Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search

by currentlemon

Chapter 41

South of the capital of Equestria laid the small country town of Ponyville. Its streets were dark and barren of any ponies with only the streetlamps lighting the seemingly empty town.

But looks were deceiving.

Ponies may not be wandering the streets this late at night; however, tonight was a night worth celebrating. A birthday celebration to be precise. In the center of the town laid a popular sweet shop. Sugarcube Corner, the locals called it. A place where many ponies went not just for the sweets and snacks but for the parties that are occasionally held there.

Inside, the place was packed. Ponies bustled about as loud music played all around them. They laughed, sang, and danged over the birthday celebration of the town’s newest weather captain, Rainbow Dash.

“Let’s get this party started!” shouted a bright pink mare as she screamed into a microphone. Her voice boomed off of the loudspeakers the party’s DJ used. Despite her crude methods of communications, the party goers didn’t mind and proceeded to follow the party pony commands by partying harder than ever before.

However, not every pony appreciated the energy that radiated from this party. For some, all this noise and celebration was a bit too much to handle.

One such party goer was the town’s local farmer, Applejack, who decided that she needed a little break from all this partying. Making her way toward the sweet shop’s exit, she quietly opened the door to get some fresh air. As she exited the building, however, she was surprised to see another pony outdoors. A pegasus pony to be exact. One who had a pink mane, a yellow coat, and a trio of pink butterflies as her Cutie Mark.

“Well hey there, little missy,” greeted Applejack with a polite tip of her hat. “What’re ya all alone out here all alone? Don’t ya want to go back in an’ celebrate with everypony else?”

Instead of answering her question immediately, the pegasus pony gave a high-pitched squeal as she turned to face the farm pony. “Oh, um… I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there,” replied the meek pegasus pony.

Applejack tilted her head. This pony was sure acting strange. All she did was greet the pegasus pony, yet here she was, acting all scared. And by Celestia, this mare needs to speak up. The poor girl was as quiet as a skittering house mouse. “There ain’t no point in actin’ all scared, little lady. Ah ain’t here to hurt ya,” replied Applejack. “Ah’m just wonderin’ why yer out here all alone. Especially where there’s a big party goin’ on inside.”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” said the pegasus mare again, which earned a facehoof from Applejack.

“There ain’t no need ta apologize, okay. Ya already did it a second ago!” The farm mare sighed. “Anyways, Ah’m Applejack. Ponyville’s one of a kind apple farmer. Though I bet ya probably that much already.”

“Oh, I know who you are already, Applejack. It was your family that found this town after all. And Dr. Fauna always talks about you whenever you or your brother bring Winnoa in for checkups.”

Applejack blinked. “Wait, yer that animal caretaker that lives at the edge of town? The same one that Dr. Fauna always talks about?” she asked. The meek pegasus nodded in reply. “Aw, shucks. Ah’m really sorry about that. From what Ah heard from the doctor, ya always take good care of our family pet. And it sure ain’t kind of me not to recognize somepony who does good honest work.”

“There’s no need to compliment me, Applejack. Compared to you, my line of work isn’t all that special.”

“Nonsense. If a pony goes out of her way to take care of animals for a livin’, then that’s a good pony in my book,'' replied Applejack. “So… uh, ya mind explain’ why’re ya out here all alone in the dark? Everypony else is enjoyin’ themselves inside, so why stay out here?”

“I can ask you the same thing,” replied Fluttershy bluntly, surprising the farm pony. “I am a very shy pony, Applejack. I always have been. Rainbow knows this. She understands this. After all, she’s been my friend ever since we were fillies. So she won’t mind if I want to be alone for a bit. Even if it’s her own birthday party.”

Applejack raised a brow. This mare. She has got to be one of the shyest ponies she’s ever met in her entire life. Dr. Fauna said that this Fluttershy lives near the edge of the Everfree Forest with her adopted animals. Which was absurd, but the proof was standing right in front of her. How in Equestria did this shy mare ever manage to live on her own? Do those animals of hers take care of her or something?

She shrugged. “Yer right about one thing, Fluttershy. All that noise happening inside is causin’ me one mighty headache. A country pony like me can’t really handle that much of it. So yeah, a little break from the festivities ain’t gonna hurt.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Rainbow wouldn’t mind one bit. With so many ponies attending her party, I’m certain she wouldn’t notice the two of us leaving the vicinity. Besides, it’s a beautiful night. If you look up, you can see all sorts of stars glimmering in… the… distance?”

Applejack blinked. The shy animal caretaker had paused mid-sentence as she gazed at the sky with wide eyes. Confused, she tilted her hat up and also looked to the skies. “What in tarnation?” she asked as her eyes became as fixated on the once dark blue skies. “What in the hay is goin’ on? Is that some kind of meteor shower or something?”

Fluttershy said nothing. Her eyes were completely glued to the spectacle above her. So much so that Applejack decided to leave her alone and enjoy whatever it is they were seeing right now. And as eyes became focused on the fires above, they failed to notice another pony leaving Sugarcube Corner.

“Ugh, all that noise is absolutely dreadful. I don’t mind a good party every now and then, but this lady’s ears are sensitive! I swear. If I heard one more beat from that horrific stereo of theirs, I am going to… oh!” The mare stiffened the moment she saw both Applejack and Fluttershy sitting a few feet away. Not wanting to show her bad side, the mare attempted to recompose herself by giving off a fake cough. “Oh… um, a good evening to you two ladies.”

“Oh, hey there, Rarity,” greeted Applejack with a tip of her hat. “Guess yer out here because the festivities inside were too much fer ya, huh?”

“What… whatever do you mean? I simply wanted to get some fresh air, that’s all!” Rarity argued. But Applejack wasn’t buying any of it. She had known this mare since her childhood, and by Celestia, was she known for having unbridled rants for anything she disliked. Granted, the one she had now was tame in comparison to all the previous rants the farm pony heard.

“Give it up, Rarity. Ah know fer a fact that if ya don’t like something, ya tend ta overreact a bit. Though ta be fair, yer not the only one out here that doesn't like all that noise,” replied Applejack with a wink.

Realizing her false bravado wasn’t working, Rarity threw her hooves up in the air and groaned. “Fine! You win. As much as I’d like to join the festivities and greet our new weather captain, their choice of music is just so unbearable! To be fair, the food and decorations were quite nice, but how can anypony celebrate with all that noise!”

“Ah hear ya. It’s fer that same reason me and Fluttershy are outside. And ya came at a good time too. There’s some kind of meteor showing goin’ on.”

“Meteor shower?” Rarity asked. Applejack raised her left hoof and pointed directly at the sky above them. Upon witnessing the spectacle in the sky, the rambunctious mare gasped. “Sweet mother of Celestia. What is going on up there?”

“I ain’t got a clue. But it’s mighty pretty I tell you what.”

“I see. Well, it certainly looks incredible if you ask me. All those streaks of red and orange explosions really blend well into the night sky. It’s almost as if it’s…. it’s.” Rarity gasped. “An idea! I have an idea!”

“Whoa, Rarity, settle down will ya! Continue ta shout like that an’ yer gonna be as loud as those loudspeaker thingamabobs inside!” cautioned Applejack.

Rarity frowned. “Normally, I’d smack you in the head for that crude comparison, Applejack. But now isn’t the time. This meteor shower has given me an idea. An idea that may very well propel me into the fashion world!”

“So, yer gonna go make a new dress or something?”

“Not just any dress, darling. But a dress that will wow ponies all across Equestria. Perhaps the entire world!” The fashionista’s eyes glimmered with inspiration as she continued to stare at the spectacle above them. “This idea of mine must not go to waste! I must return to my Boutique and begin my work!”

“But… what about the party? You can’t just leave without telling anypony where you are going!” Fluttershy argued. Her words fell on deaf ears, however, as the unicorn mare dashed away with sparkles in her eyes. “Oh, dear. Should we… should we try to stop her.”

“Nah, Ah don’t see the point. When Rarity gets this excited, there ain’t no stoppin’ her. Especially when it comes ta her career,” replied Applejack. “And besides, it’s only one pony. Ah’m sure Pinkie and yer friend wouldn’t mind if a single pony turned up and leave.”

“Um… Pinkie who?”

“Ya don’t know Pinkie Pie? She’s the one who threw this party fer the birthday pony.” Unfortunately, Applejack’s words fell on deaf ears. The shy pegasus didn’t seem to know who she was talking about. Perhaps it was because it was her introverted nature that made her this way. Regardless, she shouldn’t question it any further. “Trust me, Fluttershy. Pinkie wouldn’t mind. If Rarity or anypony else needed to leave for something important, she’d understand.”

“I suppose.” Fluttershy looked to the skies again as the red and orange colors began to grow more spectacular by the minute. Applejack joined in as well as the brightly lit night sky was something to behold. “Oh, I have an idea!” exclaimed the pegasus. “Maybe we should tell everypony inside about the meteor shower. I’m sure they’d all love to see this.”

Applejack smiled. She didn’t know why, but the farm pony got the strangest feeling that this would be the start of a great friendship. “Sure, why not? Come on, let’s go tell ‘em.”

---

It’s been quite a while since Celestia has flown this high into Equestria’s skies. The last time she had flown this high was during a Summer Sun Celebration in Cloudsdale with the Wonderbolts. And that was over ten years ago.

She bit her lip. Flying at this high altitude puts a large strain on her wings. She can handle it, of course. However, she was not a Wonderbolt by any means. By the time she’d be done her duty, her wings would probably ache for a day or two.

Despite that, she had a job to accomplish. Equestria was in danger from a force that nopony, not even her, could not possibly hope to defend. If what she heard from Jedi Master Kavar were true, then the Mandalorians would conquer Equestria, and perhaps the entire world, within days. And while it is true, she was the most powerful pony in Equestria, she is just one pony. And one pony cannot fight an entire army.

Celestia sighed. She despised the fact that she was helpless in this situation. As much as she put her faith in the Jedi and her Republic allies, there was a part of her that didn’t trust them. The safety of one’s nation at the hooves… well, hands of unknown power—alien or not—was preposterous. But regardless, she had no choice.

At the very least, she trusts the Jedi enough that they will do the right thing. It really does help that one of her ponies is within their ranks.

Looking up, Celestia could see the colors of red and orange blistering above her. No doubt those came from the fighting in orbit. The colors of war raged while she and the rest of her ponies sat idly by. She cursed herself for allowing such clear skies to occur tonight. If she had to guess, a majority of the Equestrian populace would be looking at the spectacle above them. If anything, they’d probably believe the explosions were but a meteor shower.

Could her ponies’ misconception be for the best? Perhaps. But now wasn’t the time to think about that. She had to locate wherever these escape pods were landing. Should the enemy land anywhere near an Equestrian city, she’d have to use all of her magic to defend her citizens until help arrives. Should that come to pass, the secret of aliens and space travel would be revealed to the public.

“Oh, Great Teacher. How I would love to hear your wisdom right now,” Celestia muttered to herself. “If you were in my place, what would you do?”

Her thoughts were cut off when the roaring sound of two spaceships came from the clouds below and flanked her. She recognized them. One belongs to the Jedi Master Kavar and the other is a ship had just seen moments ago. From what she heard; the pilot of the much larger spacecraft is a former criminal.

It was confusing to hear that the Jedi would put so much faith in such an unlawful being. However, Captain Impact assured her that he was trustworthy, despite his troubled past. Plus, he tends to get his act together when in the presence of a Jedi, particularly the Captain’s daughter.

Celestia smiled. The space project that started ten years ago had a purpose. Not just to launch ponies into space for the first time in Equestrian history, but also as a rescue mission. To search and save a filly who had been unlucky enough to board an abandoned spaceship and leave the planet on accident.

There were still questions as to how that old ship was still active after a millennia. But regardless, the Equestrian space project was a success. Ponies finally had the ability to reach to the stars without magic and the missing filly of Captain Impact and Professor Wishful Vision had been found. And to make things even more exciting, that missing pony turned out to be a Jedi. The first of all ponykind.

To some, it could very well be a miracle. The survivability of Captain Impact’s daughter was low, even as the space project commenced. There were many within the project that doubted the filly’s survival, including Celestia herself. But the Captain and her husband never gave up.

Their will and persistency eventually won in the end. But this joyous reunion won’t last if the invaders aren’t driven out. Celestia thought. Her eyes drifted again toward the explosions above her. That human from earlier said that those escape pods are making landfall. If that’s the case, I’ve got to find out where they are landing. If I find it, other ships are bound to follow.

It was then her eyes spotted something rather unusual. Streaks of orange and red could be seen suspiciously entering the planet’s atmosphere. Never before had she ever seen anything pierce through the skies. Regardless, this finally gave the lead she needed.

Flapping her wings, Celestia charged forth with speed akin to that of a Wonderbolt Captain. Her speed wasn’t comparable to one of those spaceships; but at the very least, she was fast enough to follow the trail of the burning object in front of her.

Following close behind her were the spaceships of the Jedi and the criminal. Their advanced technology allowed them to easily match her speed. Good. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to worry about them falling behind.

Minutes later, Celestia finally caught up with the burning object from before. She huffed and puffed, trying ever so hard to catch her breath. By the gods, she was tired. Her wings ached like crazy, which shouldn’t come to a surprise given the distance she covered. Not to mention it had been a while since she’d flown that fast.

“Where am I?” she muttered to herself. She had been so focused on keeping up with that airship that she had lost track of where she was. Not to mention it was too dark to see.

Igniting her horn, the Princess cast a quick magic spell. A spell that ignited tiny magical focal points across various locations in her nation that were used to determine her exact location. Something that she prepared in advance in case something happened to her or, heaven forbid, Equestrian cities.

After a quick flare of her horn, she was able to determine her exact whereabouts. To her left was the village of Applewood. And to her right was the town of Trottingham.

Celestia’s eyes widened upon the realization that she had flown so far. Mere seconds ago she was at Equestria’s southern border, and now she was at northeast Equestria? Just how far did she underestimate her ability to fly?

If Captains Impact and Spitfire saw me just now, they’d probably throw a fit. Not that it would matter anyway. Those two mares are much faster than I can ever be.

Brushing her thoughts aside, Celestia looked in the direction of where the pod’s trail had stopped. Once again, she ignited her horn to get a look on where she was, only for her eyes to widen again upon realizing the direction of the ship’s landfall. Just northeast of Trottingham was a mountain range larger than Macintosh Hills but had no name. Many of her ponies considered the area to be very dangerous due to the species that live there.

Bugbears. A strange creature that had the body of a bear, but also that of hornets or bees. To many, they were basically large bugs whose nature consists of a passive aggressive lifestyle. They do not mettle with Equestria at all, but if anypony dares to invade their nests they attack on sight. Even to the point where they kill their invaders.

With the Mandalorian ships falling here, surely their presence would disturb the bugbear nests. If anything, the bugbears would wipe out the invaders in a manner of hours, right?

The Princess shook her head. As dangerous as the bugbears may be, the Mandalorians still had the overwhelming advantage when it comes to technology. For all she knew, those blasters of theirs could just burn away bugbear hide. In the best-case scenario, the presence of the bugbears would simply stall the invaders.

She had to act now.

Igniting her horn once more, Princess Celestia cast a mega spell that brightly lit a moderately sized area just outside the bug bear territory. The magic emanated from that specific area was there for all to see. If one were a pegasus, or perhaps a pilot of a spaceship, they could easily see this spell from the skies. Celestia knew this of course. With her spell igniting this much light, nobody should be able to ignore it.

The spell also had another function as well. With her horn flaring, Celestia closed her eyes and began to concentrate. In a span of a few seconds, she expanded the range of the mega spell, broadening its reach further into Bug Bear territory.

The purpose? Prevent beings from ever leaving the area. Individuals can still enter the mountains, but nobody can leave.

The spell isn’t permanent by any means; however, it will at least buy the Jedi and the Republic some time. Should everything go according to plan, the Mandalorians will never step foot into Equestrian territory or anywhere else on the planet.

A flawed plan. But it’s the only thing she could think of at the moment.

Turning around, Celestia spotted the same two ships from before. Good. The pilots managed to keep up with her. And with both ships here, she can inform both parties of her plan.

Igniting her horn once more, she readied herself for a teleportation spell. Master Kavar had given her a brief tour of her ship before Captain Impact and her crew returned home. Since teleportation magic was limited to areas a pony has seen or visited before, teleporting to the Jedi Master’s ship was the only place she can teleport to. Of course she’d still have to inform Padawan Heartstrings and her crew about her plans. However, she was certain the Jedi would fill them in somehow.

As her horn ignited in a bright gold color, Celestia let loose a single spark of magic, causing her to blink out of the night sky.

Author's Note:

This chapter was surprisingly hard to write, but I'm glad this got done. To confirm what you've read, yes, the battle out in orbit is causing a huge misconception on the pony populace. To them, it looks like a meteor shower.

Of course, the battle ahead will be a two way fight. One will be on the ground in bug bear territory while the other is out in space. The main characters will not be fighting together here, as obvious as it sounds. They'll likely split parties. One deals with the Mandalorians on the ground while the other joins the dogfight out in space.

I'll let you guys guess on who's fighting where.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please look forward to the next one.

Comments

[currentlemon]

If you see any errors, please let me know.

[JMP]

Well, at least the general populace just gets a pretty night. Hopefully the secrecy will remain intact.

[Aariadon]

I guess this takes place some time before Nightmare Moon was SUPPOSED to return when Twilight Sparkle first arrives in Ponyville. I've thought about if the Mane 5 would know each other and it looks like most of what you have here lines up with what makes sense given where we see them when the show starts.

One exception is Fluttershy should know who Pinkie is. Pinkie knows EVERYONE in Ponyville, and she wouldn't let Fluttershy move in without throwing her a party, even if it scared her wings off.

Otherwise Fluttershy would be the one of the mane 5 most likely to lay low and not be well known so it makes sense Applejack wouldn't really know her, if at all. The connection you made is the most likely one, where Fluttershy is known by reputation based on her odd occupation of caring for animals (but not in any sort of official, trained capacity).

[currentlemon]

10810273
Good point. When I wrote that, I only thought about Fluttershy’s POV. Not Pinkie’s. It also did not help that Pinkie is the least favorite of the Main 6.

[Kris Overstreet]

You really need to work more on making your verb tenses agree. It shows in this chapter more than most. As a general rule of thumb, the narration in a story should use past tenses, not present tense.

[currentlemon]

10810398
Thank you for the feedback. I thought I had my tenses taken care of, but it looks like I still need to improve. I need to find an editor soon or else I won't be able to improve my writing at all.