Author's Note: Dearest readers, as we enter June... I want to wish everyone a Happy Pride Month. My page is a place of acceptance and inclusion, and I'd like you all to feel safe. No matter who you are or where you come from, you are worthy of love. But what exactly is love? The truth is, love is precisely that. It is what your heart defines it as, so set it free. Love wholeheartedly and love fearlessly, for this is the life you've been given. Love is wonderful...love is kind...love is LOVE. It is boundless and unlimited in this vast world we call home. Some people may understand. Others may never due to their own ways of thinking. But this is not their journey...this is yours. No matter how old or young you are, you owe it to yourself to be who you are. My friends, if I could go back in time and tell my younger self anything...it would've been to be myself sooner. I now understand that it's part of this experience we call life, but sometimes it's all too short. Sometimes it's easy to take this life for granted and let friends, family, and even the world as a whole get to us. I write this to say that I love you for who you are and whomever you care for. And I'm proud of you. You are more than enough and never too much.

Sincerely,

~ Your bisexual author

Chapter: 68 That Perfect Girl is Gone

"EVERY action has a consequence."

Terror on Mandalore! The Death Watch has dealt a devastating blow to the city of Sundari. After detonating an explosive, one of their bombers fled the scene. In a surprising twist of events, Jedi Knight Anna Dellian was present to pursue the Death Watch bomber. While she was persistent in her efforts, Anna brought more destruction than salvation to the Mandalorian people. Not only did she fail to capture the bomber during the rampageous chase, but the Mandalorian Guard had also taken her into custody. Now arrested under the Duchess Satine's rule of law, the Jedi Council must step in to negotiate Anna's release...

The Guardian truly was a Venator to behold. The colossal star destroyer soared through the dark voids of space. Ten tremendous engines kept the massive craft surging forward while a vast array of networking dishes probed the galaxy for threats. Watcher leaned on her holotable and frustratedly pinched the bridge of her nose. News from Mandalore had reached Watcher's vessel and her teams were still trying to make sense of it. The Guardian's datafeed was clustered with everything from a bombing to a 'dangerous person' in custody. Regardless of the harrowing intel input, Watcher was mostly concerned about Dr. Morzetti. None of her ship's scanners had picked up anything pertaining to the kidnappers or the marked shuttle. Frustrated, Watcher slammed a fist on the holotable and caused the projections to strobe.

"Ma'am!" a clone officer shouted. "Watcher!" Her head snapped towards the clone as he dashed away from his computer. His eyes blinked rapidly while nearby monitors illuminated his dark circles. "We've got something!"

"Morzetti?" she asked.

"No."

"Mandalore?"

"No, ma'am."

Watcher gritted her teeth and followed the clone to his computer. "What the hell is it then? It better be Count Dooku's death for your sake!"

The clone slid back into his seat and grabbed his headset. "Our receivers just picked up this transmission," he said.

Watcher took a listen and squinted when she couldn't make out what it was. A series of odd crackles and whirs had her scowling. "What is this?" she hissed. "Play it over the speakers."

Officers' heads rose from their computers as each man tried to make sense of the bizarre signal. The sound sequence was as archaic as it was chilling. As if ghostly voices of the past were echoing through the speakers. "Try to cross reference it," Watcher ordered. "It has to be linked to something. Where's it even coming from?"

"I've got a hit in the Chrelythiumn System," an officer reported. "Wild Space."

Another clone's hand shot up amidst the seemingly endless rows of computers. "Watcher!" he hollered. "Another hit!"

Watcher's nostrils flared as she stomped up to his computer. "What what WHAT?" she blurted. The clone gulped as his superior loomed over him and squinted her eyes.

"It took some digging-" the clone explained as his fingers typed away. "-but there seems to be a message hidden within the transmission. Like a masked code, if you will. But if we declutter the excess noise, we're left with this signal." With a single click, the officer changed the transmission entirely. Watcher raised a brow as an acoustic frequency came through. Ultrasonic and infrasonic soundwaves danced around each other, creating a peculiar tone."

"It still doesn't sound familiar to me," Watcher confessed.

"I also didn't recognize it," the officer said. "But if we run it through our database, this is where things really get interesting. What we have here is a Jedi distress code. It's an older one, ma'am...but it checks out."

"How old?" Watcher asked.

"Try two thousand years."

Watcher knitted her brows and jabbed a finger to those on the bridge. "Patch me in to the nearest Venator in the Chrelythiumn System immediately!"

An officer immediately jumped on her request. "You're on with Admiral Tenant in three...two-"

"Admiral Tenant," Watcher greeted via holocom. "We have a situation."

The Deliverance rocketed out of hyperspace and glided towards Mandalore. The massive Venator listed alongside Admiral Shang's Legacy and slowed its thrusters. Shang made his way to the nearest viewport and initially mistook the craft for the Guardian. A holo-transmission came through as Admiral Taka looked upon the young Shang. "Greetings," she said. As she observed him, she couldn't help but find the vivid similarities to his father.

"Admiral Taka," Shang saluted. "What a pleasant surprise. I take it you're transporting the Jedi negotiator?"

Taka nodded. "The last thing we want to do is worsen the situation on Mandalore, so I will keep my Venator in orbit. Instead, you will be taking General Dellian to Sundari via your cruiser."

Shang appeared puzzled. "I beg your pardon?" he muttered. "General Dellian is the one who's been arrested."

Taka sighed. "Not that Dellian." She gestured to her left as Elsa stepped into the projection. Shang's eyes widened and body stiffened at her arrival. "Elsa will be coming aboard the Legacy in order to conduct negotiations."

"Hello, admiral." Elsa said. "Just what kind of trouble has my sister gotten into this time?"

*

As the Legacy docked in the Deliverance's hangar, Elsa approached the vessel with Commander Frost. "So you're telling me that this ancient ship was raised from the ice on Ilum?" Frost inquired.

Elsa nodded. "When Anna and her friends set their minds to it, there's nothing they can't accomplish. Unfortunately, that tenacity also leads to moments like this."

"Speaking of which," Frost murmured. "Do you think we should start adding 'Prisoner exchanges on neutral worlds' to our resumes?"

Elsa chuckled at his remark. "Hey, you wanted to turn the 213th into a relief force anyway. I'd rather be negotiating than even insinuating harm on the frontlines."

"I'm glad this is working for us," Frost worriedly assured.

His tone had Elsa raising a suspicious brow. "But?" she inquired.

"But I don't know how the rest of the 213th is handling this," he confessed. "Idle time is bad on the boys. They don't mind seeing the galaxy wherever you go, but being cooped up in the Deliverance is...doing things to them."

Elsa winced as a vivid memory crossed her mind. "I mean...Rip did drop an entire munitions crate in the barracks to see if he could 'Catch it with the Force' the other day."

"Case in point," Frost grumbled. "I don't know what we're gonna do with that lunatic."

"Well when all of this is settled with my sister-" Elsa proposed. "-I'll put in a word with the council and see if I can get us a relief mission somewhere. We can get boots on the ground and really have the 213th helping out."

"That'd be fantastic," Frost concurred as Elsa boarded the Legacy's ramp. "Safe travels, general. Try not to be too hardon your sister."

The ramp started to close as Elsa hollered, "She'd have to listen to me first!" As the ventral hatch sealed, Elsa found herself transported off of the Deliverance. She turned to observe the Legacy's refined and prestigious corridors. "By the Force," she whispered at the Old Republic interior. "Master Chuza would lose his mind in a place like this."

Several bold stomps had Elsa turning her head as a group of scarlet-clad ARF troopers arrived. Blazer, Sparx, and Speedy saluted her as she bowed respectfully. "The Deathchasers," Elsa recalled. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sergeant Blazer affirmed. "We knew they were sending a negotiator, but you're certainly a welcomed surprise."

Elsa simpered until she noticed Anna's lightsaber clipped to Blazer's belt. "Yes well-" she sighed. "-I just wish meeting familiar faces came with less dire circumstances. What exactly happened down there?"

"We're trying to figure that out ourselves," Sparx said as they escorted her to the bridge.

"We know there was a bombing-" Speedy added. "-and that Anna was trying to apprehend the perpetrator."

"And then she was apprehended?" Elsa questioned. "None of this makes sense. What was she even doing on Mandalore?" The clones froze as their helmets swiveled to one another. While their faces were obscured, Elsa could sense their rising anxieties over whether or not to tell her. "Well?" she asked further.

"We'll just turn you over to Admiral Shang," Blazer insisted as Elsa leered at him.

Shang looked like guilt incarnate as he turned to face Elsa. "General Dellian," he greeted. "Thank you for coming to help us."

"By the council's will," Elsa responded. "But I want to get something clear with you," she said. "With all of you." Elsa's powerful presence was felt by the Legacy's crew as she gestured across the bridge. "If I'm going to negotiate for Anna's safe return, I need to know exactly what happened. That includes details regarding the Republic's presence on yet another neutral world."

"You'll have to forgive us," Shang said. "The details of our op are...classified."

Classified, Elsa thought on that dreadful word. She didn't know whether to feel surprised or disappointed all over again. "Classif-" she could hardly reiterate it. "Let me guess," she scoffed. "Watcher." Shang didn't have to answer for Elsa to get an acknowledgement. Guilt was spewing all over his twitching brows and wriggling lips. "Is Anna spying?" Elsa asked.

"No," Shang denied.

Despite her calm appearance, the eldest Dellian's tone became deep and protective. "Please don't lie to me. I know Anna wanted to serve the Grand Army. She's loyal to the Republic and would do anything to protect it. But I never imagined that it would stoop so low as to have a Jedi committing espionage on a neutral world for them."

"General-" Shang pleaded.

"Don't," Elsa huffed and firmly raised a hand. "I just settled a dispute on Avinaria where the Republic sent a girl no younger than myself to steal intel. I will not let my sister succumb to the same fate."

"Anna wasn't spying!" Speedy blurted. The other clones tried to shush him and hold him back. He used his cybernetic legs to propel forward and said, "She was investigating."

Elsa tilted her head and said, "Go on."

"A Republic weapons specialist was kidnapped," Speedy explained. "We'd gotten a ping matching the signature of the ship that took her."

Elsa's brows furrowed as she recounted Master Plo Koon's briefing. She recalled how he'd discussed the disappearance of a Dr. Nila Morzetti. Elsa turned to Shang and asked, "Is this true?"

"Yes ma'am," the admiral confirmed. "Being the only one who could set foot on neutral territory without military provocation, Anna went to investigate the ping. While she didn't find the ship, she was able to recover some evidence. We're unable to reach it, let alone reach her after what happened."

Elsa shook her head as she came to terms with the situation. "I need to get to Sundari effective immediately," she said. Another thought dawned upon her as she asked, "Still...I can't help but wonder-" The Deathchasers looked to one another as Elsa continued. "How did you track the ship to Mandalore? Was there a homing beacon on it? And if so, why did it take so long for anyone to track it down?"

Seeing as Speedy had already given away part of the operation, Shang came clean with the rest. The young admiral was already racked with guilt and couldn't bear the thought of lying to his general's sister. "There are hidden scanners on Mandalore," he confessed and Elsa's eyes widened. "According to Watcher, they were put in place by Republic spies long before we ever arrived. They could've been there for decades for all we know."

"Will the Republic ever learn?" Elsa sighed. "If it continues down this path, it will bring about its own destruction and then blame other planets for it." She looked to Shang and said, "Do you have access to these scanners?"

Shang nodded. "Republic vessels can lock on to the ping if they have the frequency." He pointed to a monitor as Elsa peered over his shoulder. She gasped at the sight of so many blips scattered throughout Sundari alone.

"This is despicable," Elsa uttered. "This goes beyond invasive!"

"With all due respect," Blazer interrupted. "Those scanners are the only reason we knew about the ship. Even if Anna failed to rescue Dr. Morzetti, we never would've had a lead without those scanners."

"But is it worth the price of privacy?" Elsa retorted. "Ask yourself that, sergeant."

"I have, ma'am. We're stopping threats before they ever even happen. I say it's worth it and so does your sister."

Elsa clenched a fist at Blazer's remark and wished Frost was with her. After spending so much time with her commander, she'd forgotten about the different beliefs other clones held. "Well Anna's not here to make this call," she fired back. "I am." She snapped her head back to Shang and said, "Admiral, lock on to every scanner on Mandalore." He appeared puzzled at first until Elsa stomped forward. "You know this is wrong. Do it!"

"What exactly am I doing?" Shang questioned while motioning for his officers to lock on to the scanners.

"Once the scanners are targeted, I want you to supercharge them with the Legacy's frequency. It'll overload their inputs."

Brows raised and gasps sounded across the bridge. "Excuse me?" Shang choked.

"Fry every single scanner," Elsa intoned. "Render them useless. That's an order."

"Anna commands this bridge!" Blazer growled while Sparx tried to quell him. "Not you."

"I will not stand by while another planet gets its rights trampled on," Elsa countered. She glared at Shang and said, "Do it. Or I'll inform the Mandalorian government myself about what's going on here."

There was a long and chilling pause throughout the bridge. While Elsa had given the order, all eyes fell to Shang. He had the final say as he glared at the monitor. While others might've seen his face reflecting against the screen, Shang only saw his father. He wondered what the late Jata Shang would've done in his position. Would he have disobeyed the Jedi and stuck to Watcher's protocol?...Or would he have fought to preserve Mandalore's privacy?

Mandalore doesn't deserve privacy, Shang thought to himself. He imagined the reflection of his father burning and wasting away in the wake of a Death Watch saboteur. They'd never make it without Republic aid. They need us. He heard the chaos from Anna's transmission echoing throughout his mind. Despite their best efforts, they weren't able to save anyone. Shang's hand trembled as he struggled to make a decision. Despite his rank and uniform, he still felt like that unsure cadet inside. He felt like he was back in the naval academy's lecture hall, listening to the words of Admiral Wullf Yularen.

"It's in those moments, young cadet, that an admiral must make the most...creative decisions. The kind that either make or break who you are...Preserve life where you can, for you are meant to lead. Your Republic needs you alive and no amount of fame nor infamy is worth anything else. You should only be a hero to your crew and most of all, to yourself."

"Overload the scanners," Shang uttered.

"Admiral?" an officer questioned.

"You heard me," he commanded. "Supercharge all frequencies and fry them."

Shang bit his lip while his officers went to work. He rapidly tapped his foot while high-pitched frequencies rang out across the monitor. He watched with frantic eyes as the scanner blips disappeared on by one. "Anna won't be happy about this," Blazer grumbled.

"Anna will be the least of our worries," Sparx added. "Watcher will not take an action like this lightly."

Shang sighed and tried to ignore their remarks. He unclenched his fist once the final hidden scanner was fried. "Take us down to Sundari," he ordered. "We're getting Anna out of there."

Elsa popped her motion sickness pills as the ship descended through Mandalore's thick atmosphere. She sat back and strapped in near the ventral hatch to prep herself. Despite the turbulence, Elsa could sense the spiteful clone watching her from the corridor. "Yes?" she asked with her eyes closed.

Blazer leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed. The sergeant refused to sit, even as the turbulence rocked him back and forth. "Using your Jedi senses on me?" he griped.

"Not necessarily," Elsa remarked. "I can just hear you grumbling."

"You know you've just destroyed any chances of the Republic ever helping Mandalore, right?" Blazer jeered. "Without those scanners, we'll never know what's happening there."

"Which means we aren't invading their privacy," Elsa replied with a blissful smile. Her calm disposition only flustered Blazer further. "If Mandalore ever needs our help, they can get in touch with us themselves, further solidifying relations."

"You dream," Blazer groused.

"So I've been told," Elsa said calmly.

Blazer's helmet tilted as he rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Look, you can't bring your lightsaber into Sundari. So we can hold on to it for you."

"I'd rather give it to the people of Mandalore as a show of good faith."

"Of course you would," Blazer snarked. "Just get Anna back, okay?" He stormed off and leaned towards the other Deathchasers. "She's not my General Dellian."

The Legacy arrived at Sundari's docks while members of the Mandalorian Guard stood watch. As Elsa started to step on the ventral hatch, she heard someone call to her from down the corridor. "General!" Shang called.

"Admiral?" Elsa queried.

Shang caught his breath upon reaching Elsa. "I don't know what's become of your sister, but I can't help but feel responsible. When she identified the bomber as a Death Watch warrior, I goaded her into pursuing. Allow me to try and make this right." Elsa nodded and motioned for him to follow her. As they disembarked, Blazer watched with a deepening glower beneath his helm.

"Good evening," Elsa called to the Mandalorians. The setting sun streaked across her azure robes as she bowed her head. "The Jedi Council has received Duchess Satine's transmission."

"Master Kenobi was requested to come," the police captain said. "Who are you?"

"I am Jedi Knight Elsa Dellian. Master Kenobi requested for me to come in his stead. I assure you that I am here to seek a peaceful resolution for all of us."

The captain squinted suspiciously and murmured, "We'll see about that."


While she was nestled within the confines of her palace, Duchess Satine could still catch glimpses of the outside world. The setting sun cast an interesting array of shadows across Sundari's bio-dome until the city's lights took hold. The hiss of opening doors caught her attention as she slowly turned.

"Duchess," Minister Armatan called. "May I present Elsa Dellian, Jedi Knight. And Ozwon Shang, Republic Admiral."

Satine raised a thin, blonde brow at the young Jedi. Elsa and Shang bowed respectfully as Satine spoke up. "So not only does the Jedi Order not send who I strictly requested...but they also send a family member?"

"I assure you, your grace-" Elsa began. "Master Kenobi would be here if he could. But something...strange has happened in Wild Space and the council sent him to investigate. But he trusted me to come in his place. Surely that must count for something."

Satine's eyes narrowed on Elsa. "One would think," she said. "I've never met a Jedi sibling before. How does that work?"

"Duchess?" Elsa queried.

"Your Order prevents attachments. Yet you Jedi are sisters. How do you detach yourselves from one another? It must be very hard on your parents."

"We never knew our parents," Elsa explained. "The Order found us and took us in. The path of peace is all we've ever known."

"You must be speaking for yourself," Satine remarked. "For it appears your sister walks another path."

"What exactly did Anna do?" Elsa asked.

The duchess raised a hand to beckon Elsa and Shang to the window. She motioned towards a series of faint smoke clouds trailing out across her city. "Are you a soldier, young Jedi?"

"I don't consider myself one, no." Elsa responded.

"Do you command a unit of clones?" Satine asked and Elsa froze. The Jedi's reaction was enough to have Satine nodding. "And so the hypocrisy carries on. War in the name of peace. I'm willing to wager those clones call you commander...or perhaps general. You may not be a soldier, but you Jedi are militant. The real question is, do you understand the rules of engagement and the collateral damage that comes with such prowess?" Elsa was at a loss for words as Satine carried on. "A public workplace was bombed by a Death Watch insurgent, but your sister engaged in a destructive pursuit. Multiple eyewitness accounts have her stealing an emergency services vehicle, forcing civilians to help transport wounded to a hospital. She then crashed said vehicle into an apartment complex." Elsa gasped until Satine said, "Thankfully no one was killed in the crash. Fires were also set in our agricultural plant. Above all, the bomber got away...begging me to ask if your sister's efforts were even worth it."

"I am so sorry for all of this destruction," Elsa responded. "On behalf of myself, the Republic, and the Jedi Order."

"As am I," Shang added. "I urged Anna to pursue the bomber. When I heard it was a member of Death Watch...I lost my head."

Satine squinted at the young admiral as if starting to recognize him. "You look familiar," she said. "Your name...your face." Satine quickly put the pieces together and sighed. "Your father's funeral. I remember now. I was there to give condolences."

"I know it doesn't make it right-" Shang continued. "-but please understand that the Death Watch has taken so much from so many of us. Even if my father's killer is dead, the ideology that provoked him lives on through those terrorists."

"I do understand," Satine replied. "But we cannot give in to our rage. Mandalore has struggled to put its warrior past behind it for years. As you can see, the struggle continues even to this day. But all of that bloodshed amounts to nothing if we become part of the problem. We must be greater than our suffering and cannot indulge these terrorists." As Satine verbalized her morals, Elsa couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Because when we do, we become just as reckless." Satine gestured to the destruction left from Anna's pursuit. "And that recklessness upends us all. Destruction is non-discriminatory and everyone pays the price."

"I couldn't agree more," Elsa said before swallowing hard. Satine felt a proposal coming on and tilted her head. "An incarcerated Jedi does little to help anyone. Is there any way that I can see her safely returned to Coruscant?"

"So she can bring about greater destruction to other worlds?" Satine murmured. "Perhaps I'm doing the galaxy a favor by keeping her here."

Elsa sighed. "Your grace, do you believe in seeing the best in people?" Satine paused to hear the Jedi out. "Actually, I know you do because that's all you've ever seen in Mandalore. To create a pacifistic society from a war-torn world is no easy feat. Even now as you face tremendous and deadly opposition, you believe in the better versions of your people. Let's believe in a better, less destructive Anna." Satine's gaze trailed back toward the window as Elsa asked. "Do you have any siblings?" That single question made the duchess' eyes twitch. It was enough to take her back to seemingly simpler times...when the palace halls were alive with children's laughter. Before Pre Vizsla had ever entered the picture...and her 'Bo' had been radicalized by his insidious wiles.

Rather than answer Elsa's question, she merely looked to Elsa earnestly. Her blue gaze was as tired as it was yearning for a kinder world. Rather than wait for a response, Elsa spoke on her own experience. "We can't control what they'll do next," Elsa said. "We can try to steer them in the right direction, but ultimately the choice is theirs. Anna and I have our rough moments, but Jedi or not...there's nothing I wouldn't do for her."

Satine hung her head at Elsa's final statement and whispered, "Let's hope she can learn better from you this time."

"Duchess?" Elsa questioned.

Satine smiled softly and said, "I see why Obi-wan trusts you so much. Your heart is true, Elsa Dellian. I hope your sister sees it as much as I do. I will arrange for her release on a single, nonnegotiable condition."

Elsa faintly smiled and replied, "Of course. What is it?"

Satine stood tall and decreed, "It shall be written into record that Anna Dellian is banned from ever returning to Mandalore. Should she ever set foot in Sundari or any settlement on the planet, she will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of our laws. Are we clear?"

Elsa and Shang exchanged concerned glances, but ultimately obliged. "Understood," Elsa said and bowed as Shang followed suit. "Thank you for your generosity, Duchess Satine."

"And one more thing," Satine mentioned as Elsa and Shang made for the door. The Jedi glanced over her shoulder as Satine sighed remorsefully. "Take care of your sister. It's easy to be frivolous with what you have...until it's gone."

Elsa could sense the duchess' sorrow and tried to make sense of it. "I will," she affirmed and departed with Shang.


The back of Anna's head was numbed with how many time's she'd repeatedly bumped it against her cell wall. Her irked eyes swayed towards the glass as a Mandalorian officer came over and unlocked the door. "What's this about?" she griped.

"You're free to go," the officer said. Anna raised a brow until he grew impatient with her. "Unless you want to stay here."

"Karabast," Anna scoffed. "I'm coming." She rose with a groan and was escorted out of Sundari Prison. Her black undershirt and slim-fitted pants had a teal hue under the lights. "Can I at least get my armor back?"

"All of your possessions are being transferred to your ship," the officer said.

"Sweet deal," she admitted. "Courtesy of the Republic, I'd take it. They've got some of the best negotiators on the-" As Anna was led outside, she observed Elsa standing with Shang on the opposite end of the platform. "Holy kriff," she muttered. "Elsa?"

The eldest Dellian had a disappointed glower to her as she peered over at Anna. "Hey sis," she said. "I got here as soon as I could."

"Wow," Anna realized. "The council's really got you negotiating for them, huh?"

"I did just finish a prisoner transfer from Avinaria," Elsa recounted. "How are you? Are you hurt?"

"Oh I'll live," Anna griped.

"General," Shang said. "I am so sorry."

"For what?" Anna muttered as the trio was guided into a speeder. "Telling me to chase that bomber? I'd do it all over again. It's not my fault these pacifists picked the wrong person to take down." The Mandalorian piloting their speeder scowled but kept her thoughts to herself.

"Anna," Elsa intoned. "Trying to stop the bomber doesn't free you from the consequences of your actions."

Anna huffed. "You spoke to Satine, didn't you? I bet you two really hit it off and that explains all of-" Anna flourished a hand towards Elsa. "-this."

"General Dellian," Shang said as both she and Elsa looked. "This is the only reason you're not still in that cell."

"Oh come on," Anna retorted. "We would've found another way eventually. But hey, what matters is that I'm out and I have the evidence stashed in my gear. Plus, we can always keep tabs on things if anything changes." Anna's brows furrowed when she noticed Elsa and Shang's cold expressions. "What?" she questioned.


The Legacy might as well have been shaking for how loudly Anna was shouting aboard. "What the actual kriff?" she roared. Armored and infuriated, Anna stormed across the ship's bridge. Clouds brushed past the viewport as the Legacy ascended with her escalating emotions. "So not only am I banned from Mandalore...great negotiating by the way, sis...but you've also fried every hidden scanner on the planet?" Anna shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know who to be angrier at. She jabbed a finger at Elsa. "You for ordering people on my ship-" Anna snapped her head towards Shang. "Or you for being foolish enough to listen." She wildly flailed her arms at the Deathchasers. "And what about you guys? Were you just standing there scratching your rears? Couldn't you stun them or something?"

"I disagreed with their plan," Blazer affirmed.

"Congrats," Anna snarked. "That did about...hm...let's see...nothing. But thanks for disagreeing. At least there's some loyalty on this ship."

"That's enough," Elsa snapped. "Anna, you were imprisoned and something had to be done."

Anna marched up to Elsa until they were in each other's faces. "It sounds like they sent you to get me. End of story. But you overstepped."

Elsa's eyes listed towards the Legacy's crew watching their argument. "Perhaps we should continue this in private," she suggested.

"No," Anna dictated. "Whatever you've got to say, you can say to all of us."

Elsa raised her head and narrowed her eyes. "Fine," she said. "I secured Mandalore's freedom."

"You doomed them," Anna growled as they left the planet's atmosphere. She pointed towards Mandalore and aggressively tapped the viewport. "What the hell happens when something goes wrong now? Do you honestly think Satine is gonna call for help?"

Elsa kept her head held high and said, "She believes in a better Mandalore. The same way I believe in a better you."

Anna's ensuing laugh was as cynical as it was sarcastic. "Oh no no no. Don't turn this into a 'you're here to fix me' thing. It's always some problem that I have. But what about you, big sis? What's your problem? I'll spare you any thinking becauseI've got the answer this time. You don't want to get your hands dirty." It tore Elsa apart from the inside to hear Anna speak to her as such. But she shoved her emotions down and let her sister express hers. Despite Anna's words, Elsa thought about her experiences to the contrary. She recalled being buried alive on Hoth and even taking a beating from Gav. But Anna was too blind to see past her own anger. "You want to hide behind sunshine and rainbows, acting like this isn't a war and people aren't gonna get hurt. People like Watcher, the Deathchasers and I are the ones who are going to win the Clone War. Why? Because we're willing to do what it takes."

Elsa looked past all of Anna's jeers and tried to maintain her composure. "I came to Mandalore...for you," she whispered.

"And to make a couple of rearrangements," Anna accused. "Boss my people around. Bet that was fun. "Now I have to explain to Watcher why signals are down on Mandalore and if threats increase...well...that's on you. If the destruction comes to Mandalore and Death Watch strikes again, that's on you too! When Satine is murdered-"

"General," Speedy muttered, as if trying to get Anna to ease up.

Anna's nostrils flared as she sulked at Speedy. Her eyes darted back to Elsa while they landed in the Deliverance. Anna leaned in and spoke through gritted teeth. "Big sister or not, you don't tell my people what to do," she scolded and jabbed a finger. "Now get off my ship."

Elsa took a deep breath and pursed her lips. She bit back so many words which she truly wanted to say and instead replied, "Yes...General Dellian."

Anna scowled at Elsa's phrasing as she stormed off the bridge. She crossed her arms and shook her head, watching Elsa slip past the Deathchasers and depart down a corridor. "You know-" Speedy began as Anna glanced at him. "We've got millions of brothers serving on the frontlines." He angled his visor to stare her down. "But how many sisters do you have?"

Anna huffed as she started to cool down. "Oh for the love of-" She jogged across the bridge and entered the corridor. "Elsa!" she hollered. "Wait up!" By the time Anna slid over to the ventral hatch, it had already resealed and Elsa was gone.


Commander Frost stood at attention as Elsa traversed the hangar. "Welcome back, general," he said. His words only made her quicken her pace and speed past him. "Are you alright?" he worried as she continued on her way.

Elsa dashed through the main hangar doors and disappeared into the Venator's maze of corridors. Her breaths hastened until she finally made it to her personal quarters. Upon entering, she shut the lights off and unclipped her lightsaber. She raised her hands and tried to center herself by calling upon the Force. Despite her best efforts, the arcetron hilt trembled before her. Her emotions spiked as each of Anna's painful words dug into her like invisible daggers. Elsa had merely started disassembling her saber when Anna's accusations struck her at full force. Unable to push them aside any longer, Elsa exhaled and dropped her fragmented weapon. Lightsaber pieces clacked and scattered across the floor as Elsa broke down. She stood amidst the pieces and felt just as fractured as tears rolled down her reddened cheeks. Whether her sister fully meant those words or not, their painful sting remained. Elsa clasped at her braided tresses while sobbing uncontrollably. Her lower lip quivered until she buried her face in her hands. As Elsa dropped to her knees, a series of gentle knocks came to her door.

"General?" Frost worried. Elsa shut her eyes tightly at the utterance. Her whimpers echoed through the door and had Frost leaning on it. "General!"

"Stop!" Elsa snapped, her voice cracking as she did so. Frost shuddered as Elsa instantly regretted her tone. "I-...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

While he was alarmed, Frost didn't leave. He stayed pressed against the door and removed his helmet so she could hear him better. "What can I do for you?" he asked in a softened tone.

Elsa raised her head from her tear-soaked palms. "Don't...call me general," she sniffled. "Ever again. Please."

"Okay, Elsa." Frost assured. "Do you want to talk about what's going on?" With a wave of her hand from behind her back, Elsa unlocked the door with the Force. A sliver of light crept into the room as Frost entered. He shut the door behind them, set his helmet down, and knelt at her side. "Hey," he whispered.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Elsa confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was knighted, I felt like I could truly make a difference. So I went off and tried to bring down a crime syndicate. When that failed, I sought wisdom from the council and tried acting on their will. But that led me to helping Anna."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Frost asked.

Elsa scoffed. "You'd think. But she was so...angry. Ever since she's been knighted, it's as if all she can see is this militant path. I appreciate her dedication to serving, but what good is protection if other's suffer in your wake? Now I fear that I've messed up our relationship further and it's all just-" Elsa looked at her scattered lightsaber parts. "-a mess."

Frost sighed and examined the pieces. "You're right," he confessed. "This is a mess. But you don't have to sit in it by yourself. It always helps to have a partner with you to clean things up."

Frost started plucking pieces off of the floor while Elsa scoffed. "You're just spoiling me," she said.

"But it's the truth," he intoned and held up part of her emitter. "Sure, we may be pieces in the grand machine of life. Others may even look just like us, but we serve unique purposes. If one of us disappeared, the rest would be in disarray."

Elsa raised a brow at his words until she realized they were her own. "Hey," she uttered. "That's what I-"

"I never forgot the day we met on Hoth," Frost confessed and smiled playfully. "And everything you told me that day. Even when you're at your lowest, you are more than what you give yourself credit for." Frost gulped when he raised a peculiar piece. "Um...what is this?"

Elsa bit back a snicker. "That's the grip."

"Gotcha," he affirmed while grabbing other pieces. "And it goes-"

"Here," Elsa laughed and fastened the appropriate fragments. "Grip to mount, conductors slide in there, and emitter on the top."

Her lightsaber came together in Frost's hands as he jested, "Hey look. No more mess!" Frost gasped when Elsa jokingly activated the lightsaber. Its bright blue plasma illuminated the dark room like a vibrant torch. She switched it to training settings and stood it up beside them. Elsa sniffled and wiped her tears as Frost continued. "I wish I could take away all of your pain, Elsa. But I can't. I don't even have the means to make others, like your sister, see you the way I do."

Elsa faintly smiled and looked into Frost's calming eyes. Half of his face glowed blue under the saberlight as he smiled back. "And how do you see you me?" Elsa asked.

"As someone who has gone through too much to be so hard on herself," Frost said. "I can't speak for Anna or anyone else, but you are the most brilliant person I have ever met. I see you as a powerful and resilient spirit...who above all else-" Frost brought a hand to her cheek and wiped her tear. "-deserves to be happy."

As his warm, gloved palm left her face, Elsa found herself reaching a new level of solace. Similar to that of her meditation, she felt at peace with her surroundings as she looked into Frost's eyes. Those dark brown pools weren't just any clone's...they were his. She could sense all that Frost was and sensed the comfort radiating off of him. Anna and the rest of Elsa's stressful experiences faded under the saberlight as she felt herself being drawn in. It was like she was floating closer to him amidst the silence of the room. She couldn't tell which of them was leaning in as his calming words brought warmth to her within. It wasn't long before she felt a flutter in her heart. One of which she'd never felt before as her head slowly tilted. Once Elsa's eyes closed amid the darkness, she felt her lips meet his.

Frost tilted with Elsa, kissing her deeply as they felt each other's warm breaths. The commander's hand returned, this time to gently caress her cheek. She raised her pale palm and mirrored his gesture. She caressed his chiseled visage before sliding her hand towards his shoulder. As they held each other in a tender embrace, Frost and Elsa parted lips. A soothing, blissful smile made its way across the Jedi's face. As their eyes closed, they pressed their foreheads against each other.

Frost raised his brows upon feeling Elsa's fingers curling on his shoulders. He looked up at her as her eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Elsa?" he worried.

It was as if she'd snapped out of trance. Her frantic, unblinking stare darted between Frost and her own hands. She slinked out of his embrace and touched her lips with a gasp. "By the Force," she whispered. "What have we done?. What have...I done?"


Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this week's installment of "The Frozen Force." As always, it's an absolute pleasure to entertain you weekly and I love hearing from your wonderful selves! There's always more happening at GoldenHeart Stories. Need more content to hold you over until Friday? My Frozen/Assassin's Creed crossover, "Anna's Creed" has its final chapter this Saturday. Then all thirty chapters will be up for your enjoyment! Other Frozen stories are in the works, so stay tuned. You can also follow GoldenHeart Stories on Instagram and Twitter under the same name for updates!

Well well...things are heating up between Elsa and Frost! But what will happen next? Brace yourselves, as this chapter is part one of the "Let It Go: Trilogy". Next week, delve into the epic continuation as Elsa and the 213th embark on a daring relief mission! But can she and Frost come to terms with their feelings? Find out in next Friday's chapter, "Let the Storm Rage On."

Long Live Imagination and May the Force be with You!

~ Michael