. The suspension "racks" were portable, having been brought into the courtyard on their tiny self-contained repulsorlifts.
"Ah, River. You're awake." Toffee reappeared, strolling toward them with his hands once again clasped behind his back. "Now we can begin." He reached into his breast pocket and brought forth a small remote. "Where is Star Butterfly?"
The trio remained silent.
"No? That's fine." Toffee pressed a button on the remote and electricity surged through the energy cuffs, shocking the three elder Butterflys. Moon, River, and Eclipsa screamed in pain as the current coursed through their bodies. Ten agonizing seconds passed before Toffee switched off the power from the remote. "How about now?"
Moon panted for breath. "If you think...torturing me...would make me give up my daughter..."
"You've got another thing coming," Eclipsa finished.
Toffee smirked. "We'll see."
And he turned the electricity back on.
Blasters drawn and at the ready, Janna and Tom led the way as the group traversed the forest, Buff Frog directing them from the rear to keep Star out of the line of fire if they encountered the enemy. Marco stuck close to the General, prepared to deflect incoming fire.
Janna pushed a large branch aside and suddenly found herself looking at a familiar dirt footpath. "Oh, hey. It's the path that leads back to that field where we left the Raventalon."
"Oh, thank goodness," Tom breathed. "We're almost there."
Marco urged them to keep going. "Let's hurry and get there before-" A tiny ripple in the Force tickled the back of Marco's neck. In an instant, he had ignited both his and Star's lightsabers, jumping in front of Tom and Janna to deflect away a pair of red blaster bolts streaking toward them. Several stormtroopers were emerging from around a bend a few dozen meters up the path toward the castle.
"Go! Go!" Marco yelled.
The others did not argue. They took off in the direction of the Raventalon, Janna and Tom each firing their blasters toward the stormtroopers as they took off. Buff Frog was close behind. Marco remained, drawing the troopers' fire on himself and away from his friends, spinning and twirling the blue and green blades in his hands to cover himself, and even managing to take out a few troopers with their own deflected blaster bolts.
More troopers appeared from the woods. A quick glance over his shoulder and Marco saw that his friends had disappeared around another bend further down the path.
I'm outmatched. Time to retreat.
Deflecting shots away from his back as he ran, Marco took off in pursuit of his friends. The stormtroopers pursued, but their bulky armor did not allow them to run as fast as the Force-aided Padawan with the cybernetic leg, and they soon were out of range.
"Contact the Moff. Let him know we found those kids."
When Toffee shut down the electrocution field for the sixth time, Eclipsa could see wisps of smoke drifting up from her skin and clothing. River did not notice it. He could not open his eyes.
Toffee positioned himself directly in front of Queen Moon, watching as she gasped for breath like a beached fish. He wished he could take the time to savor the pain and suffering of the Queen he so emphatically despised, but unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time on his side.
Though, he could probably accomplish his goal and make Moon suffer at the same time.
"You know you want the pain to stop, Moon," Toffee said as he leaned in close to her face, staring hard into her eyes. "Just tell me where your daughter and her friends are and all of this comes to an end."
"Go...*pant*...to...*pant*...Hell."
Toffee had not been expecting quite that response, but he chuckled nonetheless, amused by the Queen's resolve and wondering if he could break it. "Okay. So you're quite resistant to physical torture. That's fine." He reached into his jacket and extracted a short-barrel blaster pistol, aiming it a Moon's midsection. "Maybe this will loosen your tongue."
"You think...threatening...to kill me...will make me...give up...my daughter?"
"Oh, no, not you." Without even looking away from Moon, he moved his hand to the left, bring the blaster to bear on Eclipsa. "Her."
"No!"
"Do not tell him anything, Moon!" Eclipsa yelled. "Do not-! GAHH!" she cried mid-sentence as Toffee squeezed the trigger and fired a shot into Eclipsa's left leg.
The Moff Grinned evilly at the Queen. "How about now?"
"All three of us are prepared to die. We expected it. We will never give up the children. So you might as well just go ahead and kill us."
"Okay." Toffee pointed the blaster pistol at Eclipsa once again. The former senator shut her eyes and braced herself for the killing shot.
"Sir!"
The Septarian lowered the blaster as a stormtrooper hurried over. "What?" he snapped, annoyed at being interrupted.
"The Padawans and their friends have been spotted, along with the General of the Mewni Militia."
Moon, River, and Eclipsa each involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath.
"Where?" Toffee asked.
"In the woods behind the castle, sir."
Toffee turned to the stormtrooper Captain. "Send the 324th and 679th to converge on their location."
"Two entire battalions, sir? They're only children."
"Do not underestimate them. They are more skilled than their age would suggest. Now go."
"Yes, sir!" the two troopers replied in unison, and they hurried off.
The Moff turned his attention back to the Mewni Royals. "Well, Moon, it appears that your usefulness has ended." He clicked his remote and the energy fields of all three suspension racks turned off. Moon, River, and Eclipsa tumbled haphazardly to the ground, picking themselves up to their hands and knees. Toffee chuckled to himself. "You know, for years, I have dreamed of the day that the great Queen Moon Butterfly would kneel before me and beg for mercy." He pressed the barrel of the blaster against her temple. "Beg, your majesty."
"Fiend!" River yelled, jumping to his feet. "You stay away from my wife! Or I'll have you in a-"
In one swift motion, Toffee pulled the blaster away from Moon's temple, reared back his hand, and clobbered the gun against the side of River's head. The King tumbled to the ground, and Moon and Eclipsa winced. The Queen began to say something, but suddenly found the blaster pressed to her head again.
"Where were we?" Toffee sneered. "Oh, yes, I believe you were about to beg for mercy, and plead for me not to kill you."
Moon's resolve was not shaken. "I will do no such thing."
Toffee's smile grew, his sharp teeth displayed beneath his curled lips. "That is exactly what I thought."
And he pulled the trigger.
River was frozen in horror as he watched his wife slump over lifelessly onto the ground. "Y-y-you...monster."
"Yes. I am." Toffee turned the blaster on River and shot the King in the head.
Finally, the Moff came to stand before Eclipsa. "Well, Senator, it seems that the penalty for treason is immediate execution." He took aim with the blaster one last time, his finger twitching over the trigger. "Any last words?"
Despite the tears flowing from her eyes, Eclipsa plucked up courage and spoke in an unwavering voice. "You may kill us, but trust me when I say you will never get Star and Marco. They are far too clever. And as long as those two kids are still alive, your days as the ruling power on Mewni are numbered."
The Moff chuckled. "We'll see about that."
And Toffee pulled the trigger.
Star slowly opened her eyes as she regained consciousness. Her mind was foggy.
What happened? Where am I?
Bouncing up and down slightly, she realized that she was moving backwards. She could feel a large hand on her back holding onto her. A dusty dirt path flew by beneath her, the way flanked by tall, full trees and weeds.
Oh...right...Buff Frog is carrying me...
She looked up. Over the tree tops, she could just make out the very top of the tallest tower of Butterfly Castle, a column of smoke rising along with it.
Mom...Dad...Aunt Eclipsa...
"There it is! We made it!" called out a familiar voice.
Janna...
The foliage surrounding the path abruptly fell away as the group reached the clearing where they had left the Raventalon. PY-HD squealed at its highest volume, racing to meet its organic companions in the middle.
"Pony Head!" Tom yelled. "Fire up the converters! We gotta get out of here!"
The astromech twittered frantically and raced back up the boarding ramp. It wasn't long before Tom and Janna caught up and followed their droid into the cabin of the Raventalon.
"What's our record for firing up and taking off?" Janna asked.
"I don't know, but let's beat it. Those stormtroopers can't be far behind."
Buff Frog stopped at the bottom of the boarding ramp and lifted Star gently from his shoulder, noticing as he set her down that she had regained consciousness. "Oh! Star Girl! You are awake! Are you alright?"
Star said nothing. She just stared back at Buff Frog though weary eyes. The big frog man felt a chill as they made eye contact. The ever-present sparkle of optimism and high-spirit was missing from her vibrant blue irises.
A few moments later, Buff Frog heard footsteps behind him. He turned to find Marco tearing across the open field toward him at a dead sprint.
"Saber-Boy! I was beginning to fear the worst! Did you defeat all of the stormtroopers by yourself?" Buff Frog asked as Marco stopped and caught his breath.
"No. Not even close. I just outran them. They'll be here any minute." He noticed Star sitting on the boarding ramp. "Star! You're awake! Are-" But he stopped when he saw her face. He didn't need to ask that question. He already knew the answer.
No.
He knelt down in front of her, but his best friend did not look at him. "Star, I'm sorry...it..." But Marco didn't know what to say. Nothing seemed right. So instead, he placed her lightsaber into her hand. "Hopefully we'll take off before you need this...but just in case you need to defend yourself..."
Star closed her fingers around her lightsaber loosely, and Marco wasn't sure it wasn't going to fall out of her hand when he let go of it. It stayed in her grasp though as she lowered her hand into her lap. She still would not look at him.
Marco swallowed. "I'm, uh, gonna go help Tom and Janna, okay? I'll be back."
Star did not reply or even acknowledge Marco's words. He gave her vacant left hand a squeeze before hopping back to his feet and scurrying up the boarding ramp and into the cabin.
"Come on, come on," Tom muttered to himself as he fiddled with the controls. He jabbed the activation switch to fire the engines, but the only result was a sickening chirp from the motivator. PY-HD let out a mournful bloop.
"Oh, you have got to be kriffing kidding me," Janna groaned.
Marco hurried into the cockpit. "What's wrong?"
"The motivator is vapor-locked because the engines are still hot from our test flight this morning," Tom explained.
"I don't know what that means, but how can we fix it?"
"We'll need to manually hold open the intake for the central engine while we trim the reactor output," Janna said. "If we can get the central engine to fire, the others will, too. But the intake is spring loaded, and the spring is so stiff that it's practically unmovable."
Marco spun on the heel of his foot and bolted from the cockpit. "I bet I know who could hold it! One of you meet me down in the engine room!"
"Buff Frog!"
The General looked up to see that Marco had reappeared at the top of the boarding ramp. "Saber Boy? Something wrong?"
"We need your help! C'mon!" And he disappeared back into the ship.
"Okay! I am coming!" Buff Frog looked back down at Star. "Um, Star Butterfly...Perhaps you should be coming inside now."
He was surprised to hear her respond. "I...just want to take...one last look...at home..."
Her quiet words broke Buff Frog's heart. "Um...alright..." And the big frog man hurried up the ramp into the Raventalon.
Star staggered to her feet, the act of doing so feeling as though she were lifting the entire weight of the world beneath her feet. In the distance, thin tendrils of black smoke still rose from Butterfly Castle, the tip of the highest tower just barely visible above the trees.
A twinge in the Force struck at the back of Star's subconscious. She could sense it. As plain as could be, it was there...or rather, it wasn't there. They weren't there.
Because they're dead...
The sound of Janna's voice came through Tom's commlink. "Okay, Lucy, we're ready down here! Hit it!"
Tom did not waste time replying, slowly turning the power control knob in tiny increments while holding the spring-loaded activation switch forward. The motivator clicked and the sound of the central engine whirring to life echoed through the ship. "Yes! Got it!"
"Fire the other two!"
"Already on it!" Tom's hands flew over the control panel, madly adjusting settings. The old port side engine coughed to life, assisted by power from the central engine, and the new starboard side engine fired up smoothly soon after. PY-HD squealed with delight. "Yes!" Tom shouted, quickly bringing all other systems online and watching as the system diagnostic screen lit up all green. "We're good to go! Let's get out of here!"
"Hang on, where's Star?" Marco's voice this time.
"The princess is still on boarding ramp," Buff Frog answered.
"Well, get her inside!" Tom yelled. "We gotta go!"
Star walked forward as if in a trance, moving one foot in front of the other with slow deliberation. Not a single thought wormed it's way through her head. She had a purpose, a mission...destiny.
"Star!"
She barely registered the voice calling out to her. She just pressed onward, one step at a time.
Marco bolted off the boarding ramp and ran to her, Buff Frog close behind. "Star! We have to go, Star!" He quickly grasped her hand and gently tried to lead her back toward the Raventalon, but she still did not acknowledge him, not even sparing him a passing glance.
Go? I can't go...I have to stay...I am needed here.
Marco gave her arm a more firm yank. "Star! C'mon!"
She looked down at her right hand. Her lightsaber resided there between her fingers, the polished durasteel shimmering so vibrantly.
And she ignited it, the emerald blade hissing to life.
"Star! What are you doing?!" Marco yelled.
And suddenly, everything became clear. Star knew what she had to do, what she was meant to do. She jerked her hand free of Marco's grasp and took off, significantly more quickly than before, suddenly imbued with a fresh sense of determination and strength.
"Star! Stop!" Marco yelled after her. "Come back!"
I won't stop! I can't stop! I'll run all the way back to the castle! No one will get in my way!
Marco caught up with her and grabbed her by the arm again. "Star!"
She wrenched her hand free once more. This time, she took off running, her lightsaber humming rhythmically with each back-and-forth pump of her arms.
Marco sprinted after her, his cybernetic leg allowing him to erase the distance between them quite easily. He launched himself off the ground with the Force and somersaulted over Star's head, twisting around in midair and landing ahead of her. "Stop, Star! Stop!"
She juked to the left, attempting to get past him, but Marco was fast, and he blocked her escape. She tried the same maneuver to the right, but was blocked again.
"Grrr!"
Frustration overtaking her, Star wildly swung her lightsaber in Marco's direction.
"Whoa!" Marco yelped as he ducked under her blade. "Star! What are you doing?!"
"Get out of my way, Marco!" Star yelled.
"No!"
"I said-" Her emerald blade scorched the air again as she swung again. "Move!"
Marco jumped backwards out of the sword's path. He snatched his own lightsaber from his belt, igniting the azure blade. "Star! Stop! This isn't you!"
She swung again and their blades clashed. For the first time, Marco could see the cold and unfeeling emptiness in Star's eyes. She was not driven by anger, fear, or sorrow, but simply by a feeling of frustration and hopelessness.
The princess threw attack after attack at Marco, but her motions were wild, uncoordinated, completely lacking in any type of technique, and she was off-balance. He blocked each stroke of her blade with ease. One such counter strike sent Star reeling backwards, windmilling her arms to remain upright. With some distance now between them, Marco lowered his weapon and desperately tried to talk some sense into his best friend.
"Star, listen to me. Please," he begged, looking into her pupils with pleading eyes. She froze, but still brandished her lightsaber before her. "Star, I know you feel like you're abandoning your people. But the Empire...there's just too many. You know it's the truth."
"But...but I have to try..."
"Star...your parents...Aunt Eclipsa...they gave their lives so that you could escape." He saw her eyes widen. "I know. I felt it, too. They're gone." He swallowed hard. "They sacrificed themselves so that you could live, and come back with enough help to free Mewni from the Empire." He extinguished his lightsaber, but kept it in his hand just in case. "Mewni may have fallen...but it isn't gone forever. We have to survive today so that we can save it tomorrow."
Star's lightsaber trembled and she lowered the weapon to her side.
"Don't let your parents' and Eclipsa's deaths be in vain, Star." He took a slow step toward her. "We'll come back...when the time is right." He took another step closer. He was now but an arm's length away. "I promise."
Star slowly lowered her head as if holding it upright were simply too much. Her lightsaber blade shrank back into its hilt as it slipped from her fingers and fell to the grass. She fell forward toward Marco, burying her face in his chest as he caught her, tears streaming down her cheeks into his still-damp hoodie.
"I'm sorry, Marco," she whispered.
"It's okay, Star. C'mon. We have to go."
Star nodded, but her sudden strength and determination was gone. So, Marco put his arm around her shoulder and helped her back to the Raventalon.
Buff Frog scooped up Star's lightsaber off the ground and followed anxiously behind them, wondering to himself how it was possible that the stormtroopers that had attacked them earlier had not yet caught up. Must be even slower than they are looking. And then, just as they reached the boarding ramp, the first blaster bolt pinged off the hull above their heads.
"Saber Boy! Look out!"
Acting purely on instinct, Marco whirled around, his azure blade igniting in his hand again as a flurry of red energy bolts streaked toward him from the stormtroopers emerging from the woods all around them.
"Get Star inside!" Marco yelled.
Buff Frog carefully took Star from Marco, trading him the Princess's lightsaber, and helped her inside as Marco deflected every shot away from the boarding ramp as they climbed up.
"Buff Frog...Marco...needs my help..." Star moaned as the General carried her into the crew lounge and laid her on the bench seat.
"The only thing you are needing is rest, Star Butterfly. I will help Saber Boy." He hurried back through the doorway, passing back a single glance at the princess he had known since she was a newborn infant, hoping that this would not be the last time he saw her.
Marco, meanwhile, was nearly overwhelmed. Imperial Stormtroopers were oozing from the woods in droves, the fire from their blasters creating an ocean of crimson energy bolts. Even wielding both his and Star's lightsabers at once, he was not sure how long he could keep up.
As Buff Frog returned to the top of the boarding ramp, he realized that he didn't even stand a chance of escaping. I need plan... He quickly ducked into the cargo hold, finding a durasteel crate on repulsorlifts that was large enough for him to climb into. He shoved off the lid and muscled the crate over, flipping its contents onto the floor. Activating the repulsors, he pushed the crate to the boarding ramp, deactivated the momentum cancelling feature, pushed it over the top and hopped inside. The crate floated right past Marco, who looked extremely confused.
"Go! I will hold them off!" Buff Frog yelled. He pulled a pair of blaster pistols from their holsters. Using the crate as cover, he returned fire on the flood of stormtroopers.
"What? You're not coming with us?"
"I will cover your escape! Get Star to safety! Go!"
Marco could see that arguing was pointless. "May the Force be with you, Buff Frog!" He walked backwards up the boarding ramp, continuing to deflect blaster bolts as he went, until he reached safety inside the cabin and slammed down the lever to close the ramp. "Janna! Let's get out of here!" the Padawan yelled as he sprinted up to the cockpit.
Janna wasted no time. "Hang on." She hauled up on the control yoke and coaxed the Raventalon off the ground. The freighter rose straight up, above the fire fight on the ground below, which Janna suddenly took notice of. Looking out the viewscreen, she could see Buff Frog in his shipping container cover, firing back at the stormtroopers below. "Buff Frog wasn't on board?"
Marco shook his head sadly. "He said he's covering us."
Janna slowed the ship's ascent to a consistent hover, about twenty meters above the ground. She watched as, despite the general's best efforts with his blaster pistols, the stormtroopers rapidly closed in on him from all sides.
"Uh, Janna?" Tom said. "What are you doing?"
For a second, Janna did not respond. Then she suddenly jumped to her feet and bolted from the cabin. "Just hold the ship steady, Lucy!"
"What? Where are you going?"
Captain Ordonia did not reply. As fast as her legs would carry her, she rushed down to the cargo hold. She pushed past the supply crates to the rearward most bulkhead and slammed her shoulder into one of the durasteel sectional panels. The panel fell away to the floor with a crash, revealing the item which Janna sought.
This oughta even the odds a bit.
An alert on Tom's panel told him that the boarding ramp was being lowered.
"What is she doing?" he wondered aloud.
Marco only shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Buff Frog sighed. The stormtroopers advanced toward him in such great numbers that nearly every one of his shots took one down. They surrounded him completely; it was impossible to miss. And yet it seemed as though for every stormtrooper that fell to Buff Frog's pistols, two more would step forward.
The General stopped firing back. There was no point in continuing the fight. The kids' ship was in the air, the stormtroopers on the ground could do nothing to stop it now. He may as well just surrender and hope that they did not kill him.
"BUFF FROG!"
He looked up. There, standing on the edge of the Raventalon's boarding ramp almost directly over his head, was Captain Janna Ordonia, holding a MWC-35c repeating blaster canon.
"CATCH!"
And Janna dropped the large piece of equipment directly toward Buff Frog's crate. He caught the weapon by the massive attached refrigerant tank, the canon itself falling outside of the crate. He reeled it back in by the thick power transfer cable.
"Now THIS is a canon!" He gave Janna a quick salute, and she returned the gesture before scurrying back inside the ship and retracting the boarding ramp once more.
After powering up the conductor cells, Buff Frog slung the heavy refrigerant tank over his shoulders by the attached straps. He grasped the canon in his hands, flipped the switch over to standard rapid-fire mode, and disengaged the safety. He took a deep breath, put a finger to the trigger, and, with a furious battle cry, stood up to full height. General Bulgolyubov let loose a furious defensive slurry of crimson lasers as the Raventalon resumed its climb up through Mewni's atmosphere.
Vapor-locking is a condition that affects internal combustion engines that have a carburetor. Apparently, the Raventalon is carbureted.
