//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search // by currentlemon //------------------------------// Inside the hanger bay of Worlport’s spaceport, Lyra Heartstrings waited patiently on the boarding ramp of the Omega. She and everyone else had returned to the city mere moments ago. After Hider returned his borrowed landspeeder, they quickly returned to the spaceport hoping that they would take off for Coruscant as soon as possible. However, the group was stopped by Lieutenant Dodonna and a handful of troops.               With the appearance of the Exchange’s most prominent mercenary in the city, the Lieutenant requested that they’d take Chessk into custody for the crimes he committed. Lyra objected, but was stopped abruptly by her master, who warned her to not cause a scene.   However, the group was taken by surprise again when the Lieutenant asked to take Sweetie Drops in as well. When asked why, the Lieutenant explained it was for a medical checkup. Given that Sweetie had just recently arrived in the galaxy, it would be best if she received proper medical treatment before leaving the planet.     That had been over an hour ago. Chessk, and Sweetie Drops were still nowhere to be seen. Master Darran went with them, but Lyra hadn’t seen him either.  What was taking them so long? “Hey, kid!” Lyra turned her head over to Hider, who’d accompanied her back to the Omega along with T3-G4. Ever since they got back, he and the droid had been making some repairs to the Omega’s exterior. “Still worried about the others?” he asked.   Lyra nodded. “Well, don’t be,” Hider replied. “I’m sure the Republic is treating them just fine. And don’t forget, your master is with them.”   T3-G4 beeped soundly as it strolled past Lyra with a handful of tools on its head. “See, even the droid said not to worry too much,” Hider continued. “Don’t worry, they’ll be fine. The Republic will take care of them.”               “I know that, but they’ve been gone for way too long,” Lyra replied. “Why is the Republic so dead set on keeping them back?” “It’s hard to say. I wouldn’t put it past the Republic to give our little pony friend a full medical examination. This is the first time she’ll be travelling between Republic worlds, so I assume they’re likely giving her some vaccination shots just to be safe.” Hider paused. “Then, there’s the issue with Chessk.”               “What about him?”               “I wouldn’t put it past the Republic to be somewhat hostile to the big guy,” Hider replied. Though his response earned him a stern glare from Lyra. “Don’t get me wrong, kiddo. I know Chessk isn’t a bad person, but you gotta remember, he’s been an Exchange lackey for almost a year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a criminal record saved by Republic officials.”               “But it was Behssk who forced him to do those things, remember? I’m sure once the Republic would understand once Chessk explains his situation.”               Hider sighed as he climbed up on the boarding ramp and sat next to the Padawan. “Best tone down that optimism of yours, Lyra. While it’s true that the big guy was forced to do nasty things, it doesn’t change the fact that he still did them. False life debt or not, the Republic isn’t going to forgive Chessk so easily.”               Lyra groaned. She hated to admit it, but Hider did have a point. “Have some patience, kid. Come on, you are a Jedi for crying out loud. Besides, I wouldn’t worry too much when your master is by their side. I’m sure he’ll be able to come up with a compromise.”               “I hope so,” said Lyra with a sigh. She stood up from her spot and began to climb up the boarding ramp. “If you need me, I’ll be inside the ship taking a nap.”               “You’re not meditating this time?”               Lyra shook her head. “Not this time. Fighting all those mercenaries has left me a bit tired. And being trapped in that cage didn’t help either. Besides, I’m going to need all the rest I can get; cause once we land on Coruscant, we’ll likely need to scour the entire planet for the missing ponies.” “Yeah, that is not something I look forward too,” said Hider with a groan. However, his response caused Lyra to look at him with wide eyes. “Something you’re not looking forward to? Does that mean you plan on staying with us?” “Well, of course. I mean, we only saved Sweetie, not the entire crew. I’ll stay with you guys until the job is done, but when the time comes, I expect big payment.” Lyra rolled her eyes. She wanted to lash out at Hider for his greediness, but she decided against it and to instead board the ship. But before she could get inside, she heard the clanking of a metal door opening behind her. Turning around, she looked to the far end of the hanger bay and saw that her master together with both Sweetie Drops and Chessk.   “Well what do you know. They’re here,” Hider said. He stood up and began to walk away from his ship. “Come on, don’t just stand there. Let’s go greet them.” Leaving his tools behind, Hider turned and walked away from his ship so that he could rejoin the others. Lyra and T3-G4 followed suit, and they were soon reunited with the entire crew.  However, when Lyra and Sweetie were reunited, the former was caught off guard when the private suddenly bounced on her, giving the Padawan a hug. “By Celestia, am I glad to see you,” said Sweetie. “It felt like an eternity being stuck in that stupid infirmary. With all those doctors crowding around me, I almost preferred being stuck in that stupid cage!” “What’d they do to you?” Lyra asked. “Mostly vaccination shots,” Master Darran answered for his Padawan. “Plus, they added an x-ray and some blood work tests to make sure she’s really okay for long distance travel.”   “I kept telling them I was perfectly fine! I didn't need all those vaccination shots! Iwas cleared by Equestrian royal doctors way before I came here!” rebuked Sweetie Drops.   “That may be so, but it doesn’t change the fact you still needed some vaccinations. Galactic standards are completely different than what you had at home. And besides, you had no proof that you were vaccinated in the first place.”   “I would’ve if those mercenary brutes hadn’t stolen our ship!”   Lyra frowned. “Wait, so the Exchange still has the Celestial Sun?” she asked.   “Unfortunately, they do. When a group of mercenaries captured the ponies, they brought their ship along with them.” Chessk explained. “I believe it’s still docked at the Exchange stronghold right now.”   “I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Padawan,” said Master Darran. “I convinced Lieutenant Dodonna to launch an attack on the Exchange. I’m certain the Republic will be able to commandeer the ship soon.”   “The Republic should have no trouble with their assault,” Chessk continued. “My cousin and his band of mercenaries should still be licking their wounds. Putting up a defense against the local military would be difficult for them.” “Hey, that reminds me. Did the Republic decide to let the big guy go free?” asked Hider.   “They did,” Chessk replied. “But if it wasn’t for your master’s help, little Jedi, they would’ve locked me in a cell.”   Lyra frowned. “So, they really wanted to arrest you?” she asked.   “Yes. I have committed grievous crimes while I was working for my cousin. Even if it was under a false life debt, it doesn’t change the fact that I still did those deeds.” Chessk frowned. “I… pleaded with them to let me go. I fell on my knees, bowed by head, and begged them to let me go! I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life behind bars, not when my savior still needs my help.”   “W-what? Chessk, what are you saying?”   The large Trandoshan gave a wide smile at Lyra. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he bent down on his knees and bowed his head to the young Padawan. he explained in Dosh.   Lyra blinked. She stared at Chessk for some time, unsure if the Trandoshan was speaking the truth or not. But by staring at his facial expression, she soon realized that he was serious.  “Uh, guys. I don’t understand Dosh. Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Hider asked. “What is the big guy saying? And why is he kneeling down in front of Lyra?”   “Chessk wants to form a life debt with my Padawan,” explained Master Darran, which nearly caused Hider to fall on his back.   “Whoa, seriously?” said the former smuggler. “He wants to tag along?”   “Apparently, so,” replied Master Darran, letting out a chuckle. “Since my Padawan had freed him from the clutches of his greedy cousin, he wants to help her in return.” “And you’re okay with this?”  “I don’t see anything wrong with it. Chessk simply wants to redeem himself for the misdeeds the he’s done. If pledging a life debt to my Padawan will give him a peace of mind, I’ll allow it. Besides, we could use the extra help.”  “Did the Lieutenant agreed to let him go? Just like that?”     “She didn’t at first. Despite Chessk’s pleas, Lieutenant Dodonna was ready to apprehend him. However, I was able to change her mind once Chessk gave away some important information.”     Lyra tilted her head. “Important information? What important information?”     Chessk said as he stood on his two feet again.     “I do. In fact, you never told me who exactly those thieves were.”     “The thieves that Chessk fought back at the Exchange stronghold were actually Mandalorian scouts,” explained Master Darran. “M-mandalorians?” Lyra asked. “T-they were here?” A sudden chill went down the Padawan’s back as her entire body went stiff. Then, she began to quiver.     “Hey, Lyra? Are you alright?” asked Sweetie Drops.     “Forgive her. She acts like that if you mention anything regarding the Mandalorians or the war,” said Master Darran. Acting quickly, the Jedi Master bent down and smacked his Padawan across the face, snapping Lyra out of her stupor.     “Ow! Master that hurt! What’d you do that for!”     “It was the only way for me to get your attention, Padawan. I know the war is a touchy subject for you but enough with the awkward silence already! You can’t just go all quiet on me every time someone talks about the war.”     “So, you guys do know something about the Mandalorian wars, after all?” asked Hider.     “We’ll talk more about the war at another time. For now, I suggest that we leave Ord Mantell immediately and head for Coruscant. I need to get in touch with Jedi Council as soon as I can. I’m sure they’ll help us once they learn of our current situation. Unless, you have any objections, Hider?”     Hider shrugged. “Have it your way. I already told Lyra that I plan on sticking around a bit longer anyway. Just promise me that you’ll pay me once all this is over. And tell me what’s actually going on with the Jedi and the war.”     Master Darran frowned. “We agreed to no such thing, Hider.”     “Well, too bad, old man. Cause I’m adding it to the list of things I want in return!” Hider exclaimed. “No more secrets. I demand you guys tell me the truth and nothing but the truth once we get this mission over and done with.”     Master Darran sighed. “Secrets, huh? The same thing could be said about you, Mr. Louhun.”     “What did you say?”     “Oh, nothing. Ignore the ramblings of an old man,” said Master Darran as he walked past the entire group and went straight for the ship. Hider opened his mouth to speak up, but he didn’t say a word. He just folded his arms, sighed, and walked over to his ship in silence.     T3-G4 beeped as it focused his radar eye on both Master Darran and Hider. said Chessk.     Lyra shook her head. “No, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen them argue like that. I think Hider just got a bit angry that my Master and I are hiding information about the erm… war.”         “I don’t know. And frankly, Chessk, I’m not sure if I want to know.”     “Hey! Can you guys quit leaving me behind in your conversations, already!” yelled Sweetie Drops. “Seriously, stop talking in a language I can’t understand! It’s bad enough that I can’t understand two of you guys already!”     “Sorry about that, little pony. I tend to get a bit carried away when I start speaking in my native tongue,” said Chessk in Basic.     “Well, could you stop? I understand if you want to talk to Lyra like that, but keep it in private, please! We’re going to be working together from now on, so we can’t have any language barriers in our team.”     “Wait, so you’re okay with Chessk helping us now?” Lyra asked as a smile formed on her lips.     Sweetie sighed. “I don’t know anything about this life debt thing, but if he’s so dead set on atoning for his crimes, I’m okay with it.” She then shot a fierce glare at Chessk. “That doesn’t mean I trust you entirely… yet. I admit, I still have my doubts, but if you’re willing to protect Lyra and do the right thing, then there might be a chance we could be friends.”     “I’d welcome that chance, little pony. Anything to atone for my past deeds,” said Chessk.     “Then you better start proving yourself soon,” replied Sweetie Drops. “So, Lyra, where’s this ship we’re using?”     Lyra smiled. She pointed her hoof over to the large ship in the distance before galloping toward it. The others followed. Soon they stopped just shy of the Omega’s boarding ramp, where Hider Louhun was walking in and out of the ship.     Sweetie Drops gawked at the ship with wide eyes. “T-this is the ship we’re using?” she asked. “Sweet Celestia, it’s so… big.” “Indeed, it is quite impressive. I’m surprised the human was able to afford such a high caliber ship,” said Chessk. “Judging by design, I believe it’s a dynamic-class freighter, correct?”   “Yup, that’s right,” Hider replied with a prideful smirk as he came up from behind the group with tools cluttered on his arms. “I got this beauty during my smuggling days and it’s never let me down.”   Chessk glared at the former smuggler. “You are not ashamed of your past actions, human?” he asked as he gave Hider a look of distrust.   “No, I’m not,” Hider replied with a shrug. “Hate to break it to you, big guy, but I’m not ashamed of what I did in the past. Unlike you, I wasn’t forced to become a smuggler. I became one willingly.”   “Did you steal this ship?”   “What, no! I bought this ship with the credits I’ve earned.” Hider paused. “Okay, I admit. Some of the credits I used were stolen off from the Exchange and other organizations; but I assure you, my baby is fully paid off.”   Lyra let out a sigh. She almost wanted to kick Hider in the knees, but she resisted the urge to do so and instead climbed onboard the Omega with Sweetie Drops. But before they could enter the ship, Hider called out to her again. “Hey, Lyra. Your Master wants you to meet him back at the garage. Says that he wants to do some saber training before you go rest.”     “Now?” Lyra asked. “But I still have to give Sweetie a tour of the ship.”     “Sorry, kid, but this isn’t up for debate. The old man still wants you to train with him. As much as I appreciate you giving our little pony friend a tour of my baby, it’ll have to wait. Just take her to the crew quarters so she’ll get some rest.”     “Crew quarters? You mean, you have beds on this ship?” Sweetie asked. Hider gave the Private a nod, but as soon as he did that, Sweetie surprised everyone by darting toward the former smuggler and hugged him by the legs. “Oh, thank Celestia! Do you know how long it has been since I’ve slept on a bed? Five days. Five days! During my trip on the Celestial Sun, I had to sleep uncomfortably on the floor for Faust’s sake!”     Hider gawked at Sweetie with wide eyes, completely stunned by the mare’s sudden affection. He looked over to Lyra for some help, but all she did was laugh at him. “Um, okay. Well then… I’m glad to be of service, Sweetie. Make yourself at home and don’t mess around with my baby too much,” he said as he nudged Sweetie off his legs. “Seriously, just how small was their ship?”     “Human, does your ship have a workbench I can use?” asked Chessk.     “It’s in the garage. Just take a left at the entrance once you’re inside. And Chessk, I took the liberty of getting your speed bike parked inside my ship. It’s in the garage, so feel free to use whatever tools I have there.”     “I appreciate it, human. That bike means a lot to me, even though I received it as a gift for doing dastardly deeds as an Exchange lackey.” T3-G4 beeped directly at Chessk. “Lay off the insults, tin can. We all have our guilty pleasures in life. There’s no need for Chessk to be ashamed of himself for liking his bike,” Hider replied. The droid beeped again, but this time at Hider. “Oh, that’s rich coming from a droid who took great pleasure in electrocuting someone to near death!” “Excuse me?” asked Sweetie Drops. Lyra facehoofed as an argument erupted between Hider and T3-G4, turning a once mellow conversation into a shouting and beeping match between a human and a droid. Chessk watched as the argument between the two intensified but did nothing to defuse the situation. “Sweet, Celestia, they are really at each other’s throats,” said Sweetie Drops. “Yeah… it looks like this is going to take a while,” Lyra replied. “Tell you what, why don’t I just take you inside and take you to the ship’s crew quarters. It’s way better than staying here and watching this unfold. Plus, I can give you a brief tour of the ship along the way.” Sweetie immediately complied as both ponies boarded the Omega. Once inside, Lyra gave the Private a tour of ship, explaining every room they passed and what purpose they filled. “The more I see this ship, the more I question why Mr. Louhun needs a ship this big in the first place. Not to insult him or anything, but all rooms he has on this thing seem kind of pointless.” “You can say that again. If I had to guess, he must’ve used more of his ship during his smuggling career. Probably to store or hide some of the goods he kept. But since he dropped his career in favor of journalism, he doesn’t really need the extra room.” “Oh, yeah! You guys mentioned that before. So, your friend gave up the life of a thief in favor of writing news articles?” “Yup. He became one after a bounty was put on his head. Remember what he said earlier, about stealing money from organizations? That’s why he quit his smuggling career in the first place.”   Sweetie groaned. “Oh, great. The more I learn about this group, the more I have doubts. Though I am a bit glad that Jedi Master of yours keeps them in check. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what exactly is your relationship with him anyway? You seem quite fond of him.”   “Master Darran? Well, to put it bluntly, he’s like a second dad to me.” A smile formed on Lyra’s lips as she thought about her master. “He was one of the few masters that actually thought I had the potential to become a great Jedi. When I struggled with my lessons as an Initiate, he was the one who helped me out. He offered extra lessons on lightsaber combat, taught me how to expand my senses by using the Force. Honestly, if it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be a Padawan.”   “I see. But why is he wearing a blindfold?”   “Master Darran isn’t human. He may look like one, but he’s part of an alien species known as a Miraluka. Miralukas cannot see like we can. They are born blind. Some are even born without eyes. However, what’s unique about them is the fact that they’re all Force sensitives, and they use the Force to see the world around them.” Sweetie’s jaw dropped. “A-are you serious?” “Yup. And not only that, he’s also a great lightsaber duelist. A Battlemaster to be specific. When he’s not training me, he’s training other students in lightsaber combat.”     “So, he’s responsible for teaching Jedi trainees how to fight?” Sweetie asked. Lyra smiled and nodded in response. “Wow. I guess you’re really lucky to have someone like him.”     “I know, right!” Lyra replied as she stopped in front of a large door. It opened automatically, revealing a handful of twin-sized beds lined up against the wall.     Sweetie beamed. She hastily galloped past Lyra and jumped onto one of the beds. She then breathed a sigh of relief as she laid her head on top of the pillow.     “Enjoying yourself?” Lyra asked, chuckling at the Private’s childlike antics as the earth pony mare tossed and turned on the bed.     “You bet! By Celestia, this bed is so comfortable!”     “That’s great! I’m sure Hider will be happy to know you like his accommodations. When he’s done arguing with Geefour that is.”     “Eh, they'll blow off steam, eventually. Besides, don’t you think you should be more worried about yourself? You’ve still got a training regimen ahead of you.”     “You’re right. I can’t leave my master waiting. He’ll berate me if I turn out late, even if it’s only one minute.”  “Sounds like my drill instructor,” Sweetie replied as the two ponies share a laugh together. “Say, when you’re done, you think you can head on back here and tell me more about yourself and… what’s happening in the galaxy right now?” Lyra stuttered. “A-are you talking about the current war?” she asked. Sweetie nodded. “I have to, Lyra. If there really is a war going on right now, then I must know. My friends are still out there, Lyra. The longer they stay captive, the more likely they’ll get dragged into this conflict.” Lyra bit her lip. As much as she disliked talking about the war, Sweetie made a valid point. At the very least, she deserved to know what was happening in the galaxy.  With no other option, Lyra agreed to the private’s demand and would explain the galaxy’s current state in more detail. In return, Sweetie would tell her more about Equestria and what has happened to the nation since her disappearance. With a deal struck, Lyra left the crew quarters behind and left Sweetie behind to rest.