//------------------------------//
// Part 8: Falling Towards The Sky 
// Story: Queen of the Empire 
// by Cardinal Dan Productions 
//------------------------------//

Chrysalis looked back and forth between Thrawn and Ezra. The rebel looked like he had taken a considerable beating, brandishing several bruises and a blackened eye.

Thrawn outstretched an arm, gesturing to Ezra. “You see, Chrysalis, these rebels draw strength from each other, something that I learned on Lothal. It is only when they are acting alone, without any friends or allies, that they are doomed to fail.”

Chrysalis looked back at Ezra, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. She wanted to apologize to the boy, to tell him how sorry she was for getting him in this situation, but she was afraid to speak in front of Thrawn.

The blue alien turned to the stormtrooper officer that arrived after Ezra. “Captain, were you able to disarm all of the explosive charges set on the main reactor?”

The stormtrooper nodded his head and revealed a handful of little devices. Chrysalis tried to get a better look at them, but another trooper held her back with his blaster. “Yes, sir. We found eight charges in total. The reactor would have been completely lost if we didn’t find them all.”

Thrawn nodded his head approvingly and turned his back to them before walking towards the windows. Chrysalis lowered her head in shame. It was all over for them, and soon, Thrawn would unleash his fury on the city of Canterlot. Amidst her grief, however, Chrysalis’ ears twitched as she heard a mischievous chuckle.

Her eyes darted around the bridge until they landed on Ezra, who had a silly grin on his face. Thrawn heard it too, and he spun around to face the rebel. “Do you find your situation amusing, Ezra Bridger?”

He shook his head but continued to laugh, intriguing Chrysalis more and more. “No... No, nothing’s funny about this... It’s just... Well, your stormtroopers didn’t actually find all of the charges.” Thrawn raised an eyebrow, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Ezra beat him to it. “Nine... There were nine charges...”

Chrysalis gasped as something fell from Ezra’s sleeve and landed in his hand, a cylindrical device with a red button. Thrawn realized what was happening too late, and he cried out for the stormtroopers to stop him, but Ezra had no intentions of stopping, and he mashed the button with his thumb.

For Chrysalis, time seemed to slow down. A violent rumbling sensation can from deep within the destroyer, causing everyone to stumble and fall. Ezra took the opportunity to jump away from his captors and dash towards the door. “Chrysalis, hurry!”

Her ears were ringing violently, but her hooves were already moving for her. She looked back at Thrawn, who had a dangerous look in his eyes. The Grand Admiral picked a fallen blaster up and pointed the weapon at her, taking several shots. Her horn ignited, raising a shield that absorbed the red energy.

She turned and saw Ezra by the door, waving for her to follow, so she did. “Chrysalis, let’s go!”

The changeling took off, her heart thundering in her ears as she felt the entire destroyer lurch forward. Her mind couldn’t process anything that was happening, but her body had the drive to move on it’s own, acting on instinct. When she caught up to the rebel, they began to run together down the corridor towards the lift. “What have you done?!”

Ezra fired her a sly grin as they turned down a new hall. “The only thing I’m good at, breaking the Empire’s stuff!” He huffed and puffed as they continued to evade the dozens of stormtroopers baring down on them. “Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to bring this star destroyer down... All of the charges were needed, but at least we can escape.”

Chrysalis understood, or at least she thought she did. She spotted the lifts up ahead. They would take them down to a hanger where she figured they could find a smaller ship to make their getaway in. This, however, didn’t happen, and they passed the lifts completely. “Wait! Where are we going?!”

Ezra pointed a finger as he ran. “The lifts are too slow. We’d be caught for sure. Our only way off this thing is just up here...”

They came to a stop in front of a large, heavily armored door. “What... What is this?”

Ezra was already beginning to open the door, tapping his fingers on a control panel. Locked unlatched and pressurized air hissed as the door began to open. “This... is a rear access airlock. Get ready to jump...” The changeling has no idea of what any of those words meant, but something about this was beginning to feel familiar. “Get ready...”

The rotating lock was almost free.

“Jump now!”

Chrysalis did just that as the door exploded outward, sucking them both out of the star destroyer and into the air. The changeling’s breath was immediately swept away as freezing, rushing air enveloped her. Ezra was tumbling through the sky in the distance, even appearing to be enjoying himself to a degree.

Chrysalis turned her head as best she could to watch the crippled star destroyer limp away until it vanished into the distant clouds. Now far south of the Frozen North, they were falling towards green pastures and rolling hills. It was then that Chrisalis found her voice, and she let out a horrified scream. She tried to flap had tattered wings, but the rushing air kept them pinned against her body. Her legs flailed in every direction, desperately searching for solid ground to stand on, but as they were miles in the air, they found none.

“Chrysalis!” She heard Ezra call her over the rushing winds. “Chrysalis, stay calm! I’m coming!”

Before the changeling had time to register what was happening, the boy slammed into her, wrapping his arms around her body as they tumbled together through the sky.

“Stay with me, Chrysalis!”

Her vision was beginning to darken.

“Stay with me! Chrysalis, you have to stay with me!”

Darkness closed in as the ground rushed upward to meet them. Then, everything went black as Ezra shouted her name.


***Up Next: Apples For Apples***