Obsidian Flight: Crisis In Equestria

by EldritchNexus

Hard Landings

The Mane Six met in the Golden Oak Library, and discussed Princess Celestia's letter.

"So, what do you think of that artifact that Princess Celestia found?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "First off, why would Princess Celestia, one of the most powerful beings in Equestria, be unable to open some old chest?"

"Well, if spells can't open it, then perhaps it was kept shut for a reason." Rarity suggested.

"Or maybe it was only meant to be opened for...well, whoever actually owned it. That's what I would prefer..." Fluttershy said, half-mumbling.

"That's a good idea." Twilight said. "But the bigger question is: What might be inside it?"

"Oh! Oh! I know!" shouted, Pinkie Pie bounced around the other five ponies. "What if it was a diary? No, a birthday present! No, how about a pile of gold and jewelry?"

Spike and Rarity both had awestruck expressions on their faces.

"No, I don't think some gold or jewelry could make Princess Celestia uncomfortable enough to have to add that postscript." Twilight replied.

"Unless that gold and jewelry happened to be cursed." Fluttershy said softly, her eyes widening. "Or maybe it's a horrible monstrosity of unknown origin imprisoned inside for a thousand years?"

Rainbow Dash agreed with her. "Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me, really."

Then Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing, and started speaking at a very fast rate.

"Or maybe it contains some kind of computer thingy that, if messed with, could attract aliens to our planet, and we'll be forced to fight a war of epic proportions to beat them out of Equestria!"

Everyone else in the room looked at Pinkie Pie as if the pink earth pony had just declared herself to be an alien.

"What?" Pinkie Pie shrugged. "Just a thought!"

"Well, whatever it is, we should go to Canterlot in a little while, so that we can at least see what that darn thing is."
Applejack said. "It makes me mighty uncomfortable just standin' around and talking 'bout somethin' like this when we could just go there ourselves."

"And I'm fine with it if Applejack is." Rainbow Dash agreed.

"And if it is gold or jewelry in that thing, I think I should be around to examine it." Rarity said, addressing her cutie mark.

"Anywhere Rarity goes, I go." Spike said, giving the white unicorn yet another lovestruck grin.

"And I'd like to see if there are aliens involved!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"And I guess I'll go...since everyone else is going." Fluttershy muttered. "I just hope there aren't any evil monsters involved this time."

"Then it's settled." Twilight said. "Let's go to Canterlot!"

---

Meanwhile, on the observation deck of the Bestial, Captain North and Naat Reath were discussing their strategy for the battle that would begin very soon. They were standing around a holographic map of the planet, where Captain North pointed at various locations that would prove to be vital to their attack on the Separatist base.

"I have been informed that there is indeed a blockade of Separatist starships waiting for us around Baroonda. In order to bypass this obstruction, I have ordered the assault ships Oblivion and Cyclone to exit Hyperspace directly into the planet's atmosphere." The captain said, pointing out a series of small holographic images representing the trajectory of Obsidian Flight. "Our scouts believe that the base, or at least one of its outposts, is in a jungle clearing about fifty kilometers to the north of the city of Baroo. That is where the two ships will land, and deploy their infantry and walkers."

Naat stood there for a few seconds, generating many questions in her mind about his unorthodox, even dangerous plan.

"Captain, that is simply insane." said the Jedi, shaking her head. "If you have them do that, then they'd better be ready to make a quick stop; One moment too late, and they'll crash into the ground, or worse, break the crust of the planet and penetrate the core."

"Don't worry about that, Master Jedi." informed Captain North. "The crews of these Acclamators have endured more intense situations than this, or so they've told me."

"And even if they could bypass the blockade, land the ships without crashing into anything, and unload their ground forces without being neutralized by the Separatists' artillery, what will stop them the blockade from opening fire down on them?"

"Because the Bestial and the rest of Obsidian Flight will come out of Hyperspace simultaneously with the Oblivion and Cyclone, and engage the Confederate warships in orbit. Since their defenses will already be directed outwards, we should be able to draw their fire with little effort. By the time we neutralize the blockade, Baroonda will already be swarming with soldiers: Ours."

Naat was actually impressed by this part of his strategy.

"But what about the ground troops themselves?" She wondered. "They'll probably get torn to pieces the moment that those loading ramps open up."

"Yes, and the Bestial's starfighters will be pre-occupied by the blockade to provide support fire." Captain North admitted.

"I suppose I could take my Delta-7, and fly down to personally lead the infantry myself." the Jedi offered. "But first, we need to find a way to safely get those troops beyond the loading ramps without being fired on by an army of battle droids."

Naat suddenly remembered reading a Jedi report regarding the Battle of Geonosis. She recalled that artillery cannons that fired very powerful laser beams were used to bring down escaping Trade Federation core ships.

"Captain, what artillery do those Acclamators carry?" asked the blonde Jedi.

"The All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer, and the Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery." Captain North asked. "Why?"

"Here's my suggestion..." She began.

---

Two hours later, on board a Lucrehulk-class battleship in orbit around Baroonda, a Neimoidian officer was standing on the ship's bridge awaiting a report on the efficiency of the security detail that the Dark Jedi requested on the surface below.

"Where is that blasted droid now?" He demanded, anxiously. "If I don't have something to report back to Urjax soon, they will have my head!"

He turned towards the turbolifts, when he suddenly heard what appeared to be a muffled explosion. Before he could turn, something collided with the battleship, causing the entire room to shake. The officer fell flat on his face, and received a small bruise above his eyes. He got back to his feet, and looked out the windows to the most surprising, inconvenient thing he could imagine; He was directly facing at least four or five Republic warships, all firing their turbolasers at not only his ship, but the other ships in the blockade. A klaxon wailed and a battle droid's voice was audible on the ship's intercom system:

"Warning! Warning! Hostile starships have emerged from Hyperspace. All security forces to their stations. This is not a drill."

Suddenly, another explosion was heard from right below the Neimoidian, and the bridge was consumed in a ghastly inferno. He would never receive that droid's report.

The droid on the intercom droned on again:

"Alert! Republic warships have dropped out of Hyperspace behind the blockade! All fighters, proceed to inter--"

A blizzard of bluish-white laser bolts that were being fired from the Bestial's turbolasers had neutralized the communications relay on the Trade Federation battleship. Vulture droid starfighters scrambled out of nearly every starship in the blockade, and swarmed around the five attacking warships, completely ignoring the two that ran the blockade. The Bestial unleashed its own squadrons of V-19s to counter the fighters. The space around Baroonda was engulfed in explosions and dogfights between starfighters. Amid the chaos, the sleek triangular shape of a Delta-7 sped through the chaos and sped down to the planets below.

In the lower bay of the assault ships Cyclone and Oblivion, clone troopers of the 182nd Legion were being equipped and fitted for the extremely dangerous battle that they were about to fight as soon as the ships' loading ramps lowered. In addition to the usual white full-body armor and full-face helmets that they always utilized during combat, they also wore dark brown cloaks that were wrapped over their shoulders, since this region of the planet was undergoing a particularly nasty rainy season.

On the surface, battle droids and AATs were being assembled at the estimated landing area of the two Republic ships. Some of the droids were already firing up at the cruisers, but they were unable to penetrate the deflector shields. The ships, which were firing their turrets in all directions, touched down safely on the soaked, almost boggy earth of the planet. All droids and artillery units were aiming at the underside, ready to fire upon any clones that ran down them.

But as soon as the ramps went completely down, powerful bluish-green beams of plasma were issued from inside the ships, destroying a considerable amount of the battle droids and tanks on the ground. These powerful beams were joined by the blaster cannons of AT-TE walkers that were already crawling down the ramps. Following the walkers were hundreds of clone troopers that charged down, shouting battle-cries and discharging their blaster rifles into the dark jungles beyond.

When all the droids that attempted to ambush them were eliminated, the Delta-7 starfighter landed between the two cruisers, and its cockpit opened up to reveal the Jedi Knight that flew it. A clone officer, namely an ARC Trooper with blue-green streaks on his helmet and armor, met with her and gave the Jedi a report on the landing.

"General Reath, all battle droids in this area have been neutralized." shouted the ARC commander over the loud rainfall around them. "We are sending our troopers into the jungle, and towards the Separatists' compound!"

"Understood, Captain!" Naat Reath shouted back. "Let's move in, before the storm does the same!"

A sound of thunder was audible in the distance, and a flash of lightning hit the control tower of the Cyclone, only to be absorbed by the shields. Once in a while, it would be answered by the sound of blasters firing in the distance, as well as red and blue flashes in the darkness beyond the clearing.

Naat and the ARC captain raced through the trees, and caught up with the 182nd, which was already storming a military establishment filled with military structures and lined with landing craft. The metal surface of the base was already littered with dead clones and broken droids, but the battle still raged on under the dark, cloudy sky.

The young blonde Jedi unclipped a lightsaber from her belt, and activated it. A green blade emerged from the hilt, and illuminated a good fraction of the base. Naat stopped to look at her lightsaber. She remembered how it was once her Master's, until he gave it to her upon his exile on Krant. In return, she gave him her own blue-bladed lightsaber.

"This is for you, Master Echuu!" She shouted, before charging towards a nearby landing craft.

Using her influence in the Force, she ran at an incredible speed, then used the momentum to launch herself to the top of the craft. She used her lightsaber to cut a circular hole in the top, then dropped down into the vehicle, and destroyed it from the inside. She then emerged from the opened loading doors, and regrouped with the Legion.

As the progress of the battle made itself known from the explosions coming from the base, the figures in the dark robes stood on the edge of the clearing, and observed the attacking forces.

"So, the Republic has come at last." The leader said. "And a Jedi leads this army."

"Let's fix that, shall we?" One of the other members said.

The figures all drew out their lightsabers, ignited their scarlet blades in unison, and slowly marched side-by-side towards the site of the battle. Sounds of machinery and trees collapsing filled the area under the trees behind them.

Author's Note:

If these two storylines seem too separate for you, don't worry. It'll start making sense in the next two or three chapters.