A Forgotten Trooper

by TheIronPone035

Chapter 26: Thoughts

Strider finished putting the last items into Apple Bloom's saddlebags, before shutting the flaps on it. Zecora hadn't been exaggerating when she'd claimed that most of the items would be in a kitchen. The duo had found nearly everything they needed instantly just by looking around in Apple Bloom's family's house.

"That should be it." Strider stated, checking over the list Zecora had made.

"Ok, let's bring this back ta Zecora so she can make that antidote." Apple Bloom said, strapping and securing her saddlebags back onto her back.

The two made haste exiting the farm house and beginning their journey back to Zecora's hut. It didn't take long before the they engaged in some small talk on the way. Apple Bloom talked about her family's farm and business, along with how the farm worked and what her chores were. She also talked about school and her friend Twist.

Strider hadn't ever talked to the local populations of other planets that he'd been stationed on, so it was sort of interesting to hear how these ponies lived and what they did. It was still strange not seeing any war around him. No firefights, no soldiers stationed around the area, not even war propaganda.

The time spent walking back to Zecora's hut seemed to go by much faster with Apple Bloom's commentary, something Strider was grateful for. They soon found themselves once again walking down the hidden trail that would lead to the zebra's humble abode, the hut looking exactly the same as it did when they left. However, something didn't feel right in Apple Bloom's mind.

"Do ya feel that?" Apple Bloom inquired.

Strider looked down at the filly with confusion, not feeling anything. "No? What is it?"

"Ah dunno, something just doesn't feel right."

Strider took another long look at the hut, noticing that the door was open a bit and part of the side seemed splintered, like something had forced its way through. He held Apple Bloom back and rose a single finger to his helmet, giving her a silent shh signal.

Strider unholstered his DC-15s and cautiously advanced towards the hut, his fingers gliding over the safety switch which was quickly pushed down. He leaned against the huts front wall, placing his helmet near the window and quieting his breaths as he listened.

Sure enough, it sounded like a commotion was occurring inside the building. The sounds of hooves against the wooden floor were easy to make out, along with the sound of bottles shattering as they made contact with the ground. There was a bit of talking, some sounding like Zecora but in a strange dialect he hadn't heard before.

He waved Apple Bloom over from where she'd been patiently standing, her hoof-steps barely noticeable against all the conflicting noise from inside. Strider took a glance through the window, his eyes widening at the sight. Apple Bloom tried to get a view of her own, but the window proved to be to tall for her. Strider noticed this and, doing his best to resist grunting, hoisted Apple Bloom up so she could see through the window.

Inside the hut were six ponies along with Zecora, each one having a rather strange abnormality on clear display. But the identities of the six ponies were as clear as crystal regardless. It was Twilight and her friends, ranging from Pinkie Pie to even Fluttershy. Most of them were simply standing off on the sidelines, watching Twilight and Zecora. Rainbow was somehow flying upside down in the hut, banging into walls, bottles, masks, and anything else that happened to be in her way. Twilight herself was currently shoving her head againsts Zecora's head, both growling at each other under their breaths.

The huts state was also quite different than when the two had departed. Smashed bottles riddled the ground, its contents leaking onto the wooden flooring. Masks met a matching fate, yet none had been damaged beyond repair. There were also a few nik-naks and books that had fallen to the ground, including both the stand that held Zecora's cloak and the massive cauldron in the middle of the room. The cauldron seemed to of been holding some strange green liquid, but most of its contents had been spilled, rendering it as useful as an empty power pack.

Apple Bloom and Strider exchanged glances, before they left the window and advanced on the front door. The trooper pushed the wooden door inwards with ease, its squeaky hinges instantly alerting the ponies and zebra inside.

"Are we interrupting something?" Strider asked upon entering.

Everyone's attention quickly shot to him as well as Apple Bloom. Twilight was the one to speak up first.

"Um... maybe?" Twilight said.

"Why are y'all attack'n Zecora?" Apple Bloom questioned, trotting over to the zebra's side.

"Because she's an evil enchantress who was gonna turn you into soup?" Twilight stated, slightly confused.

Silence followed that statement for a few seconds, before Zecora and Apple Bloom began chuckling. Strider couldn't help but chuckle a little himself.

Sadly, his chuckling came to an abrupt halt when he noticed something lying on the ground. Strider let Apple Bloom explain the situation while he walked over to the object. If this was what he thought it was, then he had less time than he'd originally thought. Strider pushed a few pieces of paper off the object, before he let out a sigh of relief.

It was just a strangely shaped broken bottle. From a distance, it had looked an awful lot like the arm of a B1 battle droid. Strider set the bottle down and stood up. He looked over his shoulder to see the group apologizing to Zecora, each having newly plastered smiles on their faces.

The group as well as Zecora began running out of the hut, Strider being the last one out and shutting the door. They began their journey back to Ponyville, where the zebra would help the six mares return to normal.

Unbeknownst to Strider, resting under a pile of books was a banged up B1 battle droid head, its blank robotic eye sockets staring out into the room.

---

After leaving the Everfree Forest behind him once again, Strider said his goodbyes to the group and diverted his course away from Ponyville. He still had plenty of work to do on the gunship back at Fluttershy's cottage, and he was sure Apple Bloom was now in perfectly safe hands, or hooves. Although, he was sure she'd be in quite a bit of trouble with her family once Applejack was back to normal. He hoped that she'd explain at least a bit of what she'd been told on their walk, but in the end, she'd be the one calling the shots for her life.

The cottage soon came into view, the beat up gunship standing tall to its right. Strider made his way up the dirt path and approached the ship, ready to knock out more problems with it while the day was still young. He glanced up at the star, noticing that it had already passed overhead and was beginning its journey towards the west.

"Yeah, I've got time."

Strider climbed up the ladder that led to the cockpit, placing himself down on the pilots seat before he began pressing buttons. A handful of screens booted up, illuminating the cockpit with yellow and green light.

"Alright, diagnostics scan." Strider muttered, flicking a few switches in a particular order.

The primary monitor displayed the image of a progress bar which quickly began filling up. Once the bar was reached the other side of the box it was in, it faded away and was replaced with some text.

"Hmm, yeah still need to attach the wings. Already knew the front canons are a lost cause. Other then that, you're good to go." Strider stated, patting the monitor.

The gunship was getting closer and closer to being flyable. And once it was, he could fly to that city on the mountainside and inform the Princesses about the war. Then, he could hopefully fly the gunship to the nearest G.A.R. controlled planet or station and return to the frontline.

For some reason, those last words seemed to linger about in his mind for awhile. As if he was in a faint state of consciousness, he heard very faint but present blaster fire. Boots making contact against rocky ground and the metallic clanking of droids in the distance. Then, seven words rang through his ears that he'd never thought he'd even acknowledge in his time in the G.A.R.

"Do I even want to go back?" Strider wondered, but he was quick to lock that thought in a box, eject it through an air-lock, and blast it to smithereens with turbolasers.

Strider, like any other clone trooper, was loyal to the G.A.R. He'd never abandon his brothers as well as the code he lived for. If he just stayed on this planet then he'd be performing treason, and treason was something no clone could afford to do.

With that thought in Strider's mind, he hopped down from the cockpit and went over to the rusty toolbox. He lifted its lid and retrieved a set of tools, grasping them tightly as he made his way over to where the left wing was resting. But against his will, Strider continued to think about it. He began to realize then and there just how kind these ponies had been to him, offering him shelter and a place to work without asking anything in return. They all seemed to kind spirited and free, bright shining lives ahead of them just waiting to be used to their fullest.

His life was already mapped out, and the light at the end of the tunnel was parsecs away from him. Did he really want to return to the battlefield just to line up and be shot down like his brothers? That was what he was made for after all.

Strider took off a bent panel from the wing and set it down besides him, catching a glance at the calm blue sky whilst reverting to the position he'd been in to start repairs. There weren't any gunshots, any loud cannons blasting, no screams of pain from his brothers, no death to plague his mind.

Strider slapped himself on the helmet, forcing his wandering mind to stop dead in its tracks. He had a job to do.

"You are a soldier for the G.A.R., you will fight for it, or die trying. That's the code." Strider told himself, forcing himself to get back to work.

Comments

[Resadur164]

"You are a soldier of the Republic, you will fight for it, or die trying. That's the code." Strider told himself, getting back to work.

*but what if you are fighting for it by having these ponies be on the republic's side, or keeping them away from the cis*

[LightnDarkGodofSalvation]

In the end, he'll likely stay. Key word being "likely".

[Connect-the-Pie]

Unknown to Strider, resting under a pile of books, was a banged up B1 battle droid head, its blank robotic eye sockets staring out into the room.

All I’m wondering if the droid will be hostile or not.

[Edguy0009]

Unknown to Strider, resting under a pile of books, was a banged up B1 battle droid head, its blank robotic eye sockets staring out into the room.

Why am I thinking of comedic moments with said head?

[SuperPinkBrony12]

So, when is Strider going to discover that Equestria is an entirely different solar system and galaxy than the Republic? And to get back to the Republic he's basically going to have cross through universes? Something tells me his ship's not built for that.

[WolfLover]

9756585
Imagine his surprise when he does.

[grim dash]

Unknown to Strider, resting under a pile of books, was a banged up B1 battle droid head, its blank robotic eye sockets staring out into the room.

um why dose Zecora a b1 battle droids head

[lord Martiya]

Unknown to Strider, resting under a pile of books, was a banged up B1 battle droid head, its blank robotic eye sockets staring out into the room.

Well, crap.
9948143
Because she disassembled one. Now, the question here is: how did she meet it?

[Armageden]

Well he lost his sanity.

[ObsPerson]

His life was already mapped out, and the light at the end of the tunnel was parsecs away from him. Did he really want to return to the battlefield just to line up and be shot down like his brothers? That was what he was made for after all.

Careful Strider, your Cut Lawquane is showing.

[Ziper Ace]

Oh no....
A Droin Head that's not a Good sign at all.