Lyra felt tense. Even more so than when she was back at the prison block Despite freeing the captive ponies from their imprisonment, the mission wasn’t over yet. Shortly after the captives were fried, she had contacted Sweetie about their success. Though the mare was relieved to hear that everyone was okay, she insisted they waste no time. They needed to head back to the hangar bay immediately as Master Darran was already on his way there. She and the Jedi Master have kept tabs on each other during the whole ordeal. And although he fared well against the Mandalorians, he wanted to get the crew back together again as soon as possible.
It was a simple task, at least that’s what Lyra thought before leaving the prison block behind. After freeing the ponies, she assumed that escaping would be an easy thing to do. But nothing was ever that simple.
With the ponies now freed and the squadron that was sent to capture them defeated, the Mandalorians adopted a more aggressive approach. Dozens of soldiers came to fight Lyra and her friends while they escort the captives out of the base. They weren’t that difficult to deal with. Thanks to her Jedi training and the skillset of her friends, they managed to fight off the oncoming force. However, the problem laid on the ponies themselves. They needed to be protected, but that proved to be a problem.
“Lyra, eyes up front!” Hider shouted, pointing his finger at three Mandalorian soldiers. Immediately, they fired their rifles on sight. One missed, but the other two dead set on their aim and had targeted two of the captive ponies.
However, Lyra was faster. She quickly drew her lightsaber and redirected the bolts away. She then conjured a Force Push. It wasn’t very powerful, but it did cause the Mandalorians to stagger, giving Chessk enough time to shoot them down.
“Enemies down!” shouted the Trandoshan. “Everyone, keep moving!”
“Ugh, I really wish I could use those weapons of yours. Not being able to fight at all is excruciating!” cried Captain Impact.
Hider groaned. “You are in no condition to fight, Captain,” he said, bluntly. “Besides, those hooves of yours aren’t exactly compatible with blaster weapons.”
“I know that, but still. I hate the fact that I’m completely useless here.”
Lyra frowned. The Captain’s situation was akin to that of Sweetie Drops. She, and everypony else, were incapable of defending themselves. Most were too tired to fight back, but even if they had the energy to do so, they wouldn’t provide much help, particularly against blaster fire.
It was so alien to them, seeing soldiers using mostly ranged weaponry to fight. Lyra was certain that Captain Impact and her guards mostly preferred close quarters combat, something that just wouldn’t work in today’s galactic standards. Unless, of course, you are a Jedi.
Captain Impact shifted her gaze at Lyra. “Don’t you have any more of those lightsabers, dear?” she asked.
Lyra blinked. “Huh? Are you talking to me?”
“Of course I am, dear! Who else would I be talking to?” berated the Captain. “You are the only one here who is using a sword. A futuristic laser sword, but a sword, nonetheless!”
Lyra sighed. “Okay, first of all, I don’t have a spare lightsaber with me. And even if I did, I can’t just give it to you! Lightsabers don’t just work well with non-Force users, and only a Jedi can use it to its full potential.”
“Is that so?” asked the Captain, who immediately shot an eyebrow at the young mare. “Pray tell, how long have you been using that weapon anyways?”
T3-G4 gave a loud, disgruntled beep, confusing all the ponies around it. “Uh, what did that thing just say?” asked one pony.
“It said, save your questions for later and start running!” berated an irritated Hider. “We’re in a life or death situation right now! Save your kriffing questions for when we escape!”
Captain Impact frowned. “Is it really necessary for you to shout, boy?”
“If shouting is the only way I can get your attention, then yes!”
Lyra sighed. Well that conversation could’ve gone better. Refusing to let things escalate even further, she placed her hoof onto the captain’s back. “Ma’am, I know you have a lot of questions about me, but can you please save it for later? Right now, our top priority is to get out of here quickly. The more time we waste, the more likely our enemies will surround us.”
“She’s right, Captain. We mustn’t waste any more time here. Not when we were just freed,” said a Unicorn stallion. Lyra quickly recognized him as the sergeant from earlier. It seemed that he was on her and Hider’s side.
The Captain sighed. “You’re right. We better keep moving,” she said, frowning. “I’m sorry for wasting your time.”
“Hold it right there!”
Nearly everypony present jumped in surprise as the group soon found themselves surrounded by all flanks. There were three Mandalorians in total. Two in the back, one in the front. All equipped with battle armor. Though the latter was accompanied by a battle droid.
Hider snarled. “Damn it! Of all the worst possible times. Geefour! Stun gun! Now!”
On cue, T3-G4 fired its weapon directly at the two soldiers behind them. A direct hit. Before the Mandalorians could react, they were quickly subdued by Geefour’s stun gun. It didn’t kill them outright, but it did give Lyra’s friends enough time to shoot both soldiers down.
Seeing his companions helplessly die, the remaining Mandalorian roared with anger. Unlike the other two, he and his droid were able to fire their weapons. Lyra managed to deflect one bolt away, but to her dismay, the other one grazed right past her. Panicked, the young Padawan swung her head around to see if anypony had gotten injured. Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry too long as the bolt had instead hit one of Geefour’s droids.
“Focus, kid!” Hider shouted again as he fired his blaster pistols at their enemies. Another direct hit, but it wasn’t enough to kill the Mandalorian or destroy his droid. “Tangos are down! Quick, Lyra, finish ‘em off!”
Lyra complied as she leapt directly toward her enemies with a Force imbued jump, landing right in-between the Mandalorian and his droid. Focusing on the soldier first, she quickly employed several Shiim[1] strikes directly at his armor’s weak points. The Mandalorian fell to the ground, groaning in pain, which gave Lyra the opportunity to focus her sights on the droid.
With a single swing, Lyra cut the droid in half with a Sai Tok[2] maneuver. And as the machine lay helplessly before her, Lyra impaled the machine’s head with the tip of her saber. “Done and done,” she said before turning back to the group. “Is everyone okay?”
“For the most part, yes. But our borrowed droid says otherwise,” said Hider, who was looking at the now broken droid. He then turned his gaze toward T3-G4, who immediately attempted to repair the machine. “Well, what do you think, tin can? Can the droid be salvaged?”
Geefour hummed in response as it retracted its mechanical arm away from the broken machine. “Are you serious? The bolt managed to burn the droid’s circuitry!” Hider shouted out loud. “No way! How the heck did one bolt manage disable a droid like that?”
“I’m not entirely sure what you are talking about, but given your current expression, it doesn’t sound good,” replied Captain Impact as she gazed at the now broken machine. “I must apologize. It was my actions that caused this to happen. If I wasn’t so adamant on my questions, we would’ve have gotten ourselves surrounded like that.”
“Indeed,” said Chessk as he shot an angry glare at the guardspony. “I’m disappointed, little pony. I thought that escaping from this hellish place would be your top priority. Instead, you seem more fixated on our little Jedi here.”
“I will not be judged by the likes of you, alien! Especially from creature who willfully enslaves other beings!” yelled back the Captain, returning the Trandoshan’s glare with one of her own. However, this didn’t deter Chessk at all. Instead of looking away, he returned Platinum’s glare with an even fiercer one.
“I am well aware of my sins, little pony,” he said coldly. “They are great, but little by little, I plan for atoning for what I’ve done.”
“Chessk, please. There’s no need to antagonize her,” said Lyra. Her words, however, were ignored as her friend continued to talk down the guardspony.
“Listen here, little pony. I owe my life to this Jedi. If it weren’t for her, I’d still be following a path of dishonesty and lies. She saved me, so in return I swear on my life that I will protect her and all those she cares for.”
His response caused all the ponies to gasp and gossip amongst each other. Even Captain impact was left awestruck by Chessk’s crude, yet straightforward response.
Seeing that his point has been made, Chessk turned away from the ponies and went straight for Lyra. “Come, little Jedi. We must keep moving,” he said.
“I agree, but the ponies, Chessk.”
“They have their right to suspect me, little one. After all, I did put them in cages.”
“So, what are we going to do about it?”
“Nothing,” replied Chessk, bluntly. “If I am to gain your kin’s trust, then I must do so with my actions rather than my words.”
Lyra sighed. Her friend had made a good point. It wasn’t common thing for people to trust strangers, and the ponies were no different. And why would they? He did, after all, followed his greedy cousin’s orders and put them in cages. Realizing this, Lyra began to ponder; would she also distrust Chessk too if she were a part of that group? If it weren’t for her compassion, or her rank as a Jedi, would she have not given him a second chance?
“Hey, did you just forget the past few minutes or something, kid? Come on, this ain’t the time for chit-chat,” Hider said as he, Geefour, and the ponies all ran past Lyra. “Less talking, more moving!”
“Oh, right,” Lyra replied. With a shake of her head, she refocused her thoughts back to reality and quickly joined her captain in the front lines. Chessk followed too but he preferred to stay behind the ponies rather than join the others down in front.
“I’ll keep an eye on our flank,” said the Trandoshan. “Human, little Jedi. Keep your eyes peeled for any reinforcements on our front. We are not out of this yet until we’ve reached the hangar.”
“How far away is our destination anyway?” asked Hider. “It feels like we’ve been running forever.”
“Let me ask, Sweetie,” replied Lyra as she quickly tapped her headset with her hoof. After a few seconds of waiting, a link was established. “Hey, Sweetie, can you hear me?”
Yes, I do. replied Private Drops. Are you all near the hangar bay now?
“I was actually going to ask you that. Can you tell us where we are?”
The rendezvous point isn’t very far. It’s just a short running distance away from where you guys are right now.
“Is my master waiting for us there?”
He should be. Last I checked, he was off fighting a bunch of soldiers at once. But that was ten minutes ago. I haven’t heard from him since.
Suddenly, Lyra’s ears wobbled as she overheard a familiar whirling sound. Curious, she closed her eyes and focused on the Force, expanding her senses further down the hallway. Then, she heard it again. The same whirling sound from before paired with several cries of pain.
“What’s the matter, kid?” asked Hider.
“I sense a couple of life forms ahead of us,” Lyra answered. “Mandalorians, most likely, but they appear to be preoccupied with something.”
“Preoccupied? What are they getting ready to fight us?”
Lyra shook her head. “No. I think they’re already fighting someone right now. But it’s weird. Judging from all this emotion I’m sensing; it doesn’t sound like they’re winning. It’s as if they are fighting… Master!”
Empowering herself with the Force, the young Padawan dashed ahead of the group, breaking away from their carefully planned formation. The ponies questioned what she was doing, but Lyra didn’t care. Her master was close. And he was fighting several Mandalorians at once. If she didn’t hurry to his side, they might overwhelm him.
But she soon discovered that her fears were misplaced.
Lyra skidded to a halt as she spotted a duo of Mandalorian soldiers. They were heavily armed, and it appeared as if they were about to shoot at her. Seeing this, she quickly snatched her lightsaber from her belt, ready to deflect the oncoming bolts. But as quick as she was to draw her weapon, she immediately stopped herself from igniting the blade.
The two Mandalorians from a distance weren’t aiming at her. Rather, they appear to be firing at something else.
“Shoot the Jedi!” barked on of the soldiers. “Don’t let him esca—augh!”
The Mandalorian’s orders were cut short when a stray blaster bolt hit him right on the head, presumably ending his life. “Man down! I repeat, man down! Request for reinforcements at the hangar—gahh!”
The second soldier was also interrupted when—to Lyra’s surprise—a blue-hued weapon came flying toward him, cutting the soldier’s chest armor. He died instantly. “Reinforcements! We need reinforcements, now!” shouted another unfamiliar voice. But like the others, the voice was cut short.
Lyra remained still, eyes wide and jaw slacked. That weapon she saw just now; it was a lightsaber. And not just any lightsaber. It was a double-bladed one. “M-master? A-are you there?” she muttered.
“Looks like I made it just in time,” replied a calm, yet soothing voice that made Lyra beam brightly.
Stepping out from the other hallway was a tall middle-aged man. His attire was battered and torn, and his weapon still active in his hand. But Lyra knew who this person was. And upon seeing him, she immediately ran up and gave him a hug. “Master it’s you!” she shouted with glee. “You’re okay!”
Jedi Battlemaster Gizar Darran returned a smile as he patted his apprentice on her head. “Yes, it is good to see you are alright, my Padawan. Considering that you are here, I assume the mission was a success?”
Lyra nodded feverishly as the ponies and the rest of the Omega’s crew caught up with her. “Well, if it ain’t the Jedi Master himself,” Hider greeted with hearty laugh. “Nice to see you’re still up and kicking, old man.”
“Yes, it’s good to see you too, Captain Louhun. And you two as well, Chess and Geefour,” replied the Jedi Master.
T3-G4 replied with an elated bleep as Chessk respectfully bowed before the Jedi Master. “We have successfully completed our mission, Master Darran,” said the Trandoshan. “All of Lyra’s kin have been freed.”
“How are they in terms of health?”
“They appear to be physically exhausted and have shown some signs of hunger, but they should be alright.”
“I see.” With a rub of his chin, the Jedi Master shifted his gaze toward the group of ponies. Deactivating his lightsaber, he approached them in a formal manner. “Well met citizens of Equestria. I am Master Gizar Darran of the Jedi Order.”
At once, the ponies began to mumble amongst themselves. “Who’s this guy supposed to be? Another one of those friendly aliens?” asked one pony.
“I think so. I mean, if Lyra trusts this guy, then that means we can trust him too, right?”
“But why’s he wearing a blindfold on his head? Doesn’t he realize he can’t see with that thing on?”
Ignoring the gossip around him, Master Darran continued to address the ponies: “I know all of you have plenty of questions, but I request that you save them for later. Time is of the essence and we cannot linger here much longer.”
“We know, but before we leave, there is something I wish to know. Regarding Miss. Heartstrings over here,” said Captain Impact who quickly gained the Jedi’s attention.
“Oh? And who might you be?” asked Master Darran.
“I am Captain Platinum Impact, the one who leads these ragtag group of ponies. Plus, I am Private Sweetie Drops’ superior.”
“Ah, you must be the one that Private Drops was talking about. Excellent! It’s good to see you are in one piece, Captain.”
“I don’t need to hear a speech, alien! Just answer my question!” shouted the Pegasus.
“Captain, please, calm down,” said another mare within the group. “I’m sure he can tell you everything you need to know later.”
“Your companion is right, Captain,” advised Master Darran. “I know that you have many questions regarding my Padawan, but I request that you wait until we get to our ship.”
Lyra’s ears perked up. “Wait, what did you say?” Confused, she looked at her Master and Captain Impact, observing their reactions. Though her master appeared calm, as always, the Pegasus mare was outright staring at him with fiery eyes. “Master, I don’t get it. Why is this mare so intent on learning more about me? And how do you even know that in the first place?”
Her master looked at her and smiled. “Padawan! I am disappointed! As someone who is proficient in Force Sense, I find it difficult to believe that you have not figured out this mare’s identity,” he replied.
The Captain’s jaw slacked. “Wait a second, you know who I am?” she asked.
“Indeed, I do. Though I think it’s fairly obvious who you are given that you have the same exact features as my student.”
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Hider yelled, abruptly interrupting Master Darran. “That damn Private! She knew! She freakin’ knew!”
“Language!” shouted everypony at once, causing Master Darran to burst out laughing.
“I take it you’ve figured it out, Hider.”
“Yeah… I did.” He breathed inward and let out a frustrated sigh. “Kriff, I can’t believe this. Why didn’t that mare say anything?”
“Need I remind you, Hider, that the Private’s first experience with galactic affairs wasn’t a pleasant one,” replied the Jedi Master. “Her decision not to tell anyone isn’t all that surprising from a certain point of view. After all, how are you supposed to trust someone—let alone anyone—when your first contact with an intergalactic species goes horrible.”
“But she didn’t even tell Lyra!” argued back the former Smuggler. “I understand if she didn’t to tell us, but Lyra? For cryin’ out, they’re freakin’ kin!”
“Tell me what?” asked Lyra.
“Oh, come on, kid. You’re a kriffin’ Jedi and you can’t figure out who this mare is? What the heck is wrong with you?”
Lyra rolled her eyes. “Can you please not lecture me about my powers and just tell me who this mare is!” she shouted, showing a hint of anger in front of her master. “For crying out loud, I don’t want to be left in the dark anymore! Just tell me who she is!”
“Freeze!”
Lyra was immediately interrupted when a loud voice could be heard from the other end of the hallway. Turning her head, she groaned in frustration as she spotted more Mandalorian soldiers. “Oh, come on! Not again!” she wailed.
“Quit your whining, kid and get these ponies moving, pronto!” shouted Hider. “Chessk, come with me! We need to make sure the hangar is secure of any Mandalorians!”
“Loud and clear, human!” replied Chessk as he readied his rifle.
“I will provide cover,” said Master Darran as he reignited his lightsaber. “Geefour, you can go with the others, but I’d ask that you leave your battle droids with me. The more cover we can provide, the better.”
T3-G4 complied with a beep as it ordered its droids to stand alongside the Jedi Master.
“What about me, master?” Lyra asked as she looked to her teacher for advice.
“Go with your companions and make sure the way is clear,” he instructed. “It is the utmost important that we have our route back to the ship secure.”
Suddenly, Lyra noticed an incoming bolt was heading straight for her master’s head. She cried out to him, telling him to look out; but the Jedi Master casually avoided the attack with relative ease. “Worry not about me, my Padawan. Just go!” he barked.
Lyra nodded her head and immediately followed the others into the hangar bay. Though they were heavily under fire, Master Darran managed to deflect all incoming bolts, providing a circle of shelter between himself and the others. “Oh, come now. Is this really the best you Mandalorians have to offer?” the Jedi Master said, clearly goading the shooters. “Even the Jawas on Tatooine have better aim than the rest of you.”
His remark earned a chuckle from Lyra. She should have figured he’d end up using Dun Moch[3] against their enemies. The simple use of words can deter an enemy’s morale and Darran knew this. As skilled as these Mandalorians were, they were too prideful. Any insult that came their way was considered personal to them. And it showed too. As soon as her master made that comment, he became their enemy’s prime target.
Lyra smiled. With eyes all focused on the Jedi Master, everyone was able to enter the hangar bay safely.
“Did everybody make it inside?” asked Hider.
“It appears so,” Chessk replied after taking one quick glance at the ponies. He then shifted his gaze around the hangar bay. “How odd. I figured that our enemies would have soldiers stationed here to prevent our escape, yet no one is here.”
“Do you think they’re using Stealth Field Generators like last time?”
“I can try to sense if there’s any presence nearby,” Lyra volunteered. But before she could make any move, she quickly spotted a Mandalorian Neo-Crusader deactivating his cloaking device.
The soldier fired his weapon in bursts. But Lyra reacted quickly. After swatting away another blaster bolt, she leapt away from the group, redirecting all blaster fire to her rather than the ponies. This strategy of course bought her allies enough time to fire their weapons at once, killing their enemy in an instant.
“Wilhelm is down! I repeat, Wilhelm is down!” shouted another voice as a dozen Mandalorians appeared in front of Lyra and her friends. “Fire! Fire! Take them down with one shot!”
“Well, there’s your answer, Chessk,” said Hider as he began shooting at the enemies in front of him. “Ah, kriff. How the heck are we going to pull this one off?”
“Buy me some time!” Lyra shouted as she landed right in front of the group, lightsaber ignited. “Everypony, get behind cover until the coast is clear!”
The ponies quickly followed the Padawan’s orders by scurrying to a nearby speeder for cover. As they did this, Lyra continued to bark orders at her friends. “Chessk, do you have any more smoke grenades?” she asked.
“I do,” Chessk answered as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of grenades. Without asking why, he slammed the explosives onto the ground, causing a puff of smoke to appear. “You have something planned, little Jedi?”
Lyra nodded. “The Force will guide us here,” she said as she deactivated her lightsaber and entered into a Jedi Meditation stance. Calling upon the Force, she used her senses to scour the room, counting twelve soldiers in total. All spread apart. Though they had ceased fire due to the smoke, she could sense that they were pointing their weapons directly at her and her friends.
The situation was bleak, but like a candle in the darkness, the Force showed her the way.
Hider cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, at least they stopped firing at us. But what the heck are we supposed to do now? We’re just as blind as they are.”
“Follow my lead,” Lyra said with bold confidence. She opened her eyes and immediately looked to her left. “Hider, there is a soldier standing behind a Speedster at the eleven o’clock position. He should be just within range of your pistols.”
“Wait, what? How do you even know that?”
“Just do it!” yelled back the Padawan. Her brief outburst was so unexpected that it caused Hider to flinch.
“Okay, I’ll do it. Geez.” After collecting himself, he followed Lyra’s instructions and fired his pistols in the direction of where she had instructed. Almost immediately, the crew heard a loud scream. “Did… did I hit ‘em?”
“Yes, you did,” Lyra answered as she sensed a soldier’s life essence become one with the Force. It was a terrible thing to sense, but she had to press forward. “All of you, follow my lead. I’ll direct you all on where you need to shoot.”
Calling upon the Force once more, Lyra continued directing her friends on where they needed to shoot. For a brief moment, the entire room was in complete chaos. Blaster fire was everywhere, though she nor her friends paid any attention to it. While she gave orders, they listened without hesitation until the smoke from Chessk grenade began to clear.
“Guys stop shooting!” ordered Lyra as she stood up on all fours.
“Wait, we’re done?” asked Hider. “We won?”
Chessk frowned as he tightened his grip on his blaster rifle. “I believe so? There hasn’t been any retaliation from the enemy for some time now, but I’m not certain. I guess we’ll see when the smoke clears out.”
Soon, the last puff of smoke began to dissipate into the air, revealing not just the hangar bay, but the Mandalorians that stood in their way. It was done. Lyra’s strategy had worked. All the soldiers who had tried to stop them were either dead or limping on the floor.
“No way,” Hider said. His jaw dropped at the sight of the now decimated Mandalorian force. We… we did this?”
“I-I believe so,” Chessk replied. His jaw also agape. T3-G4 let out a loud, yet somewhat cheerful, bleep. “It’s rare to hear you compliment us like that, droid. But don’t misunderstand. The real credit goes to the little Jedi here.”
Hider nodded in agreement. “Ya got that right. Didn’t think the Force could be used that way, but it worked.” He gave Lyra a smile and a thumbs up. “Gotta hang it to you, kid, that was a good call right there. Your Master is gonna be mighty proud of you once he hears about this.”
“Speaking of you Jedi Master, has he made it out here yet?” asked Chessk. “And what of your kin, little Jedi? Are they alright?”
T3-G4 bleeped as it pulled out it’s mechanical arm and pointed it in the direction of a nearby landspeeder. The ponies were there, hiding low amidst the crossfire. “Hey, over here!” shouted one pony. “Somepony got hurt! We need help!”
Lyra gasped. “W-what? Hold on, I’m coming!” Acting quickly, the young Padawan galloped toward her kin, praying to the Force that the injury wasn’t severe or life threatening. When she reached their destination, she spotted two ponies, a Pegasus stallion and a Unicorn mare, moaning in pain. “H-hey, what happened? How did they get hurt?” she asked.
“They got hit by those things when we were trying to take cover,” explained Captain Impact. “It doesn’t appear to be life threatening, but this stallion says he can’t feel left wing.”
“And the mare?”
“It’s her hind legs. She says it hurts every time she tries to move it.”
“Let me see their injuries,” demanded Chessk as he joined Lyra and the ponies. “If it’s recent, we might be able to tend to their wounds.”
The Captain, as well as several other ponies, shifted into what seemed to be a defensive position. “And how will you be able to do that?” asked the Captain cautiously.
“Kolto is the key. The human and I have some spar med-kits we can use.” Chessk paused for a moment, then he glanced at Lyra. “And if I recall, little one, you once said that you were capable of healing techniques. You think now would be a good time to use such skill?”
Lyra’s eyes widened at the realization. “Oh, right. I forgot!” she said as the small taint of fear began to slip away. “Just give me a moment to concentrate. I’ll have them back up on their hooves, I promise.”
Before she could perform any aid, however, the door to the hangar bay suddenly swung open. Turning her head, Lyra witnessed her master barging into the room. His lightsaber still swinging. “Perhaps it’d be best if you go to your master instead,” Chessk suggested. “It seems he requires some assistance.”
“But what about the ponies?”
“Don’t worry about them. We got this,” replied Hider as he pulled out two med-kits from underneath his jacket. “Go and give the old man some support.”
T3-G4 bleeped in response to Hider’s suggestion. “Wait, what do you mean he doesn’t need any help?” The former smuggler asked the droid. His question was quickly answered though as the group witnessed something astonishing.
Master Darran had deactivated his lightsaber as soon as the door closed. Hoisting his weapon onto his belt, he squatted down and slowly raised both of his arms into the air. At first, nobody knew what the Miraluka was doing, but Lyra quickly noticed that her master was radiating with Force energies.
“I… I can feel it. The Force. He’s channeling its power right now,” Lyra said out loud.
“Really? What’s he using it for?” asked Hider. T3-G4 let out a loud buzzing noise as it frantically pointed its mechanical arm at the Jedi Master. “Speeders? What the heck does the old man need speeders for?”
“I think the floating vehicles will answer your question, human,” replied Chessk.
“Floating vehicles? What the heck are you talking about—holy kriff!”
The jaws of both Hider and the ponies dropped as they witnessed a spectacular feat. Two speed bikes were floating in mid-air, all held together by the Jedi Master’s strength in the Force.
“How is he doing that?” asked one pony. “You don’t think it’s magic, do you?”
“That’s not possible!” shouted another. “He doesn’t even have a horn on his head!”
“But we saw Lyra do it when we saw her fight. And it didn’t look like she was using her horn either. What’s to say he can’t do the same thing?”
“He’s wearing a blindfold on his head! How the heck can he lift those things up when he can’t even see!”
“That’s enough!” Chessk shouted in anger. His voice echoing across the entire hangar bay, startling everypony present. “You ponies need to stop now! Two of your kin have been injured and need medical attention. So, quit it with your pointless chatter so I can help them!”
Captain Impact frowned. “You still haven’t answer my question from earlier, lizard,” she said with a discerning tone. “You mentioned something called, Kolto, right? Is that supposed to be a medicine of some kind?”
“It is,” replied Lyra as she pointed out the med-kit on Chessk’s hand. “Kolto is a medical substance that’s used in the galaxy. Doctors and pharmaceutical companies store it into those small kits that can be applied to any wound.”
The Captain raised her brow. “That little thing can heal wounds?”
“Correct. But if you’re uncomfortable with the applying of such medicine, perhaps I can heal them instead.”
“Now isn’t the time for that, little Jedi. We must get these equines back into shape,” replied Chessk as he injected the med-kit’s needle into the injured mare’s leg. The pony yelped in pain as a result, which angered the Captain; but once Chessk had pulled out the med-kit, the mare found herself standing on all fours again.
Surprised by her quick recovery, the mare began to place more pressure on her hind legs, checking to see if her injury had fully healed. Much to the shock of her and the ponies, she had no further trouble walking. “Hey, I’m okay now!” she said.
“It’s the miracle of Kolto, equine,” said a smiling Chessk as he injected his second med-kit into the injured Pegasus’s wing. Pretty soon, the stallion found himself in mid-air once more.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” said the Pegasus as he began to fly around the room. “It doesn’t hurt anymore! I’m completely healed!”
“Unbelievable. To think that they’d heal so quickly,” said Captain Impact as she witnessed the formerly injured ponies move about. “You… you wouldn’t happen to have more of this Kolto, do you?”
“We have a few spare ones, yes, but we can only use them in case of an emergency,” explained Chessk. “Medical kits are in high demand these days due to the war. As such, the public doesn’t have access to these kits as much due to the low supply. I’m afraid there’s not much we can spare.”
The Royal Guardspony frowned. “I see. Well, that’s a shame. Princess Celestia would’ve loved to have something like this in Equestria.”
Chessk grinned. “Oh, I’m sure there are plenty of technological wonders that you equines would absolutely love. Blasters, landspeeders, personal computers. The list goes on.”
“Indeed. I’d imagine they’d have the same reaction as my Padawan here.” The entire group turned around to see Master Darran standing before them. His lightsaber in hand but was deactivated. “I see that we ran into a bit of a problem here. Is everyone alright?”
Chessk nodded. “Everything is okay now, Master Jedi. Despite our enemies ambushing us, we managed to fight them off.”
T3-G4 let loose a couple of beeps, causing the Jedi Master to smile. “Did she now?” Darran asked as he gave Lyra a wide smile. “Well, as much as I’d like to hear that story, we’d best save it for later. By now, I think we’ve overstayed our welcome in this wretched place.”
“Is there a reason why you boarded up the hangar bay entrance with those speeders, Master?” asked Lyra.
“To by us some time, my Padawan. Since there is only one way into the hanger bay, I’d figured that I’d at least seal up the entrance.”
“What about the droids, Geefour reactivated?” asked Hider.
“Stayed behind to further stall our enemies. Considering that we ‘borrowed’ those machines, I figured we’d at least returned them to their rightful owners.”
“Oh, wow. That’s hardcore!” said one pony from the group.
“Indeed it is,” replied the now smirking Jedi Battlemaster. “Anyway, let’s head back to the Omega and reconvene with Private Drops. The sooner we board the ship, the sooner we make leave for Dantooine.”
“The Omega?” asked Captain Impact.
“He is talking about my baby,” boasted Hider, though his response earned several confused stares from everypony in the group, causing Lyra and Chessk to facepalm. T3-G4 was beeping repeatedly, though many assumed the droid was mocking the ship captain for his comments. “I meant my ship. My ship is my baby.”
“Ohhh!” said everypony at once, causing Master Darran to burst out laughing.
“Stop laughing old man! You know what I was talking about!” Hider rebuked as his cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.
“Perhaps, but it doesn’t make it any less funny, Hider," chuckled the Jedi Master as he left the former smuggler to his thoughts.