Rainbow Dash's First Trial: Clone Wars Year 1

by Hikarikurai24587

Enemies and Companions

Chapter Thirty Six: Enemies and Companions

"Master Eminence is behaving really weird, Kory. I thought it was just me but I'm not sure." Ahsoka told Kory, eyeing the Jedi Master as he took a seat on one of the computers. Kory watched him for a moment saying. “What do you want to do?”

"Maybe we should let the Masters know, I-" Ahsoka was interrupted as the lights flickered around. "Say, I have an idea that could work. Do you know where Rainbow Dash is?"

“No… I’ve been in here since she left to find Master Luminara Unduli.” Kory replied as she began to think. “Do you know where a good place to train is?”

A beeping sound occurred on Ahsoka's holocommunicator. "One second Kory." She answered it, revealing to be Master Yoda. Ahsoka took the message and relayed it to Kory.

"There's intruders here at the Temple...one of them posing as a Jedi. Where's Madame Jocasta?" She asked. Kory looked around before seeing Master Eminence gone, her eyes narrowing.

"Wait, there she is. She's getting on the same computer Master Eminence was on. Something is definitely up." Ahsoka warned Kory as she closed in on Jocasta Nu. Kory walked with Ahsoka looking for any sign of trouble. She didn’t have any weapons on her so she was most likely going to take care of any injured parties. Ahsoka approached the Jedi as she asked bluntly. "Who are you and what have you done with Madame Jocasta?"

The imposter glanced at Ahsoka as she rose from her seat saying. “The same thing I’m going to do to you!”

She ignited her lightsaber slashing at Ahsoka who blocked. Kory moved to find Madame Jocasta while Ahsoka kept the intruder distracted. She found her unconscious behind a nearby table, kneeling down Kory began to check her over for any injuries. There was no visible sign of how she was rendered unconscious.

“Pressure points, whoever this is… they are skilled.” Kory replied, resting Madame Jocasta’s head on her lap as she looked through her emergency kit.

Ahsoka gave chase to the imposter, easily overpowering her with her better lightsaber skills. "You may have Madame Jocasta’s shape, but you lack her skills." Ahsoka taunted as she held her lightsaber at the imposter. Kory glanced over at the two before pressing both her hands against the sides of Madame Jocasta’s head whispering. “If there is any moment to awaken, now is the time.”

Madame Jocasta Nu's eyes started to open as she started to get up, a hand on her head. "Thank you for looking after me Kory but where is my assailant?"

Kory looked over at Ahsoka who had apprehended the changeling saying. “I believe this is the person responsible. How are you feeling?”

"Better, just was out for a while. There's more important matters to attend to now however." Jocasta responded as she looked at the changeling. Kory nodded her head almost bumping into a passing Jedi sending him a quick apology.

The Jedi kept moving forward with a gesture showing that it was no problem. Kory glanced in his direction before saying. “I should probably check on Rainbow Dash. Do you need me around?”

"No Kory, run along. I will stay here with young Ahsoka." Jocasta assured. Kory nodded her head before rushing out looking for Rainbow Dash.

Shae was resting outside, she knew she shouldn’t have been surprised with the patience of the younglings. ‘Still, I’m starting to run out of stories about Mandalore.’ she thought as she glanced at the younglings and smiled saying. “How about I come back later? That way you have something to look forward to?”

Most of the group nodded their heads in agreement but Mina walked up to Shae and grabbed her hand. "Can't I stay with you awhile longer?" She begged. Shae knelt down in front of her saying. “I’m still going to stick around, but don’t you have lessons? I don’t want to interrupt anything… important.”

Shae trailed off when she noticed something strange about a passing Jedi. His boots.

“Mina, why don’t you head back inside. I’ll meet you there.” Shae told her. Mina shook her head in disagreement holding tighter. "Let me come with you!"

“Mina, now.” Shae told her sternly as she patted her on the head. “There is possibly a dangerous situation and I do not want you to get hurt.”

"I promise I will be safe. You might need my help anyway!" Mina begged some more. Shae looked at her before climbing to her feet. “You are going to stay behind me, understood?”

"Roger roger!" Mina exclaimed, cutely imitating a B1 Battle Droid. Shae chuckled a bit before heading after the Jedi she had seen. At first she seemed to have lost him before she saw the boots once again. She moved quickly running up saying. “Excuse me, Master Jedi?”

The sarcasm in her voice was palpable as she reached out and tapped the man on the shoulder.

The Jedi said rather rudely. "Don't you have someplace to be?" He started picking up a faster pace moving away from them.

"Um, miss Shae? I don't recognize that man. Never seen him here before." Mina said as she tugged at Shae's hand. Shae nodded her head before saying loudly. “Never seen a Jedi wear your kind of boots before. Seems like you got them from the Outer Rim or….”

Shae jumped towards the Jedi reaching for the robe barely managing to grab ahold of it. The robe fell off as if barely on him as he kicked Shae away and started to fly away using his jetpack, firing two blasters at Shae and Mina. Shae pushed Mina away as she dove the other direction. Rolling to her feet Shae chased after the man before leaping and firing a grapple from her wrist towards his leg.

The man followed suit with his own grappler, but aiming for Mina instead. It wrapped around her waist as he yanked her towards him, grabbing her and aimed one of his blasters at her head. "One more move girlie and the kids a goner."

“Who are you?” Shae asked, wishing she had her own blaster on her. Yet she had made a promise to the Duchess. She may have given up being Mandalorian but she wasn’t going to let violence control her life. ‘Now I’m regretting that.’ Shae thought bitterly as she stared into the eyes of the Duros.

"Cad Bane and you will do well to remember that." He said as he flew higher into the air, letting go of Mina as he made his getaway.

Mina looked at Shae with a sad look as she started falling. "I'm sorry momma Shae!!!"

Shae ran forward and dove off the edge towards Mina. She released the grapple to get into a faster diving position. She grabbed onto Mina before spinning around and firing another shot at the ledge. She felt her arm get yanked as they stopped causing her to wince saying. “It’s alright.”

Mina started sniffling as she said. "If I had only just listened to you…" Her sniffling started to turn into tears. Shae looked up hoping that a Jedi would notice them hanging there as she said. “That’s why being young is so important. We make mistakes but we learn from them.” Mina held tightly onto Shae as she responded. "I will try momma Shae…" She tried to keep her tears back but they kept coming.

“I’m going to need you to hold on around my neck. I can get us to the ledge.” Shae told Mina before her shoulders sagged. “Don’t cry Mina, you’re being trained to become a great protector. That means you have to put on a brave face, understand?”

Mina sniffled one more time as she grabbed around Shae's neck. "Kay."

Shae began to pull them up the cable until they reached the ledge. She placed Mina onto the ledge first before climbing next to her. Mina proceeded to give her a big hug. "Thanks for saving me momma."

Shae places her hand against Mina’s head saying. “It’s what any good person would do. Remember this, there is a reason Jedi don’t get attached. It is so they can be prepared to keep a level head and make their move without being guided by emotion.”

Despite her words, Mina hugged Shae even harder. Shae returned the hug saying. “No matter how hard it is Mina, I think you will become an excellent Jedi one day.”

Rainbow Dash circled around the Spirit who just watched her as the red energy circled around his hand. It changed to red orange as it formed into a lightsaber. Rainbow blinked in surprise asking. “I can do that?”

The spirit looked at Luminara and she could tell there was an eyeroll. Her wings flared before she charged forward wrapping her arms around his waist. She tried to fly anywhere only for him to backhand her. She went backwards as he turned and began to approach her. He swung what appeared to be a replica of a lightsaber causing her to dodge and roll to the side. She didn’t know what to do without a weapon of her own.

When the spirit attacked again Rainbow Dash flew into the air, only for a hand to wrap around her ankle and slam her into the ground.

Luminara watched closely when she tossed her own lightsaber to Rainbow Dash to use in battle against the spirit, not saying a word. Rainbow Dash reached out to grab the lightsaber but it was snatched by the spirit instead. Rainbow Dash glared at him as he struck again her hand reached out, the red lightning surrounded her hand. The color was no longer a deep crimson but a brilliant amaranth. It halted the lightsaber long enough for her tail to reach out and wrap around Luminara’s lightsaber, yanking it out of the spirit’s grasp. The spirit jumped back looking at Rainbow Dash as he chuckled. “Impressive, for a novice.”

Luminara continued to stand there, simply observing the battle but her eyes stayed fixated on Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash felt the weight of the lightsaber in her hand just as the spirit leapt towards her. Out of instinct she clumsily managed to figure out at the last second how to activate it blocking the blow. The amaranth lightning surrounded her as her wrist was grabbed, shocking the spirit. He released the wrist and began to deliver blow after blow which she barely managed to block until she hit his own lightning wall causing her to shout out in pain. Taking advantage of her weakened state he slammed her into the wall causing her to scream as the electricity coursed through her body and he backed off. Rainbow Dash panted as she glared at him shouting. “That’s enough!”

The lightning on the walls surged forward wrapping around the spirit like a net pinning him into the ground. The lightning around Luminara began to fade when it began to grow stronger instead as the spirit sliced through saying. “I don’t follow your orders. I am my own master!”

Luminara finally spoke up. "That is where you are mistaken. As long as you remain a part of her she will be your master. Look into her eyes, see the resolve in her. The love in her heart to protect those she cares for."

“I will never bow. I will never let anyone control me!” the spirit exclaimed, gritting his teeth. “Love? Resolve? Duty? None of those things matter to anyone. They will just use and use only to cast you aside. The only thing to do is rise to the top.”

"Somehow, I feel that you do not believe your own words. I sense resolve in your own heart, love for those who care for you and the duty you hold true to keep them safe. The same found within young Dash. I would say that the two of you were destined by the Force to work alongside each other." Luminara explained, unphased. The spirit growled before moving towards Luminara only to face a wall of lightning. He turned to see Rainbow Dash drawing up to her full height as she approached him saying. “I don’t want to be your master. My goal is to get an idea of how to master my own abilities and I can’t do that on my own. If that means working with you and the Jedi so be it, but I’m not going to do that by forcing you to bend to my will. That’s not the way of Equestrians.”

“Then what is? Hugs and songs?” the spirit mocked and Rainbow Dash extended her hand saying. “Something close, friendship. Instead of being your master I would like to be your friend.”

The spirit glanced at the hand before staring at Rainbow Dash for a while in silence. He reached out his own hand. “My friendship will have to be earned… but you have proven yourself to me. I will be your companion as you will be mine.” Rainbow Dash shook the hand saying. “Deal. I’ll be sure to set something up for you.”

All she heard was the sarcastic laughter that he had given before as he vanished into lightning. She felt a surge of energy and something heavy in her hand. Looking down she saw another lightsaber comparing it to Luminara's; it felt ancient. The design was also strange with four decorative metal pieces that would look like blades when looking at it a certain way. Shaking her head Rainbow Dash moved towards Luminara, the electric bars vanishing as she held out the Jedi’s lightsaber. She had deactivated it after the fight.

“Are you alright?” Rainbow Dash asked a look of worry on her face. “I’m so sorry.”

"Oh I'm quite alright. After what Master Yoda explained to me I found it best to let things play out. This was how the Force chose to have you trained. And you did very well." Luminara said with comfort, yet still carried her usual serious expression on her face. Rainbow Dash swallowed before asking. “Is it true? Did you seek him out?”

"Yes, of all the spirits he was the one Master Yoda was most concerned about. I believed that you would prevail, otherwise I would not have agreed to train you." Luminara answered with an almost smug tone. Rainbow Dash nodded her head saying. “Great… well at least I know the dude is about 7’2” and built to throw boulders at people. I should probably head out, don’t even want to know how long this took. Thanks for helping me out.”