World of Disney 3 - Chapter Two (w/ Commentary Notes from the Author, Sean Livingston)

Chapter Two: A Rebel Yell

            Vanessa’s striking blue eyes became a bloodshot mess from minutes of bawling them out. Chrissy finished recounting the story of the two daughters she lost to the Jedi purge years ago – two girls she met once and did not recognize her from the condition of her fluxed identity. It was the fact that Chrissy never even got to say goodbye to her girls that made Vanessa sob in a notably loud way, driving Adrienne nuts. She sat on the floor and against the wall beside Vanessa and Chrissy, completely healed of her wounds (although the blood still remained on her clothes); it was a place she suddenly found herself regretting to be in.

            Loudly banging her head against the hard steel wall was all that could be done to drown out the sound of Vanessa’s moaning and sniffling. “Please God. Let me die now. This time for good.”

            “What type of Jedi does that?”

            Adrienne ceased the banging of her skull to the steel and glared towards Penz, who maintained her lotus style sitting on the bed, her eyes shut. “Does what?”

            “Beg for death.”

            Adrienne frowned at the young blonde. “I’m sorry. Who the hell are you again?”

            “I’m what you are…a prisoner of war.” Penz remarked.

            “I’m not fighting any war.” Adrienne clarified with a snicker. “I’m a simple woman caught in the wrong place at the wrong time – and now I have to endure a sassy blonde and two blubbering redheads.”

(Character Note: Adrienne has in fact fought in most of the wars that have taken place in the hundreds of years she has spent within the Star Wars universe, particularly the Clone Wars.)

            Wiping her nose with a purple silk handkerchief she pulled from the inside her jacket, the sniffling Vanessa looked defensively to Adrienne. “Well, excuse me for being so emotional!” She pointed to her wet, reddened eyes and added, “These are angry tears! The Empire has taken so much from so many! Those were her children!”

            “And you think I don’t know that?” Adrienne furiously snapped. “What people have lost? What about what I’ve lost?”

            Chrissy noticed how visibly distraught this woman she met only hours ago was. The particular emphasis on herself was a major clue. “What have you lost to the Empire, Adrienne?”

            The self-proclaimed Guardian was speechless, only staring at Chrissy in a conspicuously browbeaten way. It was a definite change in demeanor from the otherwise overtly confident and grotesquely mysterious woman.

(Narrative Note: World of Disney 3 focuses on the destruction of Fantasia, a moment in the life of Sean Thomas's Guardian lineage that has plagued his reincarnated forms since Jacqueline, who witnessed the realm's end. Out of them all, Adrienne bears the heaviest burden, believing herself to be responsible for Fantasia's demise, as she did nothing to prevent it.)

            She almost seemed willing to share her story, until she and her fellow inmates heard movement from the only vent in the cell.

            “Is there somebody in there?” Chrissy questioned.

            Penz was curious enough herself to reopen her eyes and look to the vent, wondering just as the other women did.

            The vent cover popped right off its hinges and fell towards the floor. Before it could hit, however, Adrienne reached out with her right arm and levitated it just an inch from the floor, successfully preventing it from clattering loud enough for the Troopers outside to hear. Still channeling her power, she gently and quietly set it down.

            Looking to the opened vent, the four women saw a teenage boy with fair skin, blue eyes, and blue-black hair poking out his upper body from inside.

            Adrienne directly recognized him. “Ezra! Where’s the rest of the crew?”

(Star Wars Note: "Ezra Bridger" is one of the main protagonists of Star Wars Rebels on the network Disney XD. Many of the show's characters appear in World of Disney 3 albeit out of sequence from the initial timeline of the show.)

            “They’re on the way.” Ezra acknowledged. “Did you get the information you wanted?”

            Adrienne shook her head negatively. “Still working on it. I’ve got to give Vader one last surprise visit before we leave.”

            Ezra clearly did not appreciate the idea of staying any longer on the battle station just to wait for Adrienne to make a move that would undoubtedly get them all killed. But he knew better than to argue with a woman with eyes as scary and intimidating as hers.

(Character Note: Adrienne's "scary and intimidating" eyes is a character trait that has been emphasized since her debut in Tales of the Disneyverse. This is an inside joke to the actual piercing gaze Adrienne Wilkinson has in her performance as intense, feral characters like Livia/Eve in Xena: Warrior Princess and Captain Lexxa Singh in Star Trek Renegades.)

            “Alright. Fine.” He consented with a sigh. “But I should probably let you know that, when we snuck aboard, we discovered a new prisoner being personally escorted by the Empire to a remote location.”

            Adrienne’s ears perked on this; her eyes mirroring the tension that overcame her entire body. “Describe him for me.”

            Ezra shrugged, following his description to the best of his recollection in the short time he got to look at the person in question: “It was an old bald man with a long gray beard and really intense eyes – way more than yours.”

            The description was accurate enough for Adrienne to recognize.

            Chrissy saw how her face tightened into a fierce scowl. It was a terrifying sight to say the least but not as much as what happened next…

            Adrienne’s form vanished right out of thin air, leaving no trace of it behind. It happened so abruptly that it literally was a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment to Chrissy, Vanessa, Penz, and Ezra – all of whom witnessed it in wide-eyed astonishment.

            In her state of shock from the baffling display of power, Vanessa looked to Ezra and asked, “Did you know she could do that?”

            “Not until just now.” He replied.

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            Tarkin sat in his usual place at the conference table and listened to Vader share his implausible experience within the Sphere. The thought of the dark lord having been temporarily transported into a parallel world was downright preposterous in more than one way – and Tarkin did not hesitate in letting Vader know it.

            “What you speak of, Vader…it is insane.”

            “But, nonetheless, it did happen. The Sphere contains extraordinary power beyond the capacity of anything in this galaxy. It has a strong connection to the Force as well. I felt its connection to me before I was teleported away.”

(Narrative Note: Up until this story, not much about the source behind the Sphere's core power has been uncovered. Its connection to the Force - the metaphysical, spiritual, and binding power that surrounds the Star Wars universe - is a strong hint as to how "alien" its origins are. Much of this will be explained in The Disney Access.)

            Tarkin scowled in thought. “I cannot fully bring myself to understand ancient religion such as the Force any more than I can with that machine we’ve discovered. I prefer to let the mysteries of the galaxy remain exactly what they are.”

            “Took the words right outta my mouth, dude.”

            The Grand Moff jumped out of his chair once he heard the voice of a woman speak close to his left. He was alarmed to see that it was the female Jedi they attempted to kill multiple times earlier. She sat in the chair nearest to Tarkin’s, her dirtied, knee-high, high-heeled brown boots resting on the smooth, reflective surface of the table, leaving traces of grime from the grunge-ridden soles.

            She smirked at him. “Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?”

(Pop Culture Note: Adrienne quotes a German lyric from the 1980s pop song, "Der Kommissar," by the British rock band, After the Fire. The song was originally recorded by Austrian pop and rock singer/musician Falco, whose other international hits included "Rock Me Amadeus" in 1985. The English translation for "Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?" is "All right, Mister Commissioner?" In principle, it is a stab at Tarkin's authority as a Grand Moff.)

            He had no idea what strange language she just addressed him in. All he cared for was to alert security of her presence, since Vader evidently took no action whatsoever. He impulsively reached for the built-in comlink on the table, his finger to the “call” button on the device.

            “Troopers to the Conference Room immediately! We have an intrud...”

            “Pause.”

            Tarkin froze in position the instant that Adrienne muttered the word, his finger still on the com-link button. Vader’s body became rigid with surprise from this display of power; it was nothing he had ever seen any Jedi (or Sith) do before. Tarkin was legitimately still – his eyes not blinking, no part of his body twitching whatsoever, and not even breathing. Yet, he was still alive in some way that alluded Vader. His focus returned to Adrienne.

(Narrative Note: The "pause" spell has been used before in the World of Disney series, first practiced by Joanie Navarro's sinister alter-ego "Dawn" in the very first installment, during her attempted wedding to Jafar.)

            Adrienne grinned. “Don’t look so afraid, Vader.” She saw his head cock to the left curiously, and her grin widened. “Yeah, despite your big, scary black breathing mask, I can see your scared little face.” She pointed to her pale blue eyes that had that piercing, intimidating glare in them. “I’ll admit that I’m not too fond of them – not since this reincarnation started. They tend to scare everyone that passes by, thinking I’m going to rip them a new one or something. But they have one of millions and millions of special qualities...like x-ray vision.”

            “What are you?” Vader delivered the question that Adrienne heard him and Tarkin ask the many times they attempted to kill her.

            His inquiry only offended her. “Oh, don’t play dumb with me, you asthmatic ass! You’ve known for a long time what I am. Our little torture session...your curiosity in the Sphere...it all clued me into what’s really going on here.” She removed her feet from the table and stood up at her full five-foot-five-inch height (she looked like a small child compared to the towering half-man/half-machine character standing across the table). “You’ve had contact with a sorceress masquerading around the galaxy as something she’s not...just like me. She goes by the name ‘Dawn.’ Ringin’ a bell?”

            Vader was silent for a long moment. After a couple of short minutes, he confessed, “I was approached by her during my first years as my master’s apprentice. I was captivated by her astounding power...not only in the Force but...something else.” His voice drifted as he reflected on these thoughts. It sounded to Adrienne as if he were caught in a trance.

            And that scared her.

            “She’s more of a danger to you and the rest of the galaxy than the Sphere itself!”

            “You know nothing of them. They are the final solution for the galaxy.”

(Factual Note: Germany's plan during World War II to systematically exterminate the Jewish population in Nazi-occupied Europe through genocide was euphemistically named "Final Solution." It culminated in the Holocaust, which saw the killing of two-thirds of European Jews. The Galactic Empire of Star Wars has often been compared to the Nazis, from their dress code to their ideals.)

            Adrienne gave an amused snicker. “You know what’s so disturbing about what you just said? Your ‘final solution’ sounds an awful lot like that of a mini-mustached dude who thought the very same way the Emperor does...and both solutions lead to everyone dying – there is no victor!” She moved dangerously close to Vader, knowing that the intensity in her address to him could lead to assault at any second. Of course, knowing her capabilities, it would have been futile for him to make any sort of attack. “Wake up to what you’re becoming, dammit!”

            “And what am I becoming?”

            “I know things about your future that not even Yoda could’ve seen. It’s not as clouded as he made it seem, not to a being like myself. Whether you choose to ditch the Sphere or not, it doesn’t end well for you, man – believe me.”

            “What do you know about me? What do you know of my future?” Vader’s tone was defensive. He towered over Adrienne with fierce intimidation, forcing her to answer.

            Adrienne bit her lower lip, choosing her words carefully. Events already changed with the Sphere taking its place in this universe. Heaven only knew what else could from what she said next.

(Narrative Note: Similar to what happened in the Marvel Universe, the Sphere's presence in a realm based from an established timeline of a franchise has been altered, due to the influence of its residents toward it. As such, after the events of The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2 and World of Disney 3, a new timeline is created, though it is not too dissimilar from the films. This is evident - in the case of the Marvel Universe - in Marvel Mayhem and will be for Tales from the Battlefront this December, both tales taking place after the events of their respective WOD installments.)

            “I know you used to be a good man with a good soul – before it was corrupted by the Emperor.” She noticed that his shoulders became broader and more tense. Clearly, it hit a sour spot in him. “I also know that you’re supposed to be a father.”

            His shoulders loosened at this mention. Obviously, he was surprised by the accuracy of her knowledge. Yet that did not prevent him from going into denial and becoming even more defensive: “You know nothing of me!”

            “I know what it’s like to have a face you weren’t born with, seeing it as a constant reminder that you can no longer go back to the way things were.”

            Her tone changed. It was more of sympathy than frustration with the Sith Lord, especially as she saw her reflection in the lenses of his mask – the person looking back at her being someone she hardly recognized, despite the many years she had seen her.

(Character Note: "Adrienne" is the one incarnation of Sean Thomas's Guardian that suffers the most mentally, having originally lost connection to the spirit of Sean Thomas upon her reincarnation. This is why she seems unhinged, as she spent a prolonged period living under an alternate identity. Once she managed to rediscover herself, her self-perspective became askew.)

            That focus was taken away swiftly the moment she felt herself having difficulty in breathing. An invisible hand gripped her throat, squeezing tighter and tighter until her windpipe was totally shut. It did not take much to guess that the concealed attack on her breathing was caused by Vader, performing his infamous “Force Choke” on her.

(Star Wars Note: Eagle-eyed fans will spot my inside reference in this paragraph to the ship commanded by General Grievious in Revenge of the Sith.)

            Unfortunately for Vader, Adrienne’s power was stronger.

            Through her own sorcery, she managed to remove the unseen grip and save herself from yet another attempt at her execution. She gasped loudly, returning the air back into her lungs.

            Vader dropped his right arm futilely.

            Seeing the manner of his gesture, Adrienne grinned. “You’ve got that look on your face again.”

            The room fell silent as the two figures only stared to each other.

            “Attention all troopers!” The sudden alert came from over the com-link that the frozen Tarkin still had the channel open. “The station has been infiltrated by a small group of rebels! Be on the alert and do not hesitate to fire on sight!”

            Although it was meant to alert the Stormtroopers, it was a harsh reminder to Adrienne of how little time she had now with the entire station onto the Ghost crew’s presence and their freeing Chrissy, Vanessa, and Penz.

            “Tell me!” She urgently demanded Vader. “Tell me where you’re keeping Yen Sid!”

            “Who is Yen Sid?” Vader uttered, genuinely confused.

            Adrienne’s eyes grew wide with realization. “It’s the Emperor. He’s the one behind his imprisonment. He’s sensed his presence in this world, hasn’t he?”

            Vader did not respond, and he did not have to. She realized he was nothing more than a dead end. As far as she was concerned, they were done there. Her form vanished and, shortly thereafter, Tarkin was unfrozen.

            “…er! Repeat: troopers to the con—”

            The Grand Moff stopped once he realized that the female Jedi was nowhere to be found in the conference room. It was more of a surprise to see the Stormtroopers he called for to storm right into the room, expecting to find the intruder they were warned about but only finding Tarkin and Vader.

            “Where did she go?” Tarkin furiously questioned.

            But Vader remained voiceless, his breathing all that escaped out of him.

-----------------------

            When Hera Syndulla was told that her ship would be docked in one of the hangars to the Empire’s new deadly battle station and left in waiting while a small rescue team led by Kanan Jarrus went to save a fellow Jedi and a stranger that was “important to their primary objective,” she would have certainly objected to such a suicide mission. She hoped to not have been manipulated by some Jedi mind trick on Kanan’s part, or else the both of them would have quite a long talk.

(Star Wars Note: Much of Kanan and Hera's backstory is explained in the novel Star Wars: A New Dawn. It serves as a prequel to Star Wars Rebels, set six years before the events of the show.)

            The beautiful green Twi’lek pilot of the Ghost starship intended to make the preparations to depart the dreadful Death Star on the second she spotted Kanan and the others with the rescued prisoners. For most of the time, Hera had to share the empty space of the ship with Chopper, who was more than impatient and frantic, beeping obscenities to Hera during the wait.

            “Relax, Chopp, before you blow a gasket.” She cautioned the astromech droid at one point.

            Finally, from the cockpit window, she saw the rest of the crew rush into the hangar with the prisoners.

            Wait! There’s more than one? Who are those other two – the barefooted one and the tall one whose hair looks like it’s made of fire, she wondered.

(Authorial Note: There are many inside jokes to be found in Hera's observation and interaction with "Vanessa," the character inspired by Hera's voice actress, Vanessa Marshall. On my Twitter, during production of World of Disney 3, I joked about the idea of this fan fiction being the only one in existence that has the voice actor and the character they brought to life sharing scenes together.)

            Hera did not bother to question it any further. This rescue/suicide mission was crazy enough as it was with the plan starting out by allowing the Death Star’s tractor beam to pull Ghost into the hangar. While Hera and Chopper hid in Ghost’s secret compartments, the others hid in crates while an inspection team searched the ship, which they projected to be a simple abandoned Corellian freighter. Once the crates were taken for inspection, the crew made their move – Ezra went through the ventilation system to find the prisoners and then gave the O.K. for Kanan, Zeb, and Sabine to attack and rescue.

(Star Wars Note: This plan bears much similarity with that in the impromptu rescue of Princess Leia in A New Hope. In both cases, a Corellian starship is hauled on board the Empire's battle station, with its crew using secret compartments to hide themselves before infiltration. The similarities aren't exactly coincidental narrative-wise, as Adrienne worked it out by memory of watching Star Wars when she was Sean Thomas.)

            The only one missing from the returning group was Adrienne.

            “Where could she…?”

            She heard Chopper whirring frantically, which unintentionally directed her attention to the co-pilot’s chair, discovering in her astonishment to see Adrienne sitting there.

            “How did you get in?” Hera inquired. “I hadn’t lowered the ramp yet!” By mentioning the task, she was reminded to do so as Kanan and the others neared the ship.

            “Just take off the minute the others are on board, O.K.?” Adrienne punitively commanded.

            Hera did not appreciate her tone, but she dared not to get into an altercation with the supposed Jedi in the middle of their escape. “Um, yeah. That’s the plan as I remember it,” she quipped.

            She looked to the cockpit window once more, noting the large team of Stormtroopers storming into the hangar and opening fire on the ship. She allowed them to get just a few shots, knowing none of them would make even a dent with those abysmal shooting skills, and then punched it.

            Ghost roared into takeoff, speeding backwards out of the hangar and turning itself around to fly into the vastness of space. Hera hoped that they would not get caught in a tractor beam during flight. Of course, it seemed that most of the station’s beam energy was dedicated to tethering the gigantic, spherical machine they passed on their escape.

            Hera recognized it as the one Adrienne spoke so much about, prior to their mission.

            “What’s so special about that thing anyway?”

            Adrienne’s eyes made no acknowledgment to the object of Hera’s curiosity. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

(UP NEXT: A Greek demigod, a lost pregnant wife, and another Adrienne!)