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

Chapter Twelve: Sending a Message

            Yen Sid was a whole two feet taller than the pair of Stormtroopers that escorted him from his detention cell to the Death Star’s command center. He was almost insulted the Empire did not take him to be that much of a threat with only two of their soldiers guarding him. Of course, he had no reason to complain. As long as they believed him to be nothing more than a “dusty old man,” as he overheard one trooper refer him, then he was free to continue planning a way to prevent the Empire from reaching Fantasia. But someone aboard the battle station did consider him to be of value – why else would he be brought to the command center?

(Character Note: This is Yen Sid's first physical appearance since Tales of the Disneyverse. Chronologically, his appearance prior to this story was in The Marvelous World of Disney 2, discovering the reincarnation of Joanie Navarro-Thomas in the epilogue.)

            Waiting there for him were Admiral Grand Moff Tarkin and his Sith lord associate, Darth Vader. Standing in close proximity of Vader, Yen Sid found him to be nearly as intimidating as his title held him to be. He was virtually matched with Yen Sid’s full height, though the master sorcerer still remained the tallest in the room. But that did not stop Tarkin from making himself feel bigger than everyone there with his boastful attitude. At the moment Yen Sid arrived, he stared out the large, wide viewscreen that took up much of the wall space. Upon it was a perfect view of the Sphere, floating close by the orbital battle station.

(Star Wars Note: The Death Star command center is also known as the "Overbridge" or "War Room." It is located above the super-laser dish, which structurally grants the observer to see the target in the laser's line of sight. Moff Tarkin spends much of his command in this area in the events of A New Hope, as it serves as the primary headquarters of the Death Star's command triumvirate, which includes Tarkin himself, Admiral Motti, and High General Tagge.)

            “You and this magnificent construct have been the subject of great interest as of late.” Tarkin said, not having once faced Yen Sid. “Since Vader’s journey through the other universe this sphere is key to, the Emperor has decreed it the mission of the Empire to discover this new world and claim it in our name.” Finally, the Grand Moff turned his attention to him, his soulless, cold blue eyes fixated on the intense glare of the master sorcerer’s. “In the time we have contained you here, I have come to believe you to be a great Jedi master.”

            “I am not a Jedi.” Yen Sid impudently remarked.

            “Oh, we have come to realize that now.” Tarkin clarified. “Not only have they been long extinct, but you do not dress like one of them nor do you seem to carry their code. And, above all, you lack a lightsaber of any kind. I also consulted with Vader on the possibility. By his standards, you are indeed not the Jedi we have believed you to be. That only begs the question of what you are exactly.”

            Yen Sid’s glower intensified. “I am not of your world.”

            “We have realized that as well.” Tarkin professed.

            “Then this interrogation is pointless.” Yen Sid refuted.

            “Only I decide what this interrogation shall be!” Tarkin barked in anger. For a brief second, his cool was lost, yet he managed to regain it in time to continue: “Now, as I was saying, we have tapped into the true power of the spherical construct and discovered this universe that lies beyond the galaxy. Much like the Emperor, Vader and I wish to visit more of it…specifically your world within it.”

(Narrative Note: World of Disney 3 marks the first time that villains from the world opposite the Disneyverse have dared to journey into it. The previous stories only featured Disney Villains visiting other Disney Worlds or the central world of the story, such as the Evil Queen of Snow White in World of Disney and Doctor Facilier of The Princess and the Frog in The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2.)

            Yen Sid’s ears perked. This was it. This was the moment he anticipated – the one that led to his vision of Fantasia’s destruction. Whatever happened next in that room would determine the fate of the world and the rest of the Disneyverse.

            “You will tell us the location of your home planet.” Tarkin brazenly demanded.

            After a minute of silence, Yen Sid had done something he not often did: he laughed. His laughter echoed through the hollowed area, drawing much ire from both Tarkin and Vader. “You truly believe it would be that simple getting me to lead you to my home? You are an empire of fools.”

(Authorial Note: "Empire of Fools" was one of the titles I considered for this chapter and almost chose it over the other candidates, being my favorite used line in this exchange.)

            Tarkin fumed at the sorcerer’s insulting remarks yet remained composed. “We expected such resilience. You are not the first to spit in the face of our authority. As such, we have found a method to bring out your compliance.”

(Star Wars Note: Tarkin's line here could allude to Princess Leia, who was the only other known adversary of the Empire to "spit in the face" of authority. However, the events of World of Disney 3 take place prior to those in A New Hope and completely rewrite the Star Wars timeline from that point at the end.)

            Right on cue, another party manifested within the room, directly beside Vader. To Yen Sid’s immediate horror, he saw that it was Yve Ette with the accompaniment of a restrained, battered, bruised, and bloodied Jacqueline – the second reincarnation of Sean Thomas in his afterlife as Guardian of the Disneyverse. Jacqueline, took weak to stand, resorted to being on her knees. She gained significant muscle increase since Yen Sid last encountered her, presumably training for the conflict she and Yve Ette had prior to their arrival. Unfortunately, as evident from her current state, it did no good.

(Character Note: Jacqueline's "muscle increase" was inspired from the real Jacqueline Sobotka's muscle gains during production of World of Disney 3. She has documented her progress on her Facebook page. The increase in her definition was so significantly impressive that I was motivated to integrate it to her character.)

            “Surprised to see me, boss?” Yve Ette sneered. “Look what I found: one of my past lives – the weak one. Seems always so easy to kick her butt, no matter how pumped she makes herself.”

            “Let me get my wind back and we’ll see who the ‘weak one’ is.” Jacqueline retorted, blood trickling from the left corner of her mouth.

            Noting Yen Sid’s unsettled reaction to their newest prisoner, Tarkin knew he had the master sorcerer right where he wanted him. “So, she is important to you. How charming. Then you must realize that extreme torture will come to her, if you continue to refuse to give us the location of your home world.”

            “Yen Sid, don’t tell these buttholes anyth—” Jacqueline was swiftly silenced the second that Yve Ette delivered a powerful left hook across her face, drawing out more blood from the mouth.

(Authorial Note: Jacqueline was a last-minute addition to this scene, after I decided for the character to be officially killed off in this story - though she would return in other World of Disney installments. This scene originally required for Adrienne to die at Yve Ette's hands, triggering the reincarnation into Yvette herself, which would have pitted two versions of the character - the Guardian and the Sith - against each other. I backed out of this idea to continue focusing on Adrienne as the primary hero and make use of the subplot involving her younger counterpart later on.)

            Yen Sid hated to see one of his most beloved pupils brought to such a state, but he remained firm in his resilience. “Killing her is irresolvable and will not give you what you desire. You will never succeed in your pointless expedition.”

            The impatient and increasingly angered Tarkin proceeded to turn to Yve Ette and growl out an order: “Do as you wish with her!”

            Yve Ette’s eyes glowed red while a wicked smile of satisfaction emerged on her face. Glaring towards Yen Sid, she drew her regular Sith lightsaber and said, “You’re right. Killing her is irresolvable with her sorry, near-immortal butt. But, here’s the thing – I don’t intend on killing her… at least not yet, anyway. No, I’m only gonna make her suffer immeasurable pain.”

            She kicked Jacqueline into a horizontal position on the floor. Having heard Yve Ette’s true intentions in her method of torture, genuine fear flooded the eyes of Jacqueline. She was on the verge of begging for her life until the sparkling red blade of her lightsaber went down, jabbing directly into her abdomen. The most anguished cry escaped out of her from searing pain. There was no time to recover as the corrupted reincarnation proceeded to riotously jab her lightsaber into various regions of Jacqueline’s body, turning it to Swiss cheese in under a minute.

            Yen Sid could no longer bear to watch, opting to stare at the floor. Sadly, between Jacqueline’s tormented screams and the trail of her blood that oozed through the floor area he focused on, there was no avoiding the torture Tarkin and Vader coerced him to be present in.

            Jacqueline’s screaming soon turned to gurgling and deadly silence thereafter.

(Authorial Note: This torture scene was another that World of Disney 3's "T" rating permitted me to go outside the "family friendly" boundaries that the previous stories in the series - minus Marvel Mayhem - were confined in. I was careful with the violent imagery, so as not to push for a level of gore in a Disney story, settling on ambiguous metaphors like the "Swiss cheese" one.)

            Finally, the nightmare was over…but for how long?

            Yve Ette approached him with bits of blood sprayed onto her unhinged face. “So help me, old man, I will do it all over again if you don’t take us to Fantasia!”

            After such a horrifying moment, Yen Sid’s resilience was shattered. The Empire exposed his one true weakness: his emotional attachment. It was the one human flaw that certainly separated him from an actual Jedi master taught to let go of such a thing. Yet, as he earlier made known to Tarkin and everyone else there in the command center, Yen Sid was no Jedi.

            Hanging his head in shame and defeat in his mission, he obliged, “I will do as you please. I will show you the way.”

            Tarkin beamed with victorious self-praise. “There. You see, Lord Vader? He can be reasoned with.” He refocused on Yve Ette and ordered, “Continue with your plans. You may exterminate the girl.”

            Yen Sid’s head shot back up, alarmed, glaring at Tarkin. “What? I agreed to your terms! I have given you what you wanted!”

            “We agreed to no terms. The girl was merely leverage.” Tarkin revealed. “But, don’t worry, we will deal with your world soon enough.”

(Star Wars Note: These lines, as well as the setting and roles of the characters, purposely mirror the Empire's interrogation of Princess Leia in A New Hope before their destruction of her home planet of Alderaan. Just as in the original scene, this is done to convey the true, evil manipulative nature of Tarkin and why the Empire can never be trusted to uphold agreements. It also gives a sense of personal loss for the heroes, just like Alderaan was for Leia and the Rebel Alliance.)

            Yve Ette switched off her regular lightsaber and exchanged it for her specialized one – the one reserved for exterminating Guardians. With a single prodigious stab right into the heart of Jacqueline’s ravaged body, she rendered it all to nothing more than reincarnation dust.

            Yen Sid helplessly observed the action, a lone tear falling from his left eye.

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            “All I’m sayin’ is maybe we should think about gatherin’ a group of real freedom fighters to help us out.”

            Between Mickey’s constant advising and the mere fact that her mother’s reincarnation remains were still lying nearby, ready to bring in a new form, Adrienne could barely take much more stress.

            “I know what you’re telling me, Mick, but there’s no one in the galaxy that can help us.”

(Authorial Note: With the exception of the Ghost crew and Yoda, no other heroes from the Star Wars franchise appear in this story. It was intended for more characters to appear, including Anakin Skywalker in what would be a rare showdown with his future Sith identity, but this was nixed in favor of centralizing the villains of Star Wars - much like The Marvelous World centralized on the Marvel superheroes.)

            “There’s gotta be somebody! We can’t do this alone!”

            “Well, what else would you sug—”

            A sudden jolt of pain coursing through her chest cut Adrienne’s question short. She doubled over, clutching her bosom and gasping, much to the concern of Mickey.

            “Adrienne! You O.K.?”

            As soon as she was able to regain her breath, she replied, “I just felt like a part of me had been destroyed. Like as if one of my previous selves just suffered one of the most horrifying deaths imaginable.”

(Star Wars Note: Though this is a common reaction to a reincarnation when they sense an unnaturally gruesome death in a previous life cycle, this can still be looked as a follow-up in the parallel with the destruction of Alderaan in reference to Obi-Wan Kenobi's sense of "a great disturbance in the Force.")

            “Gosh.” Mickey whispered with unease. “Do ya know which of them it was?”

            Adrienne shook her head. “Not totally sure. I just know that she’s gone now.”

            There came a gravelly sound that filled their ears and directed their eyes back to the reincarnation dust, just as a body part protruded out of it.

            Adrienne smiled. “Looks like we’re getting our new friend.”

            The body part in question – a bare, toned, slender light brownish leg – wiggled around a bit before it was joined by an arm of the same nature. A nose and a pair of teal-colored eyes soon manifested as well.

            Mickey shivered with disgust. “I always hate this part. Creeps me out.”

            Adrienne grinned at the mouse. “That’s the miracle of reincarnation, buddy. I faintly remember how I came out in rebirth. My forehead was right beside my left cheek.”

            “Well, that’s not so bad. At least it was two parts of your face where they’re supposed to belong.”

            “I didn’t say it was my face cheek.” She slyly added, which only made Mickey shiver even more rigorously than before.

(Narrative Note: Mickey, alongside Yen Sid and Pluto, first bore witness to the "miracle" of reincarnation in the first tale of the Tales of the Guardians miniseries, with the rebirth of Sheryl. A circumstance similar to Adrienne's, in which a "sensitive body part" emerges from the reincarnation dust, occurred in Sheryl's, as well as for JeniLynn in Tales of the Disneyverse.)

            Just as more sensitive body parts began to emerge from the dust, Adrienne made the noble gesture of providing some privacy by piling pillows over the reincarnating subject. A few short moments later, some of the pillows shifted and fell from the pile to expose the fully-formed body of a caramel-skinned young woman with bright red hair and luscious pink lips. Her upper body stuck out from the pillow pile with her bare, well-rounded breasts obscured by one large maroon pillow. She stared blankly towards Adrienne and Mickey, akin to a newborn baby.

            Adrienne snapped her fingers in front of the newly-reborn woman’s face, with no response. She let out a frustrated sigh. “Great. Just what I thought. Her cognitive process hasn’t fully developed yet, which means we’ll have to wait until it does. She’s no good to us when she’s as brainless as the Scarecrow.”

            “Don’t worry, Adrienne. She’ll come around.” Mickey assured. “Don’t all of ya do after reincarnation.”

            “Some of us faster than others.” Adrienne vexed.

(Authorial Note: The disorientation and lack of cognitive processing in reincarnations is inspired from the aftereffects of regeneration in Doctor Who, only it's taken to the extreme in World of Disney with the literal growth of a brain to accompany all the other new organs and body parts for the new incarnation.)

            Mickey noticed the new reincarnation of Joanie Navarro-Thomas drooling a bit from the left side of her mouth. “Hang on. I’ve got that.” He picked up one of the pillows and used it to wipe away the salivation.

            The second that the pillow touched her skin, she jumped out from the pillow pile, rolling her nude body across the floor until she cowered at the nearest corner, timidly hugging her legs close to her body.

            “Gosh.” Mickey said in surprise. “She’s like a little rabbit.”

            “All mostly are after rebirth.” Adrienne noted. “I was a nervous wreck after mine.”

            The frightened and naked reincarnation suddenly crawled her way out of the tent, urging Adrienne and Mickey to follow. They observed her groveling around the desert like a wild animal, kicking up sand in her wake.

            “Just what we needed – a naked chick runnin’ around the desert.” An annoyed Adrienne teased.

            “She’s certainly gettin’ a lotta sun.” Mickey attested.

            “As tan as she is, she’s already gotten plenty.” Adrienne remarked.

            “What do we call her?” Mickey pondered. “I don’t think she’ll answer to ‘Gigi,’ ‘Terr Essa,’ or even ‘Joanie’ anymore.”

            “How ‘bout ‘Sandy Cheeks’?” Adrienne jokingly suggested.

(Pop Culture Note: "Sandy Cheeks" is the anthropomorphic squirrel, who is a main character in the Spongebob Squarepants cartoon from Nickelodeon. Her name is a bit of an innuendo and used particularly as so in this scene in reference to the naked Taryn and her bare buttocks over the sandy plains of Jakku.)

            “Really?” Mickey reacted in authentic belief.

            “Of course not!” Adrienne exclaimed. “We’ll call her ‘Taryn.’”

            “Taryn?” Mickey considered the name. “That sounds perfect! What made ya come up with that one?”

            Adrienne grew lugubrious in consideration of her answer to Mickey’s inquiry. “I once knew a soldier during the Clone Wars with that name.”

(Biographical Note: "Taryn" is based on/inspired by fitness model and bikini competitor Taryn Hendler. She was intended to be introduced much later on in the story, but her introduction came about earlier after I decided the "Terr Essa" character was no longer needed for the third and final acts. As the third reincarnation of Joanie Navarro-Thomas, Taryn's role expands across this story, The Disney Access, World of Disney 5, and next year's Defenders of the Disneyverse. Her inspiration provides a lot of motivation for her development, on account of the real Taryn's bubbly personality.)

            Mickey detected the melancholy in her and pitied whatever emotional battle scars left from the aforementioned event. It undoubtedly meant much to her just as christening the new reincarnation of her mother with the name.

            At the same time, it brought his focus back on the future with their oncoming rescue mission. “Yve Ette and the whole Empire will destroy us once we’re on board that Death Star. We’re gonna need backup, Adrienne. Can you think of anyone you might know who’ll be able to help?”

            Adrienne sighed, giving in to the mouse’s demand. “I did consider this one group that might provide a good distraction. Ever heard of a music band that calls themselves ‘Captain EO and the Ragtags?’”

            Mickey shrugged. “Can’t say that I have. Not been ‘round the galaxy long enough to know of them.”

            “Well, you asked me who could help, and I believe they can be of use to us.” Adrienne said. “That is, if they’re still on Coruscant.”

(Disney Note: "Captain EO and the Ragtags" are, of course, based on the characters from the Captain EO 3-D attraction shown at Walt Disney World's EPCOT, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris in 1986 and later in 2010. It starred the late pop legend, Michael Jackson, as the titular hero and was directed by Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, with Star Wars creator George Lucas serving as executive producer. They are the only characters in World of Disney 3 not to have originated from the Star Wars universe, only retconned as such exclusively for this installment.)

            A loud thump redirected their attention back to the wild, naked individual they welcomed into the world, as she tripped and fell face-first into the hot sand. Mickey and Adrienne rushed to her. On their way over, Adrienne decided the time was necessary to clothe Taryn. With the snap of her fingers, a black, short-sleeved crop top, ripped denim shorts, and dark brown boots all manifested onto the body of the young woman; however, they were soon plagued by grains of sand when she rolled around in it to lie on her back.

            “It’s beautiful,” she whispered with an excitable giggle.

            It was the first words Adrienne and Mickey heard her say in a voice that sounded more spirited than her physical appearance.

            “What is?” Mickey questioned.

            “Everything!” Taryn joyfully cheered. “Especially this sand! Ohhh! It feels so amazing on my skin!” She scooped up a handful to rub across her exposed, tight abdomen, moaning comfortably.

            Exasperated at this display of lunacy, Adrienne muttered, “Just another eighty percent from a complete brain.”

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            The wait for Taryn’s cognitive process to fully develop was long and tedious; but, as soon as she appeared able to walk on her own two feet, she returned to the tent with Mickey and Adrienne. Mickey did his best to be Taryn’s crutch while she half-consciously walked. At times, she leaned right on top him, nearly overwhelming his strength with her body weight. He was just grateful of the fact that Joanie did not reincarnate into an overweight man or woman, otherwise he would be in serious trouble.

            On their arrival at the tent, they spotted a large brown sack lying at the foot of the entrance. Curiously, Adrienne went to it and noticed an attached parchment with the words “R.I.P. Jacqueline” written in blood. Adrienne’s eyes flared whilst Mickey’s mouth was agape in horror.

            “Jacqueline?” The mouse mournfully said. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me.”

            Adrienne knelt down beside the sack and opened it. Reaching inside, she retrieved a handful of white dust that glittered in gold and rainbow colors – definitely reincarnation dust – Jacqueline’s remnants. “That disturbance I felt earlier… I had this sudden memory put into my head...of her being chopped into bits by that...that monster.”

(Authorial Note: In my original idea for this scene, Jacqueline's severed head was also to be found in the sack, buried in her own remains. Ultimately, I went against this, worried that it would make the story much darker than intended, especially after the intense torture scene earlier in the chapter.)

            “Yve Ette did this.” Mickey uttered, sounding just as angry as Adrienne became.

            “To send a message.” Adrienne said through gritted teeth. “She’s ready to face me again. And you know what? So am I.”

(UP NEXT: Gods From the Stars!)