//------------------------------// // A Wary Start // Story: Across the Stars // by SonnyStar //------------------------------// The first thing Jorcen felt was pain. The last thing he remembered was just barely avoiding putting his ship down into a primitive looking settlement. He opened his eyes slowly, careful to avoid blinding himself. He was in what could be a place for medical treatment if the clean atmosphere and simple heart monitor were proper indicators. Jorcen smiled peacefully closing his eyes again, calling on the force to speed his recovery. After several moments he remembered how he got out of the crash. He remembered the purple four legged animal he had used the force on to calm it and have it help him. The door to the room was slowly opening and Jorcen was curious to see what the native species of the planet looked like. In walked another of the little quadrupeds, this one with white fur, a hat and a red plus on its rear. Its eyes widened and it quickly turned and left the room. Jorcen looked on the scene with a confused look on his face. I guess that wasn’t just an animal that saved me he thought. The white alien’s reaction suggested to Jorcen that this was an undiscovered planet. He closed his eyes and reached out with the force in all directions, gently probing the minds of those he could sense. There was so much peace and serenity on this planet as well as some kind of sensation Jorcen couldn’t describe. The force was strong here, perhaps a future sight for a Jedi Enclave. Jorcen was interrupted from his thoughts as the white alien returned with a familiar purple one in tow. Getting a closer look at it he noticed that it had a horn protruding from its head and also had a colorful star shaped mark on its rear. A natural defense and cultural tattoo perhaps? The two aliens were talking back and forth in a language Jorcen couldn’t understand. By the pitch of their voices Jorcen thought it safe to assume that these were females. The purple one slowly approached the side of the hospital bed and spoke slowly as if it was over enunciating its words. Jorcen sat up, surprising both of them, putting his hands up in defense to try and calm them. “Forgive me, I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” They both exchanged looks like they were surprised at his ability to speak. Jorcen ignored their back and forth chatter and began making crude gestures, hoping to get his belongings back. The last thing he wanted was one of these creatures wounding or killing itself with his lightsaber. Purple one looked at him with a raised eyebrow before her eyes widened with understanding. It said something to the white one who promptly left through the door, presumably to fetch his belongings. The purple ones ears drooped as it took on a somber demeanor and spoke as if it were apologizing. Jorcen gently placed a hand on top of her head, briefly startling her as he gave his best smile. “Don’t worry about me little one. I’ll be fine, the force is strong here.” To make his point he threw off the blanket he was under and stood up. He was immediately reminded of the pain he felt when he woke up. While not as bad as it could be, his legs were still quite sore causing him to wince slightly. Through the purple one’s fur a blush formed on her cheeks. Jorcen instinctively looked down to see that he was completely nude. The purple one looked away, blushing intensely as her horn was surrounded by a magenta aura. Jorcen felt a pillow wrapped in the same aura brush against his leg and he quickly snatched it and covered himself. What he just saw though was something quite interesting. “Excuse me, Miss?” He started, getting her attention. “How did you do that?” He asked, punctuating the question by pointing at his own head where her horn was. Her blush quickly faded as she went on what looked to be a carefully practiced speech. She grabbed the other pillow off the bed in her aura and showed her telekinetic ability. She dropped it on the floor in front of him with a starry-eyed expression. Jorcen nodded, guessing her meaning as he lifted it off the floor with the force and flew it all around the room. She reacted with child-like joy as she watched the pillow with amazement. The demonstration was brought to a halt when the white one returned pushing a cart with all of his belongings on it. He smiled warmly as he dropped the pillow causing the two females in the room to blush again. He smirked playfully and did a little motion with his finger for them to turn around. They did as suggested and Jorcen made himself look like he did before the crash. Thankfully it looked like none of the aliens rifled through his things. His robes smelled wonderful, they must have washed them since the crash he thought. He sat down on the bed and looked at the two aliens, thinking how the language barrier was going to be a problem if he wanted to repair his ship. Jorcen rubbed his beard, thinking of potential solutions. Then and idea came to him. He got the other two’s attention and made a motion to his head and theirs, then to his mouth and theirs. They looked confused by the display but the purple one nodded. Jorcen concentrated as hard as he could. He had never attempted this power before, he recalled the old holorecords in the Jedi library on how one could pull understanding of another's language from their mind while simultaneously forcing yours into theirs. He hoped he didn’t hurt her as he went through with the process. The purple one looked dazed and stumbled slightly before shaking her head and steadying herself. “What the heck was that?” She asked, putting a hoof to her head. “Excellent, it worked.” Jorcen smiled triumphantly. “Wait you can understand me now? And I can understand you!?” She asked with a bewildered expression. “Forgive me for the discomfort you just felt. It was no easy task pulling your species’ language from your mind. You must be quite the learned one.” Twilight smiled, appreciative of the impromptu compliment. “But where are my manners. My name is Jorcen Alketses, Jedi Master of the Galactic Republic.” Twilight was rapidly processing everything that happened in the last minute. Stowing away her questions about this Galactic Republic and what his title meant. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m the one who saw your ship crash and brought you here.” “It’s good to know my saviors name. I thank you Twilight Sparkle.” Jorcen said with a bow. “I have a lot of questions for you mister Jorcen.” “Yes I imagine so. Very well Twilight Sparkle, I will answer your questions.” Twilight suddenly got very nervous. “Are…are you here to conquer us?” Jorcen chuckled. “I may be a powerful warrior but I am still one man. I am no conqueror Twilight Sparkle. My ship was damaged and I was forced to crash land on your planet.” “Phew, that’s a relief. You have no idea how long that thought loomed in my head.” “It’s understandable. I presume this is your planets first encounter with aliens?” “You say it like you’re surprised. How many aliens are out there?” “There are thousands of planets that comprise the Galactic Republic, thus there are thousands of alien species out among the stars.” That was almost too much for Twilight to handle. It was one thing to stare at the stars and wonder if there was life out there. It was entirely another thing to know that there was a galaxy spanning government there the whole time. “Are you ok Twilight?” “Its…it’s just a lot to take in.” “I understand. Can we walk and talk? I’d like to see my ship.” “Oh, yes of course. I need to stop by my home first. Is that ok?” “Of course it is. Lead the way. Oh and thank you miss…” Jorcen turned to the white alien. “Redheart, nurse Redheart.” “Thank you for treating me nurse Redheart.” And with that Jorcen and Twilight made their way out into the streets of Ponyville. All around him as they walked down the street, slack jawed stares were sent his way from the aliens in the streets and nearby marketplace. A few even shrieked in terror and ran away. “I seem to be frightening them.” Jorcen said softly. “They’ve never seen anything like you before, I would be scared to if I hadn’t been the one to rescue you.” Twilight said back. As they walked Jorcen was getting more and more worried that their civilization would be unable to assist him in repairing his ship. The building around him were made of wood with straw thatch roofs and shutters for windows. There was little technology to be seen, the most advanced he had seen were carts that the inhabitants pulled themselves. However his hopes were lifted when a nearby whistle sounded, drawing Jorcen’s attention to a steam powered train pulling into its station. “The closest thing to you they’d be aware of would be a Minotaur and our experience with one wasn’t the best.” “I see. Hopefully I will be able to change their minds if I’m to stay here for a while.” He said, cheerfully waving at a young alien. That made him think of something. “Twilight, what is the name of your race? It wouldn’t do to keep referring to you as alien.” “We’re all called ponies. We have three variants of pony. There are ponies like me, called unicorns.” She pointed to her horn for reference. “There are ponies like nurse Redheart, called earth ponies. Lastly there are-” “Hey Twilight!” called a voice from above us. Jorcen looked up to see a winged pony hovering in the air. “Perfect timing Rainbow Dash, as I was saying, lastly there are Pegasus ponies like my friend here.” “So this is the alien huh? Doesn’t look that cool to me.” Jorcen looked down at his plain brown robes and nodded. He could see why that would be the first impression. “Rainbow Dash! Be polite, Mr. Jorcen just got out of the hospital.” “It’s quite alright Twilight. A pleasure to meet you Rainbow Dash.” Jorcen bowed deeply. “I am Jorcen Alketses, Jedi Master.” “Jedi huh? Is that like, your job?” “In a sense yes. I have dedicated my life to the Jedi Order. We are peacekeepers of the Galactic Republic. Although during times of war…” Jorcen let his sentence die out. Thoughts of the horribleness of war choking the words in his throat. Rainbow Dash seemed to understand his meaning and decided to abandon the topic. She looked around frantically, looking for something to change the subject. “So…uh…what’s the deal with that silver rod you have?” She asked, pointing to Jorcen’s belt. Jorcen was grateful for the distraction, regaining his composure. “Oh this? This is my lightsaber, the traditional weapon of my order.” “Weapon? Awesome! Maybe you’re cooler than I gave you credit for, can I see it? C’mon pleeeeaaaase!” Rainbow Dash was practically touching noses with Jorcen, her excitement getting the better of her. “I don’t think so, not here anyway. Ask me again sometime.” Jorcen smiled at her enthusiasm, this planet had so much potential. “Aww man! Oh well, I’m off to Fluttershy’s. I’ll be sure to let her know you’re ok, she was very worried for you after all.” “Thank you Rainbow, I’ll be sure to take Mr. Jorcen to see her after I take him to his ship.” Twilight nodded her thanks as Rainbow Dash flew into the air. “Catch you later Twilight! See ya Jorcen!” With that she shot of in a blur, her rainbow mane leaving a multicolored streak behind her. “Quite spirited that one.” Jorcen muttered to himself. “Maybe sometimes.” Twilight started, looking after her winged friend with a warm smile. “But you couldn’t ask for a more loyal friend.” The ponies on the streets seemed to be less afraid of Jorcen now, after seeing him have a conversation with Dash. That and some ponies in the crowd couldn’t help but feel relaxed by his presence. After that it didn’t take long to get to Twilight’s home. A giant hollowed out tree with a balcony on one side with a telescope pointed to the skies. Thankfully he was able to read the sign out front. Golden lettering inlaid into a red, wooden sign read, Golden Oak Library. “You live in a library?” Jorcen asked, smiling at the scene before him. “Yes…Why? Is that strange?” Twilight’s ears briefly fell against her head. “Of course not. I have spent many a night in the archives of the Jedi Temple. You could say my home is also a library.” Jorcen chuckled to himself, watching Twilight's expression change from worry to delight so quickly. Twilight opened the red, wooden door and walked inside. Jorcen had to duck slightly to cross the threshold. Once inside he saw the large, open room that was circular in shape with a great collection of books on bookshelves made from the tree itself. On a ladder near the highest bookshelf was a small, purple creature with a feather duster. “Welcom home Twilight. How did it go toda-” He dropped the duster as he turned around to see Jorcen for the first time. “I didn’t think you’d be bringing…it? Umm…him? Home…” his words vanished as he hid his claws behind his back in embarrassment. Twilight looked back at Jorcen with inquisitive eyes, urging him to speak. Jorcen sighed and confirmed what he thought didn’t need to be confirmed. “Yes, I am a male of my species. I’d have thought you of all ponies would know that Twilight.” He gave her a sly wink, reminding her of their first meeting. Twilight blushed, images of what she saw flashing through her mind. “A-anyway!” Twilight steered the conversation away from what she saw. “Spike, come introduce yourself to Mr. Jorcen.” Twilight tried to hide her face behind a book until the red in her face faded away. Jorcen chuckled at the sight. Call it a guilty pleasure. Spike slowly walked up to Jorcen, barely coming up to his knees. “Pleasure to meet you. My name is Spike and I’m Twilight’s number one assistant!” He declared proudly, puffing out his chest a bit while striking an almost heroic pose. “The pleasure is mine.” Jorcen countered, bowing deeply yet again. “I am Jedi Master Jorcen Alketses.” “A real live alien…” Spike said, almost not believing what he was seeing. “I thought aliens would look a bit more…I don’t know, more tentacley.” “You’ve been reading those comics again haven’t you?” Twilight asked, finally putting her book-shield away. “Maybe oh and Twilight? Remember when we first saw his ship crash?” “Of course Spike, how could I forget? What about it?” Spike coughed into his claw, faux hiding his smug expression. “Told you it was aliens.” Twilight frowned staring daggers at Spike before relaxing after a few seconds. “I’ll let you have this one Spike. You were right.” “Hehe you have no idea how good that feels to hear.” He said to Jorcen. “I imagine it’s a quite rare occurrence?” “Oh you have no idea.” Spike deadpanned. “So Twilight, what was it you needed here? I apologize if I’m rushing you but I’m quite anxious to see the state of my ship.” As true as that statement was, it wasn’t the only thing on his mind. No one had mentioned his droid companion and Jorcen feared the worst. He could be lost somewhere on the planet or worse… Jorcen would not let his fears get to him, his years of training coming back to him, though the thought wouldn’t be fully banished until he saw for himself. “Almost done. I just need to grab a few things.” She said, hoisting on some saddlebags she promptly loaded with writing utensils and paper. “I want to try and get a sketch of your ship!” she said excitedly. “Err, if that’s ok with you that is.” “Its fine with me, will young Spike be joining us?” “Oh please Twilight can I go? Please!” “I don’t know Spike, we have to go into the Everfree Forest. Remember what happened last time?” Spike shuddered at the thought of the big green dragon he encountered when he ran away that one time. “I-I’ll be fine Twilight. After all I’ll have you with me and Jorcen!” he declared, looking for some support from the older Jedi. “I don’t see the harm in him coming along. I am quite capable of defending you both should we find danger.” The confidence in his voice did a lot to convince Twilight. “Ok you can come Spike but stay close to us ok?” “Of course Twilight! C’mon let’s get going!” He declared boldly, walking right out the door, no idea where he was going. “We’d better catch up to him and show him the way. You first Twilight. Jorcen held an arm out towards the door, beckoning her to lead the way. Once they were all out in the streets something made Jorcen feel uneasy. He looked off into the distance to see a white stone city set into the side of a tall mountain. He could feel something through the Force coming from the mountain city. Something…dark. While for now it felt like it meant no harm he still put up a mental barrier just to be sure. He eyed the distant city one more time before falling in line to follow Twilight. In the private chambers of the Royal Palace, sat Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Their eyes closed in concentration. “Can you feel him Luna?” Celestia asked. The royal sisters had been monitoring the strange being since he touched down on their world. They could feel a power in him, a power that could change the course of history. Luna’s power to enter the minds of others proved useful, even while he was awake. “Nay sister, He…he felt my presence. We can no longer find him. He has shielded himself from us.” “Most troubling. We have to take a more direct action. Should this being mean us harm…” “We won’t let him sister, let us leave post haste. We can tolerate his presence no longer.”