Lyra had never galloped so fast before in her entire life. At least, not without the Force. She couldn’t bring herself to concentrate and command its power due to being completely distressed. When it was hinted that the ponies were here by the guardsman, all she wanted to do was to find them immediately.
But she’d been wandering around the factory for what seemed to be hours. The entire place was nothing but long hallways and splitting corridors. She had no idea where she was going; and yet, she kept running, relying only on instinct to guide her way.
She just had to save to save those ponies. She had to. But even she had her limits.
Eventually, Lyra gave into fatigue, collapsing between two branching corridors. She looked around and frowned. She was lost. She had no idea where the ponies were and had no way to go back to her master.
She was on her own.
Her lips curled into a frown as she tried to fight back the tears. She blew it. She’d failed the Jedi Council and had broken her promise to Sweetie Drops. At this rate, the Mandalorians were sure to escape with the ponies to who knows where. And given that they currently occupied several outer rim worlds, it might take her months just to find one pony, possibly years. Who knows what kind of treatment they’d receive? By the time she saved them all, they could be scarred for life.
Lyra slumped onto her belly as the tears gushed out from her eye. The only thing comforted her was a cool breeze blowing across her mane.
Wait, there’s wind blowing on my mane?
Drying her tears, Lyra shot straight back up and attempted to figure out where the breeze came from. One thing’s for sure, what she felt wasn’t something that came from indoors. No, she was certain the wind it came from outside. But that could only mean she was near an exit.
She looked at the splitting corridors, one to her left and the other to the right. She trotted forward, attempting to get a better feel of the wind. Then, she felt it, coming from the left. A tiny gush of outdoor air blew on her face.
Lyra darted for the left corridor, hoping that this newfound opportunity may lead her somewhere. Fortunately for her, it did. Not soon after her run, she found a large exit in front of her that led outside.
She smiled. Though it may be a long shot, this maybe her final chance. If this exit didn’t lead to the missing ponies, then all her hope of ever returning home would be lost.
When she finally made it out, Lyra stopped in her place and took a minute to get a good look of her surroundings. As expected, she had made it back outside. She could see the Works in its lowliness. The rundown buildings, the dirty black smoke. Despite her recklessness, she’d somehow found the factory hangar bay.
Well, at least I was able to find a place that might help me. Now all I need to do is look for clues.
Moving quietly, Lyra trotted to a nearby cargo box and hid behind it, hoping that nobody would see her. As she slowly peeked her head out, she eventually realized she was standing on top of a big platform.
The hangar itself was two stories tall. It was filled to the brim with cargo containers, accompanied by vehicles and pulleys that she assumed Czerka employees used to help move the cargo. And below her was the ship docking bay that ships used to land and unload cargo.
Lyra looked around. There was no sign of any workers or Mandalorians. She assumed the place was deserted, but she was proven wrong when she spotted the corpses of dead Czerka workers lined up.
Seeing this, Lyra went pale. There were so many bodies. It was as if she were at a graveyard. She almost lost her composure; however, her sickness vanished when she saw the guilty party, Mandalorian soldiers. It didn’t take long for her to conclude that these workers were killed because they simply got in the way.
Those poor people. Lyra closed her eyes and muttered a quick prayer. “May they find peace in the Force.”
As she reopened her eyes, Lyra looked around for any clue of the whereabouts of the missing ponies. Then, she spotted it. At the bottom platform near a parked Mandalorian spacecraft was a group of ponies. Ten of them, she counted. The Mandalorians had captured them. They’d separated the group in pairs of two and were stuffed in cages that had little room to move. From what she could tell, they looked tired, defeated. It was as if they’ve given up hope.
Lyra couldn’t blame them. First, they were tricked and captured by the Exchange, who treated them horribly before they sold them to Czerka, and now this. Though she had no idea what the Mandalorians planned to do with the ponies, she wouldn’t let them get away. She was going to save them and put an end their nightmare.
But how was she going to do it? No way could she fight all those Mandalorians at once. She’d be outnumbered ten to one. Plus, it was very likely that these soldiers were equipped with blasters. If she were to charge in recklessly, she’d be gunned down almost immediately.
Lyra curled her lip. There had to be something that could turn the tide of battle. Something that would give her an advantage, or perhaps even the odds.
No. She had no time to think. If she were to delay any further, the Mandalorians would take the ponies away. She had to make a move now, or else all her efforts would be for nothing. But Lyra still knew that attacking recklessly will only put her in danger. At the very least, she needed to make a move that wasn’t too risky.
But then, Lyra realized something. No Mandalorian had noticed her yet. In fact, none of them even bothered to guard the hangar bay entrance. What’s more is that their forces were scattered. Not a single soldier was paired with another. And to top it all off, they all had their backs turned away from her. Every soldier in this port was susceptible to a sneak attack. All she had to do was find a target.
She eventually did. A lone, light-armored Mandalorian soldier that was within striking distance. A golden opportunity.
Seeing this, Lyra stood up straight, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She called upon the Force, gathering as much of its energies as she possibly could. This battle would be the fight of her life. So much was on the line now, and she was determined to see this through.
As she let go of her breath, Lyra’s eyes shot open. With the Force, she bent her knees and leapt with all her might. She soared through the skies, pinpointing her target as she descended onto the platform. She quickly snatched her saber from her belt and activated it. Despite the loud snap-hiss sound, it didn’t alert any of the soldiers. She was too high up in the air for them to hear her weapon’s activation.
Slowly, she grew closer to her target. He came closer and closer, until eventually, she swung her blade at the soldier as hard as she could.
Lyra never did realize what limb she struck. She was so focused on getting that Mandalorian, the thought of where she might strike her blade eclipsed her mind. She didn’t want to kill him though, that was something she wanted to avoid. But once she landed safely onto the platform, she finally got a good look at the soldier she attacked.
She’d cut his arm off. His left arm to be precise. She’d been so driven by emotion that she had unintentionally struck the soldier with a Cho Mok mark of contact. Only when she heard the scream of the Mandalorian soldier did she realize her mistake.
The Mandalorian lumped to the floor, his voice screeching in pain as he grabbed his shoulder. His screams get the attention of his fellow soldiers and all the ponies who were trapped inside their cages. Lyra was in the spotlight now, and they were all gawking at her.
Seeing this, she raised her lightsaber and went into a defensive stance, ready to take on any Mandalorian who dared to attack her. But there was no retaliation. Not a single soldier had started shooting. None of the Mandalorians even had their rifles raised. They just stared at her and did nothing.
What’s going on? Why aren’t they fighting back? Lyra thought. Is this their first time seeing a Jedi? Or maybe they’re surprised to see another pony?
Her eyes then drifted to the captured ponies and quickly noticed something astounding. The captives were a mix of all pony species: Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies. For the first time in ten years, she saw her own kind.
Lyra felt a sliver of hope. There they were, the missing ponies. Mere inches away from her. She was about to make a beeline for them, but stopped when she heard a loud, masculine voice screech across the room.
“Don’t just stand there, you idiots! Shoot the Jedi!”
That snapped the Mandalorians out of their stupor. Upon hearing that commanding voice, all the remaining Mandalorian forces grabbed their rifles and took aim at Lyra. It was then that the young Padawan realized that the odds were stacked against her. Despite taking out one soldier, she was still outnumbered nine to one.
There was no way she could defend against that many troops. Their blaster fire would overwhelm her in a manner of seconds. If she didn’t act fast, this hangar bay would be her grave.
Luckily for her, there was a nearby cargo box she could use for safety. As the Mandalorians charged their shots, she darted for cover. Fortunately, she was fast enough to get where she needed to be. The Mandalorians had fired their rifles the moment she jumped, their bolts grazing the spot where she once stood.
“Surround the Jedi! Don’t let that thing escape!” Lyra heard from behind cover. She then heard loud, clanking footsteps. Mandalorians, she assumed. The heavy armor that those people wore gave her the impression that they were trying to corner her.
Upon realizing her dire situation, it had finally dawned on Lyra that she had made a huge mistake. The Mandalorians were coming for her. Most likely, their goal would be to incapacitate and capture her. Or in the worst-case scenario, kill her.
What do I do? What do I do?
Clunk. The sound of heavy armored footsteps rang in her ears.
Why? Why did I have to leave my master and my friends behind? I can’t fight all these people by myself!
Clunk. The footsteps were getting closer. The loud thumping noise the soldier's metal footsteps made Lyra’s heart to skip a beat.
Her breathing intensified. Her luck had run out. The only thing she could do was to surrender and hope for her best. Perhaps her master or her companions, or maybe even the Jedi Order, would come to her rescue. If not today, then maybe another perhaps another time.
Don’t ever give up my Padawan.
Lyra blinked. For a second there, she had thought she heard her master’s voice. She looked around to see if he or her companions had arrived but found no one. Besides the Mandalorians who were waiting behind her cover, she was the only one here.
Did her master try to contact her through telepathy, or was it all in her head? Either way, it didn’t matter. Just hearing his voice relieved some of her stress. She quickly steadied her breathing and quickly recited the first line of the Jedi code: “There is no emotion, there is peace,” she whispered.
She took a deep breath and sighed. She’d overcame one obstacle, thanks to her master’s guidance, but there was still a brick wall she had to climb. The Mandalorians were getting close. She needed to find a way to fight back, or at least stall them until her master and companions get here.
But how was she going to fight them all?
“We have you surrounded, Jedi! Come out with those hooves out!” shouted a Mandalorian. “If you surrender peacefully, we’ll spare your life.”
Lyra grimaced. Looks like I got no choice but to fight them head on.
Taking her lightsaber’s hilt, she was about to leap out of her cover and fight them all at once. But she stopped when she saw multiple container bins laying in front of her. They were everywhere. Bins ranging from small to large metal boxes. In fact, the entire place was filled to the brim with these things.
Then it hit her. This entire platform was ammunition for her. She can use the Force to simply throw these containers at the Mandalorians. Sure, it won’t hurt them that much or kill them, but it would turn the battle in her favor.
All she had to do was put her trust in the Force and her telekinetic abilities.
“Jedi! Show yourself!” shouted another Mandalorian.
Lyra sighed. It was time to face her enemies.
Hooking her saber to her belt, she turned around and leapt onto the storage container she used for cover. She gazed at her enemies with a fierce glare, spotting a total of nine Mandalorian soldiers who’re all pointing their weapons at her.
“Put your arms up where we can see them!” barked a Mandalorian soldier. Lyra obeyed the command and slowly lifted her front hooves up. Fortunately, these Mandalorians weren’t Force sensitive. If any of them were, they would’ve noticed that several container bins had begun to rattle behind her.
“Somebody cuff that thing!” ordered another soldier. “And while you’re at it, take her lightsaber too. We can’t let her keep that weapon.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Lyra. She immediately dropped both of her hooves, causing a handful of storage containers to fly and crash into multiple Mandalorian soldiers. It may not have done a lot of damage, but her action caused all the soldiers to point their weapons away from her.
They must think someone’s here to rescue me. Lyra thought. Well, given that this is the only opportunity I have, I might as well use it!
Calling upon the Force, she pulled her front hooves back and began lifting as many containers as she possibly could. Mentally, it was stressful. Never had she used the Force to this capacity before. She may not be lifting them physically, but she still felt the strain on her body.
Still, it was bearable. As more containers floated in the air, she swung her hooves forward, unleashing a barrage of bins directly at her enemies. The Mandalorian soldiers tried to retaliate, but it was too late. For every bin that was thrown at them, Lyra kept chugging more.
Eventually, a few soldiers managed to regain their footing. They aimed their rifles and fired at the young Padawan. However, Lyra saw it coming and immediately hid behind the large bin again. She then reeled back her right hoof a conjured a powerful telekinetic wave, throwing her only cover directly at the Mandalorians who fired at her.
A direct hit. The large bin hit the perpetrators right on the head, causing them to slump to the floor, motionless.
Seeing that she had the advantage, Lyra unhooked her saber and ignited the blade. She leapt at a soldier who was still recovering from her attack and quickly destroyed his weapon. She then performed a shiim strike at the soldier’s hands, wounding him. The blow wasn’t lethal, but at least he wouldn’t be able to fire anymore weapons.
With one soldier down, she looked up and saw that a few more Mandalorians had recovered and were ready to fire their weapons. They did, but given that it was only a few soldiers, Lyra was able to redirect all the shots. One bolt had even managed to hit one of the Mandalorians. A very fortunate moment. Now she was free to use her telekinesis again.
Lyra quickly unleashed a wave of telekinesis, hurling heavy container bins and powerful Force Pushes. One after another, they fell. The once intimidating Mandalorian squad was torn apart by the power of the Force.
As she struck down another Mandalorian, the young Padawan stood up straight on her back legs, ready to take on the next soldier who dared get in her way. But to her amazement, she found that all her enemies were down for the count.
She had done it. The day had been won.
Lyra shot a quick glance at the caged ponies and noticed that they were all staring at her. Their expressions mixed between, shock, awe, and joy. A few even cheered.
Seeing their reactions made her chuckle. At the very least, she made a good first impression. Now all she had to do was free them from their cages.
But as she made it to their location, one last Mandalorian stood in her way. Seeing this, Lyra gripped her saber with her front hooves and raised it vertically to her dominant side, bracing herself for whatever attack that may come her way. However, she quickly noticed that there was something different about him.
Unlike the other Mandalorians, he didn’t have a blaster rifle. Instead, he approached her with a double-bladed vibrosword, a weapon akin to her master's. And he wore no helmet either. His entire head was exposed, revealing dark black hair, blue eyes, and a big scar on his cheek.
To make things even weirder, he gave a cold, devilish smile. It’s as if he wanted to fight her. But why? Didn’t he see how badly his allies were beaten? At the very least, he should be a little bit scared.
Lyra curled her lip. I got a bad feeling about this.
Moments Earlier
Watching from afar, Khal Dryll could not help but scowl as his squadmates struggled to fight against the tiny Jedi. It was an embarrassment. They had no idea what they were doing. Yes, the Jedi may have caught them off-guard when it faked it’s surrender, but they gave up an opportunity to capture her or perhaps even kill her.
Now their advantage in numbers was all but lost. The Jedi was tearing them apart.
Khal gritted his teeth. Seeing these trained soldiers struggle against a single Jedi made his blood boil. Many high-ranking Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders had high hopes from him and his squad, but what would they say if they witnessed what he was seeing? What would Mandalore the Ultimate think?
“Disgraceful,” Khal spat as he pulled out a double-bladed vibrosword from his back. There was no hope for his squad. He needed to intervene now, or else this battle—perhaps even their mission—would be all but over.
But before he could join his comrades in battle, a voice called out to him from behind. “Where do you think you’re going, Khal?” He looked back and saw his uncle, the commanding officer of the entire squad, tending the wound of an injured soldier. The same soldier whose arm had been cut off mere moments ago, who’d been brought back to the ship by his uncle and the squad’s medic while the Jedi had been cornered.
“Where do you think I’m going, uncle?” Khal answered with a smirk. “I’m going to fight the Jedi.”
“Leave that to your squad mates, son. Help me with this soldier, now! His wound is severe. If we don’t do anything, he’ll die!”
“Then let him die, commander. It’s his fault that he lost his arm that way. If he paid more attention to his surroundings, he wouldn’t be in that situation.”
“Khal!”
“Save it, uncle. I do not need to hear a lecture from you!” He pointed his finger at the battle scene, where the Jedi had finally taken control of the fight. “Can you not see what’s happening over there? They’re struggling, uncle. They cannot hope to win against that Jedi. If I stay here and do nothing, it’ll only jeopardize our mission!”
“Then what do you suppose we do, Khal?”
“Call off our troops! Let me fight! I am the only one here who’s done any research on our enemy. If you let me take on that thing one-on-one, not only will I guarantee you all victory, I’ll bring you that Jedi’s head!”
There was some hesitation from the Mandalorian commander. Then, he finally replied: “Very well. Bring glory to Mandalore, my nephew.”
Khal grinned devilishly. The grip on his vibrosword tightened as he made his way to the battle zone. For the first time in his life, his blood began to boil. Finally, his dream was realized. He would have the chance to fight against an actual Jedi. And a competent one at that.
Khal stood in front of the captured aliens, believing that they were the reason why the Jedi was here. Sure enough, he was correct. Once it realized that she’d taken out the last of his squad, she made a beeline for the captives.
Good. The sooner we start this fight, the better.