A mercenary screamed as a green lightsaber blade was plunged into his shoulder. The blow wasn’t lethal, but it was damaging nonetheless. It was likely that the man would remain incapacitated for the rest of his life. A sad turn of fate, but this person, along with many others like him, stood no chance against a well-trained Jedi.
As the man fell to the floor, Padawan Lyra took her weapon, clenched the hilt between her teeth, and rejoined her master and the rest of her companions. Ever since she was freed, she and her entire group ran amok inside the Exchange stronghold, fighting against waves of mercenaries.
The task was daunting at first. Though their top priority was to find any data regarding the missing ponies, but they had to make sure Private Sweetie Drops didn’t get injured in the crossfire. However, the mercenaries didn’t put up much of a challenge. They had the advantage in numbers, but the squadrons that were sent to fight were completely unorganized. Some foolishly charged at the crew, hoping that they’d have their moment of glory; but their overconfidence led to their downfall, which in turn demoralized their remaining allies, causing many to flee in terror.
Lyra found it pitiable. These mercenaries were likely used to pushing others around, but when faced with an obstacle who had greater power, they ran away. True, they were facing two Jedi and a capable marksman, but such cowardice is no excuse, especially when their companion’s lives are on the line.
“Look alive, Lyra! Two bogeys in front of us. Take them down!” shouted Hider.
At the far end of the hallway, two Exchange mercenaries aimed their rifles directly at the group. Reacting quickly, Lyra channeled her Force reserves and outstretched her hoof, creating a powerful telekinetic push. Its impact caused the mercenaries to slam head first into the wall, knocking them out.
Seeing an opportunity, Lyra Force jumped toward the mercenaries. Landing on her two back hooves, she snatched her lightsaber from her mouth and quickly destroyed their rifles.
“Good work, Padawan. Your training has certainly paid off,” praised Master Darran as he and the rest of the group caught up to her.
“Save the complements until after we get the job done, old man,” Hider rebuked as he took aim and fired his blaster pistol at a nearby mercenary. “Come on, let’s keep moving!”
The crew complied. They continued to fight their way through more waves of mercenaries until they eventually reached their destination. Behssk’s office. The only place where they could find any clues about the missing ponies.
“Alright, we’re here,” said Hider. He then turned toward the crew. “Is everyone okay?”
T3-G4 bleeped in reply. “The droid is fine, and so are my Padawan and I,” replied Master Darran. “The Private, however, is a different story.”
The entire crew looked at Sweetie Drops and quickly noticed that the mare looked rather exhausted. She seemed to be out of breath and her legs seem to be twitching.
“H-hey, are you alright?” Lyra asked.
“I’m… fine. Don’t worry about me,” replied a panting Sweetie Drops. Despite being outright exhausted she gave the young Padawan a smile. “You really weren’t kidding about that Jedi stuff back at the storage room, huh? Seriously, I’ve never seen a unicorn move so fast. It’s almost as if I’m watching a pegasus fight.”
“Um, thanks for the compliment, but are you sure you’re okay?”
Sweetie shook her head. “Being cramped in that small cage for days did a number on my legs. I haven’t done this much running in a while. Not since before we left Equestria.”
“Do you need any help?”
“I’ll be alright. Don’t underestimate the stamina of an earth pony. Just focus on what you need to do, and I’ll follow.”
“Well, you better be ready, little pony. Because once we enter this room, I expect a fierce resistance from here on out,” Hider said. “These guys have probably bunkered down inside and will likely fire at us once the door opens. Master Jedi, I hope you and Lyra are good at deflecting blaster bolts, because we’re gonna need a lot of help from you guys the moment we—”
“There’s no one inside,” replied Master Darran.
“Excuse me?”
“I said there is no one inside this room. The main office is devoid of any mercenaries.”
“What? How can you even tell?” asked a confused Sweetie Drops.
Lyra shook her head. “No, he’s right. I can feel it too. Neither Behssk or any of his mercenaries are inside this room right now.”
Master Darran nodded. Deactivating his saber, he promptly opened the door. Sure enough, both him and Lyra were correct. Aside from the room decorations, which were still in shambles, the main office was completely empty.
“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” Hider shouted with wide eyes. “I thought for sure Behssk would keep this place guarded. Why did he leave it so defenseless?”
“Maybe he didn’t think we’d come here,” said Lyra. “It’s possible, but I think once he got word that me and Sweetie were freed, he likely believed our main priority was to escape.”
“That's... likely. Not the best plan, but it would only mean he’s bulking up his forces for later.” Hider shrugged. “Guess we’ll have to deal with him at another time. At the very least, Geefour will be able to hack into his computer with no trouble.”
“Indeed,” said Master Darran before turning over to the utility droid. “Geefour, go ahead and hack into Behssk’s computer. See if you can find anything regarding the missing ponies. Everyone else, use this downtime to regain your strength. When Behssk realizes that we haven’t left the facility, he’ll send more mercenaries at us.”
T3-G4 complied as it eagerly strolled toward the main desk. “I’ll make sure the tin can is doing his job,” Hider said. “Why don’t you go and see to our little pony friend in the meantime, Lyra. I’m sure you two have much to talk about.”
Lyra smiled. If anything, now would be a good time to learn more about her home. She quickly trotted over to the Private and called her out. “Hey, Sweetie Drops!”
“Yeah, what is it?” Sweetie Drops asked in a somewhat lukewarm tone.
“Come on, you don’t have to be so stingy. I just want to talk.”
“Can’t it wait? This isn’t the time for us to be socializing right now.”
“I just want to ask you a couple of questions, that’s all,” Lyra insisted. “A simple yes or no will do.”
Sweetie Drops sighed. “Okay, fine. But you got to make it quick. I’m pretty sure your little robot friend will be done soon.”
“Yes!” cheered Lyra as she clapped her hooves. “Alright, first question. Is Princess Celestia still the ruler of Equestria?”
“Yes, she is. This year marks her nine hundredth and ninety first rule over our kingdom. Trust me, no one is going to replace her anytime soon.”
“Wait, what?” shouted Hider in disbelief.
“We’ll explain later!” Lyra shouted back. “Anyway, has anything changed in Equestria? Did we gain any new lands, start new cities? Did anyone invent new technologies?”
Sweetie Drops shook her head. “No, there hasn’t been any major changes at all. Though there are talks about a small town south of Canterlot that’s been growing in recent years. I can’t remember the name though. As for new technologies, there’s nothing I haven’t really heard of yet. And even if I did, it’s nothing compared to what I’ve seen so far.”
“What about the ship you and the rest of the ponies used?”
“You’re talking about the Celestial Sun?” Sweetie asked, to which Lyra nodded in reply. “Hate to break it to you, but that was the only intergalactic ship we had. Since it was already built for us, all we had to do was fix it and made sure it worked.
“Where is it now?”
“Those brutes took the ship when they captured us. I think it’s somewhere inside this building, but I’m not sure.”
Lyra sighed. So much for Equestria being caught up with modern technology. “Okay, last question. This one’s kind of personal since it involves two ponies who’re very close to me.”
Sweetie tilted her head. “Close to you, huh? Are they friends of yours?”
“More than that actually. You might know these ponies given the position you hold. You see… they’re my parents.”
In the back corner of the room, Master Darran took a glance at his Padawan. He quietly looked away before Lyra could even notice him.
“Wait, your parents?” Sweetie Drops cocked a brow. “What makes you think I know anything about them?”
“I figured you might know them since you are part of the Royal Guard. In fact, you might have met my mom a couple of times. See, she’s the captain of the Royal Guard back in Canterlot, and my dad is a teacher at the University of Canterlot. Their names are Platinum Impact and Wishful Vision.”
“What?” Sweetie Drops fumbled onto the floor as she stared at Lyra with wide eyes. “Those two ponies are your parents!”
“Hey, what’s with all the shouting over there?” asked Hider abruptly.
“I don’t know,” Lyra answered. “All I asked is whether or not she knew my parents.”
“Judging from that response, we can assume she does.” Stepping away from the computer desk, Hider made his way toward the Private and started kicking her with the tip of his shoe. He did it repeatedly until Sweetie pushed his foot away.
“Hey, cut that out!” she rebuked. “What’s the big idea, kicking a defenseless mare like that?”
“For starters, I suggest you keep your voice down. Seriously, do you want those mercenaries to find us here? I’d rather we not attract any more attention while Geefour is doing its job! And second, it’s clearly obvious you know something about Lyra’s parents. So, quit it with the damn shaking and just tell her already.”
“Hider, would you please restrain yourself from using such profanity,” berated Master Darran. “I’d prefer it that my Padawan does not use such language.”
“What are you, old man, her dad? Seriously, what I said is nothing compared to the other bad words out there.” Hider groaned. “Ah, forget it. I won’t waste my time with an ethics debate. Does GeeFour have the files we need now?”
T3-G4 gave a quick chime. “I believe that’s a yes,” said Master Darran. “Padawan, I’d ask that you push your questions aside for now. Geefour’s got something to show you.”
“He found something already? Wow, that was fast,” said Lyra. Before she joined the rest of the crew, she quickly turned to Sweetie Drops and helped her up. “Judging by your expression, you clearly know something about my parents. When we get out of here, promise you’ll tell me more about them, okay?”
Sweetie kept quiet, but she did give the Padawan a meek nod. Nothing much, but at least Lyra got a straight answer from the mare.
“Hey, Lyra, you got to come quick,” Hider yelled. “Geefour’s got something big regarding the other ponies.”
Lyra gasped. She—along with Sweetie Drops—dashed toward the computer desk. Bumping Hider out of the way, she jumped onto a nearby chair and stared at the computer screen. “What did he find?” she asked.
“An excuse me would be nice first!” Hider groaned as he clenched his bicep in pain. “Dang it, that kinda hurt.”
Sweetie Drops rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t be such a baby. Compared to the strength of an earth pony, what you felt was probably nothing,” she said. “So, what did this thing find?”
“Behssk’s financial records,” answered Master Darran. “Apparently, the lizard likes to keep all of his important documents on this computer. It didn’t take Geefour very long to find this.”
“You’re telling me,” Hider said. “For a guy who brags about having money, he sure could sure spend some on cybersecurity. Even his bank account isn’t safe.”
T3-G4 gave another beep. “Wait, you’re saying that this computer was tampered with before?” Hider asked. The droid beeped once more. “Seriously? Who else could’ve used Behssk's computer besides him?”
“Now that you mention it, didn’t Behssk say that someone broke into this stronghold a couple of days ago?” Lyra asked.
Hider shrugged in reply. “Who knows. Knowing whoever broke into this place is the least of our worries,” he said. “Which reminds me, Geefour, see if you can transfer some of Behssk’s funds to my savings account. I can use the extra Credits.”
T3-G4 complied as it spun its mechanical arm inside the computer port. “W-wait. You want to steal his money?” shouted a flabbergasted Sweetie Drops. She then turned to Lyra and stared at the Padawan in disbelief. “Out of all the friends you made, you befriended a thief? Seriously?”
Lyra sighed. “Look, I know Hider acts like a common crook sometimes, but don’t judge a book by its cover. Trust me, he’s a good person.”
“Hey, I take offense to that!” rebuked Hider, though his response only made things worse for him as T3-G4 let out a soft buzzing noise. “Don’t you start droid!”
“No, it’s true. You’re a crook, Hider,” said Master Darran.
Hider groaned. “I swear, the things I have to put up with sometimes. Anyway, from what Geefour gathered here, Behssk bank records state a large sum of credits were deposited to his account just recently. We can assume the came from whoever bought the ponies.”
“Does it show where the money came from?” asked Lyra.
“Maybe. Geefour, you got anything?” T3-G4 gave an assertive beep as it pulled up several more documents on the computer screen. “Nice work. Good to know your computer hacking skills are top notch,” Hider said as he stared at the computer screen. As he quietly red the contents to himself, his head suddenly twitched.
“Okay, that’s definitely not good. It says here that the person who sent Behssk that large sum of credits belonged to another big-name organization. One who’s dealt with plenty of nefarious practices in the past.”
“You mean to tell me we’re dealing with another shady organization?” Lyra asked.
“Trust me, little pony, there are plenty of shady organizations out there in the galaxy. But the one who sent Behssk his money belongs to an organization bigger than the Exchange. They’re known as Czerka Corporation [1].”
“Oh, no,” said Master Darran. “Of all the shady businesses out there, it just had to be those people.”
“Master, what’s wrong?” asked Lyra. “Who’s Czerka?”
Master Darran let out a sigh. “Padawan, Czerka is a galaxy-wide company who’s known for their unethical business practices. In terms of their principals, I’d say they are more akin to the Exchange.”
“What practices are we talking about here?”
“A lot,” Hider replied. “We’re talking about the extortion of colonists on the outer-rim, sponsoring the creation of battle droids to mercenary groups like the Exchange. They even engaged in illicit slave trade on several remote planets.”
“My friends were sold to a bunch of extortionists?” Sweetie Drops shouted in disbelief.
“Unfortunately, yes. But before you take all your frustrations out on me, hear me out. I do have some good news for you two. According to a file Geefour found, Czerka told Behssk to send your friends on a one-way trip to another planet and left specific instructions on where to send them. We can use said information to track the remaining ponies.”
“So, we’re planet hopping again, huh?” said Lyra in disappointment.
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, Lyra. The planet Behssk sent your missing kin to is actually, Coruscant [2].”
“Wait, Coruscant? They took them there?” Lyra let out a sharp gasp, which then turned into a wide smile. “No way. If that’s true, then that means their safety is guaranteed!”
Sweetie Drops, however, did not share Lyra’s enthusiasm. She simply stared at Lyra in confusion. “What’s gotten into you? What’s so special about this Coruscant planet?” she asked.
“Coruscant is the capital of the entire Galactic Republic,” explained Master Darran. “Think of it as one big city, but on a planetary scale.”
“You mean like Canterlot?”
“If that is the capital of your home, then yes. But like I said, Coruscant is not just a city, but one big planet. It is the most populated world in the galaxy, home to trillions of people, the Galactic Senate, and most importantly, the entire Jedi Order.”
This time, it was Sweetie’s turn to gasp. “T-trillions of people? Seriously? Not even Equestria is that populated! But wait a second, what’s the Galactic Senate?”
“Government planetary officials from around the galaxy who’re chosen by the people,” explained Lyra, though her answer did not quell Sweetie’s questions as the mare only stared at her with a cocked eyebrow. “Not a very detailed explanation, I know, but if I were to explain everything about the Republic and its government, it could take me hours. The last thing we need to do right now is drag you into a civics lesson.”
“Agreed,” said Hider. “Now that we know where the ponies are, I suggest we leave now. Before that lizard realizes we’re here.”
“Jedi!”
A loud and somewhat croaky voice filled the entire room, earning the attention of both Lyra and her master. Both of whom were quick to react as they immediately leapt in front of the desk and ignited their lightsabers.
“Looks like the big boss is here,” said Master Darran. “Private, you stay behind that desk with Hider and Geefour. I’d prefer that you avoid any unnecessary fire from the enemy.”
“Y-yeah, got it,” replied Sweetie Drops as she quickly obeyed the Jedi Master’s orders.
“Geefour, check to see if you can activate these turrets here. See if these machines can aid us for our upcoming fight,” continued the Jedi Master. However, he was met with a flat buzzing noise from the droid. “Dang it. So, they’re still offline, eh?”
Lyra dropped her head down in shame. “S-sorry about that, master,” she replied.
“Now is not the time to dwell on past mistakes, Padawan. Just relax and put your trust in the Force.”
“That was a pretty good trick you pulled, Jedi,” Behssk roared from outside the room. “Sneaking into my office while my men and I waited in the garage. Taking my property is one thing but stealing my money! Didn’t think Jedi cared so much about credits.”
“How did he know his money got stolen?” asked Sweetie Drops.
“He must’ve gotten some sort of notification from his bank or on a holo-pad of some sort,” Hider replied. His response though earned a confused glare from Sweetie. “Think this big computer here, but you can fit it in the palm of your ha—err, hoof.”
“Oh, okay. Wait… then that means Geefour stole the lizard’s money for you!”
“Can we not have this conversation now, please. Not when this entire room is about to be showered with blaster fire!”
“But your luck runs out now, Jedi,” continued Behssk. “Not only am I going to get my money back, but I’m also going to take my ponies back!” There was a short pause, then the Trandoshan continued: “Heard from my men that the little green one is a Jedi. Great! That means she’s going to sell for a ton of credits.”
Lyra rolled her eyes. To think that he’d prioritized his money at a time like this.
Clenching the hilt with both hooves, she maneuvered the saber to her right, assuming the Ataru stance she’d gotten so used to. Her master did the same as both Jedi readied themselves for whatever came through the main door. But to their surprise, neither Behssk nor any of his mercenaries bothered to open the door.
What’s going on? Lyra thought. She’d figured that the Trandoshan and his mercenaries would come charging in once the Trandoshan was done with his speech. But surprisingly no move was made.
“What’s he doing?” Hider asked, who was also puzzled by Behssk’s lack of orders. “Shouldn’t he be busting down the door right now?”
“Maybe he’s scared? I mean, we did cleave through a lot of his men earlier. Maybe he’s worried he might lose even more,” Lyra answered.
“No, that isn’t the case, Padawan,” replied Master Darran. “I believe he’s actually stalling.”
“Stalling, Master?”
“Use the Force, Lyra. See beyond the doorway. Only then you will understand his hesitation.”
Lyra nodded. She closed her eyes and called upon the Force, using its natural energies to expand her vision beyond the room itself. Though its power, she could sense Behssk and a few of his men just outside the door.
“He’s undermanned. Excluding Behssk himself, there’s only three mercenaries past that door,” she replied, which earned a nod of approval from her master.
“Wait, seriously?” asked Hider in disbelief. “Why bother coming here with such little manpower? Does he not know what you and your Master are capable of?”
“Sounds like a stupid decision if you ask me,” muttered Sweetie Drops. “But, how did Lyra know there’s only four of them outside?”
“We’re talking about the Force here, little pony. It wouldn’t surprise me if any of these two Jedi would make Behssk and his bunch all vomit on the floor.”
Master Darran shook his head. “I suggest you not put such high expectations on my Padawan and I, Hider. Such a technique is not within our limit.”
“Wait, I think I understand why Behssk isn’t opening the door just yet,” Lyra continued. “He's... waiting for something. Something that he thinks might turn the battle in his favor.”
“What would that be?” asked Hider.
“I believe he’s waiting for another mercenary show up. But unlike the other mercenaries we encountered before, the one he’s waiting for is his best fighter. Since this said fighter’s not with him, he’s stalling so that his goons can go fetch him.”
Master Darran nodded in approval. “Your instincts serve you well, Lyra. Behssk wishes to turn the upcoming battle in his favor. And what better way to do that is to stall until his best mercenary arrives with reinforcements.”
Lyra shrugged. Guess the boss lizard isn’t as dumb as I thought. Gotta give him credit for backing off against a fight he can’t win. Still, his plan isn’t exactly fool proof. Who else can possibly stand up against us? The other mercenaries we faced either ran or were pushovers.
“Maybe he’s waiting for that other Trandoshan to show up. You know, that Chessk lizard,” said Sweetie Drops. Her response, however, caused the entirety of the Omega’s crew to stare at her. “What? Don’t you think that makes the most sense? If that other lizard isn’t with him, why else would he bother to stall for so long?”
Lyra gasped. It made sense. Chessk did say that he was the best fighter here, and she didn’t sense him either. He might be still out cold for all she knew. She curled her lip. Earlier, she’d tried to convince the Trandoshan to let her and Sweetie Drops go, but her attempt at a truce did not work as he was bound to a life debt he has with his cousin.
I don’t blame him for following what he believes is right, but Chessk deserves way more than this crummy mercenary life. If only I can convince him to drop that life debt of his. But how? It’s not like I can prove he’s being deceived or something.
“Your thoughts are disturbed, Padawan. Is something troubling you?” asked Master Darran.
“S-sorry, master. I’m just thinking about something,” stammered Lyra.
“About what? Lyra now is not the time for your mind to wander off. Tell me what’s wrong and be quick about it.”
Lyra’s lip quivered. She hesitated to answer at first, but eventually, she gathered the courage to do so. “Okay, master. You see, I’ve been thinking about that other Trandoshan Sweetie mentioned,” she admitted.
“You mean, Chessk? What about him?”
“I think she’s right to assume that Behssk is waiting for his cousin. He doesn’t want to risk losing more of his men, so he is gambling on his cousin to turn the tide of the battle.”
“What makes you say that?” asked Hider.
“Because Chessk’s strength is real. Sweetie and I can confirm this,” Lyra replied as she quickly went on to explain her failed parley she had back at the storage room.
“Seriously, that guy took out a rancor by himself? Dang, if he’s telling the truth, then it’d make sense that Behssk is stalling. But seriously, Lyra, I don’t think there’s a way we can help the guy. Even if he got the bad end of the deal, a Life Debt isn’t something you can wipe away.”
Lyra’s ears drooped. She had a feeling Hider would say something like that.
“Besides, it’s not like we can find proof of any foul play. Even if Behssk tricked him, there’s no way he’d be stupid enough to leave incriminating evidence behind,” Hider continued. He was suddenly interrupted when Geefour gave a series of long-winded beeps. “What’s gotten you all riled up, tin can? What did you find something?”
Geefour flashed his radar eye directly at the computer screen, causing Hider to take a quick look at it. “Not sure why you’re showing me an audio file of all things, droid. But if you want me to listen to it, I’ll listen.” Hider said.
Lyra blinked. Wait, why is Geefour so fixated on an audio file? Does it have something to do with Chessk? For a second, she wanted to jump back behind the desk and see what the droid had found, but she quickly stopped herself. She couldn’t abandon her position, not with Behssk right outside those doors. For all she knew, he might barge in at any moment.
So, she waited. As Hider kept his eyes glued to the computer screen, Lyra kept hers on the door. She wanted to listen to the file Geefour found, but droid had put the volume too low for her to hear anything.
Lyra curled her lip. What did Geefour find? Come on, Hider, say something!
“Holy crap!”
“Huh?”
Turning her head around, Lyra noticed that the former Smuggler had suddenly pulled himself away from the computer. There was a look of shock on his face. His eyes were wide open, and his jaw hung rather low.
Okay, now I’m curious. “What’s gotten into you Hider?” Lyra asked. “What did Geefour find? Come on, tell me!”
“Lyra, focus!” berated her master. “Worry about that at another time. Focus on what’s in front of you now, because reinforcements have arrived. Along with your Trandoshan friend.”
“He has?” Quick to close her eyes, Lyra channeled the Force to broaden her senses past the door. True to her master’s word, three more mercenaries have arrived outside the room. From that said group, she could sense a powerful presence. One that outweighed Behssk and the other mercenaries.
“Cheesk. He’s here.”
“Are you serious?” Hider asked, who apparently recovered from the shock he had earlier. “How? I could’ve sworn Geefour’s stun gun would have knocked him out cold for a while.”
“Hider, please, what did GeeFour find on that audio file? Did it have anything that can help Chessk?”
“That would be an understatement, Lyra. It looks like the boss hid a big secret from his cousin.”
Lyra’s jaw dropped. “A big secret? Well, what is it?”
“Stay focused, Padawan!” shouted Master Darran. “Ready your lightsaber. The mercenaries are coming in now!”
Sure enough, the door to the room swung open, revealing two Trandoshans and five mercenaries. Two of which Lyra immediately recognized from outside the stronghold. The two humans, one who wore a vizor and his partner who wore a pair of goggles, accompanied their boss inside. And they did not look happy.
“How’s it going, assholes,” said the mercenary with the visor. His frown into a wicked smirk as he immediately pointed his blaster at the Jedi. “You must be really proud of yourselves, huh? Tricking my partner and I into believing you were just merchants. Well, fool me once, shame on me. But fool me twice? Oh, no. Jedi or not, no one bruises me and gets away with it.”
The mercenary began to charge his rifle as he pointed his weapon directly at Master Darran. Before he could fire it though, Behssk stopped him by laying his hand on top of the rifle.
“Calm yourself. There’s no need to start firing yet,” said the Trandoshan.
“What? Boss, why? These people are responsible for cutting down our men! We need to avenge them now!” argued the mercenary. His rebuke, however, was brushed aside by Behssk.
“Come now, there’s no need to act irrationally. I’m sure we can reach an agreement of some sorts.”
“If you are trying to weasel your way out of this fight, you can forget about it. There’s no way am I ever going to negotiate with a dirt-bag like yourself. Not after what you did to those ponies,” Lyra shouted as she glared at the Trandoshan. Her lips then curled into a cocky smirk. “For someone who lauds himself as some hot shot mercenary boss, you’re not that impressive. I figured you’d be leading the charge with your men, but instead, you hid behind a door.”
Her smirk grew wider as she continued to provoke the Trandoshan. “You’re no mercenary boss. You are nothing but a sniffling coward.”
Her taunts worked. Behssk’s calm composure began to falter as Lyra's words slowly seeped into his head. “You talk tough for an animal,” Behssk said as he struggled to hold back his anger. “You know, I always heard that the Jedi Order were nothing but a bunch of softies who’re too scared to get rough. Should’ve known rumors were true. They even allowed this thing to join their stupid cult.”
Hider shook his head and sighed. “Softies, really? That’s the best insult you can come up with? Despite losing so many of your men to these Jedi, you still underestimate them?”
“You shut up!” Behssk yelled. “There is no way am I letting you or my pets get away. Once I kill you, that geezer, and that stupid droid, those ponies are going back in their cages!”
Lyra grimaced. For someone who’d cowered behind a door for the last few minutes, Behssk sure seemed confident. Perhaps this show of self-assurance was to hide the fact that he’s terrified. Granted, she had no proof, but it would explain why the lizard waited until his cousin arrived before he made any move.
She let out a soft gasp. Oh my gosh. Chessk. I completely forgot about him! She quickly glanced at the bulky Trandoshan, who seemed rather uncomfortable for the most part. His head was down, he was frowning, and unlike the other mercenaries, he hadn’t drawn his weapon.
Hider, I hope you and GeeFour play that recording soon. If it really does prove Behssk’s trickery, then you need to play it now!
“The game’s over, Jedi,” said Behssk as he raised his right arm. “Men, ready your rifles. Prepare to shoot on my signal.”
On cue, every single mercenary in the group—aside from Chessk—aimed their rifles directly at Lyra and her master. Behssk was about to give his signal, but he stopped when a loud static sound filled the entire room. “What is that noise?” he asked.
Lyra thought the same thing. Whatever that noise was, it had gotten so loud that she almost wanted to cover her ears. On the bright side, it did stop the mercenaries from firing their weapons, which gave her and her master some much needed time.
As the noise began to settle down, it was then replaced by a masculine voice that Lyra did not recognize. <Are you certain you can handle this line of work? Becoming an Exchange boss isn’t exactly an easy job.>
Lyra blinked in confusion. At first, she didn’t know what was going on, but that changed when she saw Hider giving her a thumbs up from behind the computer desk. It then clicked. Somehow, he had managed to play whatever Geefour found via speakers.
Though she didn’t know who that person was on the speaker, she did recognize the second voice that came up.
<Oh, please. Being a boss will be a cinch compared to all the jobs I’ve done in the past. Besides, I’ve been wanting to take an opportunity like this ever since I joined the Exchange.>
Every mercenary in the room stared and murmured among each other as their boss’s voice suddenly came out from the speakers.
<A man of opportunity. I like that. The Exchange would clearly benefit from having someone like you.>
It was then that Lyra heard Chessk speak up. “What is the meaning of this, cousin?” he asked. “Why am I hearing your voice right now? And who is that other person you are speaking with?”
“Don’t worry about it, Chessk. It’s just an old audio recording from when I got promoted,” replied Behssk. “Damn it. These guys must’ve hacked into my computer. Just how much more stuff are they planning on stealing from me?”
<Very well. Behssk Fess, you are hereby promoted to the planetary boss position,> continued the mysterious voice. <In the next few days, you’ll receive a notice from us detailing your assigned sector.>
<Thank you, sir. I promise, I’ll do my very best.>
<Ah, before you I let you go, there’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask. You cousin, that Chessk fellow. Are you certain he’ll remain loyal to you? From what I saw, he wasn’t exactly keen on working for the Exchange.>
<Don’t worry about him. There’s no way Chessk would ever abandon me now. Not after the life debt he swore to me.>
There was a brief pause. Then the mysterious voice continued. <A life debt? You made your cousin swear a blood oath to you? How? Such a thing would insist that you saved your cousin’s life.>
<That’s right, I did. I saved his life while I was stationed on Taris a few weeks back. The doofus was about to be killed by a herd of Rakghouls down in the undercity. Me and a couple of my buddies rescued him just before one of the beasts dealt the killing blow.>
“You dare insult your own family, cousin!” yelled Chessk, who was clearly agitated by his cousin’s arrogance. “How dare you! After all the things I’ve done, you still treat me as if I’m a mere trophy!”
Behssk, however, did not reply. For some reason, the Trandoshan suddenly went quiet.
<Impressive. Killing Rakghouls is by no means an easy feat. Your cousin should be grateful that you were there to rescue him. But why were they attacking him in the first place? Is your cousin so foolish enough that he’d pick a fight with a herd Rakghouls?>
<No, he isn’t. He was doing some job for a doctor in the upper city at the time. I didn’t know what it was, but I didn’t care. All that mattered to me is that I forced a life debt on him.>
“No!” Behssk yelled as he pulled a blaster pistol from his waist belt and pointed it directly at Hider and Geefour. He then looked at his mercenaries and began barking orders at them. “Don’t just stand there! Shoot the damn Jedi!”
At once, all the mercenaries in the room raised their weapons directly at the Jedi. Seeing this, Lyra assumed a defensive position. But as she braced herself for the coming battle, she noticed that Chessk hadn’t drawn any of his weapons.
“What’s gotten into you Behssk?” the bulky Trandoshan asked as he glared at his cousin suspiciously. “You’re acting as if you are being chased by a rancor.”
“Now is not the time for talk, cousin!” barked Behssk, who was clearly angry that his cousin was disobeying a direct order. “Do as I say and fire your weapon, now!”
“Not until you tell me why you’re so riled up over an old audio file. By the Scorekeeper, cousin, I can see you shaking.”
Lyra watched in silence as the two Trandoshans bickered with one another. Fortunately for her, the rest of the mercenaries did the same, allowing the audio recording to continue playing without any disruptions.
<You forced a life debt on him? I’m not sure I understand you correctly, Behssk. Could you enlighten me on what you did?>
“No!” Losing his patience, Behssk aimed his pistol at his computer desk and fired the weapon multiple times. His desperate act was quickly caught on by Master Darran, who stepped into the line of fire and redirected all the bolts away. “Damn you, Jedi!”
Howling with rage, Behssk continued to fire his weapon at the Jedi Master. Though his attack failed once more, it did cause his mercenaries to act by firing their own weapons.
The entire room turned into an all-out skirmish, causing Lyra to join her master on the defensive. Though she wasn’t as proficient at blocking or redirecting blaster fire as her master, she was competent enough to keep the bolts away from the computer desk and her friends.
As the two Jedi defended themselves from the barrage of blaster bolts, the audio file continued to play in Behssk’s voice. <Oh, that’s simple. You see, when me and my buddies saw Chessk luring a couple of Rakghouls away from their pact, I came up with a genius idea of luring said pack of beasts back to my cousin!>
“What!”
A loud roar erupted inside the room, causing an immediate ceasefire between the two opposing groups. Everyone immediately stared at the person who caused the noise.
Chessk. The bulky Trandoshan looked furious. So much so that Lyra assumed he’d lash out after hearing the truth. But surprisingly, he did nothing.
<The plan was fool proof.> said the Behssk from the audio file. <Granted, I knew I was risking my cousin’s life with my idea, but it was a risk I was willing to take. For years, I wanted Chessk to join me in the Exchange, but that idiot preferred being some stupid big game hunter. Said it was an ‘honorable’ thing to do for our tribe and the Scorekeeper. Bah, what an idiot!”
<I take it that you don’t agree with him.>
<Course I don’t! Stupid, Chessk. Damn with our traditions and damn the Scorekeeper. What’s the point in being honorable and religious if it doesn’t land you riches? But he won’t have to worry about those stupid traditions anymore. Now that he’s within my grasp, he’ll be living the good life. One that he and I rightfully deserves.>
As the audio file came to a stop, Lyra took another glance at Chessk. The Trandoshan did nothing. Even though he’d just learned that his life debt was a total lie, he has yet to make a move. “Is this true, cousin?” the bulky Trandoshan asked, placidly. “What you said in that audio file. Was that true?”
“Cousin—I…. well of course not!” Behssk explained as he attempted to play off his deception. “T-these Jedi must’ve tampered with my computer or something. Made you hear a fake audio recording. I would never trick you, honest.”
“Don’t lie! This audio file has been inside your computer for years!” shouted Hider from the computer desk. “For someone who’s supposedly smart enough to deceive your own family, you sure are stupid to not hide any incriminating evidence.”
“Shut up! I don’t need to hear that from you!” Furious, Behssk immediately pointed his pistol at Hider and was about to shoot. Before he could fire a single shot, however, Chessk let out a deafening roar.
<You lied to me!> yelled Chessk in Dosh as he snatched his blaster rifle from the holster on his back. <You took advantage of my weakness, forced me to do despicable acts of cruelty. And for what? Because you believed that I should follow the life of luxury instead of defending the traditions I hold dear to my heart?>
Behssk screamed. Out of fear, the Trandoshan withdrew his weapon and headed straight for the door. Chessk was about to give chase, but he was immediately blocked by the five mercenaries.
<Get out of my way you scumbags! This is between me and Behssk,> Chessk demanded, who still spoke in his native tongue. <If none of you wish to get hurt, stand aside. Otherwise, I’ll break all your bones right here, right now!>
However, the thugs did not yield to his threats and instead aimed their blasters directly at the Trandoshan.
<You wish to defend my cowardly cousin, eh? So be it!> Putting his rifle away, Chessk snatched a pair of melee weapons from his belt. Despite the numbers stacked against him, he charged at the mercenaries in front of him with a deafening roar.
“Master, we have to help him,” said Lyra as she was about to Force Jump to Chessk’s side. Before she could do anything though, her master stepped in her way.
“There is no need to intervene, Padawan. Chessk can handle this fight perfectly on his own,” Master Darran advised.
“But he’s outnumbered, Master! He won’t be able to win without our help!”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” said Hider. “Look! The guy’s winning!”
“Wait, what?” Confused, Lyra trotted past her master to get a glimpse of Chessk’s fight. To her surprise, she saw that the Trandoshan had overpowered the mercenaries, despite the disadvantage in numbers.
Using his two melee weapons—which appeared to be stun batons—Chessk overwhelmed the thugs by taking out two of the most threatening men: the mercenary with the visor, and his partner with the goggles. With them now out cold, panic ensued. The remaining mercenaries immediately backed off and began hammering the Trandoshan with blaster fire. The bolts made their mark, but Chessk brushed them off like it was nothing.
One by one, the mercenaries fell, until one remained. A slim human mercenary. One whom looked as if he were about to faint. As soon as Chessk came close to him, the thug screamed and fled the room, leaving behind all his comrades who were knocked out.
<Coward.> Chessk spat as he put away his two stun batons. With all the mercenaries out cold, he turned his attention toward Lyra. <You there, Jedi pony. Are you the one responsible for exposing my cousin’s lies?>
“Y-yes,” Lyra replied, nervously. Technically, Geefour is the one responsible for that. All I did was ask him whether he could find any evidence of incrimination against Behssk.
<I see.> Chessk walked over to the Jedi Padawan and, to the surprise of everyone in the room knelt on his knees <You have my thanks little one. Because of you, I am no longer shackled under Behssk’s will. For the first time in over a year, I am free.>
Lyra smiled. “You deserve much better than to be forced to do your cousin’s dirty work. I’m glad we were able to expose the truth.”
Hider raised his brow. “Hold on, Lyra understands Dosh?”
Master Darran nodded in reply. “Yes, she does. It was one of the three languages she learned during her training at the Jedi academy.”
“Dang, that’s actually impressive. I mean, I know a couple of alien languages myself, but Dosh? That’s on an entirely different level for me.”
“I think we should save the compliments for another time, boys. We still need to get out of here,” said Sweetie Drops as she and GeeFour came out of cover.
“The other little pony is right,” replied Chessk as he spoke in Basic once more. “We must leave, now. Before my cousin can call for reinforcements.”
“You plan on coming with us, big guy?” asked Hider, to which Chessk nodded in reply.
“I owe this little Jedi pony so much. She has freed me from my cousins lies, and for that I must repay the favor.”
“I don’t see why not. Having a powerhouse like you would be a worthy addition to the group,” inquired Master Darran. “Unless, anyone has any objections.”
Hider shook his head while T3-G4 gave an assuring beep. To Chessk’s surprise, even Sweetie Drops seemed okay with the team up. “You have no objections, little pony?” the Trandoshan asked.
Sweetie Drops sighed. “You don’t have to worry about me, alright. I admit, I feel a bit uneasy about your sudden change in alliance given that you were my captor and all. But since you accepted the truth and gave those brutes over there a beating, then I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Then it’s settled. I, Chessk Fess, shall aid you in your escape,” Chessk said as he stood up and made his way toward the exit. “Come, let’s beat my cowardly cousin once and for all. The sooner we leave this place, the better.”
Everyone nodded in agreement as they all followed the Trandoshan out of the room.