//------------------------------// // Chapter 27 // Story: Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search // by currentlemon //------------------------------// Patience. A virtue that the Jedi strongly advocated amongst their peers. Lyra could remember the days when Masters Vrook and Zhar constantly preached it in her classes and that the Force would reward those who value it. They were right of course; though at the time, she never would’ve guessed how the Force would award her. But now, everything was coming together. After all the traveling she’s done, the soldiers she fought, and her near death experience, she had been granted that award. Standing beside Lyra were her master, her companions, and all the captive ponies that had been missing. Her mission was almost complete. Now all they had to do was to escape the Mandalorian stronghold. After their last skirmish, the group had made their way back to the garage exit. Though the door was closed shut, T3-G4 made quick work of it by using a nearby computer terminal. The door itself was slow to open, but no one was in a hurry. Freedom was so close within their grasp. A little more waiting wouldn’t hurt anyone. “Just a few more minutes and we will be out of this Force forsaken place,” Hider said out loud before turning toward Master Darran. “You think it’s still snowing outside?” “Perhaps. If the weather conditions are poor, then we must take caution. We’ll never know what other tricks the Mandalorians have up their sleeves,” advised the Jedi Master. “You literally just blocked the entrance with two speeder bikes, old man. Unless our enemies have another way of getting out of this base, I can’t imagine that they’d be chasing us anytime soon. “Even so, we’re still in enemy territory, human. The best thing we can do is keep our guard up,” Chessk advised. “What about the ponies?” asked Lyra. “Regardless if it’s snowing or not, trekking through a snowy field isn’t going to be easy.” “The Pegasi and the Earth ponies should be fine given their high endurance. Despite all that we’ve been through these past few days, trotting through a snowstorm should be easy for us,” replied Captain Impact. “And the Unicorns?” “My Sergeant is a member of the Royal Guard. He should be fine. Though I can’t say for certain about the remaining Unicorn in our group.” Lyra tilted her head in confusion. “Huh, why’s that?” “She’s a scholar, not a guard. Unicorns may have the ability to cast magic, but unless trained, they don’t have the endurance capable of keeping up with the other pony species. If push comes to shove, somepony might have to carry her.” Her remark caused the remaining Unicorn to protest, proclaiming that she was fine for travel. However, her cries were ignored by the Captain who instead kept her focus on Lyra. “I suggest you focus more on yourself rather than the others, dear. Given our current situation, we cannot afford to lose you now.” “What do you mean?” “Honey, can’t you tell? All this fighting that you’ve done is starting to wear you out. Sure, you may be athletic compared to most unicorns, but all that running and jumping has taken a toll on you! Look at yourself! You’re out of breath for Celestia’s sake!” Lyra let out a breath she didn’t even know she had, finally noticing her shortness of breath and the numbness on her legs. The Captain was correct. She was tired. Perhaps more tired than the entire group. As a Jedi, her masters had taught her techniques that would help sustain her physicality, with or without the Force. Though not a master of such techniques, she did take her teachings to heart. As a result, she was able to sustain long periods of physical activity without tiring. But it appeared she was reaching her limits. Protecting these ponies had cost her a lot of energy, both in the Force and her physical capabilities. If she were a Jedi Knight, or perhaps a Master, then maybe she’d gone on longer without falter. Alas, this wasn’t the case. “Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be fine,” Lyra assured the Captain. “It’s only a little ways toward the ship, so any more fighting wouldn’t be a complete toll on me.” “I want to believe you, Lyra. But as impressive as your fighting capabilities are, seeing you exhaust yourself hasn’t been an easy thing to watch.” Lyra stared at the Captain profusely. Her comment confused the young Padawan greatly, as this was the second time the mare had shown concerns over her safety. Why was this? “Still having trouble figuring out our little Captain here, kid?” asked Hider, who interrupted Lyra’s thoughts. “Excuse me? What makes you say that?” Lyra replied, showing a bit of agitation. “Don’t worry. You’ll figure it out when we get out of here. For now, I suggest you stay focused. The door is opening.” On cue, the large hangar door had finally finished opening; revealing not only their way out, but also the weather conditions. Much to the relief of Lyra and the others, the blizzard had all but ceased. It may have left piles of snow in its wake, but at the very least they wouldn’t have to worry about a snowstorm clouding their vision. “Ah, kriff. I guess it’s too much to ask for good weather. Oh well. At least it’ll be easier to get to the ship this way,” said Hider. T3-G4 beeped in response as it reconvened with the group. “I know, I really shouldn’t be complaining when I’ve been through worse.” “Worse how?” Lyra asked, showing a bit of curiosity. “I mean, I saw you almost break down back at the prison block. How can you proclaim you’ve faced worse situations when even the slightest mistake overwhelms you?” “Leave Hider alone, Padawan,” replied Master Darran as he and the others stepped outside. “Our top priority is to get back to the Omega. Not ask needless questions.” Lyra opened her mouth to respond, but before she could apologize, Hider stepped in to defend her. “Hey, give the kid a break, will you? She has every right to question me after the stunt I pulled earlier,” he said. However, his response only earned a sigh from the Jedi Master. “I’m fully aware that you owe my Padawan an explanation, Hider. But please, spare us the details until we get back to the ship. I don’t want to be here any longer, especially when the Alderaanian military starts attacking the area.” Hider’s gasped, and so too did Lyra. “That’s right, I completely forgot about those guys!” shouted the captain. “Kriff, you think they’ll be here at any minute now?” “I’m not one to wait and find out,” said Lyra as she quickly ventured into the snowy field along with the others. Hider followed suit, with him and T3-G4 taking point. Their formation was akin to when the group was evacuating the base. The ponies themselves would group up, allowing room for Lyra and her companions to guard them. It was briefly discussed by Chessk while Geefour was busy opening the hangar door. Their formation would be similar like last time, but with a Jedi Master by their side, it had to be slightly adjusted. Given their command in the Force and the ability to deflect blaster bolts, Lyra and Master Darran were the key in defending against any Mandalorians attack. If any were to attack the front or rear, the Jedi would leap in and deflect any blaster bolt that came in harm’s way or conjure a Force Push that would at least disrupt the enemy’s focus. A flawed plan to say the least, given Lyra’s incapability of deflecting blaster fire as well as her master. However, the young Padawan had faith in her teacher that he’d cover her weakness well. As for the others, Hider remained on point alongside Geefour, who had taken Lyra’s previous position. Chessk positioned himself on the rear given his keen eye and skill with a blaster rifle. “How much further are we from your ship, alien?” asked Captain Impact. “Can we make it in time before our enemies catch up to us?” “I have a name you know!” Hider shouted. The fact that the pony captain hadn’t addressed him by his name had irked him somewhat. But after calming down, he answered the mare’s question. “If you’re wondering where my ship is, don’t worry about it. I hid it in those woods over there.” “You mean that forest over there?” the captain asked, pointing her hoof at the large trees in front of her. “Yes. I had to hide my baby away from the Mandalorians so they wouldn’t find it. Though to be honest, it was a bit difficult to land due to the mountain terrain.” “Is Private Drops on board that ship?” “She is. Which reminds me, I better go ahead and contact her. Let her know we’re almost back at the ship.” However, before Hider could reach his headset, he was interrupted by a loud crunching noise. The group didn’t know what it was at first, that is until Chessk blurted something out. “These are footsteps. Everyone be careful! Someone is approaching us!” The ponies were the first to react. Panicking, they immediately delve into the snow, hoping that the white fields would protect them from any danger. The two Jedi were next. Upon hearing Chessk’s warning, they quickly activated their lightsabers. Lyra curled her lip, showing a brief hint of anger that no one hadn’t noticed. She was so close to the finish line, and yet these Mandalorians have already caught up with her. Sighing in frustration, she assumed her brace ready Ataru stance, ready to perform her duties as a Jedi. As she did this, a dozen armored soldiers could be spotted right behind Chessk. “There they are!” shouted the Mandalorian. “Blast them!” “Oh no you don’t!” yelled back the Padawan as she quickly conjured a telekinetic push. She’d hoped that the wave would at least knock her enemies down, but to her surprise, it didn’t. “Ugh, damn Jedi and their stupid powers! Get a hold of yourselves, everyone! Aim first and shoot to kill! I repeat, shoot to kill!” Lyra went pale. With that many soldiers all firing at once, there was no way that she or her friends would be able to defend themselves. Sure, they may have faced off against uneven odds back at the prison cells, but they won that fight because of their ambush. This, however, was entirely different. But a Jedi’s life is sacrifice. If she had to die defending her own kin, then so be it. Readying her lightsaber, the young Padawan called upon the Force and was about to jump head toward her enemies. Before she could do so, however, a streak of blue light flew above her head, hitting the commanding Mandalorian soldier. Seeing this, Lyra stopped in place. That light, which appeared to be a blaster bolt at first glance, came from seemingly nowhere. At first, she thought that Hider or perhaps Geefour may have made the shot, but she brushed that notion off. Their blasters fired red bolts, not blue. Suddenly, a loud battle cry could be heard coming from inside the forest. At once, Lyra turned to see who it was and—to her surprise—spotted a man wearing Republic military armor. And he wasn’t alone. Soon, others joined him at his side. All of whom were wearing the same armor that he had. “Everyone, attack!” shouted the man as the Republic military charged toward the opposing Mandalorian force. “For Alderaan! For the Republic!” It happened in an instant. Soon, Mandalorian and Republic soldiers squared off against each other. Lyra immediately hid for cover as blaster bolts rained down on her position. “Everypony, keep your heads down!” the Padawan barked while she buried herself beneath the thick snow. Thankfully, the skirmish between the two opposing forces didn’t last long. The Republic had the numbers advantage and made quick work of the Mandalorian squad. “Master Jedi! ” shouted a Twi’lek Republic soldier who had immediately ran to Master Darran’s side and saluted him out of respect. “Sergeant Dabrato reporting for duty, sir!” “At ease, soldier. Now isn’t the time to be acting so formal,” replied Master Darran. “I must say, you Republic soldiers came in at the right time. For a second there, I thought I’d have to unleash my full power.” T3-G4 let out a loud whirring noise that garnered everyone's attention. “You can say that again, tin can! Seriously, is the old man bluffing? Just how much power can one person have?” shouted a confused Hider. “We’re talking about the Force here, human. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me if a member of the Jedi Council would land on top of us right now,” replied Chessk. “Eh, good point.” “With all due respect, sirs, this isn’t exactly the time for idle conversation,” advised Sergeant Dabrato before turning toward the group of ponies. “Are these the captives that you rescued, Master Jedi?” Darran nodded. “Yes. These ponies came to Republic space several days ago but were captured and held as prisoners upon making first contact. I’ll spare you the details on who they are. Just know that these travelers were held hostage by Mandalorian soldiers.” “I see. Well, on behalf of the Republic, we apologize for not discovering your whereabouts sooner,” said the Sergeant as he saluted in front of the ponies. In response, Captain Impact saluted him back, surprising the Twi’lek soldier. “Ah, you’re military, aren’t you?” “That’s correct,” said the Pegasus Captain. “I am Platinum Impact, Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sergeant.” “Likewise,” replied the Twi’lik. Before he and the Captain could say anything else, a loud explosion could be heard from the Mandalorian base, causing several ponies to shriek in fear. “I apologize, Captain. But it looks like our talk will have to be cut short.” “I understand. Best of luck to you, Sergeant,” Platinum said as she gave one final salute to the Twi'lek before he joined the rest of his squad. “That alien looked really weird. Especially with those two tentacles on his head. Yuck,” said an Earth pony mare. Her comment, however, caused Captain Impact to slap her on the head. “Ow! Captain, what was that for?” “Watch that tongue of yours, missy! That alien may look weird, but he’s still military! So show some respect!” berated the Captain. “Yeah, I’m with the pony on this one. You really shouldn’t be disrespecting Republic soldiers like that. Especially when they’re giving us time to escape,” replied Hider whose comment caused the Earth pony mare to frown. “Hey, don’t take it too personally. You’re still new to this galaxy, so I can excuse what you said earlier. Just don’t make it a habit, okay. There are plenty of other aliens that look weirder than Twi’leks and the last thing you want to do is to insult them.” The Earth pony mare blinked. “Wait, are you serious? There are even weirder looking aliens than that thing?” “Oh, please! Across the galaxy, there are hundreds of aliens that look weird! Sure, Twi’leks have those tentacles drooping from their heads; but for the most part, they’re completely human! Kriff, out in the outer-rim worlds, you’ll find an alien species who’re basically giant talking slugs!” “Ew!” shouted a now grossed out mare. And she wasn’t alone. At once, all the ponies—even Captain Impact—all gaped at Hider, hoping that the man was only joking. But he wasn’t. And upon realizing that, the ponies were left feeling queasy. Lyra rolled her eyes. “And just like that, you turn a wise comment and turn it into something off-putting. Was it really necessary for you to tell them that?” “What? They were going to learn more about the Hutts eventually. So, why not tell them about it now?” Hider said playfully as a smile formed on his lips. His comment caused T3-G4 to beep at him profusely. “See, the tin can is with me! At least this way they’ll view Twi’leks on a brighter note.” “Comparing Twi’leks to another alien species is not how you deal with negative stereotypes!” berated Lyra. Before she could begin her tirade on her captain, Chessk quickly smacked the young Padawan on the back of her head. “As much as I disagree with the human’s… teachings, I’d prefer that we head back to the ship pronto. The last thing we need for us to get stuck in this crossfire,” he warned. “Chessk is right my Padawan,” advised Master Darran. “This area is about to become a battlefield. The more we delay our retreat, the bigger chance we might endanger your kin.” Lyra sighed. Despite her frustrations toward Hider’s nonchalant attitude, she cast her anger aside and galloped into the forest. At the very least, the trek through these woods was much more pleasant than before. No blizzard hampered her sight and the Mandalorian forces were held back by the combined Republic and Alderaanian forces. Things were finally going well; however, a loud explosion came from out of seemingly nowhere, halting their advance. “W-what was that?” asked one stallion, clearly startled by the eruption. And he wasn’t alone either. Fear had swept through the entire group of ponies again. Some had even buried themselves in the snow. “That was the sound of war, little equine,” said Chessk bluntly. “Given the militaristic presence here, I can assume that the Republic is trying to completely repel the Mandalorian forces here. Though how they are doing it eludes me.” “What do you mean?” asked Lyra. “That explosion could be anything, little Jedi. Artillery fire, bombers, rocket launchers. A drastic step in repelling the invaders one would think; but given how close Alderaan is to the Coruscant, it doesn’t surprise me the Republic chose this method of brutality.” “B-brutality?” asked a now startled Captain Impact. “Your military is willing to use such dangerous weapons just to repel a small invasion force?” Before the Captain could get any answer, she was interrupted by another explosion. “Save the chit chat for later, Captain. We must reach the Omega, pronto! Before we get caught up in this mess!” shouted Master Darran. The Captain gritted her teeth, but nonetheless, she obeyed the Jedi Master and followed the group further into the forest. Eventually, after a long run, they arrived at their destination. Lyra stopped dead in her tracks as she examined the Omega. Against all odds, the Mandalorians had never discovered its whereabouts. Aside from the snow, it appeared the ship was in the same condition as before: unscathed and untouched. “We’ve made it,” Hider said while taking a moment to catch his breath. Lyra saw this. It appeared that fatigue was starting to kick in. “Quick everyone, get onboard the ship, now!” To the pilot’s dismay, the ponies weren’t so quick to follow his command. Instead of boarding the ship right away, they froze and gawked at the inter-galactic vehicle. “That’s your ship? That’s the ship we’re riding on?” asked one curious Earth pony. Hider blinked in confusion. The ponies sudden question caught him off-guard. However, Lyra knew the real reason why this pony and everypony else stopped. “I know Hider’s ship looks amazing, but can you please save your curiosities for later,” pleaded the young Padawan. “Come on, we got to leave this place before this place becomes a battlefield.” Thankfully, her words reached the ponies ears. At once, they climbed aboard the Omega, following Master Darran, T3-G4, and Chessk inside. And as the last pony boarded the ship, Hider gave Lyra a smile, assumingly thanking the young Padawan for getting the ponies back to their senses. As he and the young Padawan were the last to board, they were immediately greeted with cheers. It appeared that Sweetie Drops had been waiting for them at the entrance to greet them, but she’d been hounded by Captain Impact and all the others, who were more than happy to see the young Private. “Private Drops, you’re okay!” shouted Captain Impact as she hugged Sweetie tightly around her hooves. “Oh, thank Celestia! I was so worried! When you were forced to stay behind with that wretched alien, I feared the worst!” “It’s good to see you’re okay too, Captain,” Sweetie said as she struggled to get out of her superior’s grasp. When she eventually did, she and Lyra exchanged looks. “Lyra, thank you. Because of you, this nightmare is finally over.” Lyra smiled. The knowledge that she had finished her quest very much elated the young Padawan. Sure it wasn’t the Jedi way to bask in your emotions like that, but she didn’t care. She had done what she had promised. Now, everypony can go home safely. “Yes, you performed very admirably Lyra Heartstrings,” stated Captain Impact. “On behalf of all of us and Equestria, we thank you and your friends for your timely rescue.” T3-G4 let loose a loud bleep, getting the attention of everypony on the ship. “Uh, I don’t understand beep talk. Does anypony know what that thing is saying?” asked one pony. “He’s saying that you can drop the charade now, Captain. There’s no need to hide it anymore,” replied Chessk bluntly. Lyra tilted her head. “Hide? Hide what? Chessk, what are you talking about?” “Oh, come on, kid! You still haven’t figured it out yet? Jeez, how can you be so dense?” shouted a now irritated Hider, whose comment only angered the young Padawan. But before Lyra could give into her feelings, the ship captain brushed her off. “No, I don’t want to hear it. I’m heading to the cockpit. You go ahead and have your one on one time with your family.” “Family? Hider what are you talking about?” “Search your feelings, my Padawan. You know who this mare is,” replied Master Darran as he bent his knees and patted Lyra on her head. “Focus. Reach out with the Force. And the truth will reveal itself.” Hearing her master’s words made Lyra groan in frustration. She was about to argue back at the Jedi Master and convince him to just tell her the truth, but Darran simply booped her on the noise, stood back up, and walked away. Seeing this, the ponies—even Sweetie Drops—chucked at the young Padawan’s embarrassing moment. But rather than letting her emotions get the better of her, Lyra followed her master’s instructions and reached out with the Force. Using the cosmic energies around her, Lyra delved into the Captain’s mind. It was a dangerous thing to do, using her powers to reach out into one’s psyche. Such a crude method of the Force could easily hurt the mare. If she wanted answers, then she had to do this quickly and carefully. Her curiosities, however, were answered the moment she peered into the mare’s thoughts. And what the Force showed shocked her. Lyra soon found herself in a familiar lit room. It had a sofa, a fireplace, and a seemingly comfortable rug in between the two objects. To her right was a unicorn stallion, and on the rug was an eerily familiar looking filly. The small pony was preoccupied with her toys and the stallion looked happy. Suddenly, the young filly turned to face the two ponies, revealing a familiar face that shocked the young Padawan. It was herself. Stunned, the young Padawan immediately left Platinum's mind. But as her vision panned out, her eyes widened as she saw herself hugging what appeared to be another pony. And not just anypony. It was the Captain herself. Lyra screamed. The sheer amount of Force power coupled with her emotional instability caused the mare to tumble onto the floor. Gasping for air, she quickly tried to pull herself back on all fours but was unable to do so until Sweetie Drops came to her side and helped her. “Hey! Are you alright?” asked the Private. Lyra nodded her head. “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. Just had a little Force vision, that’s all.” She looked directly at her friend and frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me, Sweetie? Why didn’t you tell me my own mom was a part of your crew?” To her disappointment, Sweetie did not answer her question, preferring to look away and stay silent. Seeing this, Lyra was about to prod her friend for more answers but was abruptly interrupted when Captain Impact rushed in and grabbed her. “M-mom?” The mare answered only with a smile as she tightened her grip on her daughter. Tears followed, though Platinum wasn’t the only one who was gave into her feelings. In a moment of weakness that was uncharacteristic for a Jedi, Lyra surrendered to her emotions and cried. Wrapping her hooves around her mother, she buried her face onto the Captain’s soft warm coat.