The Twi'lek

by Gallants

New Dawn

I stared at the door focusing holding to the belief I'd be able to outlast the unicorn as they suffer mana exhaustion faster, but after an hour the magic flowing through me was starting to waver as it became harder to draw from the ground, "Get over here Shield and give me your horn!" she warily approached me, and almost jumped back when I grabbed her horn, "Now build some magic in there but don't cast any spells then focus the magic into my hand," I instructed as I watched the unicorn on the other side tearing through the layers of my shield as I rewove my own spell.

"You are causing me too much strain," he spit at us, "We're just going to kill you and feed your rotting corpses to the night plants," gritting my teeth I doubled my efforts on holding my spell up. Reaching across my body my left hand went for my saber, I had to be ready for when I failed, gripping I remembered my saber was gone. Widening my stance I prepared to outlast the creature that tore away at my wall. Forcing more magic through me I was able to create a pulse that pushed the beast back long enough for me to reinforce the spell with a few extra layers.

We traded spell pulses for a few hours before he was able to protect himself from my mana surges. He forced more magic into his attack and I raised my own output to keep us safe. As the next hour dragged on I felt a warm liquid running down across my lips, "Your nose is bleeding," I heard Shield call out from behind me, "I think your suffering from mana poisoning, you have to let up before it kills you," I grunted, refusing to let up as he tore away faster and faster, I was barely able to keep up. At some point my hand began to shake around the hilt of the dagger, tearing my hand away from Shield's horn I gripped the hilt with both hands and struggled to keep my mana flow at the same rate. My vision slowly started to blur and the skin on my arms started to split while we dueled. He must have felt my weakness as he performed a massive push and broke through my barrier; I fell forward coughing up blood that joined the pool that slowly formed from my arms.

His hoof steps sounded dull as he approached his voice muted, "You are quite the fighter, I'll give you the pleasure of knowing my name before I add your light to the night mother's well," the unicorn told me slowly coming into focus as he kicked my dagger away but not bothering with the shrapnel from the door, "my name is Mallory Rose and I have assisted in bringing eternal night," he was monologuing, why wouldn't he, grabbing a piece of shrapnel I prepared to strike. "my mistress will reward me greatly," Leaping up I attempted to slash at his throat but he stepped back. I only managed to catch his chest I watched his yellow fur saturate with red, "You freak I'll make sure to enjoy this!" he shouted igniting his horn; I closed my eyes and straightened my back with the little strength I had left.

"I am one with the force and the force is with me," I whispered waiting for the final strike. It never came instead the sounds of spells being cast echoed from down the hall. Cracking my eyes open I witnessed Rose panicking as hoof-steps echoed down the hall towards us. He shot me a glare before teleporting out of the room. 74 ran into the room horn glowing with a strike team following her, their armor glowing with runes sewn into the fabric and thick tinted faceplates covering their features.

74 slowly looked over the room small pulses going over her horn as she scanned our blown-out barricade, "What happened here and where did your collar go?" she asked leaning forward, letting out a wet sigh I nodded my head to the side towards my collar. Officer Shield quickly lifted me and mentioned something about medical before leading me out of the armory. She slowly maneuvered us around the bodies of the fallen ponies, the pounding in my head made it hard to focus on the burn marks that broke the grey color of the walls and the small streaks of discoloration that approached some of the bodies. I'm not sure how long it took to reach the infirmary but I more than welcomed the bed.

"Sasha it's good to see you again, please join me for some tea," I turned around and stared at the man who was only slightly taller than myself, we were stood on a train with the slight bumping and squeaking of the wheels coaxing more out of him, "Are we on rails? How dreadfully primitive, I don't know how you live here," with a smile I ran forward to embrace him.

"I'm so happy to see you Master it's been too long," I said before pulling away and sitting on a nearby couch, Jungjoya sat directly across from me, pouring some cups of tea, "I've been through a lot in these past few weeks Master, and I feel it is far from over," He glanced at me before smelling his tea and taking a sip.

"I can sense your pain and your anger Sasha don't let it fester let go of it or risk walking down to the Darkside," He told me pushing a cup towards me, "where is your lightsaber?" I coughed on my tea when he asked and avoided his gaze, "Did you lose it? Because if so that means I wasn't a very good master," placing my cup back on the table I met his gaze.

"I didn't lose it, Master," I started, running my finger in circles at the edge of the table, "it was destroyed by a giant spider, her web was resistant to my saber strikes," I told him before looking back out the window, "She was also fast I couldn't fight her," meeting his glance he simply drank his tea quietly.

"I see, I warned you about cortosis it is fragile," he stated calmly, "you will be making another one, won't you?" he asked pouring himself a new cup. He slowly started to fade out of focus I knew my time was short.

"If I manage to find a new kyber crystal," I told him before everything faded, I couldn't hear his last words. My eyes slowly opened to the bright light of the infirmary I attempted to move my right hand to my face before it was stopped by a pair of binder cuffs, opening my eyes fully fighting the bright light, I was able to look down on my body and the gauze that covered my arms; I heard voices outside.

"Your Highness you must understand the Nest is necessary to the security of Equestria," I heard 74 say mutedly say to the Princess, their hoof steps approached the gentle gait of the Princess easily recognizable, "please Ma'am you can't shut us down we have prevented several attacks, Equestria needs us," The gait of the pair stopped before the door was tossed open.

"Then do you mind telling me why one of our citizens is cuffed to a bed?" The Princess stood in the door looking down her eyes narrowed a frown clear on her face, 74 withered under her gaze. The Princess approached me and unlocked the cuffs securing me before lifting me into a soft hug, "Sasha I'm so sorry this happened to you, but I hear that you helped some of the guards," I gently returned the hug before pulling away.

"I did Princess, there was a dark wizard," I told her slowly getting out of the bed, "he was able to raise the dead, commanded some kind of spirits to do so," she had a look of worry in her eyes, stretching I took stock of my clothes they were torn to shreds, my skin covered in stained gauze visible between the gashes, at least they were an old pair.

"I see, I will have to discuss this with the security council," She said placing a wing behind my back and leading me out, 74 glared at me as we went past. The Princess quickly led me to the evidence locker where we got my clothes and the rest of my items. I quickly changed in the bathroom, before rejoining the Princess on the elevator and beginning our ascent to the surface, "Sasha I just don't know what to do with this place," The Princess said with a heavy sigh, her wings drooping.

"If you want my opinion, you should leave them be," The Princess wanted to rebuttal, "as horrible as all of this may seem, the work they do is important to keeping the whole of Equestria safe," I told her, "Even if they did make a big mistake with me, although the circumstances certainly make it seem reasonable," with my final thoughts I took a deep breath of fresh air as the gate of the elevator opened.

Author's Note:

I held out till I had more; are you happy Kittiyrinn? _{Playful jab}