//------------------------------// // Chapter 25 // Story: Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search // by currentlemon //------------------------------//     “So, how much firepower are we talking about, Chessk?” asked Lyra.     “These thermal detonators are the best grenades I have in my arsenal, little Jedi,” Chessk boasted as he took his pouch from his belt buckle and slowly laid out the explosives onto the floor. “They have enough firepower to destroy a barricaded durasteel door!”     “Is it enough to take out an entire squad of Mandalorian soldiers?”     Chessk gave off a wide smirk, which—if Lyra were to be honest—made her feel a bit uneasy. “It wouldn’t surprise me if these things left them to dust,” he said, sounding awfully prideful. “They are that powerful.”     Lyra frowned at this revelation. At any normal circumstance, she would be upset with her companion’s boastful remarks about these dangerous weapons. But truth be told, she had to appreciate Chessk’s great confidence. Despite their current situation, he had remained steadfast and—with the help of Master Darran—had gotten her and the others to remain calm and work fast. Force, he’d even gotten Hider to calm down a bit after his brief panic attack.     She sighed. Their captain had admitted earlier he was prone to having small panic attacks when things don’t go his way. But if that were true, then how did he make it as a smuggler after all this time? “Is something wrong, little Jedi?” asked Chessk.     Lyra flinched. “Oh, no. Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking about Hider a little bit.” She paused for a bit as her ears drooped. Then, she continued: “You think he’s going to be okay?”     “He’ll be fine,” Chessk replied, bluntly. “Sure, he is not the calm and collected man we all thought he was, but he will pull through. I’m certain of it.”     “Perhaps, but it just felt so unreal, seeing him all panicky like that.” “He is just like every other being in the galaxy, little Jedi. Each have their own secrets they wish not to share with others. Perhaps deep down, he is a bit ashamed of his cowardice and tries his best to hide it.”     “Do you think he’s like that because of his smuggling career?”     “Maybe. But I suggest you save your questions for later. Now isn’t exactly the time to be asking for such things.”     Lyra sighed. “You’re right, of course. Chessk, why don’t you go ahead and help the others? Don’t worry about the grenades. Just leave them here and I’ll do my part, okay?”     “Understood. May the Force be with You, little Jedi,” her friend replied as he stood up and walked away with the grenade pouch tucked in hand. Lyra watched as he rejoined Hider and Geefour, who have been busy preparing for the oncoming assault.     She had to admit, these last few minutes have been the most heart racing moments of her entire life. Any second now, the Mandalorian squad that her master had warned earlier would come barging in. Though she didn’t know when they will come, the absence of her enemies gave Lyra and her friends time. Time to prepare for the oncoming assault. Geefour was the first to respond. While she was busy calming Hider down from his panic attack, the droid had discovered three deactivated battle droids. All of which were still operable. In a manner of minutes, the T3 unit activated the droids. And according to Hider, Geefour made them all bound to him, meaning that once he gives the signal, the droids will fire.     Hider had also gotten over his previous panic episode and began to help the group as best he could. He quickly surveyed the area, checking to see if there was anything that might turn the tide of battle. He eventually found it. Several large metal containers located at one end of the prison block. It wasn’t much, but at least he and Chessk could use them for cover.     Chessk on the other hoof, was the most active out of the two. After helping Hider create their makeshift cover, he and Lyra brainstormed ideas on how to best turn the tide of battle. After a few minutes, they agreed to a plan. He would lay out his grenades onto the floor and have Lyra levitate them mid-air using the Force.     It was a risky plan, sure, but it was necessary. Not only because they would be in close proximity of the oncoming explosion; however, if their plan were to succeed, then she’d had to become the distraction. She had to be the bait. Upon hearing her plan, Chessk insisted that she also hide behind cover, but Lyra declined. She believed that if the Mandalorians were intent on keeping her kin captive, their eyes would be focused on her. She was, after all, a pony. And a Jedi no less. “A Jedi’s life is sacrifice,” she whispered to herself as her thoughts drifted to her Jedi Master. If Darran was here, then it’d be very likely that he would approve of such sacrifice. The others though wouldn’t. In fact, Lyra was certain that once Chessk told the others of her plan, they’d likely oppose it as well. Realizing this, Lyra She quickly glanced back at her crew. It seemed that Chessk was already explaining her plan to the others. Judging Hider’s facial expression, it appeared she was correct on her assumption. She frowned. Seeing her friends argue for her well-being wasn’t something she wanted. But nonetheless, she ignored the ramblings behind her. Turning her focus onto the grenades, she dropped into her meditation stance. Calling upon the Force and lifted the explosives up into the air. Normally, a unicorn would simply use their magic to lift such light objects, but knowing the Mandalorians, they’d probably suspect something the moment they would step into the room. After all, who wouldn’t be cautious after seeing a unicorn’s horn glow. Suddenly, Lyra’s headset began to vibrate again. Someone was trying to contact her again, but who? Maintaining her composure, she quickly answered the incoming call. “This is Lyra speaking.” Lyra are you there? It’s me, Sweetie. The young Padawan’s eyes shot wide. Amidst the panic, she had completely forgotten about her friend. “Yes, Sweetie, I can hear you just fine. What’s the matter?” I… I overheard the conversation you had with your master a while earlier. Is it true you and the others are staying put at the prison cells? Lyra raised an eyebrow. It appeared the mare had been listening in on their conversation from earlier, but had kept quiet about it until now. “Given our current situation, we thought it best that we make a defensive stand first before moving out,” the Padawan explained. “Don’t worry about the ponies. We’ll make sure they stay out of the crossfire.” It’s not just them I’m worried about, Lyra. It’s about you! And the others! Are you sure you can handle an entire squad of Mandalorian soldiers? “I have faith that my master will divert some of them away from the prison block. And besides, we still have the element of surprise.” And if it fails? “Then I’ll gladly sacrifice my life so that everyone else can escape.” There was a moments pause on the other line. Sweetie didn’t respond right away, making the young Padawan believe that her words have taken the mare off guard. Then, the Private finally replied. You’re planning on sacrificing your life? “A Jedi’s life is sacrifice, Sweetie. If push comes to shove, I’ll put my life on the line.” But you can’t do that! Not after we’ve been through! Lyra blinked. “You really value our friendship that much, Sweetie?” It’s not just that! Lyra, someone in my crew has been anxious to meet you again. If she realizes you are putting your life on the line for her, she’ll be devastated. Now Lyra was very confused. A crewmember of the Celestial Sun was anxious to meet her? Why? Then it dawned on her. Of course, it was the Pegasus Captain from earlier. Sweetie was probably referring to her. But who is she? And why was she so intent on seeing her? Lyra curled her lip and she recalled the brief conversation she had with the mare. Everything about it felt strange. The ponies around them muttered amongst themselves as if they were expecting something to happen. And then there’s that Unicorn Sergeant. The one who stepped in before the Pegasus Captain could explain who she was. The young Padawan frowned. She needed more answers. And the only way of getting to know the truth was through Sweetie herself.  However, before she could reply back to the Private, she felt a shift in the Force. Expanding her senses, Lyra attempted to pinpoint where the disturbance came from. After a moment of silence, she gasped. “Hider, Chessk, get behind cover. Geefour prep those droids ready! The Mandalorians are here!” she yelled. She then addressed her concerned friend on the comm-link: “Sorry, Sweetie. Our conversation will have to wait. But promise me that once we get out of here, you’ll tell me everything you know. Got it!” Y-yes, of course. Sweetie replied. Just make sure you get out of there alive, okay. “I will. I promise.” As the connection to Sweetie cut off, Lyra took one last look at her friends. Chessk and Hider were already hiding behind cover with their weapons already drawn. T3-G4 gathered its battle droids in a straight line, seemingly ordering them through its bleeps. They were ready. Now all she had to do was play her part. Looking up, Lyra spotted the thermal detonators still floating mid-air through the Force. If they happen to fall at any given time, they’d likely explode upon making landfall. “I’m ready,” Lyra said to herself as assumed her Jedi meditation stance. Suddenly, the prison doors swung open, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Lyra glared at the now open door. She nearly snatched her lightsaber on reaction, but quickly stopped herself. “Now isn’t the time,” she muttered as several Mandalorian soldiers barged into the room.  “Freeze!” barked one of the soldiers. But the young Padawan didn’t move an inch. Instead, she quietly observed her enemies as they began to line up in front of her. “You are surrounded Jedi!” barked the same soldier from before. “Surrender now! Or else the last thing you’ll see is a blaster bolt to the face!” “Oh, is that a threat?” asked Lyra in a weirdly playful manner that caught everyone, including her friends, off-guard. “Cause I for one do not plan on surrendering any time soon.” “Q-quit the showboating, Jedi! There’s no way you can win against us all on your own.” “Is that so? Well, I don’t know if you are either blind or stupid; but as you can see, I got some company behind me that might even the odds,” replied Lyra as she gestured to her friends behind her. The Mandalorians were quick to notice. “Sir, that droid of hers reactivated some of our battle droids,” said another soldier who Lyra assumed to be a subordinate. “Damn it, you’re right! Kriff, she’s evened the odds now,” cursed the superior officer. “I’m impressed, Jedi. To think you came up with ambush on such short notice too. I guess taking you down won’t be that easy.” “Sir, there’s more.” “What is it, Corporal?” “I recognize the Jedi!” “What?”     “Yes, sir! I know this Jedi. She’s the one who beat us up back at the Czerka Corp factory on Coruscant. The one the Khal fought against and won.”     Lyra went stiff as a cold chill went down her spine. She’d almost lost her concentration and nearly dropped the grenades; but thankfully, she quickly recomposed herself. Still, hearing that the man who nearly killed her was on this planet was troubling to say the least.  Would they meet again? Would they have to fight? It was something that Lyra dreaded. The last thing she needed was to have another duel with that man again. “Wait, that’s the Jedi that Dryll was talking about? This thing?” shouted a soldier as discourse befell the entire squad. “How in Mandalore’s name is an animal doing in the Jedi Order?” shouted another soldier. “Seriously! When did the Jedi start taking in such weaklings?” “Underestimate her at your own peril, brother. This Jedi managed to fight off my squad all by herself at one point. Kriff, we were so unprepared. If it weren’t for Khal, she might’ve wiped us out.” “But didn’t Khal say that she was only a… what did he say? A Padawan Learner?” asked another curious soldier. “If she’s just a rookie like you, brother, then who’s the other one that’s fighting out there?” “Enough, all of you!” barked the commanding officer. “You have your orders! Quit blabbering amongst yourselves and focus on the Jedi!” Lyra chuckled. “Oh, come on. You don’t have to be so hard on your men. They’re just curious about me, that’s all,” she said, jokingly. The commanding officer sneered. “You’re too cocky, Jedi. Just because you beat a couple of promising rookies doesn’t mean it will happen again.” He raised his right arm. “Men! Get ready to fire on my mark!” Lyra grimaced. She nearly let the grenades fall on her enemies, but quickly noticed something wrong. The Mandalorians were way too few in number. From what she could see, there were only eight soldiers lined up in front of her. Much less than what she anticipated. Was her master able to divert most of their enemy’s attention? Possible, but it seemed unlikely that a majority of their forces would go and fight a Jedi Master. Especially when they’re valuable prisoners were at risk. Lyra curled her lip. Were the Mandalorian’s planning something? If so, then she had to act fast. Closing her eyes, Lyra called upon the Force, using its powers to expand her line of vision. If her enemies were up to no good, then perhaps she might be able to sense something in the shadows. “Ready men?” barked the commanding officer as he and his men began lining up in front of the young Padawan. But Lyra paid no attention to them. Not even the panicking screams coming from her crew and the ponies could break her focus. If her enemies were indeed planning something, then she must trust her feelings just this once. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me,” Lyra muttered to herself. Suddenly, the Force began to sputter around her, causing the young Padawan to let out a sharp gasp. It was there. The Force had given her an answer. She spun around and gaped at her crewmates, or rather, the three cloaked figures behind them. “Hmm, how clever,” she whispered. Calling upon the Force, Lyra threw a telekinetic wave directly toward her droid. Her intended target, the cloaked figure behind Geefour. A direct hit.  Whatever was causing the cloaked field around that figure dissipated immediately as soon as the telekinetic wave made contact. It was followed up by a scream, and then a loud thump. At first nobody knew what was going on. That is until Lyra began shouting at her friends. “Chessk, Hider, watch out! There’s a pair of cloaked soldiers behind you!” “Wait, what?” Hider asked. He looked behind him and gasped as he saw the formerly cloaked Mandalorian laying on the floor. “The Kriff? Where the heck did that guy come from?” “Pay attention!” Lyra shouted as she conjured up another telekinetic wave. This time, her targets were the two solders behind Chessk and her captain. Needless to say, her telekinetic push made contact, causing the remaining two solders to be sent flying. “S-she knew about the ambush?” questioned a now baffled Mandalorian officer. “But, how? It’s just not possible.” “Underestimating the power of the Force was your biggest mistake,” Lyra replied with a wide, cocky smile. “Welp, it looks like I got the advantage, again. Would you care to surrender now, or would you prefer to be pummeled instead?” The officer gritted his teeth. “I’d rather die than surrender to a Jedi!” he barked. “Men, open fire! Kill the Jedi and her friends, now!” Lyra frowned. “Oh, I don’t think so.” Closing her eyes, she quickly released the grenades that were being held up mid-air by her telekinesis. They dropped to the floor, landing right in front of the Mandalorian squadron. “I’m sorry,” muttered the young Padawan as she leapt away from her enemies. Panic ensued. The once poised Mandalorian squadron fell into chao as they tried desperately to get away from the grenades. But it was too late. Before they could do anything, the explosives set off, engulfing them in a heat of fire. Lyra’s frown grew wider as she watched her enemies met their end. Being a Jedi, she could sense the life in others through the Living Force. A trait she adored at times, but it had a downside. When witnessing someone or something die in front of her, she could feel their tether to life snap in an instant as if someone had pulled the trigger on a blaster pistol right in her face. She hated it, seeing all those men die at once. In truth, she wanted to mourn for them; however, she knew there was nothing she could do. A promise had to be fulfilled after all, and now wasn’t the time to be mourning for her enemies. I better tell, Sweetie. Lyra thought as she immediately reached for her headset. “Hey, Sweetie can you hear me?” Yes, I can. Is something wrong, Lyra? “No, nothing is wrong. I just called to tell you the ambush worked out as planned. The entire Mandalorian squad has been wiped out.”     A-already? But that happened way too fast! How’d you manage to pull it off so quickly? “There’s no time for an explanation, Sweetie. What matters is that we can safely escort all the ponies back to the ship. Provided that we don’t run into anymore large squadrons or ambushes, we should be fine.” “Hey, kid! Can you do us all a solid favor and hang up that comm-link! We could use a little help over here!” Lyra’s ears shot up as she heard Hider’s plea for help. Immediately, she glanced back at her companions and, to her surprise, found them fighting off against a trio of Mandalorian soldiers. “As much as I appreciate you catching these guys, can you please finish the damn job!” berated her captain as he attempted to fight off the enemy in front of him.   “Hang on, guys. I’m coming!” Lyra shouted back. “Sweetie, I got to go. Some stragglers are attacking our friends and I need to deal with them now.” I understand. Should I tell Master Darran about your current situation? “Yes, please. And tell him to meet us back at the hangar bay as soon as possible.” Got it! Good luck out there, Lyra. “Roger that,” Lyra said before disconnecting the call from her comm-link. With nothing else distracting her, she quickly conjured a Force enhanced jump, closing the distance between herself and her friends in an instant. “Enough!” the Padawan ordered as she landed right in between her captain and his supposed assassin. Now that her enemy was within distance, she quickly ignited her blade, ready to strike at any given time.  But before she could make her move, Lyra took her time to observe her other companions. Chessk had the situation already under control. His would-be assassin was on his knees, with blood dripping down from his supposedly broken left shoulder.  As for Geefour, its assassin was already dead. To Lyra’s disgust, her droid had ordered the other machines to fire at its assassin, killing him instantly. And to add insult to injury, the T3 unit had set the corpse on fire with its flamethrower. The Padawan winced at the sight of Geefour’s brutality. She’d like to give the droid a proper lecture, but that would have to wait. There’s still one more assassin to take care of. “You are defeated, Mandalorian,” she yelled to the last standing assassin. “Surrender now and I will let you and your friend leave.” Chessk let out a scowl.     “I will not surrender to a Jedi!” shouted back the assassin in an aggressive manner that made the Padawan’s eyes widened in surprise. This assassin was female. Sure the helmet had muffled her tone of voice a little bit, but Lyra was certain this person was a girl. “I will avenge my comrades!” the female assassin shouted again as she immediately threw her blaster pistol away and drew out a dagger from her hip. She then began to charge at Lyra, with her hands held tightly on the weapons hilt.     Lyra closed her eyes and sighed. Looking back at the assassin, she raised her hoof and conjured up another Force Push, sending the attacker flying back again. “You can’t win,” stated Lyra. “Even if you manage to beat me; and trust me, that’s a big if, you’ll still have to fight my comrades. So, I’m going to tell you again. Surrender now and we will let you go.”     “Never!” screamed the assassin as she stood back up and raised her dagger again. She was about to charge at Lyra once more, but to her and the Padawan’s surprise, she was pulled back down to the floor.     “Seriously, kid? Is all this seriously necessary?” asked Hider “Do you plan on rag dolling her all day, or are you finding her struggles to be funny?”     Lyra shook her head. “No, Hider, that wasn’t me! I didn’t use the Force at all!” “The kriff? Then who pushed her down?”     “That would be me.”     Lyra and her captain jumped. “What the heck? Who said that?” asked Hider.     “I did.” To the surprise of Lyra and all her friends, another cloaked Mandalorian appeared out of the shadows. Fully armored with blaster rifle in hand, the solder stepped in front of Hider’s would-be assassin. “Stand down, soldier. This is not a fight you can win.”     “Khal Dryll you bastard. Why reveal yourself now?”     Lyra’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, Khal? You’re Khal?”     “In the flesh, Jedi.”     Hoisting his rifle to his back, the Mandalorian grasped his helmet with both hands and removed it from his head. “Greetings, Padawan Heartstrings. We meet again once more,” he said in a menacing tone. “I see that your wounds have healed up quite nicely.”     Lyra let out a sharp gasp as she felt a hint of fear swell up inside her. The man who had nearly killed her on Coruscant was standing in front of her. B-but how? How did I not sense him earlier? she thought. This is absurd! I saw his allies through the Force Sense1! Why couldn’t I see him too? Khal frowned. “Hmm, that look in your eye. I can see you’re probably wondering how I got through your Jedi senses,” he said, surprising Lyra yet again. “Don’t think about it too much. It was merely luck that allowed me to escape your sight, nothing more.”     Lyra curled her lip in frustration. He’s right. I stopped concentrating after I spotted the assassins behind my friends. But if he was further back than the others, wouldn’t that mean he was after the ponies? “What do you suggest we do, Khal?” asked the female assassin. “Do we stand our ground and fight?”     “At ease soldier. We cannot win against these odds,” Khal quickly replied. He then looked back at Lyra. “We’ll take the Jedi’s offer and retreat back to the barracks.”     “What?” shouted everyone in the room except for Lyra, and Khal.     “You don’t wish to fight me?” asked the young Padawan. Her nemesis smirked. “Oh, don’t misunderstand me, Jedi. I do want to fight you. In fact, every fiber of my being is telling me to forget about my weak companions and strike you down right now!” Khal viciously stated. “But I am no fool. Such an act would only be a death sentence.”     “Y-you can’t be serious, Khal!” sputtered the assassin. “Why? Why are we retreating against this Jedi?”         “As you can clearly see, soldier, the numbers are not on our side. Not only are we facing off against a skilled Jedi, but her friends are by her side,” stated Khal, bluntly. “And they appear to be moderately skilled as well. Especially that Trandoshan over there.”     The female assassin gave a cold glare Chessk, but then gasped. “Wait a second, didn’t you fight that thing back at the Exchange base on Ord Mantell a few days ago?” she asked.     “Indeed, it is. If I recall, it managed to take out two of our men before we escaped with the Exchange sales records. To think, that a Jedi would allow a Trandoshan to be within its ranks. Such a strange turn of events.”     “Enough!” roared Chessk. “Little Jedi, you can’t possibly suggest that we let these people go. It’s too risky!”     “I know that, Chessk, but we didn’t come here to start another fight,” replied Lyra. “Our mission is to get the ponies out of here, that’s all. Sure, it may be dangerous to let them go, but it is not the Jedi way to hurt or kill defenseless opponents.”     Khal smirked. “Spoken like a true member of the Order,” he said, coldly. “I see that the Jedi tenants are already imbued into your very being.”     Lyra raised a brow. Was… was he complementing me just now?     “You, soldier. Can you stand?” said Khal as he looked at the wounded Mandalorian kneeling before Chessk. The assassin merely nodded at his superior. “Then I order you to retreat, brother. Live and fight another day so that we can avenge this humiliating loss we suffered.” “Yes, brother,” replied the assassin. Clenching his shoulder, the injured Mandalorian stood up and limped his way over to Khal. Chessk, who still had his weapon drawn, attempted to go after him, but Lyra quickly stopped him.  “Chessk, no! For the last time, let them go!” she yelled. Hider folded his arms and sighed. “Are you sure about this, kid? I mean, this is the same guy who nearly killed you just a couple days ago. Is it really the right thing to do to just let him go like this?” T3-G4 let out a series of beeps. “See even the tin can is having doubts. Don’t you think we should just end this now and be done with it?”     Lyra, again, shook her head. “No, we’re letting them go. Sure, I might come to regret this decision later, but now isn’t the time to be picking any more fights. Our top priority now is to free the ponies and get out of here.”     Khal’s smirk grew wider as he gave Lyra a fiendish look. “Make no mistake, Padawan Heartstrings. I maybe retreating today, but we will have our rematch one day. And it will be a lot sooner than you think.”     “Huh? What do you mean by that?” Before Lyra could get any answer, Khal threw something into the ground, causing the area where he stood to be covered in smoke. “What the… he had a smoke grenade?”     She immediately galloped in the direction where her nemesis once stood; however, as the smoke cleared, Khal and his fellow Neo-crusaders were nowhere to be found.     “Where the kriff did they go?” asked Hider. His question was quickly answered though as the crew heard the exit door open behind them. They spun around to see who it was, but there was no one there. “No way. Did they just flat out leave?”     “It seems that way,” said Lyra. “I guess now would be a good time to release everypony from their holding cells.”     T3-G4 replied with another beep, albeit more mellow than before. “I don’t know what you said, Geefour. But if you can shut down the holding cell’s electromagnetic fields, then that would be great.”     The droid complied as it strolled its way toward the holding cells. Lyra planned to follow it, but she was abruptly stopped by Chessk. he said in Dosh.     “I do, yes. But don’t worry. I’ll be ready for him.”