//------------------------------// // Chapter 23 // Story: Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search // by currentlemon //------------------------------//     Lyra grimaced as pellets of snow fell on her face. An unpleasant experience, but she didn’t hate it. The last time she experienced a snowstorm was when the Jedi Masters had sent her and other Padawans on a mission to the planet, Ilum1. This snow storm was nothing compared to trekking through icy cold caves and open fields.     She sneezed. The weather here was nowhere near as bad as it was back on that tundra planet, but it was still bad. After Illum, she never experienced such harsh weather again. Dantooine never had snow, at least not where the Jedi Academy was located.  Still, she at least her coat and mane gave her enough warm to endure such weather. Her friends, however, weren’t so fortunate. Excluding Geefour, the others were very uncomfortable in this weather, and it showed. Hider and Chessk were outright shivering, despite the warm clothing the former had provided to them all. Her master was shaking too, but he tried to mask his weakness as a means to encourage the others. “I can’t stand this cold much longer!” complained Hider. “Come on, old man. How much farther is the base?” “I’d watch your tone if I were you, human,” scolded Chessk. “As much as I share your displeasure of the cold, whining about it won’t help.” “Hey, I’m not whining. I’m just stating the facts, that’s all!” Hider gazed at the Trandoshan and frowned. “To be honest, big guy, I’m surprised you’re still standing. If I recall, your species aren’t known for having thick skin.” “My hunts have led me to all sorts of planets. Some harsher than what we’re experiencing now. I may not have the fur of a Wookie, but that does not mean I can’t take the cold.” T3-G4 let out a whirl as it easily strolled alongside both Hider and Chessk. “Oh, please. Try saying that again after your inner circuits freeze over, tin can,” rebuked the captain. “The cold isn’t exactly good for droids either.” Will you guys please just shut up for a second and focus! Now isn’t the time to be arguing amongst each other! Lyra sighed in relief as Sweetie’s voice rang from her headpiece, sounding unamused by the squabble that had been going down. Just be patient. I’m sure you’ll reach the base in no time. “Agreed,” spoke Master Darran in a commanding tone. “It’d be wise for you all to heed the words of that mare. For your own good.” Lyra saw her friends’ wince and—without saying another word—immediately followed the Jedi Master without saying another word. “Leave it to a Jedi Master to set everyone straight,” Lyra said, smiling as she spoke into her headpiece. “Seeing him makes me wonder, will other people treat me the same if I become a master?” I’d slow down if I were you. Sweetie bluntly replied over the comm-link. I suggest you start focusing on getting our kin freed first rather than ponder about the future. The Padawan sighed. Sweetie was by no means a Jedi nor an authoritative figure, but she sure sounded like one. It was understandable of course. The livelihood of everypony in her crew was on the line. It just didn’t feel good being pushed around by somepony the same age as her. “Eyes up, little Jedi,” said Chessk. “We’ve arrived.” Lyra looked up and gasped as she saw a brightly lit building ahead of her. Though she couldn’t see it completely due to the snowstorm, she was certain that they’ve made it to the Mandalorian base. “It sure looks a lot bigger up close,” she said. “Took the words right out of my mouth, kid,” said Hider as he peered at the base. “I never imagined the Mandalorians would’ve built something this big. And in a Republic world no less!” “It shouldn’t be all that bad right?” asked Lyra. “It’s just like my master said back on the ship. All we are facing is just a bunch of scouts.” “That is true, but that does not mean we should underestimate them. Do not take these scouts lightly, my Padawan. Mandalorians are naturally gifted warriors, no matter what rank they are,” advised Master Darran. “Speaking of Mandalorians, you don’t think they saw the ship, do you?” asked Hider. “I’m seeing a lot of search lights right now.” Lyra looked back at the base and realized that her friend was right. Multiple lights have surrounded the entire facility. “Oh, no, you’re right. You think they might have some troops deployed?” she asked. “Here, use these,” said Chessk as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out what appeared to be binoculars. “I used this thing back in my hunting days. It’s built for weather conditions such as these, in case I ran into elusive prey.” “Uh, elusive prey?” Lyra asked curiously as she took the binoculars with her magic. “Prey that could blend into the environment or would have a camouflage of some sort. If anyone is outside the base, their heat signature would appear in red.” Lyra oohed. Leave it to her hunting companion to have equipment made specifically for situations such as these. Lifting the binoculars to her eyes, she peered toward the base in search for any Mandalorian soldiers. Unfortunately, red figurines appeared into the lenses, solidifying her worries. “Looks like they must’ve seen our ship,” she said to her companions. “They got a couple of men patrolling the perimeter.” “Mind if I have a look?” asked Hider. “Of course,” Lyra said as she levitated the binoculars over to her captain. In return, Hider quickly snatched the item out of her magic’s grasp and planted it onto his face. As her captain surveyed the area, a frown formed on his lips. “Damn, the kid is right. There are several soldiers scouting the area right now.” “How many can you spot?” asked Master Darran. “Have they formed a group? Are they using any defensive barriers or towers?” “I don’t see any barriers or towers. As for the men, I can spot at least four of ‘em, but they’ve split up. There’s a pair of soldiers checking our left, while the other is at our right.” “That decision will lead to their downfall,” said Chessk. He quickly reached for his rifle and pulled it out from his back holster. “What’re you doing?” asked Lyra. Her friend, however, did not respond. Instead, he loaded a full clip into his rifle, raised his weapon up to his shoulders, and peeked into the scope with his right eye. Shifting his body to the left, Chessk fired two consecutive shots toward the base. He paused, briefly, then he moved to his right and fired two more shots. Hider whistled. “That’s some damn good shooting, big guy. You got all four soldiers in a manner of seconds.” Lyra’s jaw fell agape as she stared at her friend with wide eyes. “Really! That fast!” she shouted, clearly surprised by her friend’s precision. “But how did you find them so easily?” Chessk smirked. “My rifle uses the same lenses as the binoculars I gave you. All I had to do was find the targets and shoot.” T3-G4 turned toward the Trandoshan and gave him a beep. “I appreciate the compliments, you two, but now isn’t the time for such things,” said Chessk as he holstered his rifle. “We must hurry. With those soldiers down, their allies inside might suspect something.” “I agree. We should move now before more reinforcements show up,” said Master Darran. Ignoring the snow that fell on his headwear, the Jedi Master began to move, with everyone following him closely. As they tread through the snowy field, Lyra couldn’t help but notice something was off. Before, Hider had mentioned that the Mandalorians hadn’t set up any barricades, nor defensive towers. At first, she thought these fortifications might be closer to the base; however, they were nowhere to be seen. An odd sight to see, and convenient, but at least she didn’t have to worry about any counter attacks for now. Hey, what’s going on out there? Sweetie Drops’ voice again rang from Lyra’s headset again, which nearly startled the young Padawan as she almost forgot her friend was still with them. Have you guys made it yet? “Yeah, we’re here,” Lyra said into her earpiece. “We had to stop for a bit due to some patrolling guards, but we’re good.” Guards? Did they know you were coming? “It’s possible, yes, but I still think we have the element of surprise.”  Looking ahead, Lyra noticed that she and friends had gotten relatively close to the base. With the lack of soldiers wandering the perimeter, the group managed to get by just fine. However, gaining entrance proved to be another obstacle, as a large metal door blocked their path inside. “Uh, is this supposed to be the entrance or something?” she asked. “It’s kind of big for a door, don’t you think?” “Eh, maybe,” Hider replied as he examined the metal doorway. “My guess is that this big door probably leads right to their garage. All their spaceships and speed bikes are likely parked here.” “Is there any way we can open it?” “Well, forcing it open is a big no-go, so I’m guessing the only way we can get in is by opening it with a computer terminal. There should be one nearby that I can use.  If not, then we might have to find another entrance.”     T3-G4 let out a loud beep, which immediately got everyone’s attention. “Hey, keep it down, tin can!” berated Hider. “Do you want the Mandalorians to find us!”     Thankfully, the captain didn’t stay angry for long, as he and everyone else spotted the droid working on a computer terminal. “Looks like you acted prematurely, human. The droid is already working its way in,” said Chessk.”     Hider shrugged. “I guess it’s good for something,” he said. Despite the droid’s accomplishment, the captain seemed somewhat unenthused. “At the very least we’ll be able to get out of this weather soon. Damn sick of this snow.” “How long will it take for you to get us inside?” asked Darran. The droid replied with an enthusiastic beep. “Not long, huh? Then we best get ready for battle.” “I suggest we hide first,” suggested Chessk. “There might be Mandalorians inside. The last thing we need is for them to spot us while the door is opening.” “But where would we hide though? asked Hider. “There’s literally nothing here we can use!” T3-G4 sputtered more beeps as it retracted its mechanical arm away from the computer terminal. “The door’s opening. Quick, take cover!” ordered Master Darran. “Yikes!” Lyra shouted as the garage door began to open. In response, she quickly followed everyone behind the computer terminal. Not a very good hiding spot, but it was the only cover they had, aside from the heavy snowfall. As the door creaked open, Hider was the first to peek his head out of their hiding spot. “Do you see anyone?” asked Lyra. Hider shook his head. “No one is here. Aside from a couple of bikes and spaceships, the garage is empty.” “Don’t let your guard down. There may not be any guards now, but I’m certain they’ll come soon. The amount of noise this door made will probably attract anyone,” advised Master Darran.     “You got that right. If we’re going to get inside, we’ll have to move at a slow pace. So, keep your head low and use the bikes as cover. If you happen to hear or see any soldiers, don’t move till they’re taken out.”  Lyra watched as her captain bent his knees and began to move. Her master, Chessk, and Geefour all followed. So did she but sneaking with hooves proved difficult. If she were trotting through an open grassland or a snow-covered field, then it wouldn’t be a problem, but hard surfaces always gave her away as every step she’d take would make clip-clopping her way through. “Wow, you’re really not good at this aren’t you, kid?” said Hider as he hid behind one of the speed-bikes. “Geez, even Geefour—a freakin’ droid—is better at sneaking than you are.” Lyra was about to rebuke her friend but stopped short when she heard a door opening from a distance.  “Hey, who opened the damn door!” She quickly covered her mouth upon hearing the loud, gruff voice. Her master was right. Someone did hear the garage door opening. Acting quickly, she—along with Geefour—hid behind a nearby speedbike. As she scuttled on the floor, the booming voice could be heard again.  “Why the kriff1 is this damn thing open? Have the scouts made it back yet?” That caught Lyra’s attention. It seemed like whoever this person was did not expect the four scouts to be back yet. Curious, she tried to climb on top of the speed-bike to see where her enemy was. However, she was stopped when Geefour poked at her with its mechanical arm.  “H-hey, what’s wrong?” she said to the droid. Unfortunately, Geefour only responded with low tone beeps as it continued to poke her. “Hey, cut it out, will you! Can’t you see I’m trying to scout here?” “Wait, did you hear that?” Lyra gasped. Another voice. It appeared the Mandalorian from before wasn’t alone. She immediately shot back down as fear struck at her like a vicious kath hound. Did the Mandalorians hear her and Geefour? If so, how long will it take for them to find her hiding behind one of their bikes? She scanned the area for any sign of her master, hoping that his wisdom would help in her time of need. But she couldn’t find him. He, along with the others, must’ve followed her example and had taken refuge too. Oh, Force! Talk about bad timing! “Hey, I think the noise came from here.” Lyra gasped. Did the Mandalorians pinpoint her and Geefour’s location? She may not be able to see her foe, but the sound of metal footsteps getting closer made her assume that it was a possibility. Guess I have no choice. Biting her lip, she quickly snatched her lightsaber from her best and was ready to activate it. However, before she could make her move, Geefour started poking her again with its mechanical arm. “W-what’re you doing, Geefour?” she whispered as she tried to swat Geefour’s mechanical arm away. But as wouldn’t stop poking at her. “Hey, quit it! The Mandalorians are coming and I need to defend myself!” “Hey, did you hear that?” “Yeah, I did. You go ahead and check on whatever that sound is while I close the door. Something tells me we aren’t alone here.” Lyra’s face went pale. The Mandalorians have heard her. It’d only be a matter of time before one of the soldiers would find her and Geefour hiding behind one of their bikes. Fighting was the only thing that can get her out of this situation; however, her droid prevented her from taking any action. T3-G4 let out a whirl as it poked Lyra again with its mechanical arm. “Geefour, stop! You’re gonna get us killed!” cried the Padawan. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed across the room, causing Lyra to stop resisting Geefour’s constant poking. What was that? “Oh, kriff! Man down! Man down! I repeat we got a man down at the—hey who are you? Shoot, we got intruders here! Sound the alarm—” The voice suddenly fell silent as Lyra heard another bang, which was then followed by a loud thud. She blinked. Something had happened to the soldier nearby. Though it seemed risky to peek outside her hiding spot, she couldn’t keep her curiosity in check for long as she completely abandoned her position. To her surprise, the Mandalorian who was closest to her position was dead. “Oh… oh, Force.”  She covered her mouth, holding back the bile that went up her throat. She’d seen corpses before, but never this close. Sure, she had amputated limbs and gravely injured others with her lightsaber, but dead bodies were a completely different thing. “Hey, Lyra! Over here!” Turning her head around, Lyra spotted Hider and the others at the other side of the room. Everyone was okay, much to her relief; however, she did notice a second corpse mere inches away from Hider’s foot. T3-G4 strolled to her side, beeping loudly as poked Lyra again. “Was this the reason why you couldn’t stop poking me? Because you knew what was going to happen?” Lyra asked. But all she got from the droid was another beep she couldn’t understand. Times like these made Lyra wish she understood droid binary, but now wasn’t the time for such wishful thinking. She had to rejoin her friends. Trotting alongside T3-G4, she quickly reunited with everyone else at far end of the room, all while trying to hide her disgust of the dead body. It didn’t help her much though as she spotted Chessk carrying the corpse over his shoulder. She froze. “W-what’re you doing with that body?” “Hiding it so that no one can see it,” Chessk answered as it forced open the trunk of a nearby bike. He then dumped the body inside, much to Lyra’s discomfort. “Would that even help us at all? I mean, it’s only gonna be a matter of time before our enemies know we’re here.” Chessk shrugged. “Perhaps not but caring for the dead of your enemies is the least of your concerns. Though I must admit, I am concerned about you, little Jedi.” “What about me?”     “You don’t seem comfortable with corpses, are you?”     Lyra blinked. She didn’t know how, but her friend had managed to read her discomfort. “W-what gave me away?” she asked, admitting the truth almost immediately.     “It’s the way you fight,” Chessk answered. “Even against an enemy, you constantly try and prevent yourself from delivering the killing blow. I noticed it back on Ord Mantell where you fought against my cousin’s mercenaries. None of them had died, not even the Mandalorians you fought back on Coruscant had any lethal wounds.”     “I-it’s not the Jedi way to kill, Chessk.” Lyra replied sheepishly.     “Perhaps, but sooner or later, you will have to make the killing blow, little Jedi. These Mandalorians will not show you any mercy, and neither should you.”     “I-I’ll keep that in mind.”     “Hey, can you two quit gossiping over there!” Hider shouted. “T3-G4 found another terminal!” “You guys found another one?” Lyra asked, who was more than happy to change subjects. Hider nodded back and pointed toward a terminal at the other end of the room. “We spotted that thing just moments before me and the big guy ambushed these guys. If we’re lucky it might contain everything that we need.” “And if it doesn’t?” Lyra asked with a cocked brow. “Then we’ll have to make do,” Hider replied while placing his right index finger on his ear. “Hey, Private, are you there? Please respond if you can hear me. We’ve managed to breach the base.” Yes, I can hear you. Lyra sighed in relief as she heard the voice of her friend on her headset. Sweet Celestia, I was so worried. You guys hadn’t said anything at all for the past couple of minutes. I feared something might have happened. “Yeah, well, we ran into a few more scouts on our way in, but we managed,” Hider replied. “Geefour is hacking into one of their computer terminals right now. He’ll be able to get you a map soon.” T3-G4 let out a whirl as it strolled to a nearby computer terminal. Taking its mechanical arm, it dug inside the machine and began to beep profusely. “Yes, I am aware of our current predicament, tin can. Just do your damn job already so that we can start moving.” “Chessk and I will keep an eye on the exit,” said Master Darran. “Good thinking. If any more soldiers show up, you guys know what to do.” “We’ll have to kill any Mandalorian that gets in our way,” exclaimed Chessk as he pointed his rifle directly toward the exit door. He then gave Lyra a stern look, as if to remind her of the brief conversation they just had. “Don’t worry about me, Chessk. I’ll be fine,” Lyra sputtered. “If push comes to shove, I’ll play my part.” That was a lie though. Deep down, Lyra disliked the fact that she was forced to kill others, even if they were her enemies. She’d rather cripple her opponents into submission rather than take a life. But given the gravy of the situation, it seems that she’ll have no other choice. “Your thoughts are disturbed, Padawan,” said Master Darran. “Is taking the life of another really that disturbing for you?” “M-master.” Lyra frowned. “Jedi aren’t supposed to kill. Our job is to preserve life, not take it.” “That is true. But it is also the job for a Jedi to protect the weak and helpless,” replied the Jedi Master. “It is good that you remember your lessons. But know this, my Padawan. There will be times when you must lay down judgement upon evil doers.” He lowered his chin and sighed. “As Jedi, it is our duty to respect all life. Even for our enemies. But should it be deemed necessary; do not be afraid to deal the final blow. Kill if you must, but never relish in it. Always show others dignity and always trust in the Force.” Lyra curled her lip. “I understand, master. Thank you for your wisdom.”  As she and Master Darran finished their conversation, T3-G4 suddenly let out a loud whirl. The droid had pulled out its mechanical arm out of the computer and had joined the others near the garage exit. “You’re all done, tin can?” asked Hider. The droid replied with a resounding beep. “Alright, then what about our little Private back at the ship. Can you see the schematics on the nav-computer?” I do. Sweetie replied from the comm-link. It’s just like you said. I can see a—what’s it called—a hologram or something? Anyway, it says here that there is a cell block not too far from where you are.  “A cell block, eh? Guess that’s our destination then.” “Are you certain the captives are there?” asked Chessk. “As ridiculous as this may sound, it may be possible that our enemies might have located the equines somewhere else.” “Even if that were the case, the prisoner block should be the first place to look,” advised Master Darran. “Should there be any clues that the captives are located somewhere else, we’ll find them. But for now, let’s take one step at a time and search in the most obvious spot.” Suddenly, the garage door exit flung wide open, revealing three Mandalorian soldiers fully armored and armed with weapons. The trio let out sharp gasps as they spotted Lyra and her crew and immediately drew their weapons. However, Chessk and Hider were quicker. They drew their respected weapons and fired upon the soldiers, killing them instantly. “So much for sneaking,” Hider said with a sigh. “Guess now we’ll just have to fight our way through.” Chessk smiled at this realization. “Good. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”  The two immediately made way for the exit with T3-G4 following close behind them. Master Darran followed suit, and so did Lyra. But just as the crew had left the garage, they were faced with another predicament.  In front of them were splitting hallways. One that went to the right, and the other went north. “Sweetie, we’re seeing two hallways,” Lyra said to her headpiece. “Which way leads to the prison cells?” Take the one to the right. Sweetie answered. The hallway is big, but it’ll lead you to where you need to go. “Thanks, Private!” Hider replied as he dashed toward the right hallway. The rest of the crew quickly followed him, but oddly enough, Master Darran stayed put. “You all go on ahead,” said the Jedi Master. “I’ll take the north hallway.” Lyra skidded to a full stop as she stared at her master with wide eyes. “But master, why? What are you planning to do?” she asked. Darran looked back at Lyra and smiled. “I plan on being the distraction, my Padawan. As you four go and rescue the captives, I will fight the bulk of the Mandalorian forces head on.” “But that’s too dangerous! There’s no way you can fight that many!” Darran chuckled. “Padawan, I am a Jedi Battlemaster. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I have the Force on my side. Trust me, I’ll be alright.” Taking his lightsaber, the Jedi Master began to crack the back of his neck. Despite the immediate danger of going alone, Lyra could feel his anticipation.  “Remember, my Padawan, have faith in your companions, for they will help you in your time of need. And most importantly, trust in the Force. It will guide you.” He then ignited his saber and—with Force amplified speed—ran deeper into the base. Lyra tried to call out to him one last time, but it was too late. He was already gone. “Don’t worry about him, little Jedi,” said Chessk. “He’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself.” Hider nodded in agreement. “The big guy is right. Stop worrying about the old man. He’ll be fine on his own. We’ll just have to play our part and get your kin out of here.” Lyra curled her lip. Although she could not stop worrying about her master, she nevertheless agreed with Hider’s proposition. After taking one last look at where Master Darran ran off to, she followed her companions down the hallway.