“Over here! This way!”
A gentle rumbling drew Chrysalis out of her slumber. The changeling felt cold, much colder than she ever could have imagined possible, but that was alright. While freeezing, she felt at peace. She welcomed the cold. It was a nice change of pace to what she had been through recently.
The former queen reached out with her hooves and dragged them through the snow that enveloped her. She was finally ready to leave this world behind, to just give up and let the snow take her away. There was only one thing holding her back, one regret. Ezra Bridger.
He was the first being she ever encountered that didn’t show fear at the first sight of her. In fact, he showed her disrespect and complete disregard for her authority as a queen, and to make matters stranger, she actually liked it.
Chrysalis could only hope that he had made it off of the star destroyer in time, but she never got the chance to tell him how she truly felt, what she thought about their relationship, and what she really wanted. Part of her wanted to cry, but buried so deep beneath the snow that continued to pile on top of her, her tears froze instantly, threatening to freeze her eyes shut forever.
“Ezra...”
The rumbling grew louder and ever more noticeable. Chrysalis felt a sense of immenant doom approaching her, as though the ice beneath her would open up and swallow her whole. As she rolled to position herself on her back, something fell from her mane. It was the communications device given to her by Thrawn. It had survived the crash, and so had she.
After a brief struggle to reach the device, she clasped it between her hooves and began fiddling with the buttons, hoping blindly that any one of them might do anything to save her. Above her, she could make out faint voices.
“Sir, I’m picking up a signal!”
“Track it, sergeant. I want her found.”
Chrysalis’ heart pounded in her chest. This wasn’t her end. It was a rescue party! Mustering what little strength she had left, the changeling queen took in a deep breath before letting out a loud cry for help. All around her, the snow was collapsing, threatening to bury her alive, but the ceiling cracked open, and light shined on her face once again. Chrysalis coughed and wheezed as masked troopers pulled her from the snow.
“It’s okay... We’ve got you...”
She collapsed in a heap on the surface of the snow, gasping for air and stretching her hooves out in all directions. A quick glance at the troopers told her that they weren’t imperial stormtroopers, but something else. In the distance, the smoldering remains of the star destroyer still burned brightly. Then, a familiar face appeared, and a huge grin broke out along Chrysalis’ cheeks. “Thrawn...”
The blue man smiled back at her, though still not looking as enthusiastic. “Your mission was a success, Commander Chrysalis. Your service to this world was most notible.”
She nodded softly but glanced around her at the new troopers that surrounded them. “Who are... you?”
Thrawn gestured to them. “These are my people, the Chiss. A nearby cruiser picked up the Chimera’s distress signal as it was going down. They managed to isolate the signal so it would not alert the Empire and came to our rescue.”
Under their masks, Chrysalis noticed that they, like Thrawn, boasted blue skin, all but one. “When our business here is concluded, we will be leaving. A transport is already waiting.”
Chrysalis eyed the alien craft some distance away before looking back at the grand admiral. “Where is Ezra?”
Thrawn paused briefly, and Chrysalis immediately feared the worst. From the look on his face, she came to th conclusion that her friend hadn’t made it off of the Chimera in time, and her throat closed shut. Then, one of the Chiss troopers stepped forward and removed his mask, revealing himself to be her missing friend.
She could hardly beileve it was really him, even as he dropped the helmet and knelt beside her. “Ezra!”
Chrysalis beamed and cried out as she threw her hooves around him. A few days ago, she never would have imagined showing off such displays of affection, but now, she didn’t care who saw or what they might have thought. As she pulled away, she found herself lost in his silly grin and blue eyes, and her heart pined for his touch. “Ezra, I... There’s so much I have to tell you...” She swallowed hard. “... but there are other places you need to be...”
The boy nodded his head. “Yeah... Thrawn’s offered to give me a ride off world so I can see my home again.”
Chrysalis knew deep down that it wasn’t just a place he needed to see again, but his own people and perhaps a special someone he care about most of all. She didn’t need Jedi powers to figure that out. “Ezra, before you go... I just want you to know that you’ve changed me... and that...” The words she wanted so desperately to say were caught in her throat, but determination forced them through. “I... I love you...”
Locked in an embrace with the boy, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. When she pulled away, they shared a look she would never forget. Ezra let out a long breath. “I love you too, Chrysalis, but you know I can’t stay.”
She nodded her head as the desire to let out her tears returned. “I know...”
He broke free from her grasp and stood up before helping her to her hooves. “This world is safe from the Empire now, because of you. I hope more worlds follow your example.”
His hand caressed her cheek, and she melted at his touch. “Goodbye, Chrysalis. I’ll never forget you.”
Then, he turned to walk back towards the Chiss starship along with the other Chiss troopers. Now, only her and Thrawn remained. “It seems this has been an enlightening journey for all of us, Queen Chrysalis.”
She wore a sad frown as she looked back and forth between him and Ezra in the distance. “You were enemies when I found you both. Is that still the case?”
Thrawn shrugged apathetically. “Not all wounds are so easily healed by time alone, but by actions and goals achieved through a common adversary. Even as my enemy, I have always respected Ezra Bridger, but now...” The grand admiral let out a light chuckle. “... Call it whatever you will, but I sense a change in the tide of the war between the Empire and these rebels.”
Chrysalis wasn’t sure of what he meant by that, but a black figured appeared as if from out of nowhere and approached Thrawn. “Sir, we are ready to depart.”
The blue alien nodded his head. “Very good, Lancer. Let us get underway.”
The death trooper eyed Chrysalis and offered the changeling a subtle nod before turning to follow Thrawn back towards the awaiting transport. As the ramp raised, and they dissapeared inside, the Chiss starship began to lift off of the ground. Chrysalis watched with awe as the ship climbed higher and higher into the sky, hoping silently that Ezra was looking back at her. Then, it dissapeared into the clouds that perpetually covered the Frozen North, leaving her behind.
The changeling queen was along again, but she wasn’t lost. There was a hive of changelings somewhere in the Frozen North that she needed to find, and a young queen that she needed to talk to. With the burning star destroyer to her back, Chrysalis began to walk out into the frozen wasteland with only one thought on her mind.
“Pyrite...”
***The End***
***Up Next: Fool’s Gold***