Author's Note: Dearest Readers, above all else thank you for your patience with me. I've had some mental health and personal struggles amidst the effort to deliver this finale to you. This finale had to be created as it was initially envisioned, back when Season 1 was still being written. I will say that this is very surreal. Finally reaching a chapter that has been planned out since several seasons ago. As we take on another season finale, I want to thank you all for joining me on this journey. "The Frozen Force" officially turns three years old at the end of January, making it my longest running and oldest fanfic to date. It is always an honor and pleasure to entertain you all. Enjoy the show and I'll see you next time.
Sincerely,
~ Michael
ADVISORY: The following chapter contains sensitive material relating to: Mass murder, major death, suffering, dismemberment, intense violence, violence associated with a mass shooting particularly in a place of academics, terrorism, and grief. Reader discretion is advised. Remember to practice self care before, during, and after reading.
GOLDENHEART STORIES PRESENTS...
A MICHAEL GAVILÁN PRODUCTION...
THE FROZEN FORCE SEASON 4 FINALE
Chapter: 120 Knightfall
"Fate abides by no rules. It isn't loyal to a side. It merely gives...and it takes."
Republic intervention! After a daring rescue on the planet Aren, Anna and Elsa Dellian have inevitably brought war to their homeworld. And with that war came an unwanted Republic occupation. Conflict feels less avoidable throughout the galaxy, as the wheels of both war and politics turn. But there is a silver lining beyond the chaos. Separatist holdouts are being destroyed as the Outer Rim Sieges come to an end. With the death of General Grievous at the hands of Obi-wan Kenobi, a Republic victory seems likely. As the Separatist command structure collapses, the Republic is left to clean up the enemy's remaining forces. On Teth, Jedi Master Chuza and his Padawan Gav Riden raid the final droid outpost after a brutal campaign...
The sound of blasterfire was always different in midair. A distinct crackle followed each shot as lasers zipped between the clouds. And yet no matter how high the pillar's of Teth's sacred monasteries seemed to climb, the planet was always challenging the norm. There was always a bigger pillar. The likes of which was where the Separatists had chosen to make their final stand. Red blaster bolts darted through the air, dancing alongside the blue blasts of Republic forces. The roaring jetpacks of the Flying 54th echoed throughout the skies as Captain Talon led another strike. His jet troopers dove downward, sweeping the droids from above while two Jedi flanked from the cliffs.
Their green lightsabers hummed boldly while cutting down opposition. While the stout, older Avinarian caught his breath, his youthful apprentice pushed ahead. "Come on, master!" Gav Riden chirped. "Don't snooze on me now. We're almost to the finish line!"
"I'm-" Master Chuza panted. "I'm right behind you." He straightened his back until it popped and then reignited his jetpack. Together, the Jedi cleared the cliff of hostiles and paved the way for their unit. The green-armored clones descended on the pillar in droves, swarming to secure a foothold.
Captain Talon gunned a B1 down and twirled his smoking pistols. Each firearm clacked in his cybernetic digits as he hugged the rock wall. "Ready for final push," he reported in. "Got to glimpse the monastery while flying to this position. The clankers are all bark and no bite up there. They've got turret placements and infantry set up along the wall, but not much defense covering the interior. We take the wall and it's over."
"Then let's finish this, captain." Chuza hooted. "One outpost left. For the Republic!"
"For the Republic!" Talon reiterated and launched from cover. His battle cry was met with a symphony of shouts from his men. Gav and Chuza soared alongside their unit, only to be immediately met with heavy laserfire. Keeping their lightsabers up, the duo drew and deflected fire while the 54th moved in. Battle droids, especially B1 units, were programmed to typically fire line of sight. The 54th's unorthodox aerial methods were often disorienting for enemies and gave the clones a swift advantage.
The B1s' nasally, distressed wails were soon silenced under a volley of lasers. Still, the turret gunners held position and blasted jet troopers out of the sky. While Master Chuza tried to draw their fire, Gav soared towards the wall. The Avinarian grabbed a droid's head with his talons and plucked it from the turret's controls. Gav then landed on the gun and rotated it towards Separatist forces. "Get clear!" he shouted to incoming clones. Troopers scattered as Gav sprayed lasers across the rest of the wall. Super battle droids had merely emerged from the monastery only to be immediately blasted.
Pushing their advantage, Chuza and Talon soared alongside each other. They clashed with droids at the main gate, sending their scorched bodies clanking to pieces. Out of sheer desperation to fulfill its programming, the final super battle droid resorted to lunging at both combatants. Master Chuza drove his lightsaber into the droid's torso, causing it to fall directly into two swift shots from Talon's pistols. And as the droid collapsed at their feet, a great silence filled the monastery. Months of brutal and costly campaigning had finally come to an end, signaled by Chuza's proud hoot. Despite his short stature, the old Avinarian raised his lightsaber and declared, "Revan's redemption! Teth is ours! We have victory!"
Captain Talon raised his weapons in celebration, as the joyous roars of his men echoed from beyond the walls. Gav sighed in relief, catching his breath as he reclined in the gun turret. Glancing down at his master from the wall, the two briefly made eye contact. For as hard as the old bird had been on him over the years, it was nice to share a moment of bliss together. Enough to have Chuza gesturing with his broad wing for Gav to join him down below.
Gathering what strength he still had, Gav rose from the turret. He opted to spare his jetpack the reactivation and instead used his wings to glide down. Landing in the courtyard, he looked down at his master with a smile across his beak. "Quick thinking with that turret, boy." Chuza chirped.
"Thanks, master." Gav nodded as both heard a sudden snap atop the wall. The brief sound prompted more cheers as two clones removed the Separatist flag and replaced it with the Republic's.
Sensing troubled thoughts, Chuza turned to Talon. "Something wrong, captain?" he inquired.
"I just think about what it's cost to bring us this victory," Talon professed while looking at his cybernetic hands. "The brothers we've lost across various worlds...and in this campaign alone. All to eliminate these clanker outposts." He dropped his hands and slowly returned his gaze to Chuza. "I never forget any of their names."
"And their memories and sacrifices will carry on with you," Chuza assured. "None of this was possible without our combined efforts."
"While that is true-" Talon acknowledged. "-it doesn't make the pain of it all go away. If I may, I'd like a moment with the boys who've come this far with me. I need them to know how valued they are."
"Of course," Chuza replied. "Remember, the Force works in mysterious ways and has a plan for all of us to-"
"Master," Gav winced. "Maybe...now's not the best time for a lecture."
"I beg to differ," Chuza grumbled while Talon stepped away. "There is always time to preach the good word of the Force, Padawan."
Unwilling to be nagged to death, Gav raced to change the subject. "So," he blurted. "Where do we go from here?"
"Home," Chuza declared. "With Teth secured, we'll get a new assignment from the council. Hopefully one much closer to the Core Worlds. How I've missed our Republic way of life. It just-" In that instant, Chuza's feathers ruffled in waves. His eyes twitched as his beak began to grind with discomfort. "Just-...ohh."
Gav furrowed his feathery brows. "Master?" he worried. "You...alright?"
"No," Chuza winced, as if someone was plucking each feather from his body...or as if he was burning up from the inside. "I-..." The elder Avinarian clutched his chest, struggling through heart palpitations. "You-...you don't feel that?"
"No?" Gav fretted. "What is it?"
"Something's happened-" Chuza flinched as if something dreadful was writhing within his mind. A sensation so horrific that he couldn't even formulate it into words. "It's-..."
"Captain?" Gav worried while rubbing Chuza's shoulder. "Something's wrong with my master! We need a medic, now!" Despite being so high above the clouds, the air felt thicker than ever. The silence apart from Chuza's distress was alarming as Gav wondered why no one was responding. "Captain!" he squawked across the courtyard. He glared over with widened eyes as Captain Talon continued to ignore him.
Instead, the captain addressed a mysterious call on his holocomm. A lone, hooded figure flickered in the palm of his hand and dictated a single command. "Execute Order 66."
Talon stared at the hologram through his soulless visor. The same order crackled through the surrounding troopers' helmets as they all came to abrupt stops. It was as if they were all of a single mind, standing in a brief and daunting silence. The holocall powered off as Talon remained quiet.
"Captain?" Gav beckoned again. His second call seemed to bring Talon to his senses, as the clone lifted his head. Still he didn't speak and slowly approached from across the courtyard. Even the clones who'd secured the surrounding wall were now abandoning their posts to focus on their Jedi superiors.
"Padawan," Chuza murmured, his feathered head still twitching as he turned to his student. "We need to leave. I cannot explain what I've felt, but a great pain has claimed...or is claimingso many victims. We must look to the council for guidance. Only they can-"
Suddenly, a flash of blue darted into Chuza's back. The old bird's painful screech was as sharp as the blaster shot itself. Chuza buckled forward, immediately falling into his apprentice's arms. Horrified, Gav looked up to see Talon aiming a smoking pistol. There wasn't even a moment to process nor a second to even ask why...before the entire Flying 54th opened fire on Gav and Chuza. Talon drew his second pistol, twirling it like the gunslinger he always had been. His cybernetic limbs had only made him quicker on the draw. Not a single command was uttered from him to his troops. As if they all just collectively knew to destroy their targets by all and any means.
Acting on instinct, Gav ignited his lightsaber as Chuza dropped to his knees. Battling exhaustion from the Separatist siege, he relied on adrenaline to stay alive. He staved off remorse in favor of survival, deflecting Talon's shots into nearby clones. A trooper on the wall landed a hit on Gav's thigh, pushing him into a rage.
"Up-...up." Chuza croaked.
"What?" Gav blurted exasperatedly.
Mustering his strength, the elder found it in himself to rise. "Jedi of old be with me," he whispered to himself and activated his green blade. "We must go up!" he shouted to Gav. Spreading his wings, he Force-pushed the encroaching clones away to give them an opening. The blaster wound on his back continued to sting as he readjusted his jetpack. "Hurry, Gav!" he cawed. "Fly! Fly away!"
While simultaneously deflecting a storm of blaster bolts, the duo launched themselves into the air. "After them!" Captain Talon bellowed as if they were no different than the Separatists. He and the rest of the battalion took to the skies, pursuing the Jedi as if they'd never known them...Never fought beside them for a single day.
"Which way?" Gav panicked while gliding through the clouds.
"We'll-" Chuza panted, speaking through his ache. "We'll lose them in the jungle."
The master's wishful thinking carried them slightly beyond the wall as a jet trooper took aim. Focusing on the elder's lackadaisical flying, he targeted Chuza's jetpack. A well-placed shot blasted its fuel modulator, and sent the old bird spinning out of control.
"Master!" Gav shouted and glided after him. He zipped through the clouds, all while dodging and blocking endless waves of laserfire. The sound of so many jet troopers on his tail was horrifying. Their heavily-armed silhouettes streaked through the cloudy veils. "Come on!" Gav urged himself, willing the jetpack to speed him up. They were losing altitude fast as the dense jungle below came into view. In a brief moment of realization, Gav understood his options. He could either put himself at greater risk saving Chuza, or try to save himself by hurrying into the jungle. For all of his shortcomings, watching his master plummet helplessly took him back to when he'd made Anna fall on Bespin. Unwilling to freeze up again, Gav rocketed down and willingly exposed himself to laserfire. While he was able to scoop Chuza up before a collision, two lasers met their mark.
While one struck Gav's jetpack, the second scorched his shoulder. "Hold on!" he cawed while cradling his master. Bracing themselves, the Jedi tumbled into a mess of vines atop the jungle canopy. While the vines cushioned their fall, their velocity alone had them rolling towards the ground. The blur of freefalling subsided when Gav and Chuza struck the jungle's loamy terrain. Panting and groaning, neither Jedi had a moment to catch their breath let alone speak to one another.
The 54th had been right on their backs and was already descending from the canopy. Their dreadful shadows loomed across the high trees as they surrounded their targets. "Master," Gav pleaded as Chuza lay wheezing against the soil. A small pond beside him rippled with each of his labored breaths. "Get up. Please! They're coming! You have to get up!"
Chuza's back wound had him barely able to rise as he clutched his lightsaber. Both master and apprentice activated their blades. Each green beam illuminated their alert, yet very frightened faces. Gone were their wondrous plumages, now damp and tainted with jungle muck.
"G-Gav," Chuza whispered. "Padawan. It has been an honor."
"What?" the young Avinarian squawked. "What the hell are you-"
"Don't be afraid. We will be one with the Force soon."
"No...No we are not dying. You hear me? You're not. I'm not-" Gav didn't have a chance to speak further as the laserfire returned. While some clones dropped down to their level, others hovered from above. Some jet troopers, including Talon, even perched in the canopy to try and land a shot.
Gav and Chuza went back to back, their moves slowed by mud and exhaustion. Still, they battled the elements to block the incoming storm of lasers. What shocked Gav the most, was the soullessness of it all. Even when the 54th had engaged droid forces in the past, they'd always done so with a feeling of bravado. There was a sensation of camaraderie and that energy carried across the battlefield. Now, the clones felt no different than the very droids they'd sworn to destroy. They were a silent, murderous unit who would stop at nothing to achieve their directive. Wiped of all feeling and personality, they kept up a ferocious rate of fire. The likes of which caused Chuza to stagger.
The elder tried blocking multiple shots with one swing, but the blasts proved too great for his grip. Gav heard the dreadful hiss of his master's weapon powering down as the blade was knocked away. In a desperate attempt to Force-push clones away, Chuza raised his wings and took several shots to them. He didn't even have the energy to scream over the pain of which it caused him. Instead he collapsed into the mud, his scorched feathers blowing through the air.
"Master!" Gav cried out, realizing he was on his own. Stepping over Chuza, he refused to leave his mentor's side. "Stay with me!" he yelled, not even sure if he was dead or alive. Glancing down at Chuza's body wasn't a luxury Gav could afford as the lasers kept coming. Fury clashed with terror as the clones closed in. Another shot reached Gav's forearm, making him hunch. As angry and desperate as he was, Gav couldn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. And within seconds, that exasperation manifested into an agonizing screech. "Why?" he yelled to the clones themselves. Whether they were listening over the laserfire or not, he continued. "Why are you doing this? Why?" He batted away several shots before a jet trooper struck his back. Gav dropped to his knees, fighting to keep his lightsaber from dropping. "S-stop!" his fury turned to begging. "Please stop!" Swishing his blade and rising with every last ounce of courage, he cawed out to his attackers. "STOP!"
His pleas were drowned out by the insurmountable volley of laserfire as more troopers descended. Soon, all anyone could hear was blasterfire as Gav's lightsaber dropped into the mud. The jungle pond ceased its rippling as a pair of feathers drifted toward its surface. Gav's pale barb landed next to Chuza's dark brown plume. Together, these feathers drifted beyond the shadows and into an unknown stillness.
Even through her worst moments, Elsa Dellian had been able to find peace in the Jedi Temple. She'd found it in herself to be grounded within the sanctuary's walls. But after everything on Aren and her uneasiness with both Anna and Stel, Elsa could hardly focus on anything. She had to believe that this surplus of stress was related to the disturbance she was feeling. Although this sensation was...otherworldly. Elsa could barely stand still in the temple atrium as she painfully rubbed her temples. In some ways, she felt as though selective Jedi passing by were also experiencing minor versions of her disturbance.
Evara, Elsa spoke within. What...is this?
The Force Wraith within had grown accustomed to Elsa shutting her out, especially in the presence of her Padawan. But this disturbance was so monumental, that even Evara could not quite comprehend from beyond. "There is a shroud," she answered. "The likes of which is blanketing something beyond one world."
I feel it, Elsa replied. It's clouding my vision. But this...pain... is surreal. It'll hit me in these excruciating bursts and then suddenly be silenced. Like voices are calling out to me. Needing my help only for someone to slam the door on them. I can't heal everything around me, but I can lighten my personal load. Stel needs me.
"Trust your instincts," Evara said. "As you always have. And-"
Keep myself open to you?
Evara's silence was enough of an answer to Elsa's not-so-subtle snark. Shaking off her stress, Elsa reached into her satchel. Feeling for her droid companion, she powered up Sir Porgen and found comfort in his tiny chimes. The little droid fluttered out of her satchel, letting his bulbous photoreceptors take in the atrium as Elsa pet his head. "Hello, my friend," she spoke calmly. Porgen boosted himself up to her shoulder and gently nuzzled her. His metallic interface brought a sense of nostalgia to Elsa's heart. She was reminded of her time as a wide-eyed apprentice and how she'd been ever so eager to build her first droid. Thinking on her past, she hoped that it would be a good way to reconnect with Stel for his future. "I need your help," she whispered as Porgen took in her words. "My Padawan could use a great listener like you, and I think we can cheer him up together. What do you think?" Porgen chirped with delight, his data-brain only yearning for more social interaction.
Heading upstairs, Elsa reminisced on how many times she'd traveled through the temple as a child. She tried to put herself in Stel's shoes and wanted to remember what it was like to be a youngling. Like Stel, she was still trying to find her place in it all. As she reached the second level, she glimpsed the young Theelin heading into a lounge. "Stel?" she beckoned as he quickened his pace. "Stel. Please."
Elsa cautiously entered the lounge to find it empty so late at night. Her Padawan picked the furthest couch and leaned towards the window. As his gaze followed the nightly skylane traffic, Elsa's reflection drew nearer. Stel sighed. "I don't wanna get into a lecture right now."
"It doesn't have to be one," Elsa assured. "We can just...talk."
"But it always becomes a lecture," Stel griped while swiveling away from the window. "You'll turn it into some big lesson that I need to learn because you just know everything. You know what's best for me in every way, so why should I bother?"
"Hey," Elsa spoke softly and sat beside him. Porgen leaned from her shoulder while she said, "Please talk to me. I want to help understand what I've done to upset you. I won't make it a lecture, I promise. But if I have a better idea of what I did wrong, then I can apologize."
Stel huffed and started picking at his braid. Elsa wanted to tell him to stop, but didn't want to be a hypocrite to her words. Letting Stel be himself, she tilted her head and listened in. "When I first saw you, I watched other kids in my clan get super excited. I didn't really know who you were."
"And that's okay-" Elsa bit her tongue, and let Stel keep talking.
"But you saw something in me. At least that's how it felt when you picked me to be your student," Stel said as his master nodded. "And the more time we spent together...the more I accomplished with you. I felt important too. But then, I started to feel like you were just molding me into you. Like I wasn't being taught how to be myself."
Elsa shook her head in dismay. "Padawan, I'm sorry. I never meant to put that kind of pressure on you."
"But it's not pressure!" Stel snapped, making Elsa tense up. Riding his emotions, the youngling continued. "I don't want to be just like you. I want to be me. And you kept me from doing that. I could've saved Chieftain Honeymaren when the soldier was gonna kidnap her."
Elsa hung her head and huffed. "Stel...Stel. There's a difference here."
"How?" her apprentice scoffed.
"There's a difference between being yourself and then doing something wrong. I couldn't let you take that woman's life. No matter how evil she was."
Stel pursed his lips while undoing his blue braid. "But she hurt more people. I had her."
"And you think killing her would've made everything better? I'm thinking of you here, Stel. And once you take a life, you will never be the same."
Stel crossed his arms and averted his gaze. "Your sister seems just fine," he mumbled just loud enough for Elsa to hear.
The eldest Dellian struggled to keep her own frustration with Stel's attitude at bay. "Excuse me?" she spoke up. "Anna is not your master."
"Well maybe she should be," Stel considered. His words wounded Elsa. And while she bit back a gasp, her eyes still widened in astonishment.
"I have taken a life," Elsa said, trying to control her tone. "His name was Udo Klee. He was a Jedi who betrayed the Order. And not a day goes by that I haven't thought about what I could've done differently. If I'd timed a strike to be slower or quicker that I could've avoided dealing a killing blow. I may not show it because I've taken the steps to heal in my practices...but killing someone, no matter who they are or what they've done, will haunt you for the rest of your life."
Stel bit his lip. "So what's supposed to happen then? I'm supposed to 'grow' alongside you in all but certain ways? I'll be your scout. Your little Force user."
"Please stop making it sound like I own you," Elsa insisted.
"But you do, master." Stel snapped. "You own my path!"
Elsa took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Stel, I will support you through your trials. It is my duty as your master and I want you to succeed," she said even as he rolled his eyes. "I will guide you through the ways of the Force. I will show you the inner workings of every droid," she added while caressing Sir Porgen. "I will study every culture with you through galactic diplomacy. I will follow your passions. But I will not...bring another killer into this galaxy."
"I can't guarantee that I won't kill," the boy countered. "I want to fight and protect people like other Jedi. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
"Stel," Elsa worried. "You say that now but it's just what you think. You don't know until it's too late and your hands are stained with-"
"There it is!" Stel blurted and jabbed a finger at Elsa. His outburst was enough to startle Sir Porgen into flapping his metal wings. "Lecturing again even when you promised not to!"
"Stel-"
"You're not gonna change. Because whether you wanna face it or not, you don't support me. You say you do, but you won't let me reach my full potential. You'll always hold me back."
Elsa so badly wanted to shout out all she'd done for Stel, but she wouldn't let the intrusive thoughts win. Her feelings would only invalidate and shut down Stel, reminding her of how Yelena used to speak. Instead, Elsa left a moment to take another deep breath. As she did so, Stel grew frustrated and stormed out. "Wait, Stel!" Elsa beckoned as the youngling rushed out of the lounge.
Elsa sulked in silence, gently petting Porgen's head for comfort. Sighing deeply, she took in Stel's words and considered the truth behind them...wondering if she was being too difficult. With Stel gone, Elsa was reminded of Anna's words from the last time he'd run off.
"Oh for kriff's sake, sis." Anna had said. "Give the kid some air. Hasn't your coddling hurt him enough?"
In other instances, Elsa would've listened to that inner voice. She would've bent to the mental scolding under the fear of hurting Stel further. Hoping for the best, Elsa nodded to Porgen and dared to chase after her student. "Stel!" she called, rising vigorously from her seat. "Wait up!" she cared little for who heard her shouting through the temple so late. All she wanted was to make amends with her apprentice, believing common ground could still be met. Exiting from the hall, she called to him once more. "Stel!" They didn't have to jump right back into ethics again. She could start with something simple. Like Yelena did for her with the blueblossoms. As Elsa's morale soared on her way to find Stel, she was suddenly struck with an ominous chill. The likes of which was debilitating in nature.
Cold climates never bothered the eldest Dellian, so she'd conditioned herself to understand such a chill. The frigidness of it all was too often associated with the Dark Side of the Force. And the heaviness which followed brought even greater pain to Elsa's mind and body. Her jog became a stumble as her breaths shortened. Furrowing her brows, Elsa had to clutch her chest. She tightened her grip as if to combat the feeling of someone ripping her heart out. "Wh-...what is this?" she whispered through the pain. As she limped out of the hallway, Elsa spotted Stel's lightsaber at the edge of the atrium staircase. Gently rocking back and forth, the hilt came to a halt while its wielder became a gliding blur.
"Stel?" Elsa worried and sped to the stairs. The coldness gripped her entire body as she reached the edge. Laserfire sounded from deeper in the atrium, but it was distorted to Elsa. In fact, the vacuous area had become a blur as she focused on Stel. The youngling was dangling at the bottom of the stairs, as though some powerful Force had pulled him from the top. His little legs twitched as a gloved hand kept him siezed by the neck. Horror left Elsa in shock as a blue lightsaber pulsed through the young Theelin's back.
Elsa wanted to call to him. To yell any word imaginable. But instead, the only sound she could create was one of terror. Elsa screamed atop the stairs as Stel's body went limp. His killer dropped him, letting the blue blade shine against his sinister...hooded face. Horror claimed Elsa as she not only stared at Stel's body at the foot of the stairs...but also the identity of who had killed him.
Flanked by a pair of 501st clone troopers, Anakin Skywalker stood like a deathly shadow. Drained of all charisma and festering in hatred, Anakin glared at his former ally with a twitching sneer. Elsa was speechless over what she was witnessing. Still processing Stel, she was hardly breathing as a tear rolled down her cheek. Drawn in by the commotion, other Jedi emerged from corridors on both levels of the atrium. More clones had formed up behind Anakin as he declared, "The council is no longer in control! And the Order will pay for its betrayal!"
Without another word, Anakin immediately lunged at the nearest Jedi on the first floor. The unprepared knight could hardly manage two parries before Anakin cut him down. Meanwhile, the 501st troopers spread across the atrium. "Give the order, Commander Appo." Anakin said before continuing his rampage.
At his command, Appo called over comms. "All troopers, weapons free." The clones fired indiscriminately across every level of the atrium and lightsabers hurriedly ignited. Screams filled the room as Elsa came to her senses.
She had to face the reality of her situation and that the temple was in fact, under siege. The two clones by the stairs took aim at Elsa, and her instinctual response was to Force-push them both into the madness. Keeping her head down, she dashed downstairs to reach Stel's body. Despite seeing him be directly impaled, she held out hope that he was alive. She needed to know that it couldn't end like this. They had to talk. She had to resolve things with him. Her heart sank as she got closer and peered down at the boy's open, lifeless eyes. She lunged to recover his body when someone shouted beside her. Glancing over, a Zabrak Jedi took several shots to the chest before collapsing. Elsa kept rushing, only to hear a high-pitched beeping near the stairs. Slowly raising her head, Elsa gasped as a clone's thermal detonator exploded in her proximity.
The grenade's explosion brought more Jedi running over to the commotion. Among those responding were Tori Vica and Vedkan Nublar. "What the hell was that?" the Pantoran wondered as they dashed down the corridor.
"I don't know." Vedkan hissed. "But that's blasterfire."
"Something's wrong," Tori considered. "Why aren't the security alarms going off?"
The duo approached the atrium just in time to see one of their fellow Jedi stumbling forward. Her tattered cloak sizzled as smoke fled the blaster holes in her back. She fell dead as several clones rushed the entryway. Tori and Vedkan had activated their sabers at the first sign of trouble. Initially believing the clones to be supporting them, they were astonished when their supposed allies opened fire. Ready to defend themselves, the Jedi deflected their blasts and took them head on. While Vedkan sent a bolt zipping into a clone's chest, Tori pushed her offensive. Spinning her guard shotos, she disoriented the clones at close range and then cut down two of them. With their immediate threat eliminated, Tori's first response was to remove one of the fallen trooper's helmets. Shock took hold of both her and Vedkan as their fears were realized.
"They're not imposters," Tori murmured.
"I don't understand," Vedkan growled. "Why would these men attack us?" There wouldn't be time for their questions as several screams echoed from the inner atrium.
"None of that matters now," Tori answered while flourishing her sabers. "The Order needs us." While some fled the crisis, others ran directly into it. Tori and Vedkan emerged with sabers swinging, aiding any Jedi they could find. Some who were overwhelmed with clone fire soon found themselves liberated as Tori and Vedkan charged through. Blue-armored plastoid crunched as Vedkan Force-pushed a pair of clones into one of the pillars. While doing so, a third shot him in the arm. The Trandoshan roared in response while Tori eliminated his attacker. "You okay?"
"Fine," Vedkan hissed while shaking out his sizzling limb. "I have thick scales," he said to more so reassure himself.
Unwilling to believe him, Tori stormed up to Vedkan and saw to his arm herself. She started to further examine it when a distinct set of blue robes caught her eye. These robes lay strewn beside an exploded staircase and revealed a disheveled, blonde bun covered in ash. "By the Force," Tori gasped. "Elsa! It's-" Before she could get any closer, a blastershot beamed across the debris and straight towards Tori's face. She deflected just in time and observed another wave of clones storming the atrium.
"They keep coming!" A wounded Jedi Knight panted.
Swinging her saber towards the opposite staircase, a temple guard urged the atrium survivors to seek higher ground. "Fall back!" she shouted through her faceless mask. "Fall back to the second level!"
"Tori!" Vedkan shouted as the next wave of clones attacked. "Come on!"
Desperation claimed the Pantoran as she glared at Elsa's limp body. She wanted to rush over and get her...or even pull her over with the Force. But there just wasn't time. Tori had to consider if Elsa was even alive. Everything was happening so quickly as a frightening amount of clones flooded the atrium. Sacrificing Elsa's 'what if' for the guaranteed existence of survivors around her, Tori set her sabers to spin. She deflected lasers at the foot of the stairs, striking who she could to buy the others time to escape.
"Tori!" Vedkan called again.
"Go!" she implored. Her distraction was working and she could see weaker, injured Jedi fleeing upstairs in her peripherals. Unwilling to leave her behind, Vedkan leapt down and readied his saber. The temple guard who'd rallied others to escape also joined them. Her double-bladed, yellow lightsaber served as the ultimate line of defense between Vedkan and Tori. Together, the three Jedi held a line while slowly backing up the stairs. The clones didn't yield, keeping up a horrid rate of fire.
As Tori and Vedkan reached the middle of the stairs, they realized that the temple guard remained at the bottom. "Come on!" Tori called to her fellow Jedi.
The temple guard didn't ascend, and instead Force-pushed and deflected for her life. She would give everything so that others would have a chance. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me," the guard whispered to herself. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me." One of the clones charged her. While he was an easy mark to slash, he created a window for another trooper's laser to strike her hip. With her defense broken, no amout of deflections could stop the storm of blasterfire from raining down on her. Riddled with blaster wounds, the temple guard fell against the stairs. Her arms spread in a final moment of peace as her saber's glow extinguished, for she had been martyred for the Order.
The clones advanced over her body and fired at Tori and Vedkan. "We can't stop them all!" the Trandoshan worried while batting away their shots. They were nearly to the top of the stairs as the 501st relentlessly pursued.
Between deflections, Tori glanced over at one of the atrium's polished columns. "This is the last staircase to the second floor," she said. "If I can slice that column, we can smash the stairs and-"
"Your saber's not gonna cut that in time," Vedkan despaired as the clones continued to climb. Eyeing one of the trooper's utility belts, a plan formed in the Trandoshan's mind. Mustering his quickest reflexes imaginable, Vedkan gave up on using his lightsaber. Instead, he raised his claws and directed all concentration to the clone's belt. Using the Force to activate the thermal detonators on it, he then unclipped the belt and flung it at the column. In the brief moments before the explosion, the clones took advantage of Vedkan's sacrificial opening. Laser upon laser struck across his torso, stripping the breath from him.
"Vedkan!" Tori yelled as the grenades went off. Her companion's plan had succeeded, and the blast was enough to destroy the column and send it crashing towards the stairs.
"Take cover!" a clone shouted while others fled back to the lower atrium. Tori pulled Vedkan up to the second level as an enormous dust cloud formed.
"Vedkan...no," the Pantoran uttered while hauling Vedkan to his feet. "What the hell were you thinking?" she snapped.
The Trandoshan could hardly see straight, his torso filled with blaster wounds. "Had to...stop them. Save you. Save the others."
"Hey," Tori persisted while stressfully patting the reptilian's snout. "Stay with me. These shots are nothing, right?" Vedkan slowly nodded. "Thick scales, right?" Vedkan's nod was continuous, yet painful. "Okay, then get up!" she urged and hauled him to his feet. Despite her best efforts, Vedkan couldn't even walk with how many times he'd been shot.
"Go," he croaked.
"No!" Tori yelled, her voice cracking. Her desperate stare saw more than the wounded Trandoshan in front of her. When she saw Vedkan, she saw Surk. She saw the same friendship she'd once had with the late Zabrak from her childhood. She wouldn't let the suffering continue. Not after everything she'd endured. "I don't care if you can't walk," she huffed, her nostrils flaring. "I'll carry you." Deactivating her lightsabers, she squatted down beneath Vedkan. Draping him over her shoulders, she felt the immense weight of her scaly friend. For a moment, it felt as though her neck would strain and spine would give out from the pressure. Still, she persisted. With adrenaline and a desperate determination on her side, Tori roared to get on her feet. Her knees were shaking as she lifted the wounded Trandoshan on her back. With shallow breaths and a sweat-drenched face, Tori pushed herself to trudge down the hall and catch up to the survivors.
A deathly chill gripped Master Yelena from the temple's inner sanctuary. She felt as though a pair of icy hands were clawing through her mind and ripping through her senses. This ominous feeling felt so close and yet so far at the exact same time, causing Yelena to openly gasp. Breaking from her meditation, little Grogu widened his eyes as she caught her breath. His worried babbles had Yelena hurriedly trying to recollect herself. "I'm alright, little one," she assured. "There was just...a disturbance." Yelena furrowed her brows, trying to come to terms with what she'd just felt. In that moment, Yelena heard the ancient doors shifting across the sanctuary. Bracing herself amid the ominous feeling, Yelena cautiously stepped in front of Grogu and observed their mysterious guests. To her surprise, a trio of hooded Jedi were quick to enter the chamber.
"Master Yelena," an older woman beckoned. "We need to move you and your Padawan now."
"Why?" Yelena questioned. "What's going on?"
"The temple is under attack," the woman spoke sternly while her companions secured the door. "I come on behalf of our council's orders. We are to secure the future of the Force by all and any means. Now please, we need to evacuate."
Yelena glanced at Grogu, all while still coming to terms with the news she'd received. She was concerned for any of her fellow Jedi in the temple, but understood the task she'd been given. As an active member of the Jedi Council, she had an oath to fulfill regardless of the circumstances. Knowing that her apprentice couldn't move quickly, she grabbed one of her meditation blankets and swaddled him in it. Lifting the worried child into her arms, she nodded to the trio of Jedi and said, "Let's go."
For Master Mattias, the shock of what he'd experienced felt like a bad dream. The sudden pain...the immediate sting...all to wake up living in the same reality. Mattias' eyes slowly opened as he coughed against the temple's hard tiles. Computer monitors buzzed around him with new calibrations inputed through them. With Zodra's emergency beacon activated, all Jedi across the galaxy were being called home. But Mattias could hardly read the overhead monitors let alone sit up. A scorching pain emanated from his back and numbed its way upward. Any attempt to stand was met with an agonizing jolt that had him rolling over again. As his senses fully returned, Mattias gazed into a pair of wide, dark eyes beside him. The likes of which he'd peered into many a time.
At that angle, Mattias had recalled finding any moment he could to hide away with Zodra. To caress her gentle, violet cheek in the shadows and watch her eyes light up. But all joy had been drained from her lifeless gaze. And while both Jedi had been shot in the back, Zodra didn't have a spinal cybernetic implant to save her. "Z-" Mattias could barely utter. "Zodra?" Even in pain, he still chose to reach out to her. "Zod-" His hand fell against her cold cheek, prompting tears to swell in his eyes. His vision distorted as his gaze grew watery. "No-" he croaked. His fingers curled in despair and he gritted his teeth, succumbing to the sight of her body. "My love," he mourned as the pain pulsed against his back. The clone's blastershot had struck his spinal cybernetic, damaging it but keeping him alive.
Unable to stand, all Mattias could do was crawl down the corridor. His heart raced as he grunted frustratedly. The elder inched onward, desperate to warn the rest of the temple. His legs dragged along the tiles, feeling heavier with each advance. Mattias' breaths hastened as he pushed himself to keep reaching. Even if it meant clawing at the tiles until his fingers bled.
"Let's move!" Cadet Officer Lyn Ferix shouted amid hysteria on the second level. "That's an order, not a suggestion!" With a swift jolt of her firm hand, the temple security force set up a defensive line along a corridor. Surviving Jedi from the atrium weaved between them to reach safer grounds while Cin Drallig and his sentinels secured the area.
"Oh kriff," Maku whispered. The Duros' hands were shaking as he worriedly tried to steady his blaster. "Oh kriff oh kriff oh kriff!"
"Easy," Kristoff assured on his left while Sven and the others formed up with him. "Stick together and we'll be okay."
"Listen closely," Cin declared as sounds of blasterfire echoed from down the halls. The temple Battlemaster remained steadfast and resolute. "Our sacred grounds have held for thousands of generations. Tonight is no different. We are to push forward and repel the enemy. We will not bend. We will not break." Lyn ferociously cocked her rifle and nodded to Cin. While Maku was able to straighten his posture, his weapon was still shaking in his sweaty palms. Kristoff's eyes narrowed on the hallway. He expected many a threat to reveal itself, but not once did he consider a wave of clones to emerge. He was all the more shocked when Cin so easily yelled, "Attack!"
Without hesitation, Lyn immediately opened fire. Her first shot met its mark into a clone's face as the 501st returned fire. As their survival instincts kicked in, Kristoff and Sven blasted away. While the security guards engaged the clones, Cin ignited his lightsaber and led his sentinels into a charge. His green blade heralded a wave of yellow pinwheels as the temple guards took the troopers head on. Within a matter of seconds, the temple had become an all out war zone with critical casualties on both sides.
In the temple's upper level dormitories, Anna couldn't bring herself to stop pacing. So much so, that it was starting to irritate Hans. He crossed his arms at the foot of her bed and scoffed. "How long are you gonna do this for?" he groaned. "Hello? Anna."
It took Hans snapping his fingers at her for Anna to angrily spin towards him. "What?" she growled.
"By the Force," he grumbled. "There's no need for that kriffing attitude. I just-"
"A-...attitude?" Anna choked and stepped towards her lover. "Hans, my squad is gone. I will never see my brothers again. And it's all my fault."
"Well I think that's a bit much," Hans professed. "Blaming yourself."
"I'm the one who pushed to help Elsa on Aren!" Anna blurted, almost crying all over again. Her eyes burned from sobbing so much since Aren. "I was stupid enough to believe it could help us. That it could get us back in the war effort if we succeeded and-" Anna frustratedly tugged at her hair. "And-"
Noticing her visible anxiety, Hans raised and irked hand. "Just...take a breath."
"Take a breath?" Anna hissed. "Wow, Hans. If it were that easy to just forget everything and breathe at this point, I'd-" A sudden commotion had Anna pausing. Shuffling bodies and muffled shouting permeated from beyond the doors. "Did you hear that?" she asked.
"Now what?" Hans griped.
When the sounds didn't let up, Anna urgently scrubbed her teary face and opened the door to her room. Hans peeked from behind her as they watched Jedi quickly evacuate their rooms. Two temple guards were going door to door, knocking and beckoning inhabitants to leave. "Hey," Anna called to a guard before he could reach her door. "What is this?"
"The temple is under attack," the guard spoke sternly, yet calmly. "By order of the Battlemaster, all Jedi are to rally on the fourth level and await further instruction."
Anna worriedly looked at Hans as they rushed out of her room. They were quickly joined by multiple Jedi scrambling to reach the upper level. While older members of the Order exuded a level of collectiveness, their younger counterparts were more frantic.
Anna's heart sank when their group merged with those who had been on the lower level of the attack. Hobbling, ash-coated Jedi filled the halls. Despite their various states and injuries, those who'd survived the atrium continued to push onward. Anna would've followed them down the hallway had she not noticed a familiar face falling behind. "Tori?" she called, squinting her eyes.
"Help...me," the Pantoran grunted, still carrying Vedkan with whatever strength she could muster.
"Oh kriff," Anna cursed. "Hans, come on!"
"They said to go upstairs!" Hans retaliated as Anna ran in the opposite direction. He groaned and reluctantly joined when she ignored him.
Anna approached Tori, who was hardly breathing while carrying the Trandoshan. "Vedkan's been shot," the Pantoran whispered.
Anna glanced up over Tori's shoulders and the color drained from her face. It was a sight she should've been desensitized to, and yet she continued to find herself struck by it. "Tori," Anna uttered.
"Just help me lift him," Tori insisted as her legs wobbled. "I feel him slipping."
"Tori-..." Anna persisted.
"Help me!" the Pantoran yelled. "Before they-"
Trying to snap her out of it, Anna reached forward. She placed a hand on Tori's sweaty, blue face...capturing her attention for merely a moment. Swallowing hard, Anna lamented her somber truth. "He's gone."
"What?" Tori retorted while shaking her head.
"I'm sorry."
"No," Tori retaliated, still holding her friend. "See that-...that can't be because he has thick scales. Thick scales to-"
"Tori," Anna asserted. She shook her head grimly as Tori dropped to her knees. Succumbing to the pain in her shoulders, she released Vedkan from her grip. As she spun to catch him in her arms, she realized that Anna's words had been rooted in truth. Vedkan's wounds proved to be as grandiose as his sacrifice. His heavy, limp body lay in her arms as she still shook her head in denial.
"I-..." Tori uttered. "He was just-" For as she held Vedkan, so too did she hold Surk. She never forgot a companion, nor the sting of losing one all over again. "How?" Tori questioned breathily. "Why?" her desperate questions had Anna rubbing her shoulder for support. "He had a future," she grieved. "He-"
Suddenly, a familiar whir had some of the dormitory Jedi rejoicing. They exited out onto a verandah as a Republic gunship glided over and flashed its searchlights on them. "Over here!" a Padawan shouted.
"Help us!" a knight hollered.
Snapping out of her grief, Tori realized the trap and rose to her feet. Shoving past Anna, Tori desperately tried to reach the nearby verandah. "No..." she panted. "Wait! Stop! Get back inside!" Tori had barely made it several feet before the gunship fired its laser cannons directly into the unsuspecting youth. Anna and Hans watched in horror as the explosion rattled the temple's upper level. The blast's ensuing shockwave sent Tori tumbling back as more gunship's cleared the verandah. Their hatches opened and 501st troopers rappelled down to the upper level.
"What the?" Anna gasped as Tori ushered her back inside. "Clones?"
"I can't explain it," Tori answered. "But they're attacking us from all sides. They're the ones who...killed Vedkan."
"I'd love to debate death and untrustworthy clones-" Hans interrupted. "But can we get the hell out of here now?" he snapped while keeping a frantic eye on the approaching troopers. Helping guide Tori to pick up the pace, Anna rushed to join Hans as they fled to the next level.
The Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center had become a hopeless void for all who inhabited it. Any spark of seeing the outside world again was often snuffed out within the first week. Inmates who weren't oblivious to the Republic's lawmakers knew that the Senate wanted to keep them off of the streets for as long as possible. Unless someone knew a high-value asset on the inside, no one was walking free. Regardless, Riz had fantasized about her freedom several times over the months. The Kage imagined what it would be like to put as much distance between her and Coruscant. She'd start over in the Outer Rim, putting her Force talents to better use. Not a day had gone by that she hadn't thought about her partner, JJ's death...and how she'd chosen fighting Anna instead of saving her. As the Kage sprawled against her bland cell bed, she soon heard an incoming buzz. Rising to her feet, Riz watched as one of the prison pods approached her cell.
Two red-armored clones from the Coruscant Guard disembarked from the pod and deactivated the ray shield. "Prisoner 4922," one of the clones said. "Stand up."
Riz cautiously did so, secretly wondering if her moment had come. If someone had seen her Force-sensitive talents over the months and bribed the guards to release her. Preparing herself to be escorted, she stood tall...and immediately took a laser to the chest. The Coruscant Guard trooper didn't even hesitate. From the moment she rose up, he placed a direct blastershot into her chest and sent her toppling over. And as Riz lay their wheezing for her final breath, she realized that Bruno's prediction had come true. Like JJ, she too would meet a grim fate at the hands of a scorching chest.
The first sense to return to Elsa was that of familiarity. The high-pitched chirps of Sir Porgen had her wishing that the darkness of her situation had all been false. Just a grim, stress-induced nightmare. But as the scent of crackling flames came to her senses, they only heralded the most devastating of all. Elsa fully awakened to her droid nudging her. Her tiny creation stood atop a piece of rubble and even tried tugging at one of her disheveled locks. As Elsa stirred, she gently patted his head and rose from the stones around her. Her heart shattered as she gazed out across the ravaged atrium. Memories extending since her childhood had been brutally razed with the sight of fallen Jedi amid the debris. Unwilling to look at first, Elsa forced herself to glance back at the stairs...or what remained of them. For while they'd been destroyed in the blast, her Padawan's body still laid beside her.
Yelena had once compared taking on an apprentice to being a mother. Following Mattias' belief that Padawans were the children masters could never have. And while Elsa had never considered the concept of motherhood at her age, looking at Stel's body had a profound effect on her. He claimed she wanted to mold him into another version of herself...when in reality, all she'd wanted to do was protect him. And yet in the end, Elsa had failed. She couldn't even defend him in their own home, all because she wasn't fast enough. She'd failed both him and the parents who'd entrusted the Order with his safety. Never would he find his destiny nor face his fears...all because of Elsa. As that regret struck her in waves, Elsa gave in to her tears. Porgen emitted a low-toned beep as his creator knelt in sorrow. Shock gripped at Elsa as she ran her fingers along Stel's motionless arm. His Padawan braid was a mess from where he'd been anxiously tugging at it. Lost in the trauma of it all, Elsa started to re-braid his hair while softly weeping. She became so lost...so fixated on her student, that she didn't see the clone troopers returning for a perimeter check.
While the rest of the 501st had found an alternative means of advancing, Appo had called a squad back to check for survivors. The troopers started shooting already fallen Jedi, and the sounds of their weapons had Elsa snapping out of her daze. All she wanted to do was carry Stel's body and flee as far away as she could. If not for a proper burial, then to at least avoid the clones desecrating his body. Before she could make a move, one of the troopers noticed her through the smoke. "Got a live one down here!" he shouted as she gasped. "Call it in! Got a survivor in the-" Suddenly, a blue laser struck the clone in his chest.
Tracing the shot upstairs, Elsa watched as the temple's security guards pushed their offensive from above. Kristoff raised his smoking rifle and called to her. "Elsa! Hold on! We'll get you out of there!"
A firefight erupted as the clones took cover. "Take 'em down!" Lyn commanded while flanking from across the atrium balconies. Instead of aiding in the conflict, Elsa continued to process her shock. She nervously raised her shaking hand and closed Stel's eyes. If for nothing else, her Padawan could at least be one with the Force in peace.
The clone squad didn't let up and gunned down several of the civilian guards. One of their shots struck Maku in the neck and had him toppling over. "No!" Lyn yelled and furiously retaliated. Acting on her rage, she fired over the balcony and landed two headshots. As the clones' collapsed, Lyn quickly realized that their victory had come with greater losses. She knelt beside the Duros as his head fell back. Looking back up, Lyn realized that only she, Sven, and Kristoff remained.
"Atrium is secured for now and there's a Jedi still down on the first floor," Kristoff assured. "What are your orders, Lyn?" He leaned closer when she didn't answer. "Ma'am?"
Lyn's stare focused on Maku's corpse along with the others'. She shook her head as her grizzly truth sunk in. "We run," she murmured.
"To another rendezvous?" Kristoff inquired while Sven snorted.
"No, Blondie." Lyn persistent. "We leave. Just the three of us. All that's left of this garbage initiative. Clearly whatever the clones are doing here is against the Jedi Temple and its Order. We can probably walk away from this unscathed."
"Cadet officer?" Kristoff worried. "What are you saying?"
Lyn looked around betwixt the temple's destruction. "We played our part, Blondie," she said. "We don't owe the Jedi anything. Not to lay down our lives for this. Think about it for a second. The Republic military is attacking them. What if we're on the wrong side?"
"That doesn't make any sense," Kristoff groused.
"We may not get another chance," Lyn said, eyeing the temple's main entrance. "More clones will be coming. Whatever this is...whatever aftermath is upon us. We can outlast it together. People like you, Sven and I are survivors."
Kristoff peered over the balcony and observed Elsa's weary face. Shaking his head, he only gripped his rifle tighter. "I'm sorry, cadet officer. But I'm not leaving my friends behind."
Lyn's social demeanor faltered. Her postured stiffened as she stepped away from Kristoff and Sven. "Then you can die with them," she said. "And here I thought you two were the smart ones." Without another word, Lyn vaulted over the balcony and sprinted towards the entrance. She fled into the night, not once looking back at the opportunity she was given nor the Jedi in peril.
As the final security guards, Kristoff and Sven ventured to the lower atrium. Only instead of following Lyn out, they made it to Elsa's side. Sven's dark eyes widened at the sight of Stel's body cradled in her arms. Handling the delicate situation, Kristoff knelt beside Elsa and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Elsa?" he beckoned. "El-"
"Hm?" she mumbled, easing out of her shock. Her mind bent and spiraled, fighting every urge to shut down just as it had when her parents were murdered. "Kristoff?"
"Yeah," he reassured her. "It's me. Listen, we gotta get you out of here."
"Stel's...he's-"
"I know," Kristoff grieved. "I'm so sorry." Elsa held her student's body even tighter as Kristoff rubbed her back. "Elsa," he spoke calmly yet assertively. "I know things are very difficult right now, but we have to keep moving. We need to get you and the others out of here."
"Others..."
"Anyone we can," Kristoff explained.
"Anna," Elsa realized. "Yelena...Mattias. They all need us. They have no idea what's coming."
Sven mooed as Kristoff picked up on his Cevrian. "Risky," he answered. "But it might be our only chance." He turned to relay the information to Elsa. "The Jedi corvette that we've been using to shuttle people to their Venators. If we can get to the temple hangar before the clones do, that's our ticket out of here."
Elsa fought through her foggy mind to place a call on her comlink, but all signals were jammed and reduced to static. "We need to find the others," she said.
"I agree," Kristoff answered and sadly looked at Stel. "But Elsa..."
He didn't have to say anything more. Elsa understood that rescuing others meant being able-bodied. And if Elsa was to utilize her full potential regardless of the circumstances, she couldn't carry Stel. "I-" she swallowed the lump in her throat and rested Stel against the rubble. "I understand." Leaning towards the young Theelin, she kissed his forehead and let a final tear plummet to his head. "I'm so sorry," she whispered while Porgen mournfully nuzzled from her shoulder. Rising from the debris, Elsa followed Kristoff and Sven up what was left of the stairs. The duo was all the more bewildered when she didn't continue with them down the leftward hall.
"The hangar's this way," he said. "Once we get the ship-"
"It may be too late by then," Elsa answered, the energy sapped from her tone. "You and Sven secure the ship. I'll find the others."
"But how will we find each other?"
Elsa took a deep breath and responded with "Trust in the Force" before running rightward.
"That doesn't help in a situation like this!" Kristoff hollered, even if she was out of range.
Using the Force to propel herself to the next level, Elsa hurried onward. She flinched when an explosion shook the temple's upper foundation, but ultimately steadied herself. Having Sir Porgen chirping on her shoulder brought her a slight a sense of comfort. "It's going to be alright," she whispered to the droid while patting his head. Checking over her comlink, she glowered at its jammed connection. Taking her own advice, Elsa paused and took a deep breath. "Trust...in the Force," she whispered to herself and closed her eyes. Quieting her mind amidst the turmoil, she scoured her surroundings for any familiar sensations. And as a spark of motherly instinct reached her mind's eye, Elsa softly uttered, "Yelena."
Yelena kept a tight grip on Grogu while following the Jedi trio. "This way," the lead master ordered. She maintained a calm resolve despite the destruction unfolding on the lower levels.
"Any word from Master Yoda?" Yelena inquired. "Master Windu?" One of the other Jedi denied both questions with a mere shake of his hooded head. While the lead master activated the elevator, their group waited impatiently as each ding seemed eternal. Yelena peered down at the child in her arms and gently stroked his head. "We're okay," she whispered. "We're-"
Suddenly, a sharp and scorching hiss emanated from the adjacent doorway. Despite being sealed, someone was torching the doors directly down their center. Given the speed of which the tool was burning through, a clone was undoubtedly using a fusioncutter. "Here they come!" one of the hooded Jedi warned. He ignited his blue blade and prompted the others to join him.
The lead Jedi sparked up her green saber and gestured to the elevator. "Master Yelena!" she decreed. "Get the child out of here!" Yelena froze while watching the other Jedi fight in her stead. For a brief moment, she felt as though she was reliving the night her mentor died. Master Willow had given her life ordering Yelena to save Anna and Elsa, just as she was now doing for Grogu. The doors were sliced open as a horde of clones surged through. "Go!" the lead Jedi roared. "We will hold them!" Flanked by her hooded companions, the trio took the clones head on while Yelena held Grogu. The elder kept nervously glancing back at the elevator while blasterfire echoed throughout the corridor. When the elevator reached its final ding, a stray laser struck the panel and had it sparking against the wall.
"No!" Yelena gasped as Grogu wept in her arms. She tried calming him, but the ongoing battle only ruined her efforts. The elevator doors powered down entirely. In an effort to pry them open, Yelena set Grogu down by her feet and reached out with the Force. "Don't move, Grogu!" she instructed. "Stay down!" While she desperately tried to get the elevator open, all the child could do was watch what was unfolding behind them. The Jedi trio valiantly fought to keep the clones at bay. But for every five they killed, another ten came surging forward. His ears drooped and he nervously clutched his blanket. Flashes of blue streaked across his timid face as the Jedi deflected incoming shots.
The trio's defensive line shattered when the lead Jedi took a hit to her chest. Dropping to her knees from the center, all her hooded companions could do was hold against the advance. As blasterfire increased, it was only a matter of time before the shots overwhelmed another warrior. His hood swished with his collapsing body as his hilt clattered to the floor. Yelena finally got the elevator open, only to see that the lift itself was damaged. Any attempt to ascend had been ruined. The third Jedi held his ground, flourishing his saber to block shots until a laser met his chest. As he met his end, the clones were quick to advance and shoot at the already deceased Jedi. Ensuring their deaths, they pushed towards the elevator. Grogu's little heart sank when the lead trooper jabbed a finger at him and the clones took aim.
A blue saber activated just as they opened fire and Yelena stepped over Grogu's head. Spinning her blade, the elder sent one shot directly into a clone's face and then Force-pushed several others back. Out of options with the elevator, she scooped Grogu up and fled down the nearest hallway. "After them!" a clone shouted. "Don't let them get away!" The troopers assembled in full force, their plastoid clacking as they ran down the hall. Rounding the corner, they passed a massive statue of an Old Republic master.
Yelena might've been absolutely still, but her heart was thundering in her chest. Sweat trickled down her temple as she hid behind the statue's thigh. Dwelling in its shadows, she clutched Grogu as the child whimpered. "Shhh," Yelena whispered, her voice breaking. "Shhhhh." Even as she remained still to protect Grogu, she could hear the excruciation of her less fortunate allies.
"Please! No!" A confused Padawan could be heard begging. He had to have been only a teen based on what Yelena could hear. "We're on the same side! We're on the same-" The ensuing volley of lasers had Yelena shuddering as the clones shot him dead. Tears fled her eyes as she desperately tried to keep her composure. Like that poor Padawan, she too had no idea what was happening. All Yelena knew was that she had to escape by all and any means. Waiting for a quiet moment, she cautiously crept from the statue's shadows. Yelena kept hugging the wall, knowing that the Force would be her only weapon. She didn't feel comfortable enough wielding a saber and guarding Grogu.
It was in those moments that Yelena sensed something...familiar beyond the wall. She furrowed her brows over the sensation, yet continued to exercise caution. As she fully stepped around the corner, her senses were met by another attuned Force wielder. Never had Yelena been so relieved to look upon the innocent gaze of her former apprentice. "Elsa?" she choked.
"Master," Elsa croaked, almost reverting to her inner child. They impulsively hugged each other, leaving room for Grogu to squeeze between them. Feeling any form of embrace immediately prompted tears to swell in Elsa's eyes.
"You came back," Yelena realized.
Unable to focus on Aren at all, Elsa poured her heart out. "Stel," she mourned. "He's...he's gone."
Yelena's heart shattered over the news, but her survival instincts kept her alert as a blast sounded from the upper level. Gripping Elsa's shoulder, she spoke in a hushed yet commanding tone. "I'm so sorry, Elsa. But we need to get out of here."
"Where's Anna?" Elsa asked. "Mattias?"
"I don't know," Yelena professed. "Communications are down."
"Kristoff and Sven are going to get a ship from the hangar," Elsa explained. "How they'll reach us...I don't know."
"If we can reach a balcony-" Yelena considered. "-we might be able to signal them. That's if they're out there in time." The elder sighed. "So much chaos. None of this makes any sense. Why would the clones betray us?"
"The 501st is only following its leader," Elsa explained. "Yelena...Anakin is leading them. He's behind this attack."
Yelena's brows furrowed. "Skywalker? That can't be-"
"Don't-" Elsa snapped and immediately hushed herself. Her body trembled as she murmured. "I saw him. H-He's the one who k-...killed Stel."
Yelena shook her head as the dark realization took hold. "Then our situation just became much more difficult."
For a Jedi youngling, it was considered an honor to even be summoned to the temple's grand spire. Now the Jedi Council's chamber was nothing more than a pulse-pounding refuge for the children of the Force. Scattered remnants of several, broken clans now lay hidden behind the vacant seats of lost masters. Their wide eyes were ripe with fear betwixt the shadows. Livia had often been known as a calm and collected child among her peers in Brith Clan. But even know, she couldn't help but succumb to the overwhelming terrors unfolding around her. Smoke could be seen rising from outside the grand spire's windows. The occasional, explosive echo had her and the other younglings ducking back behind the seats.
Livia clutched a cushioned armrest until her fingers burned. The Zeltron's timid gaze met those of Filz and Keruu. The Karkaradon pair were anything but tough as they held each other in the darkness. While Livia had typically strayed away from talking to the duo, she felt that calming them down would help ease her own nerves. "H-...hey," she whispered. "It's gonna-" Livia choked up and swallowed her own rising anxieties. "It's gonna be alright."
"You don't know that," Filz whispered, chattering his sharp jaws.
Livia pursed her lips while continuing to grip the cushion. "Master Kalia won't let anything happen to us," she assured. "She's standing watch downstairs and when it's clear...she'll come get us. You'll see!"
"No one's coming to get us," a Togruta child lamented while curling up into a ball. "We're alone up here."
"Hey stop that," Livia snapped. "Trust the Force. That's what Master Kalia is always telling us to do, right? We need to-"
In that instant, the grand spire's doors suddenly hissed open. The immediate sound had younglings gasping in fear until they realized that it was actually one of their own. While it wasn't Master Kalia, Livia found comfort as Anakin Skywalker stepped into the room. He was clearly distressed as he eyed the emerging children. Livia deduced that Anakin had barely survived himself and that Kalia had sent him to retrieve them. Like Livia, the other children were just grateful to see a familiar face amid such a horrid time. One youngling even took it upon himself to step up to Anakin and speak for himself.
"Master Skywalker," the child spoke worriedly. "There are too many of them. What are we going to do?"
As soon as the boy asked that question, it was as if another silence had laid claim to the room. There was no relief in Anakin's presence as a distinct coldness took hold. Livia began to wonder if Master Kalia was okay, but her thoughts were soon silenced by the sharp ignition of a single blade. The children froze as Anakin approached without speaking a word. The hum of his lightsaber was daunting as he slowly raised it over his shoulders. Blinded by his own pain and suffering, Anakin was numbed to the atrocity he was about to commit. The looks of horror on each childs' face flickered under the saber light as Anakin embraced his dark deeds.
The Jedi Temple's flames were spreading across the lower levels. So much so, that even Coruscanti several districts away could see massive smoke clouds billowing out. The besieged sanctuary could be seen burning in the distance as Belle O'Har continued to recover. Still confined to a hospital bed since the Battle of Coruscant, the reporter could only watch the destruction from afar. Her pulse elevated across the monitor as she rolled over against her pillow. Ever the curious journalist, her mind raced as she tried to comprehend what was happening. Everything from a Separatist plot to another rogue Jedi had Belle wishing she could bolt out of bed. Instead, she listened in as her caregivers argued down the hall.
"You can't be serious," Dr. Mardeth Grey could be heard snapping. Her worried voice echoed along with her speeding stomps. "Der. Think about this."
"Mardeth," he was quick to answer. "I have to go. Something is terribly wrong."
"But I thought you were going to leave the Order behind?"
The doctors paused at the end of the hall. "I did," Der lamented. "But I am still a Jedi. And no matter what truth I decide to live, that temple is part of me. I don't know why all emergency services are being ordered not to respond."
"But shouldn't we trust it?" Mardeth considered. "It's a direct order from the Coruscant Guard."
"It doesn't make sense," Der whispered sharply. "The temple is clearly in trouble and they're blocking out first responders of any kind? It doesn't matter if the Force is on their side. There are elders in that temple. Children. I'm going. If nothing else, to at least see what's happened."
"Then I'm coming with you," Mardeth affirmed until Der gripped her shoulders.
"No," he persisted while also calming himself. Loosening his grip on her, he smiled softly and said, "I need you safe. Please. When the east wing of this hospital collapsed during the invasion, I thought I'd almost lost you. I can't have that happen again. Not now so just-...please."
Mardeth could see his frustration winding within and sighed. "I'll start prepping medical droids here for anything that you find," she said. "You be safe too, okay?"
Their agreement brought a sliver of comfort to Der's heart as he leaned towards her. Gently taking Mardeth's hands in his, he planted a blissful kiss on her lips. Not another word needed to be uttered. For the passions of his heart were spoken through that kiss and the sincerity of his gaze. Their hands parted from one another as he headed downstairs. Recollecting himself and buttoning up his doctor's coat, Der reached the hospital's expansive garage. The reinforced lot was one of the few areas that had survived the droid bombing, allowing Der to easily board an ambulance airspeeder. Ensuring that all systems were properly optimized, he began gliding the vehicle out of the hospital. Preparing himself for anything at the temple, Der took a moment to breathe deeply and check over the medkit in his passenger seat. While he was doing so, a pair of green lasers struck the pathway ahead.
The powerful beams caught Der completely off guard as he raced to take evasive action. As he swerved the ambulance, another set of green blasts struck his vehicle and forced it into one of the hospital's outer walls. The ambulance crunched on impact and Der bashed his head on the dashboard. The deafening whir of a Republic gunship sounded as though it was directly on top of the ambulance. Instead, the ship landed beside the crashed vehicle and opened its hatches. Flashes of red emerged under the moonlight as a squad of clones from the Coruscant Guard disembarked. Der could barely comprehend the situation while a second gunship landed on the opposite side of his speeder. Its hatches slid open and revealed a second squad. Commander Fox stepped ahead of his troopers to ensure they had the ambulance surrounded. Then without speaking a single word, the clones opened fire.
Der shuddered at first, taking on the high-pitched sound of multiple blasters sparking off. Blue lasers bombarded the ambulance, tearing through its hull and shattering the windows. While several clones focused on destroying the vehicle, others moved in on the windows. The first shot to shatter glass sent shards spewing towards Der's face. Still battling shock and disorientation, he raised his arm to block the shards. This only put him in a position for two laser's to strike his forearm. Wincing from the wounds, Der desperately hunched forward to reach his lightsaber. Adrenaline was kicking in, even as clones on the opposite end were shooting through the glass. At least one of them had met their mark, for he felt a burning sensation rising from his right shoulder.
Der's fingers ached as he practically ripped the buttons off of his coat. His lightsaber was tucked deeply towards his pant leg as exasperation set in. Another shot reached his arm as Der ripped part of his coat off. He yanked his lightsaber up, so heavily that he actually tore a portion of his pants with the clip. With the door stuck from the crash, Der Force-pushed it open. While doing so, he exposed himself to taking several shots to the back from the opposite squad. Still he pushed on, sending the door flying from its hinges and into a pair of clones. Commander Fox and the rest of the troopers didn't let up as their target stumbled out of the ambulance.
For years, Der Sheparr had devoted his life to helping those in need. From the temple and beyond, his greatest hope was that his deeds would save lives. He focused on the faces of his patients...on everyone he'd impacted even in the face of overwhelming adversaries. Activating his lightsaber, he was reminded of the path he was always bound to. Raising his blue blade, Der's action would be nothing more than a gesture. His strength was dwindling, and he couldn't bring himself to deflect a single blast. So much so, that the incoming volley pinned him against the ambulance. Der writhed against the pale hull, taking a storm of lasers from the neck down. He held on to the saber for as long as he could while his head fell back. Gazing up at the starry sky, a final memory brightened in his mind.
Der saw Mardeth again. He felt the warmth of her lips and glimpsed the kindness in her eyes. He heard her benevolent voice yearning for him to be so much more, yet hoped he had always been enough. Perhaps he was, and perhaps his deeds had indeed saved lives. The brutal bombardment came to a chilling silence as the clones lowered their smoking weapons. Der's lightsaber extinguished before plummeting against the hospital's duracrete pathway. Der collapsed alongside it, his body riddled with lasers.
While it had become a source of discomfort for Mattias at first, the spinal cybernetic that Der Sheparr had installed was now his only saving grace. The elder's vision was blurring as his underbelly ached from crawling. Descending through a seemingly endless flight of stairs, Mattias continued to inch onward for his life. Damaged from the shot, his spinal cybernetic occasionally buzzed and caused greater discomfort. At the end of the stairs, Mattias gave in to his blastershot wound and let the rest of his body tumble. The ache was unfathomable as he struck the carpeting with a thud. Wriggling in pain, Mattias gasped for whatever air he could scrounge. His heart pounded as a pair of silhouettes emerged from down the hall. Their paces quickened upon spotting Mattias and sent him into a hysteric state.
"N-...no," he croaked, believing the killers had returned to finish the job. He couldn't even reach his lightsaber, and instead kept haplessly rolling on the carpet. "No!" he grunted. "No-"
"Ma-as?" a voice questioned. "Matt-s?"
"What?" he uttered as one of the figures knelt beside him.
"Mattias," Kristoff spoke clearly while Sven loomed over his shoulder. "Can you hear me?" The elder slowly nodded while Kristoff checked his back. "You've been shot. We're gonna-" Several blasts down the corridor had Kristoff's head snapping upward. "We're-" he swallowed hard. "We're gonna get you out of here. All we need to do is get to our ship in the hangar. Hopefully they haven't locked it down yet."
"They?" Mattias grumbled.
More blasterfire erupted from afar and prompted Kristoff to rush. "No time to explain," he said and gripped Mattias' arm. "Sven, can you carry him?" The Cevrian snorted in agreement. Kristoff grunted while heaving the wounded Jedi into his companion's arms. His heart sank, fearing that Mattias' painful shouts would attract attention. "I'll cover you," Kristoff assured while aiming his rifle down the hall. "To the hangar. Quick!" Sven nodded, kept a firm grip on Mattias, and proceeded down the hall.
Elsa found traumatic situations ominously bewildering. How certain sections of an area could remain eerily untouched while other sections were set ablaze. Yelena kept a firm grip on Grogu while leading Elsa up a winding staircase.
"Why are we heading back this way?" the eldest Dellian asked.
"In the event of an emergency-" Yelena began. "-council members are to meet back in the grand spire. Grogu's safety is of the utmost importance, and if there are other grand masters who can-" Yelena froze as they reached the top of the stairs. Elsa's brows furrowed as she joined Yelena to look for herself. While she expected to see more clones ready to attack, the sight was no less terrible. Yelena's grip on Grogu loosened slightly as the initial shock took hold. Both she and Elsa stepped closer to observe a fallen, Ithorian Jedi. "Look away, Grogu." Yelena whispered and pressed his head to her shoulder.
Swallowing hard, Elsa knelt down and observed their lost ally. "It's Master Kalia," she mourned. Always known for being such a gentle soul, Elsa couldn't imagine that the Ithorian had put up much of a fight. Her stomach dropped when she noticed a single, cauterized slash running across her side. "Y-Yelena," Elsa murmured as flashbacks to Stel plagued her. "Clones didn't do this."
Flaring her nostrils, Yelena handed Grogu to Elsa. "Wait here," she said and pressed the spire's elevator panel.
"What are you-"
"Kalia wouldn't abandon her youngling clan and was undoubtedly protecting them in the spire. My hope is that she was drawing attention away from them. Those children are the future of the Force. So wait here and if I'm not back in five minutes, leave without me."
Elsa tried to steady her breaths as Yelena entered the elevator. She stepped away from Kalia's body so that Grogu wouldn't have to look at it. Still, the child had witnessed much more beforehand and had started whimpering again. "Hey," Elsa spoke softly. "Shhh shhh. It's okay." She gently bounced him in her arms while trying to keep her self calm. "Shhh." When Grogu still wouldn't calm down, Elsa decided to nudge her satchel. "Porgen," she beckoned. "Could use an assist here." At her command, the tiny porg droid climbed onto her arm and chirped. His digital voice had Grogu's ears perking up. Porgen nuzzled the child's forehead, prompting him to simmer down while the elevator opened from behind. Elsa glanced back to see her mortified master.
Yelena was devoid of life as she slowly stepped out of the elevator. Her listing, unblinking stare was as bleak as her spiraling thoughts. "Yelena?" Elsa worried. "What happened? What was up there?"
Yelena's parted lips never closed. The color had been drained from her exhausted face, along with whatever spark of hope she'd been clinging to. While the rest of her body might've been paralyzed over what she'd witnessed, her eyes still managed to shift. And as that somber gaze found its way to Elsa, a single...heartbroken tear dripped from Yelena's twitching eye. Without uttering a single word on what she'd seen, Yelena took Grogu back from Elsa and held him as though he was the last child in the galaxy. As she returned to the stairs, Elsa took one last look at the eerie elevator.
The trip down was hauntingly silent. Elsa found herself too afraid to ask what Yelena had seen, all while memories of Stel's body still flashed through her mind. Yelena finally broke the silence as they crept downward. "Where can we find Kristoff?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Elsa professed. "But our best bet would be spotting his ship outside. What about Anna? Mattias-"
Yelena could hardly speak without her voice cracking. "Elsa. Search your feelings. It's broken. Everything's broken. Our connection to the Force is tainted by this shadow. Whenever I feel like the worst times have come, I've been able to ground myself in the Force. I can't even do that now. All I experience...is pain."
Elsa could only grimace. For as she searched her feelings, she knew Yelena's words to be true. "What do we do?"
"We have to trust that the others are alive. That by some...sliver of a chance, they've made it through to-" The trio's soft footsteps were soon drowned out by the stomps of heavy, plastoid boots. A squad of troopers had cleared the corridor and set their sights on new targets.
"Contact!" one of the clones shouted before Elsa Force-pushed him back. She sparked up her lightsaber as the rest of the soldiers fired away. While she deflected their blasts against the walls, Yelena fell back with Grogu in her arms.
"Elsa!" the elder beckoned. "This way!"
Elsa unleashed another Force push, keeping the squad at bay while one of the troops called for reinforcements. The call was answered sooner than anticipated as the Jedi dashed down a widened hall. Clones formed up on the adjacent side while their pursuers boxed them in from behind. Elsa's heart skipped a beat, as she realized they were trapped. "No," she uttered exasperatedly. "This...this can't be how this ends."
"Not for him it isn't," Yelena affirmed and eyed a tiny duct beside them. Using the Force, she pulled the vent's cylindrical grating off and observed the small tunnel. Yelena swiftly placed the child in the vent and nodded to him. "Go," she said. "Crawl, Grogu! Crawl and don't look back!" The child's ears flopped with concern as he babbled nervously. "Go!" Yelena shouted, thinking of the atrocities she'd witnessed. She activated her lightsaber and went back to back with Elsa. Heeding his master's final command, Grogu crawled into the vent and accepted his unknown fate.
Clones advanced from both sides and unleashed wave upon wave of blasterfire. While they hadn't teamed up in seemingly ages, Yelena and Elsa were like master and apprentice all over again. Their sabers hummed and flourished together, deflecting shots as a single unit. As they fought to survive, Elsa couldn't help but feel like there was something familiar about the hallway. Yet despite their dire circumstances, Elsa still chose a non-lethal approach. She redirected shots towards the ceiling and Force-pushed troopers where she could. Meanwhile, Yelena had resorted to sending blasts directly into her enemies.
"There's-" Yelena huffed as her pace slowed. "-too many of them."
Instead of striking down a group of clones, Elsa swished her hands forward to Force-push them. While this opening was effective, her lack of saber blocking left her side open for a clone to get two shots in. The bolts zipped past Elsa's shoulder...and met their marks in Yelena's back.
Elsa's blood ran cold at the sound of her master's wails. Any numbness she'd endured from Stel's fate had cascaded all over again as Yelena buckled forward. The elder's faltered defense left her exposed as a third laser struck her abdomen.
"Master!" Elsa yelled impulsively, feeling like a student all over again. Giving in to desperation and fury, Elsa sprung into the air. Sending her hands thrusting outward, the eldest Dellian unleashed a ferocious Force repulse. The likes of which sent clones on both ends tumbling to their respective sides. As Elsa dropped in a cold sweat, her first instinct was to scoop up her ailing companion. "I've got you," she assured while searching for any exit. It was in those moments that the hallway's familiarity finally clicked. Memories from long ago came surging back to her, as she recalled scampering in the darkness with her sister. It had been Anna's birthday, and together they'd reactivated a temple training droid that'd gone haywire. And their only salvation had been-
"A maintenance hatch," Elsa recalled while scouring the hall. As if it hadn't aged a day, the entrance to the very tunnel they'd escaped into as children still remained connected to the floor. Exasperated, Elsa hauled Yelena towards the hatch and dropped in front of it. "Please open," she begged. "Please don't be locked!" Yelena leaned against her body, adding more pressure as Elsa slowly lifted the hatch. "Come on!" she grunted while clones began to stir.
"Don't let them get away!" a trooper shouted. "Blast 'em!"
Elsa ducked, narrowly avoiding a laser while others beamed beside her. Realizing she had to risk it all, Elsa flung her arms upward. The gesture was enough to send the hatch clamoring open, but left her completely exposed as a laser zipped directly towards the back of her head. Instead of scorching its way through her skull, it struck a metallic surface instead. The likes of which had Elsa's eyes widening as soon as she heard a digitized squawk. She wanted to scream "No!" but the word couldn't even manifest. Instead, she merely choked on her own gasp and turned to catch Sir Porgen. The tiny droid was always adapting through his enhanced data-brain. And over time, he'd built up a true bond with his creator. While many would argue that droids were incapable of love, some would say otherwise. And it was evident in Porgen's willingness to take a laser for Elsa.
Yelena crawled and collapsed into the maintenance tunnel. Elsa slid behind and hurriedly slammed the hatch behind her. Plummeting into the darkness, Elsa cradled her twitching droid. "Porgen?" she whimpered. The droid's components were short-circuiting as the laser had gone directly through his chest. "No no no. Please." His dome-shaped head swiveled uncontrollably until she brought a pair of fingers to it. This gentle caress seemed to calm the droid down, even as his photoreceptors flickered out of control. "Shh," she assured. "Look at me, little one. I'm-" Elsa sniffled and forced a smile. "I'm here. You're not alone." Porgen's components slowed as his mechanical wings stopped flapping. Realizing he soon wouldn't be able to see her anymore, Elsa took one last look at her first creation. She forced a smile through her tears, held Porgen close, and whispered the only words she could think of. "Thank you."
The glow left Porgen's eyes as he became a sizzling shell in her hands. Elsa's tears tapped against his casing as she gently set him down. Barely able to stomach any more grief, she inched her way towards Yelena. Elsa didn't want to run anymore. She didn't have it in her. Instead, she fell against her master's chest as a daughter would her mother. Even in her moments of ongoing pain, Yelena put an arm around Elsa and pulled her close. Yelena calmly ran her fingers through her hair as Elsa wept into her chest. They held each other in the darkness, even as the clones fought to pry open the hatch above.
"Elsa," Yelena coughed, her chest beating rapidly against her former student's ear. "You...need to keep going."
"I can't," Elsa wept. "I-"
"You can. Otherwise...it's-" Yelena winced as her wounds continued to claim her body. "It's all for nothing. Your parents. Your ventures. Every...sacrifice."
"But what about us?" Elsa sniffled. "Blueblossoms stick together."
"And we...always will," Yelena uttered. Her trembling hands slinked away from Elsa and dropped to her own waist. "Always." With a heavy grunt, Yelena untied her Northuldra sash and handed it to Elsa. "This...was your mother's. She passed it to me, but now it falls to you. Earn its markings as I have. You are Elsa...rightful Queen of Aren."
"I can't leave you," Elsa asserted, even while clutching her mother's sash.
"You have to," Yelena retorted. "Or they'll...kill you...too. Elsa-" Yelena winced while fighting to keep speaking. "Elsa-...I'm so...proud of you."
Suddenly, the clones managed to pry a corner of the tunnel's hatch open. Elsa and Yelena glanced up just as one of the trooper's dropped a thermal detonator in through the breach. Its high-pitched chimes had Yelena using her last ounces of strength to reach out with the Force. Holding the grenade in place, she channeled all of her energy into containing its blast. "Now go," she grunted. "Please." Realizing what was at stake and still gripped by a state of shock, Elsa staggered back. Her limp became a broken run as Elsa turned away. She sprinted deep into the tunnel while Yelena Force-pulled the grenade close to her body. As the master listened for the final chime, she let her mind wander elsewhere. Yelena made peace with the Force, imagining Iduna smiling amid a lush field. I did my best, Yelena told the apparition. I will see you soon, my sister of the Force.
Although contained, the ensuing explosion still sent a shockwave rippling throughout the tunnel. Elsa lost her footing in the process and fell face first into the metallic flooring. As she raised her head, she came to terms with Yelena's sacrifice and hunched forward with a heavy sob.
The temple's fourth level had become anything but the sanctuary surviving Jedi were hoping for. Rallying points were broken as clone troopers flooded in from reinforcing gunships. Laserfire echoed from all levels as Jedi desperately fought for their lives. But with each fallen saber, morale was ravaged under the 501st's brutal advance. Tori Vica had gone ballistic. With the death of Vedkan, she had started slashing down any trooper in her path. For her, escaping the temple had no longer become the priority. Instead, she had her raging heart set on taking down as many attackers as possible and defending her fellow Jedi. "This way!" she declared before leading a charge into several clones. The Pantoran frontflipped while spinning her blades forward. The maneuver sent two heads rolling from troopers' shoulders as Anna and Hans joined in.
Hans had little remorse for the clones as he hacked those in his way. And while Anna had come to bond with many troopers in her military career, she wouldn't hesitate to kill those attacking her. Their respective sabers hacked against plastoid as troopers collapsed at their feet. Hans had finished impaling a clone when he noticed a verandah one floor above them. "There!" he pointed. "That balcony's our ticket out of here." Anna was about to follow when her boots skidded to a halt. "What?" Hans snapped at her.
"Elsa," Anna worried. "She could be-"
"Please," Hans scoffed. "She's probably fine. Or she isn't. But sticking around here is no way to find out. We need to leave now!" Hans gritted his teeth at her persistent hesitation. "You know I'm right! Come on!" Anna didn't have much time to think as multiple troopers closed in. They moved up towards the verandah, deflecting shots and cutting down all opposition. Hans sliced a clone's arm off and kicked him away. "We're almost there!" he declared until he noticed Anna's pause again. "Now what?" His body suddenly stiffened when he looked back and saw Anna in distress. In fact, his lover was floating in midair. To his shock, a dark-hooded figure was using the Force to keep Anna suspended. As the mysterious figure threw Anna against the stairs, Hans got a closer look at him. "It can't be," he murmured.
Anna slowly stirred from the collision and followed Hans' gaze to her assailant. She knew those dark robes anywhere, only the Jedi's face had become far more intimidating. "A-...Anakin?" Anna gasped. "What are you-" Without responding, Anakin lunged at Anna and forced her on the defensive. She quickly parried, moving along the stairs as he continued his attacks. "What happened to you?" she asked. "Why are you doing this?" Anakin didn't respond, instead keeping up his intense and deathly glare. "Snap-" Anna wound up for a powerful saber swing. "-out of it!" Her attack was cut short as Anakin's gloved hand met her throat. His firm, cybernetic fingers wrapped their way around, raising Anna up and choking the life out of her. As she stared down at her attacker, she realized that Anakin Skywalker was still very much present. There was a seething hatred in his eyes as he choked Anna out. At least until Hans came dashing into the fray.
Anakin didn't even break a sweat, parrying Hans' saber while continuing to strangle Anna. He countered with enough momentum to send Hans spiraling back and returned his focus to Anna. As he prepared to snap her neck like a twig, the hum of two sabers surged from above. Anakin's head craned upward as both of Tori's blades came darting at him. The double attack forced Anakin to release Anna in order to protect himself. While Anna wheezed to catch her breath, Tori took Anakin head on. Their blue sabers sparked up against each other as Anna prepared to strike him from behind. She was nearly back into the fight when Hans yanked her by the sleeve. "Wait, what?" Anna croaked, her throat still sore.
"We gotta go!" Hans shouted and motioned towards the alarmingly clear verandah. His wild eyes observed Anakin's distraction and the clones around them. "While they're busy! Come on!"
Anna hesitated, her heels scraping opposite of Hans' direction. Her frantic gaze fell to Tori as she and Anakin paused in combat. Skywalker was blocking her exit to the verandah, and yet the Pantoran wasn't concerned. Her determined, golden glare found its way to Anna. Tori's firm, yet solemn nod spoke volumes as Anna stumbled backward. Noticing the redhead's hesitation, especially after what she'd endured with her squad, Tori made her decision easier. With a swish of her hand, Tori used the Force to send pieces of a fallen column rolling between them. The debris would slow down Anakin if nothing else, who set his sights on the fleeing Jedi.
"Oh no you don't," Tori declared. "Your fight is with me."
Anakin dipped his saber towards her and attacked without hesitation. Tori cared little for Skywalker's state of mind. What mattered was that he and his unit had turned against the Order. That knowledge alone was enough to have Tori fighting for the lives of her peers and charging into Anakin head on. Her spinning guard shotos buzzed against his saber, sparking flares with each hit. But Anakin was just as quick on his feet, utilizing his own aggressive Ataru. His overhead slashes had Tori repeatedly ducking. Refusing to stay on the defensive, Tori retaliated against Anakin. And each powerful hit seemed to spark a memory within. Moments in time flickered across her mind as she recalled being inducted into Brith Clan and meeting Surk. She saw herself in the Corellian Cup, desperate to please Master Krell. With her next strike came memories of meeting Master Sumar, and how she'd received new lightsabers. The likes of which would change her life forever. She remembered meeting her parents and feeling the love they shared for her.
"I don't know what your destiny is. But I believe that every day you spend walking the path of Light gives you a chance to discover it. In the end, you'll have a choice to make just as we all will. The kind of choice that will determine who you truly are. In those moments, perhaps your destiny will make a little more sense. And you'll be able to look back on all of it and say 'This, I have done'."
I was always a servant of Light, Tori thought to herself. She continued to duel Anakin, pushing him further from Anna and Hans as they made their escape. A clone tried to get a shot on her and she managed to cut him down. My destiny never resided in some distant world, but in myself. And in the actions I created for myself in the name of others. I served. I believed. And by the Force-... Tori thought deeply on Meliz, her parents, Surk, and Vedkan. -...I loved.
Setting her sabers to maximum spin, Tori charged at Anakin once more. Pushing him on the defensive, she was able to back him up further towards the atrium. Despite overwhelming him, Tori didn't expect Anakin to lunge forward with his own retaliatory strike. The Dark Side propelled him, breaking Tori's offensive as both combatants spun. While Tori slashed from above, she felt a sudden sting meet her torso. Anakin's low swing had proven quicker as she stumbled forward into his stab. The blade's plasma had her pained face growing brighter. Although she tried to fulfill her attack, Anakin kept digging his blade into her. So much so, that she ultimately dropped her sabers.
And yet as Tori peered up at her attacker, she found it in herself...to smile. Because Anna and Hans could be seen fleeing far beyond Anakin's shoulder. No matter what was next for Tori, she had to believe that she'd helped countless Jedi escape. And that thought carried her into a serene memory. She wasn't even sure what it was anymore as the world faded around her.
Tori wasn't in the temple anymore. She was walking up a set of polished, yet dimly-lit stairs. There was a sense of safety and familiarity to them as she reached a pale and metallic door. Its surface glistened while sliding open and revealed her beautiful bedroom from Vica Manor. Everything was just as she'd left it on the day she'd bid farewell to her parents.
The bedroom curtains were drawn and her bed had been tidily made. Gone were her Jedi robes, as Tori found herself wearing the pajamas her parents had once set out for her. She observed the pink bed's cozy glow and soft carpeting. She stared longingly at the massive mattress and took a step towards it. Gentle chimes rang out by the sunlit window while distant echoes of blasterfire emanated from downstairs. Tori stared at the darkness beneath the stairwell and shuddered.
"It's okay, Tori." a young man said. His voice alone was enough to have the Pantoran immediately turning back to the bedroom. There stood a tranquil Zabrak, wearing his own set of comfy pajamas.
In any other instance, Tori would've been driven to tears. But instead found herself overjoyed to see her best friend again. She didn't even question it as her smile grew. "S-Surk?"
"Hey Tori," the Zabrak rejoiced as she fell into his embrace. "It's been too long, my friend."
"I've missed you so much," she whispered.
"Right back at you. And I couldn't be prouder." Blasterfire echoed from downstairs again and Tori glanced back. She noticed that her lightsabers were unclipped and placed just outside of the bedroom. "You don't need those anymore," Surk spoke calmly. "Are you ready to come home?" He offered his hand to her as the more sunlight gleamed from the window. Taking a deep breath, Tori welcomed Surk's gesture. And as she took his hand, the bedroom door sealed behind them. The sounds of blasterfire were no more and sunlight overwhelmed the room. Within moments, Surk guided Tori to become one with Light itself.
Anna and Hans' legs were burning from how much they'd been sprinting. "Keep going!" Anna yelled and shoved Hans through one of the blasted windows. The nighttime air should've been a welcoming sensation, only the amount of smoke had both Jedi coughing instead. Clones noticed them trying to escape over the verandah and opened fire from the adjacent balcony. "Kriff!" Anna shouted and ducked alongside Hans.
"Is this the whole blasted legion?" Hans griped while running alongside her.
"Shut up and keep running!" Anna scolded as they felt their way through the smoke. The duo skidded to a halt upon reaching the balcony's edge. A multi-story drop had them panicking as a Republic gunship hovered towards them. "Shit," Anna whispered until several blue lasers fired into it. Anna and Hans braced while a Jedi corvette emerged as the gunship crashed. "Hah!" Anna screeched out of sheer desperation. Her wild eyes glimpsed Kristoff in the cockpit as he glided alongside the verandah.
"Hey!" Hans called out while desperately swaying his lightsaber. "Over here! Over-" In that instant, a clone's rocket launcher struck the verandah. Chunks of the ruined balcony went plummeting to the street while the rest of the structure crumbled. "Hold on!" Hans grunted and jabbed his lightsaber into the falling duracrete. Meanwhile, Anna clung to a cracking portion of railing. It wasn't long before he and Anna were on an unstable incline overlooking the burning lower levels.
Sven worriedly grunted from the corvette's cockpit while Kristoff hurriedly tapped at the controls. "I know, buddy! I see 'em! I see 'em! I'm gonna try and get in close. Lower the ventral hatch." Sven moved to the ship's hold while Kristoff tried to steady it.
"The ship's coming!" Anna hollered. "Get ready to jump, babe!" Hans peered over his shoulder and observed the encroaching ship. The corvette's ramp lowered amid the smoke, all while the verandah continued to collapse. "It's now or never."
"Jump for it!" Hans growled as he and Anna sprung towards the ramp. While Anna had a solid surface to jump from, Hans barely had any leverage using his lightsaber alone. As a result, she struck the ramp while Hans missed it entirely.
"No!" Anna screamed and narrowly caught his hand. The sheer force of his jump caused her to nearly fall from catching him. Sven would've picked them up, but incoming fire from clones forced the Cevrian to engage. He snorted profusely, urging the Jedi to climb so they could take off.
"Don't let go!" Hans panicked. "I'm slipping!"
"I'm trying!" Anna grunted, her fingers digging into the ramp's edge. "Reach up! I can't hold you!"
"Sure you can," Hans grunted. "I know you can! Pull me up!" His desperation turned to anger. "Anna!"
"I'm trying!" Anna wailed.
"Kriffing help me! Help me-"
A sharp crackle flickered across Hans' back. The bright shot had Hans' eyes widened as his grip on Anna loosened. "H-H-Hans?" Anna worried. Reality sunk in as she observed the smoking blaster wound in his back. "No no. Hans. Look at me. Hold on. I'm pulling. I'm not letting go. Don't let go of me. Don't you let-" Hans' gaze softened...Not out of disbelief, but heartbreak. And that pain seared its way into Anna's mind as he slipped out of her grasp. "Hans!" Anna screamed, watching his limp body plummet. He fell beyond the rubble, becoming engulfed and shrouded in flames as tears streamed down Anna's face. In her devastation, she used her final ounce of strength to climb up the ramp and rush inside. Sven covered her escape and signaled for Kristoff to seal the hatch. Anna felt numb, even as Sven's warm body guided her to the hold. By the time she spotted Mattias sprawled out in a bed, all she could do was collapse beside him.
Elsa limped her way to the very edge of the maintenance tunnel. Vague memories of her past came to light as she touched the grated surface connecting her to the outside.
"Just keep running," she'd told her sister as a child before they'd come to this exact dead end.
"Run where?" Anna had asked.
"Run where indeed," Elsa mourned. Out of options, she activated her lightsaber and sliced through the grating. She Force-pulled the debris aside and leaned out towards the massive drop. Staring across Coruscant's skyline, all of the death didn't feel real. Elsa couldn't even explain it. And in that state of pure confusion, she spotted a Jedi corvette gliding beyond several collapsing verandahs. Taking one last leap of faith, Elsa dared to keep her lightsaber ignited. Dehydrated, she couldn't raise her voice to call out to the pilot. Instead, she swayed her saber like a signal flare...hoping her arm wouldn't give out. She dropped to her knees, surrendering to exhaustion as the ship turned her way. The ventral hatch dropped, and she'd never been so joyful to see a familiar face. Sven stomped out and pulled Elsa into his arms. Carrying her up the ramp, she nearly fainted from fatigue in those moments. Staring up at the metallic ceiling, she heard the hatch seal behind them.
Sven's frantic grunts had Kristoff pattering at the controls. "I know we're taking fire!" he huffed. "I'm getting us out of here!"
Sven set Elsa down in the hold, where she observed a distraught Anna and injured Mattias. She wanted to comfort them through their pain. In fact, all any of the three wanted to do was hold each other. And yet each was paralyzed in their own way. Gripped by horror and severed from within. Mattias found the strength to glance over at Elsa and whisper, "Yelena? Where is she?"
Elsa couldn't hold back tears as she slowly shook her head. "I'm so sorry." Mattias fell back to his pillow, shutting his eyes as he softly broke down. While both Jedi were overwhelmed with grief, Anna stumbled towards the rear viewport. Even as Kristoff began a hasty ascent offworld, she took one last look at the Jedi Temple. The very home she and so many had known since childhood was now crumbling in flames. She didn't have time to wonder how many had made it out nor why anything had happened. The suffering of it all was debilitating as a single thought invaded Anna's mind. It was the same potent fear that everyone aboard that corvette had come to realize. The Jedi Order had fallen...and the galaxy would never be the same.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading the Season 4 Finale. Folks, this has been a ride. I know this season in particular was a challenge with many posting changes throughout, but you stuck with me and I cannot thank you enough. This was an incredibly emotional chapter for me to write. Sagas and arcs all mapped out to this moment. Order 66 reflects a very dark time in Star Wars history. The likes of which is akin to so many tragedies in real life. It is sudden. It is painful. Like in real life, people's goals and aspirations are cut short by tragedy. But through this darkness, a new hope shall emerge.
Dearest readers, if you want to really support this story, it would mean a lot to me if you left a review for this season. You don't have to, but I do appreciate your words and it means a lot. I read all reviews and it's an honor to entertain.
So where do we go from here? Well folks, we're going on a massive break. Because I don't want what happened to Season 4 happening again and I need to get my life in order. That's just the truth of it. And in some ways, this actually works with the story, as Season 5 will have a time hop.
THE FROZEN FORCE SEASON 5 WILL PREMIERE IN JULY OF 2023
Long Live Imagination
~ Michael Gavilán