Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to the survivors. No matter who, where, or how. Your life has value.
Chapter: 35 Shock
"Survival is not weakness."
A desperate decision! Jedi Master Destin Mattias has sought help from the temple's Circle of Healers. Believing they can understand Padawan Anna's trauma, Master Stass Allie appoints one of her younger members to assist. Rapunzel Crin, knight and healer of the Order, stands ready to aid in Anna's recovery. But while some try to find peace, others seek conflict. The battle for Felucia intensifies as Republic and Separatist forces clash once more...
A clone is genetically engineered to withstand multiple forms of combat stress. They can endure horrors that would have normal soldiers traumatized from their first battle. At least, that's what the Kaminoans would have the Republic believe. To the common, Inner Rim and Core World citizens, the "Boys in White" are their faceless heroes. Never tiring...never hungering for anything more than the next droid to scrap. Too often do they forget these clones originated from a very human being. Though his past was questionable, Jango Fett had his loyalties. He bent and broke just as any person would. And while cerebral chemicals had been altered within each of the millions of clones, nothing could change reality. It isn't until a soldier steps on the battlefield that all bets are off. When the real laser rounds start shooting off and death is a true possibility. Questions of morality are muddled beneath the purpose of it all. This is when true character is tested, hardened, or shattered.
If one was flying through the Thanium Sector in the Outer Rim, they could glimpse a both remarkable and dreadful sight. On the planet Felucia, tumultuous amounts of smoke billowed into the upper atmosphere. On the surface, a colossal firefight had erupted between Republic and Separatist forces. Bioluminescent fungi collapsed against the scorched soil while laserfire lit up the night. The shouts of clone troopers accompanied the stomps of their plastoid boots in the mud.
The battalion rushed to take defensive positions as red lasers zipped overhead. "We got clankers inbound!" a trooper shouted.
"Hold the line!" the battalion's captain ordered. His orange kama was already stained with Felucia's gunk. He rose from cover and fired indiscriminately into what seemed like an endless mass of battle droids. Though lanky and easy to take down, the B1 units were designed to overwhelm. They marched in long, daunting lines while their tanks bombarded Republic forces.
A clone vaulted over one of the downed trees and slid next to the captain. Though splattered with dirt, the intricate stars sprayed on his helmet were still visible. "Captain," the clone called.
"Lieutenant Sparx," the captain huffed while shooting. "Give me some good news!"
"The left flank is caving!" Sparx reported. "Sarge can hold out much longer. We're gonna have to retreat."
"We fall back and the Seppies will recover everything we've taken months to achieve. All of our brothers will have died for nothing!"
"We'll die if we don't regroup!"
"Sparx!" the captain asserted. "Get back to your flank and tell that sergeant of yours to hold the damn line."
Sparx reluctantly rushed off. Lasers tattered the trees behind him and he dove under. His blaster rifle swayed and clacked at his side with each heavy step. His helmet heated up with his hastening, heavy breaths. The sight of familiar clones had him sprinting towards them. Though they all sounded alike, clones could always tell each other apart. Sparx's heart sank upon seeing so many of his fallen brothers. Their laser-ridden bodies lay sprawled across the once unbreakable line. That was when he glimpsed his sergeant. It was as if Sparx didn't even have to relay the captain's order. The clone was already fighting to the last and blasting droids like a madman. The bravado was short-lived as a distant flicker caught Sparx's eye. A wrist rocket jettisoned from a super battle droid over the fungal hills.
"Watch out!" Sparx warned to no avail.
The rocket blasted a gaping hole through their line and clones went flying. Those who weren't immediately caught in the blast at least had a chance to scream. Sparx watched the sergeant go spiraling through the air before he crashed into the soil. His helmet rolled off and his body went limp. "Sarge!" he shouted and rallied to his aid. The sergeant slowly stirred with a grunt. His fingers twitched and he raised his partially-muddied face. The dirt slid off his clean-shaven visage as he scowled. "Sarge?" Sparx worried. "Blazer? Can you hear me?"
Blazer remained lost in his daze, yet still recovered his pistol. He peered down at the intricate workings of his DC-17 blaster and ran a finger across it. As he did so, the gritty sensation of touch returned to him. The ringing in his ears diminished and laserfire became dominant. He shook off his dizziness and turned to Sparx with a growl. "I'm fine!" he scoffed. "What are the captain's orders?"
"Hold the line," Sparx replied and handed Blazer his helmet.
The sergeant angrily snatched it back and spun it. "Great," he muttered. "So exactly what we've been doing. You heard the order, boys! Stay put and give'em hell!" He equipped his helmet, knocked on it twice, and roared like a savage beast before charging into battle. Sparx reluctantly followed while observing the casualties around them. Encroaching battle droids were advancing up the slope to their position. Despite how few clones Blazer still had under his command, he dared to hold the barricade. He waited for the first B1 to fully ascend and then blasted it point blank in the head. "Come on!" Blazer shouted and rallied his men to fire alongside him. "We can do this!"
"Wrist rocket!" one of his troops yelled before the same super battle droid fired again. The rocket obliterated several more clones and sent Blazer into a rage.
"Hold the line," he told Sparx and stepped back.
"Wait," Sparx insisted. "What are...Where are-" Blazer plucked a thermal detonator from Sparx's belt and fled backward. "Hey!" Sparx snapped. Knowing his sergeant's unpredictable nature, he relinquished trying to understand it. "Oh forget it," he grumbled and kept blasting droids.
Once Blazer was out of view, he doubled back and climbed the nearest tree. His gloves clung to the fungal ooze seeping from its trunk, yet still he persisted. The ominous cadence of marching B1s kept Blazer on his toes and out of sight. He maintained a visual on the stationary, super battle droid across the way. "Gotcha," he whispered to himself and leapt from the tree. Blazer rolled into the dirt on impact and crawled his way towards the droid. His pace quickened when he noticed the droid prepping another wrist rocket. Blazer steadied himself directly beneath it and gripped his thermal detonator. Before he could arm it, his comlink suddenly rang.
"This is Nu-class attack shuttle designation: A113. Standby for reinforcements!"
"Kriff," Blazer cursed as the super battle droid peered down in search of the noise. It took aim at him instead, but Blazer lunged upward. He grabbed the droid's arm as it fired and redirected the wrist rocket into a line of B1 units. The recoil was minimal and the droid seized Blazer by the throat. As it tightened its metal grip, it took aim with its wrist-mounted blaster.
Blazer kicked its other arm away and reached for his pistol. Despite losing oxygen, he still managed to fire several lasers into the droid's scarlet sensor. The heavy blaster rounds proved useful as his foe's grip loosened. The droid dropped Blazer and collapsed beside him. "Sparx," the sergeant called in. "Lieutenant?" he coughed. "I got the super. Didn't even need the thermal detonator." Sparx's lack of response had Blaze scrambling to investigate. While he'd managed to defeat the super battle droid, the rest of his forces were getting easily overwhelmed without him. Sparx was hardly visible from his position while he and the remaining clones were forced back. "No," he uttered. "Hold on!" he assured only to be pinned down by laserfire. Blazer's fight with the super battle droid had exposed his location and a portion of B1s was enroute to him.
He furiously emerged from cover and returned fire. "I'll scrap each and every one of you!" the sergeant bellowed. When he ducked back into cover, he noticed how low he was running on laser charges. He could have all the fighting spirit in the galaxy, but the droids still had more ammunition. In those moments, a peculiar whirring echoed across the starry sky. "Now what?" Blazer groaned until a moonlit craft glided into view. Several droids redirected their fire on it and Blazer used the distraction to blast them. The Republic shuttle executed several flybys, all while shooting its dual laser cannons. Busted droid parts twirled through the smoke as the shuttle's ramp lowered in midair. Blazer and his fellow clones from afar couldn't understand the odd sight...until a figure emerged.
A cloaked silhouette stepped out on to the brink of the ramp. Felucia's upper, nightly winds blew her robes rightward as she reached for her utility belt. A silvery hilt glistened in the moonlight and a sharp hiss sounded. Bold, blue plasma emerged as all glimpsed a mighty lightsaber. "It's a Jedi!" Sparx shouted amidst the chaos. "Reinforcements have arrived!"
From the moment Master Savil frontflipped off that shuttle, she was instantly greeted by a spray of lasers. She raced to deflect them all and landed atop another super battle droid. She drove her lightsaber into its back and precisely cut off its command signal. Based on where Savil had sliced, the droid malfunctioned and began blasting the B1s surrounding it. "Push forward, men!" she yelled over the laserfire. Once the droid short-circuited, she bisected it with her saber and charged into battle.
Blazer followed her lead and advanced on his end. He gunned down the nearest B1 and scavenged its blaster. While he advanced from the left and Sparx from the right, Savil rushed the center. She wildly swung her saber and slashed droids by the scores. The clones received a break from the chaos as the enemy's new directive became destroying Savil. However, no one counted on the fact that she had nothing left to lose.
Savil's strikes were furiously accurate. With gritted teeth and a lethal glare, she left entire scrap piles in her wake. Savil had only just arrived and she was numbed to the sounds of war. She saw her past in every attack. When she Force-pushed a droid to pieces, she saw her master looking down on her. When she kicked a B1's head clean off, she saw a young Surk looking up to her. She witnessed her late Padawan in every next step she took. Her agonizing wails were those of relentless anger and grief. More severed droids clattered to the ground before her as she recalled training Surk. She impaled a super battle droid and remembered laughing alongside that Zabrak. The battle had ended, but not for Savil. The clones lowered their weapons and stood in silence as Savil repeatedly struck the droid. She reminisced on how hopeful her Padawan had been for the future. He was so excited to have been selected for the Corellian Cup and only wanted to do his best. Guilt plagued Savil as she imagined him all alone on Scarif. She saw him perishing at Ventress' hands, probably wondering why his master had abandoned him. The thoughts engulfed Savil like a ravenous flame and spread throughout her very being. Tears fled her eyes as she screamed maniacally. Her slashes became kicks as loose wires wrapped around her boots. Each strike only shredded the droid even further until Blazer finally spoke up.
"Master Jedi," the sergeant asserted. Savil lowered her blade and stood still. She panted heavily and observed her destructive handiwork. The super battle droid was anything but recognizable. Its armor was a dented, scorched and severed mess atop a heap of crackling wires. Savil came to her senses and found herself standing in silence. "The Seps are in full retreat."
"That's...good," she sighed.
"We couldn't have done it without your help," Sparx assured. "Master...General-"
"Savil," she said and deactivated her lightsaber. "Who's in charge of this unit?"
"Our captain's on the upper flank," Blazer explained while constantly looking Savil over. "I'll take you to him. Sparx, tend to the wounded."
As they walked along the perimeter, the awkward silence was deafening. "Something on your mind, sergeant?" Savil asked.
"You just look familiar to me," Blazer admitted.
"Well I'll be the first to tell you, I've never been to Felucia before."
A weary clone waved to them from a splintered tree. "Sergeant Blazer!" he hollered. "The droids retreated!"
"Take a wild guess why," Blazer quipped and pointed at General Savil. "Where's the captain?" The clone's silence was enough to quicken Blazer and Savil's pace. They hurriedly ascended the hill and found a horrific massacre. The few remaining clones were salvaging what they could while Blazer made out a distinct kama among the dead. "No," he uttered. "Damn droids. We'll make 'em pay for this."
"In time," Savil assured. "I suppose your next in command after me then."
Blazer took a deep breath and came to terms with the dire situation. "I won't lie to you, general. You just set foot on the galaxy's biggest hellhole. Felucia hasn't seen a victory for either side in months. Any ground that's taken is either overwhelmed or suffers enough casualties to lose hope of maintaining." Blazer gestured to their current position. "I don't suppose you brought some extra troops in that fancy shuttle of yours."
"Just me," Savil intoned and Blazer scoffed.
"I don't understand," he said. "Why I are we even on this mound of mushrooms? If the trade route is so damn important to the chancellor, why aren't more resources being sent out here to defend it?"
"I don't have all the answers," Savil replied. "But I do know that we're here to make a difference and that is what we're going to do. I'm also going to take down every droid that stands in the way of us doing that."
"That's all fine," Blazer concurred. "I just hate being right."
"About what?" the Jedi asked.
"About the fact that we really are just expendable to the Republic." He leaned to speak privately with Savil. "What difference are we really making out here? What people are we protecting or liberating from the 'Separatist scourge'?" Blazer observed the bodies of his fallen brothers. "My boys and I are wondering which day on Felucia might be our last. And none of this even feels heroic. At this point, it's more about keeping each other alive. Because the alternative, is thinking about how much of the chancellor's money we're safeguarding. It doesn't matter if I was bred in some lab on a distant world. I'm alive and the fattening of pockets is not worth dying for."
Savil thought deeply on his words while Sparx approached. "General," he said. "We have far too many injured clones to establish a foothold. We must fall back to base."
All of the clones looked to her for orders. Although many had their battle-ravaged helmets on, Savil could sense the exhaustion beneath them. "Then fall back we shall," Savil agreed. She knelt down and helped an injured clone to his feet. "If the droids retake this land, so be it. Protecting each other is what matters right now." She and Blazer exchanged a nod of respect as she thought, Hellhole? Hellhole doesn't even begin to describe this.
Coruscant's industrial sector was an ever-growing collection of various factories and plants. Smokestacks stretched atop rusted flats while bulky transports hovered and overhead. No amount of ensuing rain could stop freighters from going about their business. Tremendous warehouses either held exactly what they advertised or were practically begging for a police raid. One of these titanic structures housed a hangar where scrapped vehicles would be shipped off for profit. If a Jedi was ever seen entering such a place, it was typically part of an investigation. But for someone like Master Mattias, it was hard to ward off how personal things were.
Mattias stood in the elevator and impatiently tapped his foot. He braced himself throughout the ensuing silence. He knew it wouldn't last, for it was only a matter of time before the chatterbox beside him was unleashed. "Did you hear about that Togruta celebrity?" Master Chuza squawked.
Mattias sighed. "Who hasn't?"
"It's a sad, sad thing when a beloved fellow like that perishes. Did you see who they've got on the investigation?"
Mattias cringed. "Unfortunately. That Hans boy is hopeless."
"On that we are agreed," Chuza hooted. "He's nothing like his master."
"Well, they are both arrogant." Mattias jested.
"Say," Chuza considered. "Why don't you ask the council if you can help Hans?" Mattias glared down at the stout Avinarian. "I'm serious! Anna is undergoing treatment and you need to keep busy. You must get back out there, Mattias. You could run circles around young Hans and maybe teach him some tricks!"
"Anna needs me."
"And she'll always have you. But you must take care of yourself or you'll be no good to anyone."
"You sound like Yelena," Mattias muttered.
"Well, she's a smart woman. Just like Satele Shan, Grand Master of the Old Republic. She-"
How long is this blasted elevator ride? Mattias thought while Chuza kept blathering. "Look," he said. "How about you and I just do things our own way, okay? I don't tell you how to mentor Gav. How is he by the way?"
"My Padawan is doing stupendous!" Chuza boasted. "Like Revan from the ashes of Redemption, Gav has gone through physical therapy and is ready to continue his training. At least the bright side of surviving a Sith attack is he gets to pass his Trial of the Flesh."
"Hey," Mattias intoned. "Have some respect. Not all of the masters were as fortunate as we were. Not everyone's Padawan came home."
Chuza's feathers dropped as he came to terms with what he'd just said. "You're right, Mattias. That was...insensitive of me." The elevator ultimately dinged and let the Jedi depart. They entered an elongated chamber teeming with workers. Their blowtorches and laser-cutters illuminated the room while a Zabrak engineer approached them.
She removed her goggles and casually nestled them in her horns. "The stories are true," she said while wiping her oily hands and checking her datawatch. "Jedi are always punctual. Not a minute more or less."
"So this is it?" Mattias asked and observed the clustered wreckage before them.
"What was salvageable from Scarif anyway," the Zabrak replied. "We ship it off to the Bracca junkyards tonight. I know it's got a tragic backstory, but the guilds paid loads of credits to get their hands on this."
"By the Force," Chuza choked. His dark eyes watered until tears drenched his feathered cheeks. "Our precious Ethereal. What has become of you? Years of galactic history...decimated. The symbol of Jedi heroism and hopeful promises...desecrated." Chuza looked at the Zabrak with a scowl across his beak. "And now, you tell me that its hallowed remains are too be plundered by scoundrels on some scrapper world? The audacity! This should be preserved in a museum! An honor to the-"
"Chuza," Mattias asserted and pulled his companion away. "We didn't come here to save the ship. We came here on behalf of the council to ensure it was being processed properly. This is a goodbye. The history you associate the Ethereal with died when our Padawans suffered on it. Ventress rewrote how it will be remembered, and that's how anyone would think of it. If you put the Ethereal in a museum, you would just bring about more pain."
"That's where you're wrong, Mattias." Chuza retorted. "The pain of the past occurs only when you cannot accept what happened. But if you can look back, learn from it, and pick yourself up from that suffering...then there is new meaning. I know that to you I'm just the crazy bird who can't let go of older times, but we need the past to build our future. The day we stop considering either, our present is doomed." Chuza stormed off and left Mattias to sulk.
"Hey," the Zabrak called before Mattias could chase after him. She carried a cubical, white-gray component in her hands. "I know it ain't much," she said. "But it's part of the ship we weren't gonna sell. Whenever we work on stuff this big, we always take some of the smaller pieces for ourselves. Like souvenirs, ya know? I don't know how involved you were in that bad stuff that happened, but maybe you need this more than I do."
She extended the component to Mattias and he cautiously took it. "Thank you," he said. "It's quite heavy."
"That's doonium for ya," the Zabrak laughed. "One of the finest metals for a starship's hull."
"I'm sure I'll find a use for it," Mattias remarked. He took a final look at the ruined starship before bidding farewell and making for the elevator. As he entered and examined the doonium, Chuza's words on the past came to mind. Mattias couldn't stop thinking about Anna and could only hope her healing process was working.
Rapunzel Crin started each day with the usual morning lineup. She'd rise earlier than even the eldest members of her circle and meditate on her life. Afterwards, Rapunzel would stretch, sketch, and ascend to the upper chambers. In a world immersed by the ever-persistent advancements of technology, she appreciated the simpler hobbies. Rapunzel enjoyed drawing the world around her with a humble utensil, and believed it could open more possibilities than any datapad could. Knowing the knight would be up early, Master Stass Allie left a holoprojector with her instructions for the day.
Rapunzel activated the device and sipped her herbal tea. A hologram of Allie formed in the chamber's center and moved to address the Jedi. "Good morning, Rapunzel," she said. "Today begins your path alongside Padawan Dellian. You must remember to be patient on your journey towards understanding. Whatever resides within this student of the Force is deeply painful and traumatic. You are one of our circle's finest members. If anyone can heal this child of our Order, it is you."
Rapunzel smiled faintly before finishing her tea. She took a deep breath and made her way to the circle's inner dormitories. Its halls were reserved for those undergoing the most prolonged and intense forms of Jedi healing. There was a quiet, surreality to each corridor until Rapunzel reached Anna's room. She hadn't even entered and could already sense the heaviness within. Is it grief? Rapunzel attempted to deduce. Survivor's guilt? She was missing long after the Scarif attack though. I must learn more.
She stepped in and found Anna sitting upright. While she was gingerly moving her hands, the Padawan's stare remained blank. "Good morning, Anna." Rapunzel said. Anna's eyes graced the knight for less than a second before returning to the void. "I know our meeting yesterday was quite brief, but I'm going to be spending a lot more time with you." If Rapunzel was being honest with herself, she wasn't used to unresponsive patients. She was used to being an active listener and a shoulder to lean on. "This room is quite peaceful, isn't it?" Anna slightly shrugged. I'll take some response over nothing, Rapunzel thought. "I don't know about you," she said. "But I'm a little hungry. How about we get some breakfast? I'll get us some bantha biscuits...meilooruns...OH! Meiloorun juice?"
Rapunzel's enthusiasm fell on deaf ears and Anna sunk into her pillow. "Okay," Rapunzel said. "I'll tell you what. I'll bring breakfast to you!"
One would think Rapunzel had teleportation abilities with how quickly she returned from the cafeteria. She eagerly placed a tray on Anna's bed and filled it with delicious platters. The knight observed her handiwork and beamed with joy. "I think that's everything. Oh! Your juice!" She accidentally set the cup down too hard and the metallic clang made Anna gasp. She raised a fist when she did so and Rapunzel immediately sensed a connection. "I'm sorry," she whispered and sat beside her. She proceeded to eat her own biscuit while Anna settled down. She noted the Padawan's defensive body language and wondered what about that sound triggered her reaction. Nothing is coincidental, Rapunzel considered.
Anna stood idle and stared at her food. While she didn't touch it, her eyes remained transfixed on each platter. Her stomach grumbled and Rapunzel offered a smile. "It's good," she jested alluringly. With a flick of her pinkie, Rapunzel used the Force to guide the aroma to Anna. When the Padawan finally caved, it was unlike how Rapunzel expected. Anna lunged forward and dug her hands into the platters. The silverware rolled off her bed as Anna wildly scooped food into her mouth. The desperation on her face coupled with Anna's emaciation brought a tear to Rapunzel's eye. The Padawan didn't leave a single crumb rolling on any of the platters. She practically inhaled all traces of food and reclined back against her pillow.
Pleased that her patient had finally eaten a real meal, Rapunzel removed the plates. "You can have all the food you want, okay?" she assured the Padawan. Anna looked at her sauce-ridden, crumby hands and whimpered. "Hey," Rapunzel spoke softly and sat at her side. "It's alright." She tried to sense what Anna was experiencing, but it all seemed clouded. "You're safe here," she reassured her and wiped her hands and face with a napkin. Anna's gaze fell on Rapunzel, but remained there this time. "We're gonna figure this out, okay?" Anna felt tears coming on and hid her face. "You'll find no shame with me," Rapunzel asserted. "Or shade for that matter. How about we let some real light in?" Rapunzel made for the wall panel and raised her window's shades. "It's a rainy morning in Coruscant," she said. "I've always found storms to be so tranquil. The gentle rolling of thunder and divine flash of-"
Lightning streaked across the clouds and Anna's eyes went wide. She loosed an animalistic scream, threw her tray across the room, and fell out of bed. A second lightning strike had her screaming all over again and crawling into a corner. Realizing the correlation, Rapunzel hurriedly tried to close the shades. However, the window was timed and its process would be prolonged. While the shades slowly lowered again, Rapunzel slid over to comfort her patient. Anna countered with a mild Force push, which the more-experienced knight countered. With the energy blast evaded, Rapunzel lowered her hands and eased her approach. "Anna," she spoke gently. "Listen to me. It's just me."
"Get away!" she screamed as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. "No...No! No more!"
"No more?" Rapunzel reiterated.
"No! Please!" Anna shouted and pulled at her hair. More lightning flashed as the shades prepared to close. "Leave me ALONE!"
As Anna recovered from her daze, she felt blood trickle from a cut on her head. She peered up through the smoke and ash to see Elsa dueling Ventress in her stead. "No," Anna coughed. "Elsa..." She crawled across the ebony gravel with the hopes of reaching her sister in time. She swallowed hard as their lightsabers suddenly vanished. An oceanic breeze cleared the smoke and revealed both combatants. While Ventress stood with a demonic leer, Elsa was hovering while clasping her throat. The sight was all too real for Anna as she witnessed Nelani's predicament all over again. Elsa kicked haplessly as Ventress slowly squeezed the life out of her. "Stop it," Anna uttered. All Ventress had to do was clench her fist and Elsa would be done for. Instead, the Sith wanted to make her suffer. She watched the Padawan's eyes twitch with her sister's dwindling air supply. In those moments, Anna felt a fury like never before. She thought about the dead and her failure to save them. She put Hans' injury and Elsa's imminent death on her hands as she squeezed the gravel beneath her. She let the sharp fragments pierce her palms and drew power from that pain. "I said...STOP IT!"
Anna Force-pushed Ventress and Elsa in separate directions. While her sister plunged into the sea, Ventress tumbled towards the caldera. Anna recovered her lightsaber and slid towards Ventress. She brought her weapon down hard as the Sith went on the defensive. In spite of everything, Ventress was still grinning. "Congratulations," she began and rolled behind Anna. The Padawan tried to turn in time as Ventress placed her in a headlock. Anna was like a rabid, flailing animal as her opponent squeezed on her pressure points. Her fighting spirit faded and her head fell forward against Ventress' arms. "You'll do," the assassin said as the shadow of a ship loomed over her...
I'll kill you, Anna thought. I'll kriffing kill you.
"I'll kill you!" she grumbled belligerently and flailed about a gravelly floor. Her voice echoed across an empty void of halls and her head pounded as she regained consciousness. "What the-" she groaned and rolled over. The pain only intensified when she reached for her temple and felt something weighing down her wrists. The distinct hum from a set of stun cuffs startled her through her grogginess. She tried to fully sit up, but her ankles were also shackled.
As Anna's vision returned, she focused intently on the the cuffs before her. She channeled all of her rage and willingness to survive into what little control of the Force she had. "Come on," she grunted as the binders quaked. "Almost-"
A sudden shock emanated from her wrists and ankles. It surged throughout her body and forced her to stop. As Anna winced in pain, an all-too familiar cackle sounded from above the pit. "I wouldn't do that again if I were you," Asajj Ventress said. Wholeheartedly willing to defy her, Anna attempted to quickly break her bindings with the Force. She wasn't attuned nor quick enough and Ventress flipped a switch. Another shock struck Anna and the Sith scoffed. "Oh come on. I thought you were smarter than that. What passes for a champion these days?"
"Take off these binders and I'll show you," Anna growled.
Ventress leaned over the railing and smirked. "I saw plenty," she jeered. "Plus, I don't think you're capable of much-" She twirled Anna's lightsaber hilt. "-without this."
"Sith witch! Just wait till I get out of here!"
Ventress laughed and disappeared into the shadows while Anna wriggled in her restraints. She dared to try using the Force a third time, but heard a vent open beside her. A sudden cloud of indigo mist emerged and Anna hastily held her breath. No matter how hard she tried to shimmy away or avoid inhaling the noxious fumes, they slowly entered her system. Her eyes grew heavy and her head fell against the gravel.
When Anna awakened next, the coarse sensation against her face had departed. A soft, velvet cushion protected her cheek while a gentle breeze entered the room. Am I...is this...a dream? she wondered. Anna slowly rose and found her limbs completely freed. She checked her head and winced upon discovering the cut was still there. She examined her surroundings, but could not make sense of the empty bedroom. Oh no, she considered. Is this another funky Aren hallucination? She wanted to call for someone, but was too afraid to alert her apparent captors. Her lightsaber rested on its own stand, as if it were on display in a museum. "What the heck?" she whispered and recovered it.
Anna made her way to a stained glass window and observed an expansive rainforest outside. "Where am I?" she asked.
"Home," a deep and resonant voice responded. It was unlike any Anna had ever heard and she spun to search for it. The gentle tromping of boots echoed around her as if someone was closing in. Unwilling to take any chances, Anna activated her lightsaber and flourished it for battle. "I assure you, child. You need not resort to hostilities."
"Tell that to the Sith who kidnapped me," Anna snarked.
"Your boldness is commendable," the man said. "Much like your achievements in the Corellian Cup."
"How do you...who are you?"
"Please, deactivate your sword so we may discuss things as...civilized individuals."
"Yeah, that's not happening." Anna caught someone moving in the corner of her eye and turned to see Ventress. Without hesitation, she launched forward with full Ataru fury. Ventress didn't bother to activate her second saber. She used one to parry Anna into the next room. Enraged, but weakened by hunger, Anna tried to keep up her intensity. Adrenaline could only take her so far. She swept her saber, but Ventress dodged and kicked her back. Anna stumbled into a desk and angrily sliced it in the process.
"I must insist you cease your struggle immediately. Before you pay the price," the voice man warned.
Ventress' smirk was enough incentive to make Anna attack again. The Sith weaved away from Anna's slash and forced the Padawan to sever a wall-mounted painting. Immediately after she did so, a sporadic bolt of lightning struck her in the back. The electric shock was far worse than anything stun cuffs could produce and she collapsed with a yell. Anna's saber rolled to Ventress' feet and she was left wondering what had just hit her.
Smoke emerged from her burning skin as she looked up at the painting she'd slashed. Though bisected, she could still make out a stern-faced nobleman standing before it. With dark eyes, brooding brows, and hauntingly white hair, the man was one Anna had seen in countless holovids. Only now, she could put a voice to that ominous profile. He cast a shadow over the painting and Anna turned. The dark, elderly figure loomed over her while Ventress paced at his side. Count Dooku, former Jedi and Lord of the Sith, had arrived.
Seeing as Ventress had reclaimed her lightsaber, Anna reached for Dooku's. She called upon it with the Force and Ventress moved to intercept. The count stopped his apprentice and simply stood there. He watched Anna struggle for his blade and raised one of his darkened brows. While Anna admittedly wasn't the strongest in the Force, she knew something was still complicating her pull. It was as if Dooku was using the Force without even moving a hand. His lightsaber barely budged and resisted Anna's attempts. She tried rushing him instead and was immediately struck by Force lightning.
"I think we might've made an error, master." Ventress hissed.
Dooku shook his head and stared down at Anna. "Do not mistake recklessness for stupidity. Pride can be redirected." Anna tried recovering her lightsaber, but Dooku Force-pushed her into a wall. "And spirits can be broken."
"Cwrds," Anna grunted. Dooku leaned in to hear her better. "Cowards!" she yelled through her wounds. "You can't even fight fairly. Duel me if you're as strong as they say, count! It's easy to kill an unarmed person."
"Who said anything about killing you?" Dooku inquired and knelt beside her. "My dear, I wish to-" Anna reached for his lightsaber and he caught her wrist. "Keep trying to resist and it will only be more painful for you." Anna ignored him and kicked at his leg. She barely nicked him by the time he sent Force lightning pulsing through her arm. "I am extending a hand to help you," he said. "Not hinder you."
"Says the...man...who's zapping me," Anna panted through her pain.
"Only because you choose to resist," Dooku placated. "You-"
Anna still tried lunging at him and suddenly felt pressure around her throat. With a thrust of his hand, Dooku lifted Anna into the air and scowled. "If you will not reasoned with...you will be restrained."
A pair of light blue orbs pulsed from a containment field in a dimly-lit chamber. Both kept Anna secured as she slowly rotated in a cone of magnetic energy. Metallic cuffs kept her wrists and ankles bound as Dooku stood before her. "You have a rash tenacity to you, Padawan." he said.
"So I've heard," Anna quipped.
"I cannot imagine it fares well in a place as orderly as the Jedi Temple. You know, I was once a Jedi."
"Spare me your sob story," Anna grumbled while her eyes scoured the room. "If you were too weak to remain in our Order, that's your problem."
Dooku simpered. "Come now, child. Given your behavior, I sense you don't truly believe those words. Even now as you attempt to ignore me and search for an escape route, you cannot deny your feelings. The intense hatred you possess is practically radiating off of you." Anna glared at Ventress and Dooku nodded. "There it is," he acknowledged. "The same emotions you likely felt on Scarif are now returning as you glimpse my assassin. You want to kill her. Even me perhaps."
"Well you both deserve to die!" Anna snapped. "Especially her! Those Jedi were innocent. The majority weren't even involved in the war!"
"No one asks to be," Dooku replied calmly. "Yet still destruction find us all. You simply cannot have a life free of it. This was a lesson I learned quite early in the Jedi Order. But in time, I reached the age of reason. The Jedi have lost their way and now defend a pitiful Republic. They have sealed their own destructive fates."
"So why spare me then if the Jedi are doomed to die?" Anna asked.
"Because you are young and full of promise," Dooku explained. "The Corellian Cup was anything but educational for the galaxy." Ventress cackled as he continued. "It was a symbol of the Jedi Order's ignorance and hubris. However, it also served a pinnacle role in showcasing the future. No other Jedi was as prepared...as resilient as you were."
"So you sent your pet to kill everyone so I could be what? Your prize?" Anna spat.
"You little brat," Ventress sneered until Dooku came closer.
"Do not project your council's actions on me," Dooku countered. "I know how they work. You were their prize. I see you as more than a title. More than trophy. It's time to wake up."
"You killed my friends!" Anna exclaimed and was immediately shocked with Force lightning.
"I rescued you," Dooku intoned.
"You kidnapped me!"
Ventress leaned back and watched Dooku's power light up the room with another shock. The Padawan's resistance was admirable, but every refutation was met with lightning. Just be quiet, Ventress thought. Don't you know when you can't win? Ventress' eyes trailed off as she realized a bitter truth. Would I know? she asked herself.
"Tell me...Anna, is it?" Dooku inquired while carving his roasted meal. "What day is it?" Anna didn't respond. She sat across an elongated dining table, but all of the food was on Dooku's side. Her stomach rumbled as she eyed the delectable platters. "Anna," Dooku intoned.
"I don't know," she murmured.
"That's right," he said. "It could be days. Weeks even. Likely months since you've joined us."
Anna's brows furrowed. "I don't think it's been months-" Dooku simply raised a hand and Anna braced. Rather than shock her, the count relished in her conditioning and continued to feast.
"You must be starving," Dooku said. "You may join me in this banquet, but only if you can recite what we've worked on." The count nonchalantly drank from his chalice and gestured to her. "The code."
Thinking about her hunger, Anna sighed and began. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force...shall free me." For Anna, even the Jedi Code had never been much of a serious mantra for her. Reciting Sith doctrine didn't seem to change much and would hopefully stop the recordings that would loop every night in her cell.
"Very good," Dooku muttered and sliced another portion of meat. With a wave of his hand, he motioned for a pair of scarlet-eyed MagnaGuards to come forth. "Take her back to her cell."
"Wait, what?" Anna blurted. "But I said what you wanted!"
"But you didn't mean it," Dooku replied. "You were merely saying what I wanted to here. Take her away." Livid, Anna Force-pushed one of the MagnaGuards into the dining table. It was all she was able to do as the other jabbed its electrostaff into her torso. The shock coupled with her rising hunger brought her to her knees. "The Code of the Sith promotes freedom," Dooku asserted. "I know not why you remain ignorant of it." The MagnaGuard's heavy, steel stomps were ear-splitting as it dragged her.
"That code is not freedom," Anna boldly spoke up and the droid halted. It looked to Dooku and then peered down at her. "The Jedi are, and I will be free."
Dooku's scowl deepened as he rose from his seat. "If the Jedi cared so much about your freedom, you'd have already been 'rescued' by your so-called allies by now. Every member of the Order, including your master, has moved on. No one in Coruscant cares about you anymore."
"You're lying," Anna said but pain and exhaustion provoked tears.
"It's the Jedi way," Dooku intoned. "We were both raised in it. No attachments."
As Anna fell back into the droid's grip, she forced herself to hold back her tears in front of Dooku. Once the MagnaGuard threw her back in a cell, she ultimately broke down. Images of Elsa, Mattias and Hans all started to fade. She'd lost track of time and struggled to hold on to their memories amidst her suffering. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry."
As Anna's face lay plastered against the cold hard floor of her cell, she felt someone's fingers run through her hair. "Anna," a woman's voice called and she started to stir. Her body ached from a profuse amount of shocks over an unknown amount of days. Her mind was warped and lightheaded due to malnutrition.
"Who's there?" Anna sniffled.
"Now you listen to me and you listen well. I never left you nor have I ever left your sister. I am with you in your highs and lows. When you're bravest and most afraid. I will always be with you, child of Aren. Now get up!"
"Mother!" Anna gasped and forced herself upright. When she did so, all she found was a desolate dungeon and a frigid reality. She hugged herself and slouched against the corner of her cell. She wasn't ready for another day in Dooku's bleak world. Whether she was hallucinating or experiencing a calling through the Force, Anna found solace in the mysterious woman's voice. Despite everything, she told herself. I cannot break. I cannot collapse. Even if everyone I know has given up on me, I will be my own salvation.In the main tower of his illustrious palace, Count Dooku sat in his throne. The stained glass windows bathed the room in a deep green glow while a hologram flickered before him. "This news is most distasteful, Lord Tyranus," a hooded figure said. "Now that the new droid foundries on Geonosis have been discovered, Republic involvement will be swift."
"What is it you'd have me do, master?" Dooku inquired.
"Inform Archduke Poggle the Lesser of an impending, planetary invasion. He trusts you, and I want you to personally oversee defensive preparations of those foundries. A massive, Jedi-led detachment is to be involved and we may be able to...thin their numbers."
"It will be done," Dooku affirmed.
"How is 'the subject' faring?"
"I believe this trial will prove far more fruitful than our attempt with children. The slave conditioning procedure is lengthy...but once her spirit breaks, you will have a powerful agent filled with untapped potential."
Dooku's master smirked. "The first of many, my apprentice. The new order we forge will have an army of Force-talented agents. They will be trained in the Dark Side and undyingly loyal to me. Do not fail me with this undertaking."
Back in the dungeon, a MagnaGuard delivered Anna's minuscule meal for the day. When it slid the tray through a slot, it noticed how limp Anna was. It struck the bars and even emitted a high pitched screech to try and wake her up. When Anna didn't budge, the droid opted to investigate. The cell door slid open and the MagnaGuard stomped in. Its inner workings blipped as it assessed the situation. As a last attempt to examine her vitality, the MagnaGuard grabbed its electrostaff.
It was about to power it up when Anna's eyes shot open. With a rampant scream, Anna threw herself at the droid and wrapped her arms around its neck. The guard's metal elbow clanged against her weakened chest, yet still she hung on. It slammed her against the wall and Anna used what energy she had to kick off of it. Both combatants collapsed and Anna scrambled for the open door. She was nearly to it when the downed droid seized her ankle. Anna collapsed and kicked at its face, but its grip was persistent. Thinking quickly, Anna lunged up and punched the cell door's switch. While she ended up falling, the door began to close. Anna pulled herself out just enough for the door to shut and sever the droid's arm in the process. She frantically removed its metal digits from her ankle and bolted down the corridor.
A B1 battle droid strutted in from the opposite side and craned its head towards the cell. "This just in from command," it said. "The prisoner is to remain in lockdown until Count Dooku returns from-" The droid stepped on the MagnaGuard's dismembered arm and saw the rest of it in the cell. "Ohhh no."
"My solar sailer is ready to depart," Dooku told his master. "I can leave immediately and-" An alarm rang out across his palace.
"Tyranus," the hooded Sith Lord queried. "What is that?"
Dooku observed the nearby cameras on his desk and saw Anna limping through a hallway. His eye twitched and he hurriedly rose. "I will deal with this...disturbance...master." He ended his transmission and marched out of the room. "All units," he called in via comlink. "The subject has escaped. Bring her to me alive."
"This place is a damn maze," Anna panted as she hobbled into a luxurious lobby. The sound of bizarre, gyrating gears echoed from down the hall. She thought back to her training on Kamino and her blood ran cold. "Kriff," she whispered. "Not these guys." Much to Anna's dismay, a squad of BX-series commando droids came sprinting towards her. While two dashed straight for her, another duo bounced off the walls. "Oh come on!" A pair of MagnaGuards rounded the adjacent corridor with their staffs primed to strike. "This is just overkill," Anna scoffed. With droids closing in from both sides, she threw herself into the nearest room and sealed the door. The silence was short-lived as the commandos started punching through. "Karabast!" Anna cursed and paced around the study. Cornered, she tried to find anything she could use as a weapon. "Come on, Anna," she willed herself. "Don't give up!" She picked up a lamp only to set it down. She recovered a wall-mounted rifle, but realized it was merely decorative. "No no no!" she panicked and pulled at her hair. "Now what?" The battle droids were nearly through and she was trapped. Sitting in a very sturdy chair beside a very...fragile window. Anna raised a brow, contemplated her options, and ultimately shrugged.
With a mighty huff, Anna sent the chair smashing through the stained glass pane. The free, open air blew against her skin just as the droids breached behind her. Taking a leap of faith, Anna grabbed the nearest curtain and launched herself out the window. Its rings snapped as she found herself freefalling off a cliff. The massive rainforest drew nearer and Anna lifted the curtains to catch air like a parachute. The maneuver managed to slow her descent enough before she crashed into the upper canopy. She didn't get a moment to catch her breath as droid gunships sounded in the distance.
Anna left the curtains entangled in their branches and dropped to the jungle floor. Nothing but the sheer will to survive drove her onward as the droids kept up their pursuit. I am Anna Dellian, she told herself. I have trained alongside masters and raced to deliver a cure. Forget the Force. By my will and my will alone, I will survive.
Branches and bushes rattled from all around her, leaving Anna to wonder how close the droids were. Tiredness and starvation were catching up with her. When she spun to find her pursuers, she tripped on a mud-covered root. Her ensuing tumble was rough and prolonged as she rolled down a slope. Low-hanging branches scraped at her back while other roots struck her knees. Her predicament increased in peculiarity when she rammed against a crate.
Barely able to stand, Anna fought through her injuries and squinted upward. The odd bustle of a ramshackle village lured Anna closer. As she entered, she noticed a wide variety of immigrated species going about daily life. While her spirit was willing to press on, her body was failing. Most of the muscles she'd trained so hard for had diminished from their peak condition. As Anna felt herself about to collapse, she looked to the nearest villager and croaked. "H-...help." The stocky Sullustan finished smoking his pipe of red spice and turned to Anna. When he noticed her condition, he dropped the pipe and ran off. "Thanks, buddy." Anna scoffed and limped forward. Her heart pounded when several shouts echoed through town. Dooku's commando droids entered from all sides and began searching homes. "Kriff," Anna whispered and tried to formulate a plan. She gasped when a series of heavy footsteps sounded from behind her.
"She's here," the Sullustan said upon returning. While Anna was initially worried that he'd brought a droid, she noticed a blonde woman standing beside him.
"Hey," the woman said. "We can get you out of here." Anna bit her lip while her wobbling knees forced her to lean. "What choice do you have?" the woman insisted. "You're in no condition to run." Seeing no other option, Anna nodded and the strangers went to work. "Come on, Tunkus," the woman ordered. "Help her inside."
The Sullustan wrapped an arm around Anna and guided her into a nearby shack. "Do I even wanna know why droids are looking for you?" he asked and Anna shook her head.
"Quiet," the woman asserted and pulled open a secret hatch. "Get in and I'll cover for you." Tunkus brought Anna to their hidden basement while she sealed and hid the hatch.
"Th-thank you," the Padawan uttered.
"No," Tunkus said and fired a stun blast into her back. "Thank you."
"Hey! She's waking up!" a rather irksome voice snickered.
"Not a bad catch, Tunkus," said another thug.
Anna slowly stirred to see a series of silhouettes standing before her. She could faintly make out a Zabrak, Rodian, Pau'an, and Nautolan. All of them flanked Tunkus, who was immensely proud of his find. A disgusting, slobbery smirk crept across his jowls. "She'll make a fine slave for the highest bidder," the Sullustan chuckled.
Enraged after all she'd been through, Anna sprung forward. Despite all she'd experienced with Dooku, she couldn't resist how easy it was to connect with her hatred. Her pain and fury all rested at her disposal. With a single burst of the Force, Anna snapped through the thugs' pathetic bindings and pushed them back. Their cocky grins vanished as fear of her power took hold. Anna prepared to attack again when a stun baton powered up. The sound and sight of electricity made Anna freeze. The very woman who'd offered her salvation closed in and merely had to raise the baton. Though she was perplexed by Anna's behavior, she was quick to identify some form of electrical conditioning. A devilish grin emerged on her dark lips and she swayed the baton at Anna. The slavers laughed as Anna shuddered and backed away.
"Nice work, Metora." Tunkus said. "Looks like this one's a special case."
Metora twirled her stun baton. "I'm always down for profit, and this little one will make us rich."
"Should we sell her back to the Seps?"
"Of course not. They'd kill us all and steal her back. No, we'll find a good buyer. Till then, cage her." Metora brought the stun baton closer as Anna screamed.
Thunder rumbled over Coruscant while lightning faded behind the clouds. Rapunzel and Anna sat in the darkness of her bedroom while tears fled their eyes. "Anna..." Rapunzel spoke up and dried her cheeks. She was still processing all she'd just heard. "I'm so sorry."
"So am I," Anna spoke freely. The Padawan shook her head and faced her. "I don't know who I am anymore."
"That's not always a bad thing," Rapunzel suggested.
"But it is," Anna asserted. "I had it all figured out already. I didn't need the Force, the Force needed me. I was a hero to this Republic and the Jedi. People were about to know me as the Corellian Cup champion. Then it all just..." Anna buried her face in her hands.
"You still are all those things."
"You don't get it," Anna huffed. "I broke out there. I proved that all of my achievements amounted to nothing. I couldn't even kill Dooku or Ventress. They had their pathetic way with my mind and then I was stupid enough to get captured by dim-witted slavers! And now..." Anna raised her shaking, weakened arms. "Now look at me."
"Anna," Rapunzel answered soothingly. "You are so focused on your failure that you are being immensely unfair to yourself." Anna grimaced at her words and her eyes swelled with more tears. "You survived. You're a survivor, okay?" Anna sniffled and nodded as Rapunzel continued. "Your story doesn't show weakness. It shows that despite all you endured, you still managed to escape. You're human, Anna. When you were captured a second time, you did what anyone would. You held on as long as you could. And by the will of the Force, whether you believe in it or not, you were saved by those who care about you. Contrary to what those Dark-siders tried to tell you, your master and sister found you. You know them better than I do, but that tells me they never stopped looking for you. It's time to forgive yourself."
"I don't know how to do that," Anna confessed. "I don't know how to move forward or even face everyone again."
"You don't have to possess all the answers today," Rapunzel assured. "You've already taken your first steps towards recovery, so all you need is patience. When the time is right, things will start to make a little more sense."
"I feel like I'm starting over," Anna said. "I feel so uneasy and imbalanced, weakened and..." Anna swallowed her pride and forced herself to say the final word. "-afraid."
Rapunzel smiled softly and held Anna's hand. "There is nothing to be afraid of. Sometimes we all need a little help. We need to reevaluate and rebuild. People start new lives every day."
"So you tell me then," Anna said. "How, where, and when will my life begin?"
Rapunzel suddenly sprung from the floor and took Anna's other hand. "Right now," she declared and Anna raised a skeptical brow. "Oh, you think I'm kidding? Up and at 'em!" She jokingly shook Anna's arms like noodles until she coaxed a smile out of her.
"Okay! I'm coming," the Padawan grumbled. "Where are we going?"
"Where aren't we going?" Rapunzel jested and led Anna out of the room. "Your healing begins in the mind. Tell me, have you ever painted before?"
"Um...no?"
Rapunzel's eyes lit up with joy. "Ohoho you're gonna love this."
As Rapunzel guided Anna out of the darkness, Stass Allie observed their progress and smiled from a distance.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this week's installment of the "Frozen Force." As we move forward with this story, I want you to know that its development and these characters are very dear to me. I take my work extremely seriously and wish to convey important, emotional themes. The story is not only here to entertain, but to motivate and inspire. This is an ever-growing adventure of redemption with highs and lows, just as we experience in life. We will continue to grow together in our Frozen Force Family and I'm honored to bring new chapters to you each week. Failure is never final, love is undying, and you are never really alone.
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Long Live YOUR Imagination and May the Force be with You
~ Michael