Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search

by currentlemon

Chapter 52

Author's Note:

You know, I never realized I labelled my last chapter as Chapter "52". Sorry for the confusion. Here is the real chapter 52.

This is the final chapter of Lyra vs. Khal. A two, maybe three, part epilogue is next. I hoped to publish this chapter yesterday, but I've been busy. Really busy. These past two weeks put me in a situation where I have to house sit and dog sit at the same time. Not much time for me to work on my writing. But I'm glad I got this done finally.

Hope you all enjoy it as Jedi Lyra is coming to an end.

What caused more noise: having a large tree fall right next to you or being in close proximity of a frag grenade? Honestly, Lyra couldn’t tell the difference. Both were equally loud and caused much pain in her ears. The awkward landing after her Force Jump didn’t help either as she landed right on her back. She winced as she got up on all fours, but swiftly numbed her pain with the Force.

As the dust began to settle, Lyra scanned the area for any sign of Khal. But aside from the ruined tree she forcibly ripped down, the neo-crusader was nowhere to be seen. That was okay though as any moment away from that man was practically worth it at this point.

With the pain all but numbed, Lyra thought about what to do once she continued her duel with Khal. It’s clear as day by now that he was the better fighter. At least in terms of close quarters combat. Why he didn’t just use his preferred method of fighting from the start is something she’ll never know but taking him head on is ill-advised. If she were to win, she would need to use the Force.

But using simple telekinetic abilities won’t be enough to bring the neo-crusader down. If she were to use the Force to bring an end to the fight, she’d have to be creative with her use of it. Just like how Khal had used blaster pistols and grenades to throw her off balance.

“Jedi!”

Lyra’s ears twitched as she instinctively ignited her lightsaber. So much for a moment of reprise. She scanned the area for any sign of Khal and eventually caught sight of him several feet away from where she stood. He had one sword in his left hand and a canister of some sort in the other.

Wait, canister? Could that be another one of his grenades? She didn’t have much time to think; however, as Khal suddenly threw the canister up in the air and directly at her. Not wanting to take any risks, Lyra conjured the Force and telekinetically grabbed the object and slammed it back onto the ground next to the tree. Upon seeing this, Khal immediately bolted from his position.

Seeing the man flee sent alarms running through Lyra’s head. She didn’t have time to think, however, as the canister she slammed down suddenly exploded, causing the mare to tumble headfirst into the ground. She cursed out loud but quickly subdued the pain with the Force as she stood back up on all fours.

Once again, she scanned the area looking for Khal. Her focus remained so heavily on her opponent that she almost missed the torn down tree. Doing a double take, she noticed that the grenade had split the tree in half. While most of it is still intact, the area of which the grenade set off left a smoldering crater with tree barks and splinters scattered all over the place.

“Jedi!”

The sound of Khal yelling was enough to snap the young Jedi out of her stupor. Igniting her lightsaber again, she scanned and quickly caught the neo-crusader running at her with a blaster pistol held high. Lyra’s instincts flared as she immediately raised her weapon in defense just in time as the pistol went off. The bolt that was aimed at her was deflected and Lyra immediately countered with a Force Push.

Her conjured telekinetic wave threw the neo-crusader off-balance, but it wasn’t powerful enough to knock him down. Lyra grimaced. Her telekinesis was able to send that man flying a short while ago, but not anymore. Fatigue played a small part, but she knew that her previous use of telekinesis was a fluke as she was enhanced by her rage at the time.

She thought about leaping in and cutting down Khal right then and there, but she held herself back. A single Force push wasn’t enough. By the time she got in close, he’d probably recover and pull out his swords.

No. She’ll have to improvise.

After taking a deep breath, Lyra conjured the Force into her back hooves and jumped with all her might. However, Khal wasn’t her target. Instead, she landed just outside the edge of the crater where the grenade was set off. It wasn’t a perfect landing as she felt splinters penetrate her horseshoes, causing her to wince, but she withstood the pain regardless.

As Khal recovered, he was surprised to see Lyra not making a move against him after she briefly rendered him defenseless. He quickly aimed his pistol and was about to pull the trigger. However, he never got the chance as his face was suddenly pelted with what felt like dirt.

Wait, dirt?

As the neo-crusader wiped the dirt from his face, he suddenly felt something pelt his armor. He didn’t think much of it at first as he tried to fire his pistol again, but he stopped when he spotted a tree branch flying directly at his face. He ducked just in time to avoid the branch, but he wasn’t able to escape what came soon after.

Lyra had used the Force to telekinetically lift up and throw any debris that was left behind from the grenade explosion. These include splinters, tree branches, stones, and even pelts of dirt. A rather odd strategy to use, but the Jedi had no choice but to improvise. If Khal was willing to use tactics that seem out of the ordinary, then she must do the same. And her tactic proved to be effective as she stunned her opponent in his place. The neo-crusader tried to retaliate; but with no cover, all Khal could do was brace himself as Lyra pelted him with debris.

This wouldn’t last for much longer as Lyra eventually ran out of things to throw. This realization shocked the young Padawan, prompting her to look around for any more branches, rocks, or splinters that she can toss with the Force. But there was nothing left. Aside from the tree that was torn in half.

In front of her, Khal slowly regained his composure. The constant pelting of random objects seemed to have affected him slightly as he struggled to stand upright. Nevertheless, he mustered enough strength to raise his blaster pistol and fire it. Unfortunately for him, the bolt was deflected by Lyra’s lightsaber.

Thinking swiftly, Lyra conjured yet another Force Push to buy herself some time. To her delight and surprise, her latest attempt caused the man to fall flat on his back. Odd. Her last telekinetic wave didn’t faze him all that much last time. Perhaps fatigue was starting to get the better of him too? Possibly, but she’d rather not think too hard on the details right now.

The mare’s eyes drifted toward the destroyed tree once more. She had thought about using said tree at first glance. Ultimately, she decided to not use it in the end as the tree was very large. Even if it was torn in half due to the grenade, she estimated the broken tree to be really heavy. But now that she’s run out of things to pelt with, she had little to no choice.

“Trust in the Force,” Lyra said to herself as she closed her eyes. Allowing the Force to flow through her body, she attempted to lift one half of the ruined tree. Lifting both halves was too risky, so she had to focus on one for now and use the other in her next attack. Still, the task was daunting.

Her estimation was correct. This tree, despite being blown in half, was heavy. Really, really heavy. Probably the heaviest object she’d lifted in her entire life. She was thankful, really, that she didn’t have to lift this thing physically or with her inept magic. But using the Force was still as painful and daunting as one would believe. Just lifting this thing caused the muscles on her upper body to spasm uncontrollably. Regardless, Lyra fought through the pain until eventually, she threw it. And while her throw wasn’t the best use of her telekinesis by any means, she did manage to toss it right on top of Khal.

The neo-crusader screamed as the ruined tree landed with a thud. With her opponent out of commission again, Lyra took the opportunity to lift the second half of the ruined tree with the Force, but her body spasmed again the moment she tried to lift said object. The sheer amount of heavy lifting she’d done on such short notice had taken a toll on her; and frankly, it was too much to bear. Unable to bear with the strain, the mare collapsed, but not before performing one last telekinetic throw.

Lyra groaned as she tried to catch her breath. The amount of telekinesis she used was exhausting. So much so that she felt her own body spasm uncontrollably. She tried to ease the pain with the Force but was unsuccessful for the most part as her excessive use of her powers left her scrambling on the ground, which splattered muddy dirt onto her Jedi tunic. Not even her emerald coat could be saved from all that mud either.

No big deal. All of this was just a minor nuisance. A warm shower and a trip to the laundromat would fix this later.

After finally catching her breath, Lyra stood on all fours and immediately began to survey the area. Khal was nowhere to be seen, again, but she could see the damage that she left behind after her excessive use of the Force. Tree branches, rocks, and splinters were scattered about. The two halves of the ruined tree could also be seen from a distance with one broken half on top of the other.

“Wow. I never knew I had it in me,” Lyra said to herself who found it rather awe-inspiring that her Force abilities can be used in such devastation. Guess there was a reason why her Master always preached restraint.

But where was Khal Dryll? Did he happen to disappear again after she threw the tree at him? Unlikely given that her previous Force Push managed to knock the wind out of him a little bit. Was she able to trap him under the ruined tree she threw? She hoped so because the Force forbid that man manage to perform yet another disappearing act after all of this!

“Ugh.”

Lyra’s ears twitched as she heard an unusual noise nearby. She didn’t see who or what caused it, but it didn’t sound pleasant by any means. In fact, it’s as if the thing that made that noise was in serious pain.

Wait a second. Throughout her entire fight with Khal, neither of them had encountered any other person or wildlife in the surrounding area. If someone was groaning in pain, it could only mean one thing. Quickly, the mare dashed over to the place where she threw the ruined tree. If her hunch was correct, the groaning sound she heard must’ve come from one person and one person only.

Upon arriving at her location, the mare jumped on top of one of the broken tree halves she threw. After surveying the area for a little bit, her eyes widened as she saw a man laying still on the ground with blood and dirt all over his mouth. The sheer sight of her now vulnerable opponent made her gasp in surprise.

Khal was stuck. The two halves of the broken tree that she threw had landed right on top of his chest and lower body. Given the size and weight of both halves, there was no way that he could get out from that position. At least, not without help.

Upon realizing the current situation, Lyra slumped to the ground. It’s finished. The duel is over. The fight between her and the Jedi obsessed Mandalorian had reached its end. It was almost hard to believe, but she’d done it. She won.

“Congratulations… Jedi. You… win.”

Lyra stared wide eyed at the defeated Mandalorian. Despite having a big tree pressing on top of his chest, he somehow managed to mutter a few complimentary words to her.

“Do not… be surprised… Jedi. I know… when I’m beaten,” muttered Khal who struggled to form a single sentence. Lyra watched silently as the man tried to wiggle free, but his feeble attempt was cut short when he suddenly coughed up some blood.

“That won’t help, you know. With a tree this large, I don’t think you’ll be able to free yourself without any help from others,” said Lyra.

Her comment made Khal chuckle. “I don’t… suppose you… would help me out… then?” he joked, to which Lyra shook her head. “Of course not. I am your enemy after all. Jedi or no, it wouldn’t do you any good to show mercy to someone who instigated an invasion of your home world.”

“Your navy is losing the space battle, Khal,” Lyra bluntly replied. Her words came as a shock to the defeated Mandalorian, but she paid no mind to it. “According to Republic Command, Nightmare Moon managed to take down another flagship of yours during the conflict. I’m not sure how she did it, but it gave the Republic an opportunity. My guess is that the tide is turning in the Republic’s favor.”

“I see. Was that monstrosity on your side then?”

“No, she wasn’t. That crazy mare also managed to destroy a few Republic ships too, which reminds me. How on earth did you manage to survive for so long? I saw your flagship on, you know. When my friends and I were entering the atmosphere. It was blown up by Nightmare Moon.”

Khal chuckled as more blood escaped his lips. “I… got lucky. Nightmare Moon, or whatever that thing was… came out of nowhere. I remember it clearly. She appeared on the bridge, right behind my uncle and me. After boldly introducing herself, she asked who we were and what was our purpose here. When we informed her about the invasion, she snapped and immediately fired beams from her horn. We tried to stop her… but it was a futile effort.”

“So you had no choice but to abandon ship.”

Khal let out a soft chuckle as he tried to squirm his way out beneath the tree; but like before, his attempt proved fruitless. In fact, his squirming only made him cough up more blood. Lyra sighed. Just what was he trying to accomplish here? He should know by now he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“You know,” Khal continued. “Our armada is supposed to be larger than the one the Republic is facing right now. Much larger. But that Nightmare Moon destroyed most of it. By the time we made landfall, only half of our forces remained.”

Lyra blinked in surprise. Only half he says. That would mean that Nightmare Moon had indirectly helped Equestria and their world from impending invasion. Though given her history, she couldn’t tell whether or not she did it for noble purposes or selfish reasons.

“Is that all you wanted to ask me, Jedi?” asked Khal as he tried to wiggle his way out again, only to fail once more.

“Pretty much,” Lyra said with a shrug. “You’re stuck and you can’t move out of that tree without any help. Technically, it’d be a Jedi’s best interest to help the wounded and needy, but this is war. And you are the one who instigated it.”

Khal burst into a fit of laughter. “You… don’t have to be so modest, Jedi. What you are doing… is practically what anyone would do in times of war!” he said as he spat out more blood. “To be fair, I’d rather that someone stab me or shoot me in the head. Dying while stuck underneath a tree isn’t the way a warrior should die.”

“What? N-no! There’s no way I’m going to do something like that!”

“And why not?” Khal asked. His response only surprised Lyra even more. “I am the reason why your home is being invaded. And I have also kidnapped your kin back on Coruscant. Given my crimes against you and your kind, it’d make sense for you to finish me now.”

“No, I won’t!” rebuked the Padawan. “Even if you are the reason for all my troubles these past few days, I’m not going to just outright murder a defenseless person!”

Khal chuckled at her reply. “So are dead set in following the Jedi Path despite all that I’ve done. Very well. I will accept your decision. But know this, Padawan Heartstrings. I will not allow you to treat me this way.”

Squirming his shoulders about, Khal miraculously pulled his right arm from underneath the tree. This came as a surprise as Lyra didn’t think he’d be able to pull off a feat like that while under such heavy rubble. What’s more, it appeared his right hand was clenching on something. The neo-crusader smirked as he laid down his right arm and unfolded his hand, revealing a grenade.

Lyra’s eyes widened. Was Khal planning on blowing himself up? Why? There was no need! For a second, she wanted to plead with him and try to put a stop to this recklessness, but a searing pinch of the Force caused her to stop. A good thing too, because if it weren’t for that warning, she would’ve almost missed the red blinking light on Khal’s grenade.

The grin on Khal’s lips widened as he saw the panic on Lyra’s face. Using the last ounce of his strength, he tossed the live grenade into the air. “Farewell, Jedi,” he muttered as Lyra frantically called upon the Force to leap away from the impending explosion.

Soon, the grenade went off causing the surrounding area to be engulfed in flames. Lyra had to count herself fortunate. Her Force empowered jump was enough to get her away from the worst of it, but she was still in the explosion’s perimeter range. Her coat wasn’t singed from the fire, but the explosion did cause a rather awkward landing as the mare fell flat on her back.

Lyra groaned in pain as she felt something crack on her back. She paid no heed to it though as a medkit or use of the Force will ease whatever pain she felt later. When the pain subsided, she finally stood on all fours and stared back at the area where Khal once lay.

The tree that she threw did not survive the explosion this time. Everything had been blown apart or set ablaze by the grenade’s raging fires. No way did Khal survive that. Even if he did, the explosion would’ve probably left serious burns on his body. The man would die a slow and painful death.

Lyra winced at the thought. It wasn’t the Jedi way to allow for such gruesome death. Khal was her enemy, yes, but a death like that wasn’t something that she would want or allow.

Bile began to creep on her throat. Was dying a warrior’s death something that all Mandalorian’s shared? She didn’t want to think much about it since she was victorious in her duel, but she couldn’t help herself as she spewed out all the vomit she held back.

After wiping the bile from her lips, Lyra slowly trotted away from the area and toward the direction of the Republic main camp. It’s unlikely that she’d be able to participate in the rest of the fighting, but there was no need to worry. With the sub-commander gone and the arrival of Princess Celestia, it was only a matter of time before the allied forces claimed victory.

Lyra couldn’t help but smile. If Hider were here, he and Geefour would insist on celebrating while Chessk and Sweetie would berate the two for not tending their wounds. Her mother would… wait a second. She had forgotten about her mother. No, just her mother. But the entire reason why she started her journey in the first place. She recalled the words that her mother had said to her back on Dantooine, that she had a decision to make. She also remembered Sweetie saying something similar shortly after her rescue.

Lyra sighed. It’s just one thing after another. In all honesty, she’d prefer dueling with Khal again over deciding on her biggest decision of her life. But none of that mattered at this moment. Right now, she needed some medical attention, and a hot bath.

Comments

[currentlemon]

Let me know if you happen to see any errors or if you have questions.

[Gamer_Luna27]

Another great chapter!

[Midknight Defender]

Classic mistake, Lyra: you didn’t see the body. Ergo, you can’t confirm he’s dead.

[Numinos]

Well, now I'm all caught up and sad.

Pretty good and interesting story so far : ) please keep it up.

[BleuBlooms]

I can't believe I didn't favorite this!!!

[SirCarrot]

Haven’t read this story but it looks really good, do you still plan to finish the epilogue?