Lyra exited the council chamber with her head held low. She gritted her teeth as she tried to hold back her anger. She’d just informed the masters about the Force vision she received; unfortunately, it did not end well as she’d hoped. Despite the new knowledge, the masters refused her call to action and told her to wait.
Their decision shocked her. She believed her vision would convince the Council to let her go on a rescue mission, but even the Force isn’t enough to change their minds.
She sighed. Even her master refused to let her go, though it wasn’t surprising. What else could he do when all the entire Council turned her down. It was unlikely that he could change their minds. Still, at least he was kind enough to join her outside this time.
“I’m sorry, Padawan. Force vision or not, the Council is unwilling to risk sending one of their best Padawan on a mission they deem fruitless,” said Master Darran.
“But why?” asked Lyra, still frustrated by the news. “Wasn’t it enough that the Force granted me that vision? I thought the Council would understand. After all, they said earlier to trust in the Force. Why are they still hesitant to send me out now?”
Master Darran scowled at her. “Be aware of your anger, Padawan,” he scolded. “This is no time for you to get emotional. Acting on your feelings isn’t help you.”
“I…. I know Master, I know. But I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” exclaimed Lyra. “Waiting around here on Dantooine isn’t going to help those ponies. We have to act now, or else their lives will be in danger!”
Master Darran shook his head. “Padawan, I share your concern, but we can’t disobey the masters. You heard them. We don’t have the necessary intel we need to send a search party, even with your vision. Until our intelligence team gathers more info, we must wait.”
Lyra sighed. It looked like her master isn’t willing to take any risks. Not that she could blame him. A respected Jedi like him isn’t going to directly disobey the Council. Even for his own Padawan.
“Perhaps you need some time alone?” he asked. “Another meditation session wouldn’t hurt you know. Get all that anger off your chest. Besides, I don’t want to resume our training when you’re emotional like this.”
“I guess I don’t mind meditating again,” said Lyra. “But what’s going to happen to our training session? I don’t think we have time to resume after being with the Council for so long. I’m pretty sure the other students are waiting for you back at your dojo.”
“Don’t worry about that, Lyra. Just leave the scheduling to me and focus on your meditating.” The old battle master then proceeded to walk toward the courtyard exit. Before he left, he turned to his Padawan one last time. “Remember Padawan, haste is not the Jedi way. Be patient and remember the Jedi code. I’m sure that an opportunity will arise in time.”
Lyra nodded, giving her master respectful bow as she watched him leave. As the door to the courtyard slammed shut, she again found herself alone again in the inner courtyard. With nothing else to do, she returned to her previous spot and sat in her usual meditation stance.
But after a couple of minutes, Lyra couldn’t find it in her to concentrate. Her concern for the ponies still lingered deep within her head.
I guess not even the Force can’t give me any serenity right now. The thought of ponies screaming for help isn’t exactly easy to forget. She sighed. There’s gotta be something than just wait. Doing nothing isn’t going to help those ponies. Their lives are in danger.
Stroking her tail, Lyra briefly went over what she learned. Judging from what Sweetie Drops said, the ponies made it to Republic space first and then sent the message thru some type of broadcast program. The Jedi Intelligence team on Coruscant then discovered said message days ago and sent it over here. That means it’s been several days since the ponies sent the message.
Then it hit her. Wait, if that’s the case, wouldn’t the message already have been discovered by other people? If the Jedi over at Coruscant discovered that message, that means that other people would’ve likely discovered it too. Her eyes widened. Of course! That means news about the ponies might’ve already spread, which led to their capture. By the Force, why hasn’t any Jedi on Coruscant thought about this?
Lyra smiled. I got have something I can work with. Now all I gotta do is see if there’s any news regarding the ponies. A quick search from the achieves would help.
Immediately, she rose from her meditation spot and galloped toward the exit. Her next stop would be the Jedi archives located the Enclave’s sublevel. It is a place where the Jedi kept their most important relics. Holocrons belonging to Jedi philosophers of the past remained there, as well as several computers, holo-records, and books that all Jedi can use, aside from a few restricted areas.
As she stepped out into the eastern courtyard, Lyra found that the area was less populated than before. She assumed that the other students have started her lessons by now, which was good for her. One of the things she loved about Dantooine was its serene atmosphere. The warm sun basking on her coat, the gentle breeze flowing through her body.
It was a beautiful representation of the Living Force[1]. Enough to give Lyra some clarity as she entered the Enclave’s sub-level once more.
Inside, she trotted down the long hallway, passing both the water fountain and her master’s room. Since he archives were located at the other side of the sublevel, trotting from the entrance to destination took some time. When she did arrive, she found the entire room was populated with Jedi; thankfully, a few of the computers were available for use.
Helping herself, Lyra trotted toward a nearby machine and powered it on. As the monitor came on, she grasped the keyboard with her magic and began her search.
Time passed. Despite over an hour of searching, Lyra could not find the info she needed. None of the search engines or news outlets she used provided any results.
Her ears drooped. I can’t believe it. Nothing. Absolutely nothing! I thought for sure that someone might have discovered something by now. How else were those slaver’s able to discover the ponies?
Her lips quivered. The lack of results was starting to infuriate her.
No! I can’t get angry. Not now. There’s got to be something out there, I just know it. She took a deep breath and muttered the code. Once she had calmed down, she continued her search. If I can’t find anything from the core worlds, then I’ll have to broaden my search. The mid and outer rim worlds might have something. But searching every single planet out there is gonna to take too long. I’ll have to narrow it down to the more populated planets.
Lyra typed feverishly on the keyboard, scouring for any possible lead from the worlds beyond Coruscant. Unlike before, she backtracked a bit and started with Dantooine. She then slowly made her way down through the more populated worlds. Her search lead her to planets like Mygeeto and Ithor, but they had nothing to show.
She then moved to the next planet, Ord Mantell. An isolated planet located in the mid rim. As she searched the planet for any news, a small bulletin popped up at the top-left side of her screen. She read it immediately.
Business organization, the Exchange, says they’ve discovered a new species. Lyra beamed as she finished reading the title. This is it! This is what I’ve been searching for.
She immediately opened the bulletin, which directed her to a published article. Reading through it, she learned that the Exchange had recently discovered a new species. They had posted a public holo-recording showcasing their recent discovery and had plans to sell them via an auction at their base in Ord Mantell.
The article had pictures too. Images of captured ponies chained together in cages appeared at the bottom of the page. From what she saw, they appear to be hurt and demoralized. The Exchange haven’t given them proper treatment, preferring to treat them like wild animals instead.
Lyra went pale. Seeing the ponies hurt and in cages horrified her. Still, at least she knew now what happened to the ponies and where they were. If anything, the images of the ponies had motivated her more.
With this evidence, I’m sure the Council will let me go now. How could they say no to me after seeing this? Looking to her right, she spotted an unused thumb drive. Using her magic, she grasped the device and plugged it into the computer.
I can’t believe the intel team on Coruscant hasn’t discovered this yet. Just what the heck are they doing? I mean, this search only took a Padawan like me a couple of hours. Can’t they do any better?
As she looked back at the computer, the document had finished saving. Taking the thumb drive out, Lyra jumped out of her seat and headed for the exit. Her job was finished. Now all she had to do was convince the Council to act now. But first, she’ll have to tell her master.
Trotting down the long hallway again, Lyra returned to her master’s dojo. Once there, she saw that several people were leaving his room. What luck. It appeared that his training session with the other students was finished. She now had the perfect opportunity to talk.
She walked past the students and stepped inside the room. There, she found Master Darran in the same spot as before, meditating at the far end of the dojo.
Lyra called to him. “Master? Master it’s me.”
Her voice quickly got his attention. “Ah, there you are Padawan. You’ve in the nick of time. My class had just ended, and I am now free to continue your saber training. In fact, we can start right now if you wish.”
Lyra shook her head. “Sorry, master, but I’m not here for saber training. I’m here because of something else. She trotted over to him and—using her magic—handed over the thumb drive. “I found something while I was studying in the Jedi archives. Something really important.”
“Important?” A pause. Lyra noticed that her master’s headwear moved slightly upward. “What’s this about, Padawan? What did you find in the archives?”
“Just read it and you’ll see.”
Another pause. Taking the thumb drive, Master Darran pulled out his holopad from his robe and inserted the drive. Lyra waited patiently as her master read the article she’d found.
Finally, after several minutes of silence, he spoke. “Lyra, you found this? All by yourself?”
She nodded. “Yes, I did. It took me a couple of hours, but this article I found confirmed my vision. The space ponies have been captured by those Exchange people and are being sold as slaves. It’s only a matter of time before something bad happens to them.”
“Yes, I see that. But didn’t the Council tell you not to investigate this? Good news or not, they’re not going to be pleased that you ignored them and did this.”
“I know that, but I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing!” argued Lyra. “Those ponies are in danger for crying out loud! The longer we wait, the more we endanger their lives.”
“Be wary of your anger, Padawan!” Darran scolded. His tone increased so sharply that it caused Lyra to flinch. “Your desire to protect your kin is admirable, but anger won’t get you anywhere closer to your goal.”
Lyra’s ears drooped. “I…. I’m sorry, master. It’s just that, thinking about these ponies has put me on edge. And the Council’s decision hasn’t helped.” She sighed. “You’re right, I have been angry. But it’s because I want to save them, master. If I stay here any longer, they’ll be sold as slaves. And who knows what’s going to happen to them then.”
“Which is the reason why we should save them now, am I right?” asked Master Darran, to which Lyra nodded in reply. He sighed. “So, you want to drag this old man out on an adventure, huh? So be it. Padawan, please step outside and wait for me at the door. If we’re going to speak with the Council, then I’ll call first and let them know we’re coming.”
Lyra stared at her master with wide eyes. She’d done it. She’d convinced her master to take her side. Now all that’s left is to convince the Council.
Without saying another word, she bowed and left the dojo, leaving her master alone to make the call.
Lyra stood in the council chambers alongside her Master Darran. The two waited patiently as the Council read through her most recent discovery. Though they were irked that she acted on her own volition, the fact that she managed to find such valuable information so quickly was admirable to them.
“I must say, I’m quite impressed, Padawan Lyra,” complimented Master Zhar. “To think you’d find such a crucial piece information within hours. It is most impressive.”
“Indeed,” said Master Dorak. “Such skill in intelligence gathering is a much welcome trait among Sentinels. I believe you’d make a good candidate for our intelligence team should you become a knight.”
Lyra smiled and bowed respectfully. “Thank you for the complement masters. I did what I had to do.”
However, as she lifted her head, Lyra found that not all the masters were impressed. Master Vrook, on the other hand, wasn’t all that happy about this. It’s as if he was about to scold her. “Do not let these complements get in your head, Padawan,” he said in a cold demeanor. “Although it is good you brought this to us, you still disobeyed your masters.”
“W-what?” Lyra’s jaw dropped in disbelief, stunned by Master Vrook’s cold choice of words. “But, master, I did the right thing, didn’t I? I did find the location of the missing ponies, and I had that Force vision too. That does count as a good thing, right?”
The old master sighed. “Forgive me if I sound harsh, Padawan Lyra. Do not get me wrong, you did the right thing. However, my concern is your eagerness to find your home. You are letting your personal feelings guide you. That is not how a Jedi acts and such recklessness will lead you down the dark side.”
Lyra frowned. As always, Master Vrook remained ever a downer.
“Even as an Initiate, you always thought about your home. Such attachments are not the way of the Jedi,” he continued. “I worry that should you find these missing ponies, you might do something careless.”
“Master Vrook is correct, Padawan,” said Master Vander. “His words are harsh, but his reason is sound. It is crucial that you set your feelings aside when searching for your home.”
Lyra curled her lip. Her master’s constant lecture on emotion was starting to get on her nerves. “I appreciate your concerns, masters. Thank you,” she said while bowing again. “So, what happens next? Are we going to act now that we’ve found the missing ponies?”
Master Zhar nodded. “Yes, that is correct. With your vision and this new piece of info we’ve received, we believe it is time we sent out a rescue team. The question is, who do we send?”
The Twi’lek master paused. So too did everyone else in the room. It was clear to Lyra that they haven’t thought this through yet. After all, this information dump came in so quickly. No one could prepare for something to happen so fast.
“Masters, if I may.” Everybody turned to see Master Darran raising his hand. “If possible, I’d like to volunteer myself and my Padawan for this mission. I think it’d be in our best interest if the two of us go as soon as possible.”
Lyra blinked in surprise. “M-master?”
“You offer to go on a mission with your Padawan, Master Darran?” asked Master Vrook, to which the battle master nodded in reply. “I see. Would you care to enlighten us why should we give you two permission to go?”
Master Darran smiled. “Certainly. Masters, I’ve been training with Lyra for the past five years. Ten if you include me training her when she was but an initiate. I’ve seen her grown from a young fledgling student, to a Padawan brimming with potential. She excelled beyond our expectations and is a great student. I believe she deserves to be part of a rescue mission.”
“Yes, I do agree with you on her growth, Gizar,” replied Master Zhar. “But truth be told, I am worried about sending her off to a galaxy that’s still unknown to her. Not to mention rescue missions like these isn’t going to be easy.”
“I’m fully aware of that, Master Zhar. That’s why I request that we go together as master and pupil. It’ll be a good test of her abilities and I can keep a close eye on her in case something goes wrong. Plus, I think it would be best if she goes and rescues the ponies. Since she is one herself, it’ll be a lot easier to gain their trust once they’re rescued.”
Master Vandar nodded in agreement. “You make a good point, Master Darran. Very well. To those in favor of sending these two out on a mission, raise your hand.”
Lyra watched as the tiny old master raised his arm. Both masters Zhar and Dorak followed too, making the decision three to four in her favor. The only master whose hand wasn’t raised was Master Vrook. Instead, he had his eyes closed and folded his arms.
After a moment of silence, the old master finally spoke. “Let me make myself clear, Master Darran,” he said. “Although it is important that we find these ponies, you must promise me that you’ll keep a close eye on your Padawan. She is a good student, that we agree, but she’s still inexperienced. She’ll be looking to you for guidance. Give it to her when needed.”
Master Darran nodded and bowed respectfully toward his fellow master. After which, Master Vrook turned to face Lyra. “And Padawan, remember my words. Do not let your personal feelings about your home or these other ponies get in the way of your goal. Focus on the task at hand, and remember, there is no passion, there is serenity.”
Lyra nodded. “I understand, Master Vrook. Thank you. But how are we going to go to Ord Mantell? Is there a personal ship me and my master can use?”
“Well, that depends. I believe there’s a passenger shuttle in our hanger right now. Give me a moment. I’ll look into this.”
Excusing himself from the group, Master Vrook walked over to a nearby com-box. Lyra watched as the old master supposedly spoke with some dock worker on the other line. When finished, he rejoined the other masters and gave the Padawan a nod.
“I’ve spoken with the dock workers. There’s a ship out in the hanger bay that’s leaving for Taris. If you hurry now, you and your master can take the ship and leave immediately.”
“Wait, Taris?” Lyra blinked in confusion. “But master, aren’t we supposed to be heading toward Ord Mantell? Why are we taking a ship to Taris?”
“Forgive us, Padawan, but passenger shuttles here on Dantooine is restricted,” explained Master Zhar. “They can only go to populated commercial planets like Taris and Coruscant. Ord Mantell is out of their reach here and the only way to get there is by going to Taris first.”
“And it’s better that way too,” said Master Dorak. “This enclave here on Dantooine is supposed to be kept secret from the rest of the galaxy. It’s the reason why we limit travel here so much. We can’t let anyone come and go here so easily.”
Master Zhar nodded in agreement. “He’s correct. The only other means of travel is by using your own spaceship. Unfortunately, your master does not own a spacecraft of his own. We could lend one ourselves, but—”
“They were all taken by the Jedi who went to war,” said Master Darran with a sigh. “Unfortunate, but it looks like a passenger ship will do.”
Turning around, he walked over to the chamber exit to make his leave, but not before turning his attention back to the Council again. “Masters, I’m sure you all are aware this mission will take days to complete. Please inform the other students that I will be gone for a while.”
The Council nodded in approval. After which, he turned to his Padawan. “Come, Lyra. Let’s not keep your kin waiting.”
Lyra nodded and followed her master toward the chamber exit. But before she left, she gave one last bow to the Jedi Council. “Thanks again, masters,” she said. “I’ll make sure our mission is a success. We will rescue those ponies.”
Master Vandar smiled and nodded back. “I’m confident that you will, Padawan. But know that the galaxy is at a dangerous point in time. The Mandalorian Wars are spreading here in the outer rim. Tread carefully and may the Force be with you.”
Lyra smiled back. “And also, with you. Thank you.” She turned and left the council chamber. Once outside, she spotted her master standing near the entryway to the hanger. But as she regrouped with him, the battle master popped a question.
“Are you satisfied, Lyra?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“I’m asking you if you’re satisfied, Padawan. The Council listened. They heeded to your warnings and now they’re sending you and me on the mission to save the ponies. Isn’t it what you’ve wanted?”
Lyra nodded. “Of course! I mean, why would you ask? I’m glad they’ve finally decided to listen.” She paused. “Master…. are you still upset with me because I disobeyed the Council?”
“Quite the contrary, Padawan. The fact that you pinpointed the location of your lost kin within mere hours is most admirable.”
“Really?” Lyra beamed.
“However,” he continued. “It does not change the fact that you acted out of desperation. Acting out of haste is not the Jedi way. Thank the Force that you actually found a lead we can follow.”
Lyra frowned. Of course, she’d get another boring lecture. Sure, what her master said was true, but at least she did the right thing. That counts for something, does it not?
“Good intentions can lead to unforeseen consequences, Padawan. Remember the words of Master Vrook. Don’t let your personal feelings about your home or kin become a liability.”
“Yes, Master,” said Lyra with a sigh.
Master Darran smiled. “Come, let’s not dwell any further. We have a ship to board,” he said, ignoring the sulking look from his Padawan.
Without saying a word, Lyra followed her master to the Enclave’s hanger bay. It didn’t take them long to get there, as the hanger was a short distance away from the main courtyard. When they arrived, she spotted a small ship at the middle bay area.
The ship wasn’t anything spectacular. It was a small passenger ship. Barely big enough to fit a few dozen people. It didn’t provide much protection either. Only one laser turret could be seen on its room.
We’ll take what we can get. Lyra thought.
As she and her master got closer to the ship, they were greeted by a human wearing a Republic Navy uniform. “Hello. You must be the Jedi Master Vrook spoke of,” he said. “I’m the captain of this ship. It is a great honor to meet you.”
“Thank you, captain,” said Master Darran as he bowed to the Republic office. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jedi Master Gizar Darran. A trainer here at this academy. First, I must apologize for this sudden inconvenience. From what I heard, you were about to make your leave for Taris until the dock workers said to stop because of us.”
The captain merely shrugged in response. “Ah, it’s nothing,” he replied, casually. “I’m sure you have a good reason for this.” He then turned over to Lyra and stared at her with a raised brow. “Uh, I don’t want to be rude, Master Jedi, but who is this? Is this thing a pet of yours or something?”
Master Darran laughed heartily. “Oh, no captain. This here is my Padawan, Lyra Heartstrings. The second Jedi who’s joining us today.”
The captain’s jaw slacked as he looked at Lyra with wide eyes. “Oh, I see.” He stuttered at bit, trying to play off his initial shock. “Do forgive me, I wasn’t expecting a Jedi that, uh…. looked like a pet or something. Err, I mean—I thought the other Jedi was, um…. you know a—”
Lyra chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I get similar looks every day, so you’re not the first.” Following her master, she gave the captain a respectful bow. “It’s nice to meet you, captain.”
The captain stared at Lyra, surprised by the young Jedi’s laid back, yet professional attitude. “Oh. Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you too, Ms. Heartstrings. Thank you for your kindness.”
After recovering from his shock, the captain walked over to the ship’s boarding ramp. He then waved his hand at the two Jedi, signaling them to come and board. They followed, with Lyra trotting close behind her master.
Upon boarding, the captain led them into the passenger room. Lyra looked around and saw that, like the ship, it wasn’t anything grand. Just a bunch of passenger seats lined up together in rows. While a few of had already been taken by other passengers, some were still empty, particularly the back row.
Helping himself, Master Darran sat in the back seats. Lyra followed, assuming he chose the spot to avoid other passengers. His precognition didn’t help though. Many of the passengers stared at them curiously. Some whispered amongst each other. If Lyra had to guess, they were probably gossiping about the her and her master.
“Ignore the whispers, Padawan. Let the people gossip,” advised Master Darran as he sat in one of the passenger chairs. “Just relax. Meditate if you have to.”
Lyra nodded. As she sat down, a noise came from inside the ship. Pretty soon, she could hear the captain’s voice speaking via intercom.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to apologize for the delay. Something urgent came up and we had to board two passengers in the last minute. Now I know some of you might question that decision, please note that these two are Jedi. I’d like you to please give them the respect they deserve.”
Noise erupted among the passengers. Their whispers caused more of them to stare at Lyra and her Master.
“Padawan.” Lyra looked up to see her master shaking his head. “Ignore them.”
She nodded.
“We’ll be taking off shortly,” continued the captain. “I would ask that everyone please buckle up and prepare for liftoff.”
Once the captain had finished speaking, Lyra buckled down and laid back on her seat. The ship roared with life as she felt it lift off from the ground. Looking out the window, she saw the ship slowly move away from the enclave. She soon found herself staring at the clouds. Eventually, the ship made it to orbit.
“We are entering lightspeed in t-minus thirty seconds,” said the captain over the intercom. “Our trip will take us to Taris in approximately three hours. Sit back, relax, and thank you for flying with us.”
As the countdown began, Lyra closed her eyes and quietly muttered the Jedi code.
“Nervous, Padawan?” asked Master Darran.
“A little,” Lyra admitted. “But with you by my side, Master, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Then may the Force be with us,” he replied as the ship delve into hyperspace.