//------------------------------//
// Forgive Me For Failing You 
// Story: Jedi: Sins Of The Mother 
// by Logic Flip 
//------------------------------//

Sparkler's hands slammed down like thunderbolts, and it was a miracle that the metal surface didn't dent.

“No.” She hissed as she stood up from the worktable, progress on the T8 head forgotten. “No. No. NO. NO. You’re not just dumping this kind of news on us and then blindside us with a ‘Your mother was a Jedi. We’re going on a trip’.”

Dinky could only silently agree. Between the lightsaber in her hand and the earth pony’s statement, her lips were welded shut with shock.

The earth pony glanced at her, expression stern and implacable. “Listen, I don’t like it either but I promised your mother I would get you two out of the Rim to Canterlot if anything ever happened to her.”

The answer did little to calm the older pink unicorn down. “What about her shop? What about our home? You can't just tell me that mom, who put so much work into this place, just told you that she wanted it abandoned?”

"That is the long and short of it, yes."

"Why?"

“Your lives.”

That brought Sparkler up short. “What?”

Time Turner had always been a grumpy individual. In fact, Dinky was pretty sure that she could count on her fingers the number of times she had seen the earth pony smile in the many times she had seen him. Yet the almost neutral coldness that he spoke with was enough to send shivers down her spine.

"How long do you think you and your sister would last in this town, huh? You've always acted like you know everything when you really know nothing, filly. Your mother, for some Divine forsaken reason, decided to raise you two here despite this place’s reputation.  She somehow got enough street reputation to be singled out as a mare to be left alone. Now I’ve got connections all over Fragile Town and from what’ve heard, Dinky’s solo trip to the Market streets did not go unnoticed. That’s why I came as soon as I could.”

Now the chill had started stampeding all along her skin making the fine hairs of her fur stand on end. She hadn’t even noticed that she was being watched. Had anyone decided to do anything to her before she got home... Her sister seemed to come to the same conclusion as her ears laid flat against her head.

“There’s already rumors going around about where your mother might be. Whether they are closer to the truth or not doesn’t matter, the fact is that once someone figures out that she’s not here and she’s not coming back, who knows who will be at the front door next. Your mother knew that if she wasn’t around you two would be chewed up and spat out by this city. I give it a week before some trouble stirs up.” The earth pony finished, flicking a finger across his throat for emphasis.

Dinky knew that he had thoroughly taken what little platform Sparkler had right from under her hooves. Her knee jerk reaction having resulted in reality being brought down on her head. She herself felt as if the room around her was trembling, but it was just the shaking of muscles in her arms supporting the heavy burden that they really had nowhere safe anymore. She had tried to hold out hope that maybe things could continue as they were but Time Turner confirmed that they were on a limited timetable.

Time Turner's glare thawed considerably his expression seeming almost sad as the next words that came out of his mouth were tired and raspy, as if what he was saying was painful. "Look, I understand. This place is home, no matter how bad it is. This shop is all you two know and I, like you, saw Ditzy struggle every day to keep this place open with honest business. Something that she should get a damned medal for in my opinion. But you and your sister have to go." He gave the Sparkler an encouraging pat on the shoulder before turning to the Dinky. "I'll get us a ship off this speck in no time. Don't worry."

"How?" Dinky finally managed to speak. "We can't just walk to the spaceport, the guards will shoot us down if we so much as sneeze in the uppercity gate's direction."

The earth pony's face widened into a smile as he gave her head an encouraging rub. "I have a few contacts in the uppercity that owe me a few favors. I'll reach out and see if we can't get out of here by tonight. Be sure to pack up before sundown."

Only Dinky didn't hear him. Her mind went blank. Images slammed into her senses.

A Blaster.

A black gloved hand pulling the trigger.

A streak of red.

A face twisted in rage.

Another face grimaced in pain as it's body fell out of sight.

Her vision broadened and what was vague details suddenly became clear as the face of the dead body filled itself in.

The details of a familiar face.

Time Turner's.

Dinky gasped and jumped to her hooves and Time Turner snatched his hand back in surprise, immediately cutting the stream of images as if it were a holonet feed that lost it's signal.

She was aware that both occupants in the room were staring at her but what was happening, in this room, what was being said to her, felt so distant. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, not only from what she saw but her senses were chanting, 'Time Turner is dead, Time Turner is dead', over and over and over. But whether it was her own string of thoughts or the voice of something else, she did not know. 

But he couldn't be! He was standing right here. Right next to her. He was right-

"...ou okay? Sis? Sis!"

Dinky looked up and saw her sister's face right up to her own. The unicorn hadn't noticed she moved and she took a deep breath. "W-w-what?"

Sparkler's eyes narrowed, not in annoyance but in concern. "You. Are you okay?"

Dinky's first instinct was to lie. What could she say? That she saw their only friend killed by...somepony or somegriffon or whatever that face could have been? Yet when she tried to say yes, she found her tongue glued firmly in place, far too heavy for anymore words. Unable to trust herself to speak she nodded her head.

Judging by the looks from the earth pony and her sister, it was clear it wasn't the most convincing nod she ever made in her life. Sparkler opened her mouth but Time Turner was the first to speak.

"You were out of it for a solid minute, Dinky and you look like you just tried run nonstop for a full mile." Dinky realized she was indeed breathing hard and a several drops of sweat forced themselves to be noticed by a slight tickling from her forehead. She took another deep breath to unstick her tongue and turned to the earth pony. "I'm fine." She said with more confidence than she felt.

She and Time Turner had a short stare off before the earth pony nodded and turned towards the door. "I'll be sure to add meds to the list of things the my debtors should collect."

"First it was favors, now it's debts?" Sparkler snorted and Dinky felt her chest lighten a little as the attention was drawn away from her. "I thought you were a holy stallion? The kind that doesn't gamble."

Time Turner just chuckled. "You forget, Sparkler, we live in Ponyville. Everyone here owes someone a debt."

The earth pony turned and left, the door sliding closed behind him. Dinky felt her stomach twist as they did, the bad feeling the visions left on her trailing with him. She whispered a silent prayer to anyone or anything that could be listening at that moment that he came back safe.




In the Ponyville spaceport sat a ship. If anyone one bothered to look up it's name they would discover it was christened Winona which would be an average name for an average heavy freighter, one of many that docked in these spaceports. However if someone bothered to look up the name of the ship, then they would see the name of who it was registered to.

A name that was far above average. The name of a orange earth pony mare of average height with a trenchcoat and a Stetson two sizes too big perched perfectly on her head. The name of a mare that didn't even want to be here. The name of a mare who was getting quite annoyed with a unicorn, holding a holopad that was baring her from leaving the hanger. A unicorn she was seriously considering shooting right now.

"Look, fer th' fifth time," she sighed, not even feeling half as up to this as she should. "I'm registered. I went through yer "hold until we verify your identity" processin' stuff before we even landed. Didn't we, Mac?"

"Eyup..." The larger red earth pony stallion behind her stated, looking much less frustrated than she was.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure you did. The unicorn's smiled, a condescending smile that Applejack somehow prevented from burying her fist wrist deep in. "And what did you say your name was again?" She repeated, looking down at her pad.

"Applejack." The orange mare said stiffly, knowing this was a repeat of the same damned carousel. 

"And your crew?"

"Big Macintosh Apple." She pointed at her bother before pointing at the smaller yellow filly that, even with the bow on her head, barely came up to her waist. "Apple Bloom."

"Species?" 

Now Applejack knew this pony was screwing with her. She glared at her, putting her hands on her wide hips as if to say 'What do you think?' before the following moments of silence made it clear that the unicorn wasn't going to let them by without an answer.

"Earth ponies."

The unicorn nodded as if she needed vocal confirmation on what her eyes could see. "Relation?"

"Family." Applejack forced through gritted teeth. She kept her hands in her pockets, clamping them on her thighs with all her strength, knowing that if she got them around this hornhead's throat she wouldn't let go. Consequences be damned.

"Cargo?" 

She let her accent bleed out of her voice as she began to stiffly recite the manifest from memory. "5 crates of Medpacs. 2 crates of Stims, 10 crates of various foods, and 20 pallets of Vinowine straight from Cloudsdale sky orchards."

The unicorn's ears perked up at the mention of the wine. She looked from her pad to the ship then back to Applejack before looking back down at her pad, the smile still on her face. "We'll have to confiscate that."

"WHAT?!" Applejack didn't take notice how Apple Bloom jumped at her outburst nor the slight frown that crossed Big Mac's face. "On what grounds? Vinowine is perfectly legal in the outer rim!"

"Maybe on other planets but not here. So now you've just admitted to me that your ship is carrying contraband. We can't allow you to sell it here and if we leave you with it you could smuggle it out of port." She pressed a button on the side of her pad. Almost immediately two columns of security guards entered the hanger, marching right past them and to the ship. "We'll also have to search your ship for anything that you may have failed to tell us about. It might take awhile, a day perhaps. We want our security to be thorough, if you don't like it have a talk with management. Have a pleasant day, Miss Applejack."

They were about to be robbed blind and there was nothing she could do to stop them, Applejack knew this. Ten thousand credits of wine gone, not to mention how much of their other cargo that was going to be 'lost' during the search. 

It took a level of self-control the mare didn't believe she had to just walk right past the mare to the halls that led to the city and even more not to sock her brother in the face as she rounded on him the moment the doors to the bay closed behind them. "I told ya we didn't need tuh land, now look were ya got us." She growled, stabbing a finger in the larger stallions chest. "That's this months credits down the plug." 

Big Mac, to his credit didn't look the slightest bit intimidated by her murderous glare, only sadden by her reaction. "AJ, Yuh need a doctor. A good one. Ponies just don't be passin' out like that fer no reason."

"I told ya, I was fine. I coulda just popped a medpac an' waited until we got to our next destination."

"Yuh an' Ah know full well that Combay has the best med centers in the outer rim." Big Mac shook his head, speaking slowly as if Applejack was foal. "An' what if yuh passed out again an' didn't wake up? What then?"

Applejack scoffed, her only reaction to a question she couldn't answer. Honestly, she knew that Big Mac's worry was justified even without him knowing about the details she omitted from the experience. That kind of pain that led up to her fainting... wasn't right. It hadn't felt right. Even now just thinking about it made her stomach twist.

Turning on her hoof, she pulled out an adrenal stim from her coat pocket and stabbed it into her thigh. With a pinch, click and hiss, she felt just a little bit better with the major inconvenience the day was starting with. "Ya'll find someplace we can stay fer the night." She mumbled, following the maps on the walls to a med center. "I'll go 'n get this over with."

When Applejack followed the map to the nearest med center, she was quickly reminded why she hated the places. In her opinion, hospitals, med centers, clinics, and even urgent care outfits all smelled the same. Clean. Far too clean with the faint coppery hint of blood. It was in her experience that med centers on planets with a high crime rate wouldn't hit the high notes of pleasant and this one was no different.

She moved with purpose thought the moans and misery, a few of the glazed sets of eyes following her as did the stench of sweat and sickness that made her stomach flip. In the center of the room was a large desk.

A yellow earth pony sat behind the desk, his medical outfit wrinkled and messy, suggesting a long day of work...or lack of care in his appearance. Applejack hoped it was the latter as she approached.

He gave her one look before motioning to one of the seats. "Take a number. We'll call you."




As "Rainbow Dash" entered the Riding Crop, one of a few cantina's within the boarders of Fragile Town, many of its occupants' eyes turned toward her. She observed that, of the patrons who didn't look her way, quite a few were already preoccupied by the cantina's 'entertainment' of the usual griffon strippers. She met the gazes of those looking at her, and one by one they quickly turned away. Weak willed idiots. Even in this cesspit of debauchery and immorality there were few who could or would keep her gaze longer than a few seconds. She continued scanning the room's occupants until one pair of eyes met her expression with one of equal steel.

With a smile curving on her lips, she made her way to the familiar look and sat in the booth right across from her...or rather him. 

"Long time, no see." She greeted, letting a slight hint of mocking bleed into her tone. "I see you kept the love mark I gave you."

The effect was as quick as it was predictable. Yeah, if there was one thing that described the griffon in front of her, it was predictable. Not matter how much of her appearance she changed.

The scarred beak twisted into a scowl, the metal cup filled with some kind of bad alcohol in her grasp frozen in mid-sip. If voices could kill Spectrum knew that she would have died on the spot with how much the voice was laced with poisonous loathing. "Spymaster Dusk didn't tell me to expect you." Oh, her tone was absolutely icy.

So cold, so cruel, and for a minute, Spectrum was back at the academy, meeting those hardened yellow eyes for the first time as she stared the griffon down. Looks like the hen had sharpened her talons in their time apart.

"Oh come on, Gilda, you know she keeps details on the down low."

"Shut it, Dash." She hissed, quickly looking around the room for anyone who could be possibly listening in to their conversation. "The walls have ears."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is it Gavorn now?"

"Aye, lass." The griffon hissed, settling into her staged accent smoothly. "And the last thing I need from ya is yer mouth."

"Well then, let's get to brass tax." She stated, letting the teasing drop out of her tone. She could always poke fun at Gilda later but now was the time for business. "You know why I'm here, right?"

"The event that happened yesterday, of course." 

"You felt it?" 

"Felt it?" The griffon looked affronted. "I'm pretty sure every force sensitive felt that...whatever it was, all the way to the galactic core. Hit me like a meteor to the face. Thought I was dyin' or something."

That Spectrum didn't doubt, in fact, she herself had felt it during one of her training sessions and damn near lopped herself in half with her own saber. She didn't allow any of her agreement to show on her face as Gilda continued. "I've been getting reports from my handler that at least 22 acolytes are dead as a result of the force ripping like that. Like in the middle of battle or something like that."

Spectrum nodded. It actually have been more around 30 but the Spymaster was keeping info like that on the down low for a reason and, while it pleased her that so many possible rivals were gone, it put a great dent in the Sith empires' plans to loose so many agents. "That's true. Some were fighting, others were in the middle of negotiations with the leaders on certain planets." She then smiled as better news was brought to the front of her mind. "But just because we're hurting doesn't mean the Jedi aren't, they're running blind after that. Though it's only a matter time when they actually come here."

"I guess." The griffon shrugged before leaning forward with slightly more urgency in her eyes. "But that doesn't matter cause I know where the disturbance came from." Her beak twisted into a malevolent grin as she took a sip from her drink. "Or rather who it came from."

For a moment, Spectrum thought she had misheard. She sat a little straighter and scanned the griffon for any signs that meant she was bluffing. 

Nothing. 

Gilda was telling the truth.

She still didn't believe it. "Who?"

"Unicorn filly. No older than twelve."

Spectrum shook her head. "You're lying." A filly? A filly could cause the force that kind of pain? Could cost them 30 agents? Impossible. 

Gilda took another sip of her drink. "Nope and here's the kicker." The griffon leaned even closer, leaving a little less than a half a foot between them. "She's been in the town for years and I didn't sense her until after the disturbance."

"What?" The shock of the source being confirmed a filly not even on the cusp of adolescence was now completely overshadowed by who the griffon was saying now. "That's impossible."

Gilda nodded, her eyes grazing over the dancers before focusing back on the pegasus. "What I thought to until when she arrived at the market I felt her from two blocks away. At my stand, it was like standin' in the eye of a hurricane."

"How?" 

"Dunno" The griffon said, a frown creasing her brow, "and its bothering me how she managed to slip right under my beak all these years I've been here. I know I couldn't have missed something but..."

Spectrum wasn't listening at this point. The Sith apprentice's mind was working a mile a parsec. Anypony with the kind of power she felt was dangerous. Add in the possibility that they had been hiding their presence in the force consciously or unconsciously and that suggested training...or talent. An insane degree of it. They needed to work fast. "Her temperament?"

"Soft like clay. All I had to do was mention her mother, pluck a few strings in the force and anger came flowing like water."

"Any family?"

"Sister and late mother."

Spectrum raised an eyebrow. "No father?"

"None as far as I can tell."

"Friends?"

"The mother was a friend of the local priest. He's how I found out about her death."

"Any potential from the sister?"

"None as far as I could tell but I haven't see her today so that could very well change."

Strange. Dusk was going to have a field day with this.

"Any potential from the mother?"

The griffon shook her head. "Little to none. Her presence was not even a blip on my radar."

"You know the Sith holds claim to every force sensitive we find." Spectrum frowned. "Why didn't you call it in?"

Gilda held up her hands defensively. "Woah, there. She was worthless to the cause. Had a birth defect." She explained quickly, "Couldn't even carry air without tripping and breaking it somehow."

Gilda was right, the Sith had no place for those less than competent but just the see the griffon squirm under the realization she broke protocol was just too much. "Fine, I won't report this if you know where we can find her."

"You're talking to the best tracker in the outer rim." The griffon nodded, putting down some credit chits for her drink. "Her mother ran a droid maintenance shop across town. Should take us less than thirty minutes if we walk." She smiled as they walked to the door and she spread her wings. "Or less than ten if we fly."




"You ready?" Dinky asked, holding the holo-journal and disk in each hand. She herself wasn't sure about playing it, having delayed the action by getting things packed up. Only the essentials like non perishable food, clothes, the various versions of toolkits around the shop, and, of course, what credits they had left. While Dinky had done that, Sparkler cooked what food remained into a large stew and, while being a quiet affair, dinner had been quick and tense. The warning that Time Turner had left, hung in the silence only broken by the clinks and clanks of dishware as they had eaten.

It was then, when they were all done with their meal that Dinky had finally decided to play the holodisk and now was asking for her sister's permission. She didn't need it, of course and it wasn't necessary but yet even for the temptation of hearing mom's voice, it still had not been a full cycle since they buried her. She wasn't sure if it would make her feel better or just tear open a wound that still had yet to heal. 

That went for her sister as well.

Sparkler stood behind her with arms crossed, looking hesitantly at the items before nodding her head. "Do it."

With steady hands, the pale purple unicorn slid the disk into the slot and set the journal on the table. "Play message."

A light buzz was heard and with a beep of confirmation, the journal lit up with the form of Dtizy Doo, looking downcast and saddened. Her virtual face so lively compared to the deathly paleness that was her color during her last days. Dinky had expected to feel many things when she saw her mother but the sudden almost overwhelming sorrow that threatened to buckle her under its weight had almost made her stop the message before it even played. It must have shown on her face because the next thing she felt was Sparkler's hand give a comforting squeeze to her shoulder. Dinky brought up a hand to grip it, to anchor her where she was. She made one short sniff to keep the burn in her eyes at bay as the message played.


Dinky. Sparkler.
If you are hearing this then that means I am dead. It also means that I have failed to keep you two safe. 

Know that I love you, have loved you, and will always love you, but my actions have put you two in incredible danger.

If Time Turner has done what I asked then, you two will know that I have kept many secrets from you. My lightsaber is proof of that. 

I thought I would have time to be in your lives a little longer.

I thought I would have time to explain myself, to give you two more than just training to defend yourselves, to prepare you for when I wasn't going to be there but now, even as you play this message, time is short. 

Dinky, you are force sensitive. When I saw you lift one of your toy blocks when you were just a foal I couldn't have been happier and more terrified in my life. It is a gift, one that has made you and Sparkler a target. The Sith Empire is going to come after you and their not above using your sister as a tool to force you to comply with their demands.

Which is why I want you to get to the Jedi temple in Canterlot as soon as possible. They will protect you. Search out Rarity Bell, Lyra Heartstrings, Zecora, or Fluttershy and tell them you're Derpy Hooves' daughter. They know who I am or rather, was.

I've done my best to prepare you with the time I had.

Make no mistake, I'm proud of you. 

So very proud.

Sparkler, you have the best aim this side of the Rim and Dinky, I could not have hoped for a better pony to be my padawan. 

I-I-I...have no right to ask this of you two but I beg that you forgive this foolish stupid pegasus pony that was your mother. I...am a fool, an idiot, that doesn't deserve the love I was given nor did you two deserve a failure who has quite possibly gotten you hurt or worse.

I don't deserve it. I didn't deserve you, my wonderful darling muffins.

I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. 
 

The pale purple unicorn could only watch as Ditzy Doo, the strongest mare she ever knew, broke down into weeping before the holo winked out. She almost couldn't believe it, that's what her mother thought of herself before she died? The same mare who went without so many times so that Sparkler and her could eat? Who made sure they had clothes to wear, no matter how raggedy they were? Who told them 'I love you' every night before they went to bed?

Dinky felt her heart sink as she thought back to the last week her mother was alive. How many times had she said I love you to her? Had it been enough? Had she done anything to show her mom that she wasn't worthless? That she was loved?

"Sparkler?"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to my room for a bit. I need-" Need what? To cry? To scream? Both? Neither? "to think."

"Same here."

With that the two sisters left the table, heading for the only places they could find comfort at a time like this.