//------------------------------// // A New Friend From Kijimi // Story: Star Wars Episode V, Phantoms Of The Past // by FourShadow //------------------------------// Following Zorii’s directions, the girls found the bar. Inside, they could hear music playing from the band over on a small stage with plenty of elbow room for the musicians to play. Plenty of tables and chairs for all the patrons that came here to drink their troubles away. Soft blue neon lights shining around the bar, and mounted trophies on the wall; either animal heads, skins, helmets of clone or stormtroopers, or other oddities that someone would find value in. Some holo-screens were also around, showing current sports activities from around the galaxy; droid-ball, Sabaac, podracing, you name it. And standing behind the bar counter dealing with a Chagrian customer was the woman they needed; an older woman with gray hair in a red outfit, looking as if she was done with everyone’s B.S. “Well I’m not going to be rich with customers like you, I thought I told you to drink faster than that. Well at least you’re steady,” she sighed, going to get another drink from the bar. She heard it, but she didn’t see it happening; the girls, one by one, pulled themselves up at the bar, sitting on the stools. “Hello, Ackmena,” Sunset said simply. She adjusted her arms, making sure she didn't bump into the cloaked patron next to her. The woman knew that voice anywhere. Turning around, she saw a familiar face. One that did not bring much sourness to her world, but a nice warm ray of sunshine. “Hello Sunset, darling how are you doing?” She said, reaching over for a brief hug. Sunset giggled as she hugged her back. “How goes the Rebellion leadership?” “It’s going really well, actually. We just got more additions to our alliance,” Sunset smiled, gesturing to the Jedi next to her. “So wait, you’re Ackmena?” Rainbow pointed with a raised brow. “No, I’m Anakin Skywalker in drag,” she deadpanned. “Now can I get you anything?” “Can we take a couple of those?” Sunset pointed to a particular drink on the wall; the Jawa Juice. The bartender grabbed the carton and poured some into six individual glass cups for all of them, sliding them down the table for them all to grab. The patron in the cloak took one last sip before stepping off his chair, leaving the bar and lessening the chances of a conflict with the Jedi. “So tell me, Sunset. Are they Jedi just like you?” “Shh! Not so loud,” Rarity whispered. “We don’t know who could be listening.” “Listen, the only thing the patrons in here are listening to are either blaster fire, the droid-ball game, the vomiting on and off in the vac-rooms, or the loud noises of happy hour,” she replied. “None of them are going to be paying attention. Besides, I have security to keep an eye out,” the bartender gestured to a buzz droid up on the ceiling, clinging and watching the patrons party below. “But to answer your question, yes, they’re Jedi like me. And there are actually two others like them, well, one and a half,” Sunset explained. “But we came here to see you, how is business running here?” “Well we’ve had ten people die in here in the past month, so it’s hunky dory,” she said with a very displeased look on her face as she poured another drink to the next customer. “Are you upset you’re stuck here instead of Tatooine?” “No, I’m upset because Mawhonic lost another race on the Boonta Eve Classic,” Ackmena said, with a bit of deadpan in her voice. “Aww, he lost again?” Pinkie frowned. Ackmena stared at Pinkie, blinking only once as she held her glare. “She doesn’t exactly grasp sarcasm, just warning you ahead of time,” Sunset interrupted before the snarky barkeep could speak again. “Still though, why did you even come here, I never understood.” “The Empire’s been shutting places down. Ever since they started inflicting their will in Mos Eisley, I just couldn’t stick around anymore. I run bars by my own rules, and I’m happy I’m still making money here. Thankfully the Empire hasn’t been so picky with my place here,” she said, multitasking. She served another drink to another nearby customer, and mixed up some fruits in a blender for the next order. “Now what else are you here for?” Sunset looked over her shoulder. She looked at the various patrons who were busy dancing, partying, laughing. They were too occupied with their own activities to notice her, thank goodness. Even Fluttershy and Applejack looked over to make sure no one was paying attention to them. Sure a few men had a few lovey-dovey faces as they saw the ladies, but that was it. I can put up with a few smitten kittens, but no more than that, Rarity thought internally. “So, um, Sunset tells us you have some information about the Empire. Did you hear anything juicy?” Ackmena washed out another cup before setting it on the rack. “I have. Although I’m not sure now is the best time to tell you.” “I thought they would be distracted by the bar activities,” Pinkie tilted her head. “For now. But every once in a while, there’s some Imperial who likes to come in, either to scare my customers or to throw a fit like a child,” she replied, decking her head out so she could check to see if anyone was around. Around the corner, one of Ackmena’s assistants came by with a tray of drinks for a group who were playing Sabacc in a private room. “Shall I put this someplace?” “No Rose, go to the corner and open a stand,” she pointed to the outside door with a straight face, still not expressing any other emotion outside of ‘I am so done with these people’. Rose however got the message, and went to the game table to hand them their drinks. “Listen, I can’t talk about too much, but I will say this. I have been hearing reports from the Empire that they have finished work on a secret project. They’re planning something; something big.” “Anything specific?” Fluttershy asked. “I’m afraid I don’t know. The only thing I know is that they say when their testing is complete, they will finally make the galaxy bend to their will,” the woman replied. “But if you want something a bit more detailed, I heard they had gathered a large shipment of crystals.” “Crystals? What kind?” Rarity asked. “I don’t know. Only thing I know is that they gathered them from some planet called Ilum.” Sunset set her drink down. “Wait, Ilum, is that right?” “It is. Why?” “Ilum is the only place in the galaxy to find Kyber Crystals. Every generation of Jedi have gone there to get those crystals,” Sunset explained. “What’s so special about those crystals?” Ackmena asked, checking on a pulse of another patron who had fallen asleep at the bar. Her attention wandered to a fresh rag, scrubbing at a few dirty spots on the bar counter, trying to get them away. “They’re the power sources for the lightsabers. But if the Empire isn’t using them to power lightsabers for a Sith Army, then what could they be using them for?” Rarity continued, rubbing her chin. "Maybe they're harnessing them for a machine, something that requires a lot of power. The question is... what is it?" Sunset thought, tapping her finger on the counter. Rainbow Dash however, had her mind set on a different subject matter. "Say, Ackmena, is it? Do you ever get any bounty hunter customers in here, or spice runners?" "I do. This place is popular for them, they often come here to meet with potential clients for payment; the public setting and my eyes prevents the possibility of any deals going violent," Ackmena answered. "Do any of your customers happen to be ladies in red jumpsuits and gold helmets?" Rainbow asked. "I see you met Zorii Bliss then," Ackmena put together. "She's a regular in here; just wants off planet. Been stuck here the last fifteen years." "Only fifteen? Yikes," Rainbow hissed. "Compared to the others in here, most of them wish they only had fifteen. In fact--" Just then, there was a buzzing sound coming from the doors. Now most of the patrons had to be let in through by a bouncer, (most of the time checking if anyone was armed or if they were someone Ackmena never wanted), but this time, Ackmena hereself stepped from behind the bar to check out the call; most people never even used the buzzer. “Alright, alright, I’m coming, sheesh,” Ackmena said, taking her time as she mockingly took slow to the door. She hit the button to let the door slide open. Standing on the other side was Captain Phasma with several Midnight troopers by her side. “Step aside—” And Ackmena shut the door on the captain without a second thought. With an angry buzz, Ackmena opened up the door again. “Do you not know who I am?” Phasma snarled. “Well of course I do, that’s why I slammed the door in your face,” she said sarcastically with a smile. “Let me in, now.” “Go hug a landmine,” And Ackmena slammed the door in her face again. She dropped the sarcasm when she looked over to Sunset and her friends. “You’re not going to want to stay here that long, the Empire is here.” "Wait, now!?" Rarity shrieked. "Yes!" "We got what we need, bye!" Sunset said quickly before tossing the cup to the side of the bar. All of the girls quickly ran out of the bar as fast as they could, going out through the back doors to avoid being seen. Ackmena stared at the huge mess left on her counter, rolling her eyes passively as she began to clean up again. Another day, another mess, same old thing. The door buzzed again, but this time, brute force slammed the doors wide open, with Captain Phasma slowly stomping inside. She observed the bar, seeing patrons just sitting and drinking like nothing had happened. Of course, there were a few who were cowering quietly at the sight of the Imperial; they hated them just like everyone else, but they didn't want any trouble here with them. The Midnight Trooper captain turned towards the woman behind the bar, who was still busy with the cleanup. "Can I help you?" Ackmena asked, as if she hadn't done anything wrong. "We are looking for any Rebel cells that have come through here. An old barmaiden such as yourself must have seen them come through." "Oh yes, they did. About an hour ago," Ackmena lied with sarcasm dripping with every word. "But now I've hidden them again, so you can find them." "I do not appreciate your reluctance to help us." "Why would I lie? I have nothing to hide," Ackmena sassed with a smile. The captain's helmet was rattling and she snarled underneath. "I grow tired of your false niceties, bug. Now tell me the truth; where are they?" "Captain," a trooper interrupted. "Trooper DG-423 just spotted them going through the city, should we cut them off?" "Don't let them leave; keep them there long enough for the Inquisitors to take care of," Phasma ordered. She looked at Ackmena with a shaking head. "Why must you detest the Empire; we provide you with work, and yet you choose to stay here in this slum hole." No more words were expressed, and so the captain departed the town bar. Elsewhere, the Jedi were running through alleyways, streets, and anywhere they could to get far away from the bar and from people. No sense in dragging innocent civilians, bounty hunters, or more of that gang that Zorii girl had if they were that serious on turning them in. The cold air stung their faces as they ran for it, winds howling in the night sky. Fluttershy was thankful her cloak was long enough to cover her bare skin, all the while wondering how Rarity's montral headdress didn't fly off her head. But their luck just about ran out the moment they turned around the bend. All six of them ground their heels against the cobblestone when they looked ahead. Multiple Midnight troopers were marching down the street, led by their captain who spotted the group upon their run. Looking at their odds, the girls all gave a shrug and pulled out their sabers one by one for a fight, standing together in the town's square. The commotion had died down since the Midnight troopers left, and the atmosphere finally returned to normal once again. The door to the bar opened with nary a buzz; the spice runner the girls met earlier walking inside. Everyone was still drinking, laughing, playing games, whatever. The ruckus that had occurred with the Midnight troopers had long passed. No one paid any mind to her as she walked in, parking herself on the counter. Not even Ackmena paid much mind to the animal skin blanket she had wrapped around herself. Kijimi would freeze anyone who came here unprepared for the harsh weather. “Ackmena,” Zorii spoke. “No snorting the spice in here, I don’t want to clean up more overdosed junkies,” Ackmena said, scrubbing out a juicer. “I’m not doing any lines of spice,” she snarked back. “I wanted to talk.” Ackmena put the clean juicer back on the blender machine, putting in some more fruits for the next drink order. “What about?” “Have you seen any Jedi come through here?” “Yeah, they came through here half an hour ago. Why?” Zorii looked around, making sure no one was watching her. And seeing that the coast was clear, she spoke. “I wanted to find them. I found them in the streets, and they were looking for you. I wanted to take them in—” “—And get enough money to get your bubbly purple butt off this cesspool?” Ackmena finished. Zorii didn’t speak again, mainly because Ackmena kept going. “You’re not the first person here I’ve seen try to pay their way to escape this place. But if you ask me, there’s only one way you can leave.” “And what’s that?” Ackmena turned around to look back at her, leaning over the bar and staring her straight through the black visor on her helmet. “I don’t think you want to know. Because I’m telling you now, it doesn’t involve spice.” “Then what is it?” Zorii insisted, getting a little impatient. “You’re going to need to leave with the Jedi,” Ackmena said. Zorii was about to speak up again— “—Before you talk, let me say something. I know not everyone believes in the Jedi, and not everyone believes they were good. But those girls that you failed to take down, they’re some of the nicest people you will ever find. Not many of those exist. And I think if you want to get out of here, you should join them. And before you argue, I want to ask you something else; what did they want with you when you failed to take them down?” “All they wanted was to find you. They could have killed me, but they didn’t. They should have just blasted my brains in the snow.” “Did it ever occur to you that not everybody is like that?” Ackmena asked. Zorii was about to finally speak, only this time… she didn’t. Ackmena didn’t interrupt her again, and she let Zorii think about her question. Truth be told, the spice runner didn’t think about that before. And with every gang that hired her, every boss she had, every master she knew, no one had any form of kindness in the thirty plus years of her life. “Listen. Before you walk out that door, I want to give you one last piece of advice. There aren’t that many genuinely good people in this universe. Those girls? I recommend you go with them. They spared your life because they are the nicest people you will ever meet. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life rotting here? If you want to live, go help them. You haven’t lived until you fought side-by-side by a Jedi Knight.” With that said, Ackmena started to focus on serving the rest of the patrons in the bar. Zorii looked at her gloved hands one last time, and she walked out of the bar. Standing back outside in the snowy night, she looked around her. A few flaming barrels in some of the alleyways, showing homeless people trying to stay warm. Looking at them reminded her of her teenage days, wanting to run away from poverty and gain fortune and glory. She reached into the back of her head, opening a small compartment. A small sliver of gold credits pulled out, and she looked at them in her hands. She made some credits, and she had been saving up for her chance to leave. But then her mind thought back to all the major bosses that she had been forced to work for. She was promised more pay, more credits, enough to get her carcass off this planet. But with every passing year, it seemed as if her credits only decreased more and more. The more she saved, the more she ended up needing to pay for food and ammunition. Well she had enough. No more rotting, no more wasting her life away doing pointless run after pointless run. Today was going to change. And she knew just what to do first. She looked over to an alleyway, seeing an innocent little Twi’lek girl trying to stay warm in the alleyway, hidden under a blanket next to her presumed father. She walked towards them, and the little girl cowered in fear at the scary lady. Zorii understood why, but slowly she opened up her palm, offering the father and daughter the gold credits in her hand. None of them saw, but she was softly smiling under the helmet. “This should be more than enough to buy a home. A real home,” Zorii softly said, waiting for them to take it. Slowly, the father’s hand extended out and took the credits, and looked at her with a thankful smile. “T-Thank you.” “Stay safe. And don’t worry. Things will get better. I know they will.” She nodded at them, and she jogged up the steps to another street. She looked back one last time, and smiled under the helmet. She didn’t know what they would be doing, but she had hope they would be okay. For now, it was time to find the Jedi. She knew they weren’t too far from here. She turned her head to the right, seeing a group of Stormtroopers running, some halting as they called for reinforcements. “Haven’t lived til you fight with a Jedi huh? Well… let’s fight with some Jedi.” Everywhere, all around, Midnight troopers were coming in to box them in, trapping them against the two buildings. They blocked every blast as they could, taking out a few Midnight troopers here and there. But their numbers were overwhelming them, there were too many of them to count. “They don’t stop coming!” Pinkie squealed, blocking another laser shot as she was getting boxed In with the other. “They’re everywhere!” Applejack said, bouncing between blocking with a saber and shooting them with a blaster It looked as if their situation was bleak. But just then, they heard more gunshots coming from the street on their left. Midnight troopers were dropping, and soon some of them turned around to fire on the individual killing their troops. To the Jedi’s surprise, it was Zorii! She stood in the street in a confrontational pose, holding her blasters in the air clenched tightly. Once they were clicked, she charged right at them, guns ablazing and not hesitating to take out the troopers that were attacking. They dropped like flies, and with the addition of her precise shots, the Jedi started to hit more of the troopers, finally eliminating them from everywhere they attacked. Once they were down, the Jedi put their lightsabers away and looked over to Zorii, smiling at her. “Nice shootin’, partner,” Applejack complimented. “Thanks,” Zorii nodded, slipping her blasters back in her holsters. “You helped us. Why?” Sunset asked. "You could have killed me, and you didn't." Zorii shrugged her shoulders, almost nonchalant. "Frankly, that's a point in my book now." Her head dipped, as she admitted, "Second, I'm done running spice. I'm wasting my life here." She lifted her up again, to look Sunset square in the face, "So, I guess if none of you mind... I'd like to join your little resistance movement. Rebels, right?" “Exactly,” Sunset confirmed. “And I say, welcome aboard.” “Just like that?” Zorii asked, completely baffled. “You’re going to let me in, just like that? Why?” Sunset walked towards her, making Zorii step back in fear. Sunset’s hands slowly rested on her shoulders, but she looked straight through the visor and into her eyes with the warmest face she could offer. “Everyone deserves a second chance. And I’m willing to give you that chance.” Zorii once again was surprised. But happy on the inside. Just then, they heard the clanking sound of footsteps, and an Imperial security droid came walking around the corner with a weapon in hand, and out of fear, Applejack fired with her pistol-half of her lightsaber, shooting the droid right in the central processing-unit. All of them gasped when they saw who she shot, and Applejack yelped. “Oh sweet Celestia, what did I do!?” The security droid’s eyes went out, and it dropped. And out of nowhere, another one of the same model walked out, staring down at the fallen droid. Only he didn’t react right away. He looked at the shot droid and raised his head up to stare at the group of women in front of him. “Did you know that wasn’t me?” All of them sighed in relief (except for Zorii) that he was still alive. “Well…” “Um…” “Sorta…” “Nope!” Pinkie yelped loudest of them all. “Who is this?” Zorii asked, ready to pull out her gun. “Relax, he’s with us. Zorii, this is K2-S0. K2, this is Zorii, she’s now on our side. Now what are you doing here, I thought I said to stay on the ship,” Sunset said, putting her hands on her hips. “You did,” K2 acknowledged. “But I thought it was boring and you were in trouble.” A running Midnight trooper tossed a grenade at them, but K2’s movements were swift and his hand caught the grenade. “There are a lot of explosions for a group of women blending in.” He threw the grenade straight back at the Midnight trooper who tried to run, but was too late. A massive explosion was set off, engulfing the trooper and killing him instantly. “… You’re right. I should have just waited on the ship,” K2 stated, looking at the dead body. “Is he always like this?” Zorii asked. “Yeah. But he means well,” Sunset smiled. “Dang it, K2!” A little voice shouted from one of the alleys. “Brt bweep bweep brrrrtbop.” The Jedi stopped when they heard those voices. “Spike? R2, are you two back here?” Sunset called out. “Shoot, um… no, no we’re not!” “Responding to them is not going to convince them you’re gone,” K2 replied. “Guys, come on, get out here,” Sunset called again. Shyly rolling out from the alleyway was Spike and R2-D2 who were grumbling at K2. “We tried to stop him,” Spike insisted. “Your lie is unconvincing,” K2 snarked back. “Enough!” Sunset threw her arms out. “Look, we got what we needed, so let’s get out of…” The general suddenly stopped all of her thoughts, dropping dead silent. She felt something in the wind, something wrong. Not only in the wind, but she felt a disturbance. A dark presence looming on the right, standing in the middle of the street. She turned her head towards the presence, with the rest of the girls turning around to look where she was looking at. “Oh no,” Fluttershy gulped. “What? What are you looking at?” Zorii asked, looking at the same dark alleyway. Suddenly, a red blade shined in the darkness, and another blade shone as well. Two figures emerged, staring straight at the group of ten. Rainbow and Applejack looked at each other before smirking and turning back at them. “Two of them, huh? Okay, that’s not so bad,” Rainbow smirked, pulling out her double-bladed lightsaber out for a spin. “Six of us against them should be fine,” Applejack agreed. One by one, the rest of the Jedi activated their lightsabers. Pinkie twirled her axes around with a crazy grin that just screamed excited. Fluttershy kept a steady focus, using her famous stare technique as she locked onto the Inquisitors, twirling her bo staff. Last of all; Rarity gripped her katana-saber with no fear in her eyes. “Two of them against the six of you. There’s about a 26% chance of failure,” K2 summised. “Droids, Zorii, go back to the ship,” Sunset ordered. “We’ll hold them off.” Not questioning orders, the four of them got ready to leave until— “Ah, ah, ahh…” Sunset’s pupils shrunk and her heart started to beat. Slowly turning around, she saw a new figure walking out another alleyway, red eyes glowing in the shadows. Two red plasma blades emitted as they unfolded out of the dark. “Leaving so soon?” The new figure taunted with a smirk under the mask. “Uhhhh… who is that!?” Pinkie pointed her axe at her. “I forgot about her,” Sunset worried. “That's the Grand Inquisitor. Zorii, go, now!” “We’re not leaving without you,” Spike insisted. “We’re not leaving yet, Spike! Just go! We’ll catch up!” “I don’t even know where your ship is parked,” Zorii asked. “We do. Come! There’s a 76% chance of us surviving if we actually run instead of standing around,” K2 suggested, attempting a run down the block. R2 and Spike immediately spun around and rolled quickly after K2 to go back to the ship. Not seeing any other chance, the spice runner hiked up her boots and ran after the droids to join them. The Grand Inquisitor watched the four of them run for it, before a droid detached from her back, hovering in the air. Several claws extended out and snipped together, showing intent to attack. "Keep tracking those four; we'll send troopers their way, but do not deviate from your path." The droid made a chirping sound and so it hovered in the air and began to fly right after them. The girls' hearts sunk when they realized the danger the droids and their new friend were in, until Applejack tightened her hat and began to run. "I'll keep 'em safe!" Applejack shouted before disappearing into the city. Sunset stayed in defensive formation as the now three Inquisitors circled around the Jedi. "All members of the Council of Friendship back together again; how sweet," the Grand Inquisitor continued. "And one traitorous apprentice leading the revolt." "I gave up the Sith title a long time ago, Nightbird. If you're going to taunt me, get your facts straight," Sunset finished before charging forward. The Inquisitor brought her sabers up and crossed the blades together in an “X” shape, easily catching Sunset’s strike. As the two grappled their weapons, trying to break the other’s guard, Rainbow Dash surged forward with her saberstaff held high; but the Fourth Sister intercepted her with a downward sweep of her own lightsaber, forcing the Jedi to parry. At the same time, the Second Sister lunged at Rarity with a malicious laugh, and the glamorous one of the Jedi Six had to dodge back to avoid being bisected. The other two Jedi instinctively split up, each to help a friend: Pinkie spun her axes as she rushed in close to help Rarity push back the Second Sister; while Fluttershy moved, quiet as a ghost, to try and circle around to help Sunset against the Grand Inquisitor. Pinkie threw the axe in her right hand towards the Fourth Sister, who had been pressing the attack against Dash. However the Dark Sider, with a speed brought only by the Force, side-stepped the projectile attack, and then activated the double-blade function of her lightsaber. Pinkie pouted, as she shifted the axe in her off hand to a ready position, and moved to get in close for a swing. The Second Sister, who had been probing Rarity’s guard with several small, quick strikes; suddenly broke away from her to pull Pinkie Pie off-balance with the Force, and launched a strike at her back. Rarity leapt to knock the Inquisitor’s blade away, even as Pinkie flailed to regain her balance and move away from the Fourth Sister, who had begun to advance on her, spinning her saber blade like a buzzsaw. Meanwhile, Sunset had been pushed back by the Grand Inquisitor, and now stood on the defensive. She feinted once, and then slashed at her opponent’s right arm to try and take it off, but the leader of the Inquisitors managed to deflect her strike. Sunset growled, the Force around her agitated, as she tried to calm her mind and the fear that seemed to hum in the air, like an electric charge, all around. Fluttershy, throughout all of this, had moved in a counterclockwise circle around the duelists, until she was nearly directly behind the Grand Inquisitor. She gathered her courage, readied her lightsaber pike, and then thrust the metal end of her staff at the back of her adversary. Nightbird grunted, stumbling at the impact; Sunset seized the moment to lunge forward again, striking for her enemy’s right hand once more. But, with an agility that would have been impossible for a normal human, the Inquisitor righted herself, and caught the attack with her saber blade. Sunset growled, her temper rising as the fight continued on. “Too slow,” Nightbird sneered, shaking her head in disappointment. “I expected more from the great Sunset Shimmer.” The Fourth Sister made a move to swing for Sunset’s legs, but Rainbow Dash intercepted her, and the two of them locked blades with a crackle of red and blue plasma. Time seemed to slow down for the prismatic Jedi, as she thought hard and fast about the ongoing standoff. Three Dark Siders versus five Jedi, and none of them were getting anywhere fast. And the longer this stalemate continued, the more likely that Imperial reinforcements would arrive, and turn the tide completely in the Inquisitors’ favor. She had to even the odds somehow. Rainbow’s eyes flicked around the area, as she tried to calm her thoughts, and let the living Force guide her. Her gaze flicked from an alleyway, over to an abandoned storefront, and then up to a rooftop. A light even flickered on top of it, almost as if saying “notice me!” Dash grinned, and suddenly broke her deadlock with the Fourth Sister to fall back, and leap to the side and out of immediate range of the fight. “Hey, bucketbrain!” she hooted to her opponent, “You want me?” Dash raised her artificial arm, and shot a grappling line to the edge of the rooftop. It went taught, and then with a jerk, she was whisked into the air. “Come and GET me!” The Fourth Sister snarled under her breath, spinning her saber blade in agitation. Giving chase, she raced forward, and leapt high into the air; the Force propelling her two stories up onto an overhang, and then again onto another ledge, as Rainbow Dash pulled herself up over the top of the roof and out of immediate sight. As she ran across the rooftop to leap to the next one, and hopefully draw her opponent further away from her friends, Rainbow Dash found herself hoping that this would actually work, and that they’d all make it out in one piece… Through the cities, Zorii and the droids moved as fast as they could, avoiding bounty hunters, civilians, and Imperials at every turn. Spike kept the lead, trying to find the safest way back to the vessel, but the constant turns and changes in direction made it hard to navigate. Mistaken for a safe turn, the group turned around a corner, and there enough was a small squad of Midnight troopers communicating with one another. Their attention was soon grabbed by the four fugitives they had been targeted to find, enabling them to give chase. "I know this street, come on, follow me!" Zorii led the group through an alleyway, leading behind the back of another store. “That is a bad idea,” K2 said, running after her. “What else are we supposed to do!?” Sure enough, the Midnight troopers kept chasing them, and they saw the group of four run into one of the low-class shops. One of the troopers opened up the door, running inside with guns at the ready. The troopers pointed them around the store, looking for the fugitives, but they were not in sight. There was a Gran, but he had his hands up, clearly only interested in shopping. There was a Twi’lek woman and a Gungan, they two were shoppers. The only other person they saw was a Mimbanese woman who snarled at them. “Did any of you see a woman in red or three droids?” Unbeknownst to them, the four of them hid in a closet behind the Mimbanese woman. However, the closet was so small, trying to cram them inside was a pain. K2 was basically trying to hold onto the wall and squat a little. Poor R2 and Spike were trying to cram themselves against the walls and not move a muscle, and Zorii ended up having to cling onto K2’s body and not slam herself against the door. “This is very uncomfortable,” K2 murmured. “Now you know how I feel,” Zorii grumbled. “Let’s just hope this pays off. Otherwise, I’ve got a little toy I wanna use on them,” Spike whispered. “… how are you able to talk, anyways?” Zorii asked. The group waited for a second. The closet door opened, with the Mimbanese woman in the way. “They’re gone. But I suggest you run while you still can, they won’t fall for the lie forever,” she said. “Appreciated. Thank you, Grundal,” Zorii said, squeezing out of the closet. Taking their chance, the group moved out of the closet and into the streets again, only to find a few troopers outside waiting. Their numbers weren't massive, thankfully. Taking her chance, Zorii whipped out her blasters and started shooting at them. She ducked behind some flimsy piece of cover, with a few blaster sparks bouncing off the trashcan cover she was using. K2-SO decided to step in as well, grabbing one of the troopers with his bare hands and slammed him down against another soldier before reaching for his weapon. A blaster shot hit him in the shoulder, but it wasn't enough to do damage. K2 reciprocated the attack with a blaster shot at another trooper, striking a central nerve that made him drop to the ground. A few more troopers remained as Zorii and K2 worked together to combat against them, taking out two more in the process. Spike and R2 however didn't stay hidden behind the building's doors, instead, opting to move past them to try and attack. Spike rolled out with his middle wheel, his legs hovering behind him as he spun around. Two nozzles extended from his torso, and massive bursts of flames spread to two more troopers, engulfing them in flames as they tried to run away from the pain, but ultimately couldn't. R2's retaliation was using a zapper tool, and striking the officer in the leg, immobilizing his ability to run for a temporary time. Looking back, the officer was ready to destroy the droid with all of his might, but R2 struck before he had a chance. The officer was tazed again, and he dropped to the ground. Six troopers and an officer down for the count, the group started to pick up the pace again. But before they could move any further. "Oh dear. I believe we have a problem in the air," K2 noted. Zorii looked up, seeing the probe droid spying on them. Grabbing her blasters, she fired them like crazy, trying to take care of the robot, but with no luck. Extending its claws, it dashed down and threw itself against Zorii, pinning her down. K2 was ready to step in, until a powerful force lifted the probe into the air and away from the spice runner. Turning their heads, Zorii grinned under the helmet to see Applejack finally arrived, holding the probe in a vice-grip pose, keeping it locked in place. "Sorry partner, but you ain't comin' with us," Applejack declared. Her hand clenched into a fist, crushing the probe droid internally and externally, falling to the ground as a massive dent. "Y'all okay?" "We would have been fine, with or without your interference," K2 replied. "Not that anyone cares." "Come on, y'all! We gotta keep movin'!" Applejack ushered. With the Fourth Sister led away from the group, Pinkie and Rarity were able to focus on the Second Sister. Two to one, both sides were on even ground in terms of power. Pinkie swung her axes around like a madwoman, making the Inquisitor unsure of how to fight her opponent. She swore this Jedi had a lot more intelligence to fighting than just going straight at her. Taking her chance, she moved her saber to try and stab her, only for Pinkie to jump out of the way and throw one of her axe-sabers towards the Inquisitor. The blade swung around and lodged itself in a brick wall, missing the Sister entirely. Using the Force, Pinkie yanked the axe right back to her hand, clenching it tight. She hacked at the Sister some more, getting her to block with her double-bladed saber. "Hmm... Oooh! Rarity, I have an idea! Give me a minute!" She said, zipping away in a flash. "Can you hold her there for just a wee bit, okay thank you!" Rarity wanted to protest, but memories of Pinkie's antics flooded her memory, making her giggle. Knowing her, she had something dastardly to fight; Rarity would have no problem keeping her occupied for just a minute. The Second Inquisitor let her double-bladed saber spin around like a fan, slashing the ground as she moved herself closer to Rarity to attack. Rarity looked for a chance to intervene or deflect her strikes, not seeing a chance to make her move. But as she was pushed further, the Inquisitor took her chance and stopped spinning her blades, raising it up to attack. Rarity held her katana out, blocking the attack against her. Grinding her heels against the cobblestone, Rarity pushed the Second Sister back, and extended a hand out, using the Force to push her farther from her space. "I never liked fighting, not even in the Clone Wars, it's just never been my thing..." Rarity stated, adjusting her fake montrals. "But if you ever hurt my friends...," her eye twitched as she focused her glare. "I WILL RIP YOU TO PIECES IF YOU TOUCH ONE HAIR ON ANY OF THEIR HEADS!" Rarity pushed the Second Sister back some more, making her foot slide over a button that had been placed on the ground. A loud beeping sound started to rapidly emit, and the Sister turned around to the source of the noise. A bright pink cannon was mounted on the ground, and aimed right at her. A spark was lit on the end of the wick, and a massive explosion of confetti blew into the Second Sister's face, sending her flying back. But when she turned around, she was met with a bazooka aimed at her head again, courtesy of Pinkie Pie looking at her with a crazy grin. "SURPRISE!" Pulling the trigger, another explosion of confetti and streamers fired in her face, throwing her off balance. Despite the protection of the helmet, she was so close to the weapon that her ears started to ring, making her groan from the pain as she held onto her head. Pinkie and Rarity stood back, defensively waiting for her to get angry and attack. But the Sister never did, instead, her hands reaching for her helmet were furiously trying to yank it off her head, as if it was stuck. One final tug and the helmet was removed before being tossed to the ground, revealing the face beneath the mask. But when the woman underneath was revealed, Pinkie let out a big gasp in shock. Rarity's jaw dropped to the ground. "Oh... ohhh... OH FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE!!!!" Fluttershy brought up her lightsaber pike, activating its blade just in time to catch and deflect a strike from the Grand Inquisitor’s lightsaber. The kindhearted Jedi locked blades with her opponent, working to keep her opponent from overpowering. Sunset joined in, catching Nightbird’s other lightsaber in a lock, and together the two Jedi reached out to the Force to push the Inquisitorius’ leader back and away. Nightbird, if she was impressed by their resistance, did not show it; instead, she responded in kind. Briefly deactivating her own sabers, she thrust out her hands, and the living Force screamed as a telekinetic blast slammed into both Jedi and knocked them off their feet. Fluttershy was the first to get back upright, but the Grand Inquisitor didn’t let up: she made a sharp sweeping gesture with her left hand, and another Force push knocked Fluttershy up and away. She tumbled through the air to bounce against the wall of a nearby tenement and dropped to the ground, unconscious. Sunset grimaced, wiping some blood from her lip, as she stood back up and planted her feet firmly on the ground. She brought up her saber in an overhead guard, willing herself to work through the pain and let the Force move through her. The general brought her saber down in a mighty forward strike as Nightbird advanced; the Inquisitor brought both blades up to deflect the blow, and for one moment as both sets of lightsabers rebounded, the space between the two fighters was open to attack. Sunset Shimmer tried to bring her blade back down for another overhead swing, but in the instant it took to redirect the momentum of her lightsaber, Nightbird was just a little bit faster. The Grand Inquisitor’s dominant lightsaber flicked out, like a stinger, and the tip of the plasma blade burned into Sunset’s right shoulder. With a winded scream, Sunset dropped to one knee. Her arm spasmed from the agony of the burn and the hole left behind, but she refused to give up. She would not let herself fall. Not like this… Nightbird shook her head, in a parody of sorrow, as she brought up her lightsaber and held the tip of the blade towards Sunset’s throat. “Not at all what I’d been hoping for,” she mused, “I came here to slay a legend of the Clone Wars. Instead I found a washout with her best days far behind her.” Sunset grit her teeth, and bit back several choice Huttese oaths. She tried to raise her arm, bring up her saber again, but it may as well have been made of wood for all the good it would have done her. The Grand Inquisitor flicked two fingers out, and the Force slammed Sunset like a cannonball, lifting her off her feet and pinning her against a wall. Sunset Shimmer, General of the Rebellion, choked, wind knocked out of her, as she felt the Dark Sider’s will keeping her stuck in place; the feeling was like being submerged in something foul and decayed, and it grew heavier and heavier by the second as she struggled to try and break free. Behind the dark mask covering her face, Nightbird was grinning like a nexu about to pounce. “Oh, do yourself a favor and stop struggling,” she almost cooed, sauntering towards her trapped opponent, “It’s all over for you now.” Nightbird’s eyes, behind the dark red lenses of the Inquisitor’s helmet, were glinting like those of a spice addict about to get their next fix. She could feel the other woman’s desperation, her fear, through the Force, and she savored it. Savored it so much, that she quite forgot about the other, fainter presence, that had come back, and had retreated into the shadows nearby, waiting for the right moment. And just as Nightbird brought her blades out and slashed them preparatory to what would be a killing strike, Fluttershy stepped out of cover, and threw her lightsaber pike like a javelin. Nightbird screamed, as the plasma blade struck her from behind, and sliced through her right shoulder in an instant. The Grand Inquisitor’s dominant arm dropped to the ground, still clutching its weapon in its still-twitching fingers. Fluttershy scrunched up her face at the grisly sight, and at the thought of inflicting such pain on anyone, even a Dark Sider, but she willed herself to focus on helping her friend. Sunset, the Inquisitor’s hold on her having faded with the loss of her arm, picked herself back up to a standing position, and half-limped, half-ran, to stand at Fluttershy’s side. Together, the two Jedi watched Nightbird stagger and turn to face them. Her posture unsteady, her breathing ragged; the Grand Inquisitor was livid with rage as she seethed, through gritted teeth: “Why don’t you Jedi ever, ever, STAY DEAD?!” Nightbird started to make a move like she was about to charge them, but Fluttershy summoned her pike back to hand with the Force and brought it up with a simple but elegant flourish, and the Inquisitor halted. Maddened with pain and fury as she was, the Dark Sider could see from the steely looks on her opponent’s faces, that this was a fight they had no problem finishing for good. “I’m not going to kill you, even if Rainbow Dash really thinks I should,” Fluttershy said, warningly. “But if you keep chasing us, you will lose that other arm.” She let out a short breath, and added, “So please… don’t.” Nightbird ground her teeth behind her mask, her lightsaber trembling violently in her remaining hand. Thoughts of murder and retribution danced in her mind, but even with the red haze over her vision, she knew that to attack would be a fatal mistake. She watched the two of them, Jedi healer and Rebel general, move for the rooftops, and swore a thousand times over that when she next caught the two Jedi, she would inflict vengeance that would make Darth Midnight herself weep for them. Rainbow Dash leapt the space between another set of rooftops, still doing her best to lead the Fourth Sister away from the rest of her friends. Though she was beginning to wonder, in spite of herself, how much longer she could keep going; her heart was hammering in her chest, the breath burned in her throat, and her legs were aching, an all-too-unwanted set of reminders that she was not the young Jedi she’d once been. When I get out of this – not if, when, she would NOT think that way – I’m never slacking on exercise again, Rainbow swore to herself as she approached the edge of the current building she was on. She braced herself for the jump, timed it as she closed in… and then let the Force flow through her, as she pushed off and soared over the gap. She landed rough, stumbling, and nearly fell; Rainbow wondered for a split second if she might have twisted her ankle. Then she heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating and hurried to draw her own blade, barely in time to catch the Fourth Sister’s strike. “So, this is the mighty Rainbow Dash?” taunted the Inquisitor, pushing her blade against Rainbow’s, forcing the other woman back. Rainbow Dash knew that the Sister was trying to knock her off balance, and resolved to beat her at her own game: she drew on as much of the Force as she could, and flicked out her hands to send the Inquisitor back, almost knocking her over the side of the ledge of the building they were on. (To Rainbow’s disappointment though, the Fourth Sister didn’t fall, and managed to right herself just in time.) Rainbow Dash brought up her saber in a guard stance, her blade angled low in a resting position; ready to snap it up to deflect any strikes at an instant. As the two of them took a moment to ready themselves anew, Dash pondered her next move: withdraw further? No, that had been too close a call already. Leap in close and try to hammer her back and over the side? Risky, even for her taste. Old memories of the last time she had tried a relentless attack on a Sith flickered through her thoughts, and the spot where her prosthetic arm met her shoulder ached. “Scared, Rainbow Dash?” the Fourth Sister sneered, as she raised her lightsaber in a mock salute. “You wish,” Rainbow huffed, as she planted her feet and braced herself for whatever would come next. The Inquisitor activated the second blade of her saber, and let the twin plasma beams spin like a buzzsaw as she stepped carefully forward. Rainbow knew that this was a display, meant to intimidate her; she scowled and tried not to let the anger cloud her focus. There is no emotion, there is serenity... Their lightsabers met in a clash of colors; blue and red sparks hissed as the Fourth Sister moved and lunged around Dash from one side to another. Rainbow swung her saberstaff to deflect the oncoming strikes, but she was tiring, bit by bit. The standoff on the ground, and the chase across the roofs, were taking their toll, and she knew she was paying for it. And then, quite suddenly, that toll came due in another way. The Fourth Sister angled her blades, spinning them again like a buzzsaw to hammer at Rainbow’s guard; the Jedi tried to break her attacker’s offense with a pushback, but the Inquisitor sidestepped her lunge, and in the few seconds Rainbow was off balance, flicked out her saber, and cut through Rainbow’s prosthetic arm just beneath the shoulder. Rainbow gasped in pain, and staggered, gaping in shock as she saw her limb once again laying on the ground like so much trash. The Fourth Sister grabbed her with the Force, and slammed her down to the rooftop, pinning her in place. “Aww. Did I break your arm?” the Inquisitor cooed mockingly, “What a shame, it looked so nice…” The Fourth Sister brought her lightsaber blade down and swiped it through the wrist of the severed arm. With another flourish, she then cut through the elbow of the prosthesis, before stabbing her blade through the handle of Dash’s lightsaber, cutting it in half. She finished up by scattering the pieces with the Force, clearly savoring every moment of the act. Rainbow watched, helpless and sickened, fear pressing in on her more and more by the second. She was trapped like an animal in a snare, and the hunter was just toying with her now. “I’ve waited months for this, Dash,” the Fourth Sister said, her voice now dangerously sweet, “Ever since Tatooine. I’d say it’s a shame it had to be this way, but, eh, you know…” She shrugged one shoulder, then brought up her saber and spun it around, before swiping it against the rooftop, sending sparks flying over Dash’s prone, paralyzed body. She was gearing up for another swing, maybe this one to be the killing strike… Her heart racing, Rainbow tried to think of some way out. The Force had not abandoned her yet, she would not die like this. And as she thought, suddenly she recalled something from the mission to Scarif from previous months… “She’s not Trixie anymore, Shimmer. That’s a name long of old. She’s now one of the highest-ranking officials of the Galactic Empire." The words hit her like a thunderbolt, and Rainbow knew what she had to do. “Stop! This isn’t you!” The Fourth Sister paused, for a fraction of a second, before slashing again and sending another burst of sparks at her. She brought her saber up, high, like an executioner at the chopping block… “I know it’s you, Trixie!” Dash half shouted, half pleaded. The blade froze, its wielder twitching in shock. The Force seemed to shudder around them, the Inquisitor’s psychic grip on her prisoner slackening, and Dash struggled up, pulling herself into a crouch. “What did you say?” the Fourth Sister hissed. She held up her blade, pointing it right at Rainbow’s heart. “I said I know it’s you, Trixie,” Rainbow Dash repeated, heavily. “That’s your name, that’s who you are. Not an Inquisitor, not a ‘Fourth Sister’… you’re a Jedi, like me.” She raised her remaining hand, and held it up almost in way of offering. “You’re a magician, you liked to show off what you knew to the younglings—” “No,” the red blade shook, its owner’s voice hissed quietly. “This isn’t you. Not the real you,” Dash pressed on, pleadingly, “You loved fireworks shows and those peanut butter cracker snacks. You liked to rib Twilight about spending all her time in the Archives. Your best friend is Starlight Glimmer—" “Shut up.” The masked face shook back and forth. The red blade swiped to one side, but it did not stab at the Jedi standing across from its wielder, and so Rainbow continued: “We never got along, I know that, but I also know that you are better than this! You are not an Inquisitor!” “It doesn’t matter who Trixie was!” the figure in the dark mask and Inquisitor’s garb screamed. The red lightsaber clattered to the ground, forgotten. Silence fell, for a long moment. Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything, as she slowly, carefully, approached the Inquisitor, and reached up her hand to their mask. She wondered if she was doing the right thing, the smart thing, or if she was about to die, but she did not stop; she had to see this through. She reached out, and pressed her fingers to the mask, and the Force whispered to her, and she felt for the release mechanism that would disconnect it from the rest of the helmet. The person in the garb of the Fourth Sister did not resist. There was a faint “click,” and then the mask came away, and Rainbow saw the face beneath. Once-bright blue skin, a face that had grinned and boasted lively expressions, now bore a muted color, and a sullen, exhausted look. The eyes were a murky, tainted yellow, devoid of the old pride, the old cheer. Her face bore the marks of long-ago cuts, some of them horribly surgical looking in nature. There was a healed, but still notable, burn mark, left on one cheek, that puckered the edge of her mouth there. Trixie, once great and once powerful, looked at Rainbow Dash for a moment before averting her eyes. Without the mask, it was like all of her previous anger and viciousness had been bled away. What was left… was little more than a shell of a person. Rainbow stared at that faded, wounded face, and her eyes watered. “Trixie,” she said, her voice rough, and she put her hand on the other woman’s shoulder, and tried to bring her into a hug. Trixie froze for a moment. And then she melted into Dash’s grip, throwing both arms around her, shaking like a leaf. There was a rustle of movement behind them. It was Sunset, and the other Jedi, having followed Rainbow’s Force signal up to the rooftop. They stopped at the sight of Rainbow, her arm missing. Pinkie nearly drew her axes, but Fluttershy put a hand on her shoulder, and shook her head in warning. Rainbow Dash didn’t pay attention. “It’s okay,” she whispered, to the broken woman clinging to her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to fight anymore. It’s okay…” “Do you know, what they did to me?” Trixie’s voice was little more than a whisper. Yet in the quiet that had settled over Kijimi City’s rooftops, it seemed to carry like a full bellow. “Years of misery, agony… they tortured me. Broke me, broke anyone else they wanted f-for the Inquisitorius. They broke me again and again, took me apart until I let them put me back together as… whatever I am now.” Tears were running freely down her face, and the woman who had been the Fourth Sister looked, more than anything, like a child who had been hurt and didn’t understand what had just happened. “I remember, but I don’t… know anymore. I’m not… not what I once was.” She suddenly let go of the embrace, and pushed herself away from Rainbow Dash. Trixie’s mouth twitched, and she said, in a dazed, brittle voice, “I’m not her. Not anymore. It’s too late.” Sunset tried to step up. "Trixie, w--" "It's too late, Sunset!" Trixie growled with fury in her eyes. "It doesn't matter if I leave with all of you, they will never accept me. I'm dead!" The Inquisitor was shaking a little bit, from the anger and fear washing together. She looked at the girls around her, slowly breathing to calm down. "I don't have much time. But I need you all to listen carefully; the Empire is building something. Something big. The Defender project you destroyed is nothing compared to what they have planned for you all." "What, what are they making?" Rarity questioned. "A station. Bigger than anything you can possibly conceive. They're moving it outside of Dath..." Trixie trailed off. There wasn't any reason for her to just suddenly stop, but when she looked to her left, her breath started shaking with her body. The girls looked towards that direction, but they didn't see anything; not even an Imperial or Inquisitor in sight. Trixie took a small step backwards, horrified by something only she could see, the sounds sending chills down her entire spine. But what the rest of the Jedi saw frightened them more. As if coming out of nowhere, a silhouetted figure seen only by the moonlight, stood on the building across from them. Her cape swished and dropped from her shoulders, before the figure leaped from the canopy they stood on. She stepped into their vision, her breathing echoing through her filters. The girls looked at each other, then back at new arrival. "Sunset... is that--?" "--It's her," Sunset confirmed. Midnight focused on the girls as she slowly moved behind Trixie. "I have been waiting a long time to see you all again. Unfortunate that we aren't on the same sides," Midnight greeted. "At least we stuck together," Pinkie growled. "The only thing that was tearing us apart was you." Midnight said nothing more. Her saber ignited, finally breaking Trixie out of her trance. Realizing what was to come, she looked at her old friends one last time before giving them one soft if bittersweet smile. A pained groan followed as a bright red blade was seen prodding out of her heart. Trixie was gasping for air before the blade deactivated, leaving a gaping hole in her chest where her heart once was. "Pr... Promise me..." Trixie wheezed. "S... Stop her..." She dropped to her knees. "Stop... the Empire..." "We'll bring them down," Sunset whimpered. "I promise." "T... Thank you," Trixie wheezed. "Now, I... I am finally... free..." she said with a grateful smile as she dropped to the ground, her last bit of energy finally escaping her body. Midnight looked back towards the Jedi Six, not moving a muscle. Realizing they had no choice, all six of them dashed to another rooftop, running as fast as their legs could take them, leaving Midnight to stand there. "All Inquisitors, bring the Jedi down. And do not fail me," Midnight ordered. Sunset didn't say another word during their escape. As all of them leapt, dashed, and ran across the rooftops of Kijimi City, they did not dare look back. No one had expected to see their former friends here tonight, nor were they ready for Trixie's departure. Despite their loss, none of them could express even a little bit of sadness right now; War, bringing on so many deaths of friends and family over the years had left them all numb to the pain. But inside, Sunset was screaming at herself. They were so close to getting an entire clue, and now they were back to square one with barely a hint at the Empire's plan. A station? What kind of station, what were they even making? She'd have to investigate this some more, provided they all would survive this chase. The Inquisitors were catching up to them, their agility on par with the Terrialian Jango Jumpers. Only a few more rooftops and awnings left and they would be home free. The Inquisitors were dangerously close, ready to slash them once they had the chance. Just as they made it to the next rooftop, the Jedi's ride soared across the sky and moved itself down above the last building just off the edge of the mountain. Zorii stood at the bottom of it, waving for them to come on board. One by one, the Jedi climbed inside, with Sunset being the last of the group. Looking behind her, she watched the Inquisitors continue to give chase until the ramp closed up, sealing everyone inside. The Inquisitors all leapt up, using their blades to spin around like rotor blades, added with the Force to propel them. But it was too late; the freighter blasted off into the skies and into hyperspace, leaving Kijimi behind. All the while, the Inquisitors growled at their failure. Midnight wasn't going to be happy about this, and who knew how she was going to take their failure this time.