Author's Note: Dearest readers, welcome back to the adventure! My work-life balance has currently allowed me to return to weekly chapters! I know there have been some holds and hiatuses this season, but your patience is always appreciated. No matter what, this story shall carry on to its end! There's less than ten chapters left in Season 5 already! Then only one season left. This story has been going for literal years and continues to be my longest project yet. Whether you're a new reader or you've been here since Day 1, thank you for joining me on this journey! I hope you enjoy today's chapter: By the Force
~ Sparks
ADVISORY: The following chapter contains sensitive material relating to: Violence, traumatic memories, and bone breaking. Remember to practice self care before, during, and after reading.
Chapter: 142 By the Force
- ACCESSING IMPERIAL NETWORK -
IHC: Imperial High Command to ISBHQ.
Yularen: This is Colonel Yularen of the ISB. Proceed.
IHC: Status report on the Coruscant situation.
Yularen: ISB agents have been dispatched to get a hold of it. Suspects and subversives are being pursued.
IHC: Is the cadet in custody?
Yularen: Unaccounted for. We have apprehended a senator for embezzlement. But interestingly enough, the squad captain who arrested her has gone AWOL.
IHC: Some petty senator is of no interest to the Empire. Dispatch her to a labor camp and be done with it. What of the traitor: Dia Veritaz?
Yularen: Dead. Along with her conspirator.
IHC: Lock down the districts and investigate the cause. Snuff out any dissidents who might've been influenced by such a speech. Put out bulletins for Tiana Roze throughout the Core Worlds. She must be dealt with.
Yularen: It will be done. This cadet won't be able to enter any system in the Core without having troopers searching. No one evades the Empire.
Tiana Roze had barely given herself time to process all that had transpired on Coruscant. From Agent Byra's death, to her own mother's decision to turn her in...Tiana was at a loss for reason. She'd dissociated multiple times, staring into the indigo void of hyperspace. Terror would occasionally spike within, as she considered having no idea where she'd end up. Her coordinates were set for dead space in the Outer Rim, and that destination spawned its own slew of problems. But Tiana couldn't let herself succumb to such overwhelming pressures. She had to slow down and let her exhaustion take hold. If she was going to make it in any semblance, she'd need rest. Reclining against the ship's bulky pilot's seat, Tiana let herself breathe fully. A great heaviness fell across her eyes while her thoughts found a center.
What was that? she asked within.
What did I do? Will I ever do it again?
Darkness arrived as Tiana slipped into slumber.
It felt as though Tiana had blinked as a raucous rumble came across the ship. This violent shake had the collision warning sirens blaring as she rolled out of her seat. The cockpit's shadows had been replaced by flashing crimson as Tiana lunged for the controls. Every passing moment threw her deeper into confusion, as she was forced out of hyperspace.
Impossible! She panicked to herself. Nothing can collide with a ship from lightspeed except-
Tiana's jaw dropped with realization as she was reminded her space studies. As the craft exited hyperspace, several vibrant tentacles quivered just outside. As they recovered from the impact, the tentacles coiled back towards a lumbering whale. Its pulsed call was haunting and harmonious as it soared across the cosmos.
"Purrgil," Tiana murmured.
For centuries, these ancient animals were capable of traveling through lightspeed by creating their own hyper-tunnels. While this feat was astounding for many wayfinders, it also made purrgil a living nightmare for spacers. Every hyperspace traveler took a gamble jumping to lightspeed, never knowing if they'd crash into a traveling purrgil. While many collisions would prove fatal, some ships could escape with minor damages depending on the purrgil's size. As fate would have it, one of the blissfully unaware calves would intercept Tiana's flightpath.
The ship's dashboard was a frantic array of warnings as Tiana raced to assess the damage. Readouts were popping up faster than she could comprehend them. A diagram of the ship appeared on one of the datascreens, revealing severe damage to the engines.
The controls were faltering, and Tiana tried her hardest to keep the ship level. Without proper engine stability, she was losing all direction. Her best bet was to redirect her dying craft to the nearby, azure planet. While she was unsure where she'd been pulled out of hyperspace, Tiana had no choice but to land. Like her failing vessel, her heart sank into terror when she noticed Star Destroyers patrolling the planet. The ship's damaged exterior burnt up during its atmospheric descent.
At this point, all Tiana could do was keep pulling up on the controls and begging for a stable landing. The ship only accelerated with the drop and plummeted through a sea of silver clouds. Tiana's eyes widened at the sight of an actual sea below. She could faintly make out a pale city shrouded in smog and morning mists. Realizing her best bet was the water, she scoured the dashboard for emergency countermeasures. While the rest of the ship had been a complex mess, she was fortunate to find that emergency gears were built to be noticed on any vessel.
"One shot at this," Tiana told herself as she uncapped the emergency booster switch. Bracing for the worst, she waited until the ship was just above the surface and activated. The emergency boosters primed with any remaining energy. This propelled the ship from its vertical spiral and led to a gradual landing. Still clutching the controls, Tiana shut her eyes tightly as her ship skimmed the planet's rough waters. Each bounce was heavier than the last as whitewater splashed across the viewport. And with a final dip, the craft crashed into a rising wave.
The jolt of such an impact had Tiana rolling back in her chair. The seat itself came unbolted and she lurched back against the cockpit wall. Such an instant hit left a ringing sensation in Tiana's ears as she dizzily rose up. This incessant ringing faded to a rush of water as she realized the ship was sinking. "No!" Tiana gasped and scrambled to exit from the back. Her breaths hitched upon seeing the rising water levels behind her, having entered from the ship's broken hull. Her only glimpse of the surface would be from the cockpit, which was slowly being consumed by the sea.
Tiana rummaged through the disheveled room, determined to find anything to break the glass. She couldn't even find a weapon of any kind in the emergency containers. With time running out, Tiana grabbed the broken seat and hurled it at the viewport. Metal clanged and unfastened as the chair came crashing back. Blueness overwhelmed the ship as Tiana desperately kept throwing the chair. Her impact lessened each time while her desperation willed her to throw again. The surface vanished, darkening her surroundings while water flooded from behind. The ship's power cut entirely and she found herself knee-deep in rising, shadowy seawater. Her final throw was futile to smash the glass, leaving only a crack running across its surface.
Realizing she was out of options, Tiana flailed her hands forward. Her situation left her with no choice but to use the very ability that put her on the run. "Come on!" she panted, trying to pose her hands in any way possible. "Come on! Work!" Tiana's hips became submerged as her breaths shortened. "Please!" her voice strained. She focused on the crack and kept thrusting her hands. Shutting her eyes amid the panic, she saw all she'd experienced during her escape. If she met a watery grave on an unknown world, no one would ever know the truth. She'd never be able to clear her name or cleanse her father's decorated legacy. She'd die and no one would know where she was. Or even who she was going to become. Giving in to her panic, Tiana loosed an exasperated scream. And as she did so, that power...that invisible burst returned from her fingertips.
This sporadic Force push struck the viewport, applying enough pressure to deepen the crack and smash the glass. Relief was short-lived as the ocean's might poured into the cockpit. She barely had enough time to get a breath in before the sea took all. With burning, squinted eyes...all Tiana could do was push upward. Her chest ached as she kept kicking and pulling at water. She stretched her arms to whatever semblance of light she could find. And as her heart pounded, she broke the surface.
With her ship gone, Tiana could only cough above the waves. The rough seas had her swaying back and forth as she tried to assess her location. Her academy jacket had taken too much water, forcing her to abandon it. Her black undershirt was light to the touch, but easily soaked. Before further heaviness could set in, Tiana eyed a distant, metallic dock and swam towards it.
For anyone who'd lived through the days of the Republic, the sight of Star Destroyers used to bring a welcoming sense of safety. For survivors like Elsa Dellian, they were a grim reminder to keep one's head down. As Milo's ship thundered out of hyperspace and approached an azure planet, Elsa couldn't help but ask. "Are you sure about this?" she inquired. "I want to find my sister, but I'd prefer to avoid any Imperial entanglements."
"I promise that we're safe," Milo assured. "Corellia might be under Imperial rule, but if you don't bother them...they don't bother you."
His words almost put Elsa at ease until she noticed several TIE Fighters gliding out of a Star Destroyer. Elsa's eyes narrowed on the squadron as they descended to the planet instead of pursuing them.
"See?" Milo insisted. "We're okay. Whatever they're after has nothing to do with us. If you want to find your sister, I have contacts in Coronet City that can help out." Elsa's pensive nod caught Milo's attention. "You can trust them too."
"It's not that. It's this place."
"Ever been to Corellia before?"
"No," Elsa professed. "But my sister did many years ago. The Jedi Order held a tournament in Coronet. The-" Elsa paused and tried to remember. "Corellian Cup. That was it. And she won."
"Sometimes I feel like I'm an adult living in the wrong era," Milo replied. "I would've loved to archive that competition. Was life...ever easier back then?"
Elsa took her time answering and had to be honest with herself. "No," she admitted. "Life was never easy and I don't think it ever will be. But as we face new hardships, we like to daydream about was instead of working towards what could be."
"Fascinating," Milo whispered. "I've never experienced Jedi wisdom before. My parents used to tell me stories."
"Where are they now?" Elsa asked.
Milo pursed his lips as 3-J worriedly hovered by him. "They died during the fall of the Republic," he answered clearly. "Mom and Dad worked maintenance on Starpoint. It was this massive station that safeguarded all of Coruscant."
Elsa winced and shut her eyes, recalling the tragedy that had befallen Starpoint. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Many innocent people died that day."
Milo tried not to dwell on the pain. "They did the best they could, working as many shifts to just pay for my education. When they died, my grandfather took me in. The guy loved exploring, and it was only a matter of time before I picked up the same hobby."
"I'm honored to be in your presence, Milo." Elsa said.
"Likewise-" he had started to say before noticing a commotion over the water. "Well, looks like we found where those Imperials were heading." Elsa peered over his shoulder to see TIE fighters hovering over the perilous seas. Search lights beamed from their cockpits and swayed over the water. "Wonder what they're looking for."
Elsa didn't have enough time to get a good look as the ship soared over Coronet. She might not have ever been there, but she'd heard stories of its famous shipyards. Who could've know that one of the Republic's gems would become a powerhouse for the Imperial Navy. Tired of seeing looming Star Destroyers, Elsa was grateful to be landing in a hangar. Even before exiting, she could see the variety of dismantled ships and droids left out for repair.
Milo led his new friend down the ramp while a mustachioed mechanic met them. His thick, dark brows raised while he removed his welding gloves. "Hey, Milo. Took you long enough to get a girlfriend. A little older than I pictured but-"
"She's just a friend," Milo hurriedly answered while the mechanic simpered. "Elsa, this is Vin. He helps fund my expeditions."
"And maybe someday you'll have something to show for it!" A younger voice hollered. All heads turned to a steely catwalk where another mechanic hopped down. A flash of her raven hair swished as she met the others at their level. "Speaking of which, how'd the Rhen Var job go?"
"It..." Milo bit his lip while 3-J chimed nervously. "Well you see-..."
"Say less," the youth scoffed with a wave of her hand.
"We'll have better luck next time," Milo persisted. "Elsa, this is Audri. Audri-"
"Ah ah ah," Audri snapped. "Unless that blonde is paying me, I don't wanna hear it."
"It doesn't always have to be about credits," Milo pleaded. "She needs our help to find someone."
"Oh yeah?" Audri grumbled. "Well we need your help to keep this place up an running, Milo."
As the bickering persisted, Elsa suddenly felt a strange...pulse within herself. She pressed a pair of fingers to her temple and tried to understand. "Hey," Vin interrupted his comrades' squabbling. "She okay?"
Elsa took a deep breath and focused on the feeling. It was as peculiar as it was inviting. Foreign, yet somehow familiar. For a moment, Elsa believed her return to the Force had led Evara to open up to her once more. But the dormant Force Wraith's voice never came. Instead, she was left to comprehend this bizarre and oddly alluring pulse.
"Elsa?" Milo worried. "What's going on?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I sense...a presence."
"Your sister?" Milo questioned while his partners rolled their eyes.
"N-no," Elsa uttered, even as the sudden feeling started to fade. "This is something else. Something new. Some kind of...tremor in the Force."
Tiana's tired hands reached the dock as a wave splashed behind her. With a mighty heave, she hauled her drenched self over the edge and rested on her back. Peering up at a bridge's damp underside, she took in the stench of weathered metals. Glancing out at the sea she'd swam through, Tiana noticed a squadron of TIE fighters hovering over where she'd crashed.
Feeling like she couldn't catch a break, Tiana backed up towards any semblance of dry land. But as she reached a durasteel wall, Tiana suddenly felt a strange...pulse within herself. It was as welcoming as it was mysterious. Familiar and safe...yet terrifying and new. Tiana looked at her hands, wondering if this had to do with her mysterious ability. As if she'd spent all of her power, and now something else was emerging. Although the feeling had been chillingly abrupt, Tian sighed when nothing came of it. She took a deep breath, peered down at her own puddles...and found several figures in its reflection.
Tiana gasped, and spun to see a horde of masked beings closing in on her. Their ragged garbs and dripping staffs wreaked of raw sewage. More emerged from the shadows, revealing a grated entrance behind them.
Calmness had become a luxury for Tiana as she rapidly shook her head. "I-I don't want any trouble," she sputtered.
Her masked adversaries looked to one another, some murmuring in hushed tones. The group slowly surrounded her as one dipped a staff towards her face. "We were wondering what all the fuss was about concerning that downed ship," he said and peered across the waves. The TIEs reflected in his goggles as he said. "You must be pretty valuable for the Empire to be searching. Let's find out how valuable." He motioned for his goons to seize Tiana and said, "Take her to Lady Proxima."
A cold, grim pulse accompanied Elsa's odd sense. The longer she let herself feel it, the more she started to feel much more. Panic...fear...suffering. All manifesting into an unknown individual.
"Milo," Audri spoke up. "We've been watching this bitch have an aneurysm or something for like five minutes now. What the hell is going on?"
"Elsa?" Milo worried and put a hand on her shoulder. The gesture seemed to snap her out of the feeling. "What's going on?"
"Someone's here," she answered breathily. "Or some...thing? I don't know, but the Force flows through it."
"I had the same problem on Batuu," Vin gawked. "Too many ronto wraps."
"I have to track this down," Elsa declared. "Whatever this is, the Force is calling me to it."
"We're on it," Milo said. "3-J and I will-"
"No," Elsa shut him down. "Where I'm going, you can't follow."
"But Elsa-"
She took Milo's hands in hers and sighed. "I'm grateful to have come this far with you. Truly I am. But-" Elsa's brows tensed as she thought of the orphaned Twi'leks on Ghorman. "I can't lose anyone else." As she leaned deeper into her senses, her grip on her new friend's hands loosened. "Goodbye Milo. The Force will always be with you."
Without another word, Elsa departed from the hangar. "Goodbye," Milo answered, still rubbing his hands as if they'd been graced by a goddess.
"Whatever that lady's smoking-" Vin jeered. "-I want some."
For years, Elsa had succumbed to the directions of others. She'd closed herself off from the Force and clung to her despair. Now as she found strength in standing alone, the Force was her ally once more. It was her mind's compass as she travelled through Coronet's streets. "What are you trying to tell me?" she whispered to her senses. "Where are you sending me? Evara? Is this your doing?"
In that instant, a series of distorted stormtrooper voices echoed from around the corner. It was enough to have Elsa holding her breath and ducking behind several waste containers. "Moving to Sector 17," one trooper reported in.
"You there," beckoned another. Elsa peeked from cover to see the Imperial's questioning a weary bystander. "Have you seen this cadet?" He held up a holoprojector displaying Tiana's face. When the citizen shook her head, the troopers lingered for a moment. Deeming her useless, they proceeded with their search.
No matter how much time had passed, the sight of white-armored soldiers still left a bitterness within Elsa. They might've been conscripted stormtroopers, but all Elsa could think of were her clones. Her heart still sank at the thought of Frost's death...or all of the 213th turning on her. Steadying her trembling hands as the troopers moved on, Elsa came to terms with her reality. This trauma of hers would never subside unless she made an active choice to tame it. If she could bring herself to take the smallest step forward, that in itself would be enough.
"I am one with the Force and the Force is with me," Elsa whispered and concentrated on her senses. "I am one with the Force and-" The pulse returned, stronger than its predecessor. It only intensified, luring Elsa off of the road and down to a musty canal. The sense was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. It was a pull, calling her towards a grated entryway. It longed for her to delve deeper as she ventured into Coronet's sewer system.
While Elsa did so, a sleek airspeeder cruised to a halt above her. Its driver watched her disappear, and then accelerated once more.
Tiana had traded the darkness of space for a shadowy maze. She could hardly gain any footing as the masked brutes dragged her further. The stench of lingering seawater and rotting trash beckoned Tiana elsewhere. Her captors pulled her into a daunting chamber. The likes of which had more thugs gathered around a pool of inky water. Fearing she would be hurled into the mysterious liquid, Tiana desperately flailed in her adversaries' grips. Instead of tossing her anywhere, they held her at the water's edge. Amid such disarray, Tiana observed several children beside the huddling strangers. Their tattered garbs were only held together by assortments of animal bones and gathered scraps.
A heinous gurgling brought Tiana's attention back to the pool. A series of bubbles intensified as a chunky silhouette broke the surface. Ripples raced to the water's edge while a pale, bulbous cranium emerged. Sewage dripped from the burn scars along its face. Row after row of stubby limbs adorned in jewelery kept rising as the creature snaked itself higher. When it neared the ceiling, this worm-like abomination loomed towards Tiana.
"Lady Proxima," one of her captors greeted. "We bring you an offering."
This worm. This terrible Grindalid...curled her blubbery maw to grin. Her chalky eyes narrowed on Tiana, studying the find. "Go on," Proxima enticed her goon. Her voice was hoarse and phlegmy.
The brute tightened his grip on Tiana's wrist and gestured to her. "We found this one swimming away from a crash site. And an Imperial search party wasn't far behind."
Proxima's pensive hum was more of a strained hiss. "So you've found me a troublemaker," she jested. "I like troublemakers. And a young one at that. Young...yet familiar."
"Lady Proxima," another goon called and raised a rusting datapad to her.
The Grindalid glanced between Tiana and the pad, reading the Imperial bulletin. Proxima's grin was as twitchy as it was gruesome. "What to do, what to do with you?" she teased. "Tiana." Hearing the beast speak her name left a nasty taste in the fugitive's mouth. Proxima growled when the youth didn't respond. "Because I am a...just leader. I'll make your choice simple. You are strong, youthful, and resourceful to have evaded the Empire. The White Worms could use your talents. You will steal for me, break for me, and kill when I ask you to."
Tiana dared to respond. "I'm not hearing much of a choice here."
"The alternative is being turned in to the Empire," Proxima snarked. "So I suppose there isn't much of a choice for a new scumrat."
Tiana clenched her fists, even in her captors' grips. "Listen. Lady...Proxima, right? Whatever skills you think I have just don't exist. Please let me go, and I'll forget this conversation even happened. I won't tell anyone where you are."
Proxima's slime-seeping eyes widened as she sneered. "You think you're in any position to give orders, child? The Empire has you on their wanted list for murdering an ISB agent with your abilities. Whatever that means, the White Worms want a piece." Tiana's ongoing silence only frustrated her further. "I invite you into our community. I offer you safety and you repay me with arrogance. Take her to the Empire. Find out how much we can get for her."
"It will be done," her chief brute growled and yanked Tiana back. "Come on, you!"
"No!" Tiana yelped in his grasp. "Let me go!"
Proxima smirked as she was dragged away, waiting for the inevitable moment where Tiana would break. That her fear of the Empire would force her to commit to becoming a scumrat. Instead, Tiana's anxieties only intensified. So much so, that similar pressures were returning to her hands. Only this time, there was a distinct coldness to it all. This pull pried at her fear and anger, willing for her to exert it. With shortening breaths and gritting teeth, Tiana gave in to the pressure within.
"I said-" she grunted. "Let...me...go!" The energy fled her hand once more, this time bringing a nauseating set of cracks. By the time Tiana had realized what she'd done, the brute was already howling with pain. As he dropped to his knees, all looked upon his snapped wrist. The man's hand had been disfigured into a gruesome mix of twisted fingers and limp flesh. His wails were agonizing and had those around him staggering back. While some looked on in horror, others advanced to attack.
"Astounding," Proxima croaked. "Bring her to me! She doesn't have to be in one piece."
Tiana used the brief panic to start running back through the tunnels. The shouts of her pursuers were accompanied by the occasional blaster bolt. These sporadic shots set the tunnels aglow with streaks of scarlet. She used the stray blasts as loose guides to find the next dark corner.
Above ground, several communicators chimed as stormtroopers turned to their devices. "All units in Coronet. Blasterfire reported in Sector 9. It seems to be coming from the sewers."
"Could be the fugitive," a trooper spoke to his comrade. "Let's move!"
Tiana wouldn't yield to her aches as she dashed on through the tunnels. While she'd become accustomed to a constant state of peril, she wasn't prepared to feel another pulse. This time, the sense was full of yearning as she turned rightward. She could only glimpse a flow of blonde before colliding with a stranger.
Elsa's pulse had pushed her leftward as Tiana bumped directly into her. They collapsed together, and were taken aback by each other's presence. Elsa's piercing blue eyes met Tiana's gentle, brown gaze. The pulse returned, as if pulling them into some invisible link.
"What the-" Elsa winced while Tiana backed away in fear. "Hey!" she called out. "It's alright."
"Who are you?" Tiana gasped.
Embracing the connection between them and acknowledging the teen's fear, Elsa lowered her voice. "Someone here to help," she assured. Their calmness was cut short when several White Worms emerged from the corner. As Tiana braced herself, a heavy surge sent all three thugs spinning through the air. They struck the wall with painful groans, leaving Tiana turning to Elsa in disbelief.
She glared at her outstretched hands and uttered, "You're...you're like me."
"You're like me," Elsa repeated as the sounds of more thugs had her smile dropping. "This way!" Elsa called out with a swish of her hand.
While Tiana had been shown kindness by the stormtrooper and spacer back on Coruscant, this was the first time it had felt so natural from a stranger. Out of options, she ran after Elsa. Neither person had breath left to speak as they dashed towards a grated cieling.
"This...this can't be the way out," Tiana panted and nearly fell over. "We must've taken a wrong turn!"
"Then we'll make our own escape," Elsa said as she raised her hands to the ceiling. Concentrating on the rusty plating, she used the Force to bend it to her will. While the sound was ear-splitting, the results were remarkable. "Hang on!"
"What-" was all Tiana could blurt as the mysterious energy lifted her off of the ground. Tiana flailed as Elsa used the Force to toss her to the surface. Once she was up, Elsa wielded that same power to jump through the same opening. Her hair whipped back as she propelled herself faster, ultimately glimpsing the sunlight once more. As Elsa stuck her wobbly landing, she noticed Tiana was standing idle. Before she could question anything, Elsa stared ahead to see a squad of stormtroopers aiming their blasters.
For a brief moment, Elsa's mind flashed her back to the 213th. The sight of so many white-armored individuals aiming at her was enough to make her stomach drop. Focused on survival, she didn't let her mind dwell in the past. Elsa analyzed her surroundings. She could ignite her lightsaber, but she knew the troopers would open fire. Given their space from each other, Elsa didn't trust herself to block shots from Tiana in time. Either the stormtroopers would kill the teen, or they'd blast Elsa before she could even ignite.
"Freeze!" a commander yelled and steadied his rifle.
"What's the plan?" Tiana whispered as they put their hands up. "What do we do now?"
"I'm working on it," Elsa fretted as her eyes zipped across the area.
"Move in," the commander said. "You two. On the ground now!"
As Tiana looked to Elsa for a plan that wasn't coming, something suddenly revved up from above. A sleek, dark blue airspeeder dive-bombed the Imperials from behind. Its dual engines roared as it accelerated to ramming speed. While some troopers were able to roll away, two struck the speeder's hood head on. The rest of the unit opened fire, and were thrown off by the vehicle's reinforced hull.
While Elsa and Tiana clung to each other for safety, the former couldn't help but notice something...familiar about the airspeeder. It was like something out of a long lost dream, or forgotten time. As the moments came together, Elsa's eyes slowly widened. She had seen the speeder before, only on display for the Miss Coruscant beauty pageant.
The Skybolt? Elsa thought. But that line was shut down after the pageant disaster. The only people who would still own one would be-
The Skybolt revved up again, this time drifting at ground level. A window rolled down from the passenger's seat as Elsa glimpsed one of their rescuers. While the driver was a blurred obscurity, the woman beside him aimed a pistol out at any nearby stormtroopers. As she fired, the scarlet blasts illuminated her blue-skinned face. Her long and bulky braid snapped forward with the airspeeder's hard stop. Although the years had taken their toll, no amount of aging could separate a Pantoran from her facial markings. The likes of which were nearly identical to family members.
"By the Force," Elsa gasped in realization.
"Get in!" Datya Vica shouted.
The Frozen Force Behind the Screens Trivia:
1. Mother of Jedi Tori Vica, Datya Vica first appeared in Season 2 - Chapter: 45 "Legacies." In her debut, she is seen unveiling the Vica Foundation's new airspeeder: the Skybolt. In the Age of the Empire, the Vicas still own the only remaining Skybolt vehicle.
2. Elsa and Tiana sense each other just as Kanan and Ezra did in Star Wars Rebels Episode 1 "Spark of Rebellion."
3. When Elsa and Tiana share a "You're like me" moment, this is a direct reference to "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018). Miles Morales and Peter Parker share a similar experience when they Spidey sense each other's abilities.
4. Crimelord Lady Proxima and her White Worms first appeared in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" (2018). With the events of the film happening prior to this chapter, Proxima still carries the burns left from when Han exposed her to sunlight.
5. The stormtroopers respond to Tiana's chaos in Sector 9. This is a reference to the year Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" (2009) came out.
6. Milo's deceased parents made their only appearance in Season 4: Chapter: 116 "The Beginning of the End Part I." Deski and Sil were working on Starpoint before the Separatist invasion of Coruscant commenced. Milo is mentioned briefly.
7. Ironically, Milo's parents were killed in the same attack at the same station as Tiana's father. Colonel Roze was in command of Starpoint when the Separatists bombed the station.
8. Once an admiral in the Clone Wars, Wullf Yularen makes his debut in this chapter as an Imperial Colonel in the ISB. His first live action appearance in the same role was in Andor - Episode 7 "Announcement." (2022)
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this week's installment of "The Frozen Force." I'll see you next Friday, November 15th for Chapter: 143 - The Path.
Long Live Imagination and May the Force be with You,
~ Sparks