//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Star Wars: Battle for Equestria // by Creative_Spark //------------------------------// Chapter 2 A Blast From the Past Kal sat up straight in his bed, the dark presence he had sensed was growing closer. He looked over at the chrono sitting on the table beside his bed, it was 6 A.M. Even if it had been earlier he wouldn't have wasted any time. He bolted from his bed, got dressed, and ran out the door. Kal looked up into the sky, that was where he felt the disturbance was coming from. "So, they have found me, even here on this uncharted world, I thought it was only a matter of time." Kal said to himself. Kal didn't have a way off the planet, but he did not relish the idea of fighting either. He would have to lead his enemy away from the innocent inhabitants of the planet to protect hem as long as he could, even if that meant surrendering. "No, I will fight if I must, for peace, justice, and the innocent, the way a Jedi is supposed to serve the galaxy. But I'd need an army, and there's no way I'm going to endanger the inhabitants of this world." he said, shaking of his doubt. Kal stretched out with the Force to ascertain the numbers of the army coming to secure a hold on the planet. As he stretched out with the force, he felt a presence that was familiar to him, one that he was fearful of. "Clones... they're already here." he said with no emotion in his voice. Kal shook off his disbelief and took off in the direction he had sensed the clones, he was going to stop this before any innocents were hurt, but there was one thing going through his mind, why hadn't he sensed them when they landed? Regardless he sprinted with the aid of the force allowing him to move at greater speeds than any normal sentient being. Kal ran for perhaps half an hour before he felt the clones' presence getting closer, he also felt a dark presence in the same place as the clones. "Vader is here as well then." Kal said. Kal came to a halt when reached an crumbling structure that was probably a castle at one time, and that is where he felt the clones' presence was strongest, he collected his wits about his an got ready for a fight with Vader. *** Maverick awoke to the sound of his helmet's proximity alarm, which alerted him to he presence of anyone fifty yards away, that wasn't a part of his current clone trooper squad. He sat up slowly, grabbing his rifle that was beside him. He switched of the alarm in his helmet, and turned on his comlink. "Everybody up." Maverick said. The clones all got up at one point or another. "What's wrong sir, having a nightmare?" Jax asked. "No time for jokes Jax, we've got something heading our way." Maverick replied. With that statement all of his men were on their feet, rifles ready, and awaiting his orders. "Everybody spread out, take cover and don't fire until I say." Maverick said. "Yes sir" everyone replied in unison, before dispersing. Maverick went behind a pillar and peered around it to assess the situation. Vek was crouched behind the remains of a wall, Berk was behind another pillar, next to maverick, with his back up against it, waiting to spring out and lay down fire if need be. Jax had found some stairs and climbed up into a walkway and ready with his sniper rifle. Sparky was around a corner of a doorway, also ready to spring out. Lockdown was behind a crumbling piece of stone wall. Bets was ready with his Z6 rotary blaster around another pillar in front of Maverick. Everyone was in a position, all they had to now was wait. *** Kal felt something different in the clones now, they were getting ready for something now. Perhaps Vader had sensed his presence and alerted his soldiers. It was odd though that Kal could not pick Vader's presence out of the group, he only felt the dark presence. Kal gathered the force and leaped using the aid of the Force. He was going to land right in the middle of them all. *** Maverick stood behind the pillar waiting for whatever had tripped his alarm. He stood motionless, taking slow, calm breaths. he looked at the radar on the HUD in his helmet. He could see whatever it was just sitting in one place, not moving, then all of a sudden it was gone. "What the..." Maverick said as he stared at the radar dumbfounded and confused. Then the image reappeared... right in the middle of where his group was, looked out from behind the pillar and looked up as movement in the air caught his eye. He saw the form of a humanoid being, it was wearing a long robe with a hood pulled up covering any view of it's face. "A Jedi?" Maverick said, he was even more confused now. The figure pulled out a metallic cylinder from it's robes. The cylinder made a snap-hiss sound a a green blade was emitted from one end, it was definitely a Jedi. "Where's Vader?" the jedi asked, looking around. "Vader? Why would Vader be here?" Maverick asked as he stepped out from behind the pillar and lowering his weapon, motioning for the others to do the same. "Don't play games with me trooper, where's Vader, I can sense a dark presence here, where is he?" the Jedi asked again. "We aren't with Vader, or the Empire for that matter." Maverick replied. "I sense that you speak the truth." the Jedi said easing up a bit. "We left the Empire sir, we were trained to fight for the Republic." Maverick said. "I see, but how do I know you won't still turn on me like my troops did." the Jedi said. "Can't you just use your sense thingy again?" Jax asked the Jedi, walking up behind Maverick. "I can, but you were all trained to resist interrogation, and possibly how to hide your true thoughts." the Jedi responded. "I swear that we are defenders of the Republic, we let our Jedi General live, and helped him escape of our own free will, we never even raised our blasters." Maverick said, and the troops around him all nodded. The Jedi seemed to consider this and then deactivated his lightsaber, "I can sense the truth in your words, very well, come with me." he said. "Sir, could you at least tell us who you are?" Lockdown asked. The Jedi pulled off his hood, revealing his face. He had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a bit of stubble on his face."My name is Kal, Kal Nevaar." he said.