Author's Note: Dearest readers, thank you so much for all of your support! We have officially made it to the halfway point of Season:3! As of right now, weekly chapters shall continue as scheduled, even though I have been called back to work. We've got some new milestones and fun announcements!
"The Frozen Force" has officially gone over 24,000 views on Fanfiction and 3,000 hits on AO3. None of this is possible without you amazing people. So thank you! In the ultimate twist of amazement, next Friday happens to be my birthday! So Chapter: 76 will be the GoldenHeart Birthday special. This being said, I hope you enjoy today's chapter!
~ Michael
Chapter: 75 A Deadly Cycle
"Justice and vengeance dance on a thinly-veiled line."
Kidnapped! Crimson Dawn Underboss, Cruella, has dispatched her minions to capture unique individuals for their furs. During their Coruscant Caper, Sven became one of the syndicate's unfortunate victims. Determined to rescue him during a daring chase, Anna Dellian stowed away on the kidnappers' freighter. Now enroute to regions unknown, Anna braces herself for a rescue of monumental proportions...
Coldness gripped at Anna as she sat in pitch black darkness. Any attempt to rest her head was met with the tumultuous rumble of shifting gears. As she lurked amidst the ship's shadows, Anna thought about why the council really might've discouraged her involvement with Master Piell's rescue. Whether she liked it or not, her plans couldn't be trusted. They were entirely based on hit or miss tactics, and deep down...she knew it. Anna was either clinging to a Jedi starfighter and barely surviving to destroy a dreadnought...or embarking on a high speed chase that would get her banned from Mandalore. She wasn't reliable, even if her reckless actions sometimes achieved results.
Frustrated, Anna threw her head back and banged it against an unseen pipe. Way to go, hero, she told herself. She'd been on enough voyages to recognize the rumble of lightspeed. Did you really think you could dash up through the landing gear and reach the cockpit so easily? Now you're heading kriff knows where and-Anna gritted her teeth and endured a ferocious mental barrage. Why'd you do this?she scolded herself. What the hell were you trying to prove? That you were just as powerful as Anakin Skywalker? Well he and the others are still good enough to get their own rescue missions from the council!
It was as if none of Anna's other accomplishments mattered. She buried herself in the moment and scoffed. I'm just as good as they are, she thought and hardened her resolve. This rescue was supposed to prove that and itwill.Anna rose from the floor with a furious huff...and immediately thumped her head on a metal grate. "Son of a!" she grunted and immediately recoiled. As Anna rubbed her aching head, an idea emerged amid her daze. "Hold on," she whispered and cautiously reached above her. The Jedi stuck her tongue out as she focused intently on feeling the grate. "Aha," she whispered as her fingers coiled around a series of holes. Anna pried the grate open with a mighty heave and listened to her exertion echo within. She followed that echo into an extended shaft which delved deeper into the ship's core system. "Here goes everything," Anna whispered and lunged into the shaft.
She felt her way through the blackness, ascending inch by inch through the narrow passageway. Anna was still adjusting to wearing form-fitting robes again. While the new crimson garments sufficed, she missed her armor since Dordo had damaged it. She'd gotten so used to fastening plastoid to her body that not wearing any of it made her feel exposed. Another frigid breeze from the ship's faulty coolant system had her shivering. As Anna hugged herself to stay warm, she heard voices calling out from beyond the shaft. They were like haunting murmurs and grievous echoes, all of which prompted feelings of unease within Anna. She crawled towards the voices and tried to remain as quiet as possible.
A sudden, beastly grumble made her flinch and she peeked through the grates. A pair of long, black-furred limbs were slumped over a murmuring body. Once Anna observed the prison bars against the being's back, she dared to speak through the shaft. "Pst!" she whispered. "Hey! Up here!" Hurgoffo was the biggest and only Wookie Anna had ever seen. He bared his teeth and snarled at her calls until he noticed Anna's youthful visage. In truth, he nearly mistook her for one of his teenage friends back on Coruscant. "Shhh!" Anna urged as the Wookie grew rowdy. "Do you speak Galactic Basic?" He shook his head. "Well, at least you understand it." Hurgoffo stepped back and swayed a furry arm towards his bars. "I know," she said. "You're trapped. I'm-" The Wookie shook his head again and gestured further out. Only then did Anna hear the rest of the ship's 'cargo.'
With knitted brows and a stern scowl, she proceeded to another grate. Her disgust only deepened upon witnessing rows upon rows of kidnapped persons. Comprised of various ages and species, the only thing the prisoners shared was a unanimous sense of dread. Black and white-plated security droids patrolled the cellblocks, striking fear with their hollow photoreceptors. The sight of so many downtrodden and suffering individuals was enough to decimate any doubts within Anna. It doesn't matter if I'm in over my head, she told herself. That's never stopped me before and it sure as hell won't stop me now. I need to get these people out of here before this ship reaches its destination. I can't imagine these goons have anything good planned.
Anna pressed her face against the grate and checked for patrolling droids. She was about to pop it open, but ultimately stopped herself. Anna crawled back to Hurgoffo's cell and got his attention. "Hey big guy," she whispered. "Do you think you can make some noise for me? Just enough to cover my entrance." The Wookie considered her plan for a moment and nodded. "Count to five and go nuts," she told him. Anna scurried back to the other grate while counting to herself. Five...four...three...two...
Hurgoffo's tirade even madeher flinch. The young Wookie unleashed a powerful roar and repeatedly slammed against his durasteel bars. Amid the cacophonous clamor, Anna popped out the grate and slipped into the cellblock. She refastened it and descended via a stairwell just as droids ascended from the opposite end. Hurgoffo's outburst came to an end as the droids observed his bizarre behavior.
While she remained hidden, a prisoner approached the cell bars nearest to her. His pointy ears perked up as he noticed her iconic robes. "A Jedi?" he gasped and his whiskers quivered. "You're a-"
"Shhh!" Anna asserted. "Yes, I'm a Jedi," she whispered. "But I'm not going to do much saving if you give me away, Mr.-"
"Pekni," he murmured and scratched at his snout. Anna looked over his appearance with bewildered eyes as he raised a furry brow. "What? Have you never seen a Bothan before?"
"Can't say I have," she replied. "Any idea what's going on here, Pekni?"
The Bothan slouched against his bars. "I'm a commercial pilot back in Galactic City. I was supposed to prep a flight when those men stunned me. From what I've been able to gather from the others aboard, they've all endured a similar fate."
"But why?" Anna asked. "Are they slavers?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Jedi," the Bothan lamented.
"Well I'm notgoing to let anything happen to any of you," Anna assured. "Just-" In that instant, a familiar grunt caught the knight's attention. "Wait," she mumbled and spun towards the sound. "Is that?" A pair of hoofed hands clasped the adjacent cell bars as Anna dashed over. "Sven!" she whispered sharply. Groggy but happy to see her, the Cevrian proudly snorted between the bars. Anna raised a brow at his complex series of moos and grunts. "I wish I could understand you," she said. "But I know you understand me. Kristoff's been worried sick about you. He actually sent for me when no one else would listen." Anna watched as Sven cautiously looked over Anna's shoulders. "No, he's not here. I kinda stowed away on this freighter at the last second." Sven shrugged as if he expected her to say something so daring. "I'm going to bust you out," she said. "All of you. But I need to find the controls to these cells and-"
Anna was so busy talking to Sven that she didn't count on the droid rounding the corner. Its hollow photoreceptors flashed disturbingly red before it aimed its rifle. "Oh kriff!" Anna cursed. It fired just as she activated her lightsaber. Sven and other prisoners backed away from their bars as Anna took on the droid. The ensuing commotion prompted the rest of the metallic security force to come rushing downstairs. As Anna rushed over and cut down the first droid, the rest of its unit opened fire. She spun her green blade to deflect their incoming blaster bolts. Her heart sank when several blocked lasers ricocheted near the prisoners' cells.
"Be careful!" Pekni warned while ducking down.
"No, really?" Anna snarked and tried distancing herself from the cells. As Sven grunted to her, she first thought he might've been panicking as well. But as Anna looked over, she could see Sven eyeing the droids nearest to him. "Want to get in on the action, big guy?" she muttered. "Let's go!" With a powerful leap, Anna front-flipped over the incoming droids and sliced the bars to Sven's cell. While she remained on the defensive, the massive Cevrian came barreling through. Using his bold antlers, Sven flanked the droids with a devastating charge. Anna moved in on his distraction and sliced apart the rest of the squad. "Not bad, big fella," she panted as he recovered a blaster. Her head snapped towards the stairwell as another wave of security droids descended.
"Let us help you!" Pekni barked while various prisoners nodded from their cells. Anna's gaze shifted between them and the amount of freshly-abandoned blasters littering the floor. A clever smirk crept across her lips as she raised her lightsaber to multiple cells.
One of the security droids triggered a wall-mounted alarm and sent ear-splitting sirens ringing throughout the freighter. The alarms coated the cockpit in a crimson hue as Horas and Jasp bolted upright. "What in blazes is going on down there?" Horas blathered. Jasp typed away at the ship's dashboard and pulled up security camera footage. The thug's eyes widened at the sight of a full-scale riot. Their 'merchandise' had acquired weaponry and was being led by a Jedi Knight. Horas gulped. "J-Jasp. That's a lightsaber. That's a bloody lights-"
"I know what it is, damn it!" Jasp snapped. "I don't get paid enough to get mixed up with Jedi."
"But we can't just abandon the haul," Horas worried. "You know what Cruella will do to us!"
"Then you stay and fight the Jedi," Jasp insisted as his stout partner gulped. "That's what I thought. Now come on, our best bet is to abandon ship. The droids'll hold'em off long enough for us to get to our cruiser in the lower hangar."
"What about this freighter?" Horas asked.
"We'll stop by the engine bay on our way down." Jasp said while opening the cockpit doors. "We'll set the turbines to self destruct and-" He and Horas froze, for before them stood Anna and her legion of liberated prisoners. Armed with scavenged rifles and piercing glares, they had already destroyed the droids and were blocking the corridor in its entirety. Horas was frightened out of his mind as he raised his trembling hands. Jasp flashed a nervous grin and chuckled. "Hello there...gents," he said. "Good day, Ms. Jedi," he told Anna and winced as she stared him down.
All eyes were on Anna, Horas, and Jasp in the center of the freighter's hold. Freed people of various species and ages spectated her interrogation from the overhead balconies and stairwells. If anyone was uncertain about the ways of the Jedi, Anna's actions were sure to muddy those perceptions even further. Each strike she made...every painful punch echoed throughout the quiet craft. There were even moments where those captured by these wicked men found themselves wincing or even looking away. Pekni grimaced at such brutality. He'd heard plenty of stories about Jedi on Coruscant, but Anna was leaving an entirely new impression on him.
Sven cringed as Anna delivered a ferocious backhand across Horas' face. His bruised face struck the grated ground with a clang while Jasp watched from beside him. The Jedi cracked her blood-stained, aching knuckles as she pulled the wheezing thug up by the collar. "If you think this is bad," Anna hissed. "I'm just getting warmed up." Horas was beaten so badly that he could hardly see straight through his daze. "You like kidnapping people? Taking kids?" She punched him in the gut until he buckled forward. "Kriffing coward! Where were you taking them!"
"Don't tell her," Jasp croaked. His black eye twitched as Anna glared over at him. "She's still a Jedi," he coughed. "She won't...she...she won't-"
The lanky thug's words only stoked Anna's inner flames. "Oh I won't?" Anna growled and threw Horas to the floor. "Won't what? Kill?" She stormed up to Jasp, making sure every stomp was louder than its predecessor. "I'll kill a thousand of you insignificant dirtbags," Anna seized Jasp by the neck. "No one will miss a child-stealing, life-ruining, coward." Her eyes swayed to her Cevrian friend as she said, "Sven. Get the airlock." Genuine fear sparked in Jasp's eyes as Anna dragged him towards a sealed door. She angrily slammed his face against the glass and looked to Sven. "Open it!" she growled.
As Sven approached the airlock's controls, Horas screeched amidst his wounds. "Cruella!" he blurted. Anna's shoulders relaxed as she slowly lowered Jasp. "Cruella!" Horas pleaded. "She's got an operation on Sorgan."
"The Crimson Dawn member?" Anna inquired. "What kind of operation? Speak up!"
"Fur trade," Horas confessed and nausea gripped Anna's stomach. She glanced at all of the unique beings they'd captured and imagined the atrocities Cruella would commit against their skins. "Miss Cruella wanted rarities, so we scoured Coruscant for them! We were enroute for Sorgan!"
"You sick monsters," Anna uttered. Having received the information, she threw Jasp down and wiped her bloodied palms. As Sven stepped away from the airlock, Anna glanced up at the spectating prisoners. A blend of uncertainty and horror filled their eyes. Despite being rescued by Anna, they were as afraid of her as they were their kidnappers.
Pekni cautiously approached her and Sven. "We need to get everyone back home to Coruscant," he said.
"No," Anna corrected. "You do." He raised a furry brow until she continued. "You said you were a pilot, right? These sleemos have a cruiser in their hangar. Get everyone onboard and get them home."
"But what about you?" the Bothan asked.
"I'm going to Sorgan," Anna affirmed. "Who knows how many other innocents are suffering by Cruella's hand even as we speak. I can't waste a single moment. Her insidious operation ends today." Sven snorted proudly and stepped to her side. "No, Sven. Go back to Kristoff." She sighed and smirked when the Cevrian refused to move. "I like your spirit, tough guy. Let's get some payback."
Emergency sirens were still echoing across Coruscant late into the night. The freighter chase had caused substantial damage to several edifices and hospitals were being flooded with injured citizens. As ambulances hovered over the Jedi Temple, so to did the looming eyes of several Jedi questioning Hans and Kristoff.
"Ten minutes," Master Mattias said. "I left Anna alone for ten minutes. Twenty tops! I would've thought she'd gone to her room before I'd imagined she'd gone on some wild chase."
"Honestly, Mattias." Yelena griped. "I was already considering Anna's involvement the moment I heard a rogue freighter was bulldozing its way through multiple skyscrapers."
"Enough," Elsa interrupted and focused on asking questions. She squeezed between the masters to approach Hans and Kristoff. "Why didn't either of you tell us about Anna's whereabouts?"
"She's a knight," Hans scoffed. "Since when is she still on a leash? Also, you can blame this buffoon for all the secrecy." He angrily shoved Kristoff.
"Hey!" Kristoff snapped. He was about to shove Hans back when Master Drallig intervened.
"What were you doing out of the temple, Mr. Bjorg?" Cin asked. "I told you that I would have Sentinels look into the matter regarding Sven."
Kristoff took a deep breath. "Respectfully sir," he began. "I didn't think Sven had that kind of time. Plus, Hans was technically a Sentinel."
"Don't go dragging me into this," Hans griped.
"You literally dragged yourself into this," Kristoff fired back. "No one asked you to come."
"Boys," Elsa asserted to reel them back in. While Hans ignored her worried tone, Kristoff slouched sympathetically. "Where is my sister?" she asked.
"We don't know," Kristoff sighed. "She boarded the kidnappers' ship moments before it blasted off."
"Because you let her," Hans muttered.
"She had a plan!" Kristoff intoned. "And I trusted her. Maybe you should to."
"You don't even knowher," Hans jeered and stared Kristoff down. "You might think you do because...what? She said one or two nice things to you? Did she save your life? She doesn't give a damn about you for you to be acting like you're so close. Yourstupidity helped get Anna lost." Hans looked to Cin while thrusting an arm at Kristoff again. "What are people like himdoing around people like us anyway?"
"The Temple Security Force has been reinstated," Cin intoned. "By order of Chancellor Palpatine, civilian forces are to-"
Hans rolled his eyes. "Well someone tell Chancellor Incompatinethat his initiative is costing us Jedi."
"Stop it!" Elsa scolded as Hans sneered. "You should be ashamed to call yourself a Jedi Knight," she said. "We're supposed to be the people future Padawans look up to, and you're here tearing everyone down to your level."
"I don't have to tear anyone down when I'm at the top," Hans insisted as Elsa's blood boiled.
"What a mess," Yelena huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose. What was Mattias thinking?she asked herself. Anna wasn't ready to become a Jedi Knight. Her recklessness is getting out of hand and it's only going to get worse.
A sudden chime from Mattias' belt beckoned the group into silence. They exchanged confused glares as he curiously picked up his holocomm. From the moment he activated it and that freckled face came into view, everyone nearly lost their minds. "Anna?" Elsa and Kristoff blurted in unison.
"What the?" Hans choked while Yelena and Cin observed with wild glares.
"Anna," Mattias rejoiced. "You're alright!" His smile instantly dropped. "Unless you aren't and this is some kind of ransom video."
"I'm fine," Anna assured. "Sorry for disappearing on you all. But as you know, duty calls." Elsa facepalmed as her younger sister continued. "I've taken command of the trappers' ship. It turns out they were under orders from Cruella to deliver captured persons into a fur trading operation."
"Cruella," Elsa recalled. "As in the Crimson Dawn member?"
"The very same," Anna replied. "According to the...cooperative trappers, she has a facility on Sorgan. Every moment we waste puts more lives at risk, so Sven and I are enroute to Sorgan now."
"She found Sven!" Kristoff rejoiced as the Cevrian could be heard grunting in the background. "Way to go, Anna."
"The rest of those rescued are heading back to Coruscant in a spare cruiser," Anna explained. "But this is your open invite to help shut this down with me."
"You're really going through with this, aren't you?" Mattias inquired.
"I'd do it by myself if I have to," Anna intoned. "I know what it's like to be in a cage and I'm not about to let anyone else go through that. I tried calling my Deathchasers, but couldn't get through to them. Find them if you can, but bring the cavalry to Sorgan, will ya?" Anna's voice crackled as her hologram glitched. "We're entering Sorgan's remote system now. I'm going to power down comms in case they can track me. I know you'll do the next right thing. If not-" Anna huffed. "You damn well know I will."
As Anna's transmission ended, her companions were left to look amongst each other. "We have to go," Mattias proposed.
"Surely the council will agree," Elsa added.
"An injustice on this level should hopefully reach them," Yelena considered. "Let's divide and conquer. Elsa and I will speak with the council. Mattias, find the Deathchasers."
"What about me?" Hans asked.
Yelena squinted at him. "What about you?" she countered. "I think we've got everything covered."
Realizing that Yelena was giving him a hard time, Mattias beckoned Hans to him. "You can help me find Anna's squad," he said.
Kristoff rose with a reinvigorated spirit. "And I can-"
"You can what?" Master Drallig inquired as Kristoff winced. "You are a Jedi Temple security guard, Kristoff. You wanted proof that the Jedi can handle things? Here it is. Now report back to the barracks immediately. With a resigned sigh, Kristoff reluctantly trudged down the temple's grandiose corridors.
"My sister, Knight Dellian has proof of trafficking and fur trading on Sorgan," Elsa said as she stood before the Jedi Council.
"And where is this evidence?" Master Ki-Adi-Mundi inquired.
Yelena leered at Mattias' old master and said, "With respect...do you hear those sirens outside? They echo from the destruction caused by kidnappers. Kidnappers who were so desperate to flee with stolen lives, that they were willing to harm countless others in their escape. Slavery may be outlawed in the Republic, but that hasn't stopped such trafficking practices from lurking in the capital's underbelly. The very senator Elsa was studying under was a ring leader for these corrupt systems. These kidnappings are no different. Actually, they're worse."
"This Cruella is profiting off of lives," Elsa added. "As Jedi, we cannot allow this cruelty to carry on any longer! Now my sister is about to engage Cruella's operation and she needs all of the help she can get."
Yoda and Mace Windu nodded to one another before the former spoke. "Approve for you to assist in this endeavor, we do. Prepare a strike team you will, but need more reinforcements you shall."
Elsa's heart leapt as she thought about clone troopers. She considered how Admiral Shang had told her to fight for her men and make them believe. Willing to step up, Elsa dared to state her proposal. "The 213th," she suggested. "Commander Frost and his Search and Rescue Division could certainly assist us." Elsa's eager grin faltered as the council members exchanged whispers. It was as if they all knew something she didn't and were surprisedthat she hadn't heard the news.
"Knight Dellian," Obi-wan Kenobi lamented. "The 213th stopped being a Search and Rescue Division when you relinquished command over it."
"What?" Elsa uttered as Yelena sensed her disappointment. "But how is that possible unless they were-" Elsa's body stiffened as she came to the realization. Obi-wan nodded while she breathed the final word into existence. "-reassigned." This is your fault, Elsa instantly told herself. You asked for this. Frost had practically begged you not to leave them. Not to leavehim. Yet still you walked away. Now someone else commands them. Someone else is directingyour men.
Focusing on the task at hand, Yelena took charge. "Surely another unit can be spared."
In that moment, one of the masters raised his clawed hand. "If there is a facility present on Sorgan-" Master Plo Koon began. "You'll need air support to shut it down and still be able to get a recovery team in there. My 104th Battalion can get you through." Yelena thought about Master Plo's unit and recalled their heroism at the Battle of Manaan. She graciously accepted his offer while Elsa remained troubled over the 213th.
No amount of shuffling across the barracks could deafen the sound of gossip between trainees. Kristoff could practically feel their eyes on him as he returned to his bunk and sulked. Even though Jedi he knew were mounting a rescue, he still wished he could help. Cadet Officer Lyn Ferix kept an eye on him from the end of the hall. She scoffed as he somberly eyed Sven's empty bunk. "Everyone fall in!" Lyn suddenly barked. The cadets scrambled to attention as she looked them over. "Meet in Sentinel assembly for mandatory inspection! Now go!" As the guards began their march, Lyn raised a hand to Kristoff. "Not you, Blondie. You stay right there." Kristoff cautiously remained at attention and braced himself for disciplinary action. "Are the Jedi doing anything about your friend, Antlers?" she asked instead.
"Yeah," Kristoff admitted. "In fact, he's helping them shut some fur traders down on Sorgan. I don't care if the Jedi are involved though. My best friend's still out in danger and I'm stuck in here."
Lyn bit her lip and huffed. "Well if you ask me," she began. "I think it's kriffing stupid to not let you tag along. I mean, it sounds like they wouldn't even know what was going on if you hadn't taken the initiative."
"It's true," Kristoff murmured.
"These Jedi," Lyn griped under her breath. "They think they're the highest order in the land. As if the rest of us can't think for ourselves." Lyn checked her corners before leaning towards Kristoff. "You may be a sap, Blondie, but you've got guts. You deserve to be out there just as much as any saber-swinging shmuck."
"Thanks, but what are you getting at?"
"You snuck out," Lyn whispered. Kristoff raised a brow until he caught on to Lyn's story. "I was so busy keeping the others in line, that I didn't even notice you slip past me."
A daring grin found its way to Kristoff's lips. "Thank you," he told her and hurriedly packed a bag.
"How you get out of here is on you," Lyn added. "My hands are clean from there. And don't think that this is going to be a regular thing." Kristoff threw a jingling bag over his shoulder and crept down the hall, determined to make his given chance count.
Upbeat, militant fanfare reverberated from the stands of the Republic's latest Innovations Expo. Civilians and military staff alike gathered around a grandiose stage adorned in Kaminoan and Republic banners. Kaminoan Senator Halle Burtoni commanded the center podium. With a tremor to her neck and lavender glow in her gaze, Burtoni was iconic in her field. She raised a frail, yet authoritative hand to her audience. "Citizens," she began in her brittle tone. "Freedom fighters of the Republic." As her presentation continued, Mattias and Hans slipped in through a set of doors in the back. The auditorium was so packed for the occasion that many were forced to stand. "The war continues to take its brutal toll," Burtoni said. "But we will always rise to the challenge. No power in this galaxy can halt the progress of Kaminoan ingenuity!" Her declaration was met with applause as she gestured to a robust curtain bearing the Republic insignia. "As our enemies advance, so too shall we. Without further ado, it is my honor to present the future of the Galactic Republic."
Cheers meshed with gasps and thunderous applause when the curtains split. Blazer, Sparx, and Speedy emerged wearing sets of new armor. Freshly-polished plastoid gleamed under the spotlights as the Deathchasers marched forward. "While we've tested prototypes on our ARC troopers-" Burtoni continued. "-these ARF troopers will be some of the first clones to ever demonstrate the prowess of Phase II armor. Durable and polarized lenses, sleek padding, and stronger yet lighter plating." As Burtoni listed each characteristic, swirling camera droids zoomed in on the designated features. To ensure stability, these armor sets can be fully pressurized for space combat, allowing clones to engage enemies outside of their ships." The Kaminoan observed each Deathchaser. She noted how they examined their armor and ran fingers across their helmeted faces. While maintaining the Deathchasers' signature crimson paint job, each helmet was fitted with extended filtration flaps. "How do you feel, sergeant?" Burtoni asked.
"Ready to get back out there," Blazer remarked and the spectators chuckled. The sergeant didn't understand what was so funny about his sincerity. Although he was grateful to have a set of advanced armor, the last thing he wanted was to be paraded around in it.
Lieutenant Sparx noted his superior's irked, tapping foot and and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll be out of here before you know it," he assured. "Just...smile and wave. Look. Speedy's got the hang of it."
Blazer glanced over to see his fellow trooperliving in the limelight. The sergeant couldn't help but guffaw as Speedy struck valiant poses for the press. Camera droids flashed and zoomed in while he flexed his arms. "You'd think he was a holodrama star," Blazer quipped.
"Hey!" Speedy teased while posing dramatically. "Maybe someday I will be!"
As the audience practically lost their minds over Burtoni's presentation, Blazer noticed a particular pair sliding their way to the front. "Wait a minute," Blazer muttered. "Is that-"
"Pardon me," Mattias said while squeezing between spectators. "Excuse me, madam."
Suddenly, Hans came barging through civilians like rampaging mudhorn. "Move it!" he blurted, shoving anyone within range. Fancy-hatted aristocrats and uptight officiants went toppling over as Hans stormed in. "Jedi business!" he barked. "Do you have a lightsaber?" he asked and pointed at a clueless Twi'lek. The spectator shook his head as Hans said, "Of course you don't. Cause we're calling the shots here. Not you. So-" Hans flourished his hands as if shooing a puppy away. "Beat it!"
Mattias rolled his eyes and started to regret letting Hans tag along. He approached the stage as Burtoni and the clones looked to him. "Master Jedi?" the Kaminoan murmured. "What is the meaning of this?"
"I'm afraid duty calls," Mattias said. "The Deathchasers are needed for a mission." Hyped by his words, the crowd erupted into a series of applause. Riding their energy, Mattias added, "Now we'll be able to put this 'Phase II' armor to the test, right?" The audience cheered louder as Mattias swayed them to his side.
Senator Burtoni raised a pale, bony brow. Realizing she'd lost the crowd's momentum and that they favored the Jedi's initiative, she accepted that her presentation had ended. "So be it," she muttered.
"Alright!" Blazer roared and immediately toned down his excitement. "Um...I mean...thanks for the armor. And uhhh...great presentation." Burtoni squinted at him as he glanced at her flowing attire. "Is that a new dress? It looks good on-" Sparx ushered Blazer off of the stage before he could make an even bigger mess of himself. Speedy was still posing for pictures when Hans dragged him off. As the group departed, Blazer nudged Mattias and said, "It's good to see you again, sir. What's the mission?" The master's wrinkled nose and wobbling lips had Blazer groaning. "Karabast...what'd Anna do this time?"
Jedi Temple hangar personnel watched with awe and admiration as the Legacy descended into view. The revitalized, Old Republic vessel was truly a sight to behold as city lights reflected off of its hull. The ship docked as the Order's assembled strike team made boarding preparations. Admiral Shang descended from the Legacy'sramp and saluted the group. "I've spoken with Watcher," he began. "And while she isn't the happiest about Anna going off on her own again, she isn't surprised either. She's going to offer intel from the Guardian, making this a joint operation to help us shut this Sorgan facility down."
"Excellent," Master Plo said. "My unit and I will join Admiral Coburn and rendezvous with you at the designated hyperspace coordinates. May the Force be with us all." Plo bowed to his fellow Jedi and joined up with a grey-armored commander before exiting.
"Well then?" Hans scoffed. "What are we waiting for? Anna's counting on us." He stomped up the ramp while Elsa and Yelena followed.
"I just hope General Dellian's saved some of the fun for us," Blazer remarked and boarded the ship.
"Well she can't destroy an entire facility by herself," Sparx jested. His humorous tone faded as he asked. "Can she?"
The Legacy stocked up on supplies before sealing its hatches. As the craft ascended into Coruscant's night sky, Mattias took a moment to admire its corridors. He thought back to when they'd all been frozen over on Ilum and respected how far they'd come. He was about to join the others when he heard something shuffle in one of the supply crates. "Coming, sir?" Blazer inquired.
"I'll catch up," Mattias insisted and crept across the hold. He leaned towards the shifting crate and cautiously hovered a hand over its lid. With a swift swish of his wrist, Mattias popped it open and discovered a fumbling stowaway. His tousled blonde locks were pressed against a cramped corner as Mattias glared down at him. "You?" the master blurted.
A whirlwind of thoughts raced through Kristoff's head as he nervously sat upright. "I-" he uttered. "Well, you see-...I just-" Kristoff sighed and sunk back into the crate. "I have no excuse," he confessed.
"You just wanted to be more," Mattias said as Kristoff's eyes lit up. The master raised his brows and brandished a subtle smirk. "From the moment I met you, I've always seen that spark. That yearning to go above and beyond."
"I'm done feeling helpless," Kristoff replied. "I've spent so much of my life just getting by. But this is my chance to actually help people."
"And you will," Mattias said. "Pro tip though. Always stretch before you stow away somewhere. Otherwise you'll be shifting the whole time."
"So...does this mean I'm in?" Kristoff asked.
Mattias peered around them and listened for the Legacy's engines. He awaited the hyperdrive's thunderous roar and smiled as they rocketed into hyperspace. "I'd say so," he said. "Now hop out of there. I'm going to have to explain this to the others."
"Thank you, sir." Kristoff rejoiced. "For everything! I won't let you down!"
"I know you won't," Mattias replied. "Where did you say you were from again?"
"Aren, sir. Why?" Mattias' brows furrowed as he took in Kristoff's response.
The forested swamp planet of Sorgan was one of the most remote in the Outer Rim. But even its cacophonous wildlife couldn't muffle the sounds of a heinous foundry. Smokestacks spewed their inky, billowing entrails towards the clouds. Sharp, dark-metaled structures stretched across a crudely barren area. The occasional, hopeless wail echoed from this daunting facility as darkness crept over the land. Strictly human thugs toiled away, either standing guard or corralling live 'merchandise.' And yet amidst this dreary and gruesome aesthetic, one structure remained in pristine condition. With elegant pillars and illustriously wide windows, Cruella had a picture-perfect view of her property.
Her butler droid remained at attention as she lounged about. Apart from the echoes of machinery and shouts of those imprisoned, the sharpest sound in the room was that of her spoon. Cruella took her time, stirring her tea to the point of perfection. As the ripples in her cup settled, her smug reflection emerged across its surface. Like the mixtures in her tea, Cruella's black and white streaks were so evenly divided atop head. She reclined against a fluffy coat made of pure, white Loth-cat fur. Her chilling, hazel gaze listed towards a datapad as she examined her profits. Cruella cared little for Dryden Vos' plan and was doing the bare minimum to find Dr. Morzetti. She was just happy to be out of hiding and able to restart her personal business. She raised a thin, black brow when her butler droid stepped over.
"Ma'am," it computed. "Jasp and Horas have returned."
"Well it's about bloody time," she jested. "Their Coruscant haul should keep business booming for months."
"You also have another holocall from Dryden Vos," the butler said. "Shall I tell him that you're occupied?"
"No," Cruella scoffed. "Put him through. Best to not keep 'the master' waiting." She rolled her eyes and sipped her tea.
Jasp and Horas' damaged freighter hovered in through Sorgan's cloudy skies. Morning mist blanketed the facility's landing platform, causing the freighter to appear as a broad silhouette. An assortment of stomping boots echoed betwixt the mist as a transport crew arrived. It looked as though all of the humanity had been drained from their faces. It had to have been in order for these men and women to so coldly mistreat other living beings.
"Alright!" the crew's square-jawed and broad-shouldered captain barked. "Prepare for 'cattle' transfer!" Those in his unit activated their stun batons and prepared themselves for the dark deeds ahead. The captain squinted suspiciously when neither Jasp nor Horas emerged. The freighter's hatch dropped, yet the crew was left standing in silence. As the hum of their batons filled the void, the captain climbed aboard with several crewmates. Upon entering, he and the others discovered decimated droids and rows of empty cells. "What the hell?" the captain uttered and activated his comlink. "Pickup to Base," he called in while making his way to the cockpit. "We've got a situation here. The haul's gone, droids are destroyed, and the pilots are-" The captain and his partners froze as they opened the cockpit doors. Once inside, they found Jasp and Horas beaten and cuffed to a flashing dashboard. Only then did they notice the turbine's self-destruct countdown sequence.
0:03
0:02
0:01
The captain dropped his stun baton. "Oh kriff."
"I'm telling you, there hasn't been any luck on my end," Cruella reassured as Dryden's hologram loomed in front of her. "Maybe this Morzetti girl's already dead. But in the meantime, you need me to get Crimson Dawn's profits back up and-" Suddenly, a tremendous explosion sounded from outside. Cruella's head spun rightward as clouds of fiery smoke climbed from the landing platform. The shockwave from such a blast sent debris crashing into nearby structures and rattled her office windows.
"What's going on?" Dryden asked as Cruella's gaze intensified.
Sirens rang out as she glared at the hologram. "I'll call you back," Cruella insisted.
Dryden stared her down. "Don't you dare hang up on-"
Cruella ended the call as her butler exclaimed, "We're under attack!"
"No kidding," Cruella hissed. "Well whoever's trying their luck is about to learn what happens when you mess with the likes of me. Send out our guards and deal with this. Now!" As the butler carried out her deed, Cruella placed another call on her holocomm. "Bry," she said as a hologram projected before her.
"Like I said before, my dear." Clayton answered. "You can't rush a good hunt. I'll have those hides to you when-"
"Forget about that," she snapped. "Get to Sorgan as quickly as you can." Clayton knitted his brows once he heard the sirens for himself. "We have a situation."
Anna and Sven could see the flames from the forest's treeline. Having evacuated moments before the blast, their plan had worked to perfection. "The light show's bigger than I thought it would be," she said. Sven nodded and held his blaster close. "We need to move in while we have them scrambling. Think of it as the uprising we staged on the freighter...just on a grander scale." Sven swallowed hard and she punched his sturdy shoulder. "Hey," she intoned. "We've got this. On me."
A burly overseer poked his head out from the deep recesses of his factory. He raised a brow and observed countless guards and security droids rushing towards the blasted platform. While he was distracted, a captive Ewok siezed the opportunity to escape. The rest of his family urged for him to run faster, but the overseer took notice. "Hey!" he growled and pursued his scurrying prey. "Get back here, you little!" The Ewok's parents wailed and pleaded helplessly as the man took hold of their child. "Where do you think you're going?" he snarled and tightened his grip on the Ewok's paw. He relished in its whimper until the child bit his hand. He shoved the Ewok to the ground and withdrew his shock baton. "I'm sure the boss won't mind if your fur's a tad singed. Before the overseer could strike, he suddenly felt a fearsome hand seize his wrist. He turned in disbelief as Anna stared him down. With a furious twist, Anna snapped his wrist and jabbed the shock baton into his neck.
"Let's see how you like it," she growled and forced the brute into submission. As he fell over, Anna scavenged his keycard and tossed it to Sven. "Unlock the cages," she said. "All of them." Sven obliged and the baby Ewok was soon reunited with his family.
"Down there!" one of the guards hollered and Anna ignited her lightsaber. He fired and she deflected the bolt directly into his chest.
"Go!" she told the freed prisoners. "Get to the forest and don't stop running! Otherwise, grab a gun!" Sven shrugged at her until Anna realized what she'd said. "Well, I'll make sure there are guns available soon." Hoping to stay true to her word, Anna rushed the incoming guards. Humans and droids made no difference to her as she cut them down equally. Her bright green blade illuminated the dark corridors as flailing silhouettes collapsed around her. Sven opened fire at her side, working to buy the freed prisoners time.
"We can get out this way too!" a Trandoshan prisoner shouted while forcing open a set of doors.
Anna gasped as she realized they led further into the compound and away from the forest. "No!" she tried to warn, but it was too late. As the Trandoshan and several other prisoners exited, they were immediately gunned down by security droids. "Damn it!" Anna cursed as more guards cornered them. "Fall back," she said. She and Sven found a corner between the holding cells, but it wouldn't last long against the laser barrage.
Sven ducked alongside her as she admitted, "Okay...maybe I didn't think all of this through." A thermal detonator came rolling over to them and she casually flung it back with the Force. "But we had to do something!" As the grenade decimated a section of trappers, their blasterfire suddenly came to a halt. Anna squinted in disbelief but didn't dare lift her head from cover. "Did we win?" she asked as a voice spoke over the intercom.
"Now this is a surprise," Cruella taunted. "A Jedi. You're brave, I'll give you that. But if you think your efforts have amounted to anything more than a minor setback for me, you've got another thing coming. Those you've liberated won't get far in this planet's harsh and unforgiving swamps. Especially without their heroic Jedi to protect them." Cruella smirked while observing Anna in her security camera feed. "Make this easier on yourself," she said. "Surrender, and you shall be spared."
"Just me, hm?" Anna scoffed while glancing at Sven. "Because human skin doesn't sell? I'd rather die than give in to the likes of you!"
"You heroes," Cruella derided. "Always biting the hand that feeds you." She loomed over her intercom and declared, "Kill them." The guards steadied their weapons and closed in. "Show them what happens when you-"
"Ma'am," her butler computed from a monitor.
Irked by the interruption, Cruella turned with a scowl. "Can't you see that I'm busy?" she scolded.
"Scanners show that two warships have just dropped from hyperspace."
Cruella paused as her eye started to twitch. "Wh-...what?"
A Venator class Star Destroyer rocketed out from lightspeed and descended towards Sorgan. Republic gunships and starfighters emerged from its hanger while the Legacy glided alongside them. Piloting his signature, white-striped Jedi starfighter, Master Plo led his squadron into battle. "All wings," he commanded. "Accelerate to attack speed and follow me through. Infantry teams, get down to the facility and establish a perimeter."
"Copy that," Admiral Shang responded before ordering his crew. "Take us down!" Clone officers rushed to their positions while the strike team readied themselves.
As the ship descended, Elsa tried to steady herself with a motion sickness pill. Her head only perked up when she heard Anna over re-established comms. "Glad you could make it," the youngest Dellian panted.
"We'll be touching down momentarily," Mattias replied.
"Save some fun for us!" Blazer added.
"Good to see you boys could make it," Anna said as laserfire echoed behind her.
As the rest of the strike team prepped, Hans kept glaring at Kristoff. The latter caught on and asked, "What?"
"The hell do you mean, what?" Hans growled. "You might have the others fooled with this stowaway 'I just wanna help' act, but not me. Why are you really here?"
"Because I started this mission," Kristoff intoned. "I want to help finish it."
"Again with the help," Hans griped.
"I'm still doing more than you are."
Hans looked as though Kristoff had drawn blood. The knight quivered for a moment before lurching towards him. "What did you say to me, you thickheaded oaf? If it wasn't for me, half of you wouldn't even be here. Anna would still be safe if it wasn't for you."
"Back to this?" Kristoff mumbled. "Look, at least I stuck by her."
Hans' brows furrowed. "Stuck by her?" He flashed a mocking grin and slowly nodded. "Oh I get it now."
"What?" Kristoff murmured.
"You like her."
"Hey," Kristoff spoke up defensively. "I just-"
"You like her," Hans continued while slowly boxing Kristoff in. "That's why you're so adamant about being part of this crusade."
"No! Sven was kidnapped!"
Kristoff might as well have been talking to a wall as Hans ignored every word. "What part of 'Jedi can't form romantic attachments' can you not get through your head? She'd never want a lackwit who gets her into trouble anyway."
Kristoff clenched a fist, yet was unsure how to react. He felt like the Jedi Order had given him so much and feared that one wrong move could jeopardize it all. "Hans," he tried to placate.
"I'll make this easy for you to understand," Hans said and proceeded to speak in a hushed, condescending tone. "Stay away from Anna, or you and I are gonna have a problem. Okay?" Hans forced a wide grin as he firmly patted Kristoff's shoulder. "Okay. Good talk."
Kristoff shook off the encounter while Elsa glanced over, wondering what the two had been conversing about. The Legacy touched down as Plo and his fighters soared overhead. Cruella's anti-aircraft towers were hardly a match for the sleek and evasive vehicles. As the Legacy's hatch dropped, Yelena ignited her lightsaber first and yelled, "Let's move!" The other Jedi joined Kristoff and the Deathchasers in a charge towards the facility. Gunships emptied out beside them as Commander Wolffe and the 104th rushed in. Blue lasers zipped between incoming scarlet blasts as they engaged Cruella's droids and mercenaries. While the main group battled by any means, Elsa broke off to use non-lethal tactics. She'd try and flank guards before Force-pushing them into walls or columns.
With the assault underway, Cruella's forces dispersed to aid in the defense. This allowed Sven and Anna to emerge from cover and witness the cavalry's arrival. Sven was about to join them when he noticed that the Jedi didn't follow. He mooed to her as she stared at Cruella's primary compound. "If we don't get her-" Anna began. "-she'll just build another one of these death camps." She shook her head at Sven and said, "I have to end this." With a mighty leap, Anna ascended to a nearby catwalk and sprinted towards the main compound.
Cruella slammed on her desk's communicator. "Clayton!" she brayed. "Where the bloody hell are you?"
"Nearly there," he reported.
Cruella huffed and clipped a device to her coat. "I'll leave a homing beacon on me so you can follow my coordinates. Just hurry." Cruella's harsh tone dropped for a moment as she uttered, "Please."
"I won't let you down, my dear." Clayton swore and ended the transition.
As Cruella activated her homing beacon, she heard blasterfire echoing outside of her office. A bold swipe of green plasma streaked across her doors. They were then kicked open along with a bisected security droid as Anna barged in. She didn't even give Cruella's butler droid a chance and Force-pushed it out the nearby window. Cruella eyed a pistol on her desk while Anna raised her lightsaber. "Please do it," the Jedi insisted. "Give me an excuse to rid the galaxy of your filth." As Anna stared into the vile woman's icy stare, she reconsidered her point. "Then again, why should I even need an excuse?"
"Spare me your taunts, princess." Cruella scoffed. "I've heard worse in a schoolyard."
Anna sneered at her words and tightened the grip on her lightsaber. She looked as though she'd thrust it as Elsa slid into the office. "Anna!" he sister called. It was as if the raging fire in Anna's eyes simmered for a moment. She slightly lowered her weapon as her big sister approached. "You got her!"
"Yeah," she grumbled, her heart racing as Cruella grinned coyly. It was as if she knew she'd be spared once Elsa arrived.
"Do you have binders on you?" Elsa asked. She raised a brow when Anna didn't answer. "Sis?"
Anna snapped out of the death stare she was giving Cruella. "No," she answered.
"I've got you covered," Elsa assured and plucked a pair from her utility belt.
Cruella chuckled to herself as Elsa slapped the cuffs on her. "How long do you think you can actually hold a member of Crimson Dawn?" she jeered.
"We have Dia Veritaz," Elsa intoned. "You'll be no different."
"Veritaz is dead to us. I am a priority. When they hear what you've done to me-" Cruella sucked her teeth and toted a sinister grin. "They'll come for you."
While Elsa chose to ignore her remarks, all Anna wanted to do was punch Cruella's lights out. In that instant, a bizarre whirring sounded from the skies above. One of the Z-95 clone fighters was trailing smoke and spiraling out of control. "This is Warthog!" its pilot called in. "My wing's shot! I'm going down!" While he tried to maintain altitude, the craft was headed straight for Cruella's complex. "Ejector's jammed!"
Acting swiftly, Elsa lunged for the shattered window and threw up her hands. "Quick, Anna!" she beckoned. "Help me!"
"But I-" Anna hesitated.
"It's coming in too fast," Elsa urged. "I need you! Just focus on the ship!" Anna reluctantly stepped beside Elsa and held up her hands. She struggled to fully visualize the blurry, fiery craft as it descended to them. The sisters grunted as they tried to slow it down with their combined abilities. While Elsa bore the vehicle's brunt, Anna used her abilities to act as a safety net. They worked together to halt the fighter just as it smashed into the office's upper columns. As the foundation destabilized, Elsa shouted to the pilot. "Go!"
Warthog snapped out of his awestruck stupor and smashed his viewport open. He leapt out to safety just as the office collapsed. "Hang on!" Anna warned while their floor fell on a slant. They slid to the ground level, dodging splintered planks and shattered glass. As Anna tumbled into the misty courtyard, she noticed Elsa still recovering on the ground. Before her big sister could get up, the handcuffed Cruella emerged and kicked her in the head. "Elsa!" Anna roared and rose to her feet. She charged at Cruella like a rampaging nexu, caring not if her foe was cuffed. "You think you can hit my sister?" she growled through gritted teeth. "Come here!" Anna tackled Cruella to the ground while Elsa rolled in her daze.
She pinned Cruella against a parked landspeeder and delivered a fierce right hook across her face. As Anna did so, she noticed a mass of silhouettes closing in on her. Any hope of them being clones was dashed as scarlet lasers came zipping over. "She has the boss!" a guard hollered. "Stop her!"
"Kriffing hell," Anna cursed and threw Cruella's dizzied self into the nearby landspeeder. She activated her blade and prepared to fend off the overwhelming amount of gunmen. Relief took hold as a blue laser ended one of her foes.
"On your six!" Blazer proclaimed and slid to her side. He, Sparx and Speedy formed a defensive line while Anna deflected blasts.
"Brothers!" Anna rejoiced. "Am I glad to see you. Wait...is that new armor?"
"Fresh from Kamino's foundry and Palpatine's wallet," Speedy quipped.
"Incoming!" Hans declared and leapt in front of the group. He flourished his green blade and said, "I'm on your six, Anna."
"First of all, I just said that." Blazer murmured. "Secondly, you're in front of her. That's not even her six!"
Hans was about to down a guard when a blue laser beat him to it. While he was prepared to scold a clone, the last thing he expected to see was Kristoff taking aim. "You," he groaned.
Despite her reinforcements, Anna was still being overwhelmed. "We're gonna need a better spot," Lieutenant Sparx suggested.
"They want Cruella," Anna explained and gestured to the dizzy woman in the landspeeder. "We need to put some distance between us and this facility. Anyone know how to hotwire?"
As Anna blocked more lasers alongside Hans, she suddenly heard the landspeeder's engine start up. Heads turned as Kristoff sat in the driver's seat. "How the hell can he hotwire?" Hans spat.
"I didn't," Kristoff corrected and pointed at Cruella. "She had a universal key for her facility speeders on her belt."
"...Oh," Anna realized. "Well that works! Everyone get in! Deathchasers, covering fire!" Blazer, Sparx, and Speedy laid down a steady rate of laser blasts while the others boarded. Once they were safe, the clones hopped on and kept shooting. "Floor it, Kristoff!" Anna yelled and he accelerated. "All teams," she called in via comlink. "Our zone was too hot. We have Cruella in custody and are moving away from the facility."
Elsa was discovered by Commander Wolffe and his men when the announcement came through. While he'd initially arrived for Warthog, he hastily helped her stand. "I've got to help them," Elsa said.
"We'll send for a gunship," Wolffe replied.
As Anna and her companions fled onward, a familiar voice suddenly chimed in. "Head north of the compound," it instructed.
"Watcher!" Anna rejoiced. "So nice of you to join our-"
"Stow it, General Dellian." Watcher asserted while monitoring digital maps from her Venator. "Don't miss your turn up ahead. Any other path either leads to a marsh or ravine. And brace yourselves, it looks like you've got some pursuers."
"Lovely," Anna remarked as Kristoff made a sharp turn. A trio of enemy airspeeders sped in from behind them. Goons in their backseats opened fire while the Deathchasers shot back. As one of the speeders kept them occupied, two others sped up and flanked their targets from both sides.
Hans shook his head at the grim sight. "They're gonna-"
"Sandwich us!" Anna concluded.
"That's what I was gonna say," Hans mumbled.
"Watcher," Anna called in. "Which side has a ravine?"
"That'd be your right," she responded. "Why?"
Instead of answering, Anna flashed a clever grin and leaned towards Kristoff. "Ram these guys," she said and pointed right.
"What?" Kristoff blurted.
"Ram 'em!" Anna asserted as Kristoff obliged.
"Hang on!" he yelled and swerved rightward. His passengers braced as he rammed into the flanking speeder. It spun out of control, crashed through a line of foliage, and plummeted hundreds of feet into a mossy ravine.
"Nice!" was all Anna could say before laserfire clamored against their left side. She and the others ducked as their vehicle took evasive action. Cruella's dazed body listed left and right, repeatedly bumping her head in the back.
"Now what?" Kristoff asked.
Anna's eyes narrowed on the other speeder. "Get alongside it," she intoned.
"To ram it?"
"Nope," Anna swiftly replied and clenched her lightsaber. The speeders raced alongside each other. While the thugs unloaded another set of lasers into the target vehicle, the last thing they expected was for one of its passengers to jump over. With her lightsaber spinning like a vicious pinwheel, Anna launched herself onto the enemy speeder.
While they were close enough, Blazer rode her energy and leapt over as well. "Come on, boys!" he roared as the other Deathchasers joined him. The enemy speeder swerved out of control as Anna and her clones battled its passengers.
While they dealt with the flanking speeder, the final pursuers closed in from behind. Instead of getting any closer, they had one of their men leap to the vehicle in an attempt to rescue Cruella. Noticing this in the rearview mirror, Kristoff slammed on the breaks and sent the thug flying...right into Hans. As Kristoff accelerated again, Hans and his foe tumbled onto the vehicle's hood. "Sorry!" Kristoff hollered while trying to see the path between their legs.
Hans sprung to his feet and activated his lightsaber. He brought it down on the goon, but was alarmed when an electrified melee weapon blocked his attack. Hans' eyes widened as his opponent revealed a holstered electrostaff. Violet pulses of electricity surged from its tips as he lunged at Hans. "Oh come on!" the knight griped as they dueled atop the speeder's hood. Green plasma clashed with violet voltage until the thug kneed Hans in the gut. As the fight persisted, Cruella slowly stirred in the backseat. She observed her rapidly changing, forested surroundings and glanced at the cuffs on her wrists.
The thug slammed his electrostaff against Hans' back and chest. The knight fell over, gasping for air after the electric shock. As he knelt against the hood, Hans thought back to all of his failures. From being slashed by Ventress as a Padawan to losing every...single...duel since. His body was on fire as the thug repeatedly struck him. Every electric pulse had him reliving his time with Master Gaston. Every disapproving comment and humiliating gesture surged through Hans as he succumbed to his anger. No, he told himself amidst such pain. Not this time. Hans lunged up with a furious roar. His green blade locked with his enemy's electrostaff as he landed a perfectly-timed parry. He successfully blocked the blade once more as his confidence slowly returned. Hans smirked and kicked his foe back. "Oh yeah," he panted. "Now we're talking!"
While Hans gained the upper hand in his duel, Kristoff remained focused on it. So much so, that he didn't notice an awakened Cruella looming in the backseat. By the time he did, she'd already wrapped her cuffs around his neck. The speeder veered left as Kristoff took his hands off of the wheel. He flailed and gasped for air as Cruella kept pulling back. Meanwhile, Hans rolled under his attacker's electrostaff and drove his lightsaber through his chest. His foe fell and he raised his weapon triumphantly. "Ha!" Hans boasted. "I can win a duel! Now will you please hold us steady, Kris-" Hans' eyes widened when he saw Cruella strangling Kristoff. The young man's legs haplessly flailed and kicked at the speeder's windscreen.
Hans was about to intervene...when he actually stopped himself. He glanced over to see Anna and the Deathchasers taking control of the other speeder. No one else is looking, Hans said to himself. No one else would know. I could grab Cruella in a moment or so. Surely she'll be done with that trifling oaf soon and Anna will be all mi- Hans had to stop his reasoning. He knew not if he'd channeled the Dark Side or if jealously really had gotten the best of him. Either way, he slowly realized that he was willing to let Kristoff die if it meant getting him away from Anna. They've hardly been together and I've seen how he looks at her, he thought as time slowed. Is she looking at him the same way? If so, has she ever even looked at me like that?
Out of sheer desperation, Kristoff forced his leg forward and stomped on the breaks. His maneuver sent Hans tumbling into the dirt and flipped Cruella to the front seat with him. Without the breath in his lungs to fight her, Kristoff focused on getting out of the vehicle. He vaulted out of his seat and collapsed into the dirt. While Kristoff coughed and wheezed, Cruella stole his blaster rifle.
The pursuing speeder parked behind them as its driver hollered. "Get in, boss! We've got to get out of here!"
"In a moment," Cruella hissed and pinned the ailing Kristoff down with her boot. "They've taken enough from me today. It's only fitting that I do the same." She pressed Kristoff's own weapon to his forehead as the sounds of a Republic gunship whirred overhead. Grey-armored clones rappelled down and surrounded Cruella's would-be getaway vehicle.
Far off in Sorgan's lush hills, Captain Bry Clayton had just arrived with his own squad of huntsmen. He loaded his rifle, fastened its scope, and observed Cruella's tracker on his scanner.
Anna and the Deathchasers were just driving over when they overheard the commotion. She ordered the clones to get down as they examined the confrontation. Commander Wollfe was about to reach for his weapon when Elsa stopped him. "No," she said and exited the gunship. She faced Cruella with raised, empty palms and slowly stepped forward.
"Stay back!" Cruella warned and pressed the gun harder against Kristoff's head. "I'll do it!"
Elsa obliged and halted her advance. "You've got nowhere to go, Cruella," she said calmly. "It's over."
Cruella noted the amount of clones and still humored Elsa with a chuckle. "It's only over if I surrender," she said. "Veritaz has been lucky so far, but Crimson Dawn's reckoning is worse than anything your Republic could ever do to me."
"We'll protect you," Elsa assured. "Just as we've protected Veritaz."
"Shut up!" Cruella snapped and Kristoff shuddered. "Do you have any idea what your sister...what you Republic filth took from me today? I was going to make millions!"
"By killing how many?" Elsa asked. "This operation was wrong and I have to believe that some part of you knows that!"
"Oh I know," Cruella assured. "I just don't care." Her finger caressed the trigger as she chuckled. "And what's one more death?"
"If you kill him," Elsa said. "There goes your leverage."
While Cruella remained silent, Clayton hurriedly raced with his team to reach her signal. Meanwhile, Anna and her Deathchasers remained hidden. "Blazer," she whispered. "Do you have a shot?"
"Mhm," the sergeant murmured, for he was so focused on discretely aiming his pistol at Cruella. He steadied the weapon against his forearm and whispered, "Just call it."
"You sure about this?" Speedy whispered.
"Relax," Blazer assured. "I'm going non-lethal."
Despite keeping the gun trained on Kristoff, Cruella shuffled back towards the bushes behind her. Her frantic gaze darted between her hostage and the bushes. Elsa kept an eye on her twitchy trigger finger and said, "Don't. No one else has to die here."
Cruella enjoyed scrounging up whatever power she could find. Seeing Elsa so worried about the hostage at her feet would make his death even more satisfying. She smirked insidiously just as Anna gave the order. "Do it," the Jedi whispered...and Blazer pulled the trigger.
The Onasi blaster's unique, sharp crackle rang out from behind the group. Its bright laser bolt zipped through and blasted the rifle out of Cruella's hands. Disarmed and disheveled, Cruella lost her balance from the bolt's recoil. Her arms flailed as she tumbled into the bushes behind her. "No!" Elsa yelled and dove after her.
"Elsa, wait!" Anna warned and rushed over. "There's a ravine!"
The eldest Dellian had already gone over the edge. While initially startled by the sudden drop, she was willing to follow through until a pair of arms held her back. Elsa's eyes widened as she felt the recoil of being hauled to safety. She gasped as Wolffe and Anna had caught her just in time. "What are you doing?" she shouted and wriggled in their grasps. "Let me go!"
"So you can fall too?" Anna grunted while pulling her back. "She's gone, sis."
"No! I could've gotten to her! Why'd he shoot? Why'd you-" Elsa fought her way out of their grasps and peered over the ledge. Cruella's motionless, white-coated body was barely visible on a lower cliffside. "By the Force," Elsa uttered and started climbing down.
Wolffe was about to go after her when Anna stopped him. "Let her go," she sighed. Anna then turned to Blazer and patted his shoulder. "Good shot, Sarge. You did what you had to." Kristoff was still reeling from the encounter as Anna loomed over him. "Need a lift?" she offered and extended a hand to him.
He smiled softly and graciously accepted. While Anna helped him up, Mattias' voice crackled over her comlink. "All teams," he said. "We've secured the facility and are recovering the prisoners. It's over. I repeat. It's over."
"And Sven?" Kristoff worriedly inquired.
"He's with us," Mattias assured. "Do you have Cruella?"
Anna grimaced and sighed into her comlink. "Not exactly," she said.
Elsa finished her tasking descent and slid beside Cruella's quivering body. The woman's unblinking eyes listed as Elsa cradled her head. "Cruella?" she said. "Can you hear me?" She didn't respond and her head went limp. "Cruella?" Elsa beckoned. "Come on. Stay with me! You-" Elsa's brows twitched when she felt something soak her palm. As she slid her hand out from behind Cruella's head, she realized it was coated in fresh blood. Elsa felt sick to her stomach as she set Cruella's body down.
As Clayton emerged from the adjacent treeline, he peered through his scope just in time to witness the grim scene. His eyes widened as he watched Elsa, the woman he'd once believed to actually be one of them, dropping his old friend and mentor's corpse. His breaths shortened as this Jedi traitor...this serpent he'd so foolishly conversed with, had murdered his dear Cruella. At least, that's all he could believe and focus on as he observed Elsa's bloodied hand. Clayton's blood boiled at the sight. Every fond memory in his service with Cruella came cascading over to him. If only he'd arrived sooner...If only he'd been quicker...If only he'd killed Elsa at that party on Carlac. Enraged, he trained his sniper scope on her head. The rifle trembled in his shaking hands as a fellow huntsman approached him.
"Captain," the huntsman said. "Republic forces are setting up another perimeter. We need to leave. If you're gonna take the shot, take it."
Recognizing the Republic presence around them, Clayton huffed and relaxed his hands. He lowered his rifle and said, "She'll pay, but not here. Not like this. When I'm done making Elsa Dellian suffer-" he said the name with such hatred in each breath. "-she'll be begging for death." Clayton backed away into the shadowy forest and recalled his hunters. "Get back to the ship," he commanded.
"Sven!" Kristoff rejoiced and ran into the Cevrian's arms. The gunship unloaded him, Yelena, and Mattias as they surveyed the ravaged scene. "I was so worried about you, buddy!"
Exhausted and overjoyed to see his friend, Sven rested his head atop Kristoff's shoulder. As they hugged it out, Mattias scraped a dizzied Hans off of the mucky ground. "What'd I miss?" the knight groaned while rubbing his head. "Where's Anna?" He and Mattias looked to the ravine's edge as Anna knelt down.
She offered a hand and stood idly by until a set of blood-stained fingers emerged. Elsa completely ignored Anna's help and climbed back up herself. Her scarlet hand was a chilling sight to all who looked upon it as Anna tried to stop her. "Hey," she said.
"Not now," Elsa murmured, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"About Cruella. Elsa, she was gonna shoot Kristoff."
"And I was defusing her!" Elsa snapped, hastily turning to face her sister.
"Like hell you were! She was gonna shoot!"
"I don't understand why you couldn't just let me handle it," Elsa retorted. "I know you wanted her dead but-"
"Woah woah," Anna intoned. "Blazer went for a non-lethal shot. Cruella fell."
"And I could've saved her."
"You would've fallen too!"
"Enough, Anna!" Elsa shouted as clones' heads turned. "Just...enough! You let yourself smash through burning buildings and exploding ships until it gets you banned from entire planets."
"You're really not letting that Mandalore thing go, are you?" Anna mumbled.
"No!" Elsa asserted. "Because it just proves my point. You can be as reckless as you want when it comes to being dangerous, but Force forbid I try to save someone. Then again, she was pushing your buttons. Deep down, you probably wanted Cruella to die, didn't you?" Elsa shook her head as Anna remained silent. "Unbelievable," she scoffed and lowered her voice. "What's done is done, but you keep thinking that you can get away with whatever you want. All while everyone around you just has to go with it. But you'd better be careful with this reckless 'luck' of yours." Elsa gripped Anna's shoulder and looked her dead in the eye. "Because it's going to run out one of these days."
Anna's glower deepened. "My actions saved Kristoff's life," she asserted. "These reckless actions are the only reason any of you are even here! They're the reason this entire murderous operation is shut down in the first place! Bad people are gonna die in this war and I'm telling you right now...I'm sure as hell not finished ending them."
Elsa pursed her lips and shook her head. "Then you really are a Deathchaser," she said. As she relinquished her grip on Anna's shoulder, she left a bloody handprint stained against her robes.
Author's Note: Thanks you so much for reading this week's chapter of "The Frozen Force!" I'm so excited that next week's chapter falls on my birthday, allowing me to do the Frozen Force, GoldenHeart Birthday Special! Next Friday, discover hidden truths and origins. Unlock the past in "Chapter: 76 - Broken Memories."
Long Live Imagination and May the Force Be With You!
~ Michael