Prologue: Dark Horse

View Online

On a planet of little importance, a shield dissipated with the death of a pony of great importance. The shield, however did not fade away in obscurity, it shattered violently upon its weakening, letting forth a torrent of power into the Force not unlike water flowing free from a broken dam. The power was far too much and far too sudden and for one singular horrible moment the Force screamed as it was nearly ripped in half.

In the central circular chambers of the Jedi temple on Canterlot ten powerful masters sat in serious discussion. There were a great many things happening in the Republic and events and actions that were to be taken needed to be addressed. Though it was early in the day, it hardly mattered to those who could regulate their internal clocks with a simple breathing exercise. The Jedi needed to be active at a moment’s notice even if their padawans were just picking the sand out of their eyes at this hour.

Four of the seats were occupied by holographic projections of the absent members, distance not being a problem for the instant communication of the modern age.

The discussion however broke off suddenly as a sense of foreboding washed over the ten gathered Jedi and, as if they were of one unified mind, they closed their eyes and dove into the Force.

Then the Force shattered around them.

Of their number was a dark blue alicorn who had joined her comrades in mediation and, while she had been the only one who hadn’t screamed, she did indeed follow them into unconsciousness.

In hyperspace, on a tiny ship that was on it’s way to make a routine delivery to the outer-rim, a little filly and her big brother screamed their sister’s name over and over trying to wake her after she collapsed on her way from the cockpit.

Pain was nothing to new to a Sith. It was an old friend. An ally. A relaxant. A shield. At times even a focusing lens in the heat of battle.
Yet this pain had been so sudden, so…fierce, that a scream had nearly ripped itself from her lips.
It had come like a wave. Not anything that was overt or obvious at first like the calm before the storm.

It had been only moments before unrecognizable suspense around the force quickly turned into an inferno of agony that left the Sith a trembling mess on the floor. She felt almost as if she were thrown to the side of the storm as it brushed past her awareness. It did not feel evil, exactly, just focused in its intensity.

And that intensity burned.

For several moments tears streamed out of her eyes as the Force shivered in pain along with her. With what little concentration she could muster she reach up and pressed a small button on her throne activating several traps on the doors and walkways that led to her chamber before darkness overtook her. As she passed out she found herself glad that she was in her meditative chamber, isolated from the rest of her ship. The last thing she needed was for anyone else to bear witness to this moment of vulnerability, her apprentices especially.

Back on that little planet of no consequence was a small unicorn filly and her step-sister, who stood crying over the body of the mare that had raised them. The mare passed away in her bed in the middle of the night. The only friend of the family stood nearby keeping a silent vigil over the mare's two daughters as a final promise that he made with said mare, eyes watering at the unfairness of the situation but stoic nonetheless. Only all of them were unaware of the effect her death had on neither the galaxy nor the trials that would soon test the one child who wanted nothing to do with it.

Simple Gifts Can Be Taken Away

View Online

Ponyville wasn’t called the jewel of the outer rim for nothing. It was, by the standards of the outer-rim economy, the richest city in that galactic sector and with that wealth came protection. It was by the wealth of Ponyville alone that the planet Combay was able to afford a defense military large enough to repel pirates and give slavers pause. Combine that with a non-extradition policy to wanted Republic criminals and a good pay for anyone willing to join the local militias and anyone who would try to attack the planet would find themselves on the wrong end of too many blasters. It was the reason, most assumed, why the planet had avoided the war for so long.

However, all this ‘security’ came at a high price. That price? Fragile Town. The south section of Ponyville was, to anyone with working eyes, much less glamorous than the rest of it, defined by small shacks and buildings that were of obvious lesser build quality and stood out greatly against the cityscape. Anyone who was either too honest, too poor, too crazy, or if someone high up just didn't like them was packed into this five by five mile block of ghetto on the outskirts which was walled off from the rest of the city save for one huge gate to the east with a larger guard detail than most prisons. Anyone who approached was immediately shot. Calling the measure was necessary was an understatement considering that the murder rate in Fragile Town was so high that bets were made regularly on who would die and in what way.

This was the second price of Combay’s policies.

Shot. Stabbed. Strangled. Beaten to death. Suicide (high for the mentally unstable or those with no choice). Thrown off a building. Drowned. And in very very rare cases, old age or sickness.
In Fragile Town you could die at any time and for any reason. That was the rule, not the exception.

Something that was on Dinky Doo’s mind constantly as she moved with the crowds, rounding the corner at the end of the overflowing avenue that led to the market. She pulled her cheap loose-fitting jacket tighter around her shoulders and pushed her hands deeper into her pockets to make sure they covered the credits which would count for next week’s meals. She needed to make sure there was direct interference for the money at all times from pickpockets. Her pants, just as bulky and loose as the coat, were only held up by a rag picked up from the trash as a belt and the hole made for her blond tail.
Under the weak light of streetlights the market came into view and she took a deep breath of relief.

The market was one of the few safe places in Fragile Town because it was the only place that you could buy food that didn't come from the upper city disposal droids. Market stand owners didn't even need a blaster No one would dare start something here if they valued their life not even members from warring gangs. If anyone even looked the wrong way at someone, the whole town would come down on that poor soul in an instant. It was kind of amazing what others would do for fresh vegetables.

Gently, she nudged her way through the stand-lined street. Dozens of voices haggled over products while other's shrieked at the top of their lungs to get the attention of potential customers before they passed them by. While food was the main reason anyone came, everything and anything was sold here, from (fake) exotic jewelry to animals smuggled in from uppercity to sex of any kind. She made an effort to avoid looking in the direction of several scantily clad mares and stallions of various species who tried to get her attention as well as many others as she passed. Twelve years of age or not, they saw her as a potential customer, not a child on an errand.

"Oi! Dinky!"

The 12 year old filly froze in mid-step after just waving away a female minotaur dressed in some feathery one-piece, turning to her left to search for the voice. Through the crowd she saw one of the stands and saw a taloned hand waving from the wall. She cut across the street, a smile curving on her lips as she made out the scarred beak of a familiar griffin.

"Mister Gavorn. You're in a different spot." She had missed him. She didn’t understand how but somehow she didn’t see him until nearly passing him by, expecting him to be on the other end of the street. It wasn't like he was hard to spot either. Every part of his clothing bulged, clearly a size too small. Even the buttons were held taught, indication of huge muscles underneath. His broad shoulders and almost barrel-like chest dwarfed everyone she knew even her moth— She bit down that thought as quickly as she could before the smile was forced off of her face. "I expected to see you further down."

"Aye," Gavorn laughed, jovial and full throated. Somehow it managed to drown out the rest of the street "Got 'n upgrade yesterday after the 'taur here before got taffed in the bar and yowled 'is cakesocket off t' the wrong bounty hunter. Now 'm gettin' more business than I 'ave got 'n a long time." His smile got even wider as he continued. "Yer pickin' up the usual?"
Dinky barely had time to nod before a huge bag filled to the brim with food was just short of slammed on the wooden counter. "That'll be fifteen credits."

The unicorn blinked. The bag set before her had to be seventy, maybe eighty credits worth of food. She leaned forward to make sure she didn't hear that wrong, her voice low "What?"

"Fifteen credits." His voice was firmer now but his broad smile unchanging.

He was serious.

Dinky crossed her arms, an incredulous look on her face. She knew she must have looked silly from the way Gavorn laughed a moment after. "Don' give me that look. Jus' feelin' generous today."

"Really?" She didn't buy it in the slightest, from where she was standing she could tell that several items in that bag were worth more than she had on her. "What could make you feel so generous today that you would sell a fresh carrot for fifteen credits?"

The silence that followed was two moments too long for her taste.

"Noticed that, did ye?" He finally said, the griffin's scarred beak twitched and his smile lessened somewhat. "Meant to put that 'n the bottom of the bag."

"Okay." He sighed in resignation. "I heard 'bout yer mum from Time Turner so' he an I decided..." That was all it took for Dinky's mood to divebomb out of whatever positivity she had been able to muster earlier this morning. For a moment, just a moment, she considered swatting him right in the beak, the last thing she wanted to be reminded of. The very last thing and he just had to bring it up. With a deep breath, she didn't wait the hear the rest of Gavorn's explanation. Pulling the credits out of her pocket, she quickly counted out fifteen chits, slammed them on the counter hard enough to rattle some of the other goods on it's surface and scooped up the bag without a word.

She turned to stomp away but was brought up short by a huge talon grasp on her arm. "'M sorry 'bout yer mum. Truly I am."

She shrugged off the hand, the apology doing nothing to ease the pain in her chest. "Thank you for the help, Mister Gavorn." She said, trying to stay as polite as she could.

With one final wave, she left the roar of the market faded into a dull buzzing that soon was absorbed into the silence of the streets. She had been wrong for that. She had been the one to demand an explanation and now she was stomping off like a foal half her age because she didn't like the answer. The griffin had only been trying to help, something that was rare in this town, and by association so had Mr. Turner but the last thing she had wanted on her mind was her mother not even a full day after her funeral. Not only did being reminded of what they had lost put a bad taste in her mouth but a small stone of guilt settled in her stomach. She would apologize next time she saw him.

That, however, didn't change their abysmal situation. Their mother had been the only one with a steady stream of oddjobs not to mention some money came in from their droid maintenance shop that both Sparkler and her helped with but now income was pretty much halved. Between food and rent they might not have a home by next cycle. It was a tough situation and just thinking about it made her stomach flip. She was twelve, Sparkler was sixteen, and without their mom it was open season for every creep, scumbag, and lowlife in this city to come after them. Not that their mom hadn't prepared them. Sparkler was a good shot with the blaster mom taught her with, and she herself knew how to fight with her fists and a good solid wooden stick.

Still, how long would it take for the vultures to smell freshly dead meat? Bad feelings, namely frustration, rushed over her in huge crushing waves. All the anxiety, the fear. The uncertainty for her future. All of it was scaring her.

She shivered as a gust of wind barreled into her, biting through the thin layers she wore and chilling her to the bone. Or maybe that chill was the thought of being on the streets. They wouldn't last long without the shop.

Sighing, she shook his shoulders and rolled her shoulders in an attempt to work out some of the anxiety building up inside.

When the repurposed swoop garage that pulled double-time as their home and shop came into view, she fished out her cardkey out of her pocket and came to a stop in front of the door.

At least, she managed to get home without a problem.

"Don't move." A voice quietly demanded. "Don't turn around."

And of course she thought too soon.

A hard cold object was pressed into the small of her back, right above the spine. The tell-tale whine of a blaster charging focused her thoughts instantly and she cursed silently. She had been caught up in her own mind and hadn't been paying attention. Now someone got the drop on her.

“You scream, I shoot.”

Her attacker's voice was unmistakably male but it was extremely rough, gravely, and dry as if he hadn't drank anything for days. She spied a length of rusty pipe by her hoof and formed a plan while nodding that she understood.

"Good." The voice rasped, "Now empty your pockets. With your hands. Your horn glows, I shoot."

Slowly, Dinky reached into her pockets and, thinking fast, pulled out her credits only to drop them by 'accident'. The voice cursed and the blaster moved away from her back as the money clattered to the street.

"Pick them up." He commanded.

The unicorn nodded, bending her knees slowly reached for the credits, which just so happened to be scattered on top of the pipe.She set down the groceries while she bent over to free up her other arm and before her attacker realized she was reaching for, she already had the pipe in her right hand and swung at his legs.

Despite the rust, the pipe was solid and weighty, and it snapped the taller male's knee with a sharp Pop! The male's scream of pain didn't stop her as she quickly took a solid step around, placing herself almost shoulder to shoulder with her attacker, who she now could identify as a dark red pegasus.

Well, that explained why she didn't hear him and now she had a certain advantage. Her mom taught her that the wing joint was the most sensitive part of anatomy on a pegasus or griffin and seeing that she was going up against a grown stallion, Dinky knew that this was not a fight to drag out.

With one semi-circle swing to build up momentum and compensate for the difference in height, she gripped the pipe with both hands and brought it down across his back as hard as she could. The wing that took the brunt of the blow collapsed with several sharp snaps before the tip buried into the joint with a sharp crunch, sending the male forward into the street.

He didn't get up. The joint did it's job.

Wasting no time, she gathered up her credits and tucked the the stallion's blaster into her belt, trying not to shake as she did so when she noticed his wings. Both the unbroken right one and the broken left one could barely be called wings in any definition, the feathers were molting and the ones that weren’t falling out even as she watched were a ruffled, tangled mess. A tell-tale sign of lack of care and drug abuse, probably Dust if she had to guess-it was Fragile Town’s “Cash Crop” after all-and she felt her hands shake just a little bit more.

If this stallion had been the wrong amount of crazy and suffering from withdrawal, he could have easily fired without warning and she would be the one lying still in the street. While it was a fact of life here, didn’t make it any less scary. Just as she was getting ready to pull him out of the way, the front door flung itself open and Sparkler appeared with mom's blaster in hand.

The light pink unicorn looked at the pegasus out cold on the steps then looked back up at Dinky then holstered the blaster. “Money, drugs, or sex?”

“Money.” Dinky answered as she continued to try to drag the unconscious male out of street. “Idiot took his blaster off me when I dropped the credits. Can you get his legs?”

“Yeah,” Sparkler answered, grabbing the pegasus’ by the hooves and frowned at the unnatural way his left leg bent then it was only as the two of them picked him up did she seem to notice the odd angle one of his wings were bent at. “So... the leg and the wing joint?"

Dinky nodded as they rounded into a nearby alley. “First one made him drop the blaster. It was the joint that dropped him like a stone.” She didn’t miss the sympathetic wince that her sister made as she spoke.

“Ouch.”

“I know. It’s why I did it.”

“Set him here.” Sparkler said with a nod to a nearby trash disposal container.

With a hard toss, they dropped the stallion into a refuse pile and turned back to the shop.

Dinky followed her sister through the small metal door and almost immediately tripped over a T8 model's head. She managed to catch herself before she cracked her muzzle on the floor. "I thought you were going to clean these up while I went to get food." Parts and pieces were scattered all around the floor and every table and counter in the room that served as their kitchen, living room, and workshop.

"I was...but then I got distracted."

"Whatever," Dinky sighed as she threw the large bag of food onto their table, ignoring the droid parts clattered off the surface and fell to the floor.

Sparkler squinted. “Where did you get the money to buy all of that?”

Dinky mumbled something incomprehensible.

“What?”

“It was Gavorn, okay! He gave it to me at a discount.” She lowered her voice. “Because of mom.”

“Sith spit.” Spakler swore. “Dinky, how many times must I tell you!? We can’t take charity. We won’t take charity! You know what will happen next? Ponies will talk. ‘The Doo family’, they’ll say, ‘They don’t have enough food.’ We will not turn out like Twinkleshine.”

Dinky winced. Twinkleshine was Fragile Town’s cautionary tale that they had personally seen play out when they were younger. Shine had been a mare that had somehow decided that borrowing, begging, and accepting charity in this town of all places was a safe way to live. That choice had made her life considerably shorter. It eventually came to a head when she took credits from the wrong loan shark and didn’t pay her due. While Dinky hadn’t personally seen it, she heard that they could only identify the body by Twinkleshine’s cutie mark when they found it.

“You think I don’t know that? You’re stubborn and stupid and you always think you’re right. The fact of the matter is, we need charity, and we wouldn’t be alive right now if it wasn’t for me!” She snapped, motioning towards their newly acquired blaster on her hip with a wave.

“How dare you! Ever sin-”

Knock, knock

The sisters stopped their fighting and looked at the door.

Dinky looked warily at her sister, worried. She received an identical look.

“I’ll get the door,” she whispered, “And you grab the blaster. Just in case.” Sparkler nodded.

Dinky, drawing the blaster off her belt, slowly pulled the steel door open to see the cold face of Time Turner.

“Oh. It’s you,” she said. “Come in, I guess.” She stepped aside to let him in. “It’s just Mr. Turner, Sparkler!” He nodded at Dinky and trotted slowly into the small room, his steps even.

“Dinky. Sparkler.” He set a small brown bag on the floor in front of him. Sparkler raised an eyebrow and poked at it.

“What, is that food or something? Because we don’t need any, we’re completely fine on our own and-”

He stopped her with a raised hand. “No, Sparkler, it’s not food, for Force’s sake. It’s not even for you at all, so you can stop talking.” He turned to Dinky and gestured towards her. “It’s for you, lucky idiot.” She stared at the bag puzzled, and then to him. Back at the bag.

“Well, are you going to open it or stand around all day?”

If there was one thing that could be said about Time Turner was that he was just as ornery as he was kind and his patience as a result was in short supply.

“Isn’t that uncomfortable?” Sparkler snapped as she sat down at her workbench, having lost interest on what was going on, pushing some of the tools scattered on top its surface of it aside.

“Is what uncomfortable?”

“Walking around with that huge stick up your plot all the time.”

Dinky tried and failed to keep the smile off her face.

Time Turner was not as amused. “Witty. Do you share your brand of humor with everyone or do you save it for me?”

Sparkler snorted as she pulled the head of the T8 droid that Dinky had tripped over off the floor. “Nope, you just keep giving me good material.”

“Well, while it must be nice to have a subject such as myself as your muse,” he said. Another snort from Sparkler. “Let’s get back to the reason why I’m here.”

Dinky rolled her eyes. It would probably be better for everypony if she just opened the bag. The last thing she needed was Mr.Turner and her sister having a verbal battle all night.

She warily picked up the bag by it’s handle and, setting it on the small table, undid the clasp. There lay a small package, wrapped in tightly in old, dirty cloth. There was also a palm-sized hexagonal-shaped holoprojector that looked quite expensive, with a holo-disk sitting on top of it.

Dinky’s eyes widened and she gasped, “This was mom’s?” A holo-journal! She had seen these before and her heart began to race. She could see her mother again, even if it was just in projection form.

Quickly, enthusiastically, she snatched the projector up and began to press the disk into the slot it was for but Turner stopped her.

“Don’t play that first! For the sake of the Divine, I swear...I wanted to get a good look at that thing,” he said, indicating the package still inside the bag with a wave, “But your mother made me promise not play anything on it. It’s for yours and Sparkler’s ears only. Listen to whatever girlie stuff you want later, I have no desire to be bored by it.”

Dinky almost disregarded what Time Turner said. She wanted to see mom again, to hear her voice again but one annoyed looked from the earth pony let the desire subside for the time being.

“Fine.” She grumbled, setting the things on the table next to the food.

With a sigh, she pulled the wrapped bundle from the bag and pulled away at the string binding it. As the piece of cloth fell away, revealing what was underneath Dinky felt her body go cold.

At first she thought it was a bend of solid black pipe but all it took was for her to see the solid red switch near what she thought was the top to identify what it was.

A lightsaber. A real, honest to the Divine’s lightsaber.

The lightsaber fit comfortably in her grasp, the single gentle slope from end to end perfectly fit into the concave of her palm, finishing with a single stylized spike-like blade guard. It was black in color and, now that she paid a bit more attention, slightly heavier than it’s size would suggest. Several tiny silver circles embedded in the side near the pommel Dinky recognized as her mother’s cutie mark.

A gasp from the left told her that Sparkler was seeing the same thing she was and with a look up at Time Turner and his serious expression confirmed that she was indeed holding a lightsaber the weapon of a Jedi.

The confirmation didn’t lessen her shaking. She had never seen one in her life, she had only heard about them tangentially whenever someone brought up the wars in conversation. Stories from both survivors and witnesses to the most recently concluded war with the Caribou and the current one being raged in some distant sector rarely missed mention of the warriors. Not that she had ever got a chance to listen long enough to get any real details beyond that, her mother would never allow her to be near when the subject was brought up.

Now she had a clear idea why. More than a clear idea. She had an answer. An answer that brought up so many more questions than she could reasonably voice at one time. In fact, there were only two she managed to bring to the forefront of the chaos that was now her mind.

“This was mom’s?” Dinky echoed, only just managing to bring her voice above a whisper. “Why didn’t she ever tell us?”

Of course it was obviously her mother’s, her cutie mark was on the thing but the stock-still shock of what she was holding and what it meant… She had no idea what it meant.

“I guess she wanted to keep it secret,” Time Turner said with a sigh. “She only told me to keep these things safe, not what was in them.”

After several silent moment the earth pony clapped his hands together and stood up. “Alright, now that that’s out of the way we can focus on the trip ahead of us.”

Wait. What?

“Wait! What?” Sparkler’s voice snapped Dinky out of her daze and now full attention was on her mother’s best friend.

“What do you mean ‘trip’?”

Now beginning our descent to Ponyville space port. Repeat: We are now beginning our descent.

For the first time since take off, Darth Spectrum opened her eyes from her quiet meditation and smiled.

If Spectrum had been on her master's personal ship, she’d have found a window so she might observe the descent to this outer—rim backwater of a planet. However, she wasn't allowed such a luxury for two reasons. First and foremost, her mission was meant to be discreet and her mistress's dreadnaught, the Glowing Beam, was hardly an inconspicuous vessel. They would have the planet's defense squadrons on them in seconds after they dropped from hyperspace, not that they would have been a problem, but the annoyance of wasting their suppression teams and valuable time on barely battle worthy scrapheaps from the outer-rim's 'safest' planet was a waste. Second, even being this far from Republic territory didn't mean that any Sith shouldn't exercise caution when traveling on solo missions.

Sure the intimidation factor was there. Pony, griffon, minotaur, it didn't matter who it was, you said you were a Sith and they would be tripping over themselves to make a path.
The cost, however, was that one couldn't leave their back turned. There were plenty of bounty hunters in the outer-rim looking for someone to test their skill against and any Sith or Jedi who made their presence known. Might as well put a neon target on their back that glowed in giant letters 'SHOOT HERE'.

The griffin transport freighter she’d booked passage on had no viewing ports, and so, sandwiched between a family returning from a trip to Canterlot and a businesscolt or diplomat of some kind who’d never once looked up from holonet pad, Spectrum reached out through the force. The mare sat, barely breathing now; her meditation was so deep. She was not aware of her body at all as she pushed away the presence of those in her immediate vicinity and concentrated instead on the ship.

Feeling the subtle shift of the ship around her, she knew when they began the final climb down. She felt the shift as they entered the atmosphere, she knew when they changed to the more fine-tuned thrusters. The low thrum of the engines stopped when the docking arms took over and she waited for the announcement on the com system.

Now anchored in docking bay D-64.

She was the first on her hooves and the first to disembark. Keeping a walking pace that put her from the ship to the concourse in record time despite the heavy battle armor she wore. With one glance at the ‘guards’ or rather the bounty hunters playing security, she strode up to the customs gate that barred her way from the rest of the building.

Her mission was simple: find the source of the disturbance in the Force and, if possible, bring it to her mistress. She felt her wings twitch at the thought. Calling it a disturbance was a mild understatement, it had been excruciating. She had no doubt that anyone even remotely connected to the force had felt it which was also gave her the one reason to rush to get to its source: The Jedi Council.

She knew that even if the Council was bogged down in their usual debates, that they would at least send one of their own to investigate as soon as possible. It was doubtful that, if the source of the disturbance was a Force weapon of some kind, the Jedi would use it if it came into their possession and that was why her mistress and every Sith apprentice could agree that they needed to acquire it first. The cowards would lock something with such a potential for destruction away on some backwater whereas the Sith would gladly use it in any and every capacity it could provide.

A bored looking blue stallion that was sitting in the booth didn’t bother to look up from the holobook her was reading when she approached. “Reason for visiting?”

"Business."

“Identification documents, please.”

“Here you go,” She said, pushing the forged holos towards him.

After what had to have been no more that a sideways glance at them, he pushed the holos back. “Alright, everything seems to be in order.”

Of course they were. They were designed to fool the best of identification droids, able to get her on Canterlot with very little attention. She almost felt the effort was wasted on this idiot.

“You have a nice time on Combay, Miss Dash,” He said as she pocketed the documents. “Don’t cause any trouble.”

Rainbow Dash smiled a little wider at the use of her alias. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep my head down.”

Forgive Me For Failing You

View Online

Sparkler's hands slammed down like thunderbolts, and it was a miracle that the metal surface didn't dent.

“No.” She hissed as she stood up from the worktable, progress on the T8 head forgotten. “No. No. NO. NO. You’re not just dumping this kind of news on us and then blindside us with a ‘Your mother was a Jedi. We’re going on a trip’.”

Dinky could only silently agree. Between the lightsaber in her hand and the earth pony’s statement, her lips were welded shut with shock.

The earth pony glanced at her, expression stern and implacable. “Listen, I don’t like it either but I promised your mother I would get you two out of the Rim to Canterlot if anything ever happened to her.”

The answer did little to calm the older pink unicorn down. “What about her shop? What about our home? You can't just tell me that mom, who put so much work into this place, just told you that she wanted it abandoned?”

"That is the long and short of it, yes."

"Why?"

“Your lives.”

That brought Sparkler up short. “What?”

Time Turner had always been a grumpy individual. In fact, Dinky was pretty sure that she could count on her fingers the number of times she had seen the earth pony smile in the many times she had seen him. Yet the almost neutral coldness that he spoke with was enough to send shivers down her spine.

"How long do you think you and your sister would last in this town, huh? You've always acted like you know everything when you really know nothing, filly. Your mother, for some Divine forsaken reason, decided to raise you two here despite this place’s reputation. She somehow got enough street reputation to be singled out as a mare to be left alone. Now I’ve got connections all over Fragile Town and from what’ve heard, Dinky’s solo trip to the Market streets did not go unnoticed. That’s why I came as soon as I could.”

Now the chill had started stampeding all along her skin making the fine hairs of her fur stand on end. She hadn’t even noticed that she was being watched. Had anyone decided to do anything to her before she got home... Her sister seemed to come to the same conclusion as her ears laid flat against her head.

“There’s already rumors going around about where your mother might be. Whether they are closer to the truth or not doesn’t matter, the fact is that once someone figures out that she’s not here and she’s not coming back, who knows who will be at the front door next. Your mother knew that if she wasn’t around you two would be chewed up and spat out by this city. I give it a week before some trouble stirs up.” The earth pony finished, flicking a finger across his throat for emphasis.

Dinky knew that he had thoroughly taken what little platform Sparkler had right from under her hooves. Her knee jerk reaction having resulted in reality being brought down on her head. She herself felt as if the room around her was trembling, but it was just the shaking of muscles in her arms supporting the heavy burden that they really had nowhere safe anymore. She had tried to hold out hope that maybe things could continue as they were but Time Turner confirmed that they were on a limited timetable.

Time Turner's glare thawed considerably his expression seeming almost sad as the next words that came out of his mouth were tired and raspy, as if what he was saying was painful. "Look, I understand. This place is home, no matter how bad it is. This shop is all you two know and I, like you, saw Ditzy struggle every day to keep this place open with honest business. Something that she should get a damned medal for in my opinion. But you and your sister have to go." He gave the Sparkler an encouraging pat on the shoulder before turning to the Dinky. "I'll get us a ship off this speck in no time. Don't worry."

"How?" Dinky finally managed to speak. "We can't just walk to the spaceport, the guards will shoot us down if we so much as sneeze in the uppercity gate's direction."

The earth pony's face widened into a smile as he gave her head an encouraging rub. "I have a few contacts in the uppercity that owe me a few favors. I'll reach out and see if we can't get out of here by tonight. Be sure to pack up before sundown."

Only Dinky didn't hear him. Her mind went blank. Images slammed into her senses.

A Blaster.

A black gloved hand pulling the trigger.

A streak of red.

A face twisted in rage.

Another face grimaced in pain as it's body fell out of sight.

Her vision broadened and what was vague details suddenly became clear as the face of the dead body filled itself in.

The details of a familiar face.

Time Turner's.

Dinky gasped and jumped to her hooves and Time Turner snatched his hand back in surprise, immediately cutting the stream of images as if it were a holonet feed that lost it's signal.

She was aware that both occupants in the room were staring at her but what was happening, in this room, what was being said to her, felt so distant. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, not only from what she saw but her senses were chanting, 'Time Turner is dead, Time Turner is dead', over and over and over. But whether it was her own string of thoughts or the voice of something else, she did not know.

But he couldn't be! He was standing right here. Right next to her. He was right-

"...ou okay? Sis? Sis!"

Dinky looked up and saw her sister's face right up to her own. The unicorn hadn't noticed she moved and she took a deep breath. "W-w-what?"

Sparkler's eyes narrowed, not in annoyance but in concern. "You. Are you okay?"

Dinky's first instinct was to lie. What could she say? That she saw their only friend killed by...somepony or somegriffon or whatever that face could have been? Yet when she tried to say yes, she found her tongue glued firmly in place, far too heavy for anymore words. Unable to trust herself to speak she nodded her head.

Judging by the looks from the earth pony and her sister, it was clear it wasn't the most convincing nod she ever made in her life. Sparkler opened her mouth but Time Turner was the first to speak.

"You were out of it for a solid minute, Dinky and you look like you just tried run nonstop for a full mile." Dinky realized she was indeed breathing hard and a several drops of sweat forced themselves to be noticed by a slight tickling from her forehead. She took another deep breath to unstick her tongue and turned to the earth pony. "I'm fine." She said with more confidence than she felt.

She and Time Turner had a short stare off before the earth pony nodded and turned towards the door. "I'll be sure to add meds to the list of things the my debtors should collect."

"First it was favors, now it's debts?" Sparkler snorted and Dinky felt her chest lighten a little as the attention was drawn away from her. "I thought you were a holy stallion? The kind that doesn't gamble."

Time Turner just chuckled. "You forget, Sparkler, we live in Ponyville. Everyone here owes someone a debt."

The earth pony turned and left, the door sliding closed behind him. Dinky felt her stomach twist as they did, the bad feeling the visions left on her trailing with him. She whispered a silent prayer to anyone or anything that could be listening at that moment that he came back safe.

In the Ponyville spaceport sat a ship. If anyone one bothered to look up it's name they would discover it was christened Winona which would be an average name for an average heavy freighter, one of many that docked in these spaceports. However if someone bothered to look up the name of the ship, then they would see the name of who it was registered to.

A name that was far above average. The name of a orange earth pony mare of average height with a trenchcoat and a Stetson two sizes too big perched perfectly on her head. The name of a mare that didn't even want to be here. The name of a mare who was getting quite annoyed with a unicorn, holding a holopad that was baring her from leaving the hanger. A unicorn she was seriously considering shooting right now.

"Look, fer th' fifth time," she sighed, not even feeling half as up to this as she should. "I'm registered. I went through yer "hold until we verify your identity" processin' stuff before we even landed. Didn't we, Mac?"

"Eyup..." The larger red earth pony stallion behind her stated, looking much less frustrated than she was.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure you did. The unicorn's smiled, a condescending smile that Applejack somehow prevented from burying her fist wrist deep in. "And what did you say your name was again?" She repeated, looking down at her pad.

"Applejack." The orange mare said stiffly, knowing this was a repeat of the same damned carousel.

"And your crew?"

"Big Macintosh Apple." She pointed at her bother before pointing at the smaller yellow filly that, even with the bow on her head, barely came up to her waist. "Apple Bloom."

"Species?"

Now Applejack knew this pony was screwing with her. She glared at her, putting her hands on her wide hips as if to say 'What do you think?' before the following moments of silence made it clear that the unicorn wasn't going to let them by without an answer.

"Earth ponies."

The unicorn nodded as if she needed vocal confirmation on what her eyes could see. "Relation?"

"Family." Applejack forced through gritted teeth. She kept her hands in her pockets, clamping them on her thighs with all her strength, knowing that if she got them around this hornhead's throat she wouldn't let go. Consequences be damned.

"Cargo?"

She let her accent bleed out of her voice as she began to stiffly recite the manifest from memory. "5 crates of Medpacs. 2 crates of Stims, 10 crates of various foods, and 20 pallets of Vinowine straight from Cloudsdale sky orchards."

The unicorn's ears perked up at the mention of the wine. She looked from her pad to the ship then back to Applejack before looking back down at her pad, the smile still on her face. "We'll have to confiscate that."

"WHAT?!" Applejack didn't take notice how Apple Bloom jumped at her outburst nor the slight frown that crossed Big Mac's face. "On what grounds? Vinowine is perfectly legal in the outer rim!"

"Maybe on other planets but not here. So now you've just admitted to me that your ship is carrying contraband. We can't allow you to sell it here and if we leave you with it you could smuggle it out of port." She pressed a button on the side of her pad. Almost immediately two columns of security guards entered the hanger, marching right past them and to the ship. "We'll also have to search your ship for anything that you may have failed to tell us about. It might take awhile, a day perhaps. We want our security to be thorough, if you don't like it have a talk with management. Have a pleasant day, Miss Applejack."

They were about to be robbed blind and there was nothing she could do to stop them, Applejack knew this. Ten thousand credits of wine gone, not to mention how much of their other cargo that was going to be 'lost' during the search.

It took a level of self-control the mare didn't believe she had to just walk right past the mare to the halls that led to the city and even more not to sock her brother in the face as she rounded on him the moment the doors to the bay closed behind them. "I told ya we didn't need tuh land, now look were ya got us." She growled, stabbing a finger in the larger stallions chest. "That's this months credits down the plug."

Big Mac, to his credit didn't look the slightest bit intimidated by her murderous glare, only sadden by her reaction. "AJ, Yuh need a doctor. A good one. Ponies just don't be passin' out like that fer no reason."

"I told ya, I was fine. I coulda just popped a medpac an' waited until we got to our next destination."

"Yuh an' Ah know full well that Combay has the best med centers in the outer rim." Big Mac shook his head, speaking slowly as if Applejack was foal. "An' what if yuh passed out again an' didn't wake up? What then?"

Applejack scoffed, her only reaction to a question she couldn't answer. Honestly, she knew that Big Mac's worry was justified even without him knowing about the details she omitted from the experience. That kind of pain that led up to her fainting... wasn't right. It hadn't felt right. Even now just thinking about it made her stomach twist.

Turning on her hoof, she pulled out an adrenal stim from her coat pocket and stabbed it into her thigh. With a pinch, click and hiss, she felt just a little bit better with the major inconvenience the day was starting with. "Ya'll find someplace we can stay fer the night." She mumbled, following the maps on the walls to a med center. "I'll go 'n get this over with."

When Applejack followed the map to the nearest med center, she was quickly reminded why she hated the places. In her opinion, hospitals, med centers, clinics, and even urgent care outfits all smelled the same. Clean. Far too clean with the faint coppery hint of blood. It was in her experience that med centers on planets with a high crime rate wouldn't hit the high notes of pleasant and this one was no different.

She moved with purpose thought the moans and misery, a few of the glazed sets of eyes following her as did the stench of sweat and sickness that made her stomach flip. In the center of the room was a large desk.

A yellow earth pony sat behind the desk, his medical outfit wrinkled and messy, suggesting a long day of work...or lack of care in his appearance. Applejack hoped it was the latter as she approached.

He gave her one look before motioning to one of the seats. "Take a number. We'll call you."

As "Rainbow Dash" entered the Riding Crop, one of a few cantina's within the boarders of Fragile Town, many of its occupants' eyes turned toward her. She observed that, of the patrons who didn't look her way, quite a few were already preoccupied by the cantina's 'entertainment' of the usual griffon strippers. She met the gazes of those looking at her, and one by one they quickly turned away. Weak willed idiots. Even in this cesspit of debauchery and immorality there were few who could or would keep her gaze longer than a few seconds. She continued scanning the room's occupants until one pair of eyes met her expression with one of equal steel.

With a smile curving on her lips, she made her way to the familiar look and sat in the booth right across from her...or rather him.

"Long time, no see." She greeted, letting a slight hint of mocking bleed into her tone. "I see you kept the love mark I gave you."

The effect was as quick as it was predictable. Yeah, if there was one thing that described the griffon in front of her, it was predictable. Not matter how much of her appearance she changed.

The scarred beak twisted into a scowl, the metal cup filled with some kind of bad alcohol in her grasp frozen in mid-sip. If voices could kill Spectrum knew that she would have died on the spot with how much the voice was laced with poisonous loathing. "Spymaster Dusk didn't tell me to expect you." Oh, her tone was absolutely icy.

So cold, so cruel, and for a minute, Spectrum was back at the academy, meeting those hardened yellow eyes for the first time as she stared the griffon down. Looks like the hen had sharpened her talons in their time apart.

"Oh come on, Gilda, you know she keeps details on the down low."

"Shut it, Dash." She hissed, quickly looking around the room for anyone who could be possibly listening in to their conversation. "The walls have ears."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is it Gavorn now?"

"Aye, lass." The griffon hissed, settling into her staged accent smoothly. "And the last thing I need from ya is yer mouth."

"Well then, let's get to brass tax." She stated, letting the teasing drop out of her tone. She could always poke fun at Gilda later but now was the time for business. "You know why I'm here, right?"

"The event that happened yesterday, of course."

"You felt it?"

"Felt it?" The griffon looked affronted. "I'm pretty sure every force sensitive felt that...whatever it was, all the way to the galactic core. Hit me like a meteor to the face. Thought I was dyin' or something."

That Spectrum didn't doubt, in fact, she herself had felt it during one of her training sessions and damn near lopped herself in half with her own saber. She didn't allow any of her agreement to show on her face as Gilda continued. "I've been getting reports from my handler that at least 22 acolytes are dead as a result of the force ripping like that. Like in the middle of battle or something like that."

Spectrum nodded. It actually have been more around 30 but the Spymaster was keeping info like that on the down low for a reason and, while it pleased her that so many possible rivals were gone, it put a great dent in the Sith empires' plans to loose so many agents. "That's true. Some were fighting, others were in the middle of negotiations with the leaders on certain planets." She then smiled as better news was brought to the front of her mind. "But just because we're hurting doesn't mean the Jedi aren't, they're running blind after that. Though it's only a matter time when they actually come here."

"I guess." The griffon shrugged before leaning forward with slightly more urgency in her eyes. "But that doesn't matter cause I know where the disturbance came from." Her beak twisted into a malevolent grin as she took a sip from her drink. "Or rather who it came from."

For a moment, Spectrum thought she had misheard. She sat a little straighter and scanned the griffon for any signs that meant she was bluffing.

Nothing.

Gilda was telling the truth.

She still didn't believe it. "Who?"

"Unicorn filly. No older than twelve."

Spectrum shook her head. "You're lying." A filly? A filly could cause the force that kind of pain? Could cost them 30 agents? Impossible.

Gilda took another sip of her drink. "Nope and here's the kicker." The griffon leaned even closer, leaving a little less than a half a foot between them. "She's been in the town for years and I didn't sense her until after the disturbance."

"What?" The shock of the source being confirmed a filly not even on the cusp of adolescence was now completely overshadowed by who the griffon was saying now. "That's impossible."

Gilda nodded, her eyes grazing over the dancers before focusing back on the pegasus. "What I thought to until when she arrived at the market I felt her from two blocks away. At my stand, it was like standin' in the eye of a hurricane."

"How?"

"Dunno" The griffon said, a frown creasing her brow, "and its bothering me how she managed to slip right under my beak all these years I've been here. I know I couldn't have missed something but..."

Spectrum wasn't listening at this point. The Sith apprentice's mind was working a mile a parsec. Anypony with the kind of power she felt was dangerous. Add in the possibility that they had been hiding their presence in the force consciously or unconsciously and that suggested training...or talent. An insane degree of it. They needed to work fast. "Her temperament?"

"Soft like clay. All I had to do was mention her mother, pluck a few strings in the force and anger came flowing like water."

"Any family?"

"Sister and late mother."

Spectrum raised an eyebrow. "No father?"

"None as far as I can tell."

"Friends?"

"The mother was a friend of the local priest. He's how I found out about her death."

"Any potential from the sister?"

"None as far as I could tell but I haven't see her today so that could very well change."

Strange. Dusk was going to have a field day with this.

"Any potential from the mother?"

The griffon shook her head. "Little to none. Her presence was not even a blip on my radar."

"You know the Sith holds claim to every force sensitive we find." Spectrum frowned. "Why didn't you call it in?"

Gilda held up her hands defensively. "Woah, there. She was worthless to the cause. Had a birth defect." She explained quickly, "Couldn't even carry air without tripping and breaking it somehow."

Gilda was right, the Sith had no place for those less than competent but just the see the griffon squirm under the realization she broke protocol was just too much. "Fine, I won't report this if you know where we can find her."

"You're talking to the best tracker in the outer rim." The griffon nodded, putting down some credit chits for her drink. "Her mother ran a droid maintenance shop across town. Should take us less than thirty minutes if we walk." She smiled as they walked to the door and she spread her wings. "Or less than ten if we fly."

"You ready?" Dinky asked, holding the holo-journal and disk in each hand. She herself wasn't sure about playing it, having delayed the action by getting things packed up. Only the essentials like non perishable food, clothes, the various versions of toolkits around the shop, and, of course, what credits they had left. While Dinky had done that, Sparkler cooked what food remained into a large stew and, while being a quiet affair, dinner had been quick and tense. The warning that Time Turner had left, hung in the silence only broken by the clinks and clanks of dishware as they had eaten.

It was then, when they were all done with their meal that Dinky had finally decided to play the holodisk and now was asking for her sister's permission. She didn't need it, of course and it wasn't necessary but yet even for the temptation of hearing mom's voice, it still had not been a full cycle since they buried her. She wasn't sure if it would make her feel better or just tear open a wound that still had yet to heal.

That went for her sister as well.

Sparkler stood behind her with arms crossed, looking hesitantly at the items before nodding her head. "Do it."

With steady hands, the pale purple unicorn slid the disk into the slot and set the journal on the table. "Play message."

A light buzz was heard and with a beep of confirmation, the journal lit up with the form of Dtizy Doo, looking downcast and saddened. Her virtual face so lively compared to the deathly paleness that was her color during her last days. Dinky had expected to feel many things when she saw her mother but the sudden almost overwhelming sorrow that threatened to buckle her under its weight had almost made her stop the message before it even played. It must have shown on her face because the next thing she felt was Sparkler's hand give a comforting squeeze to her shoulder. Dinky brought up a hand to grip it, to anchor her where she was. She made one short sniff to keep the burn in her eyes at bay as the message played.

Dinky. Sparkler.
If you are hearing this then that means I am dead. It also means that I have failed to keep you two safe.

Know that I love you, have loved you, and will always love you, but my actions have put you two in incredible danger.

If Time Turner has done what I asked then, you two will know that I have kept many secrets from you. My lightsaber is proof of that.

I thought I would have time to be in your lives a little longer.

I thought I would have time to explain myself, to give you two more than just training to defend yourselves, to prepare you for when I wasn't going to be there but now, even as you play this message, time is short.

Dinky, you are force sensitive. When I saw you lift one of your toy blocks when you were just a foal I couldn't have been happier and more terrified in my life. It is a gift, one that has made you and Sparkler a target. The Sith Empire is going to come after you and their not above using your sister as a tool to force you to comply with their demands.

Which is why I want you to get to the Jedi temple in Canterlot as soon as possible. They will protect you. Search out Rarity Bell, Lyra Heartstrings, Zecora, or Fluttershy and tell them you're Derpy Hooves' daughter. They know who I am or rather, was.

I've done my best to prepare you with the time I had.

Make no mistake, I'm proud of you.

So very proud.

Sparkler, you have the best aim this side of the Rim and Dinky, I could not have hoped for a better pony to be my padawan.

I-I-I...have no right to ask this of you two but I beg that you forgive this foolish stupid pegasus pony that was your mother. I...am a fool, an idiot, that doesn't deserve the love I was given nor did you two deserve a failure who has quite possibly gotten you hurt or worse.

I don't deserve it. I didn't deserve you, my wonderful darling muffins.

I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry.

The pale purple unicorn could only watch as Ditzy Doo, the strongest mare she ever knew, broke down into weeping before the holo winked out. She almost couldn't believe it, that's what her mother thought of herself before she died? The same mare who went without so many times so that Sparkler and her could eat? Who made sure they had clothes to wear, no matter how raggedy they were? Who told them 'I love you' every night before they went to bed?

Dinky felt her heart sink as she thought back to the last week her mother was alive. How many times had she said I love you to her? Had it been enough? Had she done anything to show her mom that she wasn't worthless? That she was loved?

"Sparkler?"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to my room for a bit. I need-" Need what? To cry? To scream? Both? Neither? "to think."

"Same here."

With that the two sisters left the table, heading for the only places they could find comfort at a time like this.

New Faces, New Problems

View Online

Six years ago...
Planet: Combay

"All right, remember your hoof placement." Ditzy said, blond mane spilling down her shoulders. Her swings were slow, methodical, testing, and Dinky was thankful for that. The impromptu weights her mother had her strap to her wrists, arms, and ankles were slowing her down significantly. Yet the movements of the wooden stick in her mother's grasp were still quick and precise enough to keep her from fully relaxing. They traded simple blows at the beginning and her mother warded off each of Dinky’s strikes with ease but the extra weight combined with her mother's steady increase in speed started to wear on her. Now the swings her mother required of her were becoming more and more advanced and she was trying hard to ignore the sweat running down her face.

"Now," Ditzy stated, taking an aggressive step forward. "Counterattack."

The older mare charged at her with stick upheld, going to a foreswing and following it with a quick backswing. Dinky dodged the first and met the second with her stick and immediately used the rebound as they clashed to arc it back around to catch her mother's midsection.

With a short twitch of her wings, her mother slid out of her reach and left Dinky overextending her swing before another pump of her wings brought her right back into the range of both sticks and she brought it down in a swift overhand swing.

In a hasty move, Dinky clumsily tried to knock away her mother’s wooden sword, enough that she could get past his defenses. The blonde mare, however parried with enough force to push the small unicorn’s blade up and to the side.

At once, Dinky made the motion to block the attack that would immediately come next.

Only it didn’t come the direction she expected it. As if she hadn't even moved, her mother's stick slipped right between her arms, stopping right at her left shoulder.

"Don't lose your patience. You must be sure not to let your own defenses down when you attack your opponent. Though you tried to recover quickly, all four of your zones were exposed in that last moment." As if to punctuate the meaning of her words, she tapped her stick to Dinky's shoulder.

"Yes, mom." Dinky mumbled, looking at the wooden pole more than a little upset she messed up again. Had she not been focusing on the stick so hard she would have noticed the tattoos on her mother’s face twist as she smiled, her mismatched eyes almost glowing with pride.

Sparkler's voice then drifted in from the kitchen. "Hey Mom?"

"Yes?"

"I think I might be burning dinner. I mean, it smells like it but... It just looks a bit thin. Can you come in and look at this?"

"Sure, dear." Dinky watched as her mother made her way towards the kitchen, noticing a tool on the floor right in her way. Before she could say anything, her mother's hoof came down on it and promptly caused her to slip in a most dramatic fashion. Her leg went out from under her as if it had been yanked and in her attempt to stop her fall, her arm came down on the table and promptly flipped right onto her as she hit the floor with a loud CRASH.

A moment of silence.

"I'm okay."

Applejack wondered if her run of bad lack was ever going to end. She swirled her drink around the glass before taking another sip, face wrinkling at the acrid taste that was mostly pure alcohol mixed with a little of something that tasted a little of swamp water. Lovely. Such high-class establishments she found herself drinking at these days. She would have thought that a trip to the cantina right across from the med center would have been a perfect place to get a good drink. The city looked nice enough, considering. But she had been proven wrong.

Now with a cup of the watered down swill that passed as alcohol in this bar, she ran through the experience she just had.

It had been a 50 credit charge to get scanned by a droid with a blood and hair sample taken for extra measure. The result: A clean bill of health. Except for one thing the droid mentioned...

Patient Applejack, you seem to have an unusually high concentration of Adrenalin in your body. May this unit ask, if you have been using battle stimulants?

Are you aware of the dangers and addictive qualities of battle stimulants? Especially in cases of constant use by non-combatants or in non-combative situations, Patient Applejack? This unit's programing of the Hippogriffic Oath requires this unit to list side effects and medical conditions recreational battlestim use can cause. More than one hundred and nineteen of one hundred and twenty five have an eighty four percent possibility of terminal illness and...

Applejack shook her head to push the droid's annoying voice out of her mind. Yeah, she was using stims and there was no problem with them. She wasn't using them enough for any of what that medical droid was blathering on about. Battlestims were a good pick-me-up whenever she was tired or needed that extra push when she was working. She wasn't using them for a high and could quit whenever she wanted.

Beyond mentioning something that she already knew, the droid's scans showed nothing was out of the ordinary.

It was both relieving and frustrating at the same time. She was confirmed to have nothing wrong with her but at the same time pain like that doesn't come out of nowhere. She visualized the small packet of pain suppressants on her ship almost wistfully as she took another sip of her drink. If episodes like that were going to be a common thing then they were going to be her saving grace.

If it wasn't physical, could it have been mental, like them chronic pains-

"Excuse me, Miss?" Applejack was cut off from her thoughts by a baritone voice from the seat next to her. She turned to see a brown earth pony stallion in a suit looking right at her.

"Yeah?" She responded, an eyebrow rising on her forehead. Two questions jumped to mind. Who was he and what did he want? No one came dressed like that to a place like this without a reason.

"I was wondering if you were a merchant of sorts?"

"If'n I am?"

"I'm looking for a more unofficial way to get myself and a few friends off planet and you look like the kind of mare who would like to make some credits." He said with a disarming grin.

That raised some red flags. Immediately, Applejack began a quick run of a long list of reasons why someone would want to not to take official transports and all of them ended with bad consequences for her and her family. "Listen, mister. I don't know who ya are and I got no reason to trust ya." She was going to lay it put plain. For all she knew, she'd end up smuggling red sand to be sold on some far off planet...and be sold off with it. "Look for someone else."

"What if I told you I could pay 20,000 even?"

Applejack froze. That was double the amount they were going to loose from the search. More than plenty to take back home. However, her pappy hadn't raised no fool mare and if it sounded too good to be true, odds are it was. She put her drink down and gave the stallion a flat look. "I'd say yer lyin'."

"Well, I have just the remedy for that." He said, pulling a small metal box from his pocket and pushing towards her. "Here is the first five thousand as a down payment."

The orange mare pulled the box towards her and opened it slightly, wide enough for only her to see the contents. She blinked, stunned for a moment then quickly snapped it shut before any wandering eyes could see what was inside. That was a lot of money sitting on this counter which meant the opportunity of a lifetime but there was still a very important question she had to ask. "Can't be goin' from A to B without knowin' B."

The stallion gave her a knowing smile as he answered. "Canterlot."

The galactic center and right in the middle of Republic space. Not some planet that was off the beaten path. That cut it. "You got yerself a deal." She said as she put the box in her coat.

The stallion nodded. "Good, my friends and I will have to leave tonight." It was then that Applejack's heart dropped. Damn it all, she had no idea if the 'inspection' was going to be done by this evening. She opened her mouth to tell the stallion so when a loud noise from her other side caught her attention. She turned to see a brown furred minotaur sloppily knocking back his drink.

Applejack had only given the minotaur a cursory glance. Nothing more than a curious look to see who was making that slurping noise. Unfortunately, his behavior was just as bad as his manners made even worse by alcohol as he gave her a nasty look.

"Who you looking at?" he said.

It was said low and aggressively, but Applejack ignored it and turned back to the stallion, only to find him gone. Damn it all twice over, she hadn't even seen him walk away. Now she just agreed to a job she might not be able to finish.

"Who you looking at?" the guy said again.

Applejack's experience was, they say it once, maybe nothing's going to happen. But they say it twice, then trouble's on the way. Fundamental problem is, they take a lack of response as evidence that you're worried. Scared. Weak. That they're winning. But then, odds are just as equal that if you answer they will take it as a reason to sock you right in the face.

"You looking at me?" the minotaur said, his voice wavering oddly, sweeping high, low and back

"No," Applejack answered, glaring at the box in front of her in frustration. How was she gonna get out of this one? Wasn't like she could find the pony and simply say 'Never mind, here's yer money back'. Maybe the inspection could be done by now.

She took a sip of her drink, noting that several curious faces were turned in their direction.

"Don't you be looking at me, sow," the guy said.

The way he said sow made Applejack think he was maybe a foreman in some kind of mill or a mining operation. Whatever muscle work was done around Ponyville. Some kind of a traditional trade that required sweat. Something that she could respect if any of the residents of this city were on the up and up.

"Don't you look at me," the guy repeated louder this time.

She turned her head and looked at him. Not really to antagonize the guy. Just to size him up. It was a great big galaxy out there, one that would take you by surprise and kill you in a moment’s notice. This minotaur was not one of those moments. So she just smiled the most polite smile she could manage and looked away again.

“You know actually…you ground pounders got better curves than the others. Maybe—”
Applejack felt the intent before the minotaur even finished his sentence and her body tightened like a coiled spring. “Don’t touch me.” She warned without even looking up from her drink.

Normally at this point Big Mac would have long since stepped in to keep idiots who couldn’t take hints from testing their luck. An extra body and a large one at that usually made the less stupid drunks turn away.
“Come on, ain’t that what you useless ones are good fo—”

Applejack caught two fingers of the large hand that was reaching for her on the way in and cracked both at the first knuckle. Just folded them up like she was turning a lever. The minotaur only got one moment to scream before her hand went from his fingers to one of his horns and yanked him down right into the bar. It was a smooth move, well-delivered and it’s impact brutal with two loud cracks punctuating the minotaur’s face meeting the surface.

Applejack didn’t know where the first one came from—the bar,maybe—but she could guess from the fact the horn she had grabbed was still in her grasp even though her hand was a good distance from his head what the second one had been.

Proper earth pony strength was nothing to scoff at.

Knocking back the rest of her drink, the orange mare stood and put some extra credits on the bar along with what her drink cost.

“Sorry fer the mess.” She said to the bartender, who didn’t look the least bit surprised.

She only noticed the music had started playing again when she was almost out of the building, putting a finger to the com she kept in her ear. "Hey, Mac. I think I got us a way to make up what we lost...but there is a small problem."

Dinky went straight to her room, lightsaber in hand, ignoring everything else—and did something she rarely did.

She shut the door.

Inside the small space she and her sister shared with its single window that had a glorious view of the building next door, she dropped on to the bed. Slowly, she tuned out the clanks and slams of tools and what had to be droid parts as Sparkler vented in her own way and focused on the past.

For the next hour, when she could manage it without tearing up, she began to focus on everything she knew about her mother, every detail of the message, every conversation they had, every training session, every hug she gave, and every ‘I love you’ she said… Every time she seemed happy...

Why didn't she tell them?

Dinky noticed her vision go foggy and she quickly rubbed her eyes, clearing the tears out. She took a deep breath, idly fiddling with the lightsaber in her hands.

She had been preparing them. For what? When she wasn’t around anymore.

Now she wasn’t and Dinky felt so lost now in her absence than anything else.

Her mother had been a Jedi. A Jedi. That…didn’t make much sense even with her cutie mark on the weapon as proof. Except for the training sessions her mother was accident prone, and that was putting it lightly. She had seen it.
Droid parts, tools, dishes, anything breakable that got in her hands was soon dropped and broken like glass. It was like her mother’s very touch was cursed. That was excluding the times she would trip over nothing and hit the ground in such a heap. There was even one point that she had somehow taken apart an obsolete battle droid with nothing but a pan and broken computer spike.

That had been one crazy thing to see. Yet, even the training didn’t make sense. During those moments, her constant klutzy incoordination was gone. When she swung those sticks, she never slipped or tripped up. When she taught them how to shoot, she never fumbled the blaster or dropped it.

She had been an entirely different mare during those moments. It was as if she were two different ponies. How had she missed that?

Dinky frowned, her thoughts wandering a little on the topic before it focused on one simple question.
Could it have been all an act?
It was the best explanation but at the same time it asked a lot more questions than it answered. Why would anypony sane want to act like they were something pulled out of a comedy holo? Her message said she wanted to protect them but an act like that couldn’t have been for—

She her thought was cut off by a knock on the door. She swallowed her questions deeming them outrageous and looked to the door as Sparkler stepped in, the look on her face a cross between confusion and annoyance. "Hey, did Mr. Gavorn mention he was coming over at the market today?"

"No." Dinky answered, sitting up. "Why? Is he here?"

"At the door right now." She said. "With company. I told you not to take that food."

Dinky winced at her sister's sharp tone. "I didn't think he'd come visit us over it." Pocketing the lightsaber, she got to her hooves and followed her sister. "Plus Time Turner was the one to convince him."

That didn't seem to calm Sparkler down any. "That foal of a..." She took a deep breath as they reached the workshop and Dinky didn't have to guess that she and her mother's best friend were going to be sharing words when he got back. "Just sit at the table, while I find out why he's-"

The grey unicorn had turned to the door while her sister spoke and suddenly the world listed to the side as something hit her like a punch to the gut. Dinky reached out a hand to steady herself against the table as her knees buckled slightly. Something...something was behind that door and it wasn't friendly. Whatever it was, it was thick like a heavy fog that hung in the back of her mind and churned her stomach so violently that she was sure she was about to vomit. She gasped and covered her mouth, just barely making out the sound of her sister's voice. Every nerve in her body was telling her to run. Just grab her sister and run.

Just run.

Run.

RUN!

"....iky! DINKY!?"

Then, like a rubber band being stretched and let go, everything snapped back to the here and now. She was leaning against the table and felt her sister's arms around her, she almost sounded hysterical. "Dinky! Talk to me! Are you okay?"

Dinky almost didn't recognize her own voice as she spoke the one thing on her mind. "D-D-Don't op-en the door."

"What?"

"Don't let them in! We've got to go, right n..."

She didn't get to finish as the metal door to the shop was blasted inwards with such force that it flew right across the workshop. Dinky just barely had enough time you pull her sister to the floor before the door shaped guillotine went buzzing over their heads and embedding into the wall behind her with a loud GONG!

Dinky, frozen stiff from shock, watched as Sparkler quickly jumped to her hooves and drew the blaster from her side only for it to whip right out of her hand as if somepony snatched it from her.

She watched as it flew towards the threshold and into a armored hand of a blue pegasus with a multi-colored mane, who then tossed over to the griffon-No, Mr. Gavron next to her. He caught it with a frown aimed at...the pegasus?

Whatever the reason for his stare it didn't last long as Sparkler made a lunge for the blaster still on the table. That too, went flying through the air of it's own volition and ended up in the pegasus' hands. Dinky felt a chill as the mare's pair of rose colored eyes raked over her as a cruel smile twisted on her lips.

"Hello, filly."

The First Step

View Online

A white unicorn hurried down platform of her J-type star skiff’s boarding ramp leading to the main entrance of the main public hanger. Her long dark purple mane and tail streamed behind her. Her robes were the same color as her mane, a three diamond cutie mark printed it's side. As she walked, she twisted her long mane into a knot and secured it with a long metal needle she had grabbed as she left her quarters. Normally, she would have taken a few moments to adjust her appearance to something more...acceptable but now wasn't the time for that. She had to hurry.

"Master." Behind her a much smaller but white colored unicorn with robes similar to her own mane and tail, an odd gradient of light purple and light pink, was struggling to keep up the larger unicorn's pace. There had been no response from the larger unicorn.

"Sis!" The small filly finally said with a huff.

Jedi Master Rarity Belle finally faltered in her walk, slowing slightly as she looked back to her padawan as she caught up. "I'm sorry, Sweetie." She apologized, collecting her thoughts. "My mind was somewhere else right now."

"You still could've have waited." The filly groaned.

"Well, this mission of ours is very important."

That had been a understatement. Normally, she would have waited for her padawan to catch up at the very least but with how hectic things had been over the last day and a half she had been very tense and her mind was going everywhere at once. Ever since the 'Event' as it was being called, the Order had scrambled to find it's source. That day had been the one time that Rarity was glad the Sweetie's connection to the force had yet to truly bloom. She had talent, but that could only carry somepony so far. Once the senior member's of the council had recovered and the Order was able to take stock, they had found that no less than 25 of the Jedi out in the field were either dead or MIA.

After that staggering blow, There had been a universal worry among her peers that the Sith had some kind of new weapon, one that could turn the tide of the war greatly in their favor. The thought of anything that could induce great pain to anyone greatly connected to the Force was troubling, no matter who had it. Still it had been a great relief when, in tracking the source with the efforts of several masters including herself, the discovery that it had come from one of the still free planets in the outer rim. Though nopony was happy by which planet it was. Combay's reputation preceded her on Canterlot.

Her relief had dissipated when her yacht had reached orbit though. While it had been no where near as powerful as the Event, she could sense a great turmoil coming from what she could only call a storm of emotions in the Force as she had landed. Something that she hadn't even felt from Canterlot was now broadcasting itself with such strength that she felt it from the stratosphere. The revelation that it was coming from a sentient being was...shocking. Now that she was on the planet's surface, all that movement in the Force was shining like a beacon in the night. It was staggering and her mission had suddenly changed.

It had been find the item and bring it to the Temple for analyzation and containment or, in the event it can't be brought back, destroyed. Now it was to find whoever it was and escort them back to the temple.

"Excuse me."

Rarity turned to face the voice and took notice of the unicorn with a holopad cradled in her arm approaching them. "Yes?"

The unicorn smiled an all too fake smile. "Ma'am, I'm sorry but I'm afraid that Port Authority has a few questions for you."

The Jedi inwardly cringed. It had been irritating enough to wait over the planet just for the authorization to land, while that storm went on below. It had been at least an hour of answering 'yes/no' questions about the Sith Empire that made no sense and while she understood the heavy security, seeing as Combay was too far from Republic space to be sufficiently protected, she knew that if the Sith Empire came knocking down their door they wouldn't announce their arrival by answering a questionnaire.

"What about, darling?" She asked, keeping her tone sweet.

The unicorn smirked a poisonous smirk. "Just the usual, shipping manifests, crew, cargo, an-"

The smug unicorn was interrupted as Sweetie Belle came right from behind Rarity and raised her hand before the Jedi could stop her. "You have no questions for us."

The look of confusion was on the mare's face for as long as it took Sweetie to speak before her expression went slack. "I have no questions for you."

"You will leave the hanger and the ship alone."

The mare nodded. "I will leave the hanger and the ship alone."

With a sharp turn on her hooves, the unicorn turned and left the hanger. It was then that Rarity spoke or better yet, groaned. "Sweetie Belle."

The filly spun to facer her master, a look of 'What?' stamped on her face. "Oh come on, sis."

"You're not to abuse your power like that."

"Really?" The younger unicorn raised an eyebrow, motioning to where the mare had been seconds before. "Did you really want to go through that again? You can't tell me you weren't about to do that."

Rarity was silent. Okay, she had to admit that sometimes her sister had better sense her...and if she was honest she probably would have the same thing.

"Okay, fine. I'll let it go this time."

A smile crossed Sweetie Belle's muzzle. "Thought so." She sing-songed.

"Don't feel too proud of yourself," Rarity began as she led the way out of the hanger. "Once this mission is over you and I will be sharing words."

"Oh come on." Sweetie Belle groaned, obviously not looking forward to her coming punishment. "Can't I just do velocities with Silver Spoon or Diamond Tiara? That is so much kinder than suffering at the hands of your majestic long-windedness."

"Ah, charming and poetic." Rarity couldn't help but smirk a little at her sister's ever expanding vocabulary. "Would you rather I have you model for the new robes I'm preparing for the initiates?"

She could almost see the cringe on her sister's face without turning around. "No. No. Um, discussion is fine." She said quickly before speeding up her step so that they were side by side as they walked. "So what are we doing here?"

Rarity had expected that question for awhile. She was honestly surprised that it took her sister the whole trip to ask.

"Well, Sweetie," she began. "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

"You mean the migraine I suddenly got?" Rarity nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"It was caused by something and you and I have been sent out here to find it."

"Is that's what's causing the...the wind, I think, in the force?"

Rarity smiled as they walked, her sister's description making her chuckle lightly. "Yes, that's exactly it."

They continued making their way through the pristine city streets, passing the local cantina as two burly stallions carried a brown minotaur with a broken snout and a missing horn out of the building before depositing him in a nearby alley. Rarity frowned at the sight, her dislike for the Outer-Rim growing a notch higher. Aesthetically, the city was beautiful, close to Canterlot in design, but beyond that...

She swallowed her discomfort and slowed down her walk just enough so that Sweetie Belle was in the corner of her eye as they walked. The smaller unicorn seemed to be enthralled by everything she saw and the unicorn felt her mood lift a little at her sister's curiosity.

Little by little, Rarity noticed, the beautiful streets became less pristine as the disturbances in the Force began leading them away from the main thoroughfare. The crowds too, began to thin as the buildings began to steadily look more and more dilapidated and old. Rusted durasteel doors jammed open. Walls crumbing from lack of maintenance. Windows cracked, warped and unable to close and some just missing leaving large holes in the building's face. Some had electricity judging by the lights but they were few and far in between compared to other buildings that didn't.

That was also disregarding the stench that made her scrunch up her nose in disgust. The nauseating scent of urine and feces mixed with the musty scent of rot and mold.

Yet it was clear that, power or not, most were indeed inhabited. There were ponies, griffins, minotaurs, zebra, cows, goats, and sheep, were going in and out of them. Discussions and even arguments could be heard from the windows that weren't covered.

Rarity stopped her observations as she felt Sweetie press against her, her previous wonder gone, an expression of worry and concern replacing it with a slight frown at the smell. "Ho-how can they live here? In this place?"

"They have nowhere else to go." The alabaster unicorn's answer was immediate, experience speaking before empathy keeping her voice level and adding the next sentence before she could stop herself. "Or they want to be here."

She mentally beat herself for that as saw her padawan's brow furrow in confusion. "Want to? What sane... Who would want tolive here?" At the last two words she made an almost frantic wave at the poverty around them as they continued to walk.

"Those who want to escape the law. Trust me when I say that there are many criminals, convicts, and fugitives who would gladly live here than in prison." Rarity stopped walking and turned to fully face Sweetie Belle, looking the filly right in the eyes and spoke clearly as the mentor in her took over. "There are places that the Republic can't reach. Places that anypony can run and hide to escape the Jedi and the Republic's law."

"Then why don't we go there and drag them back where they can face justice?"

It was a simple question, one that Rarity had ruminated on for years. It was the reason why she hadn't wanted to mention it. She knew her sister far too well for her to believe the filly would be fine with the answer she was about to say.

"Because to do so would require force, the kind that would make many powerful ponies very angry. Powerful enough to possibly start a war with the Republic." She began, the words feeling rehearsed and practiced in her mouth. "To start a war would go against the duty of the Jedi."

She had been given that answer by her master and it had been unsatisfying then as it felt now. Just as she suspected, Sweetie began looking at her like she spontaneously began speaking a different language. "But the duty of a Jedi is to uphold the law and protect the peace of the galaxy."

Rarity sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Sweetie unknowingly mirrored her words to the Jedi master's own those years ago when she herself was presented with that answer.

After a moment, she nodded, motioning for her padawan to follow so they could continue their way to the disturbances, this was not a conversation to have in the middle of the street. "That is true. The Jedi are meant to uphold the law and make sure those who break it are brought to justice." She began, slowly but confident as she began to find the right words. More confident than she felt about her traced-and-copied response she started with. " And, yes, we indeed are meant to protect the peace for those who cannot. To protect the freedom of the Republic and of it's citizens."

Sweetie's frown quickly faded as she spoke, taking in every word the elder unicorn said. As the words came to her easier, Rarity realized that what she was about to say would not make the Council happy if they ever heard it, despite it's truth. "But we are the guardians of the galaxy first and foremost. To protect all who are in this galaxy, be they enemy or ally. That means that some who break the law and escape to places like this get away. To start war, no matter how long or short, over one criminal is not a fair trade to the galaxy. One life for countless others is a price far too high for any Jedi to decide must be paid. Understand, padawan?"

Her sister nodded sagely, a firm look in her eyes telling the elder unicorn that every word had been comprehended. "Yes, Master."

With that, they continued and slowly the already sparse crowd thinned further and the buildings began to space themselves out more and more. Then it all stopped abruptly. A short plane of rubble, a few still standing walls marked where some structures had been. The paved street cut off to rudimentary cobblestone path ending at gate that led to a huge wall.

"Halt!"

Rarity and Sweetie paused in their approach as two figures, a male pegasus and a female zebra, exited the nearby guardhouse. By the pitch in the voice, the zerba was source of the command. "Who are you and what're you doing here?" She snapped, her blaster unholstered and at the ready.

Rarity raised her hands in a placating gesture as two more guards came into view. "We just need to go through the gate, if you please."

"You?! Go to Fragile Town?!" The zebra gave her a surprised look before laughing. "You won't last a second in there!"

The other guards heard the zebra and joined in with various levels of mirth. Rarity calmly waited for the zebra calm down. "Does that mean you'll let us by?"

The zebra shook her head and with obvious difficulty spoke. "No can do." She said between a few chuckles. "This gate don't open for anypony without paying the toll."

The Jedi stifled the groan of exasperation. Of course there would be a 'toll' in a place like this. If it wasn't for the fact she needed to get to the other side of the wall...

With a sigh, she reached into her pocket. "How much is-?"

Suddenly, the force pulsed, no, throbbed, it's emotional storm turning angry and very very dark. The change was so sudden and so violent that, while Rarity had only flinched, Sweetie Belle stumbled back and nearly tripped over her hooves as if she was pushed getting confused look from the assembled guards.

She quickly recovered and turned to her sister, eyes wide. "Wha-what was that?"

Rarity chewed her bottom lip, anxiety building as the storm was quieted as suddenly as it flared. She wasn't sure which was more troubling, the unexpected turn of the source to the dark side or the sudden diminishing of the power that followed.

"We don't have time for this." She hissed under her breath.

In one smooth motion, she drew her ornate lightfoil from under robes and activated it with a flick of her wrist. The appearance of the bright violet blade had the guards quickly backing away.

"By order of the Republic, you will open that gate." Rarity put a hard edge to her voice as she zeroed in on the zebra. "Now!"

Dinky was completely frozen with fear, the very air in the room became cold as Gavorn and the rainbow-maned Pegasus clad in black robes and black armor entered, the latter never taking her hard ruby eyes off her. “This her?” She asked, jabbing a thumb in Dinky’s direction.
“Aye.” The griffon answered with a nod, a frown on his face.

“P-p-please, Mister Gavorn, if this is about the…food you gave us,” Sparkler swallowed, trying to steady her voice. “If you’re, um, upset then we can return it.” The grey unicorn had never heard her sister so scared before in her life, not that she was in a better position. She looked to the griffon and saw nothing of the friendly face she had witnessed earlier that day. His expression was flat and his eyes were cold, not unlike the Pegasus he brought with him. Dinky couldn't help the sinking sensation that this was about something else. “We’ve only eaten a few of the carrots and…”

Her sister was cut off by a giggle. Dinky followed to noise to the pegasus, who quickly bent double as her giggle grew into hearty laugh. A sharp and mocking sound. Gavorn scowled, apparently un-amused by whatever the mare found funny. “Oh, this is rich. You think this is about something stupid like food?” Dinky, the feeling all but confirmed now, looked back to Sparkler to see the pink unicorn had gone quite pale, confusion crossing her face.

“It’s actually quite adorable,” she said as she finished laughing. "But, you're wrong." Before Dinky could even react, the pegasus stalked up to her and grabbed the back of her collar, yanking her off the floor to eye level. She could only make a choked yelp as her own clothes dug into her neck and she was forced to look into the mare’s eyes. They were happy, gleeful almost, but in that wrong way that reminded her of the sadists that inhabited Fragile Town. The ones who were almost too happy to cause pain at a moment’s notice. The kind who you crossed the street and into an alley to avoid. "We're here for you."

And all of it was focused at her. Dinky felt the urge to vomit come back a second time in just as many minutes.

“Wait!” Sparkler began, moving towards them only be brought up short by the distinctive sound of a charging blaster.

“I wouldn’t, Lass.”

Dinky could make out the shape of their mother’s own blaster pointed at her sister. Her attention was immediately brought back to the mare as she grabbed her chin, forcibly turning her head to the left and right. “Hmmm, good stock.” She mumbled. The last two words took the fear Dinky felt and amplified it.

She was being appraised. Like a thing. An item. Like she was to be…sold. And they were in the outer rim.

Sparkler must have overheard because her reaction was immediate and voice desperate. “Please. Don’t. I’ll do anything.”

Again, Dinky felt sick.

The grey unicorn felt her hooves drop back to the floor as the Pegasus rolled her eyes and released her, turning to the griffon slightly. “G, kill her. She’s getting irritating. Ain’t worth the trouble.”

The griffon's scowl got deeper and the blaster pointed at Sparkler lowered a bit. "We agreed to do this my way, Dash. We need both."

Now it was the pegasus named Dash's turn to frown. "We don't need both. We just need the grey one. Besides, she's annoying me and I outrank you. Kill her." She finished with a wave of her hand.

The unicorn felt her stomach drop, Gavorn’s frown twisted his scarred beak further but his arm still adjusted to fire at her sister.
In that moment, her mind drifted away as she felt a surge of…something?

It was slight.

Very small.

Very significant.

Suddenly, her mother’s lightsaber was in her hand as she launched herself forward right at the griffon, the SNAP-HISS as she pressed the button distant to her ears. She felt both in control and not, her body running on autopilot with the years of her mother's training and...something else guiding it, as the blue blade arched up and cleaved the blaster in two in a single swing.

It was clear that nopony had expected that. Least of all Dinky. Her desire to stop her sister's murder had manifested into something physical and once the CLINK of the blaster half fell to the floor, her body became her own again...somehow.

For a moment, no one spoke. No one moved beyond Gavorn's beak falling open slightly in shock, as he held the still-glowing remains of the blaster. Then slowly, as the shock washed away, Dinky felt something else. Anger. It started as a small spark but built into a inferno that boiled her very blood. Gavorn, what she thought was one of the few decent folk left in this damned town, was about to rob her of what family she had left without a second thought.

Right after telling her he was sorry about her mother, not even a few hours ago.

The worst part? He actually seemed to mean it. She felt her world come crashing down around her ears for what seemed like the third time that day.

She growled, her face turning into an expression of pure white hot rage and she swung with the full intent to follow through with it. The sound coming from her seemed to bring the griffon out of his stupor as he leapt back with a surprised squawk before he could be cleaved in two by her lightsaber.

"You FUCKING BASTARD!!!!" Her voice cracked as she roared, her anger partially giving way to betrayal. She swung again, more wildly this time and the lightsaber dug into the wall halting the blade from reaching the griffon's throat. Again he leapt back, stumbling over a spare droid part this time as he was less prepared for her follow up swing. "I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU." With nothing but tunnel vision for her sister's would-be executioner, she forced the blade forward and carved through the wall, forcing the griffon to dodge to the left to avoid getting sliced.

Before she could take another swing, Gavorn lashed out his arm and Dinky suddenly found herself across the room and seeing stars as her head smacked into the wall.

"Dinky!" She heard her sister scream. She heard hooves scraping across the floor and Sparkler's voice sounded much closer, a pair of hands holding her. "Dinky!"

As much as she wanted to tell her sister she was okay, Dinky realized she was going to need a few moments before she could respond. She let herself lie on the floor to wait for the room to stop spinning, blinked her eyes, and breathed out. Sparkler was above her, face the very definition of fear and worry.

"Where did you get that?"

She turned her head in the direction of the voice and saw the Pegasus nam looking down at her. Her eyes were no longer happy and her expression was unreadable.

Dinky felt the curved lightsaber still was in her grip and tried to stand up. She didn't get far . Dash waved her hand and Dinky found herself forced back down to the floor.

"Mom's..." she managed to say.

The pegasus' expression went from unreadable to shock to anger in a matter of seconds. "You're lying." She hissed, pulling an abnormally long tube from her side, that had been hidden in her armor until now. At least that's what Dinky thought it was before her thumb moved along it's side and a crimson beam of light extended from it's end. A lightsaber!

It buzzed a low dangerous hum as it moved through the air.

"Now, I'm going to ask again." The mare warned, leveling the weapon at her. Dinky could smell the ozone coming off of it and feel the heat singe her fur. "Where. Did. You. Get. That. Lightsaber?"

"It's..." Dinky faded as her mind scrambled to find the words and force her tongue to move. "It's my mother's."

Her answer did nothing for the pegasus, who's growl was the only warning that Dinky got before she yanked Sparkler away from her side.

"Let me go!" She screamed, trying to twist her way out of the Dash's grip. Her struggle was rewarded by a hard buck to the stomach from one of the pegasus' legs. As Sparkler went limp, Dinky tried to get up again, to go help her sister only for something to hit her in the chest hard enough to send her back into the wall.

"Now," The mare hissed, pulling Sparkler to her knees and pressing down on her upper back with one hand to keep her in place, the pink unicorn quietly sobbing the entire time. "I've got your sister presenting her neck for my lightsaber. You lie again and I'll cut off her head and make you eat it."

Dinky felt her body go numb as horror gripped her throat. She was telling the truth. There was no reason for her to lie. She met the gaze of the madmare holding a lightsaber above Sparkler's head and saw nothing but pure loathing aimed at her.

Dinky opened her mouth, only for a BEEP-BEEP noise to interrupt her. The noise wasn't missed by the mare, who's ears swiveled in the direction it came from.

"GRENADE!" Gavorn's voice bellowed.

What?!?

Dinky snapped her eyes shut as a loud BANG and a flash of light filled the workshop. Before she could even wonder at what just happened she heard a cry of surprise from what sounded like Dash's voice before she felt a hand yank her to the side and up to her hooves. She struggled against the pulling until her heard a voice she was far too happy to hear.

"Stop it." Time Turner mumbled as they ran for the door. Dinky opened her eyes to see, Sparkler was in the other's grip as they rushed out. "Run!" He bellowed as he let the both of them go, giving them a slight push as he ran behind them.

Neither Dinky nor Sparkler needed to be told twice.

Flashback #1: A Meeting Of The Minds

View Online

24 years ago
Planet: Crispin
Forward Base #26-Alpha
Seven years before the end of The Caribou Wars...

A thick fog filled the air, covering the swampland and forest in a white blanket that mixed with the blackness of night. Borne of a light breeze, the mist made it look as if the trees were breathing. From the ground, the dense forest was just a shape, a black indistinct curtain rather than individual trees, though if one looked close enough past the trees, they would be able to make out a large fort, guards both patrolling the tops of the walls and the ground below them, rifles laid tensely over their shoulders. The reason for it was clear. There was extensive damage done to the Permacrete buildings and the walls surrounding them. Even the sounds of the walls and barriers of the Republic base being rebuilt were subdued and quiet.

No animals scurried along the wet ground and nor did any animal cry out.

All was eerie, a half silence that was both deafening and tense all at once. The air of a coming battle.

"Shit." Private Rolling Thunder cursed as his hoof sunk into the mud for the fifth time during his patrol.

"What?!" The brown earthpony marching at his side immediately stopped and shouldered her weapon, aiming at the forest. "Is it them?" She hissed.

"Just more Devine's damned mud."

"Fuck." With a click the rifle powered down. "Don't fucking scare me like that man."

"Sorry, Polish." Thunder shook his head, moving to give his friend a comforting tap on the shoulder. "I didn't mean to..." He stopped as Crystal Polish jerked away from him with a growl, the cold fear projecting from her eyes making the unicorn's heart freeze for a moment.

The earth pony continued his march Thunder gave a heavy sigh and followed right after him. Polish had been like this since this Tartarus of a Military operation had started and was progressively getting worse. Caution turned into nervousness into paranoia, and she wasn't the only one. Everyone in the base was jumping at their own shadows, bags under their eyes from lack of sleep. Panic attacks and moments of psychosis were a bi-daily occurrence.

Hell, there was a betting exchange going on in the mess hall about who would break next.

And they were into their third week.

The worst part out of it all?

This could have been avoided if Admiral Long Sight hadn't tried to be a gloryhound. Thunder scowled at the thought of the stallion who's name was now attached to one of the worst defeats in this war so far.

"Sorry."

Thunder blinked, his attention taken from his thoughts to Crystal Polish. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry." She repeated, as they began to march to the other end of the wall. "I acted like asshole. Just was scared, ya know? Shit is fucked."

The unicorn shrugged in agreement. "I probably would've done the same. As long as you don't call me a Sight, I'll be just fine."

Nopony in the rank and file knew the whole story about what had happened up there. Only that when the enemy had shown up on their doorstep demanding surrender and 24 hours to decide Sight opened fire on them without consulting anypony on the matter. It had been such a breach of protocol that Thunder hadn't believed it if it wasn't for the fact that he had been in the command room with his captain at the time.

These Caribou will not take another planet, Long Sight had said over the coms before opening fire. Against the whishes of all assembled. We will hold the line here.

Yeah, hold the line against two Star Destroyer capital ships with a measly five corvettes and a frigate. Crispin wasn't even that important in the scheme of things compared to the other's in the system.

Idiot. What a fucking idiot. Given more than enough time to plan some kind of strategy or a full retreat and he wasted every ship they had in some glorified suicide run.

They lost their slight air superiority, ability to retreat, and in one fell swoop. Not to mention the fact communications had been cut, not only from the planet but to the other bases on the surface as well as destroying the planet's only radar station before bombarding them and possibly the other bases, leaving them deaf and blind.

It was suffice to say that not a soldier in the fort that didn't curse Long Sight's name. Hell, it was becoming a insult here at the fort.

Hey, don't drop that! What are you, a long sight?

What are you? A soldier or a long sight?

Polish chuckled. "Not unless you really fuck up." They about-faced to march back along the wall, silence taking over the air before the earth pony spoke again. "Think the techies got through tonight?"

Again, Thunder shrugged. "Probably not. We would've heard by now." He was sure about that. Ever since the first day, General Mellow Step had every technician and engineer could be spared from working on the walls and essential duties to jury-rig the local network back up and running. The hope that somepony, somewhere was still out there. No one knew what was happening to the other bases. The smaller ones were probably destroyed in the initial bombing but the larger ones could still be holding out like them.

Right?

They couldn't be the last ones or the Caribou would have stormed them all by now.

Polish nodded. "Let's pray they do soon." She said and Thunder didn't miss the tremor in her voice when the next words came out of her mouth before fading. Nor did he miss the way she curled in on herself as they marched. "I don't know what I'll do if they come b-but I can't let them..."

Thunder felt his stomach shift uncomfortably, suddenly and very acutely aware that his best friend was a mare. Not that he had forgotten, just that they had been friends so long that he never saw her as a mare. She was a soldier, a comrade, a friend even before they had put on the armor, but now...

They all heard the stories of the Caribou's no quarter policy when it came to battle. The common tales of cruelty that rescued soldiers or the lucky refugees back on Canterlot told of. The instant execution of leaders followed by brutal to the point of savage punishments for anyone who resisted. It was the kind of stuff that would turn even the strongest minotaur white.

But of all the stories the unicorn had heard there was one common theme out of all of them. The females of any species under their thumb got it the worst.

Raping, beatings, slavery of sexual and nonsexual kind, and that was just to the civilians. What they did to the female soldiers...Divines, save him.

Save Crystal Polish.

Save them all.

The dull navy unicorn wasn't sure if he shivered because of the gob of mud that worked it's way down the inside of his boot or what his friend was implying. He was tempted to kick his hoof against the wall before the wet sludge got inside his boots, but his instinct fought against it.

He gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting but tense, ready to snatch it back just in case. She jumped a little but didn't shy away from him. She didn't look at him either.

"I swear, I won't let anything happen to you." He said, squeezing her shoulder and giving her the best reassuring smile he could manage. The earth pony didn't look all too convinced but gave a slight smile in return.

"Okay. I'll hold you to that." Polish adjusted the rifle on her shoulder, gaze turning to the forest. "Plus, they would have to be insane to come from this side."

"Yep." Thunder agreed, pulling a little bit ahead of her so he could get a better look around at the rugged terrain that was their advantage.

26-Alpha was built in the most extreme change of terrain on Crispin. It was surrounded by thick forest-like swamp which immediately cleared after a certain distance from the base which also was a uphill climb to the walls.

Their station, the east wall, was the one with the most damage. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the huge chunk blown from it in the first bombardment would make tempting target for the Caribou. Hell, it was facing where the forest was the thickest. However, right before the wall was a long uphill climb from the dense forest beyond where there was nothing but the longest stretch of open muddy ground. A good hundred yards of it. It would give time for the rest of the base to rain fire down on them, with no difficulty whatsoever.

It would be a killing ground.

Polish chucked, sounding just a little bit more confident as she spoke. "I mean, what kind of crazy commander would be stupid enough to charge a well fortified uphill ba-HUK!"

At first Thunder thought earth pony had coughed. The weather had been miserable on Crispin lately and colds were common. He had been standing slightly ahead of her when she made the noise too. As he turned to face her the wind changed to blow in his direction bringing with it the smell of burning flesh and ozone and then...

Then the world stopped.

Polish's smile hadn't left her face, even though the upper quarter of it was missing and her remaining eye seemed to stare into his very soul, pleading for help yet looking at peace. Rolling Thunder knew he would wonder for the rest of his days if that was the moment she realized she was dying. Slowly, the world began moving again. Her whole body swayed, knees bulking and halting for a moment as if she was trying to correct her balance after stumbling.

Then she crumpled and Thunder lunged to catch her, her name strangled on the way out his mouth. He knew she was dead. She would have dead if she hit the ground regardless but...

He staggered, his arms unprepared for her weight but he refused to drop her. Her head lolled to the side with the jarring and what wasn't burnt in place fell out.

As if her brain hitting the sodden ground was some kind of grisly cue, battle cries filled the air. The unicorn's eyes shot to the forest as caribou came charging out.

He had never seen the Republic's number one enemy until today and they were about as monstrous as the stories told. Every single body he could make out was tall. No less than six feet at a minimum and their monstrous antlers added to their considerable height. Not even the distance of a hundred yards seemed to make them appear shorter as they flooded up the hill en masse, weapons ready.

It took the sight weaponry to pull Thunder out of his stupor, and her drew the flare gun from his side, aimed up, and pulled the trigger. The darkness gave way to an angry red glow, and as Thunder shouldered his rifle, the huge charging mass became individuals.

Without hesitating, he fired at the first one that was in front of his rifle. The bolt flew and struck the center mass, knocking him right off his cloven hooves. He took aim again, not even dodging as a green bolt whizzed within inches of his cheek, getting the next one right between his eyes.

By now the alarm was raised, floodlights on the walls above lit up the hill like the sun and gave the other guards something to shoot at. Blinded and distracted, the caribou now aimed at the walls, trying to shoot out the lights and gave Thunder his chance to scoop up Polish, who felt considerably lighter now, and get into the base.

He ran as fast as he could, sprinting along the wall and around the corner, stumbling as a green flash scorched the duracrete where his head had been.

It wasn't until her got into the walls did her recognize that an armor plate on his shoulder had been shot off.

Jedi: Sins Of The Mother

by Logic Flip

Prologue: Dark Horse

Simple Gifts Can Be Taken Away

Forgive Me For Failing You

New Faces, New Problems

The First Step

Flashback #1: A Meeting Of The Minds