//------------------------------// // Chapter 20 // Story: Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search // by currentlemon //------------------------------//     Lyra let out a big sigh. Her second turbolift ride was much calmer than her previous one. For one, she felt at ease. The meeting with the Jedi Council went better than expected. Sure, she was berated by Masters Vrook and Atris, but at least the other masters agreed to let her continue the mission.     A golden opportunity, one would think, to be given another chance after making a complete blunder. But as much as a relief this was, Lyra knew this was just mere luck. With war brewing in the outer rim, and her fellow Jedi leaving the Order entirely to go fight, the Council had little to no choice but to send her out again.     Lyra curled her lip. If this were any other mission, she’d be more than happy to take this. However, there were still doubts lingering in her head. She questioned on whether she truly deserved this second chance. If she had failed before, what makes the Council believe she can succeed this time?     “Hey, Lyra!” The Padawan blinked. Turning her head around, she spotted Hider standing relatively close to her. “Got something on your mind? You’ve been very quiet lately.”     “W-what? Oh… no, I was just thinking about my mission, that’s all,” Lyra replied. “You don’t have to worry about me, Hider. I’m fine.”     From behind her pilot, T3-G4 let out a beep. “Hate to say it, kid, but Geefour’s got a point. Enough with the sulking. We haven’t even left Coruscant yet.”     “Easy for you to say! You’re not the one who blew it and possibly endangered the lives of so many ponies!”     “Yeah, we get it, kid. You screwed up bad. But lighten up for crying out loud! You’re a Jedi! And Jedi like you shouldn’t be acting all distressed like you are.”     “The human has a point, little Jedi,” said Chessk. “I know you are anxious after your most recent blunder, but I do not think you should put yourself down like that. The last thing you want is for your mistakes to drag you down.”     Lyra grimaced. As much as she cherished the friendships she made during her journey, she couldn’t possibly believe they would understand her predicament. Her mistake was all she could think about. All those remaining ponies that were in those cages. They could’ve been saved if she hadn’t gone off on her own. Heck, if she had just won that duel against that Mandalorian soldier, she might have not been in this predicament at all.     She winced as she recalled her encounter with that Khal person. He bested her, but only because he had caught her off guard with his double-bladed vibrosword.     Her body went stiff as she recalled that man used the same type of weapon her master used. For years, Master Darran had refused to use his lightsaber to its fullest. But now she had recently faced off against someone who used the same weapon.     A chilling thought. Would it have made a difference if her master taught her on how to fight against a double-bladed weapon? Could she have won that duel if she was properly trained?     A question that had to be put to the side as the turbolift made an abrupt halt. “Looks like we’re here,” said Hider as the lift’s door swung open. “Better head back to my ship. Need to finetune my baby before we make way for Alderaan.”     “Why do you insist on treating your ship as if it were a living being, human?” asked Chessk.     “Believe me, big guy. If you ever dreamed of ever having a spaceship of your own ever since you were a kid, then you’d probably act the same way I do.”     Lyra rolled her eyes. “Your dream? Really?” she asked sarcastically as she and the crew stepped out of the turbolift. “Was it also your dream to become a Smuggler too?” “Don’t get all sarcastic on me, kid. There’s a valid reason why I chose to become a smuggler.”     “Oh, really? You mind telling us why?”     “I… well, t-that’s none of your business, alright! My past is not for you guys to know.”     T3-G4 let out a beep as it strolled past the former criminal. “Zip it, tin can! I am not going to tell you guys about my past, and that’s final!”     “Calm down, human. If you wish to keep your past a secret, then we shall respect your decision,” Chessk calmly replied. “Though I admit, I am rather curious.”     “Seriously, big guy? What part of privacy do you guys not understand?”     “Not every day to people wake up and decide that they want to become a smuggler, human. Surely, there must’ve been a reason as to why you choose to go down that path?”     “Like I said, Chessk, it’s personal. My past is none of your business.” Hider hesitated for a little bit, then continued. “But given that we’ve traveled together for some time, I suppose I can let you in on it. Just not right now, though. Please.”     “Wait, really?” asked Lyra in disbelief. “I don’t understand, Hider. Why the change of heart?”     “Perhaps he’s gotten used to our company, little one,” Chessk replied, chuckling.     Hider curled his lip. “Well… that’s technically true. For the most part.”     Lyra and Chessk winced, while T3-G4 let out a confused beep.  “Wait, seriously, human? But I was being sarcastic!” shouted a surprised Chessk.     Hider sighed. “Look, I’ll be honest with you kid. I’ve grown to appreciate your company. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had meaningful people on my ship. The ones that I’ve worked with—both in my smuggling and journalism careers—only looked after themselves. They didn’t give a damn about each other, let alone their colleagues.”     “Is that so? I can understand other smugglers not working together, but journalists too? Seems a bit farfetched if you asked me.”     “Believe me, everyone I know back at the station is so obsessed with getting the next juicy story. They’ll do anything to get money and reputation, even if they lie to the public sometimes.”     T3-G4 let out beep. “Yeah, I appreciate your company too, tin can. Despite the arguments we have every so often. Just promise you won’t shoot or taser me. Do that, and I’ll make sure you won’t get a memory wipe.”     The droid gave loud whoop as it happily circled around Hider, which made Lyra smile. At the very least, this mission has given her some new friends.     “By the way, do you even know where that dojo your master mentioned is? He said that it was near the hangar bay, but I haven’t seen any doorway yet.” Suddenly, T3-G4 hummed as it showed a holographic map with its robotic eye. “What the heck is this? A map of the Jedi Temple?” Hider asked. The droid merely beeped in response. “What? The temple’s blueprint? I don’t get it. How’d you get this thing in the first place?” T3-G4 answered with another beep. “You… downloaded it from a nearby computer terminal while no one was looking?” The droid responded with a chime. “W-what? But isn’t that illegal? I know the both of us haven’t been here, but I don’t think the Jedi would appreciate a droid illegally downloading confidential information.” “They wouldn’t,” replied Lyra. She sighed as she shifted her gaze over to her droid companion. “Look, Geefour, I know you’re trying to help, but do me a favor and delete the blueprint of the Jedi Temple. If any of the Jedi Sentinels learn of what you did, they’ll likely hunt you down. If you are lucky, you’ll only get away with a memory wipe. And we all know you don’t want that to happen.” The droid complied as it quickly turned off its robotic eye. After a series of buzzing noises, it gave the young Padawan an assured beep. “It says it has deleted the temple blueprints, little one. Though I think you terrified it a little bit when you mentioned the Jedi Sentinels,” said Chessk. Lyra chuckled. “Don’t worry, Geefour, I was only exaggerating a little bit,” she said. “Thank you though for showing me where to dojo is. At least now I know where to go.” The droid responded with a seemingly distressed bleep. “Wow, the droid really doesn’t want it’s memory wiped, doesn’t it?” Chessk replied. “He doesn’t want to be a mindless machine like the other droids, so he retaliates against anyone who tries to wipe his memory.” “Is that why he acts so violent?” “For the most part, yes,” Hider answered. “Geefour’s model is so advanced that it can develop its own personality if it doesn’t receive regular memory wipes.” “T-that’s… actually quite fascinating. To think that technology has evolved so far.” Lyra nodded in agreement as she trotted down the temple hallways. “Yeah, it’s really neat to see all this advanced technology being developed. Definitely light years ahead of what the ponies have back in Equestria.” “Your species isn’t technologically advanced, little Jedi?” “No, we aren’t. We’re still rather primitive when it comes to technology. We have some commodities like trains and electricity, but it’s nowhere near galactic standards. The only way for Equestria to catch up in terms of technology is for it to be integrated into the Galactic Republic. And even that might take a while.” Chessk cracked a smile. “That would be interesting, having your kin to adapt to the new technologies. Though having to adapt new and powerful tech might take some time. Not to mention the possible economic damage it might do.” “You got that right! Force, when I got here, I was so terrified of seeing all this technology. It was so alien to me. I got over my fears, but it took me a while to adapt to my new surroundings. There was even a point where I was afraid of droids.” T3-G4 beeped curiously. “Yeah, I’m with the tin can here. I find that a little hard to believe,” said Hider. “Why were you so afraid of droids?” “I just didn’t trust them, okay. Seeing how they move and talk made me feel so… uneasy.” “Seriously, Lyra? You got scared of a droid doing its job?” “When you are introduced to a society with technology that’s light years ahead from your home, you’d probably have the same reaction as mine!” Lyra argued. However, her pouting didn’t help her case all that much as Chessk and Hider had begun laughing. T3-G4 cracked a few beeps too. No doubt the droid found her past trauma rather humorous. Figures. As she and her companions continued their conversation, they eventually stumbled upon a door. “I think this is the room,” said Lyra. Opening it with her magic, she peeked her head into the room. Lights immediately flickered on, revealing a small dojo. Stepping inside, she examined the room and noticed it was more compact in comparison to the one her master has back at Dantooine. She also spotted an observatory station at the roof on the other side of the room. Why is that thing even here in the first place? “The hangar bay isn’t too far from here,” Hider said. “Me and the others will head back to the ship. Good luck on your training, Lyra.” “Thank you, Hider. I’ll see you guys soon, okay.” Lyra waved goodbye to her friends as the door slammed shut. Looking around the room once more, Lyra quickly noticed the dojo was rather empty. It wasn’t like her master’s dojo back on Dantooine, where the entire room was filled with training equipment she can use. This room was completely void of any of those luxuries. Seeing that there was nothing to do, Lyra decided that meditation would be the thing that she needed. She trotted to the center of the room and dropped into her usual meditation stance. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes and began to recite the Jedi Code. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. She did this for several minutes, concentrating all her efforts to expunge all doubt from her mind. Yet it didn’t work. No matter how many times she recited the Code, she couldn’t stop thinking about the other ponies. Their fates at the hands of the Mandalorians were just too much to ignore. “So much for enlightenment,” Lyra muttered as she slumped onto her belly. Her eyes were glued onto the dojo's exit door, hoping that her master would arrive anytime soon. If she couldn’t clear thoughts with the Code, then maybe her master would provide the wisdom she needed. Suddenly, the door to the dojo swung open, causing Lyra to immediately pop right back up. Master Darran had finally arrived. “Master, you’re here!” she said, gleefully.  She stood up and almost galloped over to him but was quick to noticed that he was alone. “Um, master, where is Sweetie Drops?” “Private Drops went to check on her crewmates at Master So’s medical facility,” replied Master Darran. “Do not worry about her, Padawan. Let’s focus on getting as much training done before we leave.”     “Um, okay. So, what’re we going to do first?”     “Saber training,” answered the Jedi Master as he took out his lightsaber from his belt. “We’ll be doing a mock duel for our entire of our training session until Hider’s ship is ready.”     Lyra blinked. “W-wait, a mock duel? We’re doing one right now?” “Yes, we are. Given your recent loss, it’s clear that you need more training.” With a click of a button, Master Darran ignited his double-bladed lightsaber, illuminating the dojo with fluorescent blue lights. “For our mock duel, I’ll be using my weapon to its fullest.” Lyra’s jaw dropped. “N-no way. Y-you’re not just going to use one blade this time?” She frowned. As much as she was delighted that her master was finally doing what she wanted him to do, it irritated her that he’d waited for so long.  “Padawan, what’s wrong?” Darran asked. You seem a bit tense.”      “Tense, master? Is that all you can say?” she shouted. “After all the times I ask you to train me with your saber staff, you are only doing it now? Right after I almost lost my life?”     A now livid Lyra began shouting at Darran. All the anger and frustration that had been building up inside her, was now there for her master to see.     “Was there really any point in you holding me back? I thought that a Jedi Master would at least prepare his student for any type of battle, but no! You never taught me how to fight against a double-bladed weapon, even though you use one!”     She gritted her teeth. “Now look at me! Not only did I fail the mission, I almost got killed by a ruthless barbarian who’s obsessed with Jedi! And it’s your fault!”     Lyra took several deep breaths as the last bit of her anger began to fade away. After one last sigh, she looked at her master with weary eyes. Although all the anger that had been building up inside her was now gone, she had taken every ounce of her hatred out the man who treated her as a daughter for years.     Realizing this, she immediately bowed her head and began to apologize. “M-master forgive me. I-I’m just so frustrated at what happened back at the factory that I—”     “No need to apologize, Lyra” he replied. “I understand your frustration.”     His response surprised Lyra as she stared at him with wide eyes. “Y-you’re not mad?” she asked.     Her master shook his head. “No, I am not. I admit, I share the blame for not fully preparing you for battle.” He bent down to his knees and gave Lyra a warm smile. “All those times you requested that I used my blade to the fullest, I should’ve listened. It was my hesitation that nearly cost you your life.”     Lyra shook her head. “But that’s not true, master. I’m the one who left you and everyone else behind. If I would’ve stayed with you all, then maybe we could have succeeded.”     “That may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that I left you unprepared. Your inexperience with a weapon like mine would catch up with you eventually. If not this mission, then perhaps in the future, it may.”     “Then what should I do?”     “Ready your lightsaber. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”     Darran walked to the center of the room with his lightsaber ready in hand. Lyra followed as she too drew out her weapon in hoof. And with a click of a button, a green blade ignited from the hilt, illuminating half the room. Though it paled in comparison to her master’s own weapon.     Assuming her usual Form II posture, Lyra readied herself for battle. However, she was caught off guard when she spotted her master drop into an unfamiliar stance. At first, she wanted to ask him what he was doing, but she held it off, for now at least.     “Shall I be the first to strike, master?”  “No, Padawan. I will.”  Without any warning, Master Darran leapt into the air with an empowered Force Jump. He pulled the right-sided blade of the saber staff back over his shoulder and swung it directly at his Padawan’s neck. Lyra saw the attack coming, blocking the blade before it made contact. But doing so made her body spasm.  There was so much power in her master’s strike. If not for her quick reflexes and the Force, she would’ve been sent flying.  N-not good. I got to retreat now! But her master wouldn’t let her. The moment she tried to disengage from the deadlock, her master immediately attacked her with the other blade of his saber staff. With no other choice, Lyra quickly blocked the second blade. Again, the amount of force within her master’s strike caused her body to shake. She tried to retreat away from the saber staff, but again, it was no use. Her master was kept up his offensive and continued to attack her with a powerful offensive barrage. Lyra curled her lip. Her master’s attacks weren’t exactly fast. In fact, he was moving in a linear direction with no acrobatic movement at all. His entire offense was just power, plain and simple. And as the mock duel continued, she found herself exhausted.  It was odd. Usually, her stamina would be proficient enough to last long practice sessions with her master, but something was wrong. She could feel it in her hooves as she once again blocked another incoming attack. As she did this though, she suddenly found herself propelled into the air. She fell to the ground with a thud and lost her grip on her lightsaber in the process.  “Ow!” Lyra cried as she writhed on the floor in pain. “Master, that hurt!” “Complaining about pain will do you no good, Padawan. Instead, let it be a lesson,” lectured Master Darran as he deactivated his saber staff. “The amount of power I showcased is an example of Djem So’s capacity, as well as a lesson in strength itself.” “Wait, Djem So? That’s the form you used?” “It was. I’m surprised that you didn’t realize it during the duel, given that one of your clanmates practiced the form.” “Only because I haven’t seen it being used by a saber-staff before!” Lyra argued as she snatched her lightsaber with the Force. “But master, I don’t get it. What’s the lesson you’re trying to teach me?” “That you cannot handle opponents who are physically stronger than you. It’s the reason why that Mandalorian soldier broke your defense. While it’s true you were exhausted from fighting the other soldiers, as well as your extensive use of the Force, clashing blades with Khal only hastened your defeat.” “But master, he only got the better of me because I let my guard down! I seriously thought he wouldn’t get up after being pummeled by heavy metal containers.” “True, but there will be times when you won’t be able to use the Force in such a capacity. When faced with an unfamiliar situation, you must learn how to adapt.” “How?” “By taking advantage of what you know.” Raising the saber-staff’s left blade, Darran pointed its tip directly at his Padawan. “The first thing you should do is to keep your distance. Don’t let you opponent get in too close and make sure you stay within the blade’s tip.” “Why the tip?” “Any sword, whether it be a lightsaber or vibro-weapon, is weakest at the tip when swung,” explained the Jedi Master. “It’s much easier to redirect blows this way, especially for opponents who rely heavily on strength, or against sword techniques that don’t involve any thrust attacks. Which brings me to my second lesson. Your fighting technique.” “What about it?” “Padawan, you specialize in a technique that requires quick reflexes. Don’t just stand there and take the blow head on. Dodge the attack instead. Use your speed and fast reaction time to avoid any attack that you believe you cannot parry.” Darran raised his weapon once more, the right sided blade of the saber-staff now cocked behind him. He then swung at his Padawan again with astonishing speed; however, Lyra saw the attack coming. But instead of blocking it head on, she merely cartwheeled out of the way. “Very good, Padawan,” said Darran as he continued to assault his Padawan with multiple cleaves from his lightsaber. “Remember, it’s important to know that you take advantage of your speed and size. And when you couple that with your defense, you can become a small fast-moving target.” “But master, won’t I exhaust myself if I keep dodging like this?” Lyra asked as she avoided yet another strike. “Doing all this jumps and cartwheels is kind of exhausting is it not?” “Indeed, it is. But you don’t have to rely on just acrobatics. Sometimes a deflection or a simple sidestep could be all that you need. However, it’ll depend on whether or not you’ve adapted to your opponent’s technique.” “But I can’t be on the defensive all the time, right?” “No, you shouldn’t. Remember, Padawan, when you go on the offensive, do not be afraid to pull back. Sometimes, a saber swarm will not be enough to finish the job. Use your counters to get a better understanding of their technique. Patience is required, but once you find an opening, the better the chance of victory.” “Got it,” Lyra replied as she reignited her lightsaber one more time. But before she resumed the mock duel, she spotted the lanyard that was attached to the bottom end of her lightsaber hilt. She lifted the strap with her free hoof, remembering that it was once used to help with her grip. She’d grown out of using it for some time, but perhaps now would be a good time. “Oh? You’re using the strap this time, Padawan?” her master asked as Lyra wrapped the lanyard around her right hoof. “Might as well,” she replied as she wrapped the lanyard around her hoof with her magic. “Since I’m not used to fighting like this, I might as well use this thing. Besides, if it’ll help me improve my grip after doing all these stunts, then it would’ve served its purpose, right?” Darran smiled. Once Lyra was finished wrapping the lanyard around her hoof, the two of them resumed their mock duel. Time went on, but the two sparring Jedi would be unaware of this fact. Their focus was completely on each other. Although Lyra tried her best to adapt to her master’s advice, it wasn’t an easy thing to do. Sure, she had used plenty of acrobatics before, but never in a one on one duel. The pacing felt much faster, especially with a lightsaber blade coming straight at her. There would be times when her defensives would slip due to being disarmed or landing awkwardly due to a bad cartwheel. But nonetheless, she persevered. And as their training went on, Lyra felt more determined than ever. However, the duo stopped when they heard a noise. Lyra spun her head and noticed the door to the dojo was wide open. Someone had entered the room. At first, she was irritated that her training session was interrupted, but she mellowed once she saw both Hider and Master Bokal So standing just outside the door. “Master So! Hider! What are you two doing here?” she asked.     “I’m here to get you,” Hider replied. “The Jedi had just finished supplying my ship. We’re ready to leave for Alderaan.” “Wait, now? But I thought we weren’t ready to leave for another hour?”     “It’s been over an hour already, Lyra! Me and the others were waiting for you and Darran back at my ship, but you guys never came.” Hider raised an eyebrow. “Judging from what I’m seeing, it looks like you had a little too much fun with your training session.”     “At ease, captain. Master Darran was merely giving an important lesson to his Padawan here,” said Master So.     “I just pointing out the obvious, Master Jedi,” replied Hider with a shrug. He then shifted his gaze at the Kel Dor master. “Wait, why does it sound like you know what happened here? Were you watching these two train or something?”     Master So nodded. “I was watching the whole thing from that station over there,” he explained, pointing his figure at the observatory room Lyra saw earlier. “After I had finished my medical checkup with the two equines, I ran into Private Drops after her meeting with the Council. The Private was curious on how Jedi trained, so I agreed to let her watch.” “Wait, what?” Deactivating her lightsaber, Lyra trotted to dojo’s doorway only to find that Master So was telling the truth. Behind him were Sweetie Drops and the two ponies that have been rescued. “H-have you guys been watching me?”     “Heck yes we’ve been watching!” shouted a rather hyper Cotton Swirl. “Oh, my Celestia! That was the most exciting thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life! Those space laser swords are just fabulous!”     She galloped close to Lyra and began to shake the poor mare. “You must let me examine your weapon! Please, Ms. Heartstrings, I beg of you!”     “Calm down, Professor Swirl. There’s no need to act so childish in front of the mare,” said Stalwart Shield as he and Sweetie Drops pulled the eccentric mare off Lyra. “But I have to agree that was quite the spectacle you showcased, Ms. Heartstrings.”     “But that was only a mock duel,” Lyra replied.     “Maybe so, but watching you spar has me intrigued. If possible, I’d like to learn more about the Jedi Order and how they fight.”     Lyra cocked a brow. “Learning to fight with a lightsaber doesn’t make you a Jedi. It’s way more than that.”     “Truly? But I thought you Jedi are supposed to be the guardians of the galaxy?”     Lyra wanted to reply, but she was abruptly stopped when Darran stepped in front of her. “Now is not the time, my Padawan. If they wish to learn more about the Jedi, then I’m sure the masters here can provide them the answers they need.”     “But what about my training, Master?”     “Don’t worry, Padawan. There’s still some distance between here and Alderaan, so I’m certain we can go over a few more drills on the ship.”     “T-that’s not what I’m worried about, master. This new lesson you’ve taught me, I don’t think it’s something I can get used to right away. It’s difficult to perform and, to be honest, having one or two mock duels isn’t going to help me that much.”     Darran smiled. “Difficult it may be, but as a Jedi, you must learn how to overcome adversity. And most importantly, trust in the Force. It will guide you.”     “I… I understand. I’ll do the best I can.”     “Yeah, that’s cute and all, but can you two please save your lectures for another time. We need to move,” said an annoyed Sweetie Drops.     Hider gave the military mare a stern glare. “Hey, who said anything about you coming? As far as I know, you’re going to be staying here with the rest of your friends.”     Darran shook his head. “No, Hider. I’ve gotten permission from the Jedi High Council. Private Drops is coming with us.”     “What?” said both Lyra and Hider in disbelief.     “Believe it or not, it’s true. As questionable my decision might be, I have my reasons for bringing her along.”     “And what reason is that?” asked Hider.     “You’ll find out when we get back to your ship, captain.”     Lyra’s jaw slacked. At first, she didn’t believe her master’s words. The mere thought of bringing Sweetie along was insane. Especially, since it’ll only endanger the mare. Not to mention her incapability of using modern weaponry.  But her fear was all confirmed when she saw the look on her friend’s face. Sweetie was glaring daggers at her, and with a smug like grin to boot. Her master’s words were nothing but the truth. Lyra frowned. “Oh… oh Force.”