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Shoutouts: Today, I'd like to send a huge clone trooper salute to CoconutColonoy, Bauers374, Starpottergeek, and an awesome guest reviewer as of late! You all know who you are and I thank you!
Chapter: 81 A Crisis of Faith
"Someone's angel is another's demon."
Pushed to the brink! As more planets secede and join the Separatist cause, the Republic is forced to launch multiple offensives. Fear runs rampant through HoloNet media outlets. Pro-war supporters clash with those who have elected the way of peace. As chaos ignites and anxiety levels reach all time highs, the Republic works tirelessly to neutralize foreign and domestic threats. Elaborate raids are conducted for the safety and security of all citizens...
"Your parents were heroes."
"They died for nothing!"
"Let her speak. She has every right to be angry."
"I had a mom! A dad! And you took them from me."
"I can't take this. I don't want any of it. This is my life and it's what I choose. Just drop this ugly past and keep it the hell away from me!"
"Don't be afraid to be Aren."
"Now you listen to me and you listen well. I never left you. Nor have I ever left your sister. I am with you in your highs and lows. When you're bravest and most afraid. I will always be with you, child of Aren. Embrace who you are, for I love you just the same."
"Mother?"
"Kid?" a gruff voice called and snapped Anna back into the present moment. Gone were Anna's murky and stressful memories as she sunk into a leathery seat. Across from her sat the anonymously obscured and masked officers of Coruscant's Underworld Police Force. The yellow eyes on their grimy helmets set the darkened hold aglow as Anna looked to her side. "General?" the voice called again. Sergeant Blazer leaned towards her and asked, "Where's your head?"
"Anywhere but here," Anna murmured and rubbed her temples.
"Is everything okay?" Speedy asked from the adjacent seat.
"Are you thinking about your family again?" Sparx worried.
"Lieutenant!" Blazer scolded until Anna raised a hand.
"No no," she assured. "He's right. It's been hard to get them off of my mind since I learned the truth."
"Well whatever that entails, stow it," a woman said from the opposite row of seats. Officer Byra checked over her blaster cartridges before addressing Anna again. "I've been following your exploits for quite some time now, Dellian," she said. "You've come pretty far since we first met." She waved a hand towards the Deathchasers and chuckled. "I knew your general there back when she was just a plucky Padawan."
"Should I tell her I've known you that long as well?" Blazer whispered to Anna.
"Nah," the Jedi jested. "Let her have her moment."
"Officer Byra," the vehicle's driver reported. "Agent is on approach."
"10-4, Vu." Byra nodded as the rest of her unit prepared. Both the officers and Deathchasers were stationed in an armored transport with tinted windows. Similar craft had been utilized on raids across the Core Worlds for the last two weeks. As they sat in the darkness, Byra activated a holoprojector in the center of the hold. "Look alive," she instructed as Watcher's stern visage projected into view.
"She's looking anything but," Anna teased to her squad.
"Listen up, teams." Watcher declared. Her tired, yet commanding voice reverberated throughout the hold. "You have no idea what it's been costing the Republic to conduct these raids. But given the intel that we've gathered, hopefully we'll have something to show for it today." Watcher waved her hand and several structural projections emerged beside her. "My sources have reason to believe that Revenant cultists are holding up in a warehouse on level 1671. The amount of uranium that we've confiscated from other raids bids an ill omen, considering a Republic weapons specialist is in the cult's custody. It's safe to presume that the Revenant may be trying to force Dr. Nila Morzetti to create weapons of mass destruction." Watcher sighed deeply. "These cultists have gone deep into hiding ever since our first raid. It's taken everything to get an undercover agent this close. This joint operation is our best chance at ending this so don't fail us," Watcher affirmed. "Once Agent Possible infiltrates the warehouse and gives the signal, move in from all sides. I want these cultists cornered and cuffed. With any luck, we'll find Morzetti or at least a lead on her whereabouts. Good luck, teams." Watcher's transmission ended as the groups readied themselves.
"Time to shut these freaks down once and for all," Byra declared.
"Hasn't she said that on every raid?" Speedy inquired.
"Let her have her moment," Anna quipped while securing her vambrace.
Their unmarked transport descended through one of Coruscant's gaping, underworld portals. While it steadily followed the flow of air traffic, it was truly tracking a speeder several lanes ahead. To public eyes, the raid transport looked like nothing more than a bulky freighter. One that was likely hauling unprocessed nerf instead of a Republic strike team. The officer at the controls maintained a steady descent, keeping his distance without looking like he was keeping his distance.
Agent Possible would occasionally glance at her vehicle's rearview mirror and spot the casually-flying craft. Kim was trying not to arouse any suspicions herself as she slouched in the backseat. Her ragged garbs gave off the appearance of a societal outcast. Her green gaze listed towards the cultists around her as she took 'inventory' on the situation. One on my left, she told herself. Another on my right. Potentially concealed firearms and the doors are locked. Driver suspects nothing. The man in the passenger's seat hasn't stopped typing on his datapad. But what's he writing? I can't see from back here.
"You'll be safe soon, child," the driver assured. "The Pale One accepts all who are willing to seek salvation."
Kim brandished her best look of devout desperation and nodded. "Oh thank you," she uttered. "The journey's just been so...tiring."
"When all is done-" the cultist in the passenger seat began. "-never shall anyone tire again. Nor shall hunger plague us as all is bathed in the Pale One's light."
Kim merely nodded as she tried to comprehend the cultist's philosophy. She snuck a glance at the rearview mirror and spotted the undercover police transport. While Kim felt that she was in complete control over the situation, it was nice to know backup wasn't far away. Especially after the close call she'd experienced on Avinaria. Ever since her capture and loss of vital information, Republic Intelligence had reassigned her to domestic missions. If Kim ever wanted to see an offworld assignment again, she'd have to work her way up and earn it. All she had to do was keep her cool. As far as the cultists knew, she was a basic...average girl. The kind that Coruscant's system had taken advantage of like so many others. She was to be 'enlightened' and set on the Pale One's path.
Kim took a deep breath as their airspeeder came to a stop. The police ship remained hidden as cultists started to disembark. "Come on out," one of them told Kim. "It's alright."
She feigned weariness and stepped out while observing the warehouse. The expansive and grimy structure could be easily overlooked at such a deep, underworld level.
"Agent is moving in," Officer Vu reported.
"This is it, people." Byra said. "We end this today."
As Kim and the cultists approached the warehouse, they were greeted by an elderly Snivvian. His rotund nostrils rose with his reassuring smile. "Welcome back," he told his fellow cultists. "So this is our newest sister?"
"Y-yes," Kim responded, feigning timidity.
"Fear not, dear child," the Snivvian said. "For all outcasts are welcome in the Pale One's light. We-" An ear-splitting squawk made the group wince.
"Hold on," Vu said and leaned towards the tinted windscreen. "Something's wrong." Anna raised a brow and tried to observe the situation from her backseat.
Another cultist emerged from around the corner. His scraggly feathers and scraped beak identified him as an Avinarian. Kim swallowed hard and tried to conceal the rest of her nervousness. The Avinarian's orange eyes twitched as he leaned over, and only then did Kim's reality sink in. No, she thought to herself. It can't be. This can't be happening.
While he appeared far less prestigious, the green-feathered Avinarian was familiar to Kim. He clicked his beak and cawed angrily. "Something wrong, brother Tamri?" the Snivvian asked.
Tamri grumbled and nodded. "This is no lost child," he decreed as Kim's heart raced. "She is the very reason that I lost faith in my planet."
The Snivvian's eyes widened. "Do you mean to say that she's the-"
"Mhm," Tamri confirmed. "I'd know those deceitful eyes anywhere. After all, I was the one in charge of guarding her cell. I never should've escorted a Jedi to meet with her. But then again, that's when everything changed. When I saw how weak Avinaria's president really was. How lost my people were to think they could cover up a Republic spy and then give her back to them!" Tamri jabbed an accusatory wing at Kim. "This spying serpent is unworthy of the Pale One's salvation and must pay for her sins!"
Still trying to salvage her mission, Kim attempted reasoning with the cultists. "Now hold on," was all she could say before they snatched her by the wrists.
"Take her inside," Tamri cawed. "Atone her downstairs."
"Agent's been compromised," Vu reported.
"Oh for kriff's sake," Byra griped and rolled her eyes beneath her helmet. "Guess we're going big and loud."
The cultists were about to drag Kim into their warehouse when a sharp hissing sounded. All of the unmarked vehicle's doors opened as a horde of underworld officers swarmed out with weapons drawn. Kim used the distraction to wriggle out of her assailants' grips and twist their wrists. She then leapt up and performed a mid-air split to kick both of them back. By the time she'd broken free, the rest of her reinforcements had taken over the assignment. They charged in just as the Snivvian flung a smoke bomb. A thick mist spewed across the sidewalk as the cultists fled inside.
"Move in!" Byra barked. "Deathchasers! Flank right and cut them off!"
"On it!" Anna hollered and dashed down an alley with her clones.
The loudening spectacle drew a crowd of bystanders over to the scene. Officers kicked down doors and barged in to the cult's warehouse. Upon entering, they immediately took fire from an upper balcony. "Contact!" Byra warned and returned fire until the gunman ducked. More smoke bombs went off, forcing officers to weave through the ensuing mist.
Meanwhile, a bright green lightsaber pierced the warehouse's rightmost wall. Anna sliced a hole through the duracrete and Force-pushed it open. She and the Deathchasers immediately took fire from an adjacent corridor.
"Sword and shield maneuver!" Anna called and rolled into position. She batted away incoming lasers while Blazer, Sparx, and Speedy returned fire. The ensuing barrage forced their attackers to retreat further down the hall. "After them!" Anna yelled and gave chase. They skidded to a halt as the fleeing cultists slammed a set of durasteel doors in their faces.
"Blast doors," Sparx deduced.
"Why did it have to be blast doors?" Speedy mumbled.
Impatient, Anna plunged her lightsaber into the door. The dense material forced her to take her time while dragging the weapon across. "Come on...come on!" she grunted.
Her pulsing weapon prompted gasps on the other side of the door. "That won't hold them for long," Tamri warned his fellow cultists. "We need to get everyone to the tunnels." He and the Snivvian shifted a hidden hatch on the floor. They then ushered multiple 'lost' civilians into a secret tunnel. Entire families funneled in while Tamri kept an eye on the door. "Hurry!" he squawked to those who hadn't entered yet.
A Mirialan mother was hunched over one of the beds. She reached beneath it and desperately whispered, "Come on, Aveni! We have to go!" Her timid son shivered and slowly reached for her hand. "That's it...That's it, sweetie."
Anna's lightsaber had almost completed an entire circle over the blast doors. "I think that's everyone!" Tamri chirped. "Let's move!"
"No!" the mother yelped as she pulled her child out from under the bed. "We're still-" Her stomach dropped when the others departed and resealed the hatch without them. "No! No! No!" The young mother slid towards the hatch and desperately gripped its edges. "Wait!" she pleaded while trying to lift it.
"I'll help you, Mommy," Aveni said. While the little Mirialan's assistance was appreciated, it did little to improve their predicament. The hatch was too heavy to lift by themselves, leaving the duo trapped topside.
The mother gasped as Anna finished slicing through the door. The thick, severed circle started sliding out when she turned to her son. "Run Aveni," she told him. "Run out the back door as fast as you can and hide!"
The child trembled at his mother's frightened tone. "But what about y-"
"I'll be right behind you!" she assured while watching the scorched blast doors. "Now go! Run!" Aveni dashed off at his mother's command.
The sliced circle toppled over as Anna and the Deathchasers charged in. The clones shined their flashlights across the vacant chamber and spotted the Mirialan. "You!" Anna yelled. "Hold it right there!"
Determined to get the invaders away from her son, the mother sprinted in the opposite direction. She leapt for a ladder and hastily climbed to the second floor. She had just made it up when Anna Force-jumped over to her position. Still the Mirialan fled and refused to submit. She smashed through the nearest service exit and tumbled out towards a fire escape. Anna gave chase and watched the mother reach street level.
Although she was out of breath, the Mirialan kept sprinting out of the alley. She reached the adjoining sidewalk just as Anna ambushed her from above. The Jedi's pounce had echoed down the street as the Mirialan shrieked. She screamed, drawing a crowd as Anna yanked her arms back. "Let me go!" the Mirialan begged. "I've done nothing wrong!"
"Then why did you run, cultist?" Anna grunted while reaching for her binders. Doing so with one hand allowed the Mirialan to try fleeing. "Get back here!" Anna shouted and pulled on her arms once more. The Mirialan continued to flail, thinking of her son and how scared he must've been feeling. Anna snapped the cuffs on her target's wrists. "Hold still!" she asserted, yet the mother kept wriggling. Desperation filled her reddening eyes when her biggest fears were realized. She spotted Aveni in the alley, hiding just as he'd been instructed. Fear gripped his innocent visage as he watched Anna seize his mother. She wildly shook her head and urged Aveni to remain hidden.
Growing tired of the ceaseless struggle, Anna pulled the Mirialan over to the hood of an airspeeder. "Stop resisting me!" she roared as the mother kept fighting. As Anna pinned the struggling Mirialan, she noticed a peculiar flashing in her peripherals. "What the?" she uttered and glanced up at the gathering crowd. An assortment of wide-eyed civilians had activated their personal recording devices. The Mirialan's pleas snapped Anna back into the moment.
"Please...let me go," she begged.
"So you can kill more senators?" Anna hissed. "Make some more weapons of mass destruction for-"
In that instant, a small hand snatched Anna's wrist. "Leave my Mommy alone!" little Aveni screamed. On instinct, Anna turned to counter whatever threat had come her way. Her heart sank at the sight of such a small child taking a stand. Whatever courage he possessed diminished with that scream, and all that remained was a boy desperate to save his mother. Tears swelled in his eyes as he stood before Anna.
The Jedi felt like she was hallucinating. Like every sight and sound was but an illusion calling her elsewhere. When she looked at Aveni, she wondered if it was what Elsa looked like all those years ago on Aren. She considered if those similar atrocities would traumatize Aveni just the same.
"Be strong," Aveni's mother whimpered. Tears fled her eyes and puddled against the airspeeder's hood. "It's going to be alright."
The amount of hopelessness in her tone shook Anna to her core. Her lower lip trembled as she came to a dreadful realization: This was it...the very moment her companions had been warning her about. From Master Mattias, to Admiral Shang and Elsa...they'd all spoken of her recklessness. They'd each detailed her disregard for those around her objectives. Her wakeup call should've been Mandalore, but there she was. All eyes were on her as she kept a cuffed mother separated from her sobbing child. In those moments, Anna considered what her parents would think of her. She said she wanted to forget about them, and yet they swirled within her mind. Amidst her pain and anguish, Anna chose to release her captive.
The Mirialan gasped as the binders unclipped behind her. The cuffs loosened and she wriggled out of Anna's grasp. The Jedi just stumbled back and remained lost in her thoughts as the Mirialan embraced her child. A clamor sounded from the fire escape as Blazer, Sparx, and Speedy descended. The sound prompted the mother to snatch Aveni's hand and run down a shadowy street.
"General!" Blazer panted and slid beside Anna. "We got down here as soon as we could. Where are the cultists?"
Anna didn't utter a single word. She didn't even look at her clones and instead remained frozen in place. "General?" Speedy worried. "What's wrong?"
Anna stayed silent and stepped away. She walked back towards the warehouse just as Byra and several other officers emerged. "They must've escaped through a secret passage," Byra huffed. "Please tell me you got one of them." Byra grew impatient as Anna kept walking. "Well?" she scoffed. "Hey Dellian, I'm taking to you-" Anna slammed shoulders with Officer Byra and kept trudging onward. "Dellian!"
While her companions tried to make sense of Anna's state, she remained lost in her own mental crisis. Both Mirialans' cries still echoed within her mind. What did I just do? Anna asked herself. What was I even thinking? Her very questions would become the subject of a planetary-wide discussion.
It didn't take long for those who recorded Anna to post their videos on the HoloNet. Within the hour, multiple news outlets were covering her actions. No one was focusing on the raids anymore. No one even cared that Anna had released the Mirialan. They were concentrating on a single...circulating image. The shot of a Jedi Knight pinning a sobbing mother while her child begs for her release. No one in Coruscant could activate a datapad nor datascreen without seeing the emotionally jarring image.
"This is Globo Mcran with The Coruscant Inquirer," a Mon Calamari declared over a broadcast. "Our top story today is most unsettling. The following footage is both shocking and appalling. Viewer discretion is advised."
"STOP RESISTING!" Went from Anna's shout to flashing headlines on multiple stations.
"This is Belle O'Har with The Coruscant Rose. Today, we find our city gripped by astonishing images. Conflicts have arisen over the merit behind our Jedi protectors and those surrounding these raids." Clips alternated between various patrons which Belle had interviewed.
"It's downright abusive!" a citizen shouted into the recorder. "You look at that footage, and you'll see that the Mirialan is hardly moving. As a mother of five, I'll tell you right now that it was criminal what that Jedi did. Separating her from her child."
"The Jedi are a bunch of child-snatching, war-mongering crooks, I tell ya." an elderly Ithorian said. His vocoder strobed as he continued to rant. "It's too quiet in that temple of theirs. What are they hiding? What are they planning? I'll tell you! They're planning to take our jobs!"
"Have you ever seen a Jedi?" Belle inquired.
There was a brief pause as the Ithorian crossed his arms. "Nope, but I stay informed on the HoloNet." He leaned towards Belle and brought his voice down to a whisper. "You know I read that every time they spark up them lightsabers...they're actually transmitting neuroscramblers to fry our middle class brains. It's all so the Supreme Chancellor can steal our wages. Trust me. I read it!"
"Thank you for that," Belle nodded before returning to her broadcast. "As you can see, citizens are shaken up by this harrowing footage. Politicians and celebrities alike have taken to the HoloNet to express their own opinions. Naboo Senator Padmé Amidala deemed the Jedi's actions shameful, but instead placed blame on the Republic as a whole. She claimed the Republic needs to be better equipped to distinguish between domestic threats and innocent civilians. Holodrama star Celeste posted on her HoloNet site, writing:
"I am sickened by the ruthlessness shown by our so-called protectors. I'm keeping this young mother and her child in my thoughts. Much love."
"In the wake of these events-" Belle continued. "-many are calling the Jedi Order as a whole into question, claiming that they have become soldiers instead of peacekeepers." Footage depicted a mass of anti-war protesters gathered at the Senate Building. Led by those wielding holographic signage, they marched towards the Jedi Temple and demanded an end to the Clone Wars. Belle jogged alongside the protesters and waved a mic towards a young, dark-haired woman. "Excuse me!" Belle beckoned. "Can you tell me anything about your march?"
The woman had fierceness in her eyes. She sported bold tattoos beneath each as she spoke up. "My name is Letta Turmond, and like so many other Coruscanti, we are tired. We are fed up with a system that continues to support this war! All of our funds are funneled into this conflict, sending enslaved clones to die for a barely understood cause. All while our Jedi protectors lead the charge and slaughter those on other worlds. Now we can't even be safe from their abuses in our own capital. No more!"
"No more!" the crowd bellowed and chanted behind her. "END THE WAR! END THE WAR!"
Belle continued to chase after the protesters and captured more footage of them.
Another datascreen channel showed a couple of grouchy reporters. "Welcome back to Stellar Truth," the man said. "I'm Kylus."
"And I'm Karena," his partner said. "Today we're discussing the subject on everyone's mind. Jedi abusing their power right here in Coruscant!"
"How can you say that?" Kylus scoffed. "How can you look the public in the eye and say that, Karena?"
"Because it's the truth, Kylus. The Jedi are supposed to be keepers of the peace. And yet here's one slamming a whimpering mother on a-"
"That whimpering mother was a Revenant cultist and terrorist!" Kylus blurted.
"We don't know that. We've now received information that the Revenant has been taking impoverished citizens under its wing."
"Well if you hate the Republic so much, why don't you leave?" Kylus scoffed.
"I never said-"
"If you hate the Republic so much, why don't you leave?"
Karena huffed. "Would you let me talk so I can-"
"There you have it, folks." Kylus blurted. "Karena wants to eradicate the Jedi Order and our very system of government. She thinks she can do a better job protecting us than the Jedi Order can. Well, Karena...If you hate the Republic so much, why don't you-"
A wave of static suddenly overwhelmed the HoloNews channel. Dark figures flickered through as a breathy and gravely voice spoke. "We tried to warn you," it said. "We tried to show you what the Jedi and its corrupt Republic were capable of." The hackers played a looped clip of Anna slamming the Mirialan. "This is only the beginning. How long until every Republic citizen is placed in this same position? Think on your sins and repent while you still can. There is salvation before all burns and we are truly delivered from evil. Trust in me...praise be to us...believe in the Revenant."
The message concluded and returned to the normal broadcast. The reporters had stopped fighting and instead looked at each other with widened eyes. "We'll...be right back after a commercial break," Karena insisted.
No amount of tranquil architecture within the Jedi Temple could shroud the disorder brewing outside. "Let's move!" Lyn Ferix commanded. "On the double! Now! Now!"
Kristoff, Sven, and the other security guards scrambled out in formation. They approached the temple stairs to see a cluster of protesters gathered at the bottom. Master Cin Drallig was overseeing his own group as temple guards held the line. The masked Jedi remained motionless as protesters shouted and jabbed fingers at them.
"Standing by," Lyn reported to Cin.
"Excellent," he told her. "Simply watch the crowd and keep your weapons on stun."
Kristoff shook his head at the restless protesters. "All this because of one incident?" he uttered.
"Don't be so naive, blondie." Lyn asserted and stood beside him. "This unrest has been brewing for a long time. Your Dellian friend just lit one hell of a fuse."
As Kristoff observed the crowd, his eyes widened at the sight of a familiar pair. "Wait," he mumbled. "Is that-"
He took a step forward until Lyn yanked him back. "Hey!" she snapped. "Stay in formation."
"But I know them," Kristoff explained.
"I don't care if it's your mama and grandpapa," Lyn scolded. "You stay in line!"
Kristoff sulked and kept watching the youthful protesters. As he got a closer look at the duo, something started to feel different. When he'd first encountered Trace and Rafa Martez, their eyes were teeming with curiosity and wonder. The sisters now toted spiteful scowls and fearsome glares. Spurred into further anger by the crowd around them, they waved anti-war signs and cursed the Jedi out.
What are they doing here? Kristoff couldn't help but wonder. Where are their parents?
Comlink chimes had been nonstop as Master Mattias paced across a temple verandah. The Deathchasers shook their heads to one another as each failed to get a hold of Anna. "Hello?" Mattias answered his next call. "Yes, Elsa...we're alright." He loosed a heavy sigh. "No, we haven't found her yet. No...finish your mission. We're going to keep looking and I'll call as soon as we find her." Mattias ended the transmission and hung his head. "By the Force," he murmured. "Where could she be?"
"This is my fault," Blazer lamented while Speedy took a call. "I shouldn't have let her storm off. I know she needs time to think things over, but I couldn't have imagined that-"
"Um..." Speedy uttered and worriedly raised a finger.
"What is it trooper?" Sparx asked. "Who were you on comms with just now?"
"Captain Talon of the Flying 54th. The good news is that he's found Anna...but there's some bad news."
Mattias' eyes widened in alarm as he asked, "Where is she?"
The blaring music inside 79's was practically deafening. Wild strobes swayed across the clone bar's dancefloor as pro-Republic patrons partied with the boys in white. Yet despite the raucousness of it all, the crowd around the bar still managed to be louder.
Clones of varying ranks gathered around and chanted as one. "Go! Go! Go!"
At first glance, one might've thought that the scarlet-armored figure at the counter was one of their battle-hardened brethren. But anyone strong enough to brave the putrid stench of Rhuvian Fizz could step up and get a closer look. They would see the woman downing an assortment of shot glasses and twisted cups. Her disheveled, auburn locks fell in chaotic knots and nearly obscured her reddened face. Still, Anna Dellian chugged on. Riding the hype of her belligerent clone followers, Anna aggressively snatched another drink and forced herself to down it. The clones cheered, clinking their own glasses and patting her on the back. Anna could hardly keep her eyes open as she flashed a daring smirk. Her spectators virtually lost their minds as she reached for more beverages.
Master Mattias and the Deathchasers might as well have been conducting a raid of their own. They barged into 79's and immediately caught the eyes of several patrons. "Hey hey!" a tipsy officer hollered. "Another Jedi here to party?"
Mattias ignored his comment and searched for Captain Talon. The green-armored clone was quick to group up with them by a staircase leading to the bar. "She's up there," Talon spoke over the booming music.
"Thank you," Mattias said at a nearly inaudible tone. He and the Deathchasers rushed upstairs to witness the dreadful sight.
"All hail the champion!" a drunken clone declared and gestured to Anna's graveyard of empty glasses. While the other patrons cheered, he dared to lean in closer to her. The intoxicated officer placed an arm over Anna's shoulder and mumbled, "You know...I always thought that some of you Jedi were real...lookers. I mean...you're a babe. So how's about you and I go some place quieter and-" Suddenly, a firm hand snatched the officer by the back of his collar. It dragged him up and off of Anna before furiously spinning him around.
The officer shuddered at the sight of a scowling Sergeant Blazer. "You see this face?" the ARF trooper threatened while gesturing to himself. "This is my killing face. You've got to the count of three to get the hell away from that girl. One...THREE."
"Okay! Okay!" The drunkard panicked and wriggled out of Blazer's deathly grip. "I'm going!" Blazer gave the drunk a shove to send him on his way even quicker.
"Hey?" Anna groaned as patrons dispersed. She lazily turned her head amidst the flashing lights. "What gives?"
"Anna!" Mattias gasped and held her close. "We were so worried about you. What are you doing out here?"
"What the hell kind of bar are you running here!" Speedy scolded the service droid. "She's underage-"
"Trooper," Mattias beckoned and pulled him close. "Leave it. Anna is under enough right now. Let's just get her out of here and-"
"Ssstop," Anna moaned and weakly pushed Mattias away. She stumbled back from the bar and collapsed against the nearby railing. "I don't wanna go."
Mattias tried his hardest to remain patient even though he was furious with his former Padawan. Any anger he felt stemmed from his own fears for her safety. It pained him to see her in such an intoxicated state. He felt like a failure, having told her to stay away from alcohol for the duration of her apprenticeship. Yet now he'd found her drinking more than he ever had. She had to have built up a tolerance, Mattias thought. But when did she start drinking? He tried to dismiss such questions in favor of caring for Anna in the moment.
"You're under the influence, general." Lieutenant Sparx said. "You aren't well."
"Psh," Anna scoffed. "I wasn't well before, lieutenant. If anything I'm better now. Just go home and leave me with my f-f...fans."
"We're not leaving you," Blazer intoned.
"Well you should," Anna insisted with a snarky and lackadaisical smile. She couldn't even look him in the eye as her world spun. "That's what my parents did. Real 'Mom and Pop of the Year' lemme tell ya." Anna fell against the railing again and winced. "Kriff," she cursed. "Kriff it all. This kriffing galaxy and all it's kriffing lowlives. I try to do one thing right...ONE THING!" Anna's scream caught the group off guard as she flailed an arm at them.
"You did your best, Anna." Mattias assured. "It was an accident."
"Tell that to every news outlet," Anna blurted. "Plus, was it even an accident? I thought you...you knew me. Or is that all a lie too?"
"Of course not," Mattias assured. "Anna I-"
Blazer held up a hand to the master. "Sir," he said. "If I may." Mattias obliged as the sergeant gently approached Anna. "Sister," he said. "All of this is messed up and doesn't make sense." She slowly nodded at his words. "I know it's easy to try and run from it all. I was exactly where you were. Literally. Until you and the others showed up and pulled me out of this dive." Anna looked away and shut her eyes, prompting Blazer to reach for her shoulder. "I know you're hurting," he said as she nodded. "That it feels like you can just forget about all of this. But these problems aren't gonna go away and I can't let you make new ones for yourself." Anna raised her head and looked like she was about to speak. Instead, she clutched her stomach and emitted a worrisome belch. Realizing what was about to happen, Blazer wrapped his arm around her and guided her out of the bar. "It's okay," he assured. "I've got you."
As Blazer walked Anna out, Mattias sighed to Sparx and Speedy. "Maybe Master Yelena was right all along," he grieved. "Perhaps my lenience with Anna has led her down this self-destructive path."
"Respectfully sir," Speedy began. "Maybes won't help the general now. We need to just have her back."
"You're right," Mattias concurred and tried not to mentally berate himself. "I'm going to call Elsa and let her know Anna's been found."
Blazer had shared many experiences with Anna since they'd met on Kamino. Never did he believe he'd have to get her out of 79's, but that didn't matter to the sergeant. All that mattered to Blazer was getting Anna to safety. He led her to a quiet alley away from prying eyes. His timing was impeccable as Anna's body proceeded to reject the copious amount of alcohol she'd consumed.
"That's it," Blazer spoke calmly. He rubbed Anna's back and held her hair up as she gagged. "Let it all out. I've got you." Anna's body twitched with each lunge as Blazer showed a patience he hardly displayed with anyone else. As Anna wiped her trembling lips, her ailing whimpers transitioned into sobs. Her head pulsed with pain as the world spun around her.
"I was just following orders," she sobbed. "But I let them go. I promise I...I let them go."
"Hey," Blazer whispered and pulled her into an embrace. "It's gonna be okay. No matter what happens...no matter what anyone says...we will get through this as a squad. Okay?" Anna sniffled and buried her face against his armored breastplate. "But right now, let's get you to bed."
"I'm sorry," Anna uttered in a barely coherent tone. "So...sorry."
"Shh," Blazer assured and scooped Anna into his arms. "I won't let anything happen to you, sister." Anna softly started to shut her eyes as Blazer brought her to Mattias and the Deathchasers. "Let's get her out of here," he said.
"Take her to the Legacy," Mattias suggested. "I think she could use a break from the Coruscant situation."
Anna awakened to the familiar and vast ambience of space. The Legacy's bold engines continued to whir as the frigate orbited alongside the Republic fleet. Anna's head didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. A pulsing bacta-laced patch on her wrist explained her numbing predicament. Without any track of time, she could've been out for days for all she'd known. As she sat up, she discovered that she'd been placed in the ship's crew quarters. The sudden folding of paper caught her attention as she glanced beside her pillow. Anna raised her brow and plucked a peculiar card out. Someone haddone their best to draw Blazer, Sparx, and Speedy gathered around a valiant Jedi. In case Anna couldn't tell it was her, the artist had playfully drawn an arrow with the word 'You' next to it. The blocky, poorly-shaded figures got the point across as Anna read the card's title out loud. "Get well soon," she whispered. "Sincerely, Speedy." Sparx and Blazer had signed beneath the trooper's artistically superior signature.
The card brought a gentle smile to Anna's lips as she stashed it away. She then slipped out of bed and stumbled down the Legacy's winding corridor. Her body ached and stomach churned with each step until she reached the command bridge.
The Deathchasers' heads darted up from the moment the doors slid open. "Anna!" they rejoiced until she winced from the sound. Realizing her ears were still sensitive, they brought their voices down to excited and sharp whispers. "Anna!"
"Hey," the knight mumbled. "It's like you were expecting me or something," she teased.
"Oh they were," Admiral Shang remarked. "They've shouted 'Anna!' at everyone who's come through those doors. Myself included."
"And me," Mattias added and stepped into view. Anna slouched as he approached. She felt disgraced in his presence until he gripped her shoulder. Instead of scolding her, he simply asked, "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," Anna confessed. "I don't know what happened down there. It should've been a raid like any other. But something was different about this fleeing target. I just got swept up in the moment. I couldn't let her get away." Anna sighed heavily. "But then I saw that kid and I just...froze. Everything felt so wrong. I thought about all you and Yelena had said about my parents...Aren..."
"Why do you think things felt so wrong?" Mattias asked.
"I don't know," Anna grumbled. "If I did, I'd tell you."
"But really think about it," Mattias insisted. "Take a moment and search your feelings. What was different this time?"
Anna took a deep breath and pondered her old master's reasoning. "I was just so...angry. We had nothing to show for our raids, meanwhile the Revenant was out their tormenting the Republic and killing senators. I wanted to stop it. I had to. I was so tired of all the pointless chasing that I just wanted to get my hands on one of those cultists. That's what I'm supposed to do, right? Catch the bad guys and protect the peace?"
"You are," Mattias concurred. "But somewhere along the line, our way of life has been contorted in the decadence of war. We now walk a dangerous balance between serving as peacekeepers and acting as warriors on the frontline. And this war isn't as black and white as we may believe it is. Many broken lives are getting caught in the crossfire."
Anna shook her head. "That mother and her child," she said. "Were they even cultists? Why were they there?"
Mattias sighed and glanced at Shang. The admiral pulled up a file on his holotable and said, "While you were asleep, we contacted Watcher for intel. She was busy trying to trace the Revenant broadcast hack, but made an exception for you." An image of the Mirialan mother projected over the table. "This is twenty-seven-year-old Sorette Flurr. Ever since her lower district collapsed into poverty, she has been living on the streets with her son, Aveni. That was until we believe the Revenant got a hold of her."
"They kidnapped her?" Anna queried.
"No," Shang corrected. "Intel suggests that the Revenant has been gathering followers from groups thriving on anti-Republic sentiment. These range from the impoverished to displaced refugees. We're seeing spikes of these 'disciples' joining in Coruscant's undercity, all following the belief of salvation."
Anna pinched the bridge of her nose. "So Sorette was just seeking shelter for herself and her son. Kriffing hell-"
"You couldn't have known," Blazer tried to reassure her.
"But I could've!" she retorted. "If I'd just been more patient. Instead of barreling in like a rampaging mudhorn." Anna sulked. "You tried to warn me, Mattias. As did Elsa...I just didn't want to see it."
"What matters is that you see it now," Speedy said.
"But look at all the damage I've caused," Anna replied. "All of the pain because I-" In that instant, Anna snapped her fingers as an idea formed within. "Wait...I think I've got something." The others watched with raised brows as Anna paced about. "What if I can still make things right?" she proposed. "Sorette is out there somewhere. I'm sure Watcher could track her down. All I have to do is apologize!"
"Now hold on," Mattias considered. "Are you sure that's a wise-"
"Of course!" Anna interrupted. "My sister once told me that when she feels lost, she tries to help someone and make amends. Well, now it's my turn to make amends with the mother I wronged! Admiral Shang, place a call to Watcher."
While he was grateful for his old Padawan's reinvigorated spirits, Mattias was still concerned for her. "I have to insist that you think about this, Anna," he said. "Not everyone can just move forward from something like this."
"I have to try," Anna asserted and desperately clung to the holotable. "If Elsa can make peacekeeping look so easy, then so can I."
Watcher's stressed out visage projected into view as she eyed Anna. "General Dellian," she said. "I didn't expect to see you up so soon."
"There isn't a moment to waste," Anna said. "I need your help to track down a person of interest."
Watcher bit her lip. "I have my hands full, Dellian," she said. "A Coruscant HoloNews broadcast was hijacked using an encrypted sequence and my top officers are working to crack it."
"Well while they do, can you please search your databases for at lease one person?" Anna pleaded. Watcher rolled her eyes, but ultimately obliged.
While neutral planets like Mandalore and Avinaria were high risk for Republic surveillance, Coruscant was loaded with spy networks. The capital's media outlets only reported on a fraction of what they knew. In fact, if anyone understood the extent of the Republic's true surveillance, there'd be widespread outrage. Everything from personal devices to air traffic cameras could be tapped into when controlled by the right hands. From the Guardian, Watcher could observe Coruscant and countless other Core Worlds at horrifyingly close levels. Utilizing street footage from Anna's incident, Watcher was able to track down where Sorette and Aveni had fled to. Cross-referenced databases and multiple devices captured them stowing away on cargo transports. The outcasted Mirialans made their way into the upper city, where they'd managed to blend in with a bigger crowd of homeless Coruscanti. After grabbing hot meals at the Vica Foundation Shelter, Sorette and Aveni had descended out of the public eye. While they thought they'd remained incognito, Watcher had footage of them seeking refuge in Slum District G17.
G17 was a shadowy and bustling area. Although arrests were common, it was easy for those not stirring up trouble to lay low. Using Watcher's generous information, Anna and her companions had tracked the Mirialans to an abandoned speeder lot. She observed their weary silhouettes shifting about before stepping forward. In preparation for the confrontation, Anna had opted to don Jedi robes instead of her intimidating armor. She didn't have to be as attuned to the Force as her sister to feel Mattias' nervousness.
"Are you sure you don't want any of us to come with you?" her old master suggested.
"I'm positive," Anna assured. "This is something I have to do alone. I've got to make this right." Mattias and the Deathchasers watched from afar as she entered the decrepit lot. Darkness dominated the duracrete as her boots tromped through its damp and mucky cracks.
Sorette finished gathering a stack of rods and bought the rusty assortment to her son. "What are those for, Mommy?" Aveni asked. He sat on the edge of a broken speeder. It's dented bumper served as the perfect footrest. The rest of the speeder's components had been scavenged over the years and left a gaping space for the Mirialans to rest in.
"Remember when we went camping with Aunt Vovo back on Mirial?" Sorette asked. "And I taught you how to pitch a tent?" Aveni eagerly nodded as she tousled his dark curls. "This will be just like that. Now grab that tarp over there."
Aveni snagged a stained sheet while Sorette propped up the salvaged rods. Their varied sizes produced multiple bumps in their makeshift tent. But while their shelter wasn't perfect, it was enough for Sorette to secure her child for the night. She held Aveni in a tight embrace and faintly smiled. She was about to kiss his forehead when she noticed his frightened expression.
"M-...Mommy?" he worried and she followed his gaze. A woman's silhouette loomed over their tent and Sorette rose to meet it.
"Get behind me," she told Aveni before stumbling out. Her heart sank as she came face to face with Anna amidst the darkness. Sorette even flinched as the Jedi raised her empty palms.
"I mean no harm," Anna said.
That was all she'd be permitted to say as Sorette grabbed a spare rod. "Stay back," she hissed. Her bravado faltered as trauma filled her fear-stricken eyes. "You stay back!"
Anna forced a twitching smile and chuckled nervously. "Please, hear me out. I just want to apologize for-"
"I don't know anything!" Sorette pleaded. "The Revenant offered us shelter. It was never about their ideology!"
"I'm not hear for information!" Anna asserted and instantly regretted it. Her raised voice made Sorette gasp and trip over herself. The Mirialan's rod clanged against the duracrete as she raised her hands to shield her face. "I'm...sorry," Anna tried to correct herself, but the damage was already done. "Look, I'm not gonna hurt you. I never meant for-"
"Get away!" Aveni yelled and stepped in front of his startled mother. Anna's blood ran cold at the sight of such an angry and frightened child. He held back tears to be brave for his mother...all because of Anna. The Jedi remained frozen, unsure how to respond as Aveni picked up his mother's fallen rod. There was no amount of Anna's reasoning that could reach his aching heart. "Stay away from my Mommy!" he yelled until his voice cracked.
"Kid," Anna stammered and tried to extend a hand. "I won't hurt-"
The child actually took a swing at Anna and forced her to recoil. "I hate you!" he roared. As Anna looked deep into the child's angry eyes, she could see the tears swelling within. Ashamed of the emotional damage she'd dealt, Anna hung her head and backed away. Once she was gone, Sorette and Aveni held each other in a reassuring embrace.
Anna just kept trudging away. She did so until she bumped into her master's familiar robes. His nurturing hands rubbed her shoulders as he braced for grim news. Mattias sighed as she raised her head in anguish. "I'm so sorry," was all he could say before she raised a hand in surrender.
"Just...leave it," she murmured. "I shouldn't have gone. I shouldn't even be here right now."
"Anna?" Blazer asked concernedly. "What can we do for you?"
She glanced at her clones and swallowed hard. Her eyes swayed over to a teal-hued structure nearby. As she read the words Spider Arms Hostel in Aurebesh, she devised a new plan. "There is one thing," she said.
After relaying her idea to the Deathchasers, Anna approached Mattias. "I just need some alone time," she said and he instantly grew concerned. "Relax," she added and forced a smile. "I'm going back to the temple"
While Anna had remained truthful about her destination, her desired solitude was a lie. She sought solace in her lover's touch as they disappeared beneath his blankets. Yet as she remained shrouded from the world, no amount of Hans Westgard's affection could quell her mind. Enough so that she ended up rolling over and sniffling into his chest.
Hans faintly grimaced and was unsure how to comfort Anna at first. "Um...there there," he mumbled and patted her back. "You'll be okay."
"Will I?" Anna grumbled as they sat up in bed. "I used to be so sure of myself and now I can't even think straight." She frustratedly rubbed her temples. "The way that child said he hated me."
"Oh come on," Hans scoffed. "Forget that little twerp. People are gonna hate you no matter what. Damned if you do, damned it you don't."
"All I've been trying to do is forget, Hans. It doesn't work."
Hans raised a brow as another idea crossed his mind. "Well...maybe you just need the right kick," he said and slid out of bed. Anna tilted her head as he fiddled through a secret case. He withdrew a vial of dried, multi-colored granules and brought them over. "This will help."
"Wait," Anna shuddered and glared at the vial. A mere glimpse took her back to the Dazzle Daze Club nearly a year ago.
"Take a load off," a gang member had said while offering her similar vials.
"That's a death stick," Anna realized.
"Mhm," Hans replied. "You thought Junipera hit the spot? This will take you to a whole new, pain-free world."
Anna gulped as he shook the vial. "I don't know," she mumbled.
"Come on, don't you trust me?" Hans jeered. "I'll even take it with you." Anna's heart raced as he uncapped the vial and poured the granules on his nightstand. He glared at her while crushing the death stick's contents into powder. "Well don't just stand there," he urged. "Get over here." Anna remained hesitant as she sat on the edge of his bed. "Don't you wanna feel better?" Hans huffed and gestured to the drug. With a resigned sigh, Anna slid off the bed to join him. Doing so caused her to knock her unclipped utility belt from the bedpost. The sound of folding paper caught her attention as she glanced at the floor. "Anna?" Hans impatiently beckoned.
She knelt to recover the belt and noticed a card poking out from one of its pockets. Anna unfolded it and revealed the drawing Speedy had made for her. She grew misty-eyed as she looked over the clunky caricatures of her and her squad. "Get well soon, Anna," she read in her squadmate's voice. "Sincerely, Speedy."
"What the hell is that?" Hans griped.
Anna protectively folded up the card and reattached her belt. "I have to go," she said.
"What? Why?" Hans blurted. "But I just got this for you. I'm did all of this, for you."
"I'm sorry, but I don't want any," Anna asserted. "Have a good night, Hans."
"Are you kidding me right now..." Hans grumbled as she stepped out of his room. "Anna?...Anna!"
Sorette could hardly sleep in the cramped and decrepit speeder. She held her slumbering child close as every exterior sound had her head turning. A series of footsteps made Sorette gasp and she feared the Jedi had returned for her. Instead, she was alarmed to find a lanky Rodian in a scraggly uniform. "Wh-what do you want?" the Mirialan shivered.
The Rodian's bulbous eyes scanned over her and her child as if checking their description. "Yep...two Mirialans," he muttered to himself before speaking up. "I'm the caretaker over at the Spider Arms Hostel. I've got a room for you to sleep in for the next two days."
Sorette's brows furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand," she uttered. "How did-"
"A patron who wishes to remain anonymous made a trade to get you a room," the Rodian said. He held up a gaming device and said, "They're lucky I'm a gamer who's bored out of his mind." The Rodian chuckled. "They must really care about you getting off the streets though. They even threw in Jawa Crossing and Legend of Zara. I'm gonna be playing these all weekend. But enough about me, let's get you to your room." Although she questioned who the donor could be, Sorette graciously accepted and carried her sleeping child out of the broken speeder.
It wasn't easy, but the Deathchasers had made a few well-placed calls once they heard Anna was returning. The delectable aroma of popcorn filled the Legacy's crew quarters, which had been turned into a makeshift viewing room.
A holodrama projected across a datascreen and showed a screaming, red-skinned Twi'lek. "Somebody help!" she called out.
"I'll save you, Jary Mane!" a masked hero declared as he launched webs from his hands.
"Krykna-Man! Thank goodness! I knew our love would bring us together again."
"Aww," Anna said while stuffing her face with popcorn.
Elsa rolled her eyes beside her sister. "But that doesn't make any sense," she said. "Now if Krykna-Man was Force sensitive...then his ability to locate her would make sense."
"Oh shush," Anna teased and playfully nudged Elsa. "It's true love."
"Is this really what passes for entertainment these days?" Yelena mumbled to Mattias from the adjacent table. "Back in our day, holodramas had plot."
"I get the feeling that this one is setting up for a bigger plot," Blazer suggested.
"Of course it is!" Speedy doubled down while munching on popcorn. "How else are we supposed to get ready for Krykna-Man: No Way Home?"
"Wait," Frost said from Elsa's side. "There's more Krykna-Man?"
It was as if the oblivious commander had sparked an explosion within Anna and Speedy. The rest of the party braced themselves as they went off about every single holodrama in chronological order.
"You know what we need?" Anna suggested.
"Krykna-Man Marathon!" she and Speedy declared in unison. Yelena and Mattias braced themselves while Frost wondered what he'd just gotten himself into. Sparx had already conditioned himself to deal with Anna and Speedy's spontaneity. As for Blazer and Elsa, they merely took a moment to keep an eye on the redhead. They knew there was a reservoir of pain beneath that energetic exterior. All they could do was support Anna and be happy that she was channeling her struggles through a healthy method. Even if it meant watching a costumed superhero swing around for the next seven hours.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this week's installment of "The Frozen Force!" As always, it is a joy to bring you a new chapter each week. I hope you're having fun reading! Do you have any favorite characters? Are you a bigger fan of the Disney characters or the Star Wars ones? Just curious! With nine chapters left in the season, the battles are only going to intensify! Brace yourselves as we uncover new mysteries next week in "Chapter: 82 - Legend of a Thousand Moons."
Long Live Imagination and May the Force be with You!