Chapter: 10 Ezzie

"A free spirit can rattle the mightiest walls. Its voice alone can shatter foundations."

A symbol of ordinance! The Jedi Temple looms proudly over the Coruscant cityscape. For thousands of years, its prominent towers and legendary walls have stood as a testament to the Order it houses. While the Jedi remain noble inhabitants, there are those outside the pristine courtyards that wonder if the stories are true. Amidst the decadence of war, many look to the temple as a promise for peace...or even sanctuary.

Coruscant's underworld portals were always bustling with freighters and smog-ridden airspeeders. The colossal ventilation shafts tunneled directly into the planet, and would leave anyone wondering just how deep the city actually went. Coruscant was undoubtedly the Republic's most populous planet considering how many more citizens dwelled beneath its polished surface. The world's gritty underbelly was teeming with outcasts, stragglers, and anyone else who didn't want to be found. Ironically enough, anyone residing in such a literal hellhole could peer up from the portals and glimpse the sunlight. Whatever wasn't blocked out by fumes and blocky spacecraft served as a beacon of hope to anyone suffering underground. Across and beneath a vast world like Coruscant, it was easy to feel like the politicians weren't listening. But if there's one thing so few had learned too harshly, it was that the only way out came with risk.

The surface world's topside, nightly breeze was foreign to those exiting an unmarked transport. It came to a halt at the portal's brink, leaving the pilots with a vertigo-inducing view of the undercity below. The grimy, Rodian copilot took his hand off the controls and slammed on a wall behind him. "Keep it down back there!" he scolded. "We're not out of this yet!"

"Look who's talking, Patoni." muttered the Sullustan pilot. His bulbous, black eyes listed to his partner.

"Sorry, Darv." the Rodian admitted. "Ever since that Officer Byra has been cracking down on underworld checkpoints, I'm a lot more on edge."

The Sullustan's flabby jowels sunk with his glower. "You have every right to be scared, my man. The cops have been gunning for your kind since the Bug broke out of prison."

Patoni cursed in Rodian and rubbed his scaly temples. "Let's just get this job done," he murmured only to curse again. A trio of Republic clone troopers were heading straight for them. "They have to be on to us," Patoni panicked. "What are clones doing out here? Don't they have a war to fight? Don't they-"

"I need you to shut up, get it together, or both." Darv intoned. "It's the Coruscant Guard. Probably another security measure for this late at night. Just keep it cool."

"Easy for you to say," Patoni whispered. "You're not a Rodian."

Darv punched his partner's arm before brandishing a wide smile. He leaned out his window as one of the scarlet-marked clones turned to meet him. "Some night, eh?" Darv remarked.

The clone's expressionless helmet tilted. "It's something alright. You got a pass?"

"Is the Supreme Chancellor old?" Darv joked and handed him a datapass.

The clone humored him with a chuckle and scanned the card. "What's your business in the upper city spaceports?" he still asked.

Darv kept calm and replied, "Just a fuel run to some buyers before they go offworld. My partner and I made quite a sale on the canisters." Darv's heart started racing as one of the clones examined the back of his ship. "Everything is most secured in the back, I assure you."

"Can you assure me that all your fuel is properly contained?" the first clone inquired. "We can't have volatile rhydonium leaking all over Coruscant now, can we?"

Darv's jowels quivered. "Well...no but-"

"Then we'll just have a look to make sure your capsules are properly sealed," the clone insisted and motioned to his comrades. They started towards the cargo hold as Darv weighed his options. His stubby fingers grazed the throttle and he gazed at the open lane in front of him.

Before he could punch it, Patoni leaned out the opposite side. "Oh come on!" he dared to shout. "It's cause I'm here, right? Can't trust a Rodian if he's-"

"Sir!" one of the clones barked. "Stand down."

"No!" Patoni growled. "Go back to blasting droids, plastoid boy." The clone stormed over to argue with him while the other rushed to his aid. It was only a matter of time before the clone by Darv was joining his fellows as well.

"If you do not desist we will detain you," a clone said.

"For what? Do I look like the Bug?" Patoni spat. "Well so does every Rodian to you people. I'm expressing my freedom of speech and you clones are violating my-"

One of the clones reached for Patoni's arm when a voice called "Enough!" They turned to see another clone marching over. With a red kama swaying at his hips, he stood his ground and examined the situation. Darv and Patoni sat in pressured silence as the leader dug into his unit piece by piece. "You start arresting every Rodian you see, the Bug wins and this detachment gets shutdown." he said. "This isn't the frontlines, men. On the streets, everyone is our responsibility and everyone is watching. While you're wasting time harassing this Rodian, your checkpoint is slacking and other ships are getting through. Now get to it."

"Yes commander," one of the clones spoke on behalf of his comrades. They all saluted and dispersed from the scene.

"You two," the clone commander said as he jabbed a finger to the ship. "Get out of here." When they didn't budge, he swept his hand to direct them. "Move along. Move along."

As the craft continued on its way, Darv and Patoni didn't speak. They sat in confusion before finally turning and sharing a long-awaited cackle. "And you told me to shut up," Patoni mocked. "I just saved our skins. I guess bigotry is good for something."

"Did you see the markings on that commander, man?" Darv marveled. "That was the Fox."

"The Fox?" Patoni realized. "They must really want the Bug if they've got the Coruscant Guard digging around for her." Patoni shook his head in disgust. "I bet cops and clones alike don't take the time to tell male Rodians apart from females."

"That was still too close back there," Darv said and flew them through an upper city tunnel. "I thought for sure they were gonna see the goods."

Patoni huffed. "You know they already paid us, right? We can just ditch them somewhere and keep the credits."

Darv scratched his scruffy chin and pondered his partner's words. "Credits or no credits, Pat." he answered. "They're still people." A pair of blinding lights flashed in their rearview scanner. "Now what?" The pair split off to reveal speeder bikes flanking the transport from each side.

"Local cops?" Patoni considered. He strained his eyes trying to see past the bikes' bright lights.

"Stop the vehicle," one of the riders demanded.

"I think you're right," Darv muttered. "Let's just play it cool again." He glided the craft out of the tunnel and parked it in a foggy alley. The speeders parked on each side and their uniformed riders dismounted. Both were humans whose only visible features were their scowls. Chromium helms masked the rest of their faces as they saw through thin visors.

"Darv?" Patoni worried. "I'm not seeing badges."

"Karabast," Darv murmured. "They're not cops." He panicked and reached under the dashboard. The mysterious men withdrew electro batons and smashed at the windows. The breaking of glass startled Darv into dropping the blaster he was reaching for. He desperately stretched between his legs as his fingers grazed the firearm. Shards of glass pelted his neck until he finally recovered the pistol. By the time he rose to take aim, the man on his side had already broken through. A swift, shocking strike from his baton sent Darv into daze. He fell back against the seat only to be dragged out of the vehicle. Darv was thrown next to a battered Patoni. The Rodian's eye was already swollen from where he'd been struck. After kicking Darv in his pudgy stomach, the men turned their attention to the cargo hold.

Darv and Patoni caught their breath against the filthy duracrete. One of the strangers activated a scanner and ran it across the hold. He nodded to his cohort before calling on a comlink. "Sir," he said. "We've found them."

The returning voice was that of elegance yet malevolence. Its deep distinction was highly foreboding as it answered, "Excellent. Secure the area and await my arrival."

Patoni scraped his face off the pavement and peered with his one good eye. He noticed a dimly lit sidewalk across the alleyway and tried to speak. "D-...Darv," he coughed.

"Hm?" the Sullustan groaned beside him.

Patoni's gaze alternated between the strangers and a potential escape route. "We can make a break for it," he whispered through his bruised snout. "We already have the money...let's just go." Darv refused to take his eyes off the cargo hold. "Leave them," Patoni croaked before collapsing again. "We run...on...three. One..." Patoni steadied himself. "Two..." Darv took a deep breath. "Three!"

Patoni forced himself up and hobbled down the alleyway. He battled his overwhelming injuries until he collapsed against the sidewalk. His worst fears sunk in as he believed the men would certainly drag him and Darv back. That was, if Darv even managed to stand. Patoni turned to find himself incorrect as Darv had rushed the strangers. He watched in disbelief as the Sullustan used his final ounces of strength to tackle the men and shove them away. "Darv, no!" Patoni shrieked.

Darv endured a shock baton to the back before he yanked a lever on the cargo hatch. A cluster of various, robed figures flinched and emerged from within. "Run!" was all Darv could tell them before the assailants subdued him. His human cargo scattered into the darkness as Patoni mourned his friend. Fearing for his life, the Rodian fled the scene until his limp gave out.

Darv yielded as the men pinned him against a wall. Fury fueled their punches as they grieved over their lost score. More speeder bikes parked behind them as rain pattered across the duracrete. A jet black bike parked in the center while the men stood at attention. Its caped rider dismounted and quietly surveyed the scene. Darv gazed up in fear and alarm as the brooding figure stood over him.

"They're gone sir," one of the men restraining Darv said. "We lost them."

The superior backhanded his underling and unholstered a pistol. Without giving it a second thought, he blasted Darv dead and hid his weapon. He turned to his minions and waved a pale finger down the alleyway. "Hunt them down," he ordered. "This ends tonight!"

"This ends tonight!" Elsa proclaimed as lightning flashed behind her. "Goodness, that's ominous." She shut her blinds and threw herself onto her bed. "Oh who am I kidding?" Elsa glared at the unassembled droid parts littering her floor. "This can't end tonight if I don't have the parts I need. But once a new shipment comes in from Industrial Automaton in the morning, I'll have just what I'm looking for." Elsa facepalmed. "I sound crazy talking to myself. Well, they say you're not crazy unless you answer yourself. So you're good, Elsa! Wait..."

Elsa calmed herself by listening to the rainfall and rolling thunder. She sprawled herself across her sheets, knowing she'd regret staying up so late but chose to do so in the name of creativity. While calling a cup of tea to her with the Force, Elsa scrolled through a datapad to go over her notes. Despite her sleepless work, all of it served as distraction from the daily stress. What Elsa loved most about the dead of night, was that no one else relied on her. The only expectations were the ones she set and her room was her kingdom. It unfortunately helped that Yelena had started training her later in the day, permitting Elsa to still sleep in. Even if it was just a few hours at night, Elsa could stop being the "Padawan who lost the Republic Avinaria" and just be herself.

So much had happened since that political mess, and yet no one would let her move on. The Senate wouldn't shut up about how Avinaria would surely join the Separatists. The Jedi started treating Elsa like she'd disgraced the temple. For them, it wasn't like she tripped at the finish line. Losing Avinaria was like she'd not even raced. Elsa chose to see the good in it and was happy to have people stop showering her in compliments. She did miss her budding connection with Yelena, but that had only severed further. She had to believe there was a reason her master wouldn't tell her about Aren. If it wasn't for Senator Ryx Finc, she never would've known about the raging civil war tearing across the planet. Despite all that had happened, she kept such knowledge to herself and saw the best in Yelena. No one was perfect, and Elsa believed that her master kept knowledge on her homeworld astray because it could tempt forbidden attachments. Then again, Yelena was Aren too.

Any more thinking and Elsa would start pulling hair out. Rather than sink into despair, she'd shifted into overdrive and focused on her studies. Regardless of Yelena's lackadaisical efforts as of late, Elsa pushed herself on personal projects. Although she still needed parts to come in, the eager inventor in her longed to keep working. She hopped off her bed and knelt beside the pieces.

"There's nothing wrong with a test run, is there?" she asked herself and tapped through the datapad. She pulled up a research portfolio to review her schematics. She then activated the holobook where she'd gained inspiration for her droid's design. Madam Jocasta had personally assisted her in picking out Fauna of the Unknown Regions.

Elsa ran her finger across the Ahch-To chapter and found a stocky, beakless bird. She giggled at its wide, black pupils and minuscule maw. She couldn't think of a better tiny creature to be her subject, and felt it was somehow connected to the Force. After all, these porgs lived on a planet that was arguably the birthplace of the Jedi Order. Elsa cringed, imagining an Old Republic scholar like Master Chuza debating a concept like that.

She focused on the porg's imagery and raised her hands over the parts. Through the might of the Force, the pieces swirled around her and slowly found their counterparts. Elsa breathed gently, quieting her mind to see what had yet to form. Screws spun into place while gears clicked. Outer casings snapped on before bolts nestled between the seals. A pair of rods glided under the body to serve as her droid's skinny feet. When Elsa opened her eyes, she found her creation was missing its own. She picked up a pair of rotund photoreceptors and snapped them onto the droid's dome.

Elsa grinned at her lifeless porg, only to realize she still had to turn it on. She fiddled with its tail switch and sat back as the systems booted. Years of wanting to build a droid...months of drawing plans...had finally led to this. Elsa fervently sipped her tea as the metal porg's head bobbed. "By the Force," Elsa whispered as joyous tears dripped from her tired eyes. The droid waddled around the room as its gears cranked within. It didn't have enough eyes to take in the amount of curiosity it had. Elsa snickered and merrily waved. "Hi there, little one." The droid merely chittered and Elsa squeed. Without wasting a moment, Elsa reached for her comlink and called away. "Anna! Please tell me you're up!"

Her little sister answered groggily. "I don't have to be up for another hour. What's going on, sis? Meteor collision? Droid attack?"

"Oh it's a droid something alright," Elsa insisted giddily. "Come to my room quickly. I'm ready to show you something."

Anna yawned. "Must you be so cryptic?"

"Only when it matters," Elsa giggled and hung up. She hurriedly grabbed her datapad and documented every detail on the droid's behavior. "Goodness, you're adorable...and such a good listener." As she typed away and the droid waddled about, Anna finally came to the door.

"Yes!" Elsa cheered at the sound of her sister's signature, quintuple knock. She cracked opened the door to find her sibling still rubbing her eyes. "Thank you so much for coming, Anna. For some time now, I've been working on a project. I wasn't sure how you or anyone for that matter would react so I pretty much kept it to myself."

"Okay?" Anna worried.

"Sis," Elsa proudly declared and clutched her door handle. "I built a-"

POP! KAFIZZZZZZ!

"-droid?" Elsa finished and cautiously turned while Anna peeked over her shoulder.

The metal porg's head had sprung clean off while its chest bursted. Screws swiveled across the floor along with dented casings. Elsa dropped to her knees and cradled the photoreceptors before they cracked in her palm. "Aw..." she grieved. "But I handpicked those eyes." She bit her lip, slouched back, and observed the her droid's remains. "He was working a moment ago, I swear."

"Elsa," Anna started.

"He was waddling and flapping his now dented wings-"

"Elsa..."

"You have to believe me!"

"Sis!" Anna knelt beside her. "I do believe you. I'm just sorry I didn't get to see it run." She rubbed Elsa's shoulder and huffed. "I'm sure it was a brilliant droid."

"He was," Elsa replied.

"He," Anna reiterated.

"What was I thinking? I was just so eager to finish my project, I couldn't even wait for the proper parts to arrive. The only reason this poor little guy busted was because he needs a core stabilizer." Elsa sulked. "I am a disgrace to the Jedi. First I cost the Republic a planet, now I can't even practice patience...a Jedi fundamental!"

Anna rolled her eyes and helped Elsa off the floor. "I feel like as your sister, I'm one of the few people who can say this to you. Get a grip, Elsa. You calling yourself a disgrace is just letting those who put you in that dark place win. It's showing in the rest of your work. I'm real sorry about your droid, but that's what test runs are for. I'm no technician but I'm sure um...Admiral...guy-who-made-that-one-droid-you-see-rolling-everywhere-on-all-threes-"

"Astromechs?" Elsa snickered.

"Those ones!" Anna snapped. "I'm sure the guy who made those had to go through millions and millions of test runs, probably way more explosive than yours. And now look, those droids are beep-boop-bopping everywhere! So don't give up."

Elsa busted out laughing at her sister's descriptive analogy. "Thanks Anna," she said. "I'll get right back to it."

"Well hold up," Anna insisted. "Sure don't give up, but don't just jump back in without thinking." That's how I got arrested, Anna thought. "Just put the broken parts away, make sure they won't catch fire, and why don't you join me this early morning? I'm sure Mattias wouldn't mind an extra Padawan for workouts plus you could use some physical strength."

"Well Yelena hasn't helped much and I know I'll just want to work on my droid if I stay in bed," Elsa admitted. "Okay, I'm in."

Is it too late to back out? Elsa wondered as exhaustion caught up with her. She jogged across the obstacle course and watched Anna drift further ahead. It was only a matter of time before her sister was lapping her. "You're doing great!" Anna would say after sprinting past her. "Pick up the pace, Elsa!" Mattias would order. Elsa's legs were turning to jelly as she tried vaulting over walls. Meanwhile, Anna was at the top of her game.

"I think I get what you were saying, master." Anna huffed while they jogged together.

"What's that?" Mattias asked.

"Elsa and I are flying different ships. She may have two more Jedi Trials than I do, but right here...right now...I am the obstacle queen."

Mattias smirked and pat Anna on the back. "Go get'em! I want to see that rope scaled in twenty seconds! Pretend you've got an angry nexu on your heels!"

"Very funny!" Anna jeered as she leapt to the rope.

"And Elsa!" Mattias hollered. "You drop down and give me thirty pushups."

Elsa practically ate the mat as she collapsed face first into it. She raised her aching arms into a pushup when a series of a low-level alarms sounded. "What the?" Elsa muttered and lifted her head.

"That's a temple security alarm," Mattias realized and instinctively reached for his lightsaber. Surely enough, several masked temple guards could be seen rushing down a hall.

Anna slid down her rope and glanced at Mattias' timer. "Yes! Nineteen seconds. Anywho, what's going on?"

Elsa's paranoia kicked in. "I don't suppose temple guards respond to fires, do they?" she asked. "Like if some Padawan's broken droid pieces somehow combusted?"

"No," Mattias assured. "They seem to be heading outside but Elsa, that's oddly specific."

"All in favor of following them?" Anna asked with a raised hand and was seconded by Mattias. Elsa gulped and tailed behind them. The trio scurried after the temple guards as they dashed down stairways. The alarm had only sounded to assemble them instead of blaring to alert the entire temple. "You know," Anna admitted. "These guards are pretty cool when they're not detaining you."

Mattias glared at her only to say, "They're not pretty cool, they're the coolest."

They shared a laugh as Elsa lamented her relationship with Yelena. It wasn't like they were ever that close to begin with, but she at least strived for more. She believed whatever chance she had at something similar to Anna and her master was drowned the moment she lost Avinaria. Elsa despised seeing a planet's freedom as a loss, but it was difficult not to when that was all her peers made her feel like.

A raucous crowd could be heard just outside the temple foyer. Mattias opened the door to find the temple guards holding back a mass of cloaked transients. The guards formed a human chain at the temple steps, but the crowd was growing restless. They jabbed fingers and flailed arms while yelling into their faceless opposition. Yet amidst such fury, Elsa sensed deeply-rooted fears.

"Anna, Elsa." Mattias warned. "Stay back." He advanced towards a Jedi overseeing the situation. The sunrise set the man's long, dirty blonde hair alight as he turned to Mattias. "If it isn't the Battlemaster and head of the Jedi Temple Guard himself."

"Mattias, you old dog." Master Cin Drallig greeted. "It's too early for this."

"More protestors against the Jedi and the war?" Mattias asked.

Cin shook his head. "This is different, Mattias. Listen."

"They're coming for us!" A refugee warned.

"I beg you! Please give us shelter!"

"I am with child!"

"They're seeking sanctuary," Mattias realized.

"If you need shelter," Cin announced. "The Republic offers multiple refugee centers and we can escort you-"

"Those aren't safe!" A refugee refuted. "We can't waste anymore time. Let us through or we'll make our own entrance!" He regretfully shoved a temple guard and was elbowed in the face. The action prompted all of the guards to activate their double-sided, yellow lightsabers to form a fence.

"I've notified the Coruscant Guard of this matter," Cin told Mattias.

"They seem desperate," Elsa observed.

"Or dangerous," Anna mumbled. "A bunch of strangers just show up at our door asking for asylum? That's a little sketchy."

The panic exploded into an uproarious riot as a wave of speeder bikes approached the temple. The riders dismounted but refused to advance upon seeing what grounds they were on. Their leader examined the ancient statues as a scowl formed across his wrinkled skin. His silver hair was neatly combed, yet the wind was doing a number on it while blasting his thick cape. The wine-colored garment swayed pompously beside a crimson sash. "Jedi," the nobleman spoke distastefully under his breath. He and Cin stood between the crowd to speak over them. "I bid you good morning," he proclaimed. "I apologize for any disturbances these delinquents have caused. They are mine to handle."

The refugees were quick to deny his claim as the guards tried to calm them. "They don't seem to think so," Cin said. "Who might you be?"

"I am Baron Clud Frollo," the senior answered.

"Murderer!" someone accused.

Frollo was unfazed. "Surely even the noble Jedi cannot believe the words of a thieving Romavi." Cin's eyes widened while Mattias was taken aback. "So you have heard of them then? These Romavi travel the galaxy, sowing seeds of vice and deception wherever they go. These pests came upon my region for longer than most and I sought to put a stop to it. You Jedi defend your homes just as I do mine, yet now I've finally tracked them here before they've ruined Coruscant."

Cin eyed Republic gunships cruising over from the horizon. "Have you ever encountered a Romavi?" he asked Mattias at a level only he could hear.

"I've only heard the stories. But I'll be honest, Cin. These folks don't look like cutthroats and brigands."

"This is still a dispute for Republic services." Cin replied. "My duty is to protect this temple and the last thing it needs is unwanted coverage of a refugee crisis."

"I fear the Jedi will still be scrutinized if we reject them," Mattias added to Cin's dismay.

The gunships landed and the scarlet-clad clones of the Coruscant Guard emerged. Commander Fox saluted Cin and assessed the situation. "See to it these refugees are escorted to the nearest shelter for processing," Cin ordered.

"Right away, sir." Fox answered and motioned for his men to advance. The Romavi were uneasy with so many faceless troopers closing in on them. They seemed no different than Frollo's men and the situation soon grew hostile. "Stay your blasters!" Fox ordered his men. "Stun is a last resort!" Mattias grew worried as the commotion drew the attention of Coruscant's denizens.

"Master Jedi!" Frollo scolded. "If you'd merely let me deal with this rabble, there'd be no need for things to escalate!"

Cin ignored the baron's remarks and noticed one of his guards break formation. "Hey!" she said and pointed her lightsaber. "Get down from there!" Cin and Mattias followed the guard's gaze to a violet cloaked Romavi standing atop one of the ornamental statues.

The crowd quieted as all looked up to the hooded figure. "I would descend," the Romavi answered. "But I don't think I could be let down any further." She raised her voice so that anyone joining the disturbance could listen in. "When I was a little girl, my parents told me stories of the legendary Jedi Knights and their fabled temple. They told me it was a symbol of peace where the galaxy's heroes resided, planning their next rescue. I used to dream one of those rescues would be ours. My parents died believing in the Jedi, and now I arrive with my people only to be forsaken." The Romavi threw her hand to both Cin and Frollo. "While the Jedi speak of justice, those most in need are left to suffer to men like the baron."

"Silence!" Frollo bellowed.

"Justice!" she countered. "It's clear to me that in terms of survival we must take matters into our own hands." Onlookers gasped as the shrouded woman threw herself off the statue. Before the Jedi could catch her with the Force, they were surprised to watch her detonate a harmless explosive. A vibrant, powdery substance billowed across the stairs. The Romavi scattered amidst the cloudy chaos while Frollo's men rushed to pursue. So did the Coruscant and Temple Guard as scuffles ensued.

Cin activated his green lightsaber and motioned to Mattias. "Get those Padawans inside!"

Mattias ushered Anna and Elsa back in as they watched the mayhem unfold. By the time the mysterious substance had settled, many of the Romavi had vanished. The remaining few were in clone custody while Frollo and his men were nowhere to be found.

There was no dismissing the morning altercation. As the rest of Coruscant awakened to the news, people were able to find the story everywhere. Outlets were slamming the Jedi for rejecting the Romavi while the Senate dismissed such a situation. "What a mess," Anna grieved before shutting off a HoloNet news source. "I feel like the Jedi were sunk whether we let those transients in or not."

"It's true," Mattias concurred. "Unfortunately, the Clone Wars haven't painted the Jedi in the best light right now. While we're heroes on the battlefield to some, war has taken us away from our many duties of peace. Politics keeps us from operating as freely as we once did."

"All these rules," Anna grumbled. "Do you think those Romavi meant any harm? After all, we're Jedi. What do we have to fear?"

"I didn't think they were dangerous," Mattias admitted.

"Had you been head of temple security, would you have let them in?"

Mattias pursed his lips and his eyes trailed off. "You know, Padawan...I'm not really sure. But that's why Cin's in charge instead of me. He can make the tough choices others can't." He pat his Padawan on the back. "No one should be alone when we're facing so much criticism. I should check on Cin during this ordeal. Why don't you take the day to check on Elsa?"

"If I can find her," Anna joked before bidding her master farewell.

She made it up a stairwell to endure an irksome, nasally voice. "When I heard the temple guards were scrambling, I thought for sure you'd been arrested again."

Anna spun with a sneer and answered, "Well if it isn't everyone's favorite, pestering Pantoran? Did you finally annoy Surk into ditching you?"

Tori scoffed but maintained her composure. "He got on an offworld assignment with his master."

Anna feigned sadness. "And here I thought you two were inseparable."

"I used to think the same of you and Elsa," Tori quipped. "But now I hear she's two Jedi Trials beyond you."

Anna paused and looked the Pantoran dead in the eye. "Aren't you tired, Tori? Cause it must be extremely exhausting to live at your level of miserable." Anna left her rival Padawan frozen with a perpetual frown as she headed off in search of Elsa.

The chambers of the Jedi Technical Division were alive with sparks of ingenuity. Welding tools flared away as Jedi technicians were hard at work on the latest innovations. Whether it was the newest line of security software or a resilient training droid, the creations from the technical team seemed endless. Still, no cacophony of clamoring hardware could awaken Elsa from her much needed slumber. She sat with her face plastered in her palm as drool dripped off the side.

"Padawan," a gritty voice called. "Padawan Dellian!"

Elsa gasped herself awake and shrieked at the sight of the Aleena in front of her. The short reptilian had rows of sharp teeth to fill his glower and a distinguished, elongated crest. It was none other than Kazdan Paratus, head of the division and overseer of droid construction. One of his eyes twitched as he watched Elsa come to her senses. "Master Paratus," she muttered. "Sorry, I was power napping."

"Well you're lucky I know you don't slack," Paratus answered. "Otherwise I'd have given away that shipment you ordered to a more lively Jedi." He rigorously knocked on a nearby hovercrate. "Here you go. Straight from Industrial Automaton."

Elsa looked like a giddy youngling who'd just received her kyber crystal. "Oh thank you so much! My project's bound to work now!" She hauled the surprisingly heavy crate back to her room and had to double check if the repulsorlifts were working. When she finally retuned to her quarters, she set the crate down with a thud and sealed the door behind her. "By the Force," Elsa sighed. "I think Industrial Automaton sent me two of each part." She popped the lid on the crate and a dagger sprung out.

A dark-skinned hand emerged behind it and remained steady. "No sudden movements," a familiar voice warned within. Elsa raised her hands, but then used the Force to quickly claim the dagger from her stowaway. "Well, technically you didn't move. So that's fair," the girl admitted.

"I know your voice," Elsa realized and tossed the dagger behind her. "You're the Romavi from this morning. The one who jumped from the statue."

"So you were there to join in the hypocrisy?" the Romavi said.

"I didn't have a say in it," Elsa defended.

"We all have a say."

Elsa sighed. "You're right. Then I say I'm not gonna hurt you if you come out. Even if you did pull a knife on me," Elsa chuckled. "I bet you're just as scared as I am."

A second hand emerged as the Romavi pulled herself out. "Are all Jedi so assuming?" A mess of wavy, black hair rose against her bare shoulders. With nothing more than a pink bandana to hold them in place, the raven locks vividly contrasted against her loose-fitted, white shirt. Her violet leggings shined as she leapt out of the crate and dusted herself off. The glint of a single, hoop earring brought Elsa's attention back to the Romavi's face. An entrancing pair of emerald eyes rested beneath a set of thick brows. Such a bold woman, and she could've been even younger than Elsa if not barely her age.

"When we need to be," Elsa answered the Romavi's question. "How'd you get in there anyway?"

"While my distraction bought everyone time to escape, I was separated from my caravan. With Frollo and his goons on the prowl, I stowed away in the nearest delivery freighter I could find. If it got me into the safest place on Coruscant, I wasn't going to pass it up."

"You're only safe here until the Jedi Order finds out," Elsa explained.

The Romavi raised a brow and smirked. "Something tells me you won't rat me out. You would've done it already."

"I don't even know you," Elsa intoned.

The Romavi offered her dusty hand. "Esmeralda," she said. "Call me Ezzie."

"You can't just stay in my room," Elsa scolded until someone knocked at her door. "Get under the bed now." She nearly kicked Ezzie beneath her bed and went to crack open the door. Master Yelena's somber stare was enough to make Elsa gulp. "Master!" Elsa laughed nervously. "What a...pleasant surprise."

Yelena craned her head in confusion. "We always meet at this hour for meditation."

"Right!" Elsa gasped. "Silly me. I've just been so busy studying that I lost track of the time. I-" Elsa's hair rose as she realized she was standing on Ezzie's discarded dagger. She did her best to conceal it beneath her boots and continued. "I-"

Yelena groaned and held up a hand. "If you're not going to take things seriously, Padawan, why should I?" Elsa hung her head in shame. "When you want to better yourself, you find me." Leaving her apprentice disheartened, Yelena departed in a huff.

Elsa sadly shut the door behind her while Ezzie crawled out of hiding. "Perhaps I was wrong to doubt the Jedi," the Romavi said. "Nice cover there...um-"

"Elsa," she introduced before sulking at her bedside. "How have I fallen so low? As if my other predicaments weren't stressful enough, now I've got a foreigner in my room of all places."

"Hey," Ezzie reassured her. "For what it's worth, you've already shown me more compassion than any other Jedi here."

Great, Elsa thought. At least I have the word of a stranger going for me. Then again, Elsa realized sincere folks like Frost and Ryx had been strangers too.

Ezzie swayed for a moment before collapsing into Elsa's arms. Elsa hated how part of her was self conscious about getting pickpocketed. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Ezzie tried to look straight. "I...may have not eaten in a day or so."

Elsa rolled her eyes and helped Ezzie into her bed. "Wait here. I'll be back with something. Don't open the door for anyone."

"Thanks, partner." Ezzie yawned and sunk into her pillow. "So this is what a bed feels like."

Elsa let Ezzie's words hit her as she made for the cafeteria. Though she considered herself to be a humble Jedi, there was still a degree of privilege. She was saddened to know that basic needs were still being denied to the galaxy's residents. No one could've been watching her, or maybe everyone was. Regardless, Elsa felt like she was defusing a bomb while she shoveled food into a to-go box. She grabbed one of every assortment while constantly glancing over her shoulder.

"I knew figured you'd want to build muscle after this morning, but wow!" Anna cheered and nearly gave Elsa a heart attack.

Elsa hunched over her bounty like a Jawa hoarding droid parts. Anna raised a brow as she examined the final serving still poking out of the box. "I thought you were allergic to muja fruit," she inquired.

"I...well you see..." Elsa stopped herself and thought of all she'd been through with Anna. They'd sailed the seas of Scarif and saved each others lives on multiple accounts. She knew what it felt like to be lied to by Yelena, who'd only told her Aren was a world of stagnation instead of war. If there was one person she couldn't shut out when all seemed so tense, it was Anna. "You're the only one I trust," she said calmly.

"Wait, what?" Anna realized. "Are you actually not allergic? Does this mean we can see how many muja fruits we can shove in our mouths? I mean, I'll win but-"

"Anna," Elsa reeled her back in and brought her voice to a whisper. "This is serious and I need your help. We need to go to my room." Anna nodded cautiously but obliged. She followed her sister out of the cafeteria while Tori watched suspiciously. The Pantoran sipped her meiloorun juice as if it was none of her business, but never stopped observing.

When the sisters reached Elsa's room, she turned with bated breath. "Anna, I need you to stand by me on this one."

"Elsa, you're freaking me out." Anna admitted. "Do you wanna hide a body or something?"

"No!" Elsa assured. "It's...the or something. Just wait here a moment." She opened the door slowly and left her sister bewildered. Things only got weirder as she heard Elsa conversing with someone else.

This is it, Anna thought as she discreetly reached for her lightsaber. It's like the holodramas where the inventor creates a droid that thinks its human. First, it starts demanding sustenance. LOTS of it. But the fruits and veggies aren't enough. Its desire for human flesh must be sated. So its creator will stop at nothing to feed her metal baby, even if it means tossing her own sister into its metallic jaws.

Elsa poked her head out. "Okay, Anna. We're ready for you."

"You're not feeding me to your flesh-eating droid!" Anna panicked until she realized how silly that sounded out loud.

Elsa facepalmed. "Just get in here before you alert the whole hallway."

Anna entered to find Ezzie inhaling the food Elsa had brought in. "Holy Romavi," Anna gasped.

She was hunched over, not even taking the time to brush the hair from her face as her hands dug into the plate. "I did grab you some utensils," Elsa insisted.

"Maybe Romavi don't use utensils," Anna quipped.

Ezzie grabbed a spoon and flung it at Anna's forehead. "Did I use it right?" she chuckled with her mouth full.

"Ezzie here stowed away in my droid parts," Elsa explained. "Still holding out hope that the temple could serve as sanctuary."

Ezzie scrubbed her face clean and sighed. "My compliments to your chef. Thank you, Elsa."

"Wait a second," Anna realized. "You're the girl who told everyone off from the statue."

"What of it?" Ezzie spat while Elsa braced for the worst.

"That was pretty gutsy," Anna admired. "The Jedi Order you dreamed of sounds like the one we studied as younglings. It would've embraced refugees with open arms. At least I hope so. Surely we guardians of peace and justice can do better than some snobs at a shelter."

Ezzie sat back against the wall and sighed. "My people are facing the same problem we've encountered on countless worlds. We are not perfect, and so we are spat on and beaten. We have our weeds, yet we are still a garden. Romavi don't have a true home, and our reputation keeps us from ever being trusted."

"So what's that Frollo guy's beef?" Anna asked.

Ezzie shivered at the mention of his name. "We settled on Serenno to try our hands amongst nobility, but it soon faltered. Baron Frollo had this...grudge..this swelling hatred against my people. If he couldn't enslave us, he'd exterminate us all. Many Romavi suffered under his wrath, and we were ultimately forced to leave the planet." Ezzie hugged herself as the painful memories battered against her. "We were no strangers to persecution, but Frollo's was different. He was the only one to leave his homeworld and hunt us down. He scavenged for us across the stars, taking more of lives with him with each planet we landed on. Things got so desperate, that our caravan scrounged up all the credits we could to get to Coruscant. We thought the Baron of a Separatist world surely wouldn't make it to the Republic capital. Surely the Jedi would protect us." Ezzie felt tears coming on, angrily scrubbed them away, and averted her face from the sisters. "You can see how that turned out."

"Ezzie," Elsa spoke somberly. "I'm so sorry."

"Believe it or not," Ezzie sighed. "You're the first person I've seen take pity on a Romavi. I don't know if your Force can hear me, or if it's even there."

"It is," Anna answered much to Elsa's surprise. "I've experienced it. Not as much as Elsa, but it is powerful."

Ezzie stood to meet the sisters and said, "Then you tell your Force to help the outcasts or nobody will."

"Ezzie," Elsa said. "Maybe the Force is helping. It delivered you here...It sent us to you."

"I know we're not a dream come true, but how can we help you?" Anna asked.

"I've got to be reunited with my people. They must be so frightened in this vast city."

"We'll reunite them all," Elsa assured. "I promise."

That's a big promise, Anna thought.

Ezzie couldn't hide the smile sneaking across her lips. "I always knew the Jedi were worth believing in." She ran to embrace the Jedi but was surprised when Anna almost gagged. "What's wrong?" Ezzie asked. It was only a matter of time before Elsa broke and hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry Romavi can't shower every day like you luxurious Jedi."

"We've got to set up a system," Anna said. "One which will allow Ezzie to move freely and undetected." Without jumping out the window and nearly dying as I did," Anna thought to herself. "That way we can get her to her people, not risk her safety, and she can shower!" A wobbly smirk formed as she looked at Ezzie from head to toe. "I may be a genius or out of my mind. Ezzie, are you willing to do whatever it takes?"

"Always," Ezzie asserted.

Anna whispered her plan into Elsa's ear. "You are out of your mind!" her older sister snapped.

"Most geniuses are," Ezzie added.

"Just get what I need from my room," Anna said. "I'll get Mattias and meet you back here."

"Are you sure about this?" Elsa worried.

"About seventy-five...okay eighty-nine percent sure. Mattias sounded like he'd support protecting the Romavi so you're just gonna have to trust me!"

"There is no emotion, there is peace." Anna cited. "Which is what we as Jedi need to preserve."

"I know the code, Padawan." Mattias grumbled as he trailed after Anna. "I also know there is no ignorance, there is knowledge. Which is why I need to know where you're taking me."

"To fulfill the Jedi promise to the people," Anna answered.

"Must you be so cryptic?"

"I get it from Elsa," Anna replied as she reached her sister's door. She performed her quintuple knock and addressed Mattias. "Master, when I was acquitted you said we were stuck in this together. You vowed to be a greater teacher and I a better student."

"Anna?" Mattias' concern grew. "Where is this going?"

"You said we had to hold on to hope and I'm doing that now by confiding in you, my master."

"Why are you acting like we're hiding a body," Mattias whispered. "In fact, why are we whispering?"

The door behind them opened. "It's about the Romavi situation, master." Anna explained. "Are we ready, Elsa?"

"Just about," Elsa grunted. "I'm sorry, Ezzie. You have to hold still. You have a lot of hair."

By the time Mattias noticed Anna tucking the Romavi garbs under the bed, it was too late. A pair of mahogany Padawan boots stomped into the center of the room. The cream-colored tunic and tabards he hadn't seen since Anna made the switch to magenta now had a new wearer. Her emerald gaze peered spitefully at the braid her hair was forced into.

"Sorry," Elsa said as she unfastened Ezzie's hoop earring. "This is a dead giveaway."

"Meet the temple's newest Padawan," Anna announced while laughing nervously.

Mattias plopped onto the floor and facepalmed. "May the Force have mercy on us all."