ADVISORY: The following chapter contains sensitive material relating to: Depression, PTSD, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Remember to practice self care before, during, and after reading.

Chapter: 136 Raise Your Wings (Part II)

- ACCESSING IMPERIAL NETWORK -

IHC: Imperial High Command to Governor Reina.

General Stavo: The governor is occupied, command. But I can take a message for her.

IHC: Occupied? With the assassination attempt?

General Stavo: Pardon?

IHC: We are well aware of the capital city attack, general. You can't scrub every holochannel for long.

General Stavo: I assure you, the situation is handled.

IHC: And yet I am speaking with you and not the governor. I will make this very clear, general. Either Governor Reina gets Avinaria under control, or we will appoint someone who can.

While getting to sleep was always the hardest part, Anna was out like a light once she reached slumber. With her traumas numbed by drugs in her veins and alcohol down her throat, she'd nearly lost her mind. Anna was a hollow shell, dead to the world as she didn't even use the bed supplied to her. Instead, her limp body was sprawled across the floor...still clutching a half empty bottle of Revnog. A deathly stench spewed from her snores as her lips lay plastered to the flooring. Her long, unkept locks shrouded her drool-slathered face as a knock came to her door. She welcomed that knock with more snoring, wanting to sleep forever. In return, her door was kicked open.

Whatever death stick residue still lingered on her nostrils went flaking off as Anna bolted up. "What the-" she blurted and scrambled backward. She barely had time to react as a colossal, yellow blur stomped towards her.

"Alright," Ryx squawked stridently. His voice was grating against her hangover. "Rise and shine. Come on."

"Wh-what time is it?" Anna grumbled.

"Time for you to get off your ass," Ryx mumbled. "The sun's already up," he added while opening her makeshift blinds. As he did so, he revealed that it was still very much twilight. "Well...the sun's up somewhere on the planet. We-" Anna's snoring had the Avinarian sighing. He peered down and used his talons to drag her foot. "No no. No more sleeping. We need every hour to reach our destination."

"Where are we going?" Anna moaned and smacked her lips.

"Hiking."

"Hiking...where?"

"By the stars, so many questions. What happened to the joys of the journey?...It's not about the destination, it's the quest...You know? Fun?" Anna glared at him through the deafening silence. "Get up or I'm gonna eat you," Ryx threatened.

"Aren't you birds vegetarians and bug eaters or something?"

"For the love of-" Ryx grinded his beak. "Just get up!"

Anna stared up at him and scoffed. "No."

Fed up, the Avinarian completely dragged her out of the room and slid her into the corridor. Smacking her head on the adjacent wall left a ringing in her ears as Anna grunted. "I'm...not leaving without my bag." Within moments, Ryx tossed it towards her abdomen and slammed the door behind them.

"There," he huffed and buckled up his own backpack. "Done. Now move."

Anna felt like a prisoner being marched out of the treehouse. The Resistance's early risers gave her curious glances as she hobbled across the forest floor. Ryx on the other hand, was in brighter spirits. At least that was the impression he continued to show to his peers. He kept his held high while leading Anna onward. Before they could depart, his wife's unique call reached his ears. Ryx took one last look at headquarters' upper balcony, and spotted Idrial observing them. He called back to her, matching the resonance in passion and strength. As they exchanged nods, Ryx knew he was set on his path.

Captain Tinun was stationed on the outskirts of camp alongside several sentries. "How long should we expect you to be gone?" he asked Ryx.

"As long as we need to be, but not as long as you'd think," he answered.

"Oh," the captain snarked. "That's helpful." Ryx smirked at him before continuing to lead Anna through the forest. As they passed Tinun by, Anna noticed how short his wings were. Her eyes narrowed when she realized the edges of them had been crudely seared off.

In time, any semblance of a dwelling faded...and the duo was left passing through levels of untouched nature. It was almost eerie to Anna, for there was not a single sound of machinery. Even hiding out on Dantooine had the occasional spacer touching down in the region.

"Chilling, isn't it?" Ryx remarked. "You can actually hear yourself think out here. Way more of the planet used to be like this back when my people were in charge. We took the bare minimum...unlike the Empire. They've been chopping and burning their way through the ancient forests. Home of the first Avinarians. It's ironic really...that the dwellings of our ancestors have become our homes today. If you can call those homes. We know we're fighting on dwindling time."

While Ryx's story was intense, Anna felt numbed to it. She'd seen worlds fall long before the Empire, and was no stranger to the ruthless occupations of government. Instead, she tried to get a painful image out of her head...and tried bringing it up. "The captain back there-" she began. "Tinun I think...What happened to his wings?"

Ryx sighed and helped haul Anna over a toppled log. "Do you know what it means to 'Raise one's wings?" he asked. Anna's silence was enough of an answer. "When you raise your wings, you go to war. It's a rallying cry and call to arms. One that's been used since the dawn of our civilization. It's brought Avinarians together in times of crisis."

"A phrase?" Anna questioned.

"Please," Ryx scoffed, stopping his hike. "Don't be so literal. Phrases, images, ideals, people. It's not about these things in question. It's about what they stand for." Ryx opened his wings, brandishing his black and gold feathers. "Wings are everything to an Avinarian. They represent freedom, power, love, beauty, change, togetherness! When we lift them, we stand together as a single flock. Not divided by social systems nor the sins of those before us. We are united. And that unity is terrifying to our enemies. So terrifying, that they take it from us." Ryx lowered his wings as a great pain came over his eyes. "Avinaria might've been neutral in the Clone War, but it always resisted colonization. When the Empire came, we fought them every step of the way. As a pacifist at the time, I tried speaking out and advocating for Avinarian rights. But the execution of President Kestri showed me that negotiations weren't an option. That's when it all came crashing down-...and nothing was the same with Governor Reina. She understood the power of our wings. She hated how much hope they gave us...so she took them."

"Kriffing hell," Anna uttered.

"It's a crude and atrocious method. They make sure your feathers are gone and stay gone. It started with those who spoke out against her, but then it extended to any relatives. Civilians...children. With each clipping, the Avinarian people lost their pride...and their will to fight. Reina started a program. In which Avinarians loyal to her would be spared prolonged suffering if they supported her rule. And people actually believed her. They turned against their own kind out of fear, got clipped willingly, and joined the Empire as if they wouldn't be destroyed once we were gone. By then my family and those loyal to us had fled deep into the forest. Now, the Resistance is all we have left."

"How many are you?" Anna asked as they continued their hike.

"We started with a little under a thousand warbirds. But over time, that number has taken hits. We all know the Empire is coming for us, so the most we can do is give off the illusion that we have it all together. But in reality, we're terrified. I see it among our soldiers every day."

"Yet, you stay?" Anna muttered.

Ryx rolled his eyes. "Because I know better," he replied. "This isn't like the Clone War. It isn't like we're refugees who can claim sanctuary on some neutral world. The Empire is dominating the galaxy. And they'll just disrupt whatever temporary salvation we find elsewhere."

Anna scoffed at his concept. "So you'd...rather die here than flee to possibly save your lives?"

"That's correct."

"That's stupid," Anna was quick to judge.

"You're one to talk," Ryx fired back as they reached a bubbling river. He washed his ruffled feathers in it and stared at her. "I know the Empire hunts Jedi. The youth of today might not remember the stories, but I do. Tell me this, Anna. In all of these years, when's the last time you slept peacefully?" Anna's snarky smirk started to fade. "How many planets carrying that Imperial flag have you jumped between, never catching a break? Because I refuse to believe you've been downing Revnog bottles for almost two decades."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Anna rebuked. "You don't know the Jedi, and you don't know me."

Ryx didn't push her, and instead extended a wing. "Then tell me. Who are you?"

Anna paused, irritated by the inviting grin on his beak. "I thought we had to rush to your destination," she deflected and kept walking along the river.

"I wouldn't go that way," Ryx warned.

"Then which way should I go?" Anna huffed, losing her patience.

Ryx's head swiveled about before setting his eyes on a tree's bold trunk. "Normally I'd climb these mighty trilli trees, but I'm afraid age is catching up with me. Would you mind getting up there and spotting the field for me? You can leave your stuff down here. It's a bit of a climb." Anna rolled her eyes and frustratedly dropped her baggage. With the weight off of her shoulders, she gripped the trilli tree's ebony trunk. "Use the branches for handholds!" Ryx hollered.

"No, I'm going to clean my ass with them," Anna jeered. "Obviously." As she grouchily ascended, one of the damp branches proved more slippery than expected.

"Careful!" Ryx worried as Anna shimmied.

"I'd be a lot better at this without your nagging!" Anna brayed. With Ryx silenced, Anna hauled herself between the trilli tree's upper leaves. Keeping a steady grip on its uppermost branch, she peered across miles of ongoing canopy. As a gentle breeze reached her skin, she glimpsed a field just beyond the trees. "I see it!" she shouted back down. Keeping her hand pointed in the same direction, she made sure Ryx could see it during the descent. "That way."

"Ah," he recalled. "East. I thought so. Good climbing, Anna."

"You're welcome," she mumbled while refastening her bag.

Anna's eyes had to readjust to Avinaria's pure sunlight as they left the forest shadow's behind. Stepping into the clearing, the duo found themselves entering a sea of grass. While Anna had seen vast fields on Dantooine, never before had she witnessed such lush shades of green. Low-lying hills met with long stretches of flatland. It was entire an expansion of Avinaria, seemingly untouched by anyone. A place where gusts of wind could dance across the grassy blades and carry those loamy aromas to travelers. For a brief moment, Anna felt calm...until Ryx started talking again.

"The Fields of Zenaida," he remarked. "Legend says that our gods took first flight here. When their feathers shed and reached the soil, all the beauty on our planet was grown. The Empire hasn't bothered to touch these sacred fields yet. But I fear when they're done with our forests...they'll expand."

Anna followed Ryx as their extensive hike continued. Yet for the duration of their trek through the fields, Anna was more tolerating. The soft terrain and accompanying gusts made her feel as though she'd entered a different plane of existence. What she'd experienced over the years had made her question the Force, let alone the thought of an afterlife. But if Anna had to believe in one, she imagined that it looked like the Fields of Zenaida.

Her mind went blank in those fields, all without the fear of memory sneaking back in. She could look up at the drifting midday clouds, and not even consider other planets beyond them for a moment. She just...was. As they crested over a hill, Anna spotted a small...humble structure in the distance. Ryx led her straight to it, revealing an old cabin. This abode had very little technology in its construction, and was clunked together by only necessary forest planks.

"What is this place?" Anna asked as Ryx set his bag on the porch. She did the same and looked out to see an endless, grassy horizon in every direction.

"It was my mother's," Ryx explained and nuzzled the doorframe as if it were her. "I was eighteen when the Avinarian Civil War broke out," he explained while guiding her inside. "At the time, it was less about signing up and more about being drafted. Tristis didn't exist as our newfound capital yet, and Avinaria was divided by region. My mother, father, and I were all deemed able-bodied so we were drafted to fight." Ryx hung his head. "We weren't even placed in the same units."

"What was the war about?" Anna queried.

Her question had Ryx scoffing. "Some kind of trade dispute apparently. But none of us knew that. Those in charge kept things focused on social issues. All the young kids and myself were given blasters. And the only thing we were told is that the other side hates us. They want to kill our families so we need to stop them. And the ironic part is...they were probably telling those poor kids on the other side the same thing about us. So we all ended up shooting each other to pieces and staining our feathers with the blood of our own...for nothing. My father and his unit were wiped out at the start of the war, but I was fortunate enough to reunite with my mother when it all ended."

Ryx approached a rickety kitchen table and dusted it off. "It didn't take long to realize that the war had changed both of us. We couldn't sleep, talk, or even sit right at times." He shook his head. "We were disgusted by the faces we saw in the mirror. Historians cursed the war, and everyone who fought in it was left to rebuild their broken lives without even understanding what happened. But Mom and I didn't give up on each other. We moved out here, to the fields of our great ancestors. Built a home from the ground up...and started over. We reconnected with what made us people again...and we found hope."

There was a long pause as Anna stared Ryx down. "O-...Oh," she uttered. "You...you think that. For the love of...I'm not you, Ryx."

"You're a veteran," he asserted. "I see the same signs in you as were in me."

"So what," Anna laughed. "We're gonna make cookies? Sew blankets? Whatever the kriff you and your mother did out here?"

"We found hope again and I need you to as well," Ryx stayed calm. "You need to."

"The hell do you know about what I need?" Anna countered.

"Deep down, you still give a damn," Ryx carried on. "Because if you didn't, you wouldn't have even come."

"Banthashit. I humored your nonsense because you threw me out of bed. I'm leaving."

Ryx barely followed as Anna stormed off and called out to her. "Good luck walking back! You'll get lost!"

"Good," Anna growled as the sun set over the fields. "Maybe I'll get eaten by something."

"You don't mean that," Ryx doubled down.

"Shut up."

"Even when you asked those gangsters in the bar to kill you. You didn't mean that!"

Anna spun on the porch to face him. "Shut up!"

"You just want an out," Ryx asserted. "You don't want to face what's burning you inside so you think it'll be easier. But it's not."

Anna fought to ignore his comments. As she stepped further outside, she realized how close they were to sundown. Her heart sank with the sunset, as all comfort the fields offered faded. Her thoughts raced, for she knew the horrors that would plague her in the night. Playing it off as though she was still in control, she stomped over to her bag. "Whatever," she sighed. "I'll stay the night, but I'm leaving in the morning." Ryx quietly stood back, watching her unzip her bag. He remained stone faced as one zipper became two...then three. She undid multiple buckles and checked the same spots over. "Wh-...where's the-" Anna furiously shook her bag as a series of mossy rocks rolled out. Her frustration turned to stunted shock as she glared at Ryx, "Where's my stuff?" She had no time for his silence and lunged at him. Seizing the large Avinarian by his collar, she tried pulling to no avail. "Where's my stuff!"

Staring at her with unblinking eyes and a deep glower, Ryx answered. "Gone."

Anna simpered and dropped to the ground. "Very funny, Feathers," she panted. "Where'd you stash it?"

"I didn't."

"Stop lying!" Anna yelled while scratching at the floorboards. "Down here? Or-" she flung open a cabinet and sent cups clattering to the ground. "Where did you-"

"They're not here," Ryx affirmed.

"Liar!"

"I don't lie!" Ryx cawed, matching her intensity. It was enough to have her shrink for a moment as he stood tall. "I dumped your drinks and all of that powder you stuffed up your nose in the river. It's all gone."

Anna froze up, recalling when Ryx asked her to set her bag down and climb the tree. Her shock turned to rage as she bared her teeth. "You kriffing piece of shit!" Anna charged at Ryx, who put his wings up in defense. Her belligerent slaps became full punches as her hair fell forward. Anna looked like a haunting entity, screeching through her disheveled strands as Ryx endured her blows to the face and torso. "What have you done? I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

"Do whatever you want to me," Ryx grunted between punches and tried to get a grip on her. "But I'm not leaving you. We are riding this poison out together."

"Kriff you!" Anna screeched and elbowed him in the stomach. "Kriff your mother! Kriff your kriffing-" She elbowed again, breaking free enough to Force-push him across the room. Ryx tumbled against the cabinets as silverware crashed around him. The ensuing clamor brought similar sounds to Anna's mind as she staggered back. Anything from grinding sabers to blasterfire echoed within as the voices returned to haunt her. "Where's my stuff," she asked as her growls turned to whimpers. Her face flushed with red as tears swelled in her eyes. She looked as though she'd burst, unsure whether to scream or cry. What emerged was a horrific mixture of both as she pulled at her hair.

When her eyes opened, she saw the remnants of her miserable existence. And when she closed them, she saw every failure of her life flashing back. Mattias' lifeless body glared at her while Hans furiously loomed overhead. Her beloved Deathchasers burst into flames while she heard a Mirialan's whimpering cries. Elsa broke from the constant harassment Anna forced on her while Kristoff continued to push her away. A tombstone with her parents' stony faces glared perpetually at her in disappointment. All of these horrid images meshed together to form Hans' terrible stare.

"No!" Anna screamed as the mental torture carried on. Her nose ached, as if yearning for a simple snort that was never coming. Her body felt as though it was igniting from the inside out, far worse than any electrocution she'd ever endured. She was going limp, and yet felt incredibly nauseous as the room spun above.

Injured but persistent, Ryx crawled to Anna and cradled her in his wings. "I have you," he said as if she could even hear him.

Her boots kicked at the floorboards as her breaths shortened. She closed her eyes to stave the dizziness, but this only welcomed the nightmares to return. Anna wailed in agony as tears fled her cheeks. Ryx cradled her back and forth until her weakened hand clutched his feathered chest.

"Kill me," Anna begged him through her sobs. "Please kill me. Make the pain stop...Kill me. Please." Ryx just kept holding Anna. He'd hold her long after his limbs went numb and all night if he needed to. "Please," she continued. "Please."


The sunrise over the Zenaida Fields was truly a sight to behold. Crisp sunbeams bathed each blade of grass in a gentle glow, bringing dawn upon the land. This warm and welcoming light stretched across the hills and reached the porch of Ryx's cabin. Anna glanced downward, watching as the sunlight touched her scuffed boots. Deep, dark circles found a home around her bloodshot eyes as she slowly blinked. Anna barely moved, and when she did...she shivered profusely. The kind winds were now the only sensation to brush against her face as she parted her chapped lips. Floorboards creaked from behind, prompting Anna to twitch.

Ryx shuffled out onto the porch and set a plate of sliced fruit beside her. While he dropped his head, Anna briefly saw the bruises across his arm and face. Knowing she was responsible, she started sniffling. She wanted to start crying all over again, but all tears had been drained from the night. Ryx left a canteen of water to quench her dehydration, but she could hardly stomach it. As for the fruit, Anna wished it was anything else. No...she wished they were death sticks. The slices looked like uncrushed granules, bringing an itching sensation to Anna's nostrils. Unable to satisfy the urge, she scratched at her upper lip instead.

"Try to eat a little something," Ryx spoke softly. He was just as exhausted as she was.

Although Anna nodded, she couldn't get the night off of her mind. "I'm-" she gulped. "I'm sorry."

Ryx tried to laugh it off, but just ended up yawning. "I've taken worse hits," he assured.

Anna was about to reach for a fruit slice when she calmly asked, "Ryx. My things aren't here, are they?" The Avinarian sighed heavily. "Because if they really are hidden. I-...I promise I wouldn't be mad. If I could just...have a little. One sniff. A taste. A s-s-sip. Then I'd stop. I wouldn't have anymore."

Ryx slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry Anna," he said. "It really is all gone." Her face wrinkled, brows furrowed, and lips trembled. As if all energy was spent squeezing out the last tear she had in her eye.

"Let's take a break from here after breakfast," Ryx said. "There's...someone I'd like you to meet."


Anna had barely managed to eat a few fruit slices and that alone was causing extreme nausea. Ryx had to guide her for most of the hike, as she found comfort in the mundane. Seeing the ongoing fields brought her a sense of calmness, even as the occasional memory struck from within. Ryx felt her shoulders rise when she shuddered and put a wing around her. "I know what you're feeling," he whispered. "When I came back from the war, I crawled into a bottle of ale and wanted to drown in it. I thought it was the only way to stop the flames." Anna raised a brow through her shivers as he continued. "You're burning from the inside. Because of what you've done and what's happened. That's why we drank...and you did...well-" He extended a wing to the fields ahead. "Just keep looking forward. Focus on the horizon and where we are now. If you can take one step, that's one more than before. Then another. That's all." Anna's heels shuffled through the field as she advanced. "That's it," Ryx whispered. "One more step. One more step. One more step. You're not alone. I've got you."

Passing over the hill, Anna and Ryx found themselves looking over another dwelling. Unlike the homely cabin, this circular hut was slathered in mud and moss. It blended along with the rest of Zenaida, making it hardly visible to the untrained eye. Though Anna seemed cautious at first, Ryx ushered them onward. Even his steps were getting heavier as remorse filled his heart. Without drugs and alcohol numbing her senses, cracks of the Force began to flow back through Anna. Dreariness filled her heart, although she couldn't tell if it was her own.

"Wait here," Ryx said as he approached the hut's decrepit, circular door. After gingerly knocking on it, he waited as a cautious shuffling sounded from within. The duo could feel someone's eyes on them as the hut's owner slowly cracked open the door. An elderly, strained voice snaked its way out of the slit...each word fighting through a labored breath.

"What...are...you doing here?" it wheezed.

"I just want to talk," Ryx assured.

"We have...nothing to say to each other."

Ryx sighed and stepped away. "Then if you won't talk to me, at least talk to her." The door continued to open, allowing a shadowy figure to peek over at Anna. Its breath hitched upon seeing her as a single word left the old Avinarian's beak. "Impossible." The duo appeared perplexed as the occupant emerged. Tired, taloned feet patted the soil. Blaster scars lined his legs and led the way across his raggedy feathers. At least the ones that could still grow from where he hadn't been shot. Any traces of brown feathers had turned gray as the elder's fading eyes squinted. "A-Anna? Anna Dellian?"

"Master Chuza?" Anna uttered while Ryx came to a completely different realization.

"Wait," he sputtered. "Dellian? Dellian! As in Elsa Dellian?"

"She's my sister, yeah." Anna answered so casually, that Ryx looked like he'd have an aneurysm.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he squawked.

"You never asked for a last name."

"I-" Ryx choked, utterly flabbergasted. "This-...and you two know each other? I just-"

"I will speak with her," Chuza said. "You can wait outside." He beckoned Anna into his hut as Ryx was left a bumbling mess.

"Anna...Dellian," he reiterated to himself. "This conversation isn't over," he added as they shut the door behind him.

Anna had to crouch upon entering Chuza's small dwelling. There was barely enough room for her to sit in the center while he hobbled about, collecting fresh berries for his platter. "You look sick," he said. "Are you hungry?"

Just the sight of more food brought Anna's nausea back. "No," she was quick to answer. "I have to admit. I never thought I'd see you again."

"Likewise," Chuza hooted while lighting a single candle. "I would've thought you'd be one of the first ones killed in the Jedi Purge. Being so reckless and all." Anna glared as he continued. "You'll have to excuse my harshness towards that yellow buffoon. I thought he'd returned to try and recruit me." When he noticed how perplexed Anna looked, Chuza sat beside her to explain. "Where were you when it all happened? The fall of our Republic...the rise of this Empire?"

"The temple," Anna murmured.

While his reaction was slow, there was no denying how shocked Chuza was. "Really," he answered. "It truly is nothing short of a miracle that you made it out."

"What about you?" Anna asked as Chuza munched on berries.

"Teth," he said, his gaze trailing off towards the lone candle. "We were just putting an end to our campaign when everything changed. Our clone troops turned on us and nearly took our lives that day."

"I still have no idea why," Anna pondered. "I've asked myself that question for years. What would make troopers loyal to the Republic and the Jedi attack us like that?"

"You'll break your mind trying to figure it out," Chuza insisted. "What matters is that we're both alive."

"How...did you survive?" Anna inquired. "You mentioned a 'we' on Teth. Where is Gav?"

Chuza closed his eyes and lamented over his dear apprentice. "Gav-" he sighed. "-fell down his own path. One of my own failure." Anna raised a brow as he continued. "The 54th was relentless, hunting us down to the bitter end. Weakened from our wounds, all we could do was hold on to each other as more clones cornered us. Desperation was setting in and were were pinned from all sides. And it was in this moment, where I sensed something truly cold. Long had I kept my apprentice in check, but this was...different. His rage...insurmountable. He didn't just tap into the pull of the Dark Side, he'd fully embraced it. I lay there in the mud, watching him slaughter those clones through his wounds. He didn't stop until each and every one of them was dead. And when he looked down on me-" Chuza shuddered as the memory returned. "-I saw that horrible, yellow flicker in his eyes...and knew I'd failed to save him. I begged for him to come back. That perhaps there was still a chance for him. But he had fully embraced the corruption, consumed by his newfound strength. As a final gesture, he made sure I was as patched up as he could get me, dropped his saber...and then just left. In my age and in this changed galaxy, it was near impossible for me to track him down. For all I know, he could be lost. And on his dark path, he might as well be."

Anna rested her head against the hut's wall and thought back on Gav. Throughout their youth, that Avinarian had always been envious and easily aggravated. Despite the pain of Chuza's story, Anna didn't find Gav's fall to darkness all that surprising. Her face might've read as indifferent as she slowly nodded to him.

"After years of raising an apprentice to carry on my legacy-" Chuza continued. "-I was painfully and abruptly alone. Lost in a galaxy that would never be the same and derived of my purpose. Unwilling to forsake my role as a Jedi, I decided to return to my roots as a guardian of the people. What our Order stood for before we became soldiers in that blasted war. I returned here, to my homeworld, and the people welcomed me with open wings. But our relations were quickly strained when the Empire came."

"They didn't waste a moment, eh?" Anna remarked as Chuza shook his head.

"What I stood for was put to the test as the people of Avinaria looked to me as some sort of savior. Thinking I would just take on the entire Imperial war machine myself. Even that old warbird outside tried to convince me to fight in some capacity."

"You said you wanted to be a guardian of the people," Anna muttered. "Why not help them?"

Chuza leered at her. "A guardian as the true Jedi were in the days of the true...Old Republic. Someone who negotiated for the people. Resolved disputes...Taught inner peace. I was not going to become another soldier for another war."

"So instead, you let the Empire torture and slaughter Avinarians." Anna retorted. "Destroy their homes and ravage their planet."

"Don't talk like him," Chuza hooted and vaguely gestured to where he thought Ryx might be outside. "You and I are survivors of one of the worst tragedies in the history of our galaxy. And believe it or not, it's all happened long before. The First Jedi Purge nearly wiped out every Jedi in existence. A wicked Sith by the name of Darth Nihilus saw to that, and we're just living through another cycle. All we can do is survive this part of the journey. Lessen these peoples' pain instead of bringing about more destruction. Do you still have your lightsaber?"

"Yes," Anna cautiously nodded.

"Good," Chuza remarked as he tottered over to a lockbox on his shelf. Unbuckling its hinges, he lifted the top and revealed both his and Gav's lightsabers. "I'll let you stay here with me," Chuza said, his tone earnest and sincere. Gone was the brazen Jedi Master she'd known back at the temple. Instead stood a broken mentor, tired of waiting on non-existent dreams. "Add your lightsaber to the box and leave that life behind. We can tell Ryx exactly what I told him, and that you won't be part of his mess. Together, you and I can tell the stories of old. Reminisce and cherish the true Republic as true Jedi would. Hidden from it all. Safe in these quiet, sacred fields."

Anna's gaze shifted from Chuza, to the box, and then to her own weapon. She clasped that doonium hilt, thinking about how many lives it had taken...or even how many its construction was dedicated to. It was in those moments, that another memory came to her. The likes of which was less haunting, and more melancholy to her sober mind. She recalled being on Ilum alongside some of her most beloved companions...


Master Mattias held out his briefcase and cleared his throat. "Anna," he began. "Throughout your apprenticeship, you've never stopped amazing me. You've given me hope in the best and worst of times." Anna curiously observed his case as he ran a hand across it. "We cannot change the past," Mattias said. "But we can honor it." He unlatched the case and revealed a white-gray, polished lightsaber hilt. "I forged this weapon from the scavenged remains of the starship Ethereal." Anna's eyes filled with tears from the moment Mattias explained its origin. "Its doonium metals remain as powerful as your resolve. May the legacy of every Jedi lost that day live on through you."

Anna grew misty-eyed as she took a deep breath. "Mattias," she whispered to herself as she tightened her grip on the hilt.

"I feared he may have been lost," Chuza mourned. "I could sense the grief you're carrying, but you don't have to anymore. Put that saber in the box and lay your troubles to-"

Anna clipped her hilt back to her belt. "Thanks for the offer," she spoke breathily, coming to terms with her own thoughts. "But I think I'm still figuring things out. Take care...Master Chuza."

Chuza resealed his box and returned to his candle while Anna departed. He offered one last word of advice as she reached the doorway. "You can't save them, Anna." His words brought her to a halt as she glanced over her shoulder. "If you fight...you and the Resistance will be destroyed."

"Goodbye," Anna answered softly before departing, leaving the elder to stare at his candle.


The fact that Anna's mind was so preoccupied at least helped her fight off the shivers and ongoing itches. She sat on the cabin porch, watching the rustling fields as Ryx sat beside her. He wrapped an extra layer of blanket over her shoulders and handed a mug over. "It's a Finc Family Special," he teased. "Berry Blend Supreme. Made it for my mom until sickness took her." Anna sipped the juice, still having trouble stomaching liquids. The sweet beverage came across as bitter, but she forced herself to swallow. "Withdrawal's a pain in the ass," Ryx sighed and plopped beside her. "When I came back from the war, I couldn't sleep without alcohol. It was the only way I could drown out the noise in my head reminding me about how many brothers and sisters I'd killed. Quitting was...is awful." Anna glanced over. "Oh yeah. Years later and I still need to keep myself in check. But we need to remember why we used in the first place. Because we didn't want to confront. So we took the temporary escape. The kind that traps us in this...sickness. But ultimately, whether we like it or not...when we're ready, we need to feel everything. Yes, I killed my brothers and sisters. And they killed mine. We were all brainwashed kids trapped in someone else's war that we had no control over. And if we would've known better...we would've done better."

A frown crept across Anna's lips as she turned to Ryx. "I-" she croaked. "I watched my best friends die," she confessed, finally turning to Ryx instead of the field. "All three of them. We were a squad. The...Deathchasers. Ironic really. It's in the name. We always knew we'd be chasing that end, but then it hits you." Ryx nodded as she continued. "We went on so many missions for the Republic. The outcomes were irrelevant to me because we had each other. Sparx...Speedy...Blazer." Anna's breath hitched as she struggled to continue. Clenching the edges of her first blanket, she kept it together. "Each of them...died in the line of duty. I should've too. Blazer told me to go. He did it to save me, but I should've stayed. I should've died with him. I was his sister. We were supposed to die together!"

"He cared deeply for you," Ryx lamented. "Whatever decision he made, he knew what he was doing."

"He was an idiot," Anna answered. "I was an idiot. I should've stayed with him to the end."

"Maybe he felt like you still had more to do in your life," Ryx considered.

"Because that went so well," Anna snapped and rose from the porch. Her voice escalated with her rant. "The Republic fell shortly after. My true love died, and the rest of my companions and I had to go into hiding for years! And Elsa? Oh that Elsa you like so much? Complete, catatonic, zombie. We fought all of the time, so I messed that up too! I got my master, the closest thing I ever had to a father...killed because I was high and OH! The guy who killed him? My lover! Who's in fact, not dead, and now serves the Empire! Did I miss anything?" Anna yelled and furiously kicked the porch.

"If you would've known better, you would've done better." Ryx said.

"Kriff you," Anna cursed.

"I'm missing the part where any of this is your fault!" Ryx cawed at her. "You can curse at me all you want, but I'm willing to bet you haven't said this much to anyone in years, have you?" Anna's pause had him nodding. "Because I'm just another outlet."

"What?" she blurted.

"The death sticks, the Revnog, me." Ryx listed. "Anything but facing the actual problem: Life is shit. The Empire is shit. Bad things happen to good people and we don't get to pick when. You don't wish you died with the Deathchasers out of honor." Anna's eyes widened. She was about to counter, but Ryx kept firing back. "You wish you'd died so that you don't have to deal with the pain, agony, and suffering that you're going through now." His words had Anna pausing. Her shoulders relaxed as he continued. "Because I was the same, damn it. I wished I'd just been killed during the civil war so I didn't have to deal with the nightmares, or the government hating me, or alcohol detox, or watching my poor mother suffer. All any of us want is an escape instead of just dealing with the kriffing problem! Chuza didn't even try. He came to his homeworld to disappear and be a voice of reason when it's convenient for him."

"Is that why you took me to him?" Anna asked.

"Granted I didn't expect you to know each other," Ryx admitted while calming down. "But yes. Because you can't run from what's happening. Be it your personal problems nor the terrors happening just beyond the forest. You know how easy it would be for me to abandon the Resistance and flee with my family into hiding? You think I don't shit myself imagining what the Empire could do to my wife and kids? But it would be the same anywhere else. So damn it all, I'm no Jedi...but I'm gonna stay right here, raise my wings, and fight for my life!" Anna closed her eyes briefly, trying to steady herself as Ryx unruffled his feathers. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just...so tired of people pushing me to run and watching others do the same."

"Can you sleep outside tonight?" Anna asserted.

"Excuse me?" Ryx scoffed. "You can't kick me out of my own cabin."

"Please," Anna said and observed the setting sun. "I want to face the night...alone."

Understanding what she meant, Ryx backed off. He gathered his belongings where he could and said, "I wouldn't mind a good stargazing session. You sure you're ready?"

"Only one way to find out," Anna answered as she stepped inside. She handed her lightsaber to him and backed into the shadows. "Lock the door. No matter what you hear, don't open it." As Ryx obliged, Anna traversed the creaky floorboards and knelt in the kitchen's center.


The sun had set over the Zenaida Fields, bringing a gentle wave of moonlight across the land. Ryx sprawled himself out on the porch, cracked his neck, and observed the cloudless night. He recalled a time when Avinaria's skies were always so cleansed, even from its cities. The more he thought about it, the Resistance was battling against the capital, but there were countless other cities across Avinaria. There was no telling how vastly outnumbered his people were compared to the Empire's expansion. But on the contrary, nothing was stopping Ryx from believing that smaller rebellions were happening across the planet as well. He'd always been too afraid to broadcast, worried that any transmissions would be intercepted by the Empire and reveal their location. Instead, he looked up at the stars and whispered to himself.

"I wonder if any of you guys are out there hiding too. Staring up at the night sky and wondering if you're all alone in this battle. In the name of our gods and all they stood for, how I hope you know it isn't true. You're not alone. We're here. We're still fighting. And how I hope we'll all fight together someday. Raise your wings."

A sudden shuffling caught Ryx's eye as he glanced back at the cabin door. Worried, he gave it his full attention...but remembered not to open it. Inside, Anna was still knelt on the ground. She was twitchy and shivering despite having two bulky blankets. Whistling winds against the window were sharper than usual, and started to sound like blasterfire in her mind. Anna's sweating intensified as she rolled across the floor, ripping the blankets from her.

As she clawed at her shoulders, it was as if every shadow in the dark cabin was shifting with her. While some dissipated into the floor, others morphed into figures. Anna saw shadowy forms of the Deathchasers, charred and decaying as they stepped towards her. "N-no," Anna gasped and crawled from them. As she inched her way out of the kitchen, a bulky mass rolled from the stairs. Mattias' corpse lay there, consistently staring her down as a scarlet beam pulsed from his chest. Anna traced that beam to Hans' sinister hands as he withdrew his lightsaber and swung at her. Anna dodged the nonexistent weapon and collapsed against a chair. Losing her footing, she backed up against a wall as a volley of voices attacked. The barrage was so cacophonous, that none of the accusations could be interpreted. And yet, Anna knew them all too well. She'd practically rehearsed her suffering from abandoning Mattias to Hans making her suffer. But amid the familiar wiles, a new poison lurched within.

This cold pull came through her weakness, feeding on the anguish of her mind. "Make the pain stop," it urged. "KILL HIM. You know he has the death sticks. KILL HIM. He didn't dump them. KILL HIM. Just one more snort. KILL. Just one-"

Anna's ensuing roar was more defensive than it was painful. Her throat ached as she silenced the Dark Side within her. With wild eyes and heavy breaths, Anna faced the hauntings of her heart. "If-if I would've known better. I would've done better. I-...decide." Raising her arms as if they were wings, she screeched into the shadowy ether. She yelled as many times as she needed to. Long after the apparitions faded and voices quelled. "I decide! I decide! I decide!"


Staying up for the entirety of the previous night had been fine for Ryx. But two nights in a row had pushed it, as Ryx snored against the porch's railing. The sunrise brought a shine to his drool-slathered beak as the door creaked open behind him. His feathers ruffled when a pair of boots suddenly stomped towards him.

"Huh-" He blathered groggily. "Wha-?"

"Rise and shine," Anna yawned. "Come on."

"What time is it?" Ryx asked, realizing he'd overslept.

"Time for you to get off your ass," Anna said. "The sun's already up...and we'll need every hour to reach our destination." Ryx raised a brow as he rose to meet her. While she was far from okay, Anna's voice was strident and collected. She'd washed her face, and her once messy hair had been tied into a thick, fishtail braid. A fragile smile found its way to her lips as she helped him up. "Are you ready to go back home?" she asked.

"Are you?" Ryx countered. "You don't have to do something you're not ready for. And for what it's worth, you can still talk to Chuza."

Anna looked back over the hills leading to the old master's hut. "The Avinarian Resistance will have a Jedi on their side," she said.

"I don't know how you plan on convincing him to join," Ryx huffed.

"Not Chuza," Anna corrected as her firm gaze turned elsewhere. "Me." She set off with her declaration, taking the lead across Zenaida and returning to the forest. There was a newfound determination in her eyes as her shoulders felt lighter. As for Ryx...He kept it to himself behind her, but that Avinarian had the stupidest, proudest smile plastered across his beak.


SECRETS OF THE JEDI - FROZEN FORCE TRIVIA

1. Master Chuza first appeared in Season 1 - Chapter: 8 "Lord of the Wings." He was always depicted as elderly even then, which proves that the lifespan of Avinarians is vastly different from that of humans.

2. Chuza gets his name from "Lechuza" which translates to "barn owl" in Spanish. Many Avinarians are based on different types of birds. (Ryx - Goldfinch. Chuza - Barn owl. Gav - Albino mockingbird. Halcoa - Blue jay) are just a few examples.

3. As an Old Republic historian and fanatic, Chuza cites the "First Jedi Purge." He is referring to an event that took place in the aftermath of the Jedi Civil War. As depicted in the video game "Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords." The plot circulates around Darth Nihilus and his Sith hunting the Jedi to the brink of extinction.

4. The Zenaida Fields get their name from the Zenaida Dove.

5. Symbolically, Ryx serves as a surrogate father to both Elsa and Anna. In season 1 and 3, he validates Elsa's emotions and helps find her voice. In Season 5, he helps Anna validate her traumas. While neither Elsa nor Anna had a stable family, Ryx is the opposite and carries that love throughout. As a mirror from their past, Ryx also comes from a war-torn planet...much like Agnarr and Iduna. Come the current arc, it is as if Anna is getting a chance to experience life with the father she never had. In juxtaposition, while Agnarr sought to quell relations and died for it...Ryx is willing to fight. In this way, Anna has found a way to relate him in her older years. And now that her last name has been revealed, Ryx can connect her to Elsa from their shared past.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this week's chapter! I'll see you next time for Chapter: 137 - The Battle for Avinaria (Part I).

Long Live Imagination and May the Force be With You,

~ Sparks