Anger. Dread. Loneliness. Despair. That is what Jedi Master Gizar Darran felt right now. These weren’t his emotions, however. Rather, this sensation came through the Force. Just moments ago, he stood side by side with Admiral Karath, ready to assist him and his crew in the upcoming battle. Then suddenly, a big disruption in the Force caused him to not only lose his balance, but also his eyesight.
Miralukans are blind at birth. Some were born with no eyes at all, only retaining vestigial eye sockets. But with this disability came a natural affinity for the Force. Nearly all Miralukans were Force Sensitive and were trained to use it the moment of birth. It is this reason why so many of his people were raised to be inspiring Jedi. The raw power of the Force allows the Miralukans to see like normal people.
But this connection wasn’t all glamorous. Large disruptions in the Force can tether their ability of sight, leaving them hampered, vulnerable, and helpless. Through training, a Miralukan can overcome these obstacles. However, the sensation Darran felt now was nothing he had sensed before.
Well, not since his days of fighting during the Great Sith War many decades ago.
“Master Darran, what’s wrong?”
The Jedi Master looked up. He hadn’t fully recovered from this distortion in the Force yet, but he had slowly regained his sight to the point where he could see Admiral Karath just barely. “You collapsed on us all of a sudden, Master Jedi. What happened?” asked the Admiral.
Darran shook his head. “Forgive me. It seems that I’ve been slacking somewhat on my training recently,” he replied. With the Admiral’s help, he managed to stand up again. However, his sight was still impaired slightly due to the unnatural currents of the Force. “What is happening right now, Admiral? Have our forces engaged the enemy?”
“No, they haven’t. The entire fleet is on standby ever since that Mandalorian flagship was torn apart by that blue beam,” answered Admiral Karath.
“Blue… beam?”
“Yes. A blue beam pierced through that Mandalorian flagship a moment ago. Judging from what I saw, it came from within the ship.”
“Within the ship?” Darran paused momentarily to regain his balance. Through his skill of rising meditation, he eventually accomplished his goal as well as his ability to see. However, what he saw out in the void of space was concerning. “Their ship. It’s falling apart.”
“Indeed it is,” replied Admiral Karath. “Ever since that strange blue beam pierced through that flagship, the Mandalorian fleet had made attempts to scatter away from it, leaving our enemies in a vulnerable position. Normally, I’d rush in and put an end to our enemies in one fell swoop; however, I ordered all of our forces on standby.”
“You’re hesitant because you want to know more about that beam, correct?”
“You are right. Though many of our starships have been deployed, we won’t be going on the offensive unless we know how exactly that beam showed up. For all we know, the destruction of their flagship could be a weapon malfunction.”
Darran curled his lip. Although he agreed with the Admiral’s order, he disagreed with his conclusion. Whatever caused the destruction of that enemy flagship was by no means a weapon malfunction. Something else caused it. Using the Force, he broadened his senses beyond that of a normal Jedi. Reaching into the void of space, he searched for anything that seemed suspicious.
“Master Jedi? What’s wrong?” asked the Fleet Admiral.
“Admiral, do you recall what Captain Impact said to us earlier? About the tale of the Mare in the Moon?” Darran replied with a grimace on his face. “I do not believe what she said was a mere fairy tale. Take a look at the moon and see for yourself.”
Admiral Saul Karath raised a brow but nonetheless followed Master Darran’s instructions. When he finally saw the planet’s moon, his eyes widened in shock. “What the heck? Why is there a detailed image of an equine plastered on the moon’s surface?” he asked. The moment he said this, the entire crew onboard the bridge stared at the moon as well.
Everyone jumped, however, when another blue beam suddenly appeared from within the Mandalorian flagship again. “Sir, there it goes again!” shouted a panicked Republic officer. “What is that!”
“Nightmare Moon I suppose,” replied Master Darran. “I’d take it that she didn’t appreciate the Mandalorians and their plans for Invasion.”
“What? You can’t be serious, Master Jedi! What makes you believe that this… pony exists?” argued the Admiral. “You heard the Captain! She said it’s supposed to be a fairy tale!”
“If you’ve been listening, Admiral, that fairy tale was later confirmed by their Princess. Not to mention the evidence sitting right in front of you!” Darran rebuked. “The strange image on the moon’s surface. The large beam that is piercing through the Mandalorian forces. We have enough evidence to suggest that this Nightmare Moon exists!”
What the Jedi Master didn’t tell the crew at the time was the amount of evil emanating from the moon itself. Whoever this Nightmare Moon is reeked of the Dark Side.
“What should we do?” asked Admiral Karath.
“Order your men to take the offensive,” advised Master Darran. “Since the enemy is in disarray, we can use this opportunity to strike now and finish the battle quickly. However, the moon plays a critical role. Our starfighters can’t just charge into enemy ships. If they do, they’ll likely be shot down by Nightmare Moon herself.”
“I see. So we allow that cursed pony to light our enemy’s fleet ablaze while our forces can maneuver around the moon and take out whatever stragglers are left.”
“Precisely. The opportune moment to strike is now, but we have to be careful. Any error on our part will cost us our chance of victory.” Though I doubt that cursed pony will allow our enemies to regroup.
“Sirs!” shouted a Naval officer who was working on the bridge’s computers. “I spotted several escape pods and a few basilisk droids leaving that flagship! They’re headed for the planet’s atmosphere right now!”
“What?” shouted the Admiral, angrily. “Oh, kriff it all! Tell all ships to engage at once!”
“But sir, what about those escape pods?” asked the same officer.
“Our main priority is the fleet, but we can’t ignore those fleeing Mandalorians. Order a small squadron to intercept those pods and destroy as many of them as they can. And alert our reserve forces as well. Should a number of pods avoid their destruction, I want to send them down there in case a land battle ensues.”
“Shall we contact the Omega as well?”
“Yes, contact my nephew immediately. We’ll need him for the upcoming battle. And send a message to all allied frigates as well. Tell them to get as many reserved troopers ready just in case.”
As the Fleet Admiral continued barking orders at his crew, Master Darran turned his back and began to leave the bridge. Before he could, however, Saul caught him in the act and demanded that he tell him where he was going. “I’m simply going to support our troops,” answered Darran.
“You’re going to join the battle?” Saul asked, confused by this statement.
“No, I won’t. I have another way of helping them. One that would allow me to stay on this ship and provide the support they need.”
His response confused the Fleet Admiral even more. But after taking a moment to think, Saul allowed the Jedi Master to leave and continued to order his crew.
Now all by himself, Darran came to a room that wasn’t too far away from the bridge. When the automatic door opened, he saw a room devoid of anything except for one meditation mat. He approached it and sat down in a meditation stance. He may not be a pilot like Hider or any of these Republic officers, but there was still something he could do. Through the Force, he’ll be able to help his allies and guide them to victory. He’ll need only hope that he can hold out for so long. The technique he’s about to use takes an enormous amount of energy to use.
Regardless, he’ll have to fight on. For the Jedi. For the Republic. And for his Padawan and her people.
“What in the kriff was that!” Hider yelled out loud. A while ago, everyone on board the Omega’s cockpit had witnessed the destruction of the large Mandalorian flagship. It was breathtaking to put it simply. A single beam pierced through the ship like butter, and the Republic Navy didn’t do a thing.
The effects of such destruction were immediate as well. Seeing their number one flagship destroyed, the Mandalorian flagships scattered. Their morale likely crumbled.
As Hider and the others speculated what was going on, Lyra was still recovering from the headache she experienced a while back. Though her pain may have been brief, it was the most painful experience she had in her entire life. The Force was literally ripping her head apart and she didn’t know why.
“Hey, are you alright?” asked Sweetie Drops, who had come to Lyra’s aid the moment she had collapsed on the floor.
“I-I’m fine. Don’t worry about it,” Lyra replied. With the help of her friend, she got back up on her four hooves and attempted to get one quick glance at the destroyed ship, but she was too late. The Omega was already entering the planet’s atmosphere.
“What kind of power was that?” asked Chessk. “It destroyed that ship so easily.”
“Whatever it is, it ain’t the Republic’s doing,” replied Hider. “You all saw that, didn’t you? The beam came from within the enemy ship, not our frigates.”
“Then what was it then?”
“Nightmare Moon,” answered Lyra. “She was the one who destroyed the ship.”
Hider flinched. “What! You can’t be serious!” he shouted. “Wasn’t she supposed to be a fairy tale of some sort? How can a pony like that possibly exist?”
“I know it’s crazy, but there is no other explanation!” Lyra argued. “We can only assume that she saw both fleets and wondered what was going on. The Mandalorian fleet was the closest to her so she checked them out first. I guess she disliked that they were planning on invading Equestria and possibly the entire planet.”
“Truly?” replied Chessk, who seemed very eager to learn more about the Mare in the Moon. “Given her history, one could assume that she’d side with the Mandalorians and assist them. But she blasted their ship apart instead. What a strange turn of events.”
“But how would she get onboard the flagship?” asked Hider. “Even if this… pony exists, we still don’t have an answer as to how she boarded that big ship in the first place.”
“I don’t know everything, Hider. All I know is that the actions of Nightmare Moon effectively turned the battle in space upside down,” answered Lyra. “Who knows. Maybe the Republic will capitalize on this sudden attack and use this opportunity to strike at the Mandalorians. But right now, I think we should focus on getting our task done first.”
“Our priority is to get these ponies home and rejoin the Republic as quickly as we can,” replied Chessk. He then looked at Sweetie Drops. “Creamy one. You said that there is a secret hangar bay that your Princess built, correct?”
Sweetie nodded. “Yes, there is one located at the Macintosh Hills south of our capital. I gave you coordinates for that location a while ago. Did you happen to install it on your ship?”
“The tin can did that a while back,” Hider answered as he steered his ship out of the planet’s atmosphere. He then pushed a button on the navigation computer, revealing a small yellow dot on the screen in front of him. “Looks like our destination isn’t that far off from where we are at right now. Shouldn’t take us long to get there.”
“Good. We need to inform the Princess on what’s happening and tell her about the situation with Nightmare Moon. Hopefully, she can provide us some answers and explain why she sided with us in the first place.”
“Don’t be so sure, creamy one,” replied Chessk. “Given what she did to the Mandalorians, I worry that this mare may also target our allies as well.”
“What? You think our magical moony mare will start firing magical beams from her magical prison on the moon?” Hider asked sarcastically. Chessk did not say a word. Rather than take the Captain’s bait, he just stared at him silently with a frown forming on his face. “Holy crap, you’re serious”
Chessk nodded his head. “Given our experience with the little Jedi’s kin and the Jedi Order itself, nothing would surprise me anymore,” he answered bluntly.
“Kriff, this is bad. If that pony has enough firepower to destroy a frigate size starship, then I don’t know if our guys will be able to handle it.”
“There’s no need to worry. As long as the fleet kept it’s distance away from the moon, they’ll be fine,” replied Lyra. “Besides, my master stayed behind with the rest of the fleet, so I’m sure he’ll be able to help them out.”
“How exactly can the guy help out? No offense, but he’s literally blind! And I don’t think the guy can pilot a starship either.”
Lyra rolled her eyes. “That is not what I’m referring to, Hider.”
“Then what is he going to do? Use the Force? I don’t see how powers like his are going to help anyone!” Hider shot back. “Oh, here you go pilots! You now have the ability to see through solid metal now! That’ll definitely help you in a dogfight out in space!”
Sweetie grimaced. “Hey, I know you are being sarcastic and all, but what you just said made me want to buck you so hard that you won’t be walking for weeks!” she rebuked as she and the captain began to argue amongst each other.
Seeing this, Lyra sighed in annoyance. But rather than ending her companions’ scuffle, she ignored it and allowed them to release some steam, believing it to be necessary.
She didn’t blame Hider or anyone else for having doubts. A single Jedi Master usually does not turn the tide of battle, but she knew something about her master that even other Jedi have no knowledge of. A technique her master knew that can bolster the fighting spirit of allies while weakening their enemies at the same time.
Battle Meditation. A rare Force ability that most would assume a Jedi Consular would master, not someone who dedicated themselves to fighting. But Master Darran was naturally gifted in the art. His influence alone could turn the tide of any battle. And it's for that reason the Jedi High Council kept it a secret among their ranks. Only they, a select handful of Jedi, and Lyra herself knew of Darran’s ability.
Granted, she just blurted out the secret to her companions just now. But given that they’ve been traveling with the Jedi Master for so long, she figured they’ve deserved to know.
“Little Jedi, you seem confident in your master,” noted Chessk. “Perhaps you know something that we do not?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. But I’ll explain everything later,” Lyra replied. She then turned to her two—still bickering—friends. “Guys, enough. We don’t have time for pointless squabbling. Sweetie, are we close to the Macintosh Hills?”
“I don’t know, ask this bozo!” rebuked Sweetie Drops. Her blasé, yet cold tone in her voice only made Lyra groan.
“To answer Private Candy’s question, yes, we are here,” Hider replied as he flipped a switch on his nav computer, causing the headlights of the ship to brighten up. In front of the crew was a large rocky mountain range that seemingly stretched for miles on end. “The kriff? There’s nothing but rocks here. Hey, Private Candy! Where the heck is that port?”
“Use your comm-link, Hider! Now that we’re near the port, I’m sure sompony will answer your call. And stop calling me that nickname. It’s annoying.”
“Nicknames are amusing, Private Candy. Get used to it!” Hider rebuffed as he picked up his comm-link from the nav computer. “This is Captain Hider Louhun hailing from the ship, Omega. Can anyone hear me? I repeat, can anyone hear me?”
Silence.
“Huh. No one is responding. That’s… odd. We literally spoke to a pony a while ago.”
“Give them time. I’m sure they know you’re here,” Sweetie replied. “If I had to guess, they’re probably removing the invisibility spell that hides the port.”
“Wait, invisibility spell?” asked Lyra. Her question would soon be answered when, to her surprise, the solid rock in front of them suddenly vanished into thin air. In its place was a small docking bay that paled in comparison to that of the other space stations she’d seen, but still large enough to hold at least three spaceships.
“What the heck was that?” shouted Hider with eyes open wide. The sight of the mountain disappearing into thin air left bewildered the Captain. The shock nearly caused the captain to fall off his chair.
Chessk also shared Hider’s expression as well, though he was far more composed compared to the ship captain. “I see. So that is the power of magic. Impressive,” he said. “I’ve seen the capabilities of such powers with little Cotton, but I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude.”
Hider, who had recovered from his initial shock, stared at Chessk in disbelief. “Wait a minute, big guy. You’ve seen something like this before?” he asked.
The Trandoshan nodded his head. “After our rescue of the equines, I decided that I’d spend some time with them as a means of making amends. I wasn’t successful at first; but with the creamy one’s help, I was successful in amending the wounds that I created and learned more about pony culture.”
“Cotton showed him a couple of magic spells and he got hooked,” explained Sweetie Drops. “He pestered her and the other unicorns if they knew more, but Cotton isn’t well versed in magic compared to licensed mages. Plus, the unicorn guards here use magic as a means of attack or defense. Spells such as invisibility are beyond them.”
Hider’s jaw dropped. “The Kriff? Just what kind of power the pony’s possess? Seriously, levitating objects or making things invisible ain’t small feat. Some might even compare you guys to Jedi!” He then turned to Lyra. “Are you sure your species aren’t Force sensitive?”
Lyra shook her head. “I asked that question plenty of times myself. The Force binds all things and is the center of all life in the galaxy. But I still don’t know whether it and pony magic are different or one in the same.”
“Well, you’re home now, aren’t you? Maybe if you ask your so-called Sun Princess, she may let you study more on the topic of magic. Who knows, maybe she’ll even let you take a few spell books with you when you get back to Dantooine.”
“When we win the war against the Mandalorians, I’ll consider it. Right now, we need to warn the Princess on what’s going on,” replied Lyra. “You haven’t moved the ship in a while, Hider. Are we going to make landfall or not?”
“Be patient, will you! It’s not every day you get to see weird crap like this,” replied Hider. Grasping the steering wheel, he slowly maneuvered the ship inside the now revealed spaceport. And as the ship descended, the sight of multiple pastel colored ponies could be seen just outside the cockpit’s window. “Quite the crowd we attracted, eh? Hey, kid! Do you happen to see any of your Jedi buddies down there?”
Lyra shook her head. “I don’t, but I can sense a couple Force Sensitives among the crowd. Master Kavar and his knights must be waiting for us down there. And… oh my gosh. What is this?”
“Is something wrong, little Jedi?” asked Chessk.
“N-no, nothing’s wrong. It’s just that… I sense a powerful Force entity radiating among the crowd. Before you ask, no, it’s not malevolent by any means. It’s… actually the opposite of that apparently.”
After sensing the dark powers of Nightmare moon earlier, this newfound sensation that Lyra had sensed was like a breath of fresh air. It was as if the sun itself was gleaming down on her; but instead of the heat of the star coming down on her coat, she felt kindness, generosity, and compassion. She tried to explain this to her companions at the best of her abilities; but aside from Sweetie Drops, they had no clue what she was talking about.
“That’s got to be Princess Celestia. She must be waiting for us along with the others” Sweetie said with a smile. It’s almost as if the mare was proud that her Princess was radiating with such benevolent Force energies.
“Oh, so we get to meet royalty, huh? Perfect!” exclaimed Hider sarcastically. “This day just keeps getting better and better!”
“Your witty attitude aside, I pray that you and the droid will be on your best behavior. The last thing we need is for the two of you to make a scene,” replied Chessk as he glared at the ship captain. “And no nicknames either. I’d imagine that her highness and her subjects wouldn’t be too keen on letting your lofty attitude slide.”
“Hey, the tin can is the one who you should be worried about the most, big guy. Not me!”
“I disagree. Although the droid can have a fowl mouth at times, the ponies cannot understand it. So, unless they have a spell that allows them to quickly understand droid binary, I suggest you act professional at all times.”
“Agreed,” said both Lyra and Sweetie Drops at once. And as if the insults couldn’t get any worse, the cockpit door swung open, revealing a raging T3-G4 that was beeping uncontrollably. The two ponies couldn’t understand it, but they were pretty sure its anger was directed at Hider.
Hider groaned. “You know, it’s one thing being lectured by a former mercenary, a military private, and a Jedi Padawan. But being lectured by a psychopathic droid of all things isn’t good for my self-esteem.” He sighed. “What do you want, tin can?”
T3-G4 bleeped repeatedly as if it were trying to explain something. Whatever its remark was, it made Hider’s eyes go wide. “You calibrated the ship’s gun turrets?” he asked. The droid bleeped again in response as the ship landed with a thud. “Guess I got something to keep me occupied. Hey, kid. How about you and Private Candy head on out? Since you guys don’t really want me to make a fool out of myself, I’ll stay here on my baby.”
“Did the droid do something to the weapons system?” asked Chessk.
“He provided some… upgrades to say the least. Not sure what he did, but I’ll check them out myself if it's any good. Plus, Someone has got to keep in tabs with the Republic Navy. Especially after what happened to that enemy flagship. Be best if I stay here and get in contact with my uncle.”
“Thanks, Hider,” said Lyra. Together with Sweetie Drops, she bolted out of the cockpit and went straight for the ship’s exit. When the two ponies eventually reached the boarding ramp, however, they couldn’t leave. The remaining ponies were already there waiting in line to ready to get out.
Within the crowd, Lyra spotted her mother. Figuring that she needed to update her regarding the situation, she approached the guardsmare first. “Mom!” she shouted, gaining the mare’s attention. From there, she quickly explained everything that occurred while in the cockpit. From the arrival of the Mandalorian flagship to its destruction.
The news upset Platinum as well as everypony else. “This is very troubling indeed,” the guardsmare said. “To think Nightmare Moon would actually take part in the battle.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Platinum!” Cotton Swirl argued. “For all we know, Nightmare is doing us all a favor! She’s making it even harder for those Mando brutes to invade our country!”
“That may be, but her actions endanger our allies too, Cotton. If the Republic isn’t careful, then it won’t be long before their fleet will be decimated,” countered Stalwart Shield.
“We shall inform Princess Celestia at once,” said Platinum just as the ship’s boarding ramp had opened. At once, the ponies dashed out of the ship, with Lyra and Sweetie trailing close behind. Upon leaving however, the duo was left stunned as the crowd of ponies cheered them on.
Lyra froze. She stared at the crowd with wide eyes as large amounts of confetti and party banners flew about. It was… confusing for the most part. She hadn’t seen such decorations before; or if she did, she had forgotten about them a long time ago.
“Hey, are you okay?” asked Sweetie Drops.
“Huh?” Lyra winced. She had forgotten that Sweetie was right behind her. “Oh, Sweetie. I’m sorry… I, what is it that you want?”
“You sort of blanked out for a second there. Is everything alright?”
“What? No! Everything is fine, really! It’s just that… well, I wasn’t expecting festivities when we made it home. So lively. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“Wait, what? Are you saying that you’ve never seen party decorations before?” Sweetie said. Such a bizarre statement made by Lyra caused the Private shout, catching the attention of a few prying ponies with good ears. Seeing this made the young Padawan sigh before briefly explaining her point of view.
Needless to say, this didn’t calm her friend down. “The Jedi don’t allow any parties at all? Not even on your own birthday!” Sweetie yelled out loud.
Lyra rolled her eyes. Wasn’t it agreed upon by the crew that by the time they’d leave the ship, everyone would be on their best behavior? Clearly this wasn’t the case now as Sweetie was trying to wrap her head around Jedi customs again. And to make things worse, the Private’s sudden outburst caused a scene, gaining the attention of a few ponies amongst the crowd.
I really shouldn’t have blabbed on about Jedi customs here. Doing so will only bring some unwanted attention.
As she tried to calm her best friend down, the sound of cheering suddenly began to grow quieter and quieter. Confused, Lyra looked back at the group only to see a rather tall looking pony taking center stage amongst the entire crowd. And to her surprise, everypony in the room was bowing before this seemingly mighty pony.
“Oh, Tartarus! It’s Princess Celestia!” shouted Sweetie Drops. Panicked, the Private fell mimicked the actions of the other ponies and fell to her belly. “What the heck are you doing, Lyra? Show some respect already!”
Despite the desperation in her voice, Lyra paid no attention to Sweetie. Her eyes remained focused squarely on the Princess in front of her. Tall. Regal. And the only pony present that has both a pair of wings and a horn. If she were to judge based on appearances only, then Lyra can understand why this pony is considered royalty.
But the Force showed a different meaning behind this pony’s regal presence. With its power, Lyra could feel the sheer amount of energy radiating off of this pony. It was as if she were sensing Nightmare moon again. But instead of the cold malicious energies of anger and hate, the Light radiated off Princess Celestia like a white star.
“Just who is this pony?” Lyra muttered to herself.
“My little ponies,” Princess Celestia exclaimed out loud. “It truly pleases me to see that you are alright. When I did not hear from any of you for days, I feared the worst.”
“Princess Celestia. We bring dire news,” said Sergeant Stalwart Shield. His head still lowered out of respect for his Princess. “Our desires for space travel have brought war to our nation. Invaders from a galaxy far away are planning to attack us at any moment!”
“Thank you for alerting me, Sergeant. But the ponies that came home before you have already alerted me of this potential invasion,” replied the Princess. “I assume that this so-called Galactic Republic is engaging the enemy in space, correct?”
“Yes, they are your highness. The situation seemed dire at first. The enemy spaceships have all but outnumbered our allies four to one. However, luck was on our side today. The tale of the mare in the moon was indeed true as you said. The Moon Princess had struck down an enemy flagship just as we were about to enter our planet’s atmosphere.”
“Luna is fighting!” shouted the Princess in disbelief. Her face immediately went pale. “What else can you tell me about the battle?”
“There isn’t much that I can tell, your highness. All we know is that the human known as Saul Karath is commanding our allies and that a Jedi Master is accompanying him.”
“Ah, so Master Darran stayed behind. Excellent! I’m certain that our naval forces will remain in good condition.”
Immediately, Lyra’s ears perked up. That voice. She had recognized it. Looking at the direction on where the voice came from, she spotted a familiar face. Trailing behind the Princess was Jedi Master Kavar. Alongside him were a pair of Jedi Knights and a handful of odd-looking human-like guards with. Lyra could only assume these were the men the Chancellor had sent alongside Master Kavar.
As the Jedi Master drew closer, the entire hangar bay went quiet. The eyes of curious ponies fell upon the Jedi in front of them, for he—along with other aliens—had taken the spotlight away from Princess Celestia. “Padawan Heartstrings. It is good to see you,” greeted Kavar who was undeterred by the stares around him. “I take it the fighting has begun.”
“Yes, Master Kavar,” answered Lyra as she politely bowed before the Jedi Master. Though her action caused a stir amongst some of the ponies, she ignored them and gave a brief explanation as to what had happened so far.
“I see. What an odd turn of events. To think that the Mandalorian fleet would be in disarray in such a short amount of time. A part of me wishes to complement this Nightmare Moon for accomplishing such a task; however, that begs a question. Is she doing this to protect her homeland or is she doing it out of selfish desires?”
“As much as my sister wishes to overthrow me, she does not want to see Equestria invaded or destroyed,” said Princess Celestia. “When she had learned of the invader’s intent, she did what she thought was best.”
“By destroying the invaders as quickly as possible,” continued Kavar. His lips curled into a frown. “Although she did turn the course of the battle, it was a drastic turn. Now a third party is involved in the fighting. One that can decimate flagships in the blink of an eye.”
“Although it pains me to say this, my sister will likely target your allies as well, Master Jedi. Given her actions, she may believe the Republic faction shares the same goals as our enemies.”
“That’s what I fear the most. However, I do believe that the fleet will be fine. Master Darran is still with the fleet, and he can lead the Republic to victory.”
The Princess sighed. “One pon… err, person cannot change a battle, Master Jedi. I know you people have special powers. Powers that I have yet to understand. So, you’ll have to forgive me that I have… doubts about this Jedi.”
“Hey! Don’t talk bad about my master like that!” cried out Lyra. Her eyes fixated on the Princess who dared insulted her master. Yet in her brief fit of rage, she had garnered the attention of everypony in the hangar. They were staring at her with wide eyes, stunned and shocked over the fact that a pony had yelled at their Princess.
Sweetie was staring at her too, but Lyra didn’t care. No one should ever talk bad about her foster father like that. Not even the Princess of Equestria.
But to Lyra’s surprise, as well as everyone else, the Princess Celestia laughed. There was no demand for an apology, nor did she use any magic to silence the Padawan. She simply laughed over Lyra’s sudden outburst.
Yet even with Celestia’s lighthearted behavior, Sweetie rushed in and apologized on behalf of her friend. “You’ll have to forgive her, your highness,” stammered the Private. “See, she’s hasn’t seen Equestrian royalty in nearly a decade and she’s young and naïve and—”
“There is no need to apologize on her behalf, young one. I do not mind her comment at all,” replied Princess Celestia. A smile formed on her lips as she trotted directly toward Lyra. “So, this is the missing pony that Captain Impact and Professor Vision have been searching for, correct? Lyra Heartstrings I presume?”
Lyra nodded.
“Well, on behalf of Equestria, I bid you a warm welcome home Padawan Heartstrings. It pleases me to see that one of my ponies—who has been missing for so long—is doing well. From what Master Kavar told me, you’ve grown into a nice young mare.”
Lyra was about to reply but stopped when she heard the names of two ponies: Captain Impact and Professor Vision. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen her mother ever since she left the Omega. Where was she? She hasn’t spotted her among the crowd of ponies.
“Ah, it seems my words may have gotten your attention. If you are looking for your mother and father, then you have no need to look any further. The couple is having a joyous reunion right over there.”
The Princess directed Lyra’s attention to two ponies embracing one another. The duo had appeared to have ignored the events unfolding in front of them and instead focused their attention on each other. One pony Lyra immediately recognized as her mother. The second pony was unfamiliar to her. An average sized unicorn stallion that had a maroon coat and an image of a feather quill and ink bottle for a Cutie Mark. Strangely enough, the color of his mane and eyes matched those of Lyra’s own eyes, a brilliant gold like color.
Lyra questioned who this stallion was, but it didn’t take her long to figure out his identity. Upon realizing this truth, she gasped. “Oh, Force. Is that who I think it is?” she asked the Princess, albeit hesitantly.
Celestia replied with but a mere nod as she gestured to the young Padawan to go and reunite with her family. Shocked, Lyra hesitated to make a move. Standing just a few feet away was her father. Her actual father. For years, the Jedi Masters have instructed her to move past her family, saying that—given her circumstance—she may not be able to see them again and that family was something that a Jedi did not need.
It was taught to her the moment she became an Initiate. Heck, even her own Master had to remind her of this several times. Yet here she was, home after a long decade. A standing right in front of her was her own mother and father.
Lyra did not know what to do. Everyone was watching her. The ponies. Princess Celestia. Her companions. Even Master Kavar was keeping a close eye on her. They waited for the Padawan to move; and truth be told, it only made her anxious. So much stress put was on her in such a short notice that she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs.
But it never came. The amount of pressure put on her was suddenly lifted when a familiar voice rang into her ears.
“Heads up, kid! I got news for ya!” The sound of Hider’s ridged voice confused everypony present. But all eyes fell upon the Omega’s boarding ramp as the former smuggler popped out of the ship. “I got a message from the fleet. They say that several escape pods are… holy kriff!”
Hider froze mid-sentence as his entire body went stiff. He stared at the crowd of ponies in front of him, eyes wide. He had unknowingly become the center of attention. And now, he didn’t know what to do.
Master Kavar, who had been silent this whole spectacle, merely sighed. “Snap out of it, Captain Louhun!” he shouted. “Unless you find the spectacle of colorful equines to be enjoyable, I suggest you savor your pleasures for another time! Out with it! What did the fleet say about the battle happening in orbit?”
Lyra cracked a smile. Despite the Jedi Master’s harsh words, it was humorous to her, nonetheless. So much so that it alleviated much of the tension around the room as several pones began to laugh. Even Sweetie Drops couldn’t help herself either.
Realizing that he was only embarrassing himself, Hider finally snapped out of his stupor and let out a fake cough. “Uh… right. So, as I was saying,” he said while attempting to play off the mistake he had made earlier. “The Republic fleet is putting up one heck of a fight. The Mandalorian fleet may have been decimated, but they managed to regain their composure and are beginning to fight back.”
Wait, seriously? Despite all that happened, the Mandalorians are still putting up a fight? Lyra could hardly believe it. After losing their big flagship to Nightmare Moon, she was certain that her enemy’s morale would be in shambles.
But Master Kavar seemed unfazed by this news. “I expected something like this. Flagship or no, the Mandalorians are highly disciplined. It’ll take more than just the anger of a banished Princess to take them down.”
“What about my sister?” asked Princess Celestia. “Is she alright? Has the planet’s moon been affected by the battle at all?”
Hider, who had just noticed the Princess for the first time, was left speechless. It’s almost as if he were captivated by the royal equine. “Wow. I never knew ponies could get this tall. Hey, Lyra! You think you might grow as big as that pony over there?”
“Show some respect, Hider!” shouted an irritated Sweetie Drops. “That’s our ruler Princess Celestia!”
“Hey, I’m not trying to be disrespectful, okay! I’m just commenting on how tall she is!”
“Now isn’t the time for your witty comments, human!” shouted Chessk, who was watching the spectacle from the ship’s boarding ramp. For reasons unknown to Lyra, he hadn’t revealed himself to the crowd ponies just yet. “Just tell the Princess what you know about her sister!”
“Alright, geez. Anyways, that moon mare—or whatever she’s called—is being a real nuisance. My uncle… I mean, Admiral Karath, says that large blue beams are coming from the moon itself, targeting both Mandalorian and Republic ships.
Master Kavar sighed. “It appears your concerns about your sister were correct, your highness.”
Celestia did not respond. Rather, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before muttering a few words that only Lyra could hear due to being in close proximity to the Princess. “Luna, please stay safe.”
“Well, the night pony isn’t the only thing we should be worrying about,” continued Hider. “Uncle says that a number of escape pods were launched from the destroyed Mandalorian flagship. They are making their way toward the planet right now, along with a few basilisk droids too.”
“That… isn’t good,” said Master Kavar as a slight grimace appeared on the Jedi’s face. “Those pods could land anywhere on the planet. It would be difficult to locate them given that it is so dark outside.”
“I will go look for them,” replied the Princess as she unfolded her majestic wings.
“Princess, no!” argued one pony from the crowd. “You don’t know what these barbarians are capable of!”
“He’s right!” another pony argued. “Whoever these Mandalorians are must have technology the likes of Equestria has never seen. It’s be suicide to go into battle without truly knowing what they are capable of.”
At once, the voices of concerned ponies rang across the entire hangar bay. The safety and wellbeing of their Princess made the area sound as if Lyra and her companions were back in Senatorial Chambers again. However, the Princess did not seem fazed by the worries of her subjects.
“Your concern for me is well appreciated, my little ponies, but I can’t just sit here and do nothing. Not while Equestria is in danger,” said Princess Celestia. “I will see these invaders myself. Though their technological advancement is a concern, at the very least, I can alert our allies above the location of the enemy.”
“Then I suggest we make haste. Captain Louhun, you and your crew board your ship and take off. Follow the Princess and find whatever landing zone the Mandalorians might be using,” ordered Master Kavar before looking back at Lyra. “And Padawan. I ask that you accompany me. Since you have fought our enemies before, it’d be best that you aid us here and leave the Republic fleet to Master Darran and your companions.”
“Yes, Master.”
Acting quickly, Lyra galloped back toward the Omega with the rest of her companions. But before she boarded the ship, she needed to see them one last time. Looking back at her mother, she could see the guardspony hold back the unicorn stallion from before. There wasn’t any doubt. That stallion was indeed her father. And it appeared he wanted to see her.
Lyra couldn’t blame him. After all, it had been a decade since they’d last seen each other. If she had not hesitated earlier, then perhaps she would have spoken to him. But what’s done is done. Her father can wait, for she has work to do.
Before she could climb onboard the ship, however, something caught Lyra’s eye. It was a pony. A female pegasus to be precise. She had flown toward her parents and, to Lyra’s shock, immediately hugged Platinum. And to add even more confusion, she hugged her father next.
Who was this Pegasus? Did she know her parents somehow?
As much as she needed answers, however, all of it would have to wait. With Hider calling out to her from inside his ship, she boarded the Omega once again.