//------------------------------// // Ambush // Story: Rainbow Dash's First Trial: Clone Wars Year 1 // by Hikarikurai24587 //------------------------------// Chapter Eight: Ambush     Rainbow Dash hiked along the flat terrain surrounded by the squad. Her hand gripping the cord tightly as she looked around. She could almost taste the tension, they had been travelling over a day now. Rainbow wanted to just fly ahead of them but she didn’t want to prove to the Jedi Council that they were right about her. Her wings twitched in irritation as they approached a lone hexagonal crystal. The cord ending at the base of it. She felt a familiar power rush over her as she approached.      “Why have you come?” a voice whispered, causing all of the troopers to tense up. Rainbow Drew up to her full height wings spreading. “An Equestrian? How can this be?”     “I’ve come looking for an artifact with Equestrian magic.” Rainbow said as she approached the crystal. “I am Rainbow Dash.”     “I see who you are, you walk the same path as I. I am Star Forge, I walked the Path of the Commander. You seek the Shard of Duty.” the voice spoke something glinting on the ground. Rainbow Dash knelt down brushing away the dirt seeing the shard she had seen in her vision. The broken edge still glowing red hot from the battle. She was about to grab it when she felt a slight vibration coming off of it and pulled her hand away. She stood up and turned around feeling a vibration in the air.     “What is it?” 4141 asked right before Rainbow rushed forward pushing him to the ground, a bolt flying over his head.     “AMBUSH!” shouted 5816 and the troopers dropped as beams of light shot towards them. The crystal behind them hummed as Rainbow heard the voice speak again. “You are not where you belong, you should be doing your duty and protecting your people.”     “My duty? Look Star Forge, right now my duty is to keep Equestrian magic out of the hands of those who would abuse it.” Rainbow Dash said looking back at the shard her magenta eyes narrowing. “That’s protecting my people.”     A shot flew too close to her head causing her to face forward shouting. “HEY! WATCH IT BUDDY!”     It was her first time actually seeing the enemy they were fighting. Mechanical creatures, all armed with weapons as they marched over the flatland. Most were thin with a light brown color and a yellow stripe on their head. The one that fired the shot looked over to the other one and fired once more. Rainbow Dash growled her anger surging. The shot never hit its mark instead it hovered in the air shrinking slowly.     “I said WATCH IT!” she yelled the bolt vanishing before flying back towards the droid. It missed nailing the one behind it. Rainbow’s eyes widened as she looked at the other troopers seeing them moving in closer to her. She could almost see the decision in 5816’s to order her back. They were going to lay down their lives then and there.     ‘I can’t leave them.’ she thought, grasping her hair in frustration before she remembered.  “...Your magic can now block and deflect ranged attacks… more than likely these will be magical in nature.”     “That’s what happened.” Rainbow Dash said before holding out her hand and focusing. ‘I can do this. Twilight always said to focus when it comes to using magic, focus on the type of spell you want to cast. Certain emotions can affect the spell. Anger allows me to deflect, well what about wanting to get these guys back. The urge to protect them!’     5816 was hit in the shoulder and Rainbow Dash’s instincts kicked in. She moved over to him raising her hands once again, her eyes shutting tightly. This time the shots vanished as a pulse erupted from her hands. Rainbow climbed to her feet saying. “Get behind me.”     Her eyes opened revealing that they were glowing white with a red mist coming from them. The shots were being blocked as cords connected to each of the troopers extending from her wings. “What are you doing?” shouted 5816 but it wasn’t Rainbow who answered but the voice of Star Forge. “She is protecting you despite the orders given to her. It is the heart she bears, she will never let those she cares for die.” “Our lives don’t matter!” Shouted 5816 and Rainbow snapped back. “Yes they do! I may not have known any of you for long, but I do care! Your lives have value! You can’t just throw them away!” Rainbow dropped down to a knee struggling to defend them, but she wasn’t going to give up. Not until the droids were gone. Shots were flying back and forth as she gritted out. “Someone get the shard!”  8608 nodded his head as he ran back his hands grasping the edge just as a bolt flew overhead smashing into the crystal. Part of it broke, falling down towards him as Rainbow’s head turned. The troopers took over to clear out the remaining droids as she flapped her wings. She flew up into the air and down at full speed shoving him out of the way. Dust kicking up into the air as the last droid fell. 8608 blinked as he pushed himself off the ground. That was when he saw Rainbow next to him unconscious, one of her wings pinned under the rubble. The main body resting on top of the rubble. “I need help over here!” He called pulling away the rocks 4141 moving to help him. “4874 call for an evac tell them that we need a medic!” “Doc.” Rainbow mumbled, her eyes slightly opened but unfocused. “I’m calling him Doc.” “She’s awake!” 4141 announced as the other clones moved to help. 8608 grunted as he began to move the pillar slightly as 4816 got her wing out. “I can’t get through!” Doc informed them the shard nearby gleamed as a pink cord attached to it. A gentle voice spoke over their radio. “H-hello?” “Yes hello, who is this? I’m trying to reach the command center.” Doc said as 5816 tensed up the voice answering. “I’m Fluttershy, um...command center. I don’t think where I am has one of those unless I missed it…. is something the matter?” “Yes we have someone who is wounded. Her wing was pinned under rubble….” Doc was interrupted by a gasp before the voice instructed. “I need you to listen to me. Is the wing broken anywhere?” Doc moved over to Rainbow examining the wing for any broken bones before swallowing. “Yes ma’am.” “You are going to need to set it. Is there anything nearby that you can use as a splint?” Doc looked around before moving over to some of the destroyed droids to scavenge. He came back with a few parts before looking at the others saying. “I’m going to be setting the bone. We’re going to have to hold her down.”     The rest of the squad nodded their heads surrounding her making sure she wouldn’t hurt herself.     “What you need to do is set the wing gently. Then bind it gently but closely in a resting position.” instructed Fluttershy as Doc followed her instructions with a little bit of difficulty. “You have to be very gentle with bird’s wings.” “I’m not treating a bird, she’s called an Equestrian.” Doc informed Fluttershy, earning a gasp, her reply came breathily. “Did you check for any injuries to the wing? Do you have the splint ready?”     “Both are ready ma’am, we just need to secure it.” 4816 said just as Doc set the wing and Rainbow’s eyes shot open as she screamed loudly. The radio cuts out as her eyes slipped shut as she fell unconscious.     Rainbow’s eyes barely opened as she felt something moving under her. She looked forward, realizing that someone was carrying her.     “Tank?” she mumbled her head hazy as a voice told her. “I’m 8608 ma’am, you’ve called me Buddy before.”     “No, you’re Tank.” she felt tired again as her head dropped everything cutting out once more.     Rainbow Dash opened her eyes once more this time seeing a ceiling above her. Letting out a groan she tried to sit up when a hand pressed against her shoulder.     “Don’t try to get up. You took a nasty tumble.” a familiar voice spoke and Rainbow looked up before squinting. “How are you feeling?”     “I’m fine… how are the others?” Rainbow asked, looking around for the rest of the squad. She grabbed onto her head as it throbbed a bit at the movement.     “They’re fine, some are recovering from their wounds.” the person answered patting her on the shoulder. “Can you tell me what happened out there?”     “We were ambushed… I could tell that the squad leader was going to tell me to run. I couldn’t leave them.” Rainbow replied looking at him tilting her head to the side. “Who are you?”     “I’m Commander Cody, this is Captain Rex, we are investigating suspicious activity lately.” the man replied motioning towards a trooper with blue accents on his armor. “Tell me, did you see anyone acting suspicious before you left?”     “Not acting.” Rainbow said looking away as she thought back. “I… heard something different.”     “What do you mean?” Rex spoke up crossing his arms across his chest as Rainbow thought of a way to explain it. “I have a gift, I can hear and bring forth the loyalties of others. Normally when I’m around you guys I hear mainly that you’re loyal to the Republic, to your brothers, to your friends. Before I left I heard something different. The loyalty to the rest of you were still there, but there was no loyalty to the Republic or the Jedi. Instead there was loyalty to someone called Ventress and freedom.”     “We had a feeling that there was a spy… but this. Could you tell who it was?” Rainbow shook her head before sighing. “I could only get a read on the loyalty but… I don’t know who this Ventress is. I’m new here, I don’t know anything other than the fact that there was something from my world. I was allowed to come here because I’m the only one who knows what to do if it starts acting up.”     “Right… Ventress is a Sith acolyte of Count Dooku leader of the Separatists.” Cody explained and Rainbow frowned at the word Sith as if the word itself bothered her. “If there is anything you can remember please let us know.”     “Kay.” Rainbow Dash rolled on her side and closed her eyes hearing them leave.     “...Darth Imperius.”     “...The Emperor’s Wrath.”     “She is unlike anything I have seen in my travels, and the Force is warped around her. Do not underestimate her, my Lord.”     “I will become Sith.” “BROTHER!”     “Family does not matter to me.”     “Don’t do this!”     “PLEASE!”     Rainbow’s eyes snapped open as she panted swinging her legs over the side of the bed. The room was dim and full of injured soldiers as she walked out her head hazy. Someone slammed into her, almost knocking her back.     “Ventress”     Rainbow spun around her eyes, catching on the form as she chased after him her bare feet against the cold floor. Her wings flapped as she began to speed up as the spy looked over his shoulder seeing her gaining on him. He spun on his heel slamming his fist into her face knocking her down just as an explosion went off somewhere outside. Rainbow hit the floor just as he took off running. Shaking her head she took off after him. Anger welled up inside of her as her fists clenched, her wings flapped again sending a gust of air towards him. He rounded the corner just as the wind slammed into the wall. Her eye twitched before she let out a shout of frustration, electricity crackling around her fists.     She turned around before pausing, she couldn’t let this traitor do any more harm. She walked in the direction she saw him go as she took a deep breath. That was when a memory went through her head causing her to grab her hair.     “Show him exactly what the Empire does to traitors.”     She dropped to her knees, her wings twitching sweeping against the ground as her magenta eyes flickered to and from deep red. Her wings spread out as she forced herself to her feet and continued on. Her eyes slipped shut as she focused on the loyalties of the one she had just encountered. Her fingers brushed through her feathers before moving her hand in front of her. Her eyes opened as a strand shot out and she followed it rolling her shoulders. Her wings moved back acting as if it was a cape. A smirk grew on her face before she ran forward. She slid behind the corner as she spotted Rex and Cody peering around, with peaked interest banishing the cord. Moving up to the door she could hear fighting going on inside the room. Her hand reached out hearing the voices inside.     “All of you just blindly following orders!”     Her wings twitched as her eyes flickered back to magenta.     “For what?”     Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt deep pain in her.     “Yeah. I bet you sold out your brothers for some shiny coins, huh?”     “Don’t do this! Brother! Don’t let them take me!”     A scream came from the room.     “Yes she offered me money. But she offered me something more important.”     “Through power I gain victory.” “Something you wouldn’t understand! Freedom!”     “Havoc squad reporting in.”     Rainbow’s head jerked up just as the emotions disappeared and she moved away from the room. Her heart was pounding as she slumped down by the door feeling exhausted all of a sudden. The door opened as Rex walked out his eyes widening as he saw her slumped against the wall unconscious. He called for a medic and reported that they had caught the spy. His eyes glanced back towards her wondering how they didn’t notice her when they were looking for Slick. That was when he saw the bruise on her jaw and his fists clenched.