//------------------------------// // Chapter 39 // Story: Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search // by currentlemon //------------------------------// Rolling about on her bunk bed, Padawan Lyra Heartstrings sighed in sweet relief. She was having a sweet dream, and the surprisingly comfortable bed made the experience even better. It was shocking, really, sleeping on a bed so small yet its softness outclassed the beds on the Omega. Granted, such words would irritate Hider if she’d said out loud, but she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was a blissful sleep and her soft warm bed. Her blissful sleep wouldn’t last much longer, however. An irritating loud beeping noise erupted into her ears, waking her up. At first, she tried to block out the sound by using her pillow to cover her ears, but that had little success. The alarm was simply too loud for her to get any more sleep. Disgruntled, Lyra sat straight up while holding her pillow around her ears. To her surprise, a rush of Republic military officials darted past her without saying a word. She wanted to ask someone what was going on, but she was ignored as the officers made a beeline for the exit. “Finally, you’re awake!” Lyra turned around to see Sweetie Drops running toward her. She looked to be half awake, but she was in a rush just as the Republic officers were. “Sweetie, what’s going on Why is everyone in such a rush?” Lyra asked. “Because we’re home, Lyra! We’re finally home!” exclaimed Sweetie Drops. “We just dropped out of hyperspace a few minutes ago, and from what I heard, there aren’t any signs of Mandalorian ships. But the Admiral alerted the entire fleet just in case of any attack.” “What? Where is my mom? Did she already leave? And what about my Master?” “They’re already gone, Lyra! The Captain is already at the hangar bay while your teacher is at the bridge with the Admiral. We’re in a hurry, so I think it’d be best if we just head down to the hangar right now and board the… hey! Where are you going?” Ignoring Sweetie’s cries, Lyra dashed out of the crews’ living quarters and into the hallway. She had forgotten to put on her Jedi tunic, but it never came into her mind. The only thing she wanted to see right now was her home, and the bridge is the only place where she could see it. Upon arriving at her destination, she immediately galloped inside as soon as the automatic doors flung open. Skidding to a halt, Lyra let out a sharp gasp. Just outside the ship was a planet lavished in blue and green. She had seen many other planets like this before; however, this one was different. She couldn’t explain why but staring at the planet brought her a measure of peace. A feeling of warmth. Then it came to her. This was it. This was what she longed for. After a decade in waiting, she had finally achieved it. She had returned home at long last. “Padawan, is that you?” Turning her head, Lyra spotted her master walking alongside Admiral Karath. The latter was staring at her with wide eyes. “What are you doing here, Padawan Heartstrings? You should be at the hangar bay with your kin! And… why aren’t you wearing your Jedi tunic?” shouted a surprised, yet still angry Fleet Admiral. “Oh, um… when I heard that we’ve arrived, I ran all the way here. I didn’t really think about putting on my tunic,” Lyra answered sheepishly. “Wait, let me guess,” said Master Darran. Since this is the first time you’ve seen your home in a decade, you wanted to see the planet yourself. So, you made a mad dash for the bridge without bothering to dress yourself properly. Is that correct, my student?” “Uh… yes?” Darran sighed. “I should’ve known you’d pull off something like this. But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. Anyone who’s been away from their home after a long period would have the same reaction such as yours.” “It doesn’t matter! She should be at the hangar bay boarding my nephew’s ship!” exclaimed a still angry Admiral Karath. “The Mandalorians aren’t here yet! Now is the perfect time to take the equines down planet-side without them getting caught in the middle of battle!” Lyra frowned. “You’re right. Forgive me, I’ll head straight for the hangar bay and meet up with the others.” As she turned to leave the bridge, the exit’s automatic door swung open before she could make a move. There, standing outside the bridge, was another Twi’lek. It wasn’t Sergeant Dabrato, however; but rather, a tan skinned female Twi’lek whose choice of attire didn’t resemble that of a Republic Naval officer. In fact, it only made Lyra question why she was here in the first place.  By the Force, this woman was showing a lot of skin. Granted, she wasn’t revealing too much. Her t-shirt and pants covered her privates, but her midsection was showing, and her shirt looked more like a lavish sports bra. “Sir! I’ve come to report that our ships are ready for launch!” shouted the Twi’lek. “I’m aware that the Mandalorians haven’t arrived yet, but given this moment of peace, I’d recommend that we send out our fighters now so that we… have the… upper hand?” Twi'lek stammered a bit as she slowly made eye contact with Lyra. Eventually, she paused mid-speech, preferring to stare at the garmentless pony standing in front of her. “Oh my gosh,” she gasped, finally breaking her silence. “Is it… is it really you, Lyra?” Lyra blinked. Her doubts about this Twi’lek had all but vanished the moment she mentioned her name. In response, her eyes drifted onto the woman’s waist, only to be surprised to see the symbol of the Jedi Order dangling on the woman’s belt. She sighed. Of course she of all people would be here. Given that Luka and Jordan were already on board, it shouldn’t come to any surprise that her last clanmate was also with them. “Uh, hey there, I’daka. It’s good to… see you again,” she greeted, albeit hesitantly. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but can you please let me pass… whoa!” Lyra was never given the chance to finish talking. As soon as she spoke up, the Twi’lek ran straight for her and gave her a big hug. “Lyra, it’s you!” I’daka shouted gleefully. Her hug grew ever so tighter. “Y-yeah, it’s good to see you too, I’daka. But as happy as our reunion is, can you please let go of me! Your… putting me in a really uncomfortable position right now.” Realizing her mistake, I’daka immediately broke her hug allowing Lyra to catch her breath. “Oh, sorry about that. It’s just that, haven’t seen you in such a long time and seeing you without your tunic on is… oh, Force. You’re just so cute!” Lyra groaned. Out of all of her clanmates, I’daka was probably the clingiest and the most obsessed with her. She wasn’t like Luka where he constantly competed with her in every way during their training; rather, she flat out adored Lyra. Since the first time they met, the Twi’lek would try to get every opportunity to hug the poor mare. So much so that several Jedi Masters, including Master Darran himself, had to pull her away and scold her for invading a person’s privacy. Granted, she eventually toned her emotions down a bit; but despite becoming a Padawan herself, I’daka never grew out of her clingy attitude. Ugh, did she seriously have to smother her breasts all over my face? Lyra thought as she brushed her coat with her hooves. Just what is the point of that outfit anyway? Is she trying to arouse all the men here on purpose? “I’daka, what did I tell you about invading the personal space of others?” said Master Darran. He sighed and shook his head in disappointment. “Honestly, I figured that you’d learn your lesson by the time you became a Padawan. Yet here you are.” I’daka frowned. The happiness she expressed from earlier had all but died down the moment she received a scolding. “I’m sorry, Master Darran. I didn’t mean to put Lyra in an uncomfortable position. It’s just that… well, she’s so cute!” “I’daka, you are a Jedi. You should know how to control your emotions by now. What, are you going to act this way every time you meet Lyra? Her kin are on board on this ship right now! Are you suggesting that you can’t even control your own impulses around even one pony?” “Master Jedi, enough! You keep this up and you’ll make the girl cry. Though I admit, such childish impulses have no place on this ship,” said Admiral Karath with a sigh. “Report, Jedi I’daka. You said something about wanting to send out our ships?” “F-forgive me for my actions, Admiral. But like I said earlier, there aren’t any signs that the Mandalorians are here yet. Shouldn’t we send out our ships now?” I’daka asked. “Negative, Padawan. All ships are on standby until we know for sure that the enemy is here or not. The only ship that has any clearance to leave is my nephew’s.” “You mean that stupid looking big ship that’s docked in the hangar right now?” Lyra grimaced. Did her friend really insult Hider’s ship just because of how it looked? Ridiculous! For a second, she wanted to berate I’daka for her careless taunt; but after catching a glimpse of her master’s face looking right at her, she withheld her comments and allowed Admiral Karath to continue talking. “That ship is a dynamic-class freighter! It may not look like it, but its speed is comparable to that of our starfighters, perhaps even faster! So, don’t judge a ship by its size, Jedi. The galaxy is much more to offer than you can possibly know,” argued the Admiral. “And don’t insult my nephew. I may not agree with the decisions he’s made, but he’s still family.” “S-sir, yes sir!” replied I’daka. After saluting before the Admiral, the Twi’lek Jedi turned to leave the bridge. However, she stopped to give Lyra one last goodbye. “I’m not sure if you are going with us or not, but be safe out there, okay Lyra? Cause when we’re done winning this thing, you’re going to introduce me to those new ponies on deck!” Lyra and her master sighed. Despite receiving a scolding a few moments ago, the girl refuses to learn her lesson. “Before you go, Padawan I’daka, there is one thing I’d like to ask,” spoke Master Darran. “Your master. Where is he?” “Oh, my master isn’t here on board the ship, Master Darran. He’s still with the main Republic fleet back on Coruscant,” replied I’daka. “Yes, I know it’s pretty weird that he decided not to come with us, but Master Bryant is fully confident that we’ll succeed. So, I’m sure we’ll be fine.” “What? But according to Admiral Karath, most of the Jedi present within the fleet are only Padawans!” I’daka frowned. “Master are you saying that you don’t have confidence in our abilities?” she asked, annoyed that the Miralukan Jedi did not share the same confidence as her. She expected a rebuke from the Jedi Master, but the old man did not give in. Instead, he merely shook his head in disapproval. Realizing that her conversation was going nowhere, I’daka stormed out of the bridge, leaving behind a confused Lyra. “Master is this true? The Jedi on this fleet are only Padawans?” she asked. Darran answered with a nod, surprising the young Jedi. If there were only Padawans present on the fleet, that means that there were no Jedi Masters present besides her own. Master Kavar was also here, but he’s somewhere down in Equestria.   Lyra curled her lip. I’daka’s master wasn’t actually a Jedi Master, but a Jedi Knight. A prestigious Knight, yes, who the High Council allowed to choose a Padawan. But not a Master.  He’s also the one who convinced her and the rest of Lyra’s clanmates to join the Revanchists in the first place. If he really cared for I’daka, then why didn’t he come with her in the first place? “As much as I share your concerns, Master Darran, I suggest that you and your student not dwell on these Jedi,” advised Admiral Karath. “They may be Padawans, but they are capable. Have some faith in them, and our Navy.” Darran sighed. “I suppose I don’t have much of a choice now, do I? Very well. I’ll leave the command up to you,” he said. As the Admiral left the two Jedi alone, Master Darran turned his head toward the direction of Lyra. “What are you standing there for, my student? Unless there is something you’d like to ask, I suggest you hurry to the hangar.” “Yes, master.” Lyra quickly galloped out of the bridge and back into the hallway. Her first objective in mind was to go back to her quarters to retrieve her belongings. Though the ship’s halls were filled with Naval officers scrambling all over the place, that didn’t stop her. And after doing her best to avoid any incidents, she eventually made it to her first destination. To her surprise, she spotted Sweetie Drops standing outside the room waving at her. It appeared that the mare was waiting for her. A good thing too as she had all of Lyra’s equipment with her. “Finally, you’re here!” said Sweetie. Sitting down, she allowed all of Lyra’s belongings to fall off her back. “After you left, I took the liberty of gathering all of your stuff. Everything should be accounted for.” Lyra nodded as she quickly made sure Sweetie gathered everything. Her tunic. Her belt. And lastly, her lightsaber. It was all here. Not wanting to waste any more time, she clenched her lightsaber between her teeth; and together with her friend, she galloped toward her hangar bay.  As the two ponies reached their destination, they were greeted by a large number of naval personnel. The entire place was packed with personnel and pilots scrambling to get their starfighters ready for the oncoming fight. The large crowd made it difficult to navigate the area at first; but eventually, the two made it to the Omega. Standing outside the ship’s boarding ramp was Captain Platinum Impact. For reasons unknown, she didn’t look very happy. “Mom, we’re here!” shouted Lyra, calling out her mother in an attempt to get her attention. It worked, though Platinum didn’t seem all too pleased to see her daughter. “Honey, you’re late!” the Captain yelled. “Where in Celestia were you? You should’ve been here the moment the ship’s alarm went off!” “Forgive me, ma’am,” Sweetie replied as she saluted before her captain. “When I woke your daughter up, she immediately ran for the bridge after I told her that we are home.” Platinum’s eye twitched. “What? Lyra, why would you do such a thing! Time is the utmost essence right now! We don’t have time for sightseeing!” Lyra curled her lip. At first, she wanted to tell her mother that her lateness was caused by a colleague of hers; however, there wasn’t any point. And besides, the decision to go directly to the bridge was something she chose on her own. “Sorry about that, mom,” she replied solemnly.  Her mother sighed in response. “It’s alright. Just get on board the ship already, okay. Your friend’s already given clearance to leave the frigate and we already established contact with the Princess in Equestria. She’s waiting for us in the secret port at Macintosh Hills. The others are with her too, and so is that Jedi Master.” “Oh, you mean Master Kavar?” “Yes, that person. Princess Celestia welcomed him and the Jedi Knights who accompanied him. They are currently standing by in case any battle occurs in our lands.” “They didn’t run into any trouble, did they?” asked Sweetie Drops. Platinum shook her head. “If you’re wondering how the meeting went between the Princess and Equestria’s first alien visitors, Private, you don’t have to worry. It went well. Granted, a few ponies were concerned that I was missing from the group. My husband included. But when Master Kavar mentioned Lyra’s name, diplomacy went well after that.” “Wait, dad is down there too?” Lyra asked. Her ears wobbled in excitement. “Yes, honey. Your father is waiting for us down there too.” “Really? That’s great! I can’t wait to finally see him again after all these years!” Platinum smiled at her response; but it quickly curled into a frown, catching Lyra’s attention. “Honey, there is something I should let you know first before you reunite with your father,” she said as her ears drooped. “It's something that I should’ve told you sooner, but nonetheless, you deserve to know.” “Yeah, what is it?” Platinum opened her mouth to speak; however, she was interrupted by a booming alarm that echoed across the entire hangar bay. “Oh for Celestia’s sake! What is it now?” she shouted, clearly annoyed. “The first alarm was loud enough!” “Ugh, they’re here!” replied Lyra, shakenly. Mere seconds ago, a sharp, painful sting pierced through her head. It is as if she felt her face burning as a grenade exploded in her face. “Mom, save whatever you were going to tell me later. We need to leave, now!” “Why, what’s going on? Can you sense something?” asked Sweetie who had grown accustomed to Lyra’s Force abilities. Her question was quickly answered when Admiral Karath’s voice could be heard from an intercom. “Attention all units! Prep your ships and prepare for battle immediately!” shouted the Admiral’s voice. “The Mandalorians have arrived!” Deep within the confines of Hyperspace, the Mandalorian flagship known as the Annihilator flew through the stars. The ship itself was large enough to house dozens of Neo-crusader soldiers, their starships, and a handful of basilisk droids. However, it was still fast enough to keep up with many of the other frigates within the Mandalorian fleet. Among those within the flagship was Khal Dryll. Dressed in his people’s battle armor, he had been waiting in the Annihilator’s bridge, eagerly waiting the fight ahead. Should the coordinates that his squad discovered were be correct, the flagship would drop out of hyperspace at an unmarked planet.  The home of the equines. The home of his rival. “Ugh, how long must we wait? We should’ve arrived at the equines’ home planet ages ago,” said Khal. “Be patient, my nephew. We’ll be there soon enough,” replied his uncle, who had accompanied him on the bridge. “I know you are eager for a fight. We all are. But take this moment to relax. An overeager soldier is usually the first to die in battle.” Khal nodded. Although he didn’t really like being lectured by his uncle most of the time, there was truth in his words. Suddenly, the flagship gave off a loud whirl for all on the bridge to hear, causing Khal to smile devilishly. He knew what that noise was. It was the sound of a ship dropping out of a hyperspace tunnel. At long last, they had arrived. The ship vibrated once more before leaving hyperspace. As the white streaks of light faded, a planet came into view. “Commander! We have finally reached our destination!” shouted a Mandalorian computer operator. “The equine home planet is within sights. Shall we begin our preparations for an orbital invasion or wait until the rest of our fleet arrives?” Commander Dryll frowned. “Hold off the orbital invasion for now, Staff Sergeant. It appears we’ve been beat. The Republic has gotten here first.” Khal shared his uncle’s displeasure as he stared at the Republic fleet in front of him. Yet his smile did not fade. The opposing fleet’s forces were fairly large, yes, but by no means were a match for theirs. “Sir!” shouted the same operator from before. “I’m receiving a transmission. The rest of our fleet is about to drop out of hyperspace!” The Commander’s frown reverted to a smile as several dozen Mandalorian ships appeared out of hyperspace. Two of which were flagships similar to the Annihilator size. It became apparent that they outnumbered the Republic fleet three to one. “Uncle, is it possible for the Republic fleet to have Jedi amongst their ranks?” Khal asked. His uncle bawled out in laughter. “I hope so!  That puny armada of theirs won’t last a half an hour against ours! If the Republic has any guts, they’d send out their best against us!” He looked back at his nephew and gave him a smirk. “Khal, you wouldn’t happen to be thinking about that little equine Jedi, are you?” “There is no shame in wanting to fight such a worthy opponent. Whether it be out here in the vacuum of space or on the fields of her home planet, I’d be more than happy to trade blows against her again.” Khal smirked. “Although the thought of fighting more Jedi excites me as well. I can only hope that they provide a good fight just as Padawan Heartstrings.” “Let us hope that is the case,” said Commander Dryll. “Operators! Send a signal to the other flagships. Tell them to get their men ready for the oncoming assault! And alert the rest of our men to get ready! I want them ready for takeoff in no less than ten minutes!” “Sir, yes sir!” shouted all the Mandalorians in the room, excluding Khal, who was preoccupied at the moment. He stared at the Republic fleet in front of him and scoffed. Such a tiny fleet. Is that truly the best that the Republic can do? Or perhaps there is a hidden secret among their ranks that will give them the edge? Jedi are among their ranks, that much is certain to him. But will it be enough to make it an even fight? As he stared at the opposing fleet in front of him, a single ship popped out from one of the Republic’s frigates. Khal squinted. It was difficult to see, but he could tell that the ship was not part of the Republic’s Navy. And strange enough, it wasn’t flying in their direction. Rather, it was heading for the planet. It looks like that ship isn’t planning on participating in the fight. Why is that? Khal pondered in his mind as he followed the opposing ship’s course. He then looked at his commander. Should I bring this up to my uncle? However, the eager Mandalorian didn’t say a thing as he eventually caught something of interest. Out in the void of space was the planet’s moon. The size of it was nothing spectacular. There were many other moons in the galaxy that matched those of the one Khal was seeing now. But there was something off about this moon. Something foreboding that he couldn’t really explain. And the longer he stared at it, the more uneasy he felt. Then, he found it. On the moon, there was a strange carving of some sort. Or at least that’s what he thought. Several streaks of blackish blue lines scared the moon’s surface. He didn’t know what it was or why this moon was like that in the first place. Nevertheless, his eyes were completely glued to the moon now as he followed the streaks. As he did this, he eventually realized something odd. The streaks that covered the moon’s surface, came together to form a shape. A shape which resembled that of an equine. Khal paled. Why the heck didn’t he see this till now! And why did this elaborate shape on the moon bring him such uneasiness that he couldn’t explain. He desperately wanted to say something to his commander, but will he believe him? If anything, his uncle would probably brush his concerns aside and tell him to focus on the upcoming battle. But as he turned to his uncle, Khal gasped as a strange bluish substance floated around the entire bridge. He’d nearly screamed in panic; but to his shock, a strange black behemoth of an equine stood tall right behind his uncle. He didn’t know what to do or what to think. All he could do was stand there as the rest of the crew eventually caught eye of this unknown intruder. “That is one big fleet.” Hider said out loud as he steered his ship closer to the pony planet. It had been a short while since the Omega left Admiral Karath’s frigate. Upon hearing that the Mandalorians had arrived, Lyra and the remaining ponies quickly boarded the aircraft. Without having to explain anything, the former smuggler gunned his ship toward Equestria. But just as they were about to enter the planet’s atmosphere, Hider announced a lone Mandalorian frigate floating near the planet’s moon. Wanting to see this for herself, Lyra quickly ran to the cockpit to join her crewmates. What she saw, however, made her heart sink. Shortly after the arrival of the enemy, more ships began to drop out of hyperspace. Pretty soon, an entire armada appeared. “Sweet Celestia,” said Sweetie Drops. The mare had also joined Lyra at the cockpit as well, only to be dismayed by the sight of the enemy fleet. “We’re… we’re supposed to fight against that?” “It appears so,” replied Hider. His eyes never drifted away from the dangerous Mandalorian fleet. “Damn. It looks like the Republic will have its hands full.” “Indeed. From the looks of things, it appears that the enemy forces outnumber our allies,” remarked Chessk. Sweetie’s face went pale. “W-what? How are they supposed to stand up against that?” “I’m sure they will be fine. The Republic Navy has some very experienced pilots. Plus, they got the old man and my uncle on their side too. I’m certain they’ll think of something,” Hider said. He then glanced over to Lyra. “What about you, kid? You think your old man’s got something up his sleeve?” Lyra opened her mouth to reply, but an intense amount of pain coursed through her head. She had experienced a similar sort of pain earlier on the frigate; however, that one paled in comparison to what she felt now. “Hey, what’s the matter kid?” Hider shouted as the Padawan lumped into the floor. Weak, but still conscious, Lyra tried to answer her friend. Before she could say anything, however, everyone averted their eyes toward the large Mandalorian flagship as a large blue beam erupted from the ship’s interior.