"And it looks like your luck, just ran out."
"If you’re going to kill him, do it like a man."
Cad Bane, rescuing Obi Wan Kenobi, who was disguised as bounty hunter Rako Hardeen
.
--------
"Fire!" Sev ordered.
Thorn pulled the trigger from his blaster, successfully hitting the target Sev had set up.
"Nice shot Commander." Sev said while aiming his blaster at the log. "But I can do better." Sev said while pulling the trigger, successfully hitting the log.
"Nice shot!" Thorn said.
"Like always." Sev replied.
"Ooh Thornieee!" A familiar high pitched voice said.
"It’s Pinkie Pie." Thorn said while turning around.
!Hi guys!" Pinkie Pie said while bouncing towards them. "I figured you two would be near The Everfree Forest."
"Good to see you Pinkie, how are you doing?" Thorn asked.
"I’m doing fine, I was just going to umm…" Pinkie trailed of.
"Going to do what?" Thorn asked .
"Going to.. Visit Zecora." Pinkie replied, secretly she was lying, for she was going to do something really stupid.
"Zecora? Who’s that?" Thorn asked.
"She’s a zebra, she lives in The Everfree forest." Pinkie replied.
"I thought that place was dangerous." Thorn said.
"Oh the Everfree? Pffft. No way." Pinkie lied.
"Alright, have fun then." Sev said while turning around and shooting the log again.
"Pinkie, are you sure you want to go in there?" Thorn asked. "I could go with you."
"No, there’s no need for that." Pinkie said while bouncing past him. "I can do this on my own."
"Okay?" Thorn said confused.
"Thorn, let her be, if she dies, it won’t be our fault." Sev said.
"That’s your opinion. "Thorn said while looking at Pinkie Pie, as she bounced further into the forest.
"What was that about?" Thorn asked.
"I don’t know, didn’t you say that Pink is a little.. Strange?" Sev replied.
"Yeah, Twilight said something about a party." Thorn said.
"Really? Well, count me out, I’m not fond of parties." Sev said while shooting the log again.
"Maybe it’s a party, meant for you." Thorn mocked.
"A party for me? Don’t make me laugh." Sev retorted.
Thorn shook his head an chuckled.
After half an hour of target practice, mostly consisting of them using their side-arms, Sev and Thorn decided they would head back to Ponyville. That was until they saw a familiar pink pony.
"Hey Pinkie! Back so soon?" Thorn asked.
Pinkie bounced towards them. "Today’s a fun day! Isn’t it?" She asked.
"Uhm, yes?" Thorn replied unsurely.
"Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" Pinkie said while bouncing away from Thorn and Sev, heading towards Ponyville.
"What was that all about?" Sev asked.
"I.. Have no idea, and I thought Senator Binks was strange." Thorn replied.
"Well, she better stay away from me." Sev said.
"Hi!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing behind Sev and Thorn.
"What the?!" Thorn exclaimed while turning around.
"What is she doing here? Didn’t she just?" Sev asked while pointing his index finger at Pinkie.
"Hi guys! Today is a fun day right?" Pinkie asked while bouncing in front of them.
"Uhh, Pinkie didn’t you head towards Ponyville like; ten seconds ago?" Thorn asked.
"No, but I’m planning on doing so!" Pinkie replied while bouncing past them.
"Thorn, what is going on?" Sev asked while watching as Pinkie bounced of into the distance; with incredible speed.
"I don’t know, Twilight told me Pinkie Pie was.. One of a kind, but this just tops it off." Thorn replied.
"Hi guys!"
"Oh you have got to be kidding!" Sev said while turning around, only to be greeted by another Pinkie Pie.
"Today is a--."
"I’ll tear your throat apart if you say that line again". Sev cut her off.
"Pinkie, what are you doing?" Thorn asked.
"I’m heading towards Ponyville to have fun with my friends!" Pinkie replied while bouncing past her.
"Sev, something fishy is going on here." Thorn said while watching Pinkie bounce towards Ponyville.. For the third time in a row.
"I swear if she is behind us again, I will kill her." Sev said.
"Hi guys!"
"Alright, I’ll rip her kriffing throat out!" Sev said while turning around and activating his gauntlet knife .
"Sev wait!" Thorn said while grabbing him by his arm.
"Let go of me Commander!" Sev ordered.
"I’m going to Ponyville to--."
"To have fun with your friends, we know! Just go before he might hurt you.. Or I get the temptation to release his arm." Thorn cut her off.
"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said while bouncing past them.
Sev shook his arm free of Thorn’s grip and aimed his DC17m at the bouncing Pinkie Pie.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Thorn said while lowering Sev’s blaster. "You don’t want to do that."
"Oh, yes I do." Sev retorted .
"Think about Twilight and her friends, I don’t think they would be happy with you killing one of their friends." Thorn said.
Sev sighed and lowered his blaster.
"Wait a minute." Sev said. He grabbed his blaster attachment and switched it for his sniper attachment. He looked through the scope until it said 20X.
"I see three of them." Sev said while looking through his scope.
"Three of what?"Thorn asked confused.
"Three of those annoying pink ones." Sev replied.
"Three? No, no; that can’t be right, there’s only one Pinkie Pie." Thorn said.
"Well, my eyes aren’t lying, I count three, I could of course drop them and make it zero." Sev retorted.
"Are you sure?" Thorn asked.
"Like you said Thorn: Something fishy is going on here, and I’m guessing we’re about to find out why." Sev said while lowering his blaster and walking after the bouncing Pinkie Pies.
"Sev, where are you going? Thorn asked.
"To Ponyville." Sev replied.
"Why?" Thorn asked while walking beside him.
"To get a better clue, as to what’s going on." Sev replied.
"Listen, whatever it is, I’m, sure Twilight and her friends can handle it." Thorn said while placing a hand on Sev’s shoulder.
"I don’t think so, they couldn’t handle Sombra." Sev retorted.
"That was because they had other things to do." Thorn said.
"They were holding a fair, in the middle of an attack." Sev said bluntly.
".. Well, I’m sure they had their reasons." Thorn said.
"Party hard, whoop whoop." Sev said while still heading towards Ponyville.
"Sev, wait!" Thorn said.
"Listen, something is about to go down there, and I want to be there when it happens, so I can kill whatever is causing it." Sev said while poking Thorn’s chest plate with his index finger.
"What if it’s Pinkie Pie who’s causing all of it?" Thorn asked.
"Then I’ll just have to shoot her.' Sev replied.
"Sev." Thorn said, annoyance clearly present in his voice.
"Just kidding Commander, now let’s go." Sev said while quickening his pace.
"Blast." Thorn whispered while walking after his brother.
After a few minutes of walking, the due arrived at Ponyville, only to be greeted by a lot of Pinkies.
"What in--."
"Blaze’s name is going on?" Sev finished.
"Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" The Pinkie Pies said in unison.
"Thorn, I told you this--."
"FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN!" One of the Pinkie Pies shouted in Sev’s ear.
"Raah!" Sev exclaimed, slamming his fist into Pinkie Pie’s face, only for her to disappear and re-appear in front of him.
"What the?" Sev said.
"Hi!" Pinkie Pie said.
"Alright, I’m going to skin her alive!" Sev said.
"Sev, we have to find Twilight and ask her what is going on." Thorn said.
"Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" The Pinkie Pies said in unison.
"Hey! You want to have fun?" Sev asked.
The Pinkie Pies stopped their rant and looked at Sev, they all nodded in agreement, big smiles planted on their faces.
"Form a circle, but make sure you all stay very close to each other." Sev said while reaching for his belt.
"Okie dokie lokie!" The Pinkie Pies said in union.
They stood in a really tight circle, their body’s pressed into each other.
"Alright, now smile." Sev said while grabbing a Thermal Detonator and flipping the switch.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Thorn said while grabbing the thermal Detonator from his hand, and de-activating it.
"What?" Sev asked.
Thorn held the Detonator in front of his visor.
"These are used for threats only, not for self pleasure." Thorn said.
"These things are a threat, a threat to your eardrums." Sev retorted.
"Come on, let’s go to Twilight’s library." Thorn said while handing over the Thermal Detonater
"Sure, but if one of those Pinks screams in my ear again." Sev threatened.
"Stun them if you have to, but don’t kill them.. Yet." Thorn said.
"Now you’re speaking my language." Sev said while patting Thorn’s shoulder.
Thorn lead the way, Sev while Sev covered his back, seeing as many of the Pinkie Pies were happily bouncing their way over to other houses, and probably ponies, made him sick. He hated bright colors, and he hated that pink one.
"Twilight!" Thorn shouted while running towards the lavender mare.
"Thorn! Sev!" Twilight exclaimed while trotting towards them
"What is going on here?" Thorn asked.
"There are a lot of Pinkie Pies due to a magical water mirror, we need to fix this, but we can’t figure out who the real Pinkie Pie is." Twilight said.
"Blast, well what are we going to do now?" Thorn asked.
"Applejack and her family are rounding up the Pinkie Pies, we’ll lead them to the town hall and make them do a test." Twilight replied.
"A test? How is that going to solve this problem?" Thorn asked.
"Just come with us, and you’ll see for yourselves." Twilight replied.
"Alright, let’s go!" Sev said.
"Follow me." Twilight said, leading her friends toward the town hall. After a few minutes of running and trotting, they reached the town hall. When they got inside, Fluttershy, Rarity and Spike were already inside.
"There you are Twilight." Spike said while walking up to her. "We’ve been waiting like forever."
"Sorry, but I decided to bring Thorn and Sev with me." Twilight replied.
"Wait. Where are the Pinkies?" Thorn asked
"Applejack is probably really busy gathering every single one of them, so we’ll just have to wait." Twilight replied.
"How are we going to find out who the real Pinkie Pie is?" Thorn asked,
"Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan." Twilight replied.
"Care to enlighten us?" Sev asked.
"Sure, now listen carefully."
After telling them their plan, Thorn was the one to show the slightest concern, while Sev just started laughing.
"Watching paint dry?! Hahahaha!" Sev laughed.
"Hey, it’s a good plan!" Twilight retorted.
"Twilight, you’re going to get them, to watch pain dry." Thorn said bluntly.
"Y-Yes." Twilight replied.
"I’m sorry, but that has got to be the most idiotic plan I’ve ever heard." Thorn said.
"Maybe, but we’ll see if it works in a few minutes." Twilight said.
"A few minutes?" Sev asked confused. "Why, what’s the hold up? He asked while impatiently rubbing the trigger of his blaster. "My trigger finger is itching"
"Because the Pinkies will probably arrive--.
Twilight’s sentence was cut off when the town hall’s doors were thrown open by at least two dozens of Pinkie Pies, they all trotted inside and started to bounce around and shouting "Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!"
"There they are." Twilight said.
"Attention Pinkies! May I have your attention please?" Twilight asked.
The Pinkies didn’t hear her, mostly because they were yelling “fun, fun, fun, fun” at the top of their lungs.
"Let me try." Sev said while gently pushing her aside.
"EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SIT DOWN, OR I’LL KILL YOU ALL!" Sev shouted at the top of his lungs, making the Pinkies Pies sit down instantly and focusing their gazes on him.
Just then, Rainbow Dash came flying into the town hall, carrying a sullen looking Pinkie Pie.
"I found this one poking her hoof at the ground, drawing frowny faces." Rainbow Dash said.
"Let her sit with the others." Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash did as she was told, and dropped the sad Pinkie with the others.
Sev nodded.
"Good, now we are going to let you take a simple test, a test your idiotic brains will probably never pass, but whatever." Sev said while pulling the curtains, revealing a freshly painted wooden slab.
"We’re going to *sigh* make you; watch paint dry. "Sev announced.
All of the Pinkies gasped and exchanged worried glances with each other.
"On your mark, get set, go!" Twilight said.
All of the Pinkies concentrated on watching the paint dry, none even daring to blink.
"Boy this is so exciting!" Spike said while sitting on a chair, and eating popcorn.
'Alright.' Sev thought while carefully switching his sniper attachment for his blaster attachment. 'Whoever loses their concentration, will lose their head.'
Minutes past, but not a single Pinkie Pie broke.
"Maybe not that exciting." Spike said while leaning upside down on his chair.
"Ooh hey! Look at the bridy!" One of the Pinkie Pies said.
'You’re dead.' Sev thought while aiming his blaster at the Pinkie Pie, only to be cut off by Twilight; shooting a bolt of magic at the Pinkie Pie, making her (literally) fill up with air until she was as big as a balloon and shrinked into nothingness . A faint pink aura could be seen flying out of one of the windows of the town hall.
'Oh, trying to steal my kills ‘eh?' Sev thought while taking a glance at Twilight. 'I don’t think so.'
"Watch me bounce and touch the sealing!" One of The Pinkie Pies said while jumping up at the ceiling, making another Pinkie Pie watch her.
Sev aimed his blaster and shot the Pinkie Pie who was watching first, he then proceeded to shoot the one who was in mid-air.
The Pinkie Pies fell dead to the ground, and within seconds, disappeared with a poof.
Twilight looked at Sev with a shocked expression on her face.
Sev looked at her and shrugged. "Don’t steal my kills, I hate that." He whispered.
Twilight sighed. "Go ahead."
"Yes." Sev whispered.
"Is that a bird crossed with an orange?" One of the Pinkie Pies asked, while looking out one of the windows.
"Cool!"
"Where?!"
The three Pinkie Pies were shot by Sev. Sev smirked underneath his helmet. 'This is the most fun I’ve ever had since.. Two days ago.'
"Look what I can do with my hooves." One of the Pinkies said to another. Blowing on her right hoof, making pink-fingerlike appendages appear on her right hoof.
"Look what I can do with my finger." Sev said while shooting the two Pinkies.
"Bet you can’t make your face crazier than this!" One of the Pinkies said, while magically turning her face into that of a G1 pony.
"Bet you can’t do that again now." Sev said while shooting the two unfortunate Pinkies.
'I love my job.' Sev thought while smiling.
The killing continued, Sev mentally laughed at his ‘luck’, while Fluttershy closed her eyes and held a hoof to her face, and Rarity waved a hoof in front of hers.
Eventually, there were only two Pinkies left, one of them had to be the real one. One of them was way up front, while the other was way in the back.
"Oh, I’m going to enjoy this." Sev said while attaching his blaster to his belt, and walking towards the two Pinkies. He stood between the two and watched them as they watched the paint dry.
The clock ticked on and on, Sev was staring to lose his patience, but he was not the only one.
"Ooh I can’t take it anymore." Rainbow Dash said while hovering in the air. "Somepony’s making balloon animals!" She said.
The Pinkie Pie up front began to sweat, and eventually broke.
"Where?" She asked while turning her vison away from the wooden slab.
"Aaand, you’re dead." Sev said while walking towards her.
Sev grabbed her by her throat and lifted her up, he retracted his arm and activated his gauntlet knife.
"Hi!" The Pinkie Pie said.
"Bye!" Sev said in the same happy tone(only with his voice, it sounded way more threatening and scary).
Sev dug the knife deep into her skull, feeling her cranium crack underneath the sheer force of power. Pinkie’s body went limp and Sev dropped her on the ground and she disappeared with a simple poof.
"That was fun." Sev said while retracting his knife.
"Wow." Thorn said in utter amazement. "Nice job Sev! How does it feel?" Thorn asked jokingly.
"Well, there’s still one left." Sev said.
"No, no that’s the real one!" Twilight quickly intervened.
Everypony looked at Pinkie Pie, the real Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie, you can look away now." Twilight said.
"Pinkie shook her head. I passed?" She asked.
"You were the only one who kept staring at the wall, congratulations." Thorn said.
"I couldn't leave my friends, I just couldn't." Pinkie said while looking at her friends, Clones and ponies alike. "But I guess, sometimes I have to choose between you."
"I knew you would be up for the challenge." Twilight said with a smile.
"I didn't." Sev said.
"I'm me! I'm me! I'm me!" Pinkie said while jumping in the air. "Or am I?" She asked while frantically touching her face. "Yeah, pretty sure I am!"
"Thorn, it's time for target practice again." Sev said while opening the door.
"Copy that." Thorn said while walking after his brother. "See you later."
"Bye!" The ponies an dragon said unison.
Sev and Thorn walked out of Ponyville town hall and looked at each other.
"Wanna race to the forest?" Thorn asked.
"Sure, but you better move quickly." Sev replied while running away from him.
"Hey!" Thorn shouted while running after his brother. Not fair!"
"Life isn't fair! But you don't hear me complaining!" Sev retorted.
Thorn smiled underneath his helmet.
--------
"Please enlighten me Commander." The grim figure known as Chancellor Palpatine said while looking out the window of his personal office.
"Well, I didn't hear much of the conversation, the Gunship landed and we moved in on the target. We found him and I told him to stand down, he freaked out and pointed his blaster at me, I pulled the trigger and shot him.. The biggest mistake I've ever made." The infamous Clone Commander Fox said.
"And why would that be a mistake?" Palpatine asked.
"I killed my one of my own brothers, my own family." Fox replied.
"There are many Clones out there, I'm sure one death wouldn't make a difference." Palpatine said while turning around, facing Commander Fox as he sat in front of the Chancellors' desk.
"Sir?" Fox said, quite shocked about hearing The Chancellor say that.
"Clones are the heart and soul of The Republic, if one Clone dies, another will take its place." Palpatine said.
"His. His place." Fox corrected.
Palpatine smiled. "His. Now Commander, what exactly did ARC- fifty five fifty five; tell General Skywalker and Captain Rex?" Palpatine asked.
"Hasn't General Skywalker told you what happened? What he said to the general?" Fox asked.
"Yes, but I want to know what you heard." Palpatine replied.
"The only thing I overheard was; General Skywalker saying you weren't able to do what he claimed, my lord." Fox replied.
"I see." The Chancellor said while rubbing his hands together.
"My lord?" Fox asked.
"Yes Commander?" Palpatine asked.
"What exactly did ARC- fifty five fifty five accuse you of?" Fox asked.
"Oh, he thought I had a plot to overthrow The Jedi." Palpatine replied.
"Really? That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard, with all due respect my lord, but you wouldn't stand a chance against a Jedi." Fox said.
"Yes, they would probably kill me before I could strike." The Chancellor laughed. "Commander Fox, you have earned my trust, I trust that when the time comes, you will not turn your back on me." Palpatine said.
"I would never do that, my allegiance lies with you and The Republic." Fox said.
"Very good Commander, you may return to your post." Palpatine said while sitting down at his desk.
Fox got up from his chair and saluted. "Yes my lord."
Fox turned around and left the office, leaving The Chancellor alone, with two Senate Commandos guarding his office's entrance.
Lord Sidious smiled. 'Yes, you have earned my trust Commander, but your use to me has come to an end. I need to put distance between us, I can't have you uncovering my plans.' Lord Sidious thought.
'I will see that you are, taken care of.'