//------------------------------// // Five Familiar Faces // Story: Star Wars Episode V, Phantoms Of The Past // by FourShadow //------------------------------// The trip on board the Sweetie Drop was… awkward, to say the least. Lyra and Gallus sat in the pilot seats keeping the ship in hyperspace, while the rest of the crew stood around to keep an eye on Adagio. They were gathered in the family ‘living room’ of sorts, with Adagio sitting at the holochess table, while everyone else either sat in a different booth away from her, or in the computer chair. Smolder leaned against a wall, staring at their ‘prisoner’, all the while Bon Bon sat in her chair, glaring at the new arrival with guardian eyes, ready to pounce if she made a wrong move. Flurry Heart was over in the kitchen, getting herself and some of the crew members some snacks, mostly out of a request from her mother to keep her far away from the Siren as possible. Despite being in handcuffs, Adagio’s mood didn’t change. She just casually leaned back in the cushioned booth, legs crossed looking very comfortable. “Does anyone want to sit; I can scoot over if you’d like?” Adagio offered. “No thanks, I tend to make it a habit to not be within a few inches close to potential predators,” Bon Bon snarled. Adagio rolled her eyes. “If you think I’m going to do something harmful to your daughter, forget about it. I have no desire to hurt her." “Kind of hard to forget when you’ve learned about every ounce of history and horrid acts that you’ve done,” Bon Bon said, keeping her arms folded. “And just what have I done that could be so bad?” Adagio asked, still casual. “Oh I don’t know, being a Sith?” “Former Sith, Mandalorian. I switched sides when I discovered I had no purpose within their cult,” Adagio shrugged. “Attacking Jedi?” Bon Bon added. “I was young and naïve, I still believed I had potential to be a Sith,” once again, she was calm and casual with her responses. “Well then how do you explain a certain event on a casino world?” Lyra asked, walking into the room with a manifest. Gallus followed her right behind, joining her to take a break from staring off at the flashing hyperspace view. “What casino world?” “Canto Bight, do I have to spell it out for you?” Lyra grit her teeth. “And just what did I do? Outside of maybe having a bad lay, and a drink or two?” Adagio asked, folding her legs again. “Well, gathering the reports that the Rebels had on you, both current and old,” Lyra said, flipping through. “You apparently decided to slaughter a bunch of patrons and guards inside the casino and incited a riot. And apparently had used a stolen X-Wing to obliterate many of the buildings.” “… And?” Adagio asked, not caring. “Okay, I loathe Canto Bight as much as the next guy, but I just want to ask; why? Why were you there to begin with?” Adagio blinked as she looked at the Rebels and shrugged once again. “I was bored.” “… Bored. You were bored. So you just decided to get drunk, have a lay, then slaughter a bunch of people, because you were bored?” Smolder asked, smoke blowing out of her nostrils. “No, I decided to get drunk, slaughter people, and then I’d have a bad lay,” Adagio corrected with a shit-eating grin. However, that did not make the former Jedi happy. “Do you want me to give more reasoning? Alright,” she said, thinking for a second. “Those billionaires were ugly.” “That’s not a reason,” Gallus puzzled. “Actually, in this case, I’ll give you that, those people are kinda ugly,” Smolder shrugged. “Smolder!” Bon Bon snapped. “What? They are, have you seen them! Everyone looks so bloated, they wear too much makeup, and the games aren’t even that fun! And I don’t even understand this, they’re so… so… xenophobic. If you don’t look like them, you’re out. Also they kinda keep child slaves…” “And that’s another reason I was down there,” Adagio added. “I didn’t just go down there to slaughter the ugliest scum in the galaxy, I had a purpose in mind,” she said, giving a bit of a proud smirk. “That is?” Lyra questioned. Soon enough, Flurry came around the corner holding a tray with some cups, a kettle, and a plate of cookies. “Would anyone like some blue milk and cookies?” “I would,” Smolder asked, snatching a cookie. She set the tray down on a side-table, pouring some milk into the cups. “Adagio, do you want one?” “Oh yes please, thank you,” she said, not joking or passively this time. It was brief, but even the parents had to admit, they did hear some genuine gratitude from her. Flurry passed a cookie over to her, and accepted it. “Anyways, what was I saying… oh yes. So, I was on the run from the Empire. I knew they were going to want me dead, since I no longer had relevancy to the old ways. So, a few months ago, I decided to initially settle down on Canto. After all, a sexy thing like me could make some good cash there, and at first, I was taken in by the place. It was just sooo gorgeous. I made a good living performing, singing in jazz lounges… even had some fun doing dances around a few poles if you know what I mean,” she winked. They did know what she meant, but it didn’t change their initial faces or current stances. Gallus and Smolder were still keeping distance, wanting to listen carefully if she was going to try anything. Flurry was still standing with a tray of cookies and milk, listening with some curiosity mixed with disturbance. Lyra and Bon Bon however were praying that the next thing she said wasn’t going to be too graphic for their almost 18-year-old child. “However, as time went by, I started to notice something. Any real conversations I had were non-existent. Sure, the endless seas of humans, bloated potatoes and snout-faces talked of politics and activity of the Empire… but there wasn’t anything else. You may think whatever you want of me, but there is more to me than a former Sith who yearned for power,” Adagio said, acknowledging the clear disdain that had come from the two parents. “I find that hard to believe, but go on,” Lyra said, allowing her to continue speaking. “After a while, I just started to become bored. Everything started to look the same. Any charm that once existed was starting to vanish… And then something else had kicked in. Everyone around me had nothing to them. There was no charm. There was no personality, no activity, nothing of substantial value to them. The ones who owned Canto Bight were nothing more than self-absorbed, narcissistic, exploitive, assholes. And then when I looked further, any familiarity that the rest of the galaxy had was gone. No meiloorun fruit snacks, no Nuna legs, no sexy Twi’lek girls, no hunky Trandoshans, nothing of familiar comfort or valuable substance existed here in this boring town.” “Oh gee. What a shocker. A place full of super rich jerks who exploit the lower-classes is actually a bad place,” Lyra deadpanned with a dead-eyed stare. “Do you have a point to your story, Adagio, or are you just going to tell us that being rich was just sooo boring?” “Yes, please, go on about how being rich became so boring, while we were trying to make sure we got enough credits to pay for groceries in the next month,” Bon Bon snarked, folding her arms. “I have a point, if you will allow me to explain,” Adagio said, starting to sound a bit angry herself. A moment of silence passed, until Flurry spoke up. “Adagio, please, can you tell us more?” Adagio slowly breathed in and out, letting go of that anger. “Of course, young Flurry. Now where was I…? Oh right,” she cleared her throat. “So, I finally saw the true colors of the place. It made me depressed, and so I decided to drown my annoyance with the strongest alcohols they had. And since I was a former Sith apprentice, I decided to use my anger to go on a bender… word of advice, do not drink before you try and start a riot. Because, well…” -- “Aaaaahhhh!” Adagio yelled/slurred. She held her lightsaber with a tight grip and started to swing it side to side, making multiple slashes as she could. “Think you’re so pretty!? I’ll show you who’s the real beauty here! Ahhhhh!!!” She kept slashing and slicing everything in front of her— --But to the patrons who were not drunk, all they were seeing was a drunk woman slicing and slashing at a perfectly nice wall like a moron. Some of them stood around, staring at her with confusion, others were laughing. A select few were horrified that someone who they had known for awhile started to wreck something so beautiful. It wasn’t until the policemen walked in and shot her with the electric darts did they finally tame her and get her to drop. But it didn’t stop her yelling as she flailed her arms up at the ceiling. “I’ll get you, you laughing little bastards! You’ll regret watching me strip!” “That’s real nice ma’am, but you’re under arrest,” the officer deadpanned, dragging her by the arms across the floor. -- “So after my failed attempt at a bender, I got tossed in jail. It didn’t last for long mind you. But as I was in prison, I heard talk from some of the guards about several group of Rebel organizations causing some trouble for the Empire. And then, it hit me… a chance for me to turn a new leaf, and a way to put the Empire down a peg. So, I tricked the guards into letting me free, and so I set off to give Canto Bight a little taste of vengeance. “And you did so by inciting a riot in a casino?” Lyra asked. “Sort of. I wanted to catch your attention, and judging by that report you read, it seems my actions did. I decided to try and do something nice for once and my life; I slaughtered some of the more powerful members in the casino, I hacked apart their piss-poor excuse for a game parlor, and just to top it all off… I decided to use one of your own ships.” She flickered her hologram device on, showing a model for an X-Wing type, only difference in the ones they had were the engines that unfolded with the wings. “I found out that one of the billionaires wanted to pitch a design for a stronger, faster, more swift X-Wing fighter than the ones you currently possessed. So out of spite, I erased all data of the file and took their prototype for a spin… and blew up a few buildings in the process. I must admit… I think I brought out its true colors that night.” She let out a soft giggle, thinking back to before, and looked at everyone around her. Innocently, she ate a piece of her cookie, and judging by her noises, it sounded like she enjoyed it. “This is delicious, did you make these yourself?” The Sweetie Drop jumped out of hyperspace, orbiting a moon with green land masses and a few oceans. Moving down to the surface, the crew got a better view of the world around them. It had much resemblance to Yavin IV; plenty of jungles and forestry as far as the eye could see. Mountains that arched with cliff dwellings, waterfalls, and caverns. Rivers stretching around the forests with plenty of krill and other sea animals often caught for the purpose of consumption. A clearing was found for the ship to land, the engines whinding down after the long journey. The hatch opened up, and the group walked down. Gallus was first to walk out, being exposed to the sounds of birds singing in the air. “So what is this planet’s name again?” “Ajan Kloss, or something,” Smolder said. Her nose twitched and she felt her sinuses become tickled. “Ah… Ah… AHCHOO!” A burst flame escaped her breath as she accidentally set a patch of flowers on fire. “… Sorry.” “Now you understand why I said not to park here,” Adagio pouted, walking out of the ship with her arms folded. “I told you these parts of Ajan were filled with allergy-inducing plants, but noooo, you had to pick a spot where you would be hidden.” “It’s called playing smart, honey!” Bon Bon snapped, stomping down the ship in her Mandalorian suit. Quickly she put the helmet on, and saw Flurry Heart come down in a standard set of pants, short-sleeved shirt, and armored vest. “Lyra, come on!” “Agh, hang on!” A loud clang echoed inside the ship. “Ow!” Lyra tumbled out of the ship with an oddly clean and shiny gold helmet strapped to her head with a black visor retaining most of the face, and with a fin out of the back of the head. “Bonnie… why did you take this from that Zorii girl?” “Because she tried to rob me,” Bon Bon explained, keeping her arms folded. “This wasn’t worth stealing! This thing is tight, it is pinching my neck, it’s heavy in the back, how did she wear this thing?” Lyra yanked it off her head, throwing it to the ground with an angry toss. And it certainly left it’s mark, showing visible pink teeth marks around her neck. “Oof. You were not kidding,” Gallus hissed. “No, no I wasn’t,” Lyra feeling her neck. “Ow.” “Your partner steals parts from droids, and you draw the line at that thing?” Adagio asked, raising a brow. “You could melt that helmet down and turn it into gold.” “At least Bon Bon does something with the parts she has, at least fixes her friends,” Lyra scowled. “Unlike you who just steals from clones you murder on the spot.” “Used to!” “Can we please get on with this?” Gallus snapped, breaking their fight. “We don’t have all day, the weather looks like it’s going to rain!” “Right, right,” Bon Bon said, composing herself together. “Okay, let’s get going. IG-11, you coming with?” “I am right behind you,” the assassin droid replied, marching right behind. “Great, come on everyone, let’s go.” -- The jungles of Ajan stretched all around them. And all around them as they pushed past trees, flowers, bushes, and ledges, they could hear the sounds of the jungle all around them. Birds chirping in the distance, some nearby animals, and many other sounds you’d hear in the wild jungles. “So tell us something, Adagio. Why are you helping us? I know you told us why back at base, but what’s the real reason for you helping us?” Bon Bon asked. “I heard stories about you from my wife.” Adagio looked at Lyra with a little smirk. “You’ve told her little lies about me, mmm?” “If by lies, you mean stories about you massacring members and associates of the Republic and Storm Army, then yes, I have,” Lyra glared. “Oh come now. That is the old me, I haven’t killed anyone… today.” Lyra rolled her eyes. “Just shut up and show us where she is.” “Maybe if you parked closer, I could, but you chose to park so far away, so this means we’re going to need to go on a little bit of a hike,” Adagio pointed out, now sticking with a straight face. “There should be a village not too far from here, that’s where I found the path to Derpy’s location. I must admit, for such a clumsy Jedi, she made herself quite an abode.” Lyra and Bon Bon rolled their eyes, forcing Adagio to just keep walking. Up ahead they could see Gallus, standing there. Rather… stiffly. “Gallus, you see anything?” Bon Bon asked. There was no reply. It was almost… deafening. “Gallus? Are you okay?” Flurry quickly skipped over to where he stood, and he didn’t even react to her presence. Almost as if he was caught in some sort of trance. “Gallus?” The Griffon finally snapped out of it, catching her attention. “Are you okay, bud?” “Hmm, what? Sorry, I thought I heard something,” Gallus quietly remarked. “What do you mean?” Smolder asked. Gallus’s eyes shifted all around, looking for the source of the noise he swore he saw. Nothing was in sight, but he could still feel something wasn’t right. “It’s nothing,” Gallus said, cocking his gun. “We better keep moving.” The group pushed through some more trees, occasionally having to cut their way through. When they made another turn, everyone stopped to look in awe. In front of them was a cute little village, bustling with inhabitants. Children laughing and playing, adults wandering around to attend to their jobs or personal business. The houses and buildings were made with assortments of bamboo, wood, adobe, metal, and many other various materials. “Would this be the village you were describing?” Bon Bon said, pushing Adagio forward. “Yes, this is the place. Unfortunately, I never went to her home. I only learned she was alive after seeing her come through here,” Adagio explained. “If she even is alive,” Gallus folded his arms. “Tough crowd, aren’t we?” Adagio mused. “Well if you don’t believe me, why don’t you ask one of the folks here? I’m sure someone will be amenable.” Curiously, the group trudged forward through the village, passing by the citizens. The Rebels had to give these people credit; it was amazing how well they constructed these homes with just the materials laying around here on the planet; even with the inclusion of other-worldly materials, like the Tatooine colored adobe, or the ship metal. At the end of the town, they found a small shack with an open door. Walking inside, there was an Ithorian with a metal translator device near his mouth to communicate. The floors were padded down with metal sheets, the walls made of adobe, and some bamboo acting as extra paneling near a display window at the front. Even on the window that faced farther deep in the jungle. “Welcome,” the man greeted. “I see we have some new faces. And hello again, Miss Dazzle.” “Hello,” Adagio nodded. Inside, the group could see a wide variety of knick-knacks, weapons, trinkets, all sorts of antiquities. Helmets from various eras of time, even current helmets being used in the present. Blasters, jewelry, small antique busts of famous historical figures, old toys, you name it, this man had everything. “See anything you like?” “I think I like just about everything,” Smolder admitted, completely in awe. “That’s what I like to hear,” the Ithorian man smiled, if he was, no one could ever tell with their kind. “My name is Dok Ondar, and this is my place. If you see something you like, I’m the man to ask.” “Actually, I did have a question to ask, Mr. Ondar,” Lyra interrupted, stepping forward. “I’d be happy to answer. What do you need?” “First, I’m sorry that we’re not really… customers, I guess. We’re looking for someone in particular….” As Lyra spoke, Smolder and Gallus took a long around, even Flurry. The group eyed some helmets mounted on one of the walls, seeing a variety of helmets adorned by clone troopers from long ago; Phase II, scuba, scout, slicer, assassin, commando, etc. Even Stormtrooper helmets were available on the wall for potential purchases. “Think you’ll get a helmet? Maybe you can get a Mandalorian helmet to match your moms,” Gallus said with a cheeky grin, elbowing Flurry’s shoulder. “Oh hush,” Flurry playfully shoved. “I haven’t even thought that far. I’m not even sure if I even want any of these, none of them scream… me.” “What about this one?” Smolder asked, pulling a helmet off from a shelf; a TK trooper helmet to be precise. “No, that doesn’t really fit me. And no, it’s not the sizing problem,” Flurry corrected. “—You better not break any of that,” Bon Bon said overtop of them, despite not looking at them. Bashfully, Smolder put the helmet back on the shelf, not wanting to anger the store owner. “… about my height, eyes facing opposite directions…?” Lyra asked. “Ohhh. Her? Yeah, I’ve seen her. She came here once in a while to trade; got some great old pieces of Stormtrooper armor from her she collected,” Dok answered. “So she is alive?” “I would hope so. I admittedly haven’t seen her in the past few weeks. Don’t know if she’s busy, or just isn’t feeling like coming down to visit, but I hadn’t seen her come by. I did however get frequent visits from the few men living with her.” Lyra and Bon Bon both had confused looks, and then gazed at Adagio. She just plainly shrugged her shoulders at that comment. “Who exactly are these men?” “Family, I suppose. All of them look pretty closely alike. They come down here every so often to trade with the rest of our village,” Dok continued to explain, twiddling his fingers on a small bust that had dust on it. “They even helped me out with fixing up some of the damage my shack had gotten during a storm at one point. Real nice boys.” “How old would you describe them?” “Physically, I’d say roughly 25. But I think facts would say otherwise.” “And Derpy’s suddenly living with a bunch of them? Is this some kind of… um…” Lyra questioned with some scary implications running amok in her brain. “It’s not that kind of living arrangement, honestly! The places people's minds go to…” Dok shook his head. “Those boys are the sweetest, kindest guys I’ve met in a long time. Especially for humans; much kinder than those Imperial slogs who drove me out of business on Ord Mantell.” “Where are they? Where is Derpy, any of them?” Dok looked out the window, gazing at the old path that went farther through the rainforest. “Follow that trail for about 20 clicks. There will be a fork in the road, take the left. You’ll find a mansion made out of Republic metal,” the shopowner explained. “But I must warn you. These men you’ll find… you’re a Jedi, aren’t you?” “Yes. Why?” Dok’s eyes looked around, almost as if he knew something but wasn’t going to say it. “Well… they’re not exactly the type of men you’d probably want to see.” “Why is that?” “I better not say. Better you see for yourself,” the Ithorian answered. “I just sell antiquities; I don’t want to get involved in any potential… issues. Say, is there anything else I can help you with? Beads, Twi’lek dolls, old books? I have great deals and prices for everything.” “How much are the helmets?” Smolder asked. “Smolder! We’re not here to shop!” Lyra argued. “I brought my own money, I swear!” The group continued their search, following the advice of the Ithorian shop owner as they progressed. Nearby animals continued to wander, climb, swing, and fly all around them in continuous nature. Making a turn around a corner, the group all froze when they saw a sight that almost gave them a fright. Sharp sticks ripped apart from trees, mounted up in the ground, holding several helmets of departed troopers of old. Stormtrooper and Phase II clone trooper helmets, with faded paint, worn away by time. “Curiouser and curiouser…” The group kept trudging forward, but Flurry stopped momentarily and looked behind her. There wasn’t anyone out here, but something felt off. She felt a disturbance in the wind, feeling like something else was here. “Flurry? You coming?” Gallus called. “Oh, yeah, I’m coming!” Flurry said, turning around and running up to catch up with the group. The group made another turn on the path, and Lyra almost jumped with a squeak. Another series of sticks mounted with more helmets mounted. “Sheesh, how many heads did she collect?” Smolder asked. Not wanting to be frightened any longer, the group kept walking on their trail, looking at the trees all around them. This was one heck of a jungle, that’s for sure. Nothing like the forests on Yavin IV, or Sorgon. Just then, the team heard something rustling in the woods, like something was moving about. Lyra pulled out her lightsaber and Bon Bon twirled her pistols around, ready to shoot. The noises got louder and louder, like something big and ferocious was coming their way… Out of the bushes was a fluffy gray loth-cat with a few black spots all over its body. The kitten looked up at the new people and sat straight up, mewing softly. “Awww…” Flurry melted. Even Adagio couldn’t help but gush. “Okay, that’s adorable.” Flurry squatted down, sticking her hand out to let the kitten sniff her. The cat was curious, sniffing her hand for a few seconds and looking at her curiously. And very affectionately it started to paw at her hand making adorable little noises. “Eeeee, it’s so cute!” Flurry squeed, picking up the cat and giving it a soft hug. “Hi there little buddy.” “Flurry, put it down, you don’t know where that cat came from,” Bon Bon said. “But he’s adorable!” “Yes, and he could also… wait a minute,” Bon Bon stopped. She walked up to Flurry, looking closer at the kitten in her arms which was enjoying the attention, judging by the purring sounds. Around it’s neck, she could see something bright red around it, along with a little metal tag. “This loth-cat has a collar.” Her hand moved underneath it, looking at the tag written in Aurebesh. “Whiskers.” “Someone’s adopted it,” Lyra thought. “But right now, we can’t find the owners. We need to find Derpy.” Mew. The loth-cat jumped out of Flurry’s arms and onto the ground, prancing along the path to where they were about to go. Tilting it’s head like it wanted them to follow it. “I think he wants us to follow him!” Flurry said. “Come on!” She led the way, with Gallus and Smolder running after her, and eventually Adagio running too. Lyra and Bon Bon both equally shared a look of fear, and so they darted after Flurry to make sure their daughter didn’t do anything stupid. After what felt like hours of walking, the group stopped in a clearing, where cobbled stones and metal torches arched to create a path. But what caught their eyes wasn't the structure, it was what they saw on their left. “Is that a hot tub?” Gallus asked, raising a brow. Smolder and Flurry kneed down, putting her hand in the water to feel the pool of water, connected to a machine that was turned off. Smolder didn't react, but Flurry hissed and immediately pulled it back. “Sheesh, that’s scalding!” “There’s your answer,” Bon Bon said. “Even then, I’m still not sure we’ll… whooooa.” Everyone froze in awe at the sight before them. A large house was found in the trees, but this wasn’t like any of the other farm houses or dwellings in the jungle. This house was made entirely out of junk; old Republic walkers sat as the foundation base, and several platforms and boxy-homes were held on top of it, including a ramp/ladder to climb up it. Some walker and gunship hulls were in pieces, held together to keep it all connected in the junk that it was. More platforms sticking out with some tarps and more pieces of metal for cover, most likely from the rain. Off the ledge of one of the railings, some eyes gawked at some more clothes hanging on a wire to dry. Similar to the ones that Smolder reported before. “Who built this place? This is quite a homestead,” Bon Bon said, looking at some of the drying shirts. “Wait, someone’s coming,” Flurry said, sensing footsteps. A group of boots clanked on the second floor of that makeshift home, walking out onto the ledge of the mansion. All of them the same height, bodies, and facial features. Two of them shared a short black hairstyle, one had a short blond-cut style, another had a full head of hair, mustache, and beard growing, and the last had no visible hair, aside from the mustache and a short but visible braided ponytail out the back of his head. All of them were wearing warm clothing, shown by the black tank tops and spandex shorts, held by white belts. “Pfft. Just a bunch of similar looking… guys,” Gallus rolled his eyes. “Well armed similar looking guys, I might add,” Smolder corrected. The five men stared down at them, analyzing them individually. One man who had a cybernetic eye whispered, “That’s Heartstrings, she’s alive.” “That’s her?” The middle man whispered back. “Yeah, I know her, but I don’t know anyone else,” he answered. Despite the small distance, Lyra could hear them each talking. She didn't understand who they were, but as she thought more and more, her heart started to pound. Five men; same faces. Same voices. Even the same body builds. "No... no, that's impossible... they can't be." “Hey, hey,” Bon Bon whispered, squeezing her partner’s hand. “It’s okay. I’m right here.” “Well let’s find out,” the middle man said. Each of the other lookalikes nodded and turned their attention back to the Rebels, keeping a stern glare down, to show any lack of fear they had. “What do you want?” “We’re looking for someone," Flurry spoke up for the group. "Do you know someone named Derpy Hooves?” The man with the braided ponytail spoke up. “I’m sorry?” “Um… Derpy Hooves?” Flurry repeated. The men looked at each other, clearly unsure and with some disagreeing faces. The man in the middle, silently decided to continue the conversation, in hopes of driving these trespassers away. “I’m sorry, but Derpy Hooves doesn’t exist anymore, she’s dead. Died a long time ago.” Lyra’s heart sank and she glared at Adagio. “Liar.” “I am not lying, Jedi! Ask 7567 over there!” The middle man piped up again. “What did you just say? I haven’t heard those digits in… wait. That’s my birth number!” "They're clones!" Lyra growled. "Everyone, get back, now!" But one of those men, one with a cybernetic eye, didn't react to the Jedi's reaction. Instead, he took notice of Adagio who was among this little group. “Wait a minute… the Siren! She’s come for revenge!” He pointed a pair of pistols at Adagio, ready to kill. “Bubbles, no!” “Just try and fire on me!” Lyra was ready to go full bore. “I dare you, come on!” “Hey, wait, wait!” Flurry raised her hands up. “We’re not here to attack you! We just want to talk!” “And what about the rest of them? That one is a Jedi!” The man at the end snarled, pointing at Lyra. “Vargas, listen! They aren’t the ones who betrayed us, remember?” The clone slowly set his gun down, sighing heavily to try and calm down. “I’m sorry. We haven’t seen another Jedi in… well, a long time as you can imagine,” the man in the middle said. “You don’t say…” Smolder deadpanned. Ignoring Smolder’s sass, Flurry tried to see if she could salvage the situation. “Anyways, my name is Flurry. That’s Gallus, Smolder, Lyra, Bon Bon, and, well, you clearly know Adagio,” Flurry hesitated. “Nice to meet you, um, 7567,” Flurry said, struggling to remember. “Actually, my name is Rex. Captain Rex. Captain of the 501st Battalion. These are Commanders Bubbles and Hurricane, Corporal Mix, and trooper Vargas.” “Nice to meet you all,” Flurry smiled. “But wait, is Derpy really--?” “We said she was dead because we didn’t know what your intentions were. Derpy Hooves is still alive,” Bubbles confirmed. “How are you all still alive, and so young? If memory serves correctly, by this time-span, I would assume all of you would be, well, elderly,” Adagio asked, raising a brow. “If not dead,” Bon Bon added. “We’ll explain everything. Would you all like to come inside? I’m afraid we have a storm coming on the front, you wouldn’t want to be stuck out here. It’s going to rain pretty hard tonight.” Judging by all the nodding faces, it was clear they were saying yes. Everyone walked up set of steps, taking it up to the second floor of the makeshift mansion. And the clones came down, opening up the doors for them to come inside. “Wipe your feet on the mat, Derpy would prefer that guests have their feet clean and not track any mud,” Bubbles advised. Once inside, everyone wiped their feet (even Adagio did so) and surprising them more, was a small rack to the side with some blasters mounted. “May I also ask that you please put any of your weapons here?” Bubbles asked, albiet indignantly. “How come?” “We’ve had guests before, and frankly we like to take precaution on who we invite in. It’s a safety thing,” Bubbles said sternly, but softly. Flurry turned her weapons in first. Then Gallus, and Smolder. Lyra was hesitant to respond, just looking straight at the clone, still shaking. "If anything happens to my weapon...," Lyra threatened quietly. Slowly she set her lightsaber down on the rack, and Bon Bon turned in her blasters. “Vac tubs are down the hallway,” Bubbles said, gesturing to the first hallway on the left. “I’m gonna go use them, be right back,” Bon Bon said, walking down. Bubbles led the company through more of the house, taking them down another hallway. Some things hung on the wall, looking more like objects for display. Some pictures were about, most of them of Derpy and a clone company with bright blue paint on their armor on various planets. Flurry especially caught her eye on a pic of the young Jedi posing for a silly picture next to Bubbles with a deceased Rishi eel. After leaving that hallway (and sliding past a ladder leading to the next floor above them, they found themselves into the kitchen/dining area. A massive circular dinner table made out of wood, held above some stone and pure tree that had the floor built around it, lit by warm yellow. A few plants set up in little pots, and over against a wall was a mantel, hanging above a giant telescreen. On the mantel were a few random objects that the company assumed had held sentimental value. “Quite the setup,” Gallus commented, looking around. “Yeah, I mean it’s, well, just a cozy, humble little place,” Vargas said softly. Bon Bon finally came back from the bathroom, finding her way to the dining room. And at the same time, Smolder was looking over to the balcony, seeing some clothes hanging on a clothesline. Although she did question the pair of female undergarments as she pulled them off the hangar, looking at them. “Um… any of you have any lady friends over?” Smolder joked, stretching the underwear. “That would be Derpy’s.” “Dah!” And Smolder flinged it away from her hands. “… I just touched some old lady’s thong, great.” “I wouldn’t really say old,” Bubbles pointed out. Smolder just backed up from the balcony, not wanting to touch anything else (not that she should have been), almost backing right up in the hallway. Behind her, in the darkness of the hall, a small red light flickered with an activation sound, making her jump. She jumped back into the light, fists up in a fighting stance. But the source of the light did not respond the same way. A pair of boots walked down that hallway, coming into the dining room, revealing herself in the light. Light gray skin, and flowing blond hair. Some leftover scars and bruises from years of experience, but still visible was a friendly face. Dressed in the same black spandex and a few pieces of worn out clone trooper armor she had worn during her last few days in the war. “Bubbles, who are these people, I don’t… Lyra?” The Jedi gasped. “Derpy? Is… is that really—?” A wave of emotions washed over the blond Jedi. So many memories of fighting alongside her resurfaced, so many wonderful times they had together, hanging out with their friends, and making new ones with people they met on several planets and the clones they fought alongside. And then the pain, the agony that came when Order 66 hit the galaxy; so many Jedi brothers and sisters lost to the ambush, and losing so many loved ones after. And now one of them was back; one of them was still alive, and someone she treasured very, very much. Lyra moved in a little closer to try and offer a hug, wondering if that would break Derpy’s trance. Without even needing to speak, Derpy swooped in and yanked Lyra in a big hug, holding her tightly. Lyra didn’t even resist, she just held one of her closest friends in a warm embrace. “I’ve missed you so much,” Lyra said, holding her. “I missed you too. I thought after… I…” “As long as I exist, no one is doing anything to her,” Bon Bon said with pride. Derpy’s eyes blinked, still facing opposite directions. “A Mandalorian?” “I don’t think you two have formally met. Derpy, this is my wife, Bon Bon. Bon Bon, you’ve heard of Derpy Hooves, haven’t you?” “I believe so. You’ve told me many stories about her,” Bon Bon smiled. “Oh, and this is our daughter, Flurry Heart.” “H-Hi,” Flurry greeted. Derpy smiled. “Nice to meet you, little one. I can’t believe you’ve gotten so big, I remember when you were just a baby.” She ruffled up her hair, making her giggle. She turned her attention to the last few members, but growled at one particular one. “You.” A pistol cocked and pointed straight at Adagio. “What is she doing here?” “You know her?” Gallus asked. “Me and Bubbles know her especially well. She killed one of my troops and tried to sabotage our mission, my first mission! And…” It took her a while to notice, but she saw something else. “You… still have his helmet…” She kept her blaster pointed at her, and raised her other hand. She let her palm open up, showing how worn out the fingerless glove was; raggedy and full of holes. But keeping her hand up, she tried to levitate the helmet off Adagio’s head. Nothing happened. Everyone stood in awkward silence, watching as she stood there, waiting for something to happen. Her face made various expressions, getting more and more frustrated as she tried to use the Force to lift it up. But still, nothing happened. Adagio just stood there as well, although she found her angry faces more adorable than threatening. Lifting it up, she placed the helmet by her hip as she looked at her with a raised brow and a smirk. “Lost your touch?” Derpy’s face turned red with embarrassment and anger mixing together. She tried her hardest, but she couldn’t get the helmet away from her clutches. Upset, she let her arms down and swung around, kicking the helmet out of her hands violently, letting it roll on the floor to Bubbles’ feet. Adagio was truthfully surprised, she hadn’t anticipated the surviving Jedi to be a bit more physical. “That helmet belonged to their brothers. It doesn’t belong to you,” Derpy glared. “Get your own helmet.” Adagio snorted with derision. “Oh, so you’re a sister to them now? You’re not even bred in the same lab as them—agh!” And in a complete 180, Derpy had slammed Adagio against the wall, pinning her up with her bare hands and with flared nostrils. She was furious, even scaring the clones in the process. “Don’t you dare talk about them that way!” “Derpy, I know this is hard to believe, but she’s on our side. She’s agreed to a partnership to help us against the Empire,” Lyra said, trying to calm down her friend. “How do I know she won’t just turn on us and try to kill us the first chance she gets?” “If I wanted to kill you all, I would have done it by now, swiftly and painfully,” Adagio snarked back, resisting the urge to push Derpy away from her with her feet. “And if you want to know how we even found you, it’s because of me. I found you, and I thought the Rebels would want to know of another survivor of the Order 66 ambush. I know we’ve had our grievances in the past, but surely you can look past them for a little bit, can you? After all I thought a Jedi didn’t hold onto such things as anger…” Derpy was now snarling. “Lyra…” “That is enough,” Bon Bon said. “Adagio, if you’re going to be helpful, I would recommend you shut up RIGHT. NOW.” Adagio playfully exaggerated her terror. “Oh noooo. Well I guess if I won’t stay quiet, then you’ll have to make me then, won’t you?” “I don’t think you heard me,” Bon Bon glared. “Hey, hey! I love fights as much as the rest of you, but this isn’t why we came here,” Smolder said, trying to break up the fight. “Weren’t we going to talk? You know, about… you know?” Smolder asked, not finishing the sentence. Bon Bon sighed, throwing her head back. And even Lyra let out an upset sigh, scrunching her temple with her fingers. “Right. Derpy, we came here because, well, Adagio was telling the truth. We were looking for you, and to be honest, I am happy that you’re alive. Kinda terrified, but I’m happy.” Derpy tried to keep that ferocious stance on Adagio as she kept her pinned, but slowly her hands let go of her. Adagio wasn’t held down anymore, but she still smirked. “I must admit, I am rather impressed. I didn’t know a Jedi had that much passion, wasn’t aware they were allowed to have such things.” Derpy glared at her still. “You don’t know anything about me. And I…” she looked at Lyra who remained concerned for her old friend’s situation. “… have other things going on.” Derpy’s hand was still shaking from the anger, but she slowly began to simmer down. “I’m sorry. I’ve… It’s been a while,” Derpy said, her anger melting away back into joy. “Oh, but please, sit, sit.” Derpy invited them back to the massive dinner table with the clones, and Gallus and Smolder just stood with Adagio with exasperated faces. “So no introduction, we’re just… okay, sure whatever, we’ll just stand here, waiting for your reunion to end,” Gallus rolled his eyes. “Sit, please,” Hurricane said, pulling up two chairs for them. The two smiled and sat down at the massive table with the rest of them, all the while Mix was helping Bubbles in the kitchen, preparing a meal. As they sat with the others, they could smell the fresh foods being cooked in the kitchen, enough to make their mouths water. And as Rex had predicted, the rain was hitting harder. They could hear the rain dance on the plated roofs and awnings outside; but they were okay, they were inside, they weren’t getting drenched. “So I don’t understand, the clones were bred in a laboratory, right? And their growth was sped up so they could be part of the war, how are they still so young?” Bon Bon asked. “Even then, after Order 66 commenced, I thought every Jedi had been eliminated. How did you survive?” Lyra asked, sitting back down with Flurry and her wife. “I’ll explain everything, I promise," Derpy reassured. As lunch was served to the guests, Derpy began to explain her story. She went into immense detail regarding the strange occurences that had happened during her end on the final day of the war. How her soldiers had turned on her, forced to by a hidden inhibitor chip that had been implanted in their brains since creation. Derpy then went on to explain how she and her remaining troopers had to bury all of their fallen soldiers during the escape, her words sullen with each description. "... Wow," Gallus said, in awe. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how that's gotta feel." "You weren't there, it's okay," Vargas reassured. "But yeah. Losing all of our brothers hurt us. And sure, we lost many of our brethren during the war, but after that? It's hard to move past something like that." "But something doesn't add up," Bon Bon asked. "How are the five of you still so young? You never explained that." "I... I'm not proud of this," Derpy sunk in her chair. "After some time, I may have sorta... pushed them to go into cryogenic freezers for a bit. I kept them online for over a decade, and when I found this world... I freed them. We worked together to make our home; along with the help of the village." "But why?" Derpy took a sip of her drink. "They never got a choice to live how they wanted; a life without fighting or war. I wanted them to have that chance." The Mandalorian couldn't help but smile wistfully at the thought. "That's how me and Lyra thought when we raised Flurry. We were caught up so much fighting, and after everything... we just wanted to have a chance to live." "And you chose to hide on Tatooine," Smolder rolled her eyes. "We didn't exactly have much choice, dragon," Bon Bon snarked. "But you took that chance to get the life you wanted," Hurricane interrupted, fingers moving to get any crumbs out of his beard. "That's something I respect; especially Rex here." "Not at first, Hurricane," Rex corrected. "Let's not forget; we didn't just abandon everything we stood for." "Your right, we didn't. And look what happened; we lost," Mix glared. "The Empire was growing, they outnumbered us..." But as the conversation continued, Lyra heard nothing but silence, the conversation dying in her ears with only her heart beating as she weakly ate her food. Derpy's company was good, but being surrounded by clones still in their prime? Her heart raced at the thought of what they could do at any moment, but didn't. She so desperately wanted to get away from them and just take her family and friends back to the ship, never to return to this planet. Instead, she just quietly got up, taking her leftovers to the kitchen and sat them down next to the sink. And without another word, she moved herself to the balcony, protected by the awning that blocked the rain. Her hand stroked an awning's post, eyes looking forward at the rain dancing on the trees and the ground. The sounds calmed her down, bringing her back to reality once again. She knew the others would see her soon and get worried; but right now, she was going to enjoy her only moment of stress relief outside in the humidity.