> Commander Thorn in Equestria.
>  by SolidArc5542
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"After making a deal with Count Dooku to resuscitate the ailing Banking Clan, Clovis finds himself a pawn in Dooku's designs. Clovis has brought the war to Scipio, forcing the Republic to intervene."



--------------


Senator Amidala had been sent on a political mission to negotiate with the Banking Clan, she had entered the neutral zone, meaning that no soldier, Republic nor Seperatist,was allowed to enter.

This meant that Clone Commander Thorn and his squad had to wait on the landing platform until negotiations were over.

Nobody expected that something like this would happen.


-------------


"When this mission is over; I'm buying drinks for everyone." Commander Thorn announced.

"Yeah! Weeho!" The clones in the Republic frigate shouted with joy and happiness.

'My men truly are my brothers; I see them as more than just 'clones', I see them as men. Men who can feel pain, sorrow, sadness.. Too bad the Kaminoans took almost every emotion from us. But blast that, this mission is what's really annoying.This is one of those missions you don't want to do, but when you know nothing bad will happen it'll get--.'

"Commander you better take a look at this." A shock trooper said, snapping Commander Thorn out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What is it." The Commander asked while walking over to monitor the solder's holo panel.

"It looks like an invasion force sir." The shock trooper said.

'I knew those clankers couldn't be trusted.' Commander Thorn thought, looking at a Shock trooper that stood beside him. "We're caught out here in the open." Commander Thorn said while running out of the frigate. Two of his shock troopers followed him. The landing pad was full of clones (around 40 or more) at least eight gunships were stationed on the landing pad, as well as the Republic frigate.

"Get the men off this platform, and beyond the city gates!" Commander Thorn ordered.

The troopers nodded in response and started running for the gates.

'I need to warn senator Amidala ASAP!' Commander Thorn thought while activating his commlink. 

Senator Amidala looked out of the balcony of her temporary chambers. Sighing to herself as she thought about her husband. She was, unfortunately, snapped out of her thoughts, when a familiar sound rung in her ears.

"Senator Amidala, come in please." She heard Commander Thorn say over her commlink. She walked towards her commlink and picked it up. "What is it Commander Thorn?"

"We're under attack by the Seperatist garrison, looks to be a full invasion." Commander Thorn replied.

"Invasion?!" Senator Amidala asked, shocked.

"We can't get to you; I suggest you get to a ship as soon as you can." Commander Thorn ordered.

Senator Amidala turned off her commlink and prepared to leave.


-----------------


Three Hyena bombers came out of the atmosphere and bombed the frigate, which Commander Thorn and his men were using as a temporary base, destroying it immediately.

"Gaaaah! Aaaaah!" The shock troopers on board of the frigate screamed, while the frigate fell to the lower part of the planet.

'This is not going to end well.' Commander Thorn thought while shooting at the Hyena bombers with his Z6 rotary blaster cannon.

Two shock troopers aimed their rocket launchers at the Hyena bombers and destroyed them, one bomber crashed into one of the gunships, while the other crashed on the surface of the platform.

Gunships were preparing to leave, they didn't get far, Vulture droids and droid gunships descended from the atmosphere and shot down all off the gunships. There was only one way out, and that was to get behind that gate.

"Raah!" Commander Thorn shouted in frustration. "Let's move!"

All of the Clones began to running towards the city gate, they were almost there until two droid gunships flew in front of them and blocked their path. Troopers began shooting at it, but it was to no avail. Super battle droids and commando droids were deployed onto the platform. Commander Thorn took one final glance at the troopers that were trying to catch up to him and the other shock troopers; a droid gunship came from behind and killed all of them. The gunship then lowered itself and deployed even more super battle droids.

Soon all of the clones were surrounded; they stood back to back and tried their best to blast as many droids as possible. "Come on men! We can do this!" One of the shock troopers shouted, but was quickly silenced by a blaster shot to the chest.

'It can't end this way.' Commander Thorn thought while blasting a super battle droid.

A shock trooper shot a super battle droid; but didn't see the commando droid coming, and before he even saw it coming; the commando droid's vibro blade struck him down, leaving just Thorn and one other shock trooper as the last clones still alive.

Eventually the shock trooper was shot in his side and fell dead on the ground.

Thorn was now the last man standing. He started firing his gun, spinning around in different directions to shoot as many of the droids as possible. A droid got in a lucky shot and hit Thorn in his side. "Gaah!" Thorn grunted. That shot didn't stop him. These clankers weren't going to stop him!

He fought back the pain and started to use his cannon as a 'hammer' he first knocked a commando droid right off its feet, he proceeded to do the same to two others. He readied himself and shot two more commando droids, he then proceeded to use his 'hammer' to knock out two more commando droids and a super battle droid.

"For the Republic!" Commander Thorn shouted while blasting as many droids as possible, he held his blaster cannon so close to a super battle droid that it only took two shots to take it down. Thorn was about to turn around and blast the rest of these clankers until he was shot in his chest.

'No.'

Some sort of muscle spasm occurred, because Thorn's arm shot up and he aimed his cannon at the sky; and shot a few blaster rounds.

Another shot was fired, hitting him directly in his chest. 'Is this really how it ends?' Commander Thorn thought, falling on his knees.

The droids surrounded him in a circle; they were ready to kill him.

He looked at the commando droid until it fired another shot; hitting him directly in his chest again. 'This is it.' Commander Thorn thought as his vision began to fade.

The last thing Commander Thorn heard, was a plasma shot from a E-5 droid blaster.

Commander Thorn fell dead on the ground, four blaster holes in his chest plate and one in his side.

The droids stood at attention, as a Seperatist shuttle landed on the platform. Count Dooku came out of the shuttle; he started to walk towards the city gates. He looked around and saw the carnage of all the dead clones. Mentally he smiled, but he kept a straight face. He walked over to the spot were Thorn had died; and used the force to push Thorn's body aside.

He walked to the city gates, several of his droids followed him.

The battle of Scipio didn't last long, soon Anakin Skywalker and the 501st landed on Scipio and rescued senator Amidala from the Separatists.

With the battle of Scipio at an end, the 501st clone troopers were busy cleaning up the 'mess'. They honored their fallen brothers and put all of the remains into gunships.

"Captain Rex Sir?" One of the 501st clone troopers said.

"What is it trooper?" Captain Rex asked.

"We have cleaned up all of the remaining bodies and are ready to leave." The clone replied.

"Very good, let's give Commander Thorn and his men a proper burial." Captain Rex said with a saddened tone.

Anakin looked at his Captain and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Soon Rex, soon this war is gonna end." Anakin said.

"I know sir, but me and Thorn go way back, he was my best friend during combat training on Kamino." Rex said.

"Then let's give him the burial every fallen clone should receive." Anakin said.

Rex saluted his general. "Yes sir!"

Anakin chuckled as he patted Rex's shoulder pad. "Let's go Captain." Anakin said while walking towards the gunship.

Captain Rex took one final look at the landing platform. 'I'll never forget you Thorn; you died like a true hero.' Rex thought while turning around and walking towards the gunship.

'Died, died, died.' Those words echoed inside Rex's head. 'Eventually all of us will die.' Rex thought. He stepped into the gunship as they took off, already prepared for the next battle.


--------------


"What do you mean you couldn't find his body?" Rex asked the clone in front of him confused.

"We couldn't find his body sir; we looked everywhere but to no avail." The clone replied.

"Blast!" Captain Rex shouted.

"We could turn the ship around and--."

"No, no." Rex said while rubbing the back of his head. "Just give me some time alone." Captain Rex replied, sighing as he looked down at the floor of his quarters.

The clone saluted to his Commander. "Yes sir!"

The clone did as he was told and left the Captain alone in his quarters.

"What happened down there Thorn? I can't believe those clankers got you." Rex said while looking at the endless space that laid out in front of him. 

A single tear made its way down Rex's cheek.

Rex quickly wiped away the tear and stood straight, he pulled up his arm and saluted. "This one's for you brother." Rex said while staring of into the blackness of space.


-------------


Location: Equestria.

Current location: Canterlot castle.

Weapon status: Z6 rotary blaster cannon fully operational, DC15 dual blaster pistols fully operational.

Explosives: four Thermal Detonators, two Electronics Counter Detonators, two Sonic Detonators.

Armor status: Fully operational, no damage.

Status CC-4254: Alive. 


****


A strange creature lay face down on the ground in an alleyway of the beautiful city of Canterlot. The city was beautiful, until the Changelings began their attack.

"Mommy help me!" A young Pegasus filly screamed while running away from the Changelings that were chasing her.

"Leave her alone!" The mother shouted. The mare and her daughter thought it was a good idea to hide in one of the alleyways of Canterlot, they were wrong. The Pegasus mother tried to get to her daughter until she was blasted by a green shot of magic. 

"Grab her, and bring her to me!" A Changeling ordered. "Yes sir!" The other two replied while grabbing the young filly by her mane. They roughly dragged her over to her mother and threw her in front of her.

The mother quickly grabbed the filly and held her close.

"Mommy I-I'm scared." The filly said while tears started to form in her eyes.

"Shhhh its OK, everything will be OK." The mother said, trying to calm her daughter.

"What do we do with them sir?" A Changeling asked his sergeant.

"We are going to have some fun with these two." The Changeling replied while he walked over to the mother and her filly. "Ready for a second child? The sergeant asked seductively.

"P-Please don't hurt us." The mother pleaded.

"Hurt you? Oh no I am going to make you suffer." The sergeant replied while grabbing the mother by her mane and dragging her into the middle of the street. "Let's see what you can do to pleasure Changelings like us." The sergeant said while lifting the mare up with his magic. 

"No p-please don't." The mare begged between tears.

"Mommy!" The filly screamed in horror.

"Bend over so I can--." 

The sergeant was interrupted mid-sentence, by  loud noise that could be heard from behind him. The sergeant looked at his chest and saw a hole in it, like something had burned through it.

"What in bucks na--."

The sergeant couldn't even finish his sentence; he dropped the mare out of his magic grasp and fell to the ground.

The other four Changelings quickly ran over to their fallen sergeant. "Sergeant are you alright?! One of the Changelings asked while shaking the sergeant.

"H-He's bucking dead." One of the Changelings said in horror.

"Who did this!?" One of the Changelings shouted. He looked at the little filly before running towards her. He used his magic to grab the filly by her throat. He lifted her up high in the air. "What did you do!?" The Changeling asked furiously.

"Step away from the youngling; if you don't, then I'll add some more holes to your bodies than there already are now." A low masculine voice suddenly said.

The Changeling turned around. "Who do you think you are?" The Changeling asked while looking at the faint shadow of a bipedal creature.

"CC-4254, but you can call me." The creature said while walking out of the shadow, thus exposing itself. "Thorn."

The Changelings looked at the creature in front of them, it suddenly raised a big thing it  was holding in its appendages, it took some sort of battle stance and spoke up.

"Step away from the youngling and her mother or I will not hesitate to blast you."

"....Changelings attack!" The Changeling ordered. The four remaining Changelings started running towards Thorn. Thorn readied his Z7 rotary blaster cannon, it began spinning faster and faster.

Commander Thorn sighed as he aimed his cannon at the Changelings. "Blasting you creatures it is then."


> Mess with Thorn........
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Someday this war is gonna end."

" But we're soldiers, what happens to us then?"

ARC trooper Fives talking with Captain Rex after the battle of Umbara.



-----------------------


"Blasting you creatures it is then." Thorn said, readying his cannon, shooting at all the Changelings as they tried to dodge the hail of laser but it was to no avail. Thorn and his Z6 rotary blaster cannon followed their every move and mowed them down with ease.

A Changeling was hit in his right wing and winced in agony. "He got me! He's-- Aaaaah!" The Changeling was silenced as multiple blaster rounds 
pierced its body, leaving smoking holes. The other Changelings stopped in their tracks looking at the scene in horror. Commander Thorn took a step forward and spoke up.

"I don't know what you creatures are, but you are attacking innocent civilians; and in my book that is not how you treat civilians." Commander Thorn said while walking towards the Frightened Changelings. "You can either turn around and walk away, or you'll share the same fate as him." Commander Thorn said while kicking the body of the dead Changeling towards them. He readied his canon and fired a few warning shots into the body. "I am giving you one final warning, MOVE AWAY FROM THE YOUNGLING AND HER MOTHER NOW!"

"KILL HIM!" The Changelings screamed in union.

The Changelings ran towards the Commander firing bolts of magic at him. Thorn just rolled aside dodging the incoming bolts, quickly Thorn got up and took a defensive stance firing his cannon.

The Z6 rotary blaster cannon is known for it's brute force and incredible power. It can shoot over 166 discrete full-powered blaster shots per second. 

The Changelings getting to experience this first hand.  They were all shot dead; they all had several extra holes in their bodies thanks to 
Thorn adding them with his powerful weapon.

(Kaminoan description of the Z-6 rotary blaster cannon.)

The Z-6 rotary blaster cannon is a heavy weapon that fired a massive spray of blaster bolts at a target. It was similar to a heavy repeating blaster, except it did not require a tripod to operate and thus could be carried by a single heavy weapons specialist. The Z-6 was large and rather unwieldy, requiring more training to use effectively than the normal standard issue blasters.

Working around the basic limitations in capability, inherent to typical man-portable blaster weapons, the Z-6 incorporated a rotary assembly of six barrels, each with its own actuating chamber, wrapped around a coolant-lined core. The Galven circuitry used in the blaster meant that the Z-6 had both a high cyclic discharge rate and good cooling, allowing for a tremendous sustained rate of fire (up to roughly 166 discrete full-powered shots per second).

The Z6 started to spin slower and slower until it was fully cooled down, Thorn lowered the weapon inspecting the carnage of all the dead 

Changelings. There were several Changelings that were missing limbs, blood was now starting to ooz out of their many wounds. 'I warned them' Commander Thorn thought while walking towards the mare that was almost abused by the Changelings.

"Ma'am are you alright?" Commander Thorn asked while getting on his knees to inspect her.

It was a creature that walked on four legs, it had these big eyes, her fur color was green and she had some sort of mark on her rear. 'What are these creatures? I've never heard, or read about them in any of the Republic data banks.' Thorn wasn't surprised to see alien life, he has served under many alien Jedi generals such as: Kit Fisto, and even master Yoda one time. Plus, he's been on a lot of planets in the outerrim.

"Are you alright?" Thorn asked while holding out his hand to help the small creature up.

"What are you and why did you kill those Changelings?!" The mother asked while starting to move away from the strange creature in front of her.

"I had to, or else they would have killed you, ma’am." Thorn replied.

The mother looked at the creature in front of her, its skin appeared to be almost completely white, it had some red markings on its face and in random places on the rest of its body. It also appeared to be wearing some sort of cloth, and it held a strange device in one of its appendages

"What are you?" Thorn asked curiously.

"What are you?" The mother replied.

"I’m a Human, Clone Commander, designation: CC-4254, but you can call me Commander Thorn." Thorn replied.

"Commander? Are you part of the royal guard?" The mother asked.

"I am not part of this royal guard ma’am, I am one out of millions of clones that serve in The Grand Army of The Republic." Thorn replied.

"Republi--."

"Look out!" Thorn shouted while jumping in front of the mother and her daughter. A green bolt of magic hit Thorn straight in the chest.. It didn't even scrap his armor.

"Changelings, attack that thing!" One of the Changelings ordered. Soon, six more Changelings arrived and flew in front of Thorn.

"No more negotiations, let's get straight to my favorite part: Blasting!" Thorn readied his Z6, it began spinning faster and faster until a hailstorm of blue lasers came out of it. The Changelings created a shield barrier that they thought would protect them. The lasers shot straight through it; killing all of the Changelings.

All of the Changelings dropped dead onto the hardened concrete. The mother and her daughter looked at the scene in horror

'Are these things even trying to stop me?' Thorn thought while turning around to face Cloudskipper and her daughter. They were looking at him in horror. 'Poor things must not be used to death or any kind of violence for that matter.' Thorn thought while walking towards them.

"M-Murderer, you killed them." The mother managed to say.

"It was either you or them, I chose them." Thorn replied.

"Leave us alone!" The mother pleaded.

"Please don't hurt my mommy." The young filly pleaded.

'Hurt them? Why would I try to hurt them?' Thorn thought to himself. 'Think Thorn! You've been in this position a lot of times! Follow the blasted protocol!'

Protocol says:

1. If you are on an unknown planet with sentient beings, ask them if they have an allegiance with the Republic.

2. If protocol one is a no go; ask them if they have any sort of communications for you to use, in order to contact either your commanding officer, or the Republic itself.

3. If they are in an allegiance with the Separatists: Shoot to kill, or try and negotiate. The choice is yours.

4. When there is any sort of war, conflict or rebellion, only interfere when truly necessary. But try not to start a war for yourself, only help the innocent.

5. Stay alive.

Well I've done the first and last protocol and tried number 2, but I'm not sure about number 3 and 4 though.

"Ma’am I suggest you get into one of those buildings until this situation has been dealt with by the local authorities." Thorn said.

"Local authorities? Heh, you don’t get it do you?" The mother said while covering her daughters ears. "The royal guards are all captured, we have lost; Canterlot is lost.

"Canterlot? Is that where we are now?" Commander Thorn asked.

"Yes, but if you don’t mind, I need to take my daughter to safety." The mother said while running towards one of the buildings. "Oh, and thank you for saving us." The mother said with slight hesitation.

"Just doing my job ma’am." Thorn replied. 'Blast I forgot to ask her the most important thing!'

"Hey wait!" Commander Thorn shouted.

The mother led her filly inside and spoke up. "What is it?" The mother asked slightly surprised and scared.

"Is there some sort of leader I could talk to?" Commander Thorn asked.

"Well, there are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, oh, and of course Princess Cadence." The mother replied. "But they are up…..There." The mother said while pointing her hoof at something.

Commander Thorn turned around and saw some sort of castle; it was surrounded by more of the Changelings as the creature in front of him had called them. 'Blast! This must be a full on invasion!' Commander Thorn thought while running towards his Z6 and picking it up. "Ma’am stay inside and do not come out; am I understood?" Commander Thorn asked.

"Yes mister." The mother replied before closing the door and locking it.

'Well, time to interfere with a ‘conflict’ I guess.' Commander Thorn thought while sprinting towards the castle. Invasion, invasion, invasion. That same word echoed in Thorn’s mind. 'Wait!' Thorn mentally shouted. He stopped in his tracks and activated his commlink, but only received static and a muffled voice. 'Blast! I remember now! I.. Died.' Thorn thought while looking down at his chest. 'Five shots if I remember correctly.' Thorn thought while looking at his chest plate, it looked like it wasn't even damaged by any blaster bolts.

"How can this be possible? I died, I’m sure of it, I remember the entire battle..."



'I can’t believe I somehow managed to survive that. But how did I survive, and why am I on this planet?' Thorn thought while looking at his Z6. He tightened his grip around the weapon and readied himself. 'I hope these creatures have some sort of communication device; I could use to contact 
The Republic.'

"For the Republic!" Those words echoed in his mind. 'Heh, if I’m really dead, would this the afterlife?' Commander Thorn thought while looking at the castle. He smirked underneath his helmet. 'Well, I guess it’s time to find out!' Commander Thorn thought while sprinting towards the castle.


-------------


Location: Equestria

Current location: Almost near Canterlot castle

Weapon status: Z6 rotary blaster cannon fully operational, DC15 dual blaster pistols fully operational.

Explosives: 4 Thermal Detonators, 2 Electronics Counter Detonators, 2 Sonic Detonators.

Armor status: Fully operational, no damage.

Status CC-4254: Alive.

"This city is bigger than I thought." Thorn said while running towards the entrance of the castle. On his way to the castle he had killed more Changelings and even managed to free a few royal guards in the process. Not that any of the guards thanked him for it, they just fainted on the spot.

Thorn looked at the stairs that led to the castle entrance. Alright let’s take this slow and careful. Thorn thought while walking up the stairs. He quickly got down onto his knees and activated his visors infra-red mode. "Aha, what do we have here?" Commander Thorn whispered. There were at least two dozen of those Changelings guarding the castle entrance.

"Who says a girl can’t really have it all." Thorn heard someone.. Sing?

'What in blaze's name was that?' Thorn thought while looking up at the castle, what he saw was something he wished he'd never have to see again.



'What in Jabba the Hut's palace is that? She looks like a....Wait! She looks like one of those Changelings, but different. Could she be their leader? Hmm, I’ve taken out two Separatist leaders, I guess I’ll count her as one too.' Thorn thought while getting on his feet.

'Time to introduce them to ‘Hammer’.' Thorn thought while slowly making his way up the stairs. They’ll never see me coming, they were too busy chanting to their queen and already celebrating their victory. 'Hmpf, rookies.' Thorn thought while readying his Z6.

"We won we actually wo-- What is that?!" One of the Changelings asked.

"What is what?" Another Changeling asked.

"That!" The Changeling replied while pointing it’s hoof at Thorn.

All of the Changelings gasped in shock as they fixed their eyes on Thorn.

Thorn readied himself getting into an attack stance.



'This is normally something I'd expect Rex to do, but protocol says to help the innocent as long as I don’t cause a war, and I’m not causing a war…. Yet.' Thorn thought as he looked down at his Z6.

"What is that thing?" A random Changeling asked.

"I don’t know; hey freak! Yeah I’m talking to you!" One of the Changelings shouted.

"What is it?" Thorn asked in response, his Z6 rotary blaster cannon already rotating. 'One wrong move, and you're all dead.' Thorn thought while tightening his grip on the grips of his Z6 and placing his index finger on the trigger.

"What are you doing here in Canterlot?! State your business or be destroyed!" The Changeling ordered.

"My name is CC-4254, and what is your business here?" Thorn asked.

"That is none of your concern creature! Turn around at once, and we might let you live." The Changeling replied.

"You are threatening a soldier of The Grand Army of The Republic; just know what you are getting yourselves into." Thorn said while aiming his Z6 at the Challenges. "Surrender or you will be met with force." Thorn said; trying to negotiate with these things one last time.

One Changeling came flying towards Thorn. "You don’t order us around! Changelings atta--."

The Changeling was cut off by multiple blaster rounds, ripping through his skin and burning its internal organs. The Changeling fell dead onto the ground; leaving the others stare at him in shock.

"What did it do?!" One of the Changelings asked.

"I-It killed h-him." Another Changeling replied.

"Kill it!" One of the Changelings ordered.

All of the Changeling readied their magic and firing green  bolts out of their horns at Thorn. 'Let’s see if this goes as well; as last time.' Thorn thought while standing his ground. He let all of the magic bolts hit him; a giant cloud of smoke covered the area that Thorn was standing in.

"Ha, that stupid thing didn’t even try and dodge our attacks! Ha, what a lose--."

Suddenly, blue streaks of lasers started pouring out from the smoke, killing all of the remaining Changelings. Some Changelings had tried to dodge, but the lasers followed their every move. Thorn let none of them live.

'This almost takes the fun out of winning.. Almost.' Thorn thought while releasing the trigger and walking out of the cloud of smoke. He looked at the bodies of all the Changelings.

"What a-are y-you?" A severely injured Changeling asked.

"Like I said: I am a soldier of, The Grand Army of The Republic, and I gave you a chance to surrender. You should have taken it." Commander Thorn said while walking past the Changeling.

The Changeling could only think of one thing, when he saw the creature that had just killed twenty four of his brothers. 'We are lost.' And with that his vision faded.


****


"Aaah." Queen Chrysalis winced in pain. 'Why does it feel like every minute, a piece of me is dying?' Chrysalis thought. Chrysalis had seen enough of these ponies.

Instead of staying on the balcony, she walked inside; just in time to see Twilight trying to free Cadence.

"What do you think you are doing"? Chrysalis asked while using her magic to lift Twilight up.

"I was just ehm trying to free Cadence that’s all." Twilight replied with a cheeky smile.

"Come to me my subjects." Chrysalis commanded.

Suddenly, ten Changelings came flying into the wedding room.

"What is it my queen?" One of her subjects asked.

"Aaaah could you please." Chrysalis trailed off.

"What is the matter your majesty?" The Changeling asked.

"A little headache that’s all." Chrysalis said while rubbing her head. "Sergeant, take your men and see if there are any guards inside of the castle." Chrysalis ordered.

"But my queen; we already scouted the entire castle twice I do not think that--."

"DO IT NOW! THAT IS AN ORDER!" Chrysalis shouted.

"Y-Yes your majesty." The Changeling replied. "You heard the queen, move out!" The sergeant ordered. The doors of the palace opened as six of the Changelings flew out of the room, leaving Chrysalis with only four Changelings as guards.

"Now as for you two." Chrysalis said while giving Princess Cadence and Shining Armor a mischievous glare. "I'm going to make the two of you suffer."

"I will not let you hurt them!" Twilight shouted.

"And what are you going to do about it, I defeated Celestia. What makes you think I can’t defeat you?" Chrysalis asked mockingly.

"I-I can--."

"You can sit and watch how my Changelings conquer all of Equestria! Hahahaha." Chrysalis interrupted while laughing manically.

"Twilight don’t!" Cadence pleaded.

"Silence!" Chrysalis shouted. "Come now Shining Armor." Chrysalis said while using her mind control spell to make Shining Armor walk over to her. 

"I wouldn’t want my husband to miss out on all the fun now would-- AAAH WHY AM I HAVING THIS DREADFUL HEADACHE?! Chrysalis shouted in agony.

"What's wrong 'queen'? Can’t handle the pressure?" Rainbow Dash asked mockingly.

"Silence! You two go and find those six others I just sent to explore the castle." Chrysalis ordered.

"Yes your majesty!" The Changelings responded.

"Now back to the matter at hoof." Chrysalis said while walking towards Cadence. "How does it feel to lose everything you have ever cared about?" 

Chrysalis asked with a dark tone.

"I-It f-feels…."

"It feels what?" Chrysalis asked mockingly.

"It feels--."

"Gaah!"

"Look out!"  

"What is that thing!?" 

"Kill it!"

There where screams of terror as all of the ponies and Changelings listened to what was going on just outside of the wedding hall.

"What is going on out there?" Chrysalis asked.

"I do not know your majesty." A Changeling grunt replied.

Suddenly the screaming died down, the only thing that could be heard were faint hoof steps.

With every step taken by whatever stood on the other side of that door; Chrysalis flinched a little. Whatever stood behind those doors had just taken down eight of her Changeling subjects.

Suddenly, a knock could be heard from behind the door.

"This is Clone Commander CC-4254, open this door now or I will blast my way through."

> .......You'll end up dead
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
"ARC-5555 stand down."

"Sir, yes sir."

General Krell threatening ARC trooper Fives, after Fives spoke out against him.



----------------


Blasting the doors of the castle open with a Termonal detonator, Commander Thorn walked through the now smoking wreckage readying his Z6.

'There aren't many of these 'Changelings' around, could it be that they're too focused on taking the city first?' Thorn thought while walking up a set of stairs. 'Either way, these things are no match for me and 'Hammer', but I wonder in which part of the Outer Rim I am in.'

"Quickly! I heard an explosion coming from the front entrance." Thorn heard someone shout.

'Must be their reinforcements, not that I'm going to have any trouble with them.' Thorn thought while sprinting toward the voices. 'I might be part of The Corusant elite guard; but I know how to handle situations like this. Just like protocol tells you,

First: look what you are up against.

Second: If the enemy is stronger than you; retreat and wait for reinforcements.

Third: If an enemy is weaker or less skilled than you; shoot to kill or either make them surrender. The choice is yours.

Fourth: Never kill an organic enemy that is willing to surrender. Battle droids do not count in this protocol.

Fifth: Take down the enemy as fast as you can, use your training to your advantage.

Sixth: Stay alive.

Let's see if I can follow this protocol correctly.' Thorn thought while powering up his Z6.

"Quick, get down there!" A Changeling ordered.

Thorn ran up another set of stairs until he reached some kind of hallway, at the end of the hallway were two giant doors.

'That's gonna be a long sprint towards those doors.' Thorn thought while activating his infra-red vision. "Aha! I see you." Thorn whispered. Behind the giant doors he made out at least thirteen heat signatures.

'That must be their command center.' Thorn thought while turning of his infra-red vision and aiming his cannon at the Changelings that were guarding the doors.

"What is that thing?!" One of the Changelings shouted.

"I don't know." Another replied.

'Fourteen.' Thorn thought while counting the Changelings in front of him. 'Let's try negotiating one more time.'

"Out of my way! I am giving you one chance to surrender!" Thorn shouted.

"Changelings attack!" The leader shouted.

All of the Changelings flew towards Thorn, firing magic bolts at him. Thorn rolled out of the way, quickly getting up, he took a defensive stance and fired his cannon.

Thorn walked towards the doors while holding down the trigger of his Z6, killing the majority of the Changelings that were guarding them.

The remaning Changelings tried to fly away, but Thorn quickly ended their lives before they could get reinforcements. Thorn's cannon stopped spinning until it was fully cooled down. Thorn looked at the carnage he had created. 'Whoops forgot to negotiate.' Thorn thought while walking towards the door, his cannon still aimed at them in case any more Changelings tried to come out to attack him.

Suddenly the doors opened revealing six more Changelings, as they came out of it; they turned to close the doors behind them and the Changelings turned back around to see Thorn staring at them.

Thorn readied his blaster and spoke up. "Surrender now!" Thorn ordered.

"Who do you think you are?" A Changeling asked while moving closer towards Thorn.

"That's none of your concern." Thorn said while his Z6 started rotating. "Who is your leader?"

Thorn knew exactly how to "extract" information from the enemy. He had "questioned" many Seperatists just before killing them, there were very few times in his career he would arrest them for questioning. His savegry earned him the title of : 'Cold blooded clone.'

"Our leader is queen Chrysalis, creature, and you will be the one who's going to surrender." The Changeling replied while shooting a bolt of magic at Thorn. Thorn simply stood his ground letting the bolt hit him. It bounced right of his armor hitting the wall to his right. The Changelings all gasped in horror.

"Bad move." Thorn said while shooting at the Changelings. Two Changelings dodged out of the way; while the other four got their bodies filled with laser bolts. The two remaining Changelings looked at their fallen brothers in horror.

"Magic is useless against it, rip it to shreds!" One of the Changelings shouted.

The other Changeling started running towards Thorn; trying to get a hit on him. Thorn took aim and shot the first oncoming Changeling pumping it full of sizzling smoky holes with his Z6 rotary blaster cannon.

But Thorn didn't see the other Changeling coming, it jumped on top of his Z6 running atop the barrel towards Thorn. Thorn threw the Z6 to the ground then as he was trying to reach for his blaster pistols, the Changeling somehow managed to grab his arm. The Changeling opened it's mouth bitting into Thorn's right arm. "Gaah!" Thorn shouted. Somehow their fangs were able to penetrate his armor.

Thorn winced in pain but never lost his focus. He ignored the pain and grabbed the Changelings horn, ripping it right off of it's head. The Changeling screamed in pain opening it's mouth. The Changling knew it wasn't going to make it, whether a Unicorn, Alicorn, or Changeling if they ever lost their horn, they would die within minutes. The Changeling ignoring the pain and bit dowm into Thorn's right arm again.

"Gaah!" Thorn shouted. Thorn couldn't take it anymore he lifted his arm, grabbing grabbing it with his left hand and started to run at one of the castle's solid walls. The Changeling not letting go having it's fang's burroued deep into Thorn's arm received the both the full blow of the impact and Thorn's added weight.

Thorn slamed the Changling that still had it's vice like jaws clenched on his arm against the wall several more times; but it was to no avail, the Changeling still wouldn't let go.

"That's it!" Thorn shouted while grabbing the head of the Changeling with his left hand. "Let. Go. Of. My. Arm!" Thorn shouted. With evey pause he smashed the Changeling's head into the wall.

"Let go!" Thorn shouted while smashing it's head into the wall one final time. Suddenly he heard an audible 'crack' fallowed by a 'splash' with that the Changeling finally released Thorn's arm. The changling's body fell to the ground, it's head was now completely deformed. Pieces of brain and bone stuck out of it's deformed head. "Aaah, gross." Thorn said while wiping away the piece's of brain, blood, and bone that now covered his right arm.

'Time to get moving.'Thorn thought while walking towards his Z6 and picking it up.

Suddenly the the two doors opened once more and revealed two more Changelings. Thorn decided that he had enough of these things and sprinted towards the two newcomers, while ignoring the pain in his right arm.

'Blast! This actually hurts.' Thorn thought while taking a quick look at his arm. His armor was slightly damaged and a little blood was oozing out of the wound. 'I'll have to get bacta for that.' Thron thought while running towards the Changelings. He stopped in his tracks this time not even trying to talk to them. Thorn just aimed his cannon at the Changelings and pulled the trigger.

"Gaah!"

"Stop dodging." Thorn said iritated.

"Look out!"

"Got you now." Thorn retorted.

"What is that thing!?"

"The last thing you'll ever see." Thorn replied.

"Kill it!"

"Not if I kill you first." Thorn said angrily.

Thorn shot the two Changelings, they never saw it coming. Thron took a deep breath and continued his walk towards the castle doors. Grabbing one of his blaster pistols firing two shots into each of the Changelings bodies. 'That's for damaging my armor' Thorn thought while walking past the dead changlings with the added smoldering holes towards the doors.

Putting his side arm back into it's holser Thorn remeniced. It was about the time he and Rex were in combat training back on Kamino, and of the first battle of Geonosis. When they were still phase one clone troopers.

Flashback..

"I got another one!" Rex shouted while shooting another target.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Rex!" Thorn shouted back while shooting a target with his DC-15 carbine rifle.

"Cadets! Cut the chatter and keep firing!" A clone instructor ordered.

"Sir, yes sir!" They replied in unison.

"Sir, we could use your help over here. I think my blaster jammed." One of the cadets said.

"I'm coming, and you two are dismissed, return to your dorms immediately." The instructor ordered.

"Sir, yes sir!" Rex and Thorn replied in unison.

The instructor took their blasters as he walked towards the cadet that was in need of help.

"What's you score?" Rex asked.

"Twenty four." Thorn replied. "Yours?"

"Twenty seven." Rex replied with a smirk.

"............Blast! Looks like I'm the one who's gonna have to to get our dinner." Thorn said defeated.

"And I heard todays menu is your favorite." Rex added.

"Kaminoan soup?" Thorn asked.

"Yep." Rex replied.

"But that's everybody's favorite." Thorn whined.

"And that means the line will be even longer." Rex added.

"...........Blast." Thorn said again.

"Hahahaha." Rex laughed in amusement.

Two years later.

First clone deployment: First battle of Geonosis.

"Let's move men!" Commander Thorn ordered.

It was the first battle of Geonosis, the new army of the Republic had been deployed for the first time. The clone troopers had been trained to fight against the Seperatist forces, they knew what they had to do: Fight for the Republic, and assure peace across the galaxy.

"Go go go go!" Commander Thorn shouted. Thorn was one of the many Commanders who were sent to Geonosis. Thorn wasn't part of the Corusant elite guard at that time, he was just a clone Commander who was leading a squad of clones into the fight.

"Clankers on your left!" A clone trooper shouted while shooting a super battle droid.

"Termonal detonator! Look out!" Another clone shouted while running away from the Termonal detonator.

*BOOM*

"Gaaah! Aaah my leg!" A clone trooper shouted. He was quickly silenced by a blaster round to his head.

The remaining clones (Commander Thorn and four others) were severely injured. One clone was barely hanging on to his life, the other had lost his leg, and another had lost his right arm, one clone's chest plate was burned up, and Commander Thorn's helmet was completely destroyed on the right side, the right side of his face had also been burned. Gaah. Commander Thorn grunted while removing his helmet.

"Commander, what do we--gaah--, do now?" The clone who lost his arm asked.

Commander Thorn looked at his fallen brothers, the clone who's chest plate was burned up was executed by a battle droid, the clone who lost his leg tried to crawl away; but a super battle droid walked up to him and lifted it's right leg up, then brought it back down with an incredible amount of force right into the middle of the clone's back.

"AAAAH!" The clone screamed in agony, when he felt his spinal cord break underneath the sheer weight of the super battle proud.

The super battle droid shot two of it's laser rounds into the clones back.

The clone who lost his leg; crouched over towards Commander Thorn.

"Sir, go and make a run for it." The clone said. "I'll hold them off."

"No! We go together." Thorn ordered.

"Sir, they are getting closer." The clone said while looking at the droids. Two B1 battle droids, a droid Commander, and a super battle droid made their way over to Thorn and the other surviving clone. Behind those droids stood ten more B1 battle droids and fourteen super battle droids.

"Kill them!" The droid Commander ordered.

"Roger roger." The droids replied. They all aimed their weapons at Thorn and the clone preparing to fire.

"Sir, it's been an honour." The clone said.

"The honour was all mine, trooper." Commander Thorn replied. Thorn grabbed the troopers left hand and gaving it a firm shake.

"Hey clankers!" A voice shouted.

The droids immediately looked at the source of the voice; and saw a squadron of clones standing behind Thorn and the severely wounded clone

"Get them--Aaaaah!" A droid ordered but got a blaster round in it's chest in response.

"Go, go, go!" The commanding officer of the squadron ordered.

"Aaah! Get the--Aaaaaaaah." The droid commander couldn't even finish his order, it's head was blown off by a familiar clone captain.

Eventually all of the droids were destroyed, and Commander Thorn and the severely injured clone trooper were saved by an all to familiar clone Captain.

"Are you alright." The commanding officer asked Thorn.

"Yeah I'm fine and.... Rex is that you?" Thorn asked.

Rex removed his helmet and smirked. "Can't even leave you alone for four hours." Rex said sarcastically.

"Hey you try to fend of that many droids. Thorn replied while pointing at the pile of dead droids.

"Thorn, are you ok?" Rex asked concerned.

"Nah I'm fine, just a little burned up I guess." Thorn replied while sitting down on a medium sized boulder.

"A little burned up? The right side of your face is completely burned." Rex said.

"Well he's got it worse." Thorn said while pointing his finger at the other clone who had also survived. The clone was being treated by field medic Kix. Kix had stopped the bleeding but the clone would still need to spend a few days in a bacta tank.

"Kix, is he gonna live?" Rex asked while walking towards Kix and the wounded clone.

Kix looked up and nodded in response. "He's lucky to be alive Captain, but he still needs to get to a bacta tank as soon as possible." Kix replied.

"Sergeant!" Rex said. A clone came running up to Rex. "What is it sir?" The sergeant asked while saluting.

"Call in a gunship and tell them we need immediate extraction. Priority two." Rex said.

"Yes sir!" The sergeant replied while turning on his commlink. "This is CT-3489, requesting immediate extraction, priority two, I repeat; priority two."

"Copy that CT-3489, gunship 0798 coming to extract." The pilot of the gunship replied.

"Understood, sending you coordinates now." The sergeant replied while sending the coordinates.

"We got you thirty four we'll arrive at your position in five minutes. Be prepared to leave immediately." The pilot instructed.

"Copy that, thirty four, out." The sergeant replied while turning his commlink of. "Captain Rex sir!"

"What is it it sergeant?" Rex asked.

"Gunship will arrive in approximately five minutes sir." The sergeant replied.

"Good, return to to the men and tell them they can get some rest." Rex said.

"Yes sir." The sergeant replied. The sergeant did as he was told and walked towards the rest of the troopers. Kix walked up to Rex and Thorn.

"Sir I need to check on your wounds as well." Kix said while bending over to meet Thorn at eye level.

"Go ahead." Thorn sighed.

Kix nodded and carefully held his hand underneath Thorn's chin, he gently tilted his head to the side to inspect the burn.

"I'll give you some field bacta sir, but that burn is gonna leave a nasty scar." Kix said while slipping his backpack of his shoulders. He opened his backpack and took out a can of field bacta and a syringe. "This might hurt a little." Kix said while inserting the (now filled) syringe into Thorn's neck. Thorn winced in pain.

"Aaaand done." Kix said while removing the syringe.

"Thanks." Thron said.

"Just doing my duty sir." Kix replied.

"Go rest with the others Kix, you deserved it." Rex said.

Kix saluted in response and headed off toward the others.

Rex smiled and sat down beside Thorn. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, it's just that those clankers got us by surprise and... Well you saw what happened." Thorn replied with a saddened tone.

"Do you remember that promise we made on Kamino two years ago?" Rex asked.

"Yeah, we promised that we would get through this war together and that we would stay friends until the end." Thorn replied.

"And I 'tend to keep that promise." Rex said.

"Right." Thorn replied.

"Captain Rex, gunship twelve o clock!" Kix shouted.

"Aah, it appears your ride has arrived." Rex said while standing up.

"Yeah." Thorn replied.

The gunship landed and two clone troopers came out of it. "We heard that there was a priority two, who is it?" One of the clones asked.

"Me, and him." Thorn said while pointing his finger at himself and the injured clone, who was currently being brought over by Kix and the sergeant.

"Alright Commander 4254; we need to get you two on a cruiser as soon as possible." The clone said.

"Alright, lead the way." Thorn replied. The clones both nodded and walked over towards the injured clone. "We'll take him from here." One clone said. Kix nodded to the clones.

The two clones each placed one arm around the injured clone's back and neck helping to support him, as they slowly assited him to the gunship. Thorn just followed their lead not really needing help.

Thorn was about to step into the gunship until he heard Rex call out his name. "Thorn!" Rex shouted.

"What is it?" Thorn shouted back.

"Stay alive!" Rex said.

Thron gave him a two finger salute in response, as blast doors of the gunship closed and it took off.

End of flashback..

"Stay alive." Thorn repeated.

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet and headed towards the doors.

'Time to introduce myself.' Thron thought while knocking on one of the doors.

"This is clone Commander CC-4254, open up or I will blast my way through."
> Hammer of justice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"How unfortunate that you are attempting to deceive me."

"Master?"

"You have become a rival!"

Darth Sidious talking with Dath Maul.



------------


"Who dares to disturb me?!" Queen Chrysalis asked furiously.

"This is CC-4254, you will open this door and surrender." Thorn replied.

"Ha! You and what army?" Chrysalis asked mockingly while walking towards the door. While she was walking towards the door; she heard a strange noise in response.



( Skip to 00:22 and ignore the last few seconds in the video.)

An explosion followed and the doors blasted open. Queen Chrysalis quickly used a shield barrier spell to protect herself from the impact; but was blown back against the wall.

But before she would have hit the wall; she teleported herself away just in time. Chrysalis appeared next to the two Changelings that had stayed behind in the wedding room to protect her.

"You two, attack whatever did that!" Chrysalis ordered. The Changelings nodded in response. They started to run towards the blown up doors. They couldn't see what was on the other side because a smoke cloud covered the entrance of the wedding room.

Suddenly a storm of blue lasers came out of the smoke cloud, the Changelings reacted to late and were killed instantly. Chrysalis looked at the scene in horror, her two subjects laid dead on the hardened floor of the wedding room. 

"You said me and what army." Thorn said while walking through the cloud of smoke. "This is the army." Thorn said while getting into a battle stance.

Chrysalis eyes widened in shock when she saw what walked out of the smoke. It looked like a bipedal creature, it's skin was white with some red markings on it. But what frightened her the most was that on it's right appendage was blood, the blood of her subjects.

"W-What are you?" Chrysalis asked frightened.

"Clone Commander CC-4254, and your so called army is attacking innocent civilians, and from the looks of it." Thorn said while turning his head towards Cadence. "You are keeping hostages as well."

"I do not know what you are, but I Queen Chrysalis am going to make you pay for the things you have done!" Chrysalis roared while shooting a bolt of magic at Thorn.

Thorn rolled out of the way and dodged the bolt of magic. 'They never learn, do they?' Thorn thought while getting up.

He got up and aimed his cannon at Chrysalis. "Ma'am I suggest you surrender; if you don't want to end up like those two." Thorn said while pointing his finger towards the bodies of the Changelings who he had just killed.

"I will not end up like my subjects!" Chrysalis roared while shooting another bolt of magic at Thorn.

Thorn rolled out of the way again, the bolt of magic didn't hit him; but it did hit the shy pony named Fluttershy. Fluttershy was sent flying and made impact with the wall behind her. "Aaah!" Fluttershy screamed while making impact with the wall.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie shouted in union. They ran towards Fluttershy; who was currently in agonizing pain. "Aaah, m-my wing." Fluttershy said while tears of pain started to form in her eyes. 

"Fluttershy darling; please speak to me." Rarity said while tears started to form in her eyes.

"This is just awful." Pinkie said.

"Chrysalis is gonna pay for this!" Rainbow Dash said angrily.

"We have to do something!" Twilight said.

"Uhm ah don't think we'll have to do anythin' girls." Applejack said.

"What do you mean AJ?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack simply pointed her hoof towards the creature that was currently running towards Chrysalis.

"Seriously, what is that thing?!" Twilight shouted.

"I don't know, but I think it's on our side." Rainbow Dash said.

"Oh m-my back." Fluttershy said while trying to stand up.

"No Fluttershy, please lay down and try not to move darling." Rarity said while gently pushing Fluttershy back on the ground.

"O-Ok." Fluttershy replied while laying down.

A loud noise interrupted the mane six and their concerns for Fluttershy. All of them turned their heads towards the source of the strange noise. There they saw the strange creature, firing what appeared to be blue bolts of magic at Chrysalis. Chrysalis was constantly teleporting; trying to dodge as many lasers as possible.

"Aaaah!" Chrysalis screamed in agony. Her left wing had been hit by 2 successful shots from Thorn's Z6 rotary blaster cannon. Chrysalis fell on the ground with a *thud*. She tried to get up, only to see Thorn running towards her. Thorn was quick enough to get to Chrysalis before she got up, he brought his foot down on her left wing and spoke up. "Surrender now!" Thorn ordered.

Chrysalis ignored the pain and focused all of her energy on this last final attempt. Her horn lit up and a huge blast of magic came out of it. Thorn's instincts kicked in and he used the Z6 rotary blaster cannon to protect himself from the impact. Due to the amount of force and the fact Thorn's arm was hurt; he lost his grip on the cannon and it was shot out of his hands, landing 20 feet behind him.

Chrysalis got up and launched herself towards Thorn, Thorn held his right arm up and tried to block her attack; only for Chrysalis to open her mouth and biting him in his arm like one of the Changelings did before; only this time; with much more force.

"Gaah!" Thorn shouted while trying to get Chrysalis to let him go. Due to the fact Chrysalis was a lot bigger and heavier than the other Changelings; Thorn fell on his back, dragging Chrysalis with him. Thorn quickly rolled around and got on top of Chrysalis. 

"Let go of my arm!" Thorn shouted while trying to reach for his blaster pistols. Chrysalis bucked him in his torso and sent him on his back.

Chrysalis got up and launched herself at Thorn again. Thorn got up and launched himself at Chrysalis as well. Thorn raised his left arm and punched Chrysalis's face with as much force as he could. He could feel her jaw cracking a little went his fist made impact with her face. 

But Chrysalis also got a good hit on Thorn,  she bucked him in his stomach with her front hooves, if he wasn't wearing his armor; he would have been severely injured. But because he was wearing his armor; Chrysalis's hit wasn't as powerful as he would have expected it to be.

Thorn grunted and got back up, unfortunately for him; Chrysalis did as well. "You are strong creature, I'll give you that." Chrysalis said while wiping the blood away from her mouth.

"You aren't." Thron replied while grabbing his pistols. 'Gaah, my arm hurts, but I've been through worse.' Thorn thought while aiming his pistols at Chrysalis.

Chrysalis shot another bolt at magic at Thorn, Thorn stood his ground let the bolt hit him. The bolt bounced right of his armor. "You've been trying that for two minutes now, did you honestly think that it would work, now?" Thorn asked sarcastically.

"I will destroy you!" Chrysalis roared while running towards Thorn. 

'Time to finish this.' Thorn thought while pulling the triggers of his pistols. But Chrysalis quickly dodged the lasers.Thorn shot two more, one missed and one hit her in her right leg. Chrysalis screamed in pain. She lost her balance and tripped over her own legs. She fell face-first onto the floor. 

She was now at Thorn's mercy.

What Thorn and Chrysalis didn't notice was that a certain lavender unicorn had made her way over to the bride. "Quickly, go to him while you still have the chance." Twilight said while freeing Cadence from the sticky Changeling goo that had her hoofs tied to the ground.

Cadence quickly made he way over to Shining Armor; she looked at her husband and laid a hood on his muzzle. She shed a tear and hugged him tightly. Suddenly sparks came out of her horn, and suddenly a small heart appeared and made it's way over to Shining Armor's head. The heart popped in front of his head.

"Huh? wha, huh? Is-is the wedding over?" Shining Armor asked. Cadence smiled in response.

"It's all over." Chrysalis said.

"Be quiet!" Thorn snapped at her while squeezing the triggers tightly. 'One wrong move and you'll be joining the others.'

"Quickly! Preform your spell." Twilight said.

"What use would that be? My Changelings already roam free." Chrysalis said.

"No." Shining Armor said while trying to preform the spell. His horn gave of some sparks but no magic came out of it. "My power is useless now, I don't have the strength to repel them" Shining Armor said defeated.

Cadence trotted over towards him and gave him a hug. "My love will give you strength." Cadence said while hugging him tightly.

"What a lovely, but absolutely ridiculous sentiment." Chrysalis said. She received a kick in the stomach from Thorn in response.

"Be quiet!" Thorn ordered.

Shining Armor closed his eyes and hugged her back. Suddenly Shining Armor's horn started glowing; Cadence horn did the same. Their horns connected with one another and a bright purple/pink light covered them. Cadence one's messed up mane and coat wer returned to its normal state and her energy returned, Shining Armor's energy seemed to have returned to him as well.

The light became brighter and brighter, suddenly Cadence and Shining Armor's eyes became a bright white and the light became so bright that everybody had to close their eyes. Suddenly a big heart appeared. The magical energy became bigger and bigger until it 'exploded' sending a huge wave of magic across Canterlot. The magic didn't seem to affect the ponies nor Thorn. It only affected Chrysalis. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! "Chrysalis screamed while she was sent flying of the balcony.

'Blast! She trying to escape!' Thorn thought.

Thorn shot his pistols while Chrysalis was sent flying, he didn't know if he had hit her; but he had this gut feeling he had.

'Looks like those two actually were useful.' Thron thought while holstering his pistols. He turned around and walked towards his Z6.

The ponies didn't seem to notice, because they were all busy watching the pink and white pony.

Cadence and Shining Armor landed on the ground and hugged each other. Twilight quickly trotted over towards the recently freed Princess Celestia.

"I'm fine, you have a real wedding to attend to." Celestia said in her motherly tone.

"Whoa wait a minute." Rainbow Dash said.

"What is it Dash?" Applejack asked.

"I know we're all happy and so, but we still don't know what that thing is!" Rainbow Dash said while pointing her hoof at Commander Thorn. (Who was currently picking up his Z6 rotary blaster cannon.)

"Huh? Who is who?.. What is that thing?!" Shining Armor asked, a terrified expression planted on his face.

Eveypony stared at Thron with different expressions on their faces, some were looks of terror, others were looks of curiosity.

Surprisingly, Cadence was the one to walk up,towards Thorn. 

Thorn did nothing, but he held his Z6 ready; just in case they would try anything funny. 

"Hello? Can you understand me?" Cadence asked Thorn while walking closer to him.

"Cadence!" Shining Armor shouted while running after his soon to be wife. "Don't get close to that thing."

"Shiny, that thing just saved not only our wedding; but also all of Canterlot." Cadence said.

'Wedding? They were getting married?' Thorn thought.

"Hello? It's ok, we won't hurt you." Cadence said. "Can you talk?"

"My name is Clone Commander CC-4254, but you can call me Commander Thorn." Thorn replied.

"Well then Commander Thorn, I think I speak for all of us when I say: Thank you for saving not only my wedding, but also saving Canterlot and Princess Celestia." Cadence said.

"Ma'am, do you have any sort of communication I couldn't use to contact The Republic?" Thorn asked, getting straight to his point.

"What's The Republic?" Twilight asked curiously.

"You've never heard of The Galactic Republic?" Thorn asked.

"No. "

"The war that has spread across the entire galaxy?"

"Nope."

"The Seperatist?"

"Again: No."

"The Jedi?" 

"The what?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that I am from another planet?" Thorn asked.

"Another planet? Pffft, yeah right." Rainbow Dash said while hovering towards Thorn. "From what planet would you be, then?"

"Kamino." Thorn replied.

"And what are you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"A clone, I am a soldier, one out of millions who look exactly like me." Thorn replied.

"So they're your brothers?" Cadence asked curiously.

"Yes, technically they are." Thorn replied.

"Well that's one big family, I feel sorry for your mother; I couldn't image to give birth to millions of children." Cadence said.

"I was not born, I was created by the Kaminoans, they took DNA from a bounty hunter named Jango Fett and made millions of clones of him, I am one of them. Thorn replied.

"You were created? But why?" Twilight asked.

"To fight against the Seperatist." Thorn replied.

"Who are these Seperatist?" Twilight asked.

"*sigh* Listen I think it would be wise if we would continue this conversation elsewhere, seeing that you have a lot to clean up."Thorn said.

"Yeah, but why did you kill those Changelings?" Cadence asked.

"Those aren't the only ones, on the lower parts of the castle are more of them." Thorn replied.

"More!? You killed more!?" Shining Armor asked. 

"Around one hundred, maybe more." Thorn replied. 

Shining Armor's eyes widened in response.

Suddenly Princess Celestia came walking up towards Thorn.

"Greetings Commander Thorn from the planet Kamino, I Princess Celestia thank you for what you have done for us." Celestia said while bowing.

"Ma'am I am a clone, clones are created to fight in the war against the Seperatist, and to protect the innocent. I was just doing what I was bred for." Thorn replied.

Celestia looked at Thorn, a smile crossing her face. "I was just showing some respect towards Equestria's first alien/hero." Celestia replied.

"Just doing my job ma'am." Thorn replied.

"You can call me by my name Commander Thorn, there is no need for formalities." Celestia said.

"Yes ma--err Celestia."Thorn replied.

"So wait, you are an alien?" Rainbow Dash asked astonished.

"Well if I'm the first clone to arrive in this planet then; yes I am an alien." Thorn replied.

"Wooooooow that's so awesome!" Rainbow Dash squealed.

"Uhm, not to be rude but I will have to get some bacta for my wounds." Thron said while showing his arm.

"Oh my, you poor thing." Fluttershy said while flying towards Thorn.

"Fluttershy! I told you to lay down." Rarity said.

"I'm feeling better, and this poor alien is hurt." Fluttershy said while carefully grabbing Thorn's arm. "Oh my, Chrysalis really bit hard didn't she?"

"Well she got a lucky hit. She was lucky I didn't blast her into oblivion." Thorn said.

"Blast? What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked confused.

"This." Thorn said while showing his Z6 to the ponies. "Is the Z6 rotary blaster cannon, it is one of the most powerful weapons used in The Clone Wars, it is also what I used to take out those Changelings." Thorn said.

"So it's a weapon?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, but I only use it against people I don't trust, and seeing the fact that you aren't trying to blast me; has earned you my trust." Thorn replied.

Celestia sighed in relief. "That is good to hear. And I think I speak for everypony when I say that you've earned our trust as well."

"Thank you Celestia. But about that communication." Thorn said.

"I am afraid we have no such a thing Commander, I am over five thousand years old and I've never heard of this 'Republic'." Celestia said.

"Well, that means I'm really dead then." Thorn mumbled.

"I'm sorry?" Celestia said.

"N-Nothing Celestia, just thinking out loud." Thorn replied.

"Well I guess we better start cleaning up this mess." Celestia said. "And Thorn." Celestia whispered.

"What is it?" Thorn whispered back.

"This may seem selfish of me but, could you dispose of the bodies of all the dead Changelings?" Celestia asked.

"I don't think that's necessary anymore." Thorn whispered back.

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"Well, when the pink pony and the white one did what they just did, Chrysalis and her Changelings were sent flying. Seeing that the bodies of those two Changelings are also gone, I can assume that that energy field not only got rid of the living Changelings, but also the dead." Thorn explained.

"So what you are saying is?" Celestia asked.

"No dead bodies to be seen for the ponies."

"Well that is a relief, my subjects aren't really used to death you know." Celestia said.

"I've noticed and ouch!" Thorn said while wincing.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to I--."

"It's alright, just be gentle please." Thorn cut Fluttershy of.

Fluttershy smiled in response.

"This is the first time I've seen Fluttershy act that calmly around a stranger, especially considering the fact that this stranger is an alien." Rarity whispered to Applejack.

"Hey, maybe this Thorn fella can get her outta her shell?" Applejack asked.

"Maybe. I still can't believe it. A really alien." Rarity said while walking towards Thorn. "Say darling, is that white colour your skin?"

"No, this is just armor." Thorn replied.

"Oh my, it looks amazing! Did you do it yourself?" Rarity asked astonished.

"Uhm, the red markings I did all by myself yes." Thorn replied, well his reply was not entirely true; the helmet he did all by himself.

"Oh, so you are a soldier with a sense of fashion? Oh, we are going to get along just fine darling." Rarity said while flicking her mane.

"Hey don't forget about me!" Spike shouted while running towards Thorn. He stopped and looked up at Thorn.

"Hey kid." Thorn said.

"Wow, you are so cool." Spike said in awe.

"Thanks kid, you're not too bad yourself." Thorn said while giving him a pat on his head.

"You heard that Twilight? He thinks I'm cool." Spike said.

"Yes, I heard that Spike." Twilight replied.

"Well let's get this wedding started!" Pinkie shouted.

Wedding? Thorn asked.

"Oh I almost forgot." Cadence said. "My name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you can call me Cadence."

"And I'm Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard." Shining said.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle." Twilight said while giving Thorn a smile.

"My name is Rarity, a pleasure to meet you darling." Rarity said.

"Pleasure's all mine ma'am." Thorn replied.

"My name's Rainbow Dash! Fastest flyer in all of Equestria!" Rainbow Dash said.

'Fastest flyer? Heh let's see her outfly a ARC-170.' Thorn thought.

"My name is Pinkie Pie! And I'm going to throw you the best Welcome to Equestria and thank you for saving Princess Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding party ever! "Pinkie said.

"Wow, slow down and breath." Thorn said.

"Okie dokie lokie." Pinkie replied while bouncing up and down. 

'She reminds me of senator Binks for some reason.' Thorn thought while looking at the bouncing pink pony in front of him.

"Mah name's Applejack, pleasure to meet ya partner." Applejack said.

"A pleasure to meet you too." Thorn replied.

"Well I think we better start cleaning the rest of this mess, and like I said before: You have a real wedding to attend to." Celestia said.

"Yeah, let's." Twilight said with a smile.

With that said, everybody was preparing the wedding, Fluttershy and her song birds preparing the music, Pinkie Pie hosting the reception, Applejack taking care of the catering of the reception, Rainbow Dash was going to do a sonic rainboom when the bride and groom would complete their I do's, Rarity being responsible for designing the dresses for the bride and her bride maids, and Twilight making sure everything goes as planned. And Thorn? Thorn had asked if he could be left alone for a couple of hours, of course Princess didn't deny his request.


------------------


One hour before the wedding, Thorn's temporary chambers.

I can't believe they insisted me to attend to the wedding. Thorn thought.

Here he was, Clone Commander Thorn. A soldier of The Republic on an unknown planet who haven't even heard about The Republic, or Seperatist. 

'How did I end up in this mess? And why did that yellow pony insisted on patching me up? Thorn thought as he looked down at his hands. 'I wonder how the battle is going on Scipio, I hope that senator Amidala made it out before those clankers.....Killed me.'

Thorn was lost in thoughts, so many questions; but no one to answer them.

"What will happen to me now?" Thorn said while taking helmet of. He looked at his helmet and thought back at all of the battles he had been in. He remembered his brothers, his generals, his death.

Guess he couldn't keep that promise.

"Rex.. I'm sorry."







> The wedding.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Brother!"

"Brother, I am an unworthy apprentice. I'm not like you, I never was."

Savage Opress's final words to Darth Maul.



-------------


"Mares and Gentle colts, we are gathered here today not only to celebrate the union of the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza--."

"Princess Cadence is fine." Cadence said, cutting Celestia off.

Celestia nodded knowingly and smiled. "The union of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. I'd also a like to introduce a new hero. A hero, who not only saved the wedding, but also all of Equestria." Celestia said.

'That's my que.' Thorn thought while making his way to the wedding. His wounds had been treated by Fluttershy, his armor wasn't as damaged as he thought; the armor on his right arm had four small holes in it. One of them was from the Changeling that had attacked him. The others were where Chrysalis bit him. Because her fangs were longer than any of the Changelings, she did slightly more damage to his arm. But Thorn had been through worse, heck he had literally died.

The doors (that had been recently fixed, thanks to magic) of the wedding room opened and revealed two solar guards that flanked a  strange bipedal creature that all walked through it.

All of the ponies gasped when they saw what the two guards were escorting.

"My little ponies, may I introduce you to the hero who saved all of Equestria: Commander Thorn of The Galactic Republic." Celestia announced.

Thorn walked up to where the wedding altar was and stood behind Cadence and Shining Armor. He turned around and spoke up. "My name is Commander Thorn, before you ask; yes I am an alien, but I am not here to hurt anybody. I am part of an army made up of millions of clone troopers who all look exactly like me. I do not know how I ended up on your planet, but I am afraid I'm *sigh* stuck here." Thorn said.

Celestia gave Thorn a curious look. "Thorn, please stand beside me; I think Cadence and Shining Armor have something to tell you."

Thorn nodded then walked up to where Celestia was standing. He was taller than any of the ponies. (yes even Celestia, but not by much.) So when he stood beside Celestia; he towered over Cadence, Shining Armor, and all of the other ponies.

Cadence had to look up to even get a glance at his helmet. "Commander Thorn, even if you are an alien; I can't thank you enough for the things you have done. From what I've seen; you are a courageous, heroic, and an amazing alien being. I am happy you were on our side and not on Chrysalis's."

Thorn stood up straight and gave her a respectful salute. "Just doing what I was bred to do." Thorn said while going back to parade rest.

"And I would like to thank you as well; all of Equestria is in your debt." Shining Armor said while giving Thorn a bow. To Thorn's surprise; all of the ponies bowed to him, even Celestia.

'I've never gotten this much gratitude from anyone, normally it would just be a thank you and a smile, but never something like this.' Thorn thought while looking out at the crowd of ponies.

"Now we shall continue the wedding." Celestia said. "May we have the rings please?"

Spike walked up with the two rings on a small pillow, the rings were covered in a golden aura and levitated over towards Cadence and Shining Armor. They put the rings onto each others horns. Cadence and Shining Armor smiled at each other.

"I now pronounce you: mare and colt." Celestia announced.

"Whoooo!" All of the ponies in the wedding room started cheering for the recently married couple. Cadence and Shining Armor walked towards the balcony. They stood outside and looked at the city of Canterlot below them. All of the ponies on the streets started cheering for them.

Thorn started towards the exit of the wedding room. 'I've seen enough, I'm not good at these things anyway.' Thorn thought while walking towards the exit, only to be stopped by a certain yellow pony. "Where are you going?" Fluttershy asked.

"Weddings aren't really my thing. I'm just not used to this kind of, celebration." Thorn replied. 'I'm only used to war.'

"Rainbow Dash, That's your que." Celestia said.

Rainbow Dash nodded in response and literally flew out of her dress. With an amazing speed she performed her sonic rain boom high above Canterlot. "Best. Wedding. Ever!"

"But why won't you stay? I'm sure you'd like it." Fluttershy said.

"Listen, I appreciate you trying to help me, "blend in" with everyone, but I need some time alone to think." Thorn said.

Fluttershy looked at Thorn defeated but nodded. "I understand, sorry if I offended you in some way." Fluttershy said.

"You didn't, if anyone asks were I went, just tell them that I've gone to my quarters." Thorn said while heading out the doors.

Fluttershy looked at Thorn. She felt sorry for him. He was an alien on an unknown planet, he stood up for her and everypony else; he didn't even known them and still he fought against the Changelings.

"Thank you Commander Thorn, and I will do something in return for you. That I can promise you." Fluttershy whispered.

"Hey Fluttershy! You comin?!" Applejack asked.

"Coming." Fluttershy replied.

With that said; the wedding party had officially begun, everypony was celebrating and congratulating the bride and groom. On the balcony of Canterlot Castle; Cadence and Shining armor looked into each others eyes, they hugged each other tightly. "Hello everypony, did I miss anything important?" Princess Luna asked while landing beside her sister. The mane six, and Princess Celestia looked at eachother with small knowing smikes planted on their muzzles; Rarity had tears of happiness in her eyes. Pinkie Pie looked at Twilight, Twilight nodded and Pinkie Pie smiled with joy and made a little squeal.

She trotted over towards the DJ stand and somehow grabbed Vinyl Scratch out from behind it. (Don't ask.)

"Let's get this party started!" Pinkie said while grabbing a microphone with her mouth and throwing it over towards Twilight. Twilight caught the microphone with her magic and started singing.

Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride,
A handsome groom
Two hearts, becoming one
A bond that cannot be undone

Because love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom
I said love is in bloom
They're starting a life and making room for us

Love is in bloom,
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom
I said, love is in bloom
They're starting a life and making room for us
For us,
For us.

Everypony started dancing; Cadence and Shining Armor were the first ones on the dance floor to do the opening dance.

Everypony was happy, but not everybody.


---------------


Location: Equestria

Current location: Temporary chambers

Weapon status: Z6 rotary blaster cannon fully operational, DC15 dual blaster pistols fully operational.

Explosives: 3 Thermal Detonators, 2 Electronics Counter Detonators, 2 Sonic Detonators.

Armor status: Fully operational, slight damage.

Status CC-4254: Alive.

(Continue reading with this on the background)



Thorn sat down onto the bed and because of his unusual stature the bed made some uncomfortable cracking sounds. But it didn't bother him. Thorn was deep in thought about The Republic, the war, and his friends.

In the background, Thorn could hear singing and cheering. He got up from the bed and looked out the widow. He could see Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, the mane six, and Princess Celestia; along with other ponies smiling and dancing. He smiled underneath his helmet. 'Looks like they're having fun.' Thorn thought while watching the scene.

Suddenly Thorn got a flashback from his first deployment. His first real battle.

"My leg!"

"Clankers on your right!"

"It's been an honor sir."

"Stay alive!"

Those words echoed in Thorn's mind. 

'After all I've been through, every single battle, I still died. But that's what a clone is meant to do; fight and die for The Republic. That's why we were created in the first place. We were never meant to live peacefully, we were bred for war. And that's the only thing I know: War. But these ponies are peaceful; they even thanked me for what I did. Heck, their ruler even bowed to me. But it's still hard to believe I'm still alive even though I know I died. The more I think about it the more it confuses me.''I broke my promise to Rex, he must be devastated. The things we have gone through, the things we've seen, things that no clone should have seen.'

"Help me! Gaaaaaaah! Stay alive!" The screams of terror replayed again in Thorn's mind, the death of his brothers, his family, his friends. 

"For the Republic!"

"We were meant as expandable, we clones are just soldiers, if one of us dies; no one would care, we were just one out of millions. But I'm happy that I met you out of all those millions. I'm happy that I can call you: My brother." Thorn repeated the chant, thinking back at his many battles.

"It's a mad galaxy out there, but I'm happy that I met you too Rex. Stay alive brother, stay alive."

Thorn removed his helmet, the soothing wind blowing against his exposed face. He lifted his hand up touching the burned side of his face. The battle of Geonosis, the first battle were he had seen his brothers die. Even though clones were trained to ignore their fallen brothers and continue fighting; they still had the feelings of remorse. 

"When will the war end? Will it ever end?"

The war has done a lot of things to every clone; some even had mental breakdowns for some reason. When something would go wrong in the cloning process or if a clone wasn't fit for battle; he would have to stay on Kamino and work in the clean-up crew. Just like clone trooper 99.

General Kenobi once told me: "You clones are the perfect soldiers, you are loyal, you would fight until the end, and you would give your life for The Republic. But you are still a normal man, you aren't a machine. You have something that those battle droids don't have: A heart."

"The Jedi treated me with respect, not like most of the senators I had to escort. I still respect every Jedi I've served under." 

"My little ponies, may I introduce you to the hero who saved all of Equestria." Celestia's words echoed in his mind.

Thorn took a look at his helmet. 'A hero huh? Hmpf, I'm no hero, never was, never will be; I'm nothing more than a number. Clones are meant to be..Expendable.' Thorn thought while putting his helmet back on.

"A beautiful bride, a handsome groom"

Thorn was snapped out of his reverie by Twilight Sparkle's singing. 

'They really like to sing don't they?' Thorn thought.

"But why won't you stay? I'm sure you'd like it." Thorn recalling Fluttershy's kind words. 

'Ehh, blast it!' Thorn thought while heading towards the door that led to the Canterlot castle halls. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. The door opened with a resounding *click*. "I'll leave you here." Thorn said while pointing at his Z6 rotary blaster cannon. "But I'm taking you two with me." Thorn said while patting his holsters that held his DC15 blasted pistols

Thorn walked outside of his room and closed the door behind him. 

He walked down the hallways and down the stairs, he couldn't really find his way through the castle, it was bigger than he had first anticipated. Thorn decided to follow the music. He stood in front of two doors, he reached for the doorknob; only to abruptly stop with his hand still on the knob. 'Should I really do this?' Thorn thought.

Thorn hesitated a bit before sighing and turning back around. 'Maybe another time.' Thorn thought while heading back towards the set of stairs. 

"For the Republic!" That line, that single line kept haunting Thorn the entire walk black to his chamber. "For the Republic." Thorn said while opening the door to his room. He sighed once more and sat down on the bed. "When will it end?"


-----------


Meanwhile on the streets of Canterlot, where Twilight and her friends, Cadence, Shining Armor, and many other ponies still celebrating the wedding.

A royal chariot had arrived to take tho bride and groom away. Twilight opened the door with her magic and bowed, Cadence was the first one to enter; Shining Armor was about to enter before he stopped and looked at his little sister.

"Twilight! None of this would have been possible without you little sis. Love ya Twilight." Shining Armor said while smiling.

Twilight smiled back. "Love you to BBBFF."

Twilight then hugged her brother, which he returned. Shining Armor stepped into the royal chariot.

"Ready to go?" Shining asked Cadence.

"Oh I almost forgot." Cadence said while standing on the couch of the chariot and throwing the bouquet of flowers out towards the crowd of ponies. Some mares tried to catch it; only for Rarity to push them aside to catch the bouquet of flowers with her magic. "It's mine!"Rarity screamed.

The mares all looked at her with angry expressions. "Heheheheh." Rarity laughed nervously.

The royal chariot left, carrying away the Princess and her new Prince.

"Now this was a great wedding." Twilight said while watching the chariot fly away.

"Oh yeah? Just wait and see what I have planned for the bachelor party." Spike said. Spike and the others laughed while Twilight held her hoof to her face from embarrassment, but eventually she laughed as well.


****


It was late at night. Everypony was asleep; but not everybody.

Thorn was looking out the window. He could see the city of Canterlot, it didn't even look like it was even attacked a few hours ago. 

Thorn let out a sigh and took of his helmet. He set his helmet on the ground and poked his head out of the window. 'If I just jumped, would I die and go back to Scipio?' Thorn thought. Thorn quickly shook the thought out of his head. 'No, I'd probably stay dead.'

Thorn let out a small yawn. "I'll go to bed, when I feel like it." Thorn said while closing his eyes.

"For the Republic! "

Thorn eyes snapped open. "Blast! What is wrong with me, I've died; so what? It shouldn't bother me so much......Right? Clones were meant to be expendable. That's what the Mainland told us. We were meant to die."

"And I died."

Thorn kept thinking and thinking, he didn't notice that the sun was starting to rise. 'I've been up all night, no need for me to sleep.' Thorn thought while picking his helmet up. He put his helmet on and walked towards the door. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted it; the door opened and Thorn stepped out of his room closing the door behind him.

'Guess I could go for a walk.' Thorn thought while silently walking down the stairs. When he reached the final set of stairs; he saw a blue pony heading up them.

"Excuse me miss!" Thorn said while walking towards the blue pony. "Do you know were I could find the exit from this castle? I would like to get some fresh air." Thorn said.

"Yes, we do. Art thou the alien that saved niece Cadence and Shining Armor?" The blue pony asked.

"Yes ma'am. The name's Thorn." Thorn said.

"Greetings Thorn, We are Princess Luna." Princess Luna said.

"Princess? You're a Princess to?" Thorn asked confused.

"Yes We are. But thou can call us Luna." Luna said.

"Very well. But about the exit." Thorn said.

"Walk down these stairs and you'll see two giant doors, tell the guards that you have permission of Princess Luna to go outside. But don't head into the city, just stay in the castle gardens." Luna said.

"Yes ma'am." Thorn replied.

Luna nodded in response and resumed her walk up the stairs. Thorn did the exact opposite and walked towards the two doors that led to the gardens.

"Halt! Who goes there?" A unicorn guard asked.

"Clone Commander CC-4254 of The Grand Army of The Republic." Thorn replied.

"The alien? What do you want?" The guard asked.

"To go outside. I have permission of Princess Luna to do so." Thorn replied.

"Very well." The guard said while opening the doors. "Enjoy your stay in the Canterlot gardens."

Thorn nodded as he headed outside. He looked at the morning sky and saw that the sun was almost at it's highest point. Thorn smiled under his helmet and walked through the gardens. The royal gardeners would give him some stares but continued their work nonetheless.

Thorn walked through the beautiful gardens. Eventually he found a tree that had beautiful red flowers, he sat down and leaned his back against the tree. Thorn looked up at the sky and closed his eyes.

"Die Republic dogs." A droids threat echoed in Thorn's mind. Thorn's eyes shot open and he instantly reached for his blasters. But when he looked around;the only thing he could see was the royal gardens, the gardeners, and a yellow pony. Wait yellow pony?

Thorn looked at the pony in front of him; she was shaking in fear and her ears were folded back.

"Can I help you?" Thorn asked.

"Uhm I-I was just wondering if you would Uhm like to talk.....If that's OK with you of course." The yellow pony said.

"Sure, I don't mind." Thorn replied. 'Looks like taking a little nap isn't going to happen.'

The yellow pony sat down in front of Thorn and spoke up. "My name is Fluttershy, in case you don't remember; I was one of the ponies in the wedding room yesterday."

"I think I remember. How are you?" Thorn asked.

"I'm fine thank you. How are your wounds?" Fluttershy asked.

"They're good, thanks for fixing me up". Thorn said while giving Fluttershy a pat on he head.

"Your w-welcome." Fluttershy replied while blushing a little.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Thorn asked.

"Oh n-nothing really, I just wanted to say thank you one more time." Fluttershy replied.

'These ponies really appreciate what I did for them.' Thorn thought while holstering his blasters. "I think it would be for the best if we head back to the castle." Thorn said while getting up.

Fluttershy also got up and nodded.

Thorn started walking towards the castle; Fluttershy walking beside him. 'I wonder what he looks like without his armor.' Fluttershy thought while eying Thorn curiously.

Four minutes later they arrived at the castle doors. Thorn was surprised to see Princess Celestia standing outside, along with the other five ponies that were in the wedding room.

"Hello Commander." Celestia said with a smile.

"Hello Celestia." Thorn replied.

Fluttershy quickly trotted over to her friends. "Fluttershy where have you been?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah, you had us worried there sugarcube." Applejack added.

"I was just, uhm, talking to Thorn." Fluttershy replied.

"Really? What did he tell you?" Twilight asked curiously.

"I wasn't able to ask him anything, when I found him; he was sleeping against a tree." Fluttershy replied.

"Why was he outside in the first place?" Rainbow Dash asked confused. She gave Thorn a quick look. "I don't trust him."

"Why not?" Fluttershy asked.

"Because he's not even from Equestria." Rainbow Dash replied.

"Well he's been very friendly to me, so I like him." Fluttershy replied.

"Jeez, Fluttershy, already have feelings for him?" Rainbow Dash asked mockingly.

Fluttershy blushed at the remark. "N-No." Fluttershy replied.

"Leave her alone Dash." Applejack said. "At least she appreciates the things that fella did fer us."

"Twilight, Commander Thorn and I will be heading to the throne room. Do you and your friends want to join us?" Celestia asked.

Twilight's ears immediately perked up. "Oh, yes we do!" Twilight said with much excitement.

Celestia smiled at her student and motioned them to follow her. They all walked inside and followed Celestia until they reached the throne room.

Thorn's mind was, not busy, thinking about what to tell these ponies. No Thorn was still thinking about what general Kenobi said to him. 'You have a heart.'

"Commander? Are you coming?" Celestia asked. Thorn snapped out of his thoughts. He just nodded.

They walked inside. Thorn took a look around the throne room. In front of him were a set of stairs that led to what appeared to be the throne itself. On the sides of the throne room were different kinds of windows, each with unique pictures in them. 

Celestia motioned Thorn to follow her towards a big table that was placed in the middle of the throne room. Thorn grabbed a chair and sat down on it. The chair made some uncomfortable cracking but luckily it didn't break.

All of the ponies sat down on a chair. Celestia was the first to speak up. "Shall we begin the--."

Suddenly a loud boom was heard. Thorn quickly got out of his chair and grabbed his two blaster pistols before speaking up. "Surrender now!"

Suddenly a pink blur appeared in front of Thorn. Thorn didn't blink and spoke up. "Arms behind your head and on your knees."

"Oh you silly. This is your party!" The pink blur said.

".... What?!"



> A short conversation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Remember, the first and only reality of the Sith: There can only be two, and you are no longer my apprentice; you have been replaced."

Darth Sidious talking to Darth Maul after he killed Savage Opress.



------------


"What?" Thorn asked the pink party pony in front of him.

"Duh, you saved us, and all of Canterlot! Of course I was going to throw you a party! So do you like it? Do you do you do you do you?" Pinkie asked.

"A-A party for me?" Thorn asked while holstering his pistol. 'This has never happened to me before.'

"Duh you silly. Why else would I bring my party cannon with me?" Pinkie replied.

'A party for me? But why? I only did what I have been doing for the past couple of years.' Thorn thought while watching Pinkie Pie.

Out of nowhere; Pinkie took out a pink box and handed it over to Thorn. "Here you go Thornie!"

Thorn looked at the pink mare and then at the box. He hesitantly took the box out of her hooves and opened it.

Inside of the box were strange kind of things he had never seen before. They were round, they appeared to have some kind of white fluid on them, and the tops had some kind of red round fruit.

"Uhm not to be rude ma'am but what are these things?" Thorn asked.

"They're cupcakes!" Pinkie replied. "*gasp* Don't tell me they don't have cupcakes on your planet. Because everybody loves cupcakes and if you don't have cupcakes then you should get some because they're awesome and cool and just so yummy delicious!" Pinkie said without taking a break to breath.

"I've never heard of these cupcakes before." The only things we clones eat are rations and Corusant protein sticks. Thorn replied.

"Corusant protein sticks? That doesn't sound very appealing." Pinkie said.

"Well, the flavor is surprisingly good." Thorn replied.

"Well try one!" Pinkie said while grabbing a cupcake and shoving it in his helmet. The cupcake exploded in his face and the entire vanilla frosting plus the strawberry was now plastered all over Thorn's helmet.

"Pinkie!" Rarity exclaimed while grabbing a napkin and trotting over towards Thorn. "Look what you did, his entire fabulous armor is ruined!" Rarity exclaimed over dramatically. She trotted over towards Thorn and roughly put him down on the chair. "Now sit still darling and let the expert take care of this". Rarity began wiping Thorn's helmet with the napkin, much to Thorn's dismay. 

"Oh my goodness!" Rarity exclaimed. "There isn't even a single cupcake stain on your helmet! Darling you must tell me what fabric you used to make this."

"Ma'am I'd appreciate it if you would get off of me." Thorn said.

Rarity gave Thorn a confused glare before noticing the awkward position she and him were in. Rarity had her front hooves on Thorn's lap while the napkin was held by her magic. But that was not the most awkward part, no the thing that was the most awkward was that her muzzle was mere inches from his helmet. Rarity blushed a little before taking her front hooves off of Thorn and stood on all fours again.

"I am so sorry Thorn." Rarity apologized. "But seeing beautiful fashion such as yours getting dirty just made my mind go crazy."

"That's alright ma'am, just please, be careful the next time." Thorn replied. Thorn grabbed a cupcake out of the box (which he placed on the table when Pinkie decided to ram a cupcake into his helmet) to inspected it.

Rarity quickly made her way over to her chair and sat down, receiving a few giggles from Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"Oh no, not on the beautiful fashion." Rainbow Dash said while imitating Rarity's overly dramatic reaction.

Rarity gave Rainbow Dash a angry glare. Applejack just laughed at the scene.

"Well are you gonna eat it, or what?" Pinkie asked.

Thorn hesitated to answer to her question. What if my body can't handle the ingredients that are in this thing, 'I've never heard or seen anything like this.......A blast it! I've died one time, so a second time won't matter.' Thorn thought.

Thorn lifted his arms up and grabbed his helmet. His fingers wrapped around his helmet as he lifted it up. The ponies stared at Thorn with curiosity and awe, even Celestia was curious about what lay behind that helmet.

Thorn's helmet was lifted up and his face exposed. He had the standard short clone trooper hair, on the right side of his face was the scar he got on Geonosis. 

The ponies looked at Thorn with a shocked expression. But to everyone's surprise , Fluttershy made her way over towards the clone Commander. She flew towards Thorn until she was mere centimeters away from him. Thorn didn't know what she was planning but he didn't move either.

Fluttershy then did something nobody expected. She held out her hoof and laid it on Thorn's exposed face. Thorn flinched a little when she did that; feeling her soft hoof on his face, but he didn't stop her. For some reason he actually liked the feeling.

Fluttershy traced her hoof all the way from Thorn's left side to his scarred right side. She gently rubbed the spot with her hoof.

After a few more seconds of rubbing; she stopped and gave Thorn a compassionate look. "You poor thing, who did this to you?"

"Did what to him?" Rainbow Dash asked while flying towards her and Thorn. "I mean look at him, you don't even know what his species eve is Fluttershy; maybe that's just the way he looks."

"The Separatists." Thorn said.

"The who now?" Rainbow Dash asked.

The Separatist did this to me." Thorn said while placing a hand on his burned side. "It was the first battle of Geonosis, the Grand Army's first deployment. My squad was overrun and we suffered heavy casualties, a thermal detonator exploded in front of me, the explosion destroyed my helmet and burned the right side of my face." Thorn said.

All of the ponies, even Celestia gasped at this information. "But one of my brothers had it worse, his entire arm was blown of, eventually we were saved by a clone trooper Captain, but the only survivors of my squad were me and the clone who's arm was blown off."

"Why would they do such a thing?" Celestia asked shocked.

"The Separatist are evil, the galactic war has been going on for many years and from the looks of it; it isn't going to end soon." Thorn replied.

"So lemme get this straight. Rainbow Dash said." You and The Republic are the good guys, and those Separatists are the bad guys?"

"Yes, but there are more like me; millions actually, an entire clone army created by the Kaminoans to fight back against the Separatist threat. But there are of course more powerful men and woman that fight for The Republic. "Thorn replied.

"Who are those 'more powerful ones then'?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"The Jedi." Thorn replied. "They are the ultimate warriors in my opinion, but they call themselves: Peace keepers. They wield these weapons called lightsabers and they are very skilled with them."

"Wow!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in awe. "So they are like super heroes that protect the galaxy?"

"Yes they are. Thorn replied. 'Feels good to talk about Jedi, they saved my back a lot of times during the war, I owe them my life.'

"And this 'Republic', is it led by a King or Queen?" Celestia asked.

"No, The Republic is a variety of different planets and systems; who have joined The Republic to fight against The Separatists, the current leader of The Republic is Chancellor Palpatine. He is in charge of The Republic. He was also the one who ordered the immediate creation of the clone army." Thorn explained.

"And who is the leader of The Separatists?" Celestia asked.

"Count Dooko." Thorn said in a grim tone. "He's a Sith."

"A Sith? What's that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"A Sith is an evil Jedi who has fallen to the darkside, the Jedi and Sith are sworn enemies. at least that's what Jedi master Plo Koon once told me." Thorn replied.

"So if I'm correct there is a war between The Republic and The Separatist. But there is also a war between the Sith and Jedi?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, but from what I've heard; the war between the Jedi and Sith has been going on for over thousands of years, and it's not going to end soon either." Thorn replied.

"And does this 'clone army' you are part of fight against the Sith as well?" Twilight asked curiously while writing everything down on a piece of paper.

"Twilight darling have you been writing down everything he has told us for the past couple of minutes?" Rarity asked.

"Uhm yes, why wouldn't I?" Twilight asked. Please continue Commander.

Thorn merely nodded. "Yes we do fight against the Sith, but mostly we fight against the droid army."

"Droid army?" Twilight asked.

"The droid army is a massive army of machines that are created to kill or overthrow any threat to The Separatist alliance, or systems who are a part of The Republic." Thorn replied.

"So much war." Celestia trailed of. How many battles have you been in Commander Thorn? If I may ask."

"In total, around forty eight; maybe more." Thorn replied.

"Forty eight battles?!" Twilight exclaimed. "And you survived through all that?!"

"Yes, but I......--."

"But you what?" Twilight asked.

"I........Nothing it's nothing." Thorn replied.

"O-Okay?" Twilight said.

"Commander, please sit down and enjoy your meal." Celestia said with a smile.

Thorn just nodded as he sat down on the not so comfortable chair. He laid his helmet on the table and grabbed a cupcake. The cupcake slowly made it's way over towards Thorn's mouth. All of The ponies were watching the scene curiously, Pinkie was even biting her hooves in nervousness. Thorn opened his mouth and took a bite out of it. He slowly chewed on the new food and swallowed it.

The ponies watched as Thorn put the cupcake back in the box.

"So? How is it?" Pinkie asked nervously.

"It is." Thorn said while licking his lips. "The best thing I have ever eaten in my entire life!" Thorn exclaimed while grabbing the cupcake he had recently bit putting it in his mouth. Thorn took two more bites out of the cupcake until it was completely devoured.

Pinkie smiled widely while the others just watched Thorn devour another cupcake.

Thorn eventually ate the remaining cupcakes and spoke up. "Aaah that was amazing, beats those Corusant protein sticks any day."

"Yay! An alien likes my cupcakes!" Pinkie exclaimed while tackling Thorn into a hug. Due to the amount of force she used; Thorn fell off of the chair with Pinkie still hugging him."Whoaa!" Thorn exclaimed.

"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Gaah." Thorn grunted while rubbing the back of his head. He looked down at his chest to see Pinkie Pie still hugging him. "Could you please let go?"

Pinkie looked up at Thorn and gave him a wide smile. She let him go and walked back to her spot at the table.

"Need a hoof?" Rainbow Dash asked while holding her hoof out.

Thorn stretched his arm and grabbed her hoof. Rainbow Dash had to use all her strength to lift him up, luckily for her Thorn could get up pretty easily.

"*pant* You're a heavy dude." Rainbow Dash said.

"It's the armor." Thorn replied while sitting down on his chair.

Rainbow Dash flew back to her spot and sat down. "He's like the most awesome alien ever." Rainbow Dash whispered to Applejack.

Applejack chuckled. "Y'all gettin mighty excited by tha fella."

"Duh, it's not like you get to meet an alien everyday." Rainbow Dash replied.

"So Thorn." Fluttershy said while hovering in front of him. "What do those clones look like?"

Thorn smiled at the mare. "They all look exactly like me, except for the scar."

"So you have a big family, well I would love to meet them." Fluttershy said.

"*chuckle* If I could, I would take you to Kamino right now and introduce you to them." Thorn said. "But I asked your Princess if there was any way for me to contact The Republic, but seeing that your guards still use spears and swords; and the fact Celestia told me herself. There is no way for me to return home, The Republic won't even know were I am."

Fluttershy gave Thorn a compassionate look before bringing him in for a hug. Thorn was caught of guard when she did that but he hesitantly returned the favor.

"Don't worry, I'm sure The Republic is already on it's way right now to pick you up." Fluttershy said while breaking the hug.

Thorn gave Fluttershy a small smile before turning his gaze to his helmet. "You are wrong about that Fluttershy, we clones were bred for war. If one of us dies; no one would care, I've seen so many brothers die in front of my eyes, and in my arms, we clones are meant to be expendable. That's why they created us, some even call us: The expendable soldiers of The Republic."

"That is just horrid!" Rarity exclaimed. If so many of your brothers died to protect The Republic; then those planets and others could at least thank you for what you did and what you are still doing."

Thorn gave Rarity a confused glare before grabbing his helmet and putting it back on. "Thank you for the cupcakes Pinkie Pie, if you all don't mind I'd like to get some fresh air."

"Again? Didn't you just came back from the gardens?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes, but I like it outside." Thorn said. It helps me take my mind off of.....Things."

Fluttershy gave Thorn a compassionate look before bringing him into another hug. "If you ever need somepony to talk to, know that I'll be there for you." Fluttershy whispered near Thorn's ear.

Thorn returned the hug and patted her on the back. "Don't worry, I won't have to."

Thorn broke the hug and looked at the other ponies. "I will be taking a short walk, when I return; I will answer any question you have for me."

All of the ponies nodded, except for Rainbow Dash who held her hoof up.

"Yes?" Thorn asked.

"Uhm do you mind if I could uhm maybe come with you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Err I guess not but--."

"Awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed while flying towards the door. "Come on big guy! Let's go!"

Thorn sighed. 'So much for a peaceful walk.'

Thorn made his way over to the enthusiastic mare. He opened the door and stepped outside, Rainbow Dash soon followed.

The walk to the gardens was quit, Thorn had expected Rainbow Dash to bombard him with questions. But surprisingly none came. When Thorn had asked her why she insisted on coming with him she just said: "I'll tell you that when we're outside."

After several more minutes; they arrived at the gardens, Thorn sat down and laid his back against the same tree he was sitting at half an hour ago.

Rainbow Dash watched his every move. "Hey now that we're outside, could I ask you something?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"What is it?" Thorn asked.

"I was wondering if, uhm, if I, uhm, could, maybeseeyourweaponandmaybeyoucouldshowmehowitworksandmaybeicoulduseitto." Rainbow Dash said.

"You want me to show you my weapon and maybe if I did; you could use it to?" Thorn asked.

"How did you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"One word: Gungan." Thorn replied.

"Okay? So can I see your weapon?" Rainbow Dash pleaded.

Thorn had been in this kind of situation before, a lot if times when he was stationed on a planet; children would come up to him and would ask him if they could see his weapon. Thorn always showed them his weapon, but this was the first time someone had asked if she could use his weapon.

"Well Republic protocol says to never give your weapon to civilians." Thorn replied. 

Rainbow Dash gave him a angry pout. "Aww ponyfeathers. And I thought I was gonna see some action."

"But." Thorn said while grabbing his pistols. "I'm not on an Republic planet. 'And I'm dead so protocol can go blast itself.' "So I'll show you how to use one of them."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked enthusiastically. 

Thorn replied by aiming his blaster pistol at the sky and pulling the trigger. *Pshww* "Really."

Thorn got up and spoke up. "This is a DC-15-S carbide blaster pistol, remember that this is not a toy; it's a weapon, a weapon that kills. You got that?" Thorn asked sternly.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yes sir!"

Thorn smirked underneath his helmet. "Alright, here you go." Thorn said while handing her the blaster. 

Rainbow Dash inspected the blaster curiously. "What do I do now?"

"You aim the blaster at your target and pull the trigger. Like this." Thorn said while aiming his blaster at a tree and pulling the trigger. A solid hole was created in the trees outer layer. "Now you try."

Rainbow Dash nodded and did as Thorn said, the only problem was that she couldn't pull the trigger. "Come on you." Rainbow Dash said while trying to get her hoof around the trigger.

Thorn looked at the mares stupidity. "Aah I see the problem." Thorn said while bending over. "You have no fingers, without them you can't pull the trigger."

Rainbow Dash sighed sadly. "So I did all of this for nothing."

"Not exactly." Thorn said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Remember the other weapon I brought with me?" Thorn asked. He received a nod from Dash. "That one you could use, since the trigger is easy to pull."

Rainbow Dash's ears perked up and she threw the pistol at Thorn. Thorn caught the pistol and spoke up. "Hey, watch what you're doing with that thing."

"Come on big guy! I wanna use the big weapon!" Rainbow Dash said.

"*sigh* Over enthusiastic little--."

"Excuse me sir?" A masculine voice asked from behind Thorn.

Thorn turned around to see two solar guards standing in front of him. "What is it?" Thorn asked.

"Princess Cadence would like to have a word with you." The guard replied.

"Why?" Thorn and Rainbow Dash asked in unison.

The guard shrugged. "I don't know why, I was just informed to get you as soon as possible."

"Well then." Thorn said while spinning his blasters and holstering them. "Lead the way."

"Follow us please." The guard said.

"Hey blue." Thorn said.

"Yeah? What is it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"When I come back; we're going to have some fun with 'The Hammer'." Thorn replied.

"......Aww yeah!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed while doing a few back flips.

Thorn smiled and turned around to follow the guards who were waiting for him.

Just a 'little fun', I don't want to wreck the entire castle gardens.

> Tea with Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Waxer, tell me; who gave you the order to attack us?"

"It-It was General Krell, he sent us to these coordinates to stop the enemy, we thought they were wearing our armor."

"But. It was. You."

Waxer's last words to Captain Rex.



-------------


Thorn walked through the castle halls, he kind of knew his way around the castle; but he didn't mind the guards escorting him. After all; he was part of the Corusant elite guard, so he had his fair share of escorting people.

"So, I heard you kicked some serious flank." One guard said.

"What?" Thorn asked while heading up another set of stairs.

"Sorry." The guard said while chuckling. "I meant to say that; you showed Chrysalis and her Changelings who's boss."

Thorn nodded in agreement. "I've faced things far more dangerous; than those things." 

"You have?" The guard asked astonished. 

"Yeah." Thorn replied. 

"Like what?" The guard asked curiously.

"Imagine a huge army of machines; who are programmed to exterminate anything that threatens their leaders." Thorn replied.

"How 'big' are we talking?" The guard asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'd say in the millions; maybe more." Thorn replied.

"You fought against millions of those machines?! "The guard asked shocked.

"*chuckle* no, while I have fought against a lot of them but not even close to a million." Thorn replied.

"Lucky you huh?" The guard asked.

"Can't imagine the things you must have gone through." The female guard of the two said.

Thorn shook his head. "Trust me, you don't even want to know."

"It's that bad?" The male guard asked.

Thorn nodded. "Is death a common thing on....." Thorn said while snapping his fingers.

"Equis." The female guard finished.

"Yes, is death a common thing on Equis?" Thorn asked.

"N-No, why do you ask?" The male guard asked.

"Because in my life, death was a common thing." Thorn replied.

"Was? Don't you mean is?" The female guard asked.

"Uhm, yes is; that's what I meant." Thorn replied.

The guards gave Thorn a confused glare; but they kept on walking; asking him question after question. From where he was from; to his fights against The Separatists droid army.

Eventually after a few more minutes of walking through the castle, and all of the constant questions from the two guards; they reached a set of oak wood doors.

"Alright, this is it." The male guard said. 

*Knock* *Knock*

"Who is it?" A feminine voice on the other side of the door asked.

"Princess Cadence, we brought the Commander; as you ordered." The male guard replied.

"Oh! Of course, let him in." Cadence said.

"Yes, your majesty!" The male guard replied. He opened the doors. When the doors were fully opened; it revealed a very excited Cadence, and a very tired Shining Armor.

"Thank you guards, you may return to your posts." Cadence said with a smile. 

The guards saluted as they turned headed back to their posts.

"Commander Thorn, please enter." Cadence said motioning for him to enter.

Thorn nodded and walked inside. When he was inside; the doors closed behind him. 

"Please sit down." Cadence said.

"No thanks ma'am." Thorn replied. "These chairs are rather uncomfortable, so if you don't mind; I'd rather stand."

Cadence nodded in agreement. "Could I perhaps offer you some tea?"

"Tea?" Thorn asked confused.

"Yes, don't they have tea were you are from?" Cadence asked curiously.

"No ma'am, we usually drink water or water replacements." Thorn replied. "But I have heard the word somewhere, just can't remember where.

"Well here you go then." Cadence said while levitating a cup of tea in front of Thorn.

Thorn eyed the cup curiously; he hesitantly took the cup out of Cadence's magic and spoke up. "Thank you, Princess."

"You can call me Cadence, only strangers call me Princess." Cadence said.

"Alright, Cadence." Thorn replied.

Cadence chuckled. "You really are something; you know that?"

"Oh?" Thorn replied while cocking his eyebrow underneath his helmet.

"Yes." Cadence replied while sitting down on one of the chairs in the room. "You saved the entire kingdom, and it doesn't even bother you."

"Bother me? What are you talking about?" Thorn asked confused.

"Well, you saved a kingdom you are not familiar with." Cadence said while pointing at the open window; that revealed the streets of Canterlot. "But instead of walking away like any other pony would have done, you saved it."

Thorn shook his head. "I was just doing what I thought was right, those Changelings appeared to be a threat; and threats are there to be neutralized."

Cadence cocked an eyebrow at his reply. "So you have 'neutralized' threats before?"

Thorn nodded in response. "Try fighting against an army of machines; that are programmed to exterminate any threat to their Separatist leaders."

"Oh my." Cadence said  while taking a sip from her tea.

"So, you've fought against bigger threats than the Changelings?" Shining Armor asked while rubbing the remaining sleep from is eyes.

"Yes, The Separatists are far more dangerous than those 'Changelings', I think they're even the most dangerous threat to the galaxy." Thorn replied.

"Even more dangerous than Discord?" Cadence asked.

"I don't know who this 'Discord' is, but if he were to face off against a Separatist garrison; he wouldn't stand a chance." Thorn replied.

"But Discord is The Spirit of  Disharmony, I'm sure he would at least put up a fight against those Separatists." Cadence replied. 'Seeing as what he did to Ponyville.' Cadence thought while shuddering at what Celestia had told her about what he had done.

"Well, maybe he would put up a fight, but he wouldn't stand a chance against a full invasion force; let alone a Sith". Thorn replied.

"Sith?" Shining Armor asked.

Thorn sighed.  "Let me tell you what I told Celestia and the others." Thorn said while putting his cup on the ground.

"Oh no, please let me take that." Cadence said while grabbing the cup with her magic and setting it on a table.

"Please continue." Cadence said with a smile.

"Alright, the Separatists are--."

"Ooooh Thornieeeeeeeee!" A very excited high pitched voice shouted.

"Who could that be?" Shining Armor asked.

*knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock*

"Alright, I'm coming!" Shining Armor shouted while walking towards the door.

Cadence looked at her husband, but quickly returned her gaze towards the clone Commander. 

"So, those Separatists?" Cadence asked.

"Right." Thorn said while moving his hands towards his helmet. He grabbed his helmet and removed it.

Cadence's eyes widened when she saw what was underneath his helmet. She had expected some sort of green alien face; with tentacles coming out of it, but instead she saw a face; a face scarred so badly that she had to look away. Not because it disgusted her, but because she felt sorry for him.

"Are you alright?" Thorn asked concerned. "I can put my helmet back on; if you'd like."

"N-No, that won't be necessary." Cadence said while returning her gaze back to Thorn. "Who gave you that scar?" Cadence asked concerned.

"The Separatists, or their battle droids to be more precise." Thorn replied.

"Oh my." Cadence said while looking at his scarred face.

Thorn was about to put is helmet back on, until Cadence stopped him.

"Wait!" Cadence exclaimed.

"What is it?" Thorn asked.

"I think I know how to fix that." Cadence said while walking over to Thorn.

"Uhm, what are you doing?" Thorn asked while taking a step back.

"I'm an Alicorn." Cadence replied while moving closer to him. "Alicorns can use magic,such as healing spells, teleportation spells and many others."

"What are you getting at?" Thorn asked while moving his hands to his hips. 'I don't know what she's up to, but just because she's royalty; doesn't mean I can't fire a warning shot or two.' Thorn thought while taking another step back.

"I can make that scar of yours disappear." Cadence said.

"That's impossible." Thorn said while pointing at his scar. "This is permanent, maybe that so called 'magic' of yours can heal people; but so can a bacta tank."

"But when I studied Alicorn anatomy when I was younger, it said that Alicorns and Unicorns alike could perform all kinds of spells. But only Alicorns could perform a certain healing spell that would 'heal' any kind of damage done to the body." Cadence explained.

"I don't like were this is going." Thorn said.

"What I'm trying to say is; that I could 'heal' your scar." Cadence replied.

"But, how; and why?" Thorn asked.

"How; I do not know. But the reason why; is because I want to return a favor." Cadence.

"Return a favor?" Thorn asked.

"Does saving an entire kingdom ring a bell?" Cadence asked.

"......You'd seriously want to do such a thing, for a clone like me?" Thorn asked surprised.

"For me you are not 'just a clone', for me; you are a....Friend." Cadence replied.

'A friend? She seriously considers me a friend?'

"So, may I?" Cadence asked.

Thorn sighed and bend down so she could reach his face. "Don't start complaining when I say: I told you so."

Cadence rolled her eyes. "Sit still." Cadence moved closer to him; her horn being covered by her magical aura, she slightly tilted her head so she could touch his scarred side.

"Now don't move and--."

*Kablang!*

"Aaah! "Cadence exclaimed.

Unfortunately for Thorn, Cadence's horn was to close to his face; so he couldn't dodge her horn when she jumped in shock.

Her horn made a cut on his scarred face, Thorn winced and held his hand to his face. "Blast!" Thorn shouted while removing his hand from his face, his black glove was covered in blood; it wasn't much but it still hurt.

"Thornie! Where are you?" Pinkie Pie asked while zooming from one spot to another.

"Help m-me." Shining Armor pleaded while trying to remove himself from the wall he had been blown against.

"Oh my." Cadence said while using her magic to get her husband out of the wall. Shining Armor was covered in a blue aura and was carefully set down beside his wife.

"Shiny, are you OK?" Cadence asked concerned; while checking his body for any injuries.

"I'm fine." Shining grunted. "But I think he needs some bandages."

Cadence looked at were Shining was pointing his hoof at, and saw Thorn holding his hand to his face; while mumbling something between the lines of: "I'm going to beat the klark out of that pink one."

At first, Cadence thought he was talking about her; but that was before she spotted the pink party pony bouncing from one place to another.

"Pinkie Pie." Cadence said with slight annoyance. "What are you doing in here?"

Pinkie Pie froze in mid-air (don't ask why) and smiled. "I was just here to say; hello to Thornie."

"Well you've certainly made a big entrance." Shining said while rubbing his head.

"*gasp* Thornie! You're bleeding!" Pinkie exclaimed while zooming over to Thorn.

"You don't say?" Thorn asked sarcastically.

Thorn was about to say his goodbye's and leave, until Pinkie stopped him. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Thorn asked while wiping away the blood from his wound.

"You're hurt because of me." Pinkie said.

"Yes, and your point is?" Thorn asked.

"The point is; that I'm going to bring you to Fluttershy and let her patch you up." Pinkie replied while grabbing Thorn's hand and dragging him out of the room.

"Hey! What in blazes name do you think you're aaaaaaaaaaah!" Thorn exclaimed while being dragged across the castle halls; at a speed that would even out match General Skywalker's. Thorn had to keep himself from tripping, but at the same time;he had to keep up with Pinkie Pie.

'I swear to Kamino; that if she doesn't stop soon, I'm going to stun her.' Thorn though while being dragged up another set of stairs by Pinkie.

Eventually after a minute of running, they arrived at a set of wooden doors Thorn had not seen before.

"Wait here and don't move. "Pinkie Pie ordered.

Thorn replied by rubbing his shoulder. 'Blasted thing's pretty strong.' Thorn thought.

*knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock*

"Fluttershy, anypony; open this door!" Pinkie Pie ordered while constantly knocking.

The door opened and revealed a very annoyed Rainbow Dash. 

"Pinkie, one knock is enough you know." Rainbow Dash said with slight annoyance. "Huh? What's Thorn doing here? And why is he bleeding for that matter?"

"Oh, I barged into his little talk with Cadence; and I kinda scared Cadence and she just went "Aaaaaaaaaaah", and she accidentally cut Thorn with her horn." Pinkie explained while smiling at the end.

Rainbow Dash cocked an eyebrow at Thorn. "Let me see that." Rainbow Dash said while flapping her wings. She flew up towards Thorn's face and pushed his hand away. 

"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Now you're going to get a scar on your scar." Rainbow Dash said while chuckling.

Thorn just rolled his eyes. "You still want to try out the big gun?"

Rainbow Dash nodded furiously in response. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Then I suggest you quit the sarcasm." Thorn said.

Rainbow Dash, clearly offended by his statement; pouted and turned around. "Hmpf, and I actually thought you'd be as awesome as me." Rainbow Dash said while crossing her hooves and hovering towards the other room.

"What in tarnation is goin on out there?" Applejack asked.

"Nothing, Thornie is just hurt; that's all." Pinkie Pie replied.

"Hurt?!" Fluttershy exclaimed while flying towards the door. Let me see.

Thorn sighed and showed her his cut.

"Oh my, please come in." Fluttershy said while gently grabbing his arm.

Thorn decided he would let her 'lead' his way. They entered the room, Pinkie Pie shut the door behind them and quickly made her way over to Rarity.

"Please sit down on the bed." Fluttershy instructed.

Thorn nodded and sat down on the bed. He made a quick check of his surroundings. There were six beds, probably one for each of them; he could also smell the faint scent of cupcakes for some reason.

"Twilight, could you get me my saddle bag please?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight smiled and levitated the saddle bag over to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy smiled as she opened her saddle bag, she took out a bottle of what appeared to be some sort of alcohol, a bandage, and a band-aid. "Now this might sting a little." Fluttershy said while pouring a bit of alcohol on the bandage.

Thorn just snorted in response. 'Try a syringe full of bacta, then we'll talk about what stings and what doesn't.' Thorn thought while remembering the many field bactas he had been given.

Fluttershy brought the bandage to Thorn's face and gently wiped the wound clean. She was surprised that Thorn didn't even wince when she  applied the bandage. But she continued nonetheless. When she was finished wiping his wound, she applied the band-aid to his cut.

"There, all better." Fluttershy said while giving Thorn a peck on his treated wound.

Thorn looked at her, his face showing confusion and surprise.

Fluttershy smiled at Thorn; before realizing what she had just done, she blushed and quickly apologized. "I'm s-so sorry, I-it's just that when my animal friends are hurt; I usually give them a small k-kiss on their wound so that they will feel better." Fluttershy said while slowly waking away from the bed. "Please don't hurt me." Fluttershy whispered/pleaded while hiding behind her mane.

Thorn got up from the bed and walked over to Fluttershy,the others in the room had no idea what was going to happen; they just watched as Thorn made his way over to Fluttershy. Fluttershy stood frozen in shock, she was on the verge of tears.

When she saw Thorn bending over, and moving his strange appendage towards her; she thought she was done for, she feared that her life might come to an end. She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

That thought, was quickly replaced when she felt a tingling feeling behind her ears. She opened her eyes and looked up at Thorn, he was smiling at her; and when she looked at his hand, she saw that he wasn't hurting nor slapping her. No, he was scratching her.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and sighed. She really enjoyed this feeling, whatever those appendages were called; she didn't care. She only wanted to enjoy this moment.

She rested her head against Thorn's hand, trying to get the full sensation of his amazing 'handy work'. Thorn stopped petting Fluttershy and got back up; much to Fluttershy's dismay.

All of the ponies stood mouth agape. Their brains still processing what had just occurred. That was; until Pinkie Pie spoke up.

"Ooh! Ooh! Me! Me next!" Pinkie said while running at Thorn as she started rubbing her head against his hand.

Pinkie rubbed her head against his hand a few times, before speaking up. "Wow, this feels so weird but funny at the same time."

Thorn smiled and scratched behind her ears as well. Pinkie sighed with pleasure.

Thorn eventually stopped petting her and spoke up. "Listen, I'd love to stay; but I need to go back to Princess Cadence and retrieve my helmet."

"Oh, you mean this thing?" Pinkie said while grabbing said helmet from out of nowhere.

"How did you?" Thorn asked.

"Just forget try'n ta understand her, ma brain still hurts from try'n." Applejack said.

Thorn just gave Pinkie a confused glare; before grabbing his helmet from her and putting it on.

Thorn moved his mouth a bit, trying to see if the band-aid wouldn't come off; luckily it didn't.

"Now you don't need to go back, but instead you can stay here with us!" Pinkie exclaimed with much joy.

Thorn chuckled at her excitement. 'She reminds me of Senator Binks.' Thorn thought.

"Hey Thorn." Rainbow Dash said as she hovered in front of him.

"What is it?" Thorn asked.

"Have you ever heard of the game: Truth or Dare?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smug grin.

"Truth or Dare?" Thorn repeated. "No, never heard of it."

Rainbow Dash's grin turned even wider. "AJ, get that empty bottle of Apple cider; 'cause we're gonna have some fun."

'I have a bad feeling about this.' Thorn thought to himself.



> Truth or Dare sucks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Surrender General, you're outnumbered."

"You dare to attack a Jedi!?"

"I will not be undermined; by creatures bred in some laboratory!"

Captain Rex ordering the Jedi traitor; General Krell to surrender, for making clones attack their own.



-------------


"So, how did you say this game was played again?" Thorn asked while sitting down on the ground. 

"It's simple." Rainbow Dash said while sitting down across from Thorn. "You spin the bottle, and after the bottle stops spinning and points at somepony;  you get to ask that pony a question or you can dare her to do something."  Rainbow Dash explained. "But when you ask somepony a question, they have to answer it honestly; there will be no lying."

"And don't even try ta lie, cause ah know when somepony is lying or not." Applejack added.

"OK?" Thorn replied. "So who should begin?"

"I think I should begin." Rainbow Dash said while spinning the bottle. 

The bottle spun around for a few seconds until it stopped in front of Rarity.

"Alright, Rarity: Truth or Dare?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Truth." Rarity replied.

"What was the first thing you thought; when you saw Thorn kicking Chrysalis's flank?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Rarity smiled and looked at Thorn. "At first I thought he was some kind of dangerous creature that came from the pits of Tartarus itself."

"Ouch." Rainbow Dash said. "That's a little harsh, don'tcha ya think?"

Rarity cocked an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash. "Well the game is called Truth or Dare, and what I am telling; is the truth."

"Okay?" Rainbow Dash said.

Rarity just rolled her eyes and spun the bottle by using her magic. The bottle spun a few times until it landed on Twilight.

"Twilight darling: Truth or Dare?: Rarity asked.

"Truth." Twilight replied.

"Are you going to bombard Thorn with questions when this is over?" Rarity asked.

"Yes!" Twilight quickly replied.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, while the others just laughed. Thorn didn't really know how to react; he had never been involved in one of these 'Truth or Dare' games before, so he really didn't know what to expect.

'Let's just hope that bottle will skip me, but whatever I do; I will defiantly not go for dare.' Thorn thought while watching Twilight spin the bottle.

The bottle stopped, facing Pinkie Pie.

"OOH! OOH! Dare! I choose dare!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Twilight chuckled. "Pinkie Pie, I have to ask you first; remember?"

"Okie dokie lokie." Pinkie replied.

"Alright: Truth or Dare?" Twilight asked.

"Truth." Pinkie replied.

"But, didn't you just say dare?" Twilight asked confused.

"Yeah, but that was before you asked me if I wanted to choose; Truth or Dare." Pinkie Pie replied.

Twilight just gave her a confused look before speaking up. "Alright, what do you think of Commander Thorn?" 

Pinkie Pie's ears immediately perked up at her question. "I think he's the most fun, cool, strong, funny, and overall awesome alien EVER!" Pinkie replied while running towards Thorn and grabbing him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Gaah!" Thorn exclaimed while trying to push the pink party mare off him.

"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight exclaimed while using her magic to get Pinkie off of the clone Commander

"Awwww." Pinkie said defeated. "But I was just trying to be nice."

"Ah, don't think that tha fella likes getting his body crushed; by ya Pinkie." Applejack said in a as a matter of factly tone.

Pinkie just huffed in response and crossed her hoofs.

"..Pinkie, it's your turn." Rainbow Dash said.

Pinkie's ears immediately perked up as she spun the bottle. Please stop on Thornie, Please stop on Thornie. Pinkie whispered.

'Please don't stop on me, please don't stop on me.' Thorn thought while mentally crossing his fingers.

The bottle stopped spinning and landed on..Fluttershy.

"Awww." Pinkie said sadly. "And I really wanted to ask Thornie a question."

'Is she ever going to stop with that stupid nickname?' Thorn thought while looking at her. 'Thorn is just fine, or even CC-4254; but Thornie? No way.'

"Fluttershy, Truth or Dare?" Pinkie asked.

"Uhm, I uhm...... Don't know." Fluttershy replied.

"Come on Fluttershy, it's not that big of a deal." Rainbow Dash said.

"Uhm I-I-I-I, I choose dare!" Fluttershy quickly exclaimed.

All of the ponies looked at Fluttershy with shocked expressions.

"Dare? That's something I would have expected Dash to do; but Fluttershy?" Pinkie said.

"I-I." Fluttershy managed to speak out before giving a little squeak.

Pinkie smiled before speaking up. "Aw, come on Fluttershy; there's nothing to be afraid of." Pinkie said reassuringly.

Fluttershy looked at Pinkie before giving her a soft smile. "I-If you s-say so."

"Alright!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I dare you to". Pinkie said while looking around the room. She stopped when her eyes were set on Thorn.

"Blast." Thorn whispered.

"I dare you to put on Thornie's helmet." Pinkie said.

"What?!" Thorn exclaimed. "Oh no no no, no one is touching my helmet; without my permission, let alone putting it on." Thorn said while getting up.

Thorn took put his hands on his holsters. 'Come any closer, and I'll stun you.' Thorn thought as he watched Pinkie move closer to him.

"Oh come on Thornie." Pinkie Pie said while suddenly appearing in front of Thorn's face.

"Gaah!" Thorn exclaimed while tripping over his own feet. 

Pinkie Pie took advantage of the situation and (somehow) grabbed  his helmet with her hooves. She quickly threw his helmet at Fluttershy. 

"Quickly! Put it on!" Pinkie said while jumping on Thorn and pinning his arms down with her hooves.

"Get off!" Thorn ordered. Thorn rolled, now Pinkie was the one who was pinned down. Thorn gave Pinkie a angry glare. 

Pinkie smiled sheepishly at him. "Hi Thornie!"

Thorn sighed and got off from Pinkie. He got back up and turned around. "Now, just give me back my helmet and...What do you think you're doing?" Thorn asked as he saw that Fluttershy  was wearing his helmet.

A normal person would have laughed his ass off if he or she saw what Thorn was seeing, Fluttershy's head was completely covered by his helmet; but because Thorn's head was slightly bigger than Fluttershy's; the helmet just bobbled up and down every time Fluttershy would try to look through the visor.

"Uhm, d-doing as I was dared to?" Fluttershy replied.

Thorn sighed again and walked over to Fluttershy. He bent over and removed his helmet from her head. Fluttershy shook her head a few time; to get her fuzzy mane back to its normal state.

Thorn wiped his helmet and put it back on. "Now let me just make one thing clear." Thorn said with a  serious tone. "No one, but I mean no one; touches my helmet or anything else what belongs to me; without my permission. Am I understood?" Thorn asked.

The ponies gave him quick nods in response.

"Loud and clear." Applejack said. "Ah don't like it when somepony touches ma hat, so ah know tha feelin partner."

Thorn nodded and sat back down on the ground. "Could we please finish this game as soon as possible." Thorn asked.

"Jeez Thorn, is it that boring?" Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically.

"No." Thorn replied. "I just don't like playing games; that I think are a waste of my time."

"Waste of your time?" Rainbow Dash repeated. "What could you possibly have to do that is so important, because from what I've heard you can't contact The Republic, meaning you can't return to your home."

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash an angry glare. "That's not very nice to say, how do ya think tha fella feels about all of this?" Applejack said while pointing her hoof at Thorn

"Well I-I don't know, sad maybe?" Rainbow Dash replied.

"I don't feel sad." Thorn interrupted. "I wasn't bred to feel sad, I wasn't bred to play games, I was bred to fight."

Applejack gave Thorn a compassionate look. "Now dontcha go and say something like that, everypony has a purpose in life; and I'm sure yours isn't just to fight."

Thorn chuckled at her response. "You don't understand what it means to be a clone, none of you do; and none of you ever will."

Twilight gave Thorn a curious look. "And why is that?"

"Because you've never seen the things I've seen, never been through the things I've been through." Thorn replied. 

"You only told us a little about that war didn't you?" Twilight asked with a sad tone.

"I am not going to tell you about every battle I've fought in, every brother I lost, every droid I blasted." Thorn replied. "I am not planning on bugging you with my life."

"But we're friends." Pinkie said reassuringly. "You can tell us everything, but if it gets too scary; then please stop."

Thorn sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I mean, sure war is bad; but if we want to get to know the 'real' you, you have to tell us everything."

"Some things, are better left untold." Thorn replied.

Rainbow gave Thorn a pout. "Alright, but I still want to try out that 'big gun' of yours."

Thorn chuckled. 'This is gonna be like Hardcase all over again.' Thorn thought.

"Fluttershy, it's your turn." Rainbow Dash said while handing her the bottle. 

"Oh, uhm I-I'm not sure if I should--."

"Don't worry sugarcube, it's just 'fun and games' remember?" Applejack said reassuringly. 

"I-If you say so." Fluttershy said while spinning the bottle. 

The bottle spun a few times until it stopped in front of a certain bipedal creature. 

'Oh come on!' Thorn mentally shouted.

"T-Thorn,T-Truth or D-Dare?" Fluttershy asked. 

Thorn sighed. 'I'd rather escort Senator Binks; than to answer these questions.' Thorn thought.

"I choose truth." Thorn replied. 

"OK, h-how long h-have you been fighting against The Separatists? If I may ask." Fluttershy asked.

Thorn was expecting such a question, he couldn't blame her; they were probably just curious about the things he had been through. But this was a touchy subject for Thorn, he usually forgot about his past battles; in order to prepare for the next ones. 

"Hello? Equus to Thorn, you there?" Rainbow Dash asked while waving a hoof in front of his visor. 

"Huh?" Thorn replied. 

"Oh, your fine." Rainbow Dash said while flying back to her spot. 

"I'm sorry, I spaced out a little." Thorn said.

"Don't worry about it, happens to me sometimes too." Rainbow Dash said. 

"More like all tha time." Applejack added.

Rainbow Dash just gave her an angry glare in response. "Can we please continue the game?" Rainbow Dash asked with an annoyed tone. 

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Ahw shucks, can't handle tha truth?" Applejack asked mockingly. 

Rainbow Dash snorted in response. "Yeah, whatever."

All of the ponies laughed at the scene, but Thorn didn't even chuckle; he was still busy thinking of something to answer the question he had been asked. 

'What should I tell them? Should I tell them the truth? ........No, that's none of their business; there are some things I don't want to bring up.' Thorn thought.

But back to the main topic.  Rainbow Dash said while crossing her hooves. "Just in how many battles have you fought?"

"....... Too many." Thorn replied grimly. 

"Too many? Can you be a 'little' more specific?" Rainbow Dash asked. 

"No." Thorn replied. 

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash asked. 

"Come on sugarcube, we won't judge ya." Applejack said. 

"This...Is something I don't like to talk about, I've told you some things about the war; but hearing someone tell you, and seeing it for yourself; are two different things."

The ponies gave Thorn a sad look.

"Well, then I suggest you choose dare." Pinkie said. 

Thorn turned his head to gaze at Pinkie." Why?" 

"So that you don't have to answer our questions." Pinkie replied.

"But couldn't Fluttershy just--."

"Nope!" Pinkie cut Thorn off.

"*sigh* Just get it over with." Thorn said. 

Fluttershy nervously looked around, searching for any kind of escape; but unfortunately for her, there was no escape. Uhm, "T-Thorn I d-dare you to......--"

"Dare him to do what?" Rainbow Dash asked impatiently. 

"I dare y-you t-to.....--"

Come on Fluttershy, it's just a game. Rainbow Dash said with slight annoyance. 

Fluttershy looked around and saw the others giving her reassuring looks; and nods. 

Fluttershy gathered her courage and sighed. "Thorn, I dare you to help me take care of my animal friends for one day." Fluttershy said.

"What!?" Thorn and Rainbow Dash exclaimed in unison. 

'We have got to stop doing that.' Thorn thought while looking at Rainbow Dash. 

"I'm afraid I couldn't quite hear you, but did you say something about animals?" Thorn asked. 

Fluttershy gave a slow nod. "Yes, that is my dare......If that's OK with you of course."

"Of course it's OK with him." Rainbow Dash said. "Unless, he wants to chicken out." 

"Chicken out? What's that supposed to mean?" Thorn thought. 

"So, are you gonna do it? Or not?" Rainbow Dash asked mockingly. 

Thorn sighed. "Do I have to?"

"Those are the rules." Rainbow Dash replied. 

".......Blast." Thorn said whim lowering his head.

"We'll take that; as a yes." Rainbow Dash said while grabbing the bottle. 

"Hey, isn't it supposed to be my turn?" Thorn asked confused. 

"Yes." Rainbow Dash replied casually. 

"Then why are you grabbing the bottle?" Thorn asked. 

"Because, you have to do your dare first." Rainbow Dash replied. 

"Alright, then where are these 'animals' I have to take care of?" Thorn asked. 

"In Ponyville." Rainbow Dash said with a grin.

"And, where would that be?" Thorn asked. 

"It's not that far, we just have to take the train here in Canterlot to get there." Rainbow Dash replied. 

"So, there not here?" Thorn asked. 

"Nope, and we can't continue the game; until you've completed your dare." Rainbow Dash replied while getting up. "So, when do you want to leave?"

"....You had this planned out all along, didn't you?" Thorn asked while getting up. 

"Nope, but this outcome is even better than I expected." Rainbow Dash replied. 

"Why is that?" Thorn asked. 

"Well, I was kinda hoping I could; dare you to let me use your 'big gun', but having you stay in Ponyville is even better!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. 

'.....This is going to be Ryloth all over again.' Thorn thought. 

"Aww shucks." Applejack said while getting up. "Dontcha worry 'bout a thing sugarcube, everythang is gonna be alright."

"It's gonna be alright Thorn, just get to the extraction point as soon as you can!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Thorn shouted. 

Thorn looked around and saw that everyone was giving him confused looks? 

"What was that about?" Twilight asked. 

"Yeah, why did you suddenly started shouting "Sir, yes sir!", we're all mares silly; there are no stallions here." Pinkie said.

"I-I'm not sure." Thorn replied. 'Blast! Why do I keep having these blasted flashbacks?' Thorn thought while remembering the line that just crossed his mind. 

That was the battle of Kamino, I had been assigned by Nada Sè; to help evacuate the hospitalized clones to the evacuation frigates. But we were ambushed by a droid garrison, by the time me and my men arrived at the extraction point; the frigates had already been destroyed by Separatist Hyena bombers

Luckily for us, Jedi master Shaak Ti was there to help us out. Without her, we would not have lived to fight another day.

"Hello? Thorn, you there?" Rainbow Dash asked while tapping him on his helmet. 

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity exclaimed. "Watch what you're doing, you might damage his armor."

"Pfft, even Chrysalis couldn't damage his armor; so I think a slight 'tap', isn't even going to leave a scratch."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Thorn asked confused. 

"If you wouldn't have spaced out again, you would have heard what we were telling you." Rainbow Dash replied. 

"Then what were you telling me?" Thorn asked.

"I was just telling you that, Princess Celestia might give you permission to go to Ponyville with us." Twilight said.

"Yeah, wouldn't that be awesome?" Rainbow Dash asked. 

Thorn shrugged. "I've never been into Ponyville before, so I don't know what to expect."

"Ponyville is a nice town, the ponies will have to get used to you; but they'll eventually warm up to you." Twilight said with a smile. 

"Well then." Rainbow Dash said while hovering towards the door; and opening it. "What are we waiting for?"

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked confused. 

"Let's go and talk to the Princess." Rainbow Dash replied. 

"Wait, you want Thorn to go with us; today?" Twilight asked. 

"Duh." Rainbow Dash replied. "I'm not real a big fan of Canterlot anyway, too many stuck up royals."

"How can you say such a thing?!" Rarity exclaimed. "You have absolutely no idea what kind of beauties; this city holds."

"Sorry Rarity, but fashion isn't really my thing." Rainbow Dash replied sarcastically. 

Rarity rolled her eyes at Rainbow Dash. "I knew that."

"But seriously." Rainbow Dash said. "Can we please get a move on?"

Thorn mentally sighed.'This is going to be a very long and stressful day.'

Twilight rolled her eyes at Rainbow Dash's impatience, while Pinkie happily bounced towards the door, Applejack chuckled and had to drag Rarity with her; because she insisted on staying, Rainbow Dash was already few meters in front of the others, and Fluttershy slowly made her way over towards the door.

And Thorn? Let's just say Thorn was having the 'best' day of his life. 'First I get tricked into playing a stupid game, and now I have to go back with them to this 'Ponyville'. Luckily for them, I was the only clone to arrive here; I don't know how things would have turned out if Hardcase had of been here instead of me.' Thorn thought while walking towards the door.

He walked through the door and closed it, when he turned around; he saw non other than Princess Celestia standing in front of him. "Hello." Thorn said casually. 

Celestia smiled. "Hello Commander, did my sudden appearance not startle you?"

"No, I've been startled so many times now; it doesn't even surprise me anymore when somebody appears right behind me." Thorn replied while turning his gaze towards Pinkie Pie. 

Celestia turned her head; so that she could see who Thorn was looking at, and gave him a nod. "I know what you mean." Celestia whispered.

Thorn quickly returned his gaze towards the Princess and spoke up. "Uhm ma'am, I have something to ask you and--."

"The answer is yes Commander." Celestia cut him off. 

"How did you?" Thorn asked.

Celestia winked at him. "There are some things that nopony knows about me."

Thorn cocked an eyebrow underneath his helmet, but decided to play along. "So I have permission to escort them to Ponyville?" Thorn asked while pointing his index finger at the mane six.

"Escort? Weren't you dared to go with them?" Celestia asked. 

"*sigh* yes ma'am." Thorn replied defeated. 

Celestia had to hold back a chuckle but gave Thorn a smile instead. "Commander, I wish you the best of luck."

Celestia turned her gaze to her personal student and her friends. "Twilight, I am hereby giving you permission to take Commander Thorn; with you to Ponyville."

Twilight smiled and gave Celestia a hug. "Thank you Princess, we'll make sure that Thorn will have a pleasant stay in Ponyville." Twilight said while breaking the hug.

Celestia smiled at her student. "I'm sure you will, but I hope that the ponies in Ponyville will warm up to Thorn; as you have."

"Don't worry, when they see Thorn with me; they'll warm up to him right away." Rainbow Dash said. 

'Again, too overconfident.' Thorn thought while looking at Rainbow Dash. 

"I'm sure they will." Celestia said. 

"Ma'am, if we are to leave soon; I need to get my belongings." Thorn said. 

"While of course, we can leave whenever you want." Celestia replied.

"I would like to leave as soon as possible." Thorn said. "The sooner this is over, the better."

Celestia smiled. "That can be arranged, if we hurry up; we can get you on the train in half an hour."

Thorn nodded in agreement. "Yes ma'am."

Thorn turned around and began walking to his room.

"Where are you going?" Celestia asked. 

Thorn stopped in his tracks and turned around. "To my chambers, to gather my belongings."

"You can get lost pretty easily, I will walk with you." Celestia said while walking up next to Thorn. When she was beside Thorn, she turned around and spoke up. "Twilight, you and your friends can wait here; while I escort Thorn to his room."

Twilight nodded in response. "We will wait here; until you return."

Celestia smiled at her student and motioned Thorn to follow her. Thorn turned around and followed her.


--------


The walk to Thorn's room was a quiet one, Thorn didn't say much; he only answered the questions Celestia asked him. 

Eventually, they reached his chambers. Thorn opened the door and stepped inside, he walked towards his bed and picked up his grenades and Z6 rotary blaster canon. 'Too bad I had to use a Thermal detonator to blast through that door. Now I only have two left.' Thorn though while picking up his grenades. 

"Are you done?" Celestia asked while poking her head through the doorway. 

"Yeah." Thorn replied while grabbing his Z6. He spun the barrel around to see if it was still operational, luckily for him; it still was. 'Thank Kamino for that.' Thorn thought while walking towards the door. He pushed the door open and walked through. He closed the door behind him and turned around to see Celestia with a sad look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Thorn asked.

"I-Its nothing." Celestia replied.

"I can see you are upset, tell me what's bothering you." Thorn said.

"Why?" Celestia asked.

"Why what? Thorn asked confused.

"Why are you, who you are?" Celestia asked.

Thorn looked at the Princess, she was sad about something; but he didn't know what was bothering her. "Listen." Thorn said while putting his Z6 on the ground. He grabbed his helmet and removed it. "Tell me what you meant with your question, and I will answer it."

Celestia gave Thorn a sad smile. "Why are you asking nothing in return? Why are you not angry about the fact that you cannot return to your world? Why are you...So caring?"

"Because that's just who I am." Thorn replied.

"Let me guess, that's how they made you; right?" Celestia asked.

"No, that's how I made myself. "Thorn replied.

"Made yourself? What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"When I was deployed for the first time, I thought that I had to follow standard protocol to survive; follow the orders given by your superiors, do not hesitate to take out an enemy." Thorn said while looking down at his helmet. "But from time to time, every clone starts to develop their own protocol, their own set of rules that they follow."

"But, wouldn't that mean that the clones would not follow orders from their superiors?" Celestia asked.

"No, we clones still follow orders from our Jedi Generals; but sometimes we make our own decisions." Thorn said while remembering what Rex had told him.

"General Krell did what?!"

"He made us kill our own brothers, he betrayed us."

"...Who executed him?"

"....."

"Rex, who executed General Krell?"

"Dogma."

"Dogma? But didn't you say he followed every order that Krell gave you; and your men, all of those suicidal missions he sent you on."

"Yes, but he was just following protocol.!

"So he was a 'by the book clone' huh?"

"Yes, but when General Krell confessed his actions, Dogma finally saw that what he did; was wrong."

"So he disobeyed protocol and executed a Commanding General?"

"Yes, but that was his choice; his own free will."

"What happened to him?"

"Court martialed."

"....Blast."

"I know, but at least he did; what he thought was right."

"Thorn are you alright?" Celestia asked concerned.

"Huh?" Thorn asked while looking at the solar diarch.

"Are you alright?" Celestia repeated.

"I'm fine, I-I just spaced out." Thorn replied.

Celestia looked at him with a suspicious look, but decided to drop the subject. "If you say so, have you gathered everything you need?"

"Yes." Thorn replied.

Thorn put his helmet back on and picked up his Z6 rotary blaster cannon. "Shall we get going?"

Celestia nodded at him. "Of course."


****


*TOOT* *TOOT*

Everypony aboard for Ponyville! The train conductor shouted.

"I still can't believe Princess Celestia rented the entire first class suite for us." Rarity said while sitting down on one of the comfortable first class benches..

"Yeah, thank Thorn for that." Rainbow Dash added.

Thorn didn't say anything, he stood in front of a window and crossed his arms. 'This world sure is something.' Thorn thought. 

As the train left the station, he could already see the beautiful landscape of this planet. He could see big mountains, trees as far as the eye could see, and the grassy fields. It looked peaceful, something he wasn't able to even think about; during his battles against The Separatist forces.

"Hey Thorn?" Twilight asked while gently tugging his leg.

Thorn looked down at the purple unicorn. "What is it?" He asked.

Twilight fondled with her hooves nervously. "I just uhm, I just wanted to say; thank you one more time."

"Don't mention it Twilight, I only did wha--."

"What you thought was right, I know; but it's just.... I just wanted to thank you personally." Twilight said while motioning him to bend over.

Thorn bend over and was met with a tight hug from Twilight. Thorn flinched when Twilight wrapped her hooves around his torso, but he returned the favor by patting her on the back. 

"Group hug!" Pinkie exclaimed while wrapping her front hooves around Thorn's back. Thorn had to concentrate on not falling over; because of the extra weight on his back. It didn't help that everypony else decided to join the hug, even Fluttershy.

Eventually after what felt like minutes, the ponies let go of Thorn and looked up at him; with big smiles planted on their faces. 

"And that's how thankful we are." Twilight said.

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet. Gratitude, something he hadn't experienced in a while. These ponies really were happy; that he was there to save them.

'I could get used to this.' Thorn thought while turning his gaze back out the window.

Stay alive! 

Rex's words echoed in Thorn's mind. 'I'm sorry Rex, but that promise; I broke.'

"Hey Thorn, could you tell us more of this 'Kamino' you're from?" Twilight asked while sitting down on one of the benches.

Thorn sat down on the ground and crossed his legs.

"Of course, prepare yourself for the story of your life."







> Clonyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Do we take prisoners?"

"I don't."

Clone trooper Hevy sacrificing himself, by blowing up the Rishi moon outpost.



-----------------


"And that's how we won the battle of Kamino." Thorn said, finishing the story he was telling the six mares in front of him.

"Wow, those ARC troopers sound really awesome." Rainbow Dash said in awe.

"But, I feel really bad for all of the clones who were killed." Twilight said while wiping away a tear from her eye.

"Boy, am ah glad them Separatists didn't win." Applejack said.

"Those Separatists sure are bad news." Rainbow Dash said.

"They sure are." Twilight added.

"But Thornie can take them on, I bet they don't even stand a chance when he's all like "pshew pshew pshew pshew." Pinkie said while trying to mimic Thorn, as he would hold his Z6.

The ponies all shared a laugh at her silliness.

'How wrong you are.' Thorn thought, remembering his demise.

"But Thorn, those LAAT's are really capable of space travel?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, just like the ARC-170 Starfighters, V-wing, and the pride and joy of The Republic's grand army: The Venator Class Starcruiser" Thorn replied.

"How long did you say those Venator thingies were?" Twilight asked.

"One kilometer." Thorn replied.

"Whoa." All of the ponies said in union.

"I would love to see one of them." Rarity said.

"Why's that?" Rainbow Dash asked confused.

"Because, I think it would be 'awesome', as you would say." Rarity replied.

"So let me get this straight." Rainbow Dash said. "You're a clone from a bounty hunter called Jango Fett." Rainbow Dash said while pointing her hoof at Thorn.

"Yes, all clones are." Thorn replied.

"And because the Jedi couldn't handle The Separatists, Chancellor Palpatine ordered the creation of the clone army right?" Rainbow asked.

Thorn nodded. "The Jedi are strong, but they to need help."

"And there are different ranks of clones right?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes, there are Clone Commanders, Clone Captains, Lieutenants, ARC troopers, and of course the most famous rank in the clone army; a Republic Commando."

"Whoa, have you ever met one of those 'Commandos'?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

Thorn stroke his chin (Well helmet-chin, if you know what I mean). "As a matter of fact, I did." Thorn replied.

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked."Yep, I got the honor of meeting the best squadron (in my opinion) of the clone army."

"Who are they?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"They're the best of the best."

"Who are they?" Rainbow Dash asked with a hint of impatience.

"They're the elite."

"Who are they?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"They're born Commandos"

"Just bucking tell me who they are already!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

All of the ponies; minus Thorn gave Rainbow Dash a shocked look.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity snapped. "That is no way to speak to somepony!"

"Not ta mention he ain't a pony." Applejack added.

"S-Sorry, but his story was just getting so good, and I hate cliffhangers." Rainbow Dash said, remembering the many 'to be continued’s' from Daring Do.

"ahem" Twilight coughed impatiently. "Thorn, please continue."

"Right, as I was saying; I got to meet the most famous squad of all the Commandos, Delta Squad." Thorn said with a hint of pride. "Or actually, they wanted to meet me."

"Delta Squad." Rainbow Dash repeated. "The name sounds awesome, so they've gotta be awesome as well."

"Yep, they took down a Separatist droid factory on Geonosis, defended the RAS-Prosecutor from a Trade Federation battle ship, while fighting their way through the garrisons of droids inside the deserted cruiser." Thorn said.

"Wow, their squad must be big." Twilight said. "Because from what you've told us, those Trade Federation battle ships can carry over thousands of droids right?"

"Yes, those Trade Federation battle ships are not to be messed with, but Delta Squad consists of four clones." Thorn replied.

"Only four?!" Twilight exclaimed in utter shock.

Thorn chuckled. "Yes, only four Commandos took down hundreds of battle droids, as well as Trandoshian slavers."

"Trandoshian slavers? That doesn't sound very nice." Rarity said.

"They aren't, Trandoshians are slave traders, scum of the galaxy as some would call them." Thorn replied, remembering what Delta 11-38 aka 'Boss' had told him.


~~~~


"It's an honor sir." Thorn said while saluting.

"Stand down Commander; after I've heard of your actions on Ryloth, I should be the one saluting you." Boss said.

"Thank you sir, is it true?" Thorn asked.

"What's true?" Boss asked curiously.

"Is it true there were Trandoshians on the ship?" Thorn asked.

"sigh" Slavers, mercs, heavy mercenaries, you name them; we killed them." Boss replied.

"Wow, damn Trandoshian scum." Thorn said, venom leaking from his voice."

I know soldier, I know. But there are three more clones I want you to meet." Boss said while opening the door behind him revealing three more Commandos.

"No way, I was the one who shot that S.B.D." Scorch said.

"In your dreams." Sev replied.

"Can it you two!" Fixer snapped at them. "Sir, Delta 40, Delta 07 and Delta 62 reporting in sir."

"Gentleman, I want you to meet Commander Thorn." Boss said while motioning to Thorn.

"How's it going?" Scorch asked.

"It's a pleasure Commander." Fixer said.

Sev said nothing; he walked towards Commander Thorn until he was inches away from his face. "Killed a lot of droids?"

"Yes sir." Thorn replied.

"Showed mercy?" Sev asked.

"No sir." Thorn replied.

"Had fun doing it?" Sev asked.

"Yes sir." Thorn replied.

"Going to kill a lot more?" Sev asked.

"Yes sir." Thorn replied.

"I like you Commander." Sev said while holding his hand out.

Thorn shook his hand and smiled underneath his helmet. 'This is a dream coming true.'


~~~~


'Yep, defiantly a dream coming true.' Thorn thought.

"So, do they have a cool name like yours?" Pinkie asked."

Well their designations are RC-1138, RC-1207, RC-1140 and RC-1262." Thorn replied. But their nicknames are: "Boss, Fixer, Scorch and Sev."

"Sev, sounds more like a number than a name." Twilight said.

"And Fixer? What kinda name is that?" Applejack said.

"I don't know why they gave each other those nicknames, I am just glad I got the chance too meet them."Thorn said.

"Why did they want to meet you?" Fluttershy asked.

Thorn looked at Fluttershy and smiled underneath his helmet. "I did some 'heroic' things on a planet called Ryloth, apparently Delta Squad was on Ryloth well, and said they wanted to meet the clone who blew up a Separatist fuel base on his own."

"Wow, you are lucky to have met your idols like that." Rainbow Dash said.

"They're not just my idols; every clone knows who Delta Squad is." Thorn replied.

"Attention all passengers, we will be arriving in Ponyville in approximately five minutes." 

The train conductor said over the train’s intercom.

"Looks like we're almost there." Twilight said while getting of the ground. 

The ponies and Thorn followed her lead.

"So what's this town like again?" Thorn asked while picking up his Z6 rotary blaster cannon.

"It’s a nice town, full of energetic ponies." Twilight replied. "But Ponyville has been through a lot."

"Like what?" Thorn asked.

"Nightmare moon trying to shroud Equestria in eternal night, Discord, and many more things are probably on its way." Twilight said with a nervous smile.

"If that is true, why hasn’t Princess Celestia set up a defensive perimeter for Ponyville?" Thorn asked confused. 'Sounds like Ponyville could really use Republic aid.'

"I don’t know, usually it’s up to me and my friends to save the day." Twilight replied.

"And you’re ok with that?" Thon asked.

"Uhm, I-I guess so, I always like to think it’s just another test; a test to show that the magic of friendship can overcome anything." Twilight said.

'Magic of friendship? What in fierfeks name is that?' Thorn thought.

"Oh look! Were here!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Thorn was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked out of the window. He could see a town, but this town was far more different than any of the towns he had been in, it looked….. Colorful?

After a few more minutes, the train stopped at Ponyville station and everypony aboard stepped of the train.

"Alright everypony lets go and introduce Thorn to the town." Twilight said while stepping outside.

"Hey I almost forgot to ask." Thorn said while stepping outside of the train.

"What is it?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Where’s Spike?" Thorn asked.

"Oh, well Princess Celestia said she needed Spike for something important." Twilight replied.

"Oh, that makes sense I guess." Thorn said.

"Well let’s get moving shall we?" Applejack asked.

"You got it." Rainbow Dash said. "I’ll fly ahead and see if I can find Mayor Mare."

"Mayor who?" Thorn asked.

"Mayor Mare is... Well the Mayor of this town." Twilight said.

"You don’t say." Thorn said sarcastically.

Twilight rolled her eyes at his comment. "Let’s keep moving, ponies are already giving you stares."

Thorn looked around and saw that Twilight was right, the ponies were looking at him, either confused, scared, or curious expressions on their faces.

'Let’s see how ‘getting acquainted with the locals’ goes.' Thorn thought while stepping towards a green mare.

"Hello ma’am, my name is Commander Thorn, what’s yours?" Thorn asked politely. 'And now comes the part where they would either curse me, or run away in fear.' Thorn thought while remembering his past experience with civilians.

The mare looked up at him and smiled. 

"My name is Lyra Heartstrings."

"A pleasure." Thorn said, while getting on one knee and holding his hand out.

Lyra looked at his hand before putting her hoof in his palm. Thorn shook her hoof and got back up.

Behind Thorn, Applejack was whistling. "That’s a good start partner, now ya just gotta be so nice to tha entre town, and they’ll warm up ta ya in no time."

Thorn nodded and walked back towards Twilight.

"Let’s go to Ponyville town hall and see if Rainbow Dash has found Mayor Mare." Twilight said.

The rest of the ponies nodded in response and followed the lavender mare. Thorn was not far behind them.

'Let’s see how my ‘introduction’ will go.' Thorn thought while quickening his pace.

"Wait a minute." Lyra said while looking ate her hoof. "Strange appendages, long arms, bipedal? "gasp" It can’t be."


****


The walk towards Ponyville central square went better than Thorn had first anticipated, the ponies only gave Thorn looks of curiosity or confusion; but didn’t even run. Perhaps it was because he was with Twilight and her friends.

After a few more minutes of talking, they arrived at Ponyville town hall, only to see Rainbow Dash arguing with Mayor Mare.

"Come on Mayor; please wait for five more minutes." Rainbow Dash pleaded.

"No, I have waited long enough." Mayor Mare replied while walking away from Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash sighed and turned around. She was about to fly away until she saw a familiar bipedal creature in the corner of her eye.

"Mayor Mare!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

Mayor Mare’s ears twitched. She turned around and gritted her teeth. "What is it!?"

Rainbow Dash pointed her hoof towards Thorn and her friends.Mayor Mare looked at what Rainbow Dash was pointing at, and froze in fear.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and flew over towards Thorn."Hey." Rainbow Dash said casually.

"Plan didn't go as planned?" Thorn asked with a hint of mock.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, Twilight you better get over to Mayor Mare before she stays like that."

Twilight looked at the Mayor and quickly trotted over to her. "Mayor Mare!" Twilight shouted while trotting towards the Mayor.

The Mayor just stood there, not moving an inch. Her mouth was hanging open from utter shock.

Thorn sighed and walked over towards the Mayor. Twilight was already trying to get the Mayor out of her state; by shaking her furiously, it wasn't working.

Thorn got on one knee and spoke up. "Let me try something." Thorn said while putting his Z6 down.

He grabbed his blaster pistol and pointed it in the air. He pulled the trigger and a laser shot out of it.

*psheww*

Mayor Mare’s ears perked up and she jumped back in surprise. "Gaah!"

Thorn chuckled and holstered his blaster. "Works every time."

Thorn got up and picked up his Z6.

"Mayor Mare!" Twilight exclaimed while trotting over towards the shocked Mayor.

"T-Twilight Sparkle, what in Celestia's name i-is that?" Mayor Mare asked.

"Please Mayor, calm down and let me explain."

Twilight said.Mayor Mare slowly nodded. "Please e-explain what t-that thing i-is."

Twilight sighed and started to explain everything to the Mayor. How Thorn was not from Equestria, how he saved Canterlot from the Changeling attack (which Mayor Mare didn't know up to this point), and of course the reason why he was here in Ponyville in the first place.

"So now do you believe me?" Rainbow Dash asked Mayor Mare.

"I don't know what to say." Mayor Mare said while looking at Thorn. She cleared her throat and spoke up. "Commander Thorn of The Grand Army of The Republic, I am terribly sorry for my previous reaction, but as Mayor of Ponyville; I can say I am most honored to have a hero like you stay here in our little town."

"Ma'am, I appreciate your apology, but it is not needed." Thorn said.

Mayor Mare looked at the clone Commander. "Why is that?" She asked confused.

"Because your reaction was to expect, from what Princess Celestia has told me, I am the first 'alien' to arrive in Equestria." Thorn replied.

"Oh." Mayor Mare said while giving Thorn a smile. "I suppose you are right, but I would be most happy to show you around town."

"Umm Mayor, not to be rude but; didn't you tell me a few minutes ago that you had some important business to attend to?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes." Mayor Mare replied. "But that can wait, I mean somepony has to show our new visitor around."

Rainbow Dash was about to argue with her, but was silenced when Applejack gave her a stern glare.

"Ma'am with all due respect, but I think it would be most wise to introduce me to the public; when they are all gathered in the same spot." Thorn said.

Mayor Mare held a hood to her chin. "Hmmm, perhaps I could arrange a town meeting, but that would take some time."

"Ooh! Ooh! I can get everypony here before you can say cupcake's!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Wait, Pinkie you can't just go around and tell everypony, "Hey there's an alien in Ponyville, and the Mayor wants us all to, meet him in front of the town hall." Twilight said.

"Yes, I think it would be wise just to tell them; that the Mayor wants everypony to gather around the town hall this afternoon, because.... A new pony has arrived?"

Rarity suggested.

"Ya mean we gotta lie?" Applejack asked.

"Uhm... Yes. "Rarity replied with a small blush.

"Ahm not a big fan of ly'n, but ah'll try." Applejack said.

"Good, we'll split up in groups of two, Applejack you're with Rainbow Dash, I will go with Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy you can go with Rarity." Twilight said.

"What about him?" Rainbow Dash asked while pointing her hoof at Thorn.

"The Commander can stay with me; inside the town hall, nopony is there at the moment anyway." Mayor Mare said

"Yes ma'am." Thorn said while walking towards the town hall.

"Commander, please wait for me." Mayor Mare said while trotting towards Thorn.

Twilight shook her head. "Let's go everypony."


****


Ponyville town hall, ten minutes after mane six's department.

"And this is my office, we can stay here until Twilight Sparkle and her friends have gathered everypony." Mayor Mare said while sitting behind her desk.

"I hope you don't mind, but I have a lot of paper work."Thorn shook his head. "Not at all, I'll just stand over there and wait.

"The Mayor smiled at the clone Commander and began to work on her paper work.

Thorn walked over towards the back of the room and placed his Z6 against the wall, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

Thorn let out a relieving sigh. 'Blast, a lot of things can happen in just two days. First I get dragged to another planet; with no means of space travel whatsoever. Second, I get tricked into a stupid game and now I'm here in a Mayor's office. And third..... I really miss my brothers.'

Thorn was never the clone to show his feelings to anybody, he was always the 'get straight to the point' kind of clone, but he did care when it came to protecting the innocent and his brothers.'Let's just hope Scipio is under Republic control.' Thorn thought. 'I would hate to see it fall into Separatist hands.'

"No this is not good either." Mayor Mare grunted."Is there something wrong ma'am?" Thorn asked.

"No no, it's just these complaints about Ponyville; that some ponies have written to me." Mayor Mare replied.

"Complaints? Like what?" Thorn asked, pretending to be interested. 'Anything to get my mind of the Separatists.'

"Oh, about the price of food being so high, or about the weather ponies not doing their jobs right." Mayor Mare replied.

"But you're just a Mayor, the price of food being so high shouldn't concern you, the shopkeepers are the ones who decide the prices of their food." Thorn said.

"I know that, but someponies aren't as smart as you are." Mayor Mare said while reading through another complaint.

"Anything I could do?" Thorn asked.

The Mayor shook her head.  "No, you wouldn't understand."

"I guess you're right." Thorn said. 'I'm just a soldier, never really liked paper work anyway."

"sigh" sometimes I wonder if some of these ponies are just plain out stupid, or really think they're smart." Mayor Mare said while finishing another letter.

Thorn mentally sighed. 'This is going to be a long and boring day.'

"Finally, now onto my speech for introducing you to the public." Mayor Mare said.

'Yep, a very long and boring day.'


****


Location: Equestria.

Current location: Mayor Mare's office.

Weapon status: Z6 rotary blaster cannon fully operational, DC15 dual blaster pistols fully operational.

Explosives: 3 Thermal Detonators, 2 Electronics Counter Detonators, 2 Sonic Detonators.

Armor status: Fully operational, slight damage.

Status CC-4254: Alive.

"Aaaand done." Mayor Mare said while putting her quill down.

'Two hours, twohours it took the blasted pony to write a single speech. I swear if these ponies run away when they see me; I'm going to stun them all.' Thorn thought while getting of the ground. 'That nap really did the trick.'

"Commander, I finished the speech, would you like to hear  it?" Mayor Mare asked.

Thorn shook his head. "No thank you, I think it would be better to--."

"MAYOR MARE!  They heard a familiar high pitched voice shout.

Mayor Mare and Thorn quickly walked towards the window behind her desk, Mayor Mare pushed the curtains aside and looked out of the window.

"By Celestia, they actually did it." Mayor Mare said in surprise.

"Did what?" Thorn asked while moving behind Mayor Mare; to get a better view of the outside.

"By Kamino." Thorn said in utter shock.Outside were maybe hundred, no maybe three hundred ponies; gathered around the town hall.

"That's a lot of civvies." Thorn said.

"Civvies?" Mayor Mare asked.

"Civilians." Thorn said.

"Ahaa." Mayor Mare said. "Well let's go outside, shall we?" 

Thorn nodded. Mayor Mare opened the door and motioned Thorn to follow her. 

Thorn walked outside of the office and followed Mayor Mare.

On his way to the outside of the town hall,Thorn could only think of one thing.

'I have a bad feeling about this.'
> When introductions go better than expected
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Echo, Fives, you two both stepped up in the heat of battle."

"We did; what we had to do sir."

"What any clone would have done."

Captain Rex congratulating clone trooper Echo and Fives after the battle of Kamino.



------------


As Thorn walked towards the doors that led to the front of the town hall, he couldn't help but notice a certain pressure building up.

'What do I do when they start to panic? What if they start to attack me?' Thorn thought. 'Well, I guess I'll just have to follow standard protocol.'

Protocol says: 

First: Try to reason with the civilian population of the planet you are on.

Second: Set up a 'personal comfort' zone for yourself,  if they get too close; fire a warning shot.

Third: Are you on a planet that is allied with The Separatist, try to reason with the civilians, if they attack: retreat or shoot.

Fourth: Never shoot to kill, stun is your best option to prevent further conflict.

Fifth: Stay alive and keep your finger on the trigger.

'Sometimes I just love Republic protocol.' Thorn thought.

"Alright Commander, this is it." Mayor Mare said.

Thorn nodded. "Ma'am I do need to warn you, Republic protocol says that if civilians come too close to me or try to attack me; I have permission to stun them."

"Stun? Is that a bad thing?" Mayor Mare asked concerned.

"No, I'll set my blasters to stun." Thorn said while putting his Z6 against a nearby wall. "Stun will basically tranqualize them, they'll just pass out and wake up a few hours later."

"Oh, I guess that is acceptable, but please try not to scare them." Mayor Mare said while pointing her hoof at his Z6. "Could you perhaps leave that one inside and just take the twin smaller ones instead?"

Thorn mentally grunted but decided to be 'the nice guy' for once. "Yes ma'am."

Mayor Mare smiled. "I will go outside first an warn the ponies not to freak out when they se you."

Thorn nodded.

Mayor Mare opened the door and stepped outside.

"Mayor what's this sudden meeting all about?"

"Who is this new visitor?"

"Why are the fruit prices so high?"

Thorn could hear many questions being asked, but something else caught Thorn's ears, a certain scream coming from the back of the town hall.

"What's wrong blank flank? Sad because you didn't get your cutie mark?" Thorn heard a feminine voice ask.

"Stop it!" He heard another say.

"Ooh, not so tough now when your friends aren't there to back you up." He heard another different voice say.

"Leave me alone Diamond!" The other voice retaliated.

'Hmmm, their voices sound high pitched, must be children, and from what I'm hearing; one of them is being bullied.'

'There are a few things I don't like in the galaxy, Separatist, droids, a hyperspace malfunction, but bullies are things I'd rather shoot.' Thorn said. remembering some of the bullies when he was still a clone cadet.

"Hey there Thorn, you couldn't even hit a clanker if he was one meter away from you."

"Yeah, something must have gone wrong in his pod."

Thorn clenched his fist. 'This goes against every Republic protocol, but any clone would do the same.' Thorn thought while walking towards the back of the town hall.

He kept walking, the voices becoming louder and louder with evey step he took.

"Blank flank, blank flank."

"Stop it."

'Time to quicken the pace.' Thorn thought while running towards the back of the town hall.

"Leave me alone!"

"Blank flank, blank flank, blank flank."

Thorn ran towards a nearby window and looked outside, he could see a pink filly and a grey filly bullying a white filly.

'Blast, she's crying.' Thorn thought while looking at the white filly.

"Ooh awe wou wonna cwy?" The pink filly asked mockingly.

Thorn gritted his teeth. 'Time to teach these two a lesson about respect.' Thorn thought while setting one of his blasters to full.

Thorn aimed the blaster at the window and pulled the trigger. The blaster bolt made contact with the window, shattering the glass answer sending it flying everywhere.

Thorn had to crouch when going throughthe window (due to the fact the window was built on pony heights). He quickly made his way outside.

"You. Should. Leave." Thorn said while slowly getting up of the ground.

The two bullies looked at the creature in front of them, they didn't know what to do, they had never seen something so scary before.

"What a-are you." The pink filly asked.

Thorn lowered his head and looked at the filly, his eye burning with fire behind his helmet. "I am a clone Commander, and you two are bullying another child." Thorn said while turning around and pointing his index finger at a white filly, who was currently on the ground; crying.

"Yeah, s-so what!" The grey filly replied.

"So what? So what?!" Thorn shouted. "Have your parents never taught you about respecting others?!"

"My father Filthy Rich owns this town, so you better watch what your saying you freak!" The pink filly replied.

'Ooooh I so want to stun her.' Thorn thought.

"Yeah, Diamond Tiara's father is the most powerful stallion in Ponyville!" The grey filly added.

"Oh yeah?" Thorn asked sarcastically. "Maybe I should have a word with your father."

"My father is going to make you pay for this!" Diamond Tiara said. "You do not speak to me in such a tone!"

'Did she just threatened me? Oh she did, well protocol says to stun civilians if they threaten you..... Children are civilians as well.' Thorn thought.

"Hey kid?" Thorn asked.

"What is it?" Diamond Tiara asked annoyed.

"Are you tired?" Thorn asked.

"Tired? No why would I be--."

Diamond Tiara was cut of when Thorn fired his blaster, stunning the pink filly. Diamond Tiara fell to the ground with a light thud.

The grey filly looked at her friend in shock. "Diamond!" She shouted.

Thorn shot another stun-bolt, but careful not to hit the grey filly. The grey filly looked up at Thorn, fear filling her eyes.

"Now take your friend and go home!" Thorn ordered.

The grey filly didn't need to be told twice, she grabbed Diamond Tiara and ran away; crying.

Thorn shook his head. He turned around and saw that the white filly was staring at him.

"Too much?" Thorn asked.

The filly responded by tackling Thorn in a hug, the sudden add of weight made Thorn stumble backwards, but luckily he didn't fell over.

"Wow, easy there kid." Thorn said while patting her on the back. "The bullies are gone, they're gone."

The filly sobbed a few times in his chest plate. She looked up at the Commander and smiled.

"Thank you." She said.

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet. 'Mission accomplished.'

He holstered his blasters and gently grabbed the filly and put her down on the ground.

"What are you doing here? Behind the town hall?" Thorn asked.

"I thought I saw my friends, but then out of nowhere Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon grabbed me from behind and dragged me over to here." The white filly replied.

"Why didn't fight back?" Thorn asked.

The filly's ears dropped flat on her head. "I'm not a fighter, I guess I was just.... Scared."

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, they said something about you friends backing you up?" Thorn asked.

The filly's ears perked up at his question. "Yeah, my friends Applebloom and Scootaloo."

"And where are they now?" Thorn asked.

The filly began to hum. "Hmmm, I think they're with the rest of my class."

"Class huh, do you know where your class is?" Thorn asked.

"Yeah, we were all supposed to go with Miss Cheerilee to the town hall." The white filly replied.

"Well, you are at town hall." Thorn said.

"Yeah your're right, but I think we were supposed to go in 'front of' the town hall." The white filly said. "Something about a new pony in Ponyville; the Mayor wanted us to meet."

"That 'new pony' would be me." Thorn said.

The white filly looked at Commander Thorn with a confused expression. "But your not a pony."

"I know, I'm a human, clone trooper, designation CC-4254, but you can call me Commander Thorn, or Thorn." Thorn said.

"Clone trooper." The white filly repeated. "My name is Sweetiebelle." Sweetiebelle said.

Commander Thorn bend down and held his hand out. Sweetiebelle looked at his hand before putting her hoof in his palm.

Thorn shook her hoof and got back up. "Well, I am supposed to wait inside for Mayor Mare to give me the all-clear."

"All-clear?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"Yes, I am supposed to wait inside until she tells me to come outside, to meet everybody." Thorn replied.

"Ooh, well we're not 'inside' anymore." Sweetiebelle said while looking at the shattered window.

Thorn looked at the mess he had made. 'Yeah, defiantly to much'.

"Well.... Shall we?" Thorn asked.

"Huh?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"I can't just leave you like here, how about you come with me?" Thorn asked.

"Umm, my sister told me not to go with strangers." Sweetiebelle said.

"Your sister?" Thorn asked.

"Yeah, my sister Rarity, she's the owner of Carrousel Boutique." Sweetiebelle replied.

"Rarity is you sister?" Thorn asked. Sweetiebelle nodded in response. "Well it so happens to be; that I know her."

"You do?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"Yep, she's been begging me to tell her more about my armor." Thorn said.

"She has huh?" Sweetiebelle asked with a hint of embarrassment.

Thorn chuckled. "Let's go kid. "

Thorn was about to make his way around the town hall, until Sweetiebelle tugged his leg.

"What is it?" Thorn asked.

"Uhm, I think I should go and find my class alone." Sweetiebelle said.

"Are you sure?" Thorn asked.

Sweetiebelle smiled. "Yes, thank you for standing up for me."

Thorn nodded and walked towards the broken window. He grabbed hold of the window and crouched back inside the town hall.

Thorn quickly gor up and ran back towards the front entrance of the town hall. Thorn could already hear Mayor Mare talking.

Everypony, I am happy to introduce you to Commander Thorn!

"Blast!" Thorn said while running towards the door. He could see the door being pushed open. Thorn ran as fast as he could, and before the door was fully opened, he stood back in the exact spot he had been in a few minutes earlier.

Mayor Mare's head popped out of the front entrance. "Go on Commander, they're waiting for you." She said.

Thorn took a deep breath and walked outside, he stepped outside of the door,  Mayor Mare being right behind him.

'Wow, that is a lot of ponies.' Thorn thought while looking at all of the ponies in front of him.

He could see all different kinds of colours, from the brightest blue, to the darkest's of red.

Thorn sighed and walked down the stairs, ponies already backing up from his sudden movement.

'This is going great.' Thorn thought sarcastically. Thorn took one more step until he was face to face with a certain grey pegasus.

"Hello." Thorn said politely.

They grey pegasus gasped when she heard him talk. "Whoa, the alien can talk, it can talk Equestrian!" She exclaimed while throwing her hoofs in the air. But she accidentally hit Thorn's helmet, sending him stumbling backwards.

"Ooh Thorn, are you alright?" Mayor Mare asked concerned.

"I'm fine." Thorn replied while shaking his head.

Thorn looked at the pegasus mare who had just hit him, her eyes were filled with fear.

Thorn sighed and walked towards the mare. He stopped when he was in front of her, he held out his hand and spoke up. "Do not be afraid, I'm not angry at you, it was an accident."

The grey mare looked at the clone Commander in surprise, she looked at his strange appendage until she sniffed it a few times.

"Smells weird." She said.

Thorn shook his head. "Thanks."

The mare looked at Thorn before smiling. "My names is Derpy Hooves, a pleasure to meet you Uhm...."

"Thorn, Commander Thorn from The Grand Army of The Republic." Thorn said.

"Wow, that's a long name." The mare said.

"My name is Thorn, or Commander Thorn, nice to meet you Derpy." Thorn said.

"It's nice yo meet you to, sorry about hitting you, I'm just really clumsy." The mare admitted sheepishly.

Thorn chuckled. "That's alright, there's a certain Senator out there who's even worse."

Derpy looked at the Commander confused, but decided not to asked what he meant by that.

"Thanks Thorn, you are a cool alien." Derpy said. "Hey everypony the alien is cool!"

Thorn looked at the crowd of ponies, they had expressions of curiosity, awe, and fear.

"What is it?" One pony asked.

"Is it dangerous?" Another asked.

"No he is not--."

"Why is it here?" Another pony asked, interrupting Mayor Mare.

"Send it back to it's own planet!" One pony shouted.

"Yeah!" All of the others (minus Twilight, her friends, Sweetiebelle, and Mayor Mare) shouted.

"Everypony please calm down!" Mayor Mare shouted.

"Send it back! Send it back! Send it back! Send it back!" All of the ponies shouted.

"Everypony please calm down!" Twilight Sparkle shouted while running towards Thorn. She stopped when she was right beside Thorn.

"Thorn is not a dangerous alien!" Twilight shouted.

All of the ponies went silent when they heard Twilight shout.

"He's not going to hurt anypony, thanks to him; Canterlot was saved from an invasion!" Twilight shouted.

".....What invasion?" A brown stallion asked.

Twilight sighed and began to tell all of the ponies everything, from the Changeling attack to Thorn saving the kingdom. She left out the part of Thorn killing almost every Changeling invader.

"Wait, he did all of that on his own?" A yellow pegasus mare asked.

"Yes, he did all of that to save Equestria." Twilight replied while looking up at Thorn. "He's.... Our friend."

"Yeah!  Rainbow Dash said while hovering towards Thorn. "He's the most awesome alien you'll ever meet." Rainbow Dash said while tugging Thorn's shoulder.

"He is a real gentlecolt." Rarity added.

"That fella is that nicest alien y'all ever meet." Applejack said.

"He's the nicest alien ever,and he loves my cupcakes!" Pinkie Pie added.

Thorn looked at the six mares in front of him, mares who were defending him, something only his brothers ever did for him.  Why are they standing up for me, I-I don't understand why are they would even consider standing up for me, I was just doing what I was bred for.'

"He's very nice." Fluttershy said.

"How do we know you're not lying?" A light brown pony, with three money bags as a cutie mark asked.

"Filthy Rich." Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth.

'Filthy Rich? Wasn't that; that little brat's father?' Thorn thought.

"We're not lying!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

Yeah right, that alien must have mind controlled you!" Filthy Rich replied.

Thorn clenched his fists. 'That guy is just as bad as his daughter.'

"H-He's not m-mind controlling us." Fluttershy whispered.

"He's probably going to mind control us all!" Filthy Rich exclaimed.

"He's n-not mind controlling u-us." Fluttershy whispered a little louder.

"He's going to take over all of Equestria!" Filthy Rich shouted.

"He's not going to do that." Fluttershy said.

"He's evil!" Filthy Rich shouted.

"He's not evil!" Fluttershy shouted.

To everypony surprise, Fluttershy flew up to Filthy Rich's face.

"And you should be ashamed of yourself, saying that he is a monster." Fluttershy said while looking him in the eye. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I-I was j-just--."

"No, you'll see that Thorn isn't the monster you say he is." Fluttershy said. "And now apologise to him."

"I will not--."

"APOLOGISE!" Fluttershy screamed.

Filthy Rich closed his eyes. "Please don't hurt me." He pleaded.

Thorn shook his head. 'Coward.' He thought.

Filthy Rich swallowed his pride and walked through the crowd, he stopped when he was in front of Thorn.

Thorn crossed his arms and lowered his head."Yes?"

"I'm sorry." Filthy Rich said.

'Time to mess with this guy.' Thorn thought.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that." Thorn said.

"I'm sorry." Filthy Rich said.

"What was that?" Thorn asked.

"I said I'm sorry." Filthy Rich said.

Thorn bend over and held his hand out. "Alright, I forgive you."

"Your lucky that; that whorse Fluttershy was there to back you up, nex time I see you, you won't be so lucky." Filthy Rich whispered.

Thorn looked at Filthy Rich and smirked underneath his helmet. "Threatening me eh?" Thorn whispered.

"I'm not scared of you, I have powerful friends." Filthy Rich whispered.

"There is an army, millions of clones like me who have fought in many battles and killed many, many things." Thorn whispered while grabbing his hoof and squeezing it tightly. And they are far more powerful than your 'friends' will ever be. 

Filthy Rich smirked. "Am supposed to be scared?"

"I don't know." Thorn said. "But I've been killing things for a living, and I could have killed your daughter two minutes ago."

Filthy Rich's eyes widened. "What did you--."

"I stunned her; she's fine, I'm not fond of killing children." Thorn whispered while tightening his grip around his hoof. "But I am fond of killing adults though." Thorn whispered in a grim tone. "Especially adults with an attitude like yours."

Filthy Rich tried to pull his hoof out of his grip, but to no avail. 

"You better watch your words, I've killed many, many things. Thorn whispered while letting go of his hoof. "And if your life is precious to you, you better shut your klarking mouth and teach that little brat of yours; one or two things about respecting others."

Filthy Rich gave Thorn an angry glare and walked back to his spot.

"I don't like that guy." Thorn whispered to Rainbow Dash. 

"Nopony does." Rainbow Dash replied.

Thorn shook his head and looked at the crowd. "Hello ponies of Ponyville, as I said before, I'm an alien."

A light blue mare raised her hoof.

"Yes?" Thorn asked.

"Are you here to take over the planet?" She asked. 

"No I am not." Thorn replied.

Another mare raised her hoof.

"Yes?" Thorn asked.

"Are you a male or female?" She asked.

"I'm a male." Thorn replied.

"Is your entire species as ugly as you?" Filthy Rich asked.

"That's it." Thorn thought while grabbing his blaster. "Ma'am, would you be so kind to take four steps to your right?" Thorn asked.

The mare did as she was asked, behind the mare was Filthy Rich; laughing and snickering while two other stallions joined the laughter.

"Hey!" Thorn shouted while aiming his blaster at Filthy Rich.

Filthy Rich looked at Thorn, still laughing. "W-What?" He asked between laughs.

"Time to go to bed." Thorn said. He pulled the trigger and a stun-bolt shot out of his blaster, stunning Filthy Rich.

Filthy Rich fell to the ground with a lighy thud.

All of the ponies looked at Filthy Rich in shock.

"Is he?" A yellow stallion asked.

"No, he's stunned, a temporary sleep." Thorn replied while holstering his blaster.

"Why d-did you do that?" A orange filly asked.

Thorn looked towards the source of the voice and saw a purple mare, around her were small filly's and colts. 'Hey isn't that Sweetiebelle?' Thorn thought while squinting his eyes. 'Yep that's defiantly Sweetiebelle, and those two must be her friends. Appleboom And Scootaboo, if I'm correct.'


~~~~


"General, why are we in this orphanage?" Thorn asked.

"These children have lost everything Commander, they are all alone." Kitt Fisto replied. "The least we can do is show them that we mean the no harm."

"But sir, I don't understand why I had to come with you." Thorn said.

"Commander, what is your opinion about children?" Kitt Fisto asked.

"Well, I think they would just get in the way sir, distract you from achieving victory." Thorn replied.

"Really?" Kitt Fisto asked. "Well then it's time to change that opinion."

"Sir what do you--."

"I want you to spend some time in this orphanage, you will see that children will not 'get in the way'." Kitt Fisto replied.

"But sir I don't think that is a good idea, the capital is still under Separatist control." Thorn said.

"The capital will be freed in no time Commander, and after that; the Twileks will be free." Kitt Fisto replied while putting his hand on the Commander's  shoulder pad. "I've heard the stories about your past Commander, but remember that it was not your fault."

Thorn looked at the General. "Sir, I don't know if--."

"Commander, just try." Kitt Fisto said.

Thorn sighed and saluted. "Sir yes sir!"

Kitt Fisto smiled. "Good luck Commander."

Thorn watched as the General walked away from him, a clone trooper came running up to him and began to speak. He could see Kitt Fisto nodding.

Thorn sighed and was about to turn around to walk away from he orphanage, but was stopped in his tracks when he felt something tug his hand. He looked down and saw a Twilek girl looking up at him.

"Hello." Thorn said politely.

"Nera?" The Twilek girl asked.

"Uhm... I don't know what you--."

"Nera?" The Twilek girl said.

'Oh blast, she's going to cry.' Thorn thought.

"Nera." The Twilek girl whined.

'Oh come on!' Thorn mentally shouted. Thorn bend over and put his hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Shhh, it's alright." Thorn said soothingly.

The Twilek girl tackled Thorn in a hug and began to cry in his chest.

Thorn (being the hardened clone Commander) didn't know what to do. 'Well here goes my pride.' Thorn thought while gently rubbing his hand on the girls back.

"It's going to be alright, I'm going to make those Separatists pay for what they did." Thorn said.

"Commander!" A clone trooper who was currently running towards the Commander shouted.

Thorn looked at the clone and motioned him to hold his position. The clone slowed down and nodded.

Thorn gently grabbed the girl's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. "It's going to be alright, I'm sure of it." Thorn said while reaching behind his ammo belt. "Here, have this." Thorn said while handing her his protein bar. "It might taste like bantha-shit, but it's good for you."

The Twilek girl looked at the protein bar before grabbing it and roughly munching on it.

Thorn couldn't help but feel a sudden warmth going through his body. 'Must be the armor.' Thon thought while getting up.

The clone trooper took this as an all-clear and ran towards the Commander. "Sir!" The trooper said while saluting.

"What is it?" Thorn asked.

"We've gotten word from General Windu, he's almost reached the capital but needs reinforcements." The clone said. "General Fisto has ordered everybody to get on their speeders and prepare to leave."

Thorn nodded. "Let's move."

"Yes sir!" The clone said while turning around and running towards the exit of the orphanage.

Thorn was about to leave until he felt something tugging his leg again. He looked down and saw it was the same Twilek girl.

"Listen kid, I don't have anymore food so you just got--."

Thorn was cut of by the Twilek hugging his leg. Thorn sighed and patted her back. 

"Alright kid." Thorn said while gently grabbing her arms. "Gotta go." Thorn said while releasing her arms.

Thorn turned around and ran towards the exit.

"Nera! Nera!" The Twilek girl shouted while waving at the Commander. Thorn waved back at her, but didn't stop running.

Thorn kept on running until he was outside. He walked towards General Fisto. "General!" He said while saluting.

"Commander." Kitt Fisto said while getting on his leg BARC speeder. I'm sorry we had to leave fast, how did your time in the orphanage go?

Thorn got on his speeder. "Good sir, gave a little girl something to eat, she kept calling me Nera or something."

Kitt Fisto chuckled. "Nera? Did she now?"

"Yes sir, is it something bad?" Thorn asked while powering up his speeder.

"No, not at all." Kitt Fisto replied while powering up his speeder as well.

"But what does it mean?" Thorn asked.

"It means: Brother." Kitt Fisto replied.

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet. 'Brother huh?'


~~~~


'Well, let's see if it goes as well; as it did there.' Thorn thought.

"Excuse me, but could you come over herein for a second?" Thorn asked the orange filly.

"Me?" The orange filly asked while pointing a hoof at herself.

"Yes." Thorn replied. "You and your two friends."

The orange filly looked at her friends before walking through the crowd. Her friends right behind her.

"Excuse me, coming through." She said.

After a few more seconds of pushing, the three fillies were in front of Thorn.

Thorn looked down lowered his head and looked at the fillies. "What was your question again?" Thorn asked the orange filly.

"Uhm I-I asked why you did what you did to Filthy Rich." The orange filly asked.

"When he 'insulted' me, he also insulted all of my brothers, my armor might be different, but underneath it; we all look the same." Thorn replied.

The orange filly looked up at him in awe. "You really stand up for your brothers don't you?"

"Not just my brothers." Thorn said while looking at Sweetiebelle. "Hi Sweetiebelle."

"Hi Thorn." Sweetiebelle replied.

The orange filly's eyes widened. "You know him?" She asked.

"Yep, he stood up for me when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started to pick on me again." Sweetiebelle replied.

"He did?" The orange filly asked.

"Yes Scootaloo, he did." Sweetiebelle replied with a smile.

"Whoa, so he's you're friend?" The light yellow filly asked.

"... I guess so Applebloom." Sweetiebelle replied.

"Whoa." Applebloom and Scootaloo said in union. 

"Well, if he's a friend of you then he's a friend of mine." Scootaloo said while tugging Thorn's leg.

"Y'all look mighty cool mister." Applebloom added.

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet and patted Applebloom's head.

Mayor Mare smiled at the scene and turned her gaze towards the crowd. "Does this look like something a 'big and scary alien' would do?"

She got a few mumbles in response.

"That's what I thought." Mayor Mare said. She pointed her hoof at Thorn, who was currently talking to the three fillies. "He will be treated with respect, you will not treat him as an alien, but as a pony. Am I understood?"

The Mayor got another set of mumbles in response.

"I said am I understood?" The Mayor shouted.

The ponies all nodded in response.

"Good." Mayor Mare said with a smile. "Any further questions can be asked later, Commander Thorn has got a 'task' to complete."

"Really?" Mayor Mare could here Sweetiebelle ask.

"Yep, giant space ships, entire fleets." Thorn replied.

"Whoa." The three fillies said in union.

Mayor Mare smiled and walked over towards Thorn. "Girls, I think the Commander wants to complete his 'task'."

"Task? What task?" Sweetiebelle asked.

Thorn sighed and whispered something into Sweetiebelle's ear.

Sweetiebelle giggled in response. "Watch out for Angel Bunny."

Thorn nodded and got up. "Alright." He said while turning his gaze towards the crowd. "I am going to go with Miss Fluttershy, that would mean I have to walk through Ponyville."

One of the ponies raised his hooves. 

"Yes?" Thorn asked.

"You are really not planning on taking over the planet?" He asked.

"No." Thorn replied. "I will not harm any of you unless I am provoked." 

The stallion smiled at the Commander. "Then I think I speak for everypony when I say: Welcome to Ponyville!"

The entire crowd began cheering. Chanting Thorn's name.

Thorn chuckled and walked towards Fluttershy. "The animals?" He asked.

Fluttershy's ears perked up at his question. "O-Oh, I thought you wouldn't want to do it because--."

"I always keep my promise." Thorn cut her of.

Fluttershy couldn't help but smile at the Commander. "Follow me please."

Thorn nodded and took one final look at the crowd. He turned around and waved at the ponies. The ponies began cheering even louder.

"Thorn, will we see you again?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"Of course." Thorn replied.

Sweetiebelle smiled and hugged his leg. "Thanks 'stranger'."

Thorn patted her on her back and walked towards Fluttershy.

"Are all of the ponies as 'huggable' as she is?" Thorn asked.

Fluttershy smiled at him. "Only when they really trust you, but mostly mares give hugs, stallions just bro-hoof or something like that." 

Thorn nodded. "Hey, what about the five of you?" Thorn asked while facing Twilight and her friends.

Twilight smiled at him. "Fluttershy only dared you to help her, not us."

"Yeah, and besides; there will be many more opportunities to humiliate you." Rainbow Dash added.

"Will y'all stop sayin' thangs like that?" Applejack asked while giving Rainbow Dash a jab in the side.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted while rubbing her side.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Not so tough as y'all say ya are?"

"Bla, bla, bla." Rainbow Dash replied while sticking her tongue out.

"Y'all act'n like a little filly." Applejack said.

"Fluttershy you better get going, I'd hate to see Thorn get caught between Applejack and Rainbow Dash's argument." Twilight whispered.

Fluttershy nodded and tugged Thorn's leg. "Lets go."

"Wait." Thorn said while running up the stairs and opening the door of the town hall. He opened the door and grabbed his Z6.

'Almost forgot you.' Thorn thought while walking back outside. He walked downstairs until he was in front of Fluttershy.

"Follow me." Fluttershy said while walking down the last set of stairs.

Thorn nodded and followed the yellow mare.

"Watch out for Angel Bunny."/i]

'What's an Angel Bunny?' Thorn thought.


--------


The walk towards Fluttershy's cottage was a quiet one, since most of the ponies were still gathered at the town hall. 

During the walk, Thorn got a good look of Ponyville, the town was bigger than he first anticipated, it reminded him of the towns of Naboo.

Eventually they reached a cottage near a forest.

"That's the Everfree forest, don't go in there, dangerous creatures live there." Fluttershy warned.

"I think I can handle them." Thorn said while spinning his Z6.

Fluttershy flinched when he said that. "Now you have to assure me that you will not hurt any of my animal friends."

Thorn nodded. "I promise."

Fluttershy smiled and opened the door of her cottage. "Mommy's home."

Thorn walked inside. 

When he saw the inside of the cottage, he dropped his Z6 and spoke up.

"For fierfeks sake!"
> Training didn't prepare me for this
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"What you ask, is impossible."

"It is only impossible, because you think so."

"Gaah!"

Count Dooku hitting his new apprentice Savage Opress with force lightning.



---------


"Oh for fierfeks sake!"

When Fluttershy opened the door of her cottage, Thorn had expected to see a Bantha, or a Hoska, but he didn't expect this. Inside her cottage were animals he had never seen or heard of.

There were these small colorful ones with wings, there were at least ten long animals with no wings or feet, and they made a hissing sound, there were the strange looking feathery things with a long beak; they made some sort of *quak* sound. 

There were so many animals here, Thorn never expected her to have this many animals.

"Please come in." Fluttershy said.

Thorn nodded and walked inside, he had to bend over or else he would have bumped his head into the door frame.

Thorn entered the cottage and stood straight. He looked around and saw that all of the animals were eying him curiously.

"Alright, this is Commander Thorn." Fluttershy said whine walking towards her animal friends. "He is a nice pony and he is going to help me; take care of you today."

All of the animals gave her a 'are you serious' look.

"Yes, he is helping me today, so I want all of you to be nice to him ane treat him like you would treat me." Fluttershy said.

All of the animals looked at each other and shrugged. Suddenly they moved with incredible speed towards Thorn and began to 'climb' him.

The birds were sitting on his shoulders, while a ferret had already made it's way up to Thorn's helmet, while the snakes happily wrapped themselves around Thorn's legs.

Fluttershy smiled at the sight. "Ooh Thorn, they like you."

"I've noticed." Thorn replied. "Am I supposed to stand here and wait, until they get tired of using me as their own personal tree?"

Fluttershy smiled. "No, you can go outside and play with the animals, while I clean their nests, refresh their water and make something to eat for them."

Thorn nodded in response. "Alright, time to go outside, so let go of the clone."

The animals gave Thorn a confused look, but didn't let go.

"Umm, let go please?" Thorn asked.

Umm, when the animals did that to me, they stayed like that for one hour." Fluttershy said.

".... Blast." Thorn groaned.

Thorn sighed and began his (uncomfortable) walk towards the outside. The birds were still on his shoulders, so he couldn't move his arms. The snakes around his legs prevented him from taking bigger steps, so he had to take really small steps. And with the ferret still on his helmet, and the fact its tail was swinging in front of Thorn's visor, he couldn't really see where he was going.

"Oh Thorn, watch out for the--."

*Kablam*

"Aaaaah." Thorn exclaimed while falling on his back, and because of the sudden blow to his helmet, he dropped his Z6 rotary blaster cannon. The animals reacted quickly and got of Thorn; before he hit the ground

"Oompf." Thorn exclaimed while falling on his back.

"Oh my, Thorn are you ok?" Fluttershy asked concerned, while trotting over to him.

"I'm fine." Thorn said while rubbing his helmet.

Thorn grunted and got up, he grabbed Z6 rotary blaster cannon and shook his head. Thank the Kaminoans for making the helmets stronger.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Fluttershy asked. "You hit your head pretty hard."

"It's fine, the helmet took most of the impact." Thorn replied. 

Fluttershy smiled and turned to her animal friends. "That was not nice of you, Thorn could have hurt himself." She said.

"It's alright, I'm just happy you didn't have an Acklay in here, or something else that could have eaten me alive." Thorn said.

"What's an Acklay." Fluttershy asked.

"Big, giant, green beast that will kill anything that moves." Thorn replied.

"Oh... My." Fluttershy said.

"But I'm guessing you don't have those in Equestria." Thorn said.

Fluttershy shook her head. "The only dangerous animals I know of are: Timberwolves, Manticores,Ursa Minors, and Ursa Mayors."

"Never heard of them." Thorn said. 

Thorn looked at the animals, who were currently eying him cautiously. He sighed and spoke up. "Do you still want me to go outside?"

"It would be very nice.... If that's ok with you." Fluttershy said.

"Alright, I'll do it." Thorn replied while turning his gaze towards the animals. "But no more climbing."

The animals gave Thorn a confused look, but cautiously walked towards the clone Commander.

Fluttershy smiled. "I'll let you know when I'm finished."

Thorn nodded in response and walked towards the door.

"Oh and Thorn?"" Fluttershy asked.

Thorn stopped in his tracks and turned his head. "Yes?"

"Could you please be careful with your weapon; around my animals?" Fluttershy asked. "I wouldn't know what to do if one of them got hurt, mostly because your weapon is unknown to me and--."

"I'll be careful." Thorn cut her off.

Fluttershy smiled. "Thank you."

Thorn nodded and made his way over towards the door and opened it. Immediately the animals ran through the door, leaving Thorn standing beside the door frame, with a 'you have got to be kidding' expression underneath his helmet.

Thorn sighed and walked out of the door.

Fluttershy watched as he closed the door and stepped outside; she turned around and walked towards her kitchen.

"Alright, let's play." Thorn said while facing the animals.

All of the animals looked at Thorn and shook their heads.

"No playing?" Thorn asked.

The animals nodded.

"*sigh* Well, I don't really know what Fluttershy does with you." Thorn said. 'What am I doing? I'm talking to animals for fierfeks sake.'

Suddenly Thorn felt something tugging his right leg, he lowered his head and saw a small, white, little animal looking upbeat him.

"Oh, hello there little guy." Thorn said while putting his Z6 down. He got on one knee and held his hand out.

The white animal looked at his hand before sniffing it.

"That's right, now there is no need to bite so.... GAAH!" Thorn exclaimed while pulling his hand back. He looked at his index finger, and then at the white animal. "You bit me."

The animal shrugged.

"Watch out for Angel Bunny."

"Angel Bunny, so that must be you eh?" Thorn asked.

Angel crossed his arms and nonchalantly nodded.

"Well, somebody told me to watch out for you." Thorn said while grabbing his DC-17 blaster pistol. "But I think it would be wise if you'd watch out for me." Thorn said while aiming the blaster at Angel. 'I'm not going to kill it, I'm just showing him who's in charge.'

Angel sniffed the blaster a few times, before quickly grabbing it out of Thorn's grasp and hopping away.

"Hey!" Thorn shouted while getting up. T"hat is property of The Grand Army of The Republic, I am hereby forced to arrest.... Oh who am I kidding?" Thorn said while grabbing his Z6 and running after Angel.

'That Bunny is going in the stew when I'm done with it.' Thorn thought while chasing Angel.


****


It had been five minutes, five minutes of constant running and shouting.

"Blast, how is it possible that such a small animal has that much energy?" Thorn asked himself while chasing Angel.

What Thorn didn't notice; was that Angel Bunny was running towards a certain forest.

'Where is it going now?' Thorn thought.

Suddenly Angel stopped when he was in front of the forest; he turned around and gave Thorn a smug grin.

"Hey!" Thorn shouted. "Don't go in that forest!"

Angel stuck out his tongue and ran into the forest

'He has spirit, I'll give him that.' Thorn thought while watching Angel enter the forest.

Thorn began running towards the forest, he stopped when he was a few meters away from the forest. 'Whatever is in there.' Thorn thought while spinning his Z6. 'I can take it.'

And with that thought, Thorn entered the forest. He began his walk, he walked deeper into the forest, he turned his head and saw Fluttershy's cottage becoming smaller and smaller with every step he took.

Suddenly Thorn saw a bush move, his instincts kicked in and he began to run towards it.

Thorn ran and ran as fast as he could, but when he reached the bush, Angel wasn't in it. Instead there was a small animal, it had wings, a tail with a sharp tip, it had a red sort of mane and it had; what appeared to be paws.

Thorn sighed. 'It was too good to be true anyway.' Thorn thought while turning around.

But what Thorn didn't expect, was that Angel Bunny was right in front of him. "Hey, there you are." Thorn said while getting on one knee.

Angel Bunny eyed the Commander, watching his every move.

"Now, just give me." Thorn said while slowly moving his right hand towards Angel Bunny. "That back!" Thorn quickly said while successfully grabbing his blaster out of Angel Bunny's grasp.

Thorn quickly holstered his blaster and got back up. 

Angel was pissed to say the least, not only did his plan to lure Thorn away from his caretaker fail, but Thorn also out smarted him. Angel began kicking Thorn's leg violently.

Angel thought he was hurting him, but Thorn felt (literally) nothing.

"What are you trying to accomplish with that?" Thorn asked sarcastically.

Angel looked up at the clone Commander and gave him an angry glare.

"So I'm guessing you don't like me?" Thorn asked while getting on one knee.

Angel nodded and continued to kick Thorn's leg.

Thorn sighed and gently grabbed Angel.

Angel was caught off guard when he did that, but as soon as he saw Thorn's fingers wrap around his mid-section, he bit as hard as he could.

Thorn expected as such, so he tried his best to ignore the pain. 'I've been through worse pain than this.'

Angel continued to bite Thorn's fingers. But Thorn still didn't let go.

Finally Thorn raised his hand, until Angel was face to face with him. 

Angel looked at Thorn's emotionless helmet, seeing only his own reflection in the helmet's visor.

"Now, I want you to calm down." Thorn said.

Angel looked at the clone Commander; fear filled his eyes, who knew what he would do to him?

"Alright, when I put you down, I want you to--."

"ROAR!"

A loud roar interrupted Thorn, he turned quickly turned around. 

"What in blaze’s name is that?!" Thorn asked.

In front of him was a creature he had never seen before, it had four paws, a long tail, wings, and a expression that could only mean one thing: Dinner.

Thorn’s instincts kicked in, he turned around and began to run away from the beast, but was stopped by another beast.

'Great, now there are two.' Thorn thought.

Thorn looked at Angel Bunny, who was currently shaking with fear in his palm. Thorn had to improvise…. He had to improvise fast!

Thorn quickly put Angel Bunny on the ground and removed his helmet; he grabbed Angel and put him in his helmet. 'I hope I don’t break every bone in his body; by doing this.' Thorn thought while throwing his helmet over the beast that had stopped him from escaping.

The Manticores watched as the strange object was thrown away, they didn’t care about that, they only cared about getting rid of the intruder… By any means necessary.

Thorn readied himself and aimed his Z6 at one of the Manticores. 'There’s no point of trying to reason with these things.' Thorn thought while taking a step backward.

The Manticores watched as their ‘prey ‘began to back away, they knew it was scared, they had it right where they wanted it. They both walked closer towards the Commander, with each sep they took, Thorn took a step backwards.

'This is not going to end well.' Thorn thought while watching the Manticore's every movement. Thorn stopped backing up when his back bumped into something; he turned his head and saw that it was a tree. Blast! Thorn shouted.

The Manticore’s mouth were dripping with drool, they were going to enjoy this.

Thorn sighed and aimed his Z6 at one of the Manticores. "Shoosh!" Thorn ordered while shooting a few warning shots at the Manticore. 

The Manticore growled and backed away, but the other didn’t. The other Manticore quickly ran towards the Commander, Thorn quickly reacted and rolled away, making the Manticore bump into the tree.

The Manticore shook his head and looked around, trying to find the creature. He stopped when he saw Thorn getting on his feet.

Thorn quickly aimed his Z6 at the Manticore and pulled the trigger. A rain of blue lasers impaled the Manticores body, killing it instantly. The other Manticore looked at the Commander in fear, Thorn aimed his Z6 at the Manticore and shot a few warning shots into the ground in front of it.

"If you don’t want to end up like your friend, I suggest you leave." Thorn said.

The Manticore didn’t take the hint; instead it launched itself towards Thorn.

Thorn sighed and aimed his Z6 at the Manticore. "I’ll see you in hell you--."

"Thorn?! "

"Thorn was interrupted by a familiar voice. Fluttershy!?" Thorn shouted.

The Manticore apparently heard Fluttershy’s voice, because he turned around and began to run towards the source of the new voice he heard.

"Oh no you don’t!" Thorn shouted while pulling the trigger of his Z6.

Lasers chased the Manticore, hitting its right leg, left wing and his back. But the Manticore didn’t stop in its tracks.

'Oh no.' Thorn thought while running after the Manticore. 'I can’t let anything happen to Fluttershy, she trusted me with her animals, I can’t let her down now!'


****


Fluttershy hummed a happy tone, when it came to preparing food for the animals and cleaning their ‘homes’, she was faster than Rainbow Dash. She had just finished the last bird house when she heard somepony knock on the door.

'Who could that be?' Fluttershy thought while hovering towards the door.

*knock*…….. *knock*

'Wait, pacing between the knocks? That’s something new.' Fluttershy thought while opening the door.

When she had opened the door, she saw nopony. 

"Huh? I swear I heard somepony knocking." Fluttershy said wile landing on the ground. Suddenly she felt something tug her front leg, she lowered her head and saw Thorn’s helmet, the only thing that wasn’t right was that the helmet; wasn’t on Thorn’s head.

Fluttershy squeaked and quickly backed away. 

The helmet entered the cottage and began to circle around, as if it was trying to look for something. It stopped when it faced Fluttershy. It quickly moved towards Fluttershy, scaring the life out of her.

"P-Please d-don’t hurt me." Fluttershy pleaded.

Fluttershy expected the worst, but was surprised when the helmet began to tug her leg. 

Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow; she hesitantly reached for the helmet and pushed it over with her hoof. The helmet rolled over and Fluttershy looked inside of it. She saw nothing but darkness, darkness and….. Angel Bunny?

"Angel, is that you?" Fluttershy asked.

Angel responded by hopping out of the helmet.

Fluttershy embraced Angel in a hug. "Oh Angel, I was already wondering where you were."

Angels pushed himself away from the hug and pointed his paw at Thorn’s helmet.

Fluttershy stared at Thorn’s helmet for a couple of seconds, before understanding what Angel was trying to tell her. "Did something bad happen to Thorn?"

Angel nodded furiously.

"Where is he?" Fluttershy asked concerned, scared that she already knew the answer.

Angel hopped towards a nearby window and pointed his paw at The Everfree Forest.

"Oh.... No." Fluttershy said.

Angel then began to make his way towards the door, when he was in front of the opening; he motioned Fluttershy to follow him.

"I d-don't know i-if we should *squeak*."

Angel rolled his eyes and hopped over towards Fluttershy, he got behind her and began to push against her legs.

"Angel I-I c-can't, I'm just s-so scared." Fluttershy said.

Just then, Fluttershy got a flashback, a flashback that showed how Thorn had saved not only her but also her friend's life.

Fluttershy inhaled deeply and gathered her courage. She flapped her wings and began to fly towards the door.

Angel smiled and hopped after her.

When Fluttershy had reached the outside of her cottage, she saw that the animals Thorn took with him, were all staring towards the direction of the Everfree forest.

Fluttershy flew up to her animal friends and spoke up. "I want all of you to go inside and stay inside."

The animals did as they were told and walked/flew/crawled towards the door.

Fluttershy was about to fly towards The Everfree forest, until she saw Angel hopping towards her.

Fluttershy hovered towards Angel. "Angel, I want you to go inside and make sure that of the animals are safe."

Angel pouted.

"Angel." Fluttershy said with a hint of anger.

Angel accepted his defeat and hopped towards the door.

Fluttershy smiled, but quickly turned around and flew towards The Everfree forest. 'I hope Thorn didn't run into any Timberwolves..... Or Manticores.'


****


After for what seemed like hours of flying, Fluttershy reached: The Everfree forest. 

"This is it". Fluttershy said while walking towards the forest. 'Wait, maybe I should try to call for him first.' Fluttershy thought.

Fluttershy inhaled deeply. "Thorn."

".........."

Fluttershy sighed. Maybe a little louder. "Thorn."

".........."

Fluttershy sighed and inhaled deeply. "Thorn!"

Fluttershy had hoped that Thorn would have replied, but she only got silence in response.

She sighed and began to walk towards the forest. 'Please let me find him fast.' Fluttershy mentally pleaded. She entered the forest and began to call out Thorn's name.

"Thorn, where are you?" She asked.

"Fluttershy, get out of here!" A faint voice shouted from the distance.

"Thorn?" Fluttershy asked while walking towards the source of the voice.

"Fluttershy, get out of here!" The voice repeated.

"Thorn is that you--."

Fluttershy stopped mid-sentence when she saw something running towards her, something big, something familiar, something--. "Manticore!" Fluttershy shouted.

The Manticore came running towards her at full speed, Fluttershy tried to move, but couldn't get her legs to move, she was frozen in fear.

The Manticore came closer and closer until it was a meter away from Fluttershy.

"N-Nice Manticore, no need for you to--."

"Roar!"

Fluttershy squeaked and curled up into a ball, she knew she wasn't going to get out of this alive, her friends weren't there to help her, she was all alone.

"Help m-me." Fluttershy pleaded, tears forming in her eyes.

The Manticores drool dripped in front of Fluttershy, it couldn't kill its last prey, but this one wasn't going to put up much of a fight.

Fluttershy cried out for help, but she heard nopony answer her pleading. "I d-don't w-want to die, I w-want to l-live." Fluttershy whispered.

The Manticore raised its claw, this was going to be fun.

"Hey!" A voice behind the Manticore shouted.

The Manticore turned around and saw the same creature from before.

Thorn looked at the Manticore, rage filling his eyes when he saw Fluttershy's curled up form, she wasn't moving.

"You-You killed her." Thorn said.

The Manticore growled at Thorn.

"You killed her." Thorn said while raising his voice.

The Manticore growled again.

"YOU KILLED HER!" Thorn roared while aiming his Z6 at the Manticore.

The Manticore ran towards Thorn, completely forgetting what he had done to the other Manticore just a few minutes ago.

"Raaagh!" Thorn roared while pulling the trigger. A rain of blue lasers shot out of the Z6, impaling the Manticore in its tracks and making it fall dead on the ground; in front of Thorn's legs.

Thorn breathed heavily and brought up both of his arms, placing the Z6 directly above the Manticore's head. Thorn pulled the trigger and the lasers impaled the Manticore's head, Thorn kept on shooting until the Manticore's head was nothing more but a pulp of flesh, brains, and bones.

"This is for her!" Thorn shouted.

"T-Thorn?" A faint voice asked.

"Fluttershy?" Thorn asked.

"Thorn, i-is it really you?" Fluttershy asked.

Thorn walked over the Manticore's, he walked towards Fluttershy while smiling. 'She's fine.' Thorn thought while looking at Fluttershy. 'Oh no.' Thorn thought, remembering what he had just done. 'That must mean she saw everything.'

Thorn stopped when he was in front of Fluttershy, he got on one knee and spoke up. "Hey, I uh I--."

Thorn was cut off when Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around his neck, her muzzle resting on his shoulder.

Thorn couldn't help but smile, he wrapped his arms around her back and gently stroke it. "Shhhh, it's alright, your safe now." Thorn said comfortingly.

"I thought you were gone forever, o-or worse." Fluttershy cried into his shoulder.

"I'm fine, we're fine." Thorn said.

After a few minutes of comforting the yellow pegasi mare, Thorn finally broke the silence. "Hey, I think we should head back to your home, the animals must be worried sick about you."

Fluttershy gently broke the hug and looked up at Thorn, she saw his scarred face, the face of a hero who not only save her once but twice.

Thorn smiled at her. "Let's get going shall we?"

Fluttershy nodded weakly she couldn't help but notice the dead Manticore. It took all of her strength not to vomit at the sight.

"You know the way right?" Thorn asked sheepishly.

Fluttershy weakly smiled. "Follow me."

Thorn nodded and began to follow her. 'Poor girl is probably going to have nightmares about this.' Thorn thought.


****


When Fluttershy and Thorn had reached her cottage, Fluttershy insisted that Thorn should lay down in her bed and get some rest.

But every time she insisted, Thorn would decline her offer.

Eventually Fluttershy stopped trying and went on to take care of the animals, while Thorn would help her when she asked him to.

The day went by fast, and eventually Fluttershy and Thorn had finished their work.

"And that's the last bird house." Fluttershy said.

Thorn gave a relieving sigh and sat down on the ground. "I'll double that."

Fluttershy smiled and went into her kitchen, she came out of her kitchen with a bowl of soup, firmly held in her mouth.

She walked up to Thorn. "For you."

Thorn smiled and took the bowl. "Thank you." Thorn said while taking a sip from the soup.

"Don't you want a spoon?" Fluttershy asked.

Thorn respond by taking another sip from his soup.

Fluttershy giggled. "I'll take that as a no."

Thorn couldn't help but laugh at his own silliness.

The laughing went on for a few more seconds until Thorn spoke up.

"It's getting dark." Thorn said.

"It sure is." Fluttershy said while yawning.

Thorn chucked. "Tired?"

Fluttershy nodded.

"Well, where am I supposed to go now?" Thorn asked. "I mean, I don't have anywhere to sleep."

Fluttershy smiled. "Twilight told me that if things got late, you could sleep here."

"I don't want to be a burden." Thorn said.

Fluttershy placed a hoof on his chest plate. "You aren't."

Thorn looked at Fluttershy, he saw a faint shade of pink on her muzzle.

"Are you feeling ok?" Thorn asked.

Fluttershy quickly removed her hoof from the Commander. "I'm f-fine I'll just uh.. Bye!" Fluttershy said while quickly flying out of the room.

Thorn looked at the spot were Fluttershy just stood. 'Looks like I'll be sleeping on the ground.' Thorn thought while walking towards a corner, he positioned himself so he would face the door. He crossed his arms and sighed, he still had the bowl of soup in his hand, he took one bug sip and swallowed it. 

'Luckily it wasn't too hot.' Thorn thought while placing the bowl beside him.

Suddenly he saw his he saw his helmet rolling towards him?

"What in the world?" Thorn whispered.

Suddenly the helmet stopped in front of Thorn, what Thorn didn't expect; was Angel Bunny coming out of his helmet.

Thorn grabbed his helmet and placed it beside him.

Angel Bunny watched the Commander, he saw his strange appendage move towards him, he closed his eyes and prepared for the worst..... But felt no pain?

He opened his eyes absent saw that Thorn was patting his head and giving him a soft smile.

"That'a boy." Thorn said. "Now, go to your bed." Thorn said while pointing his finger at a basket.

Angel nodded and hopped towards his basket.

Thorn looked around the room and saw that Fluttershy had forgotten to put out her lanterns. He got up an blew our each one of them

He then walked back to his spot and sat down.

'Well, this day sure was interesting.' Thorn thought, remembering everything that happened not only today, but over the past few days.

A yawn escaped Thorn's mouth.

'Enough thinking.' Thorn thought while crossing his arms and closing his eyes. 'Time for sleep.'

And with that thought, the fearless clone Commander; drifted of to sleep.


------------


It is late at night, everypony was asleep and well, ponies were sleeping peacefully, eventually Thorn had fallen asleep as well.

But in The Everfree forest, a figure known for his merciless hunting, hardened war experience, his desire to kill any threat that crosses his path, awoke with a grunt.

"Where am I?" The figure asked no one in particular.

He got up and checked his surroundings. 'This is defiantly not Kashyyyk.' The figure thought.

He brought his hand up to his helmet and spoke up. "This is RC-1207, Delta's do you read?"




> RC-1207, a true warrior
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"We’re sending our most qualified squad to investigate. Someone important noted your excellence on Geonosis." 

"You hear that, Sev? Someone thinks I'm excellent."

"Well...at least that makes two of you."

Sev, mocking Scorch; before beginning their prior mission: Investigate the RAS Prosecutor.



------------


Location: Kashyyyk

Current location: Wookie turbo laser

Weapon status:  DC-17m ICWS blaster fully operational, sniper attachment, anti-armor attachment fully operational, DC-17s side arm blaster fully operational. 

Explosives: 4 Thermal Detonators, 4 Electronics Counter Detonators, 4 Sonic Detonators, 4 Concussion grenades.

Armor status: Fully operational, no damage.

Status RC-1207: Alive.


****


"Nothing like a little precision teamwork Deltas." Sev said through the internal commlink of Delta Squad.

"And that was nothing like a little precision teamwork." Scorch responded.

'You’re lucky I’m here and you are way over there Scorch.' Sev thought. 'Finally, I can get some rest.'

"Loose the chatter Commandos." Fixer intertwined. "What now sir?"

'And there is Fixer, always ruining the fun.' Sev thought while getting of the turbo laser, which he and the other members of Delta squad used; to destroy the Recusant-class Seperatist destroyer.

"Awaiting further instructions forty." Delta 38 a.k.a Boss replied.

'Wait, what’s that?' Sev thought.

Sev walked through the blast doors behind him, his weapon at the ready; should any Battle droids or Trandoshians try something funny.

"Delta Squad, regroup at three-eight’s position for exfill."  Advisor CC-01/425 a.k.a Advisor replied.

Sev turned around and head back for the turret, until he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Eliminate enemy hostiles." A Super Battle droid said while raising its cannon at Sev

'Battle droids!' Sev mentally shouted.

Behind Sev were: three Super Battle droids , five Battle droids and two Destroyer droids. They aimed their weapons at Sev and began to fire.

'Blast!' Sev mentally shouted while ducking out of the way. He quickly aimed his DC17 at the droids while he reached for his helmet with his left hand.

"Boss, I’ve got a problem here!" Sev shouted through the internal commlink.

"Sev where are you?" Boss asked.

"Sector" *static* "multiple hostiles" *static* "sir!"

"Lost is signal Boss." Fixer said with a hint of worry.

"Well, find it again, damn it! Delta, regroup, we're going after Sev." Boss ordered.

"Negative negative, Three-Eight, new orders came through from the Jedi generals, clear the area and evac now." The Advisor intertwined. 

"I don't care if they came from General Yoda himself." Boss responded with a hint of anger.

"As a matter of fact, they did, soldier. Now get your squad out of there." The Advisor sternly ordered.

"Blast our orders! Forty?" Scorch asked desperately.

"He's right, Boss. We gotta evac." Fixer said. But deep inside, he regretted those words.

"Boss, we have to go back." Scorch said. Scorch said.

But Delta Squad couldn't go back, they couldn't go back to rescue their Commando, their teammate, their sniper... Their brother.

Delta Squad was picked up by a LAAT gunship, all of them regretted what they had done.

Fixer, because he followed orders.... That he should disobeyed.

Scorch, because he not only lost his brother, but also his best friend

And Boss, because he lost a fellow squad member and a fellow brother.

They were not going to forgive the Advisor for this.


****


"Eliminate en- eliminate ene- elimi--"

"That'll keep him quiet." Sev said while blasting the last Super Battle droid to scrap metal.

'Wait until Scorch hears about this.' Sev thought while looking at the mess he had made. Sev couldn't believe what he had done, he had single handedly taken out three Super Battle droids, five Battle droids and two destroyer droids. 'I'd say that's about twenty extra points to my score.'

But Sev didn't come out unharmed either, his left shoulder was pretty banged up, but luckily his armor held of most of the blaster shots, so the pain wasn't that bad... Also, dodging lasers makes things a lot easier.

Sev sighed and brought his hand up to his helmet. He activated his commlink and spoke up.

"Deltas, this is Sev, do you read?"

Static.

"Deltas, I repeat: This is Sev, do you read?" Sev repeated.

Static again

"Scorch?"

"Fixer?"

"Boss?"

"Raaah!" Sev roared, emptying his ammo clip on one of the destroyed destroyers. "I can't believe it!"

Sev looked around, trying to find any sign of an escape route. 

"I guess I'll just have to walk until I find someone." Sev said, re-loading his DC17m. 'Or someone finds me.' Sev thought with a smirk, secretly hoping some Geonosian Elites would cross his path.

Sev walked and walked for what seemed like hours, until he reached a familiar place, it was the place where he and the other members of Delta Squad had fought against that Advanced Spider droid, two magna guards, two super battle droids and those two destroyers, it was the plaza.

'Luckily Boss decided to pick up that Wookie Rocket launcher.' Sev thought, remembering how Boss had destroyed that Spider droid with the human sized rocket launcher.

'Well, the elevator should be up ahead so--.'

A loud explosion cut Sev off from his thoughts. He turned around and saw that a battalion of Super Battle droids were being dropped off by a Separatist Gunship.

"Oh no you don't!" Sev shouted while switching his blaster attachment for his DC17m with his anti-armor attachment. He loaded his blaster and shot a single round at the Gunship.

"Direct hit!" Sev shouted while seeing the anti-armor grenade hit the Gunship.

The Gunship started spinning around uncontrollably, a humming sound coming of its engiens while it did so. 

Sev could only watch and grin underneath his helmet. 'That's another forty points, Scorch is gonna have a hard time catching up.' Sev thought while turning around.

"Wait." Sev said while turning around, he loaded another grenade into his blaster and aimed it at the Gunship's cockpit. 

"Rule number seventeen: Always make sure they're dead". Sev said while firing the grenade.

The grenade made impact with the cockpit, destroying it instantly.

Sev switched his anti-armor attachment back for his blaster attachment. 'Got to save the explosives.' Sev thought.

Boss, are you sure you want Mr. Deathwish to handle the explosives?

Sev chuckled. 'Mr. Deathwish, I kinda like that name Scorch.' Sev thought, remembering the many nicknames Scorch had given him.

'Looks like I'm done here, time to find any Wookie resistance and ask for their help.' Sev thought while walking towards the blast doors, that led to the elevator.

Sev walked towards the blast doors, but he had this feeling, a feeling he had felt many times, he was being followed!

Sev acted normally; as if he didn't noticed that his follower had given away himself.

In one quick instance, Sev turned around and shot a few blaster shots at his follower, the only downside was.... There was no one following him.

"Huh?" Sev said while lowering his blaster and turning back around. "I swear I heard someth--."

Sev was interrupted by a mechanical hand giving him a blow to his gut. Sev was sent flying backwards, hitting the nearest wall with so much force, the shields around his armor blinked blue and had to recharge.

Sev fell on the ground, but quickly got up and saw that his attacker was not a Battle droid, no this was one of those droids Sev hated with a passion.

"Magnaguard." Sev grumbled while aiming his blaster at it.

The Magnaguard activated his electro staff, ready to charge at the Commando.

"Eat laser you ugly fierfek!" Sev shouted while pulling the trigger of his DC17m.

The Magnaguard dodged the lasers, by jumped up towards a nearby fuel cell. Suddenly the Magnaguard began to shake its back viciously.

'Not good.' Sev thought while running towards a barricade made by the Wookies.

The Magnaguard kept on shaking until eight, heat seeking grenades fired out of its back.

The grenades were fired into the air, quickly picking up Sev's body heat and flying towards him.

'This is why I hate these things.' Sev thought while watching the grenades fly towards him.

'Alright, this barricade isn't going to protect me from those grenades.' Sev thought while watching the grenades come closer and closer.

Sev sighed. "If Fixer saw me do this, he'd be so pissed." Sev said while jumping over the (poorly made) barricade. 

He quickly ran towards the center of the plaza and shot at the Magnaguard. 

The Magnaguard, completely forgetting its grenade strike, jumped down and began to charge at Sev.

Sev watched as the Magnaguard landed in front of him, looking down at him with his red optics.

Sev chuckled and pointed a finger towards something.

The Magnaguard turned around and saw eight grenades coming at him with full speed.

He quickly turned around and activated its electro staff, ready to strike down Sev, before the grenades made impact with him.

The Magnaguard swayed its staff at Sev; Sev quickly reacted by grabbing the metal handle of the staff and (with a lot of strength) pushed the Magnaguard back.

Sev quickly rolled out of the way and took cover behind another barricade. He laid down and covered his head.

The Magnaguard was about to go after him, until the eight grenades it had shot a few seconds ago, hit it in its back, making it explode instantly. Pieces of metal and some wires flew through the air.

Sev couldn't help but to laugh out loud. "Hahahaha, no matter what kind of droids the Separatists make, they'll always be as stupid as the B1 battle droids." Sev said while holding his belly from laughter.

"Eliminate enemy hostile." A low mechanical voice said.

"Huh?" Sev said while looking behind him. 'They're not behind me, so where are they?' Sev thought while crouching behind the barricade.

*Click* *clock* *click* *clock*

Mechanical footsteps could be heard, but when Sev popped his head from behind the barricade, he saw no droids.

'What the?' Sev thought while switching his blaster attachment for his sniper attachment.

"Let's see." Sev said while looking through his scope. 'Where are those clankers?'

Sev looked around, trying to find the droid that he apparently forgot to shoot.

'I don't see any droids; maybe it was just my imagination?' Sev thought while standing straight. 'There's no way any of those Super Battle droids; could have survived that crash.' Sev thought while looking at the Gunship's wreckage.

"Die Republic dog!" A low mechanical voice shouted.

'I knew it!' Sev mentally shouted.

Sev immediately turned around and saw that a Super Battle droid jumped down from behind a nearby platform.

The Super Battle droid raised its cannon and was about to strike at Sev.

Sev's instincts kicked in and he quickly rolled aside.

The Super Battle droid landed on the ground with so much force, that the ground underneath it shattered. The Super Battle droid's cannon hit the barricade, splitting it in half instantly.

Sev quickly got up and shot an entire ammo clip into the Super Battle droid.

The Super Battle droid turned around and raised its cannon at Sev.

Sev's eyes widened underneath his helmet. 'How is it still standing?' Sev thought while re-loading his DC17m.

"Eliminate." The Super Battle droid said while firing its cannon at Sev. 

"Oh no you don't!" Sev shouted while ducking out of the way.

The laser that were shot from the Super Battle droid cannon hit the ground, leaving burn marks all over it.

Sev aimed his DC17m and emptied another clip into the Super Battle droid.

'That should keep it down.' Sev thought while re-loading his DC17.

"E-Eliminate enemy h-hostile." The Super Battle droid said while slowly raising its cannon.

"How is that thing still alive?" Sev thought, astonished that the Super Battle droid was still standing.

Sev was sick and tired of these: Trade Federation mechs, he walked towards the Super Battle droid and aimed his DC17 at its face plate.

"Die." Sev said while shooting the Super Battle droid in its face plate.

The laser went straight through its face plate, a solid hole now covering it. Sparks ignited from the Super Battle droid. It began to spasm out, waving its arms while constantly repeating: "Eliminate, eliminate."

Eventually the Super Battle droid fell dead on the ground.

Sev fired another shot into the Super Battle droid.

"Rule number seventeen: Always make sure they're dead." Sev said while switching his sniper attachment for his blaster attachment.

Sev turned around, secretly hoping that he would not encounter more droids.

As Sev walked towards the exit of the plaza, ready to take the elevator that would lead him towards the upper levels of the: Wookie defense system, he couldn't help but think what his fellow squad members were up to.

"They're probably fighting droids as I speak." Sev said.

The power had been restored, because of Delta Squad's actions, the Wookie defense systems were back online.

'Luckily for those hairy furrbals, we were there to restore the power after the Separatists had cut it off.' Sev thought while remembering the many Battle droids and Geonosian warriors.

Sev shuddered. "I hate those bugs."

Sev sighed and walked towards the exit, until--.

*Kablam!*

"What the?!" Sev shouted while turning around. "Oh you have got to be kidding!"

Sev was in a lot of trouble, an Advanced Dwarf Spider droid had just been dropped into the plaza grounds.

'Those Seppies must really want me dead.' Sev thought while taking cover behind a nearby tree. 

'Luckily this is Kashyyyk, and trees grow everywhere.' Sev thought while taking a peek at the Spider droid.

Suddenly a tiny cylinder came out of the Spider droid's head, a red laser came out of it and the cylinder began to spin slowly.

'Damn, if that Optical Cluster spots me, I'm dead.' Sev thought switching his Blaster attachment for his anti-armor attachment.

The only clone Sev knew; who could take on an Advanced Spider droid was: Boss.

'But Boss isn't here at the moment.' Sev thought while taking another peek at the Spider droid.

Suddenly the Spider droid's cannon turned thirty degrees, aiming it directly towards the fuel cell, Sev was hiding behind.

"Oh blast!" Sev shouted while sprinting away from the fuel cell. 

The Spider droid's cannon fired a huge laser at the fuel cell, making it explode.

Large pieces of metal flew through the air, some even hitting the Spider droid, but they just bounced of its armor plating.

But that was not the worst of it, a piece of metal, the size of Sev's arm flew towards the Commando, sadly enough, Sev didn't see it coming.

"Alright you giant bucked of bolts!" Sev shouted while turning around and aiming his DC17m at the Spider droid.

"Time to--."

Sev was cut off from his threat, when the piece of metal struck him, impaling his abdomen. The piece of metal went straight through his armor, but not straight through his abdomen.

Sev breathed heavily, he looked at the piece of metal, he roared and grabbed hold of the piece of metal, and finally (with a lot of pain and effort) he pulled it out.

Blood was oozing out of the wound, the wound was the size of a fist, Sev was not going to make it, and he knew it.

Sev dropped his blaster and fell to his knees, hands clenching his wound.

"I can't believe it." Sev said.

The Spider droid slowly made its way over towards Sev, ready to deliver the final blow.

Sev looked up at the sky, thinking back at his life.

The time when he was still a clone cadet, the time when he got his armor, when he met his squad, when he became best friends with Scorch, the battle of Geonosis, his capture by the Trandoshians on the RAS Prosecutor, the mission on Mygeeto and many, many more.

'And I die on Kashyyyk.' Sev thought while lowering his head.

The sound of the Spider droid moving closer towards him, snapped Sev out of his thoughts.

"If I'm going down." Sev said while standing on his feet. "I'm taking you with me!"

And so with all the strength he had left, he ran towards the Spider droid, he got a hold of its cannon. The Spider viciously shook his cannon, trying to get the Commando of him.

Sev used his final strength to grab a Thermal detonator from his ammo belt.

"If I could somehow throw the detonator into the Spider droid's cannon, I could destroy it from the inside." Sev said.

Sev knew this was suicide, only a Jedi could pull that kind of stunt and live to tell the tale.

"Well, time to find out if my aim hasn't weakened." Sev said while loosening his grip on the Spider droid's cannon.

The Spider droid shook its cannon, making Sev fly backwards.

Sev activated the Thermal detonator and threw it towards the Spider droid. Sev was sent flying into a wall, his spinal cord making a few 'uncomfortable' cracks. He fell to the ground, the agonizing pain making it impossible for him to move.

Sev watched as the Thermal detonator flew towards the Spider droid.

He watched and hoped this would work.. And it did!

The Thermal detonator went inside of the cannon.

The Spider droid, now very pissed, aimed its cannon at Sev.

'Three.' Sev thought.

Its cannon was powering up.

'Two.'

Red light could be seen from inside the cannon.

'One.'

And it fired.

Sev cracked a painful smile underneath his helmet as he watched the Spider Proud explode into thousand of tiny pieces. 

Sev tried to push himself up, but to no available, the pain was too much, even for this Commando.

Sev coughed up more blood, covering his visor from the inside. He crawled towards his blaster, his vision slowly fading.

"Scorch, you win." Sev said, remembering the deal he and Scorch had made before the first battle of Geonosis.


~~~~


"Alright, whoever has the most points at the end of the war, gets to make the other do his bidding for one month." Scorch said while crossing his arms and leaning against the side of the LAAT Gunship.

"You're on." Sev replied while holding his hand out.

Scorch grabbed his hand firmly and shook it. "I'm going to make you clean my blaster, every day of the month." Scorch said.

"Oh yeah?" Sev said while tightening his grip around Scorch's hand. "I'm using you for target practice."

Scorch gulped. "What was that Boss?" Scorch shouted while pulling his hand away and running away from Sev.

Sev grinned. "Target practice, heheheheh."


~~~~


"Looks like I won't be c-cleaning y-your b-blaster." Sev said while grabbing his blaster and clutching it to his chest.

He rolled on his back, never letting go of his trusty blaster, the blaster that had saved his life so many times.

"R-Rule n-number one: k-kill them b-before they.. Kill.. You."

And with those words said, the Commando we all knew and loved, died. His body went limb, the grip around his blaster loosening.

Sev, RC-1207, Mr. Deathwish, a fellow brother, those nicknames and numbers meant nothing anymore, for Sev... Is..... Dead.


--------


It is late at night, everypony was asleep and well, ponies were sleeping peacefully, eventually Thorn had fallen asleep as well.

But in The Everfree forest, a figure known for his merciless hunting, hardened war experience, his desire to kill any threat that crosses his path, awoke with a grunt.

"Where am I?" The figure asked no one in particular.

He got up and checked his surroundings. 'This is defiantly not Kashyyyk.' The figure thought.

He brought his hand up to his helmet and spoke up. "This is RC-1207, Delta's do you read?"

*static*

"Blast!" Sev shouted. "On Kashyyyk I didn't have any communication, and now you're telling me I....... Wait, something doesn't feel right."

Sev looked down at his abdomen, and for some reason, there was no wound.

"What?!" Sev shouted while stumbling backwards. "H-How? How can this be?" Sev asked himself.

"I died on Kashyyyk." Sev said, remembering every minute of his fight against the Battle droids, the Magnaguard and finally: The Spider droid.

Sev held his hand to his abdomen. "There was a giant hole right there." Sev said while rubbing the spot where the piece of metal had struck him.

Sev collapsed on the ground, leaning against a nearby tree. 'What kind of trick is this?' Sev thought while resting his head in his hands.

"Ah told ya we shouldn't have went out here." A high pitched voice said.

Sev's ears perked up and his hunter instinct kicked in. Well blast it! Sev thought while clenching his fists. 'I don't need my blaster to...... Oh look, my blaster.' Sev thought while walking towards his blaster. He picked it up and checked if it still worked. A blaster shot came out of it, hitting a nearby tree.

Sev smiled. 'Yep this baby still works. 'Sev thought.

"Y'all heard that?" The same high pitched voice asked.

"Applebloom, I think we should head back home, if Rarity finds out we've been in The Evefree forest, she's going to ground me for life." A different high pitched voice said.

'High pitched voice, must be children." Sev thought while walking towards the source of the voice. 

This might seem hard to believe, but Sev has always had a weak spot for children. Back on Kamino, clone cadets would always come up to him and ask him to tell them about the missions he and the other members of Delta Squad had been on. 

But there was another reason, children's minds were easy to manipulate, so when Sev would spent time with the cadets, he would tell them about: Showing no mercy to any enemy, making sure they were all dead, and to have fun while killing.

'I can still remember the scolding from Boss I got when he found out.' Sev thought.

"Hey, you were the one who suggested we went camping, so we could earn our Cutie marks for: Camping in a dangerous forest at night." Another high pitched voice said.

"Hey!" The other high pitched voice shouted.

"Easy there Sweetiebelle, Scootaloo was just messing with ya." The other high pitched voice reassured.

'What in Huts name are they talking about?' Sev thought while hearing the voices getting closer.

'Alright, I'm not activating my helmet's flashlights.' Sev thought while bringing his hand up to his helmet. 'So I'll use Night-vision instead.'

Sev activated his Night-vision and slowly walked towards the source of the voices. Through his Night-vision, he could see different kinds of things, he saw strange, small animals with sharp teeth, these strange animals that made "hissing" sounds, and finally he saw trio of quadruped organic life-forms.

"I think we should head back home." One of the three said.

"Come on Sweetiebelle, don't chicken out on us now." The other said.

'Strange.' Sev thought while watching the three argue. 'One of them appears to have wings, the other has some sort of horn and the other one has no horn or wings.' Sev thought while hiding behind a nearby tree.

"Well, I still think this isn't a good idea!" The one with the horn said.

"Come on!" The one with the wings said. "Did Thorn back out when he stood up for you against Diamond Tiara?" The one with the wings asked.

'Thorn? That name sounds familiar.' Sev thought while taking a glance at the trio.

"N-No, but I'm not a clone like him." The one with the horn replied.

'Clone? Thorn? Commander Thorn! Now remember!' Sev thought. 'He was that clone who blew up that Separatist fuel base.'

"Yeah, you're right about that." The one with the wings said.

'Well.' Sev thought while slowly getting out from his hiding spot. 'They know what clones are, so maybe they can get me to the nearest Republic base on their planet.'

But what Sev didn't know, was that there was neither Republic nor Separatists on this planet, he was going to be shocked.

Sev slowly walked towards the trio, careful to make no sound at all. Eventually he was two meters away from the trio and spoke up.

"Hello, can you three help me? I'm kinda lost." Sev said in his low voice.

The trio's ears perked up and they slowly turned around.

"Aaaaaaaaah!" They screamed in union.

Sev shook his head. "Could you three--."

"Aaaaaaah!"

"Could you--."

"Aaaaaaah!"

"COULD YOU THREE SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" Sev shouted.

The trio went silent immediately and looked up at him with fear in their eyes.

"Now, can I ask you three something?" Sev asked with a hint of annoyance.

The trio nodded.

"On what planet am I?" Sev asked.

"Y-You’re on Equestria." The one with the wings replied.

"Is your planet allied with The Republic or Separatists?" Sev asked.

"We aren’t allied with anypony m-mister." The one without wings and horn replied.

"What are you three?" Sev asked.

"Were p-ponies, fillies to be precise." The one with wings replied.

Sev sighed. "Alright listen, I overheard your conversation and heard you mentioning a clone trooper called: Thorn."

"You know Thorn?" The fillies asked in union.

"Yes, I am a clone like him, Republic Commando to be precise."

"Republic Commando." The filly with wings repeated. "Hey! Rainbow Dash told me about Republic Commandos!" She said.

"Really?" The two other fillies asked I union.

"Yeah, she told me that Thorn told her, that Republic Commandos are like the most awesome clones ever. And that Thorn got to meet the best of the Commandos ever!"

"Really? Who were they?" The filly with the horn asked.

The filly with wings tapped her chin. "Hmmm, I believe she said they were called Delti Squad, or something."

"Delta Squad." Sev corrected.

"Huh?" The filly with wings asked.

"They’re called: Delta squad." Sev said.

"And how would you know"? The filly with wings asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Because I’m Delta Squad’s most feared hunter, sniper and killer." Sev replied.

"Really? What’s your name then?" The filly with wings asked. "Because I can remember the names, they were: Boss, Fixer, Scorch and--."

"Sev, or Delta oh seven, or as my ‘creators’ designated me: RC-1207." Sev cut her off.

All of the filly’s eyes widened.

"Whoa." They said in union.

Sev rolled his eyes. 'Great, fangirls.'

"So is Sev really your name?" The fill with a horn asked.

"Yes." Sev replied. "What are yours?" He asked.

"My name is Sweetiebelle." The filly with the horn said.

"Mah name’s Applebloom." The filly without the horn and wings said.

"And my name is Scootaloo." The filly with wings said.

"And together we're the: CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!" They shouted in union.

"Sweetiebelle, Applebloom and Scootaloo." Sev repeated. "Got it." 

"Whoa, when you say our names, it sounds so cool." Scootaloo said in awe. "Could you say mine again?"

"What? Why?" Sev asked confused.

And this was the part Sev hated about children: Their excitement.

"Because it's cool, so will ya?" Scootaloo asked.

"No." Sev said.

"Please." Scootaloo begged.

"No." Sev repeated.

"Pwease?" Scootaloo begged, her lower lip quivering.

"*sigh* Scootaloo." Sev said.

Scootaloo let out an adorable squeak. "Awesome."

"Why are three younglings like you." Sev said while pointing his index finger at the fillies. "Here in this dark and scary forest, alone?"

"Well, we were tryin ta get our Cutie marks." Applebloom replied.

"But it seems that camping isn't our special talent." Scootaloo added.

"What's a.... Never mind." Sev said.

"Mister Sev, why is there a blue T on your face?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"That's my visor." Sev replied. "It's supposed to do that."

"Wow, too bad we can't really see ya." Scootaloo said.

"Yeah, it's so dark here, I can hardly see my own hooves." Sweetiebelle added.

"Well, I can see you three perfectly." Sev said.

"Really?" Scootaloo asked. 

Sev nodded.

"Then what am I doing now?" Scootaloo asked while sticking her tongue out.

"I would put it back were it belongs, before I rip it out." Sev replied.

Scootaloo immediately retracted her tongue.

Sev smirked underneath his helmet. "Kids, they never learn do they?'

*crack*

"Aaaaah!" Sweetiebelle exclaimed while grabbing hold of Sev's leg.

"Easy Sweetiebelle, it's probably just a stick." Scootaloo said.

"Or a Timberwolve." Applebloom added.

Scootaloo gulped. "O-Or that."

"Do you mind?" Sev asked while looking down at Sweetiebelle.

"Sorry." Sweetiebelle said while letting go of his leg.

"Now. "Sev said while turning around. "I want you three to take me to the nearest town, or city, or basically any kind of civilisation."

"Umm, that's gonna be a problem.* Scootaloo said.

"Why's that?" Sev asked.

"We're ehm, kinda lost." Scootaloo admitted sheepishly.

Sev groaned. 'I need to kill something.'

"Hey, ah thought ya said ya knew tha way." Applebloom said while pointing her hoof accusingly at Scootaloo.

"Nuhu, I said I 'kinda' knew the way. "Scootaloo replied.

"Did not." Applebloom said.

"Did so!" Scootaloo argued back.

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Shut your klarking mouths and just tell me from which direction you came!" Sev shouted, making the fillies lower their ears.

"S-Sorry." Applebloom said.

Sev sighed. 'I love kids, but these three are starting to make me doubt that.'

"Uhm mister?" Sweetiebelle said while tugging Sev's leg.

"What is it?" Sev asked.

"I-I'm scared." Sweetiebelle replied.

"Scared? Of what?" Sev asked

"Of the forest." Sweetiebelle replied.

"If you're scared of the forest, why go in; in the first place?" Sev asked.

"B-Because I d-didn't think we would g-get lost." Sweetiebelle replied while tears started to form in her eyes.

"Applejack is going to be really angry at me if she finds out 'bout this." Applebloom said.

Scootaloo said nothing, but she was pretty scared to. 

Sev looked at the fillies, they were frightened and he could see it in their eyes. The same look Trandoshians would give him before he would kill them.

"Listen." Sev said. "I'll.... Make sure nothing happens to you."

This was something Sev had never done, he was showing a little compassion towards these three children, children he didn't even knew five minutes ago.

The fillies looked up at the Commando and smiled.

But what they did next, was something Sev had never done or experience. They hugged him, well they hugged his legs, but it was still a token of gratitude.

"Why are you hugging me?" Sev asked.

The fillies looked up at the Commando, or his blue visor to be precise.

"Because ya promised ta help us." Applebloom replied.

"Yeah, that's not something you'd expect a complete stranger to do for you." Scootaloo added.

"And, *sniff* you are nice, like Thorn." Sweetiebelle said.

"But you hardly know me." Sev said.

"I know, but I just have this feeling you are a very nice person." Sweetiebelle said while letting go of his leg.

'If you'd knew what I've done in my past, you'd run away, thinking I'm a monster.' Sev thought while looking at Sweetiebelle. 'And that's the way I like it, the enemy should be feared when they see me, because I'm the last thing they'll ever see.'

Applebloom and Scootaloo let go of Sev's leg, looking up at him with big smiles planted on their muzzles.

"Let's go." Sev said while turning around.

The three fillies smiled and followed the Commando.

"Uhm mister Sev?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"What?" Sev asked.

"Uhm, I don't really like the dark, could you perhaps uhm, hold my hoof?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"No." Sev replied.

"Oh, ok that's uhm...."

Sev sighed. "How's this. Sev said while activating the flashlights on his helmet."

Sweetiebelle smiled. "Thank you mister Sev."

"It's Sev, not mister Sev." Sev corrected.

"Ok." Sweetiebelle said.

And so, the three fillies and Commando walked through the forest, Sev had a lot of experience with tracking enemy footsteps, sighed when he saw small footprints; the size of the filly's, he knew he was on the right track.


****


"Are we there yet?" Scootaloo whined.

"I think I..... Yeah I can see something." Sev replied. 

"Are ya sure?" Applebloom asked.

"Well." Sev said while switching the anti armor attachment from his blaster, for his sniper attachment.

Sev looked through the scope. "There's an open field out there."

"What's that yer holdin'?" Applebloom asked.

"DC17m." Sev replied.

"Is it like Thorn's?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"What are you talking about?" Sev asked while looking at Sweetiebelle. "Did he use his blaster against you three?"

"No no, he saved Princess Cadence's wedding, also stopping the Changelings from taking over Equestria." Sweetiebelle replied.

"So he saved the day?" Sev asked.

"I think so." Sweetiebelle replied.

"How many KIA?" Sev asked.

"KIA? What does that mean." Scootaloo asked confused.

"Never mind." Sev said. 'Forgot I was talking to children for a sec.'

"Ok?" Scootaloo said.

"Alright, you three can walk alone now. "Sev said while looking at the three fillies.

"What? Why?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"It's just a few yards from here, don't worry, I'll be watching you." Sev said.

"Aren't ya comin' with us?" Applebloom asked.

Sev shook his head. "No can do kid."

"Please, I'm sure Rarity wouldn't mind having another pony join the slumber party." Sweetiebelle said.

"Sorry kid." Sev said while turning around. "But it's for the best." 'What the Hutt is a slumber party?'

Sev was about to walk away, until the three fillies grabbed a hold of his legs.

"We won't let ya go back into that forest." Scootaloo said.

"Yeah, either you come with us, or we're *gulp* coming with you." Sweetiebelle added.

"Kids, I can't." Sev said.

"Please, we promise nothing will happen to you." Sweetiebelle said.

Sev sighed. "Well, I..... Fine, but if something does happen to me." Sev said while pointing his finger at the trio. "You'll have to answer to me."

Sweetiebelle nodded. "Now come on!" Sweetiebelle said while letting go of his legs. "I know the way from here." 

Sev looked at Scootaloo and Applebloom, who were still holding on to his legs. 

"Get of." Sev ordered.

The fillies gave him cheeky smiles and let go.

Sev mentally scolded himself. 'I should have payed attention during those de-briefings, maybe then I'd know what to do in these kind of situations.'

"Come on Sev!" Sweetiebelle shouted. "It's a long way towards Carousel Boutique!"

Sev sighed. 'I need to kill something, fast.'


****


The walk towards Carousel Boutique was a quiet one. Mostly because Sev ordered the fillies not to talk.

When they had entered Ponyville, Sev was confused, none of the town mad any sense to him. But what could make sense to him? He died for klarks sake.

They stopped walking when they reached Carousel Boutique.

"This is it." Sweetiebelle said while opening the door of the Boutique.

"Ya didn't lock tha door?" Applebloom whispered.

"Guess I 'forgot'." Sweetiebelle replied.

Applebloom couldn't help but giggle.

Sweetiebelle slowly pushed the door open, careful not to make any sound.

"Alright." Sweetiebelle whispered. "You go in first Sev."

Sev walked through the door, his blaster at the ready. 

Eventually Sweetiebelle and the others entered as well.

"Alright." Sweetiebelle said while closing ans locking the door. "Now we just have to get to my room and act like nothing ever happened." Sweetiebelle whispered. "Alright, let's just hope Rarity finished that design she was working on, because if she's awake; we're in a whole lot of--."

"Sweetiebelle, where are you?" An elegant voice asked.

".... Oh no." Sweetiebelle said while face-hoofing. (See what I did there?)

"We're in trouble." Scootaloo said.

"Rarity is probably gonna tell Applejack." Applebloom added.

"I'll be grounded for years." Sweetiebelle said.

"This Rarity, who is she?" Sev asked.

"My sister, and I believe she is currently on her way towards us." Sweetiebelle replied.

"Sweetiebelle?" Rarity shouted. "Where are you?"

"*sigh* I guess I have to take responsibility. "Sweetiebelle said.

"I'm down in the boutique Rarity!" Sweetiebelle replied.

"The boutique?!" Rarity exclaimed. Suddenly Rarity came trotting downstairs.

"And let there be light." Rarity said while using her magic to lit up the boutique.

"Oh boy, here we go." Sweetiebelle said while walking towards her sister.

"Sweetiebelle." Rarity said while walking over towards her little sister. "Why are you up so late?"

"Uhm, we kinda went into The Everfree forest." Sweetiebelle replied, getting straight to the truth.

"The Everfree forest!?" Rarity exclaimed. "Why would you do that!?" Rarity said while grabbing her into a hug.

Scootaloo stuck her hoof in her mouth and pretended to vomit.

"And you two!" Rarity said while walking toward Applebloom and Scootaloo.

"Applebloom, you should know that Applejack will know about this." Rarity said.

"And Scootaloo, since Rainbow Dash is your idol, I'll let her know you didn't listen to her; when she told you not to go into The Everfree forest."

"And you." Rarity said while walking towards Sev. "You should also feel... Really..... Guilty.... Oh my." Rarity said while looking at Sev.

"Ma'am." Sev said with a respectful bow of his head.

"Uhm, c-charmed." Rarity said while looking back at Sweetiebelle. "Mind telling me who your friend is?"

"That's Sev, and he's a clone like Thorn, but he's a special kind of clone." Scootaloo replied, answering the question before Sweetiebelle could.

"Really?" Rarity asked while eyeing Sev. "What's so 'special' about him?"

"He's a Republic Commando, he's part of Delta Squad." Scootaloo replied.

"Delta Squad?" Rarity repeated. "While of course!" Rarity exclaimed.

She quickly lowered her head and bowed. "It's an honour to meet you sir, Thorn has told me and my friends some very interesting tales about you."

"Has he now?" Sev asked.

"Oh, your voice, it's so low and... Menacing." Rarity said with a flick of her mane.

"Thanks." Sev said unsurely.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? "Rarity asked.

"Yes, you can take me to Commander Thorn." Sev replied.

"I'm sorry sir, but that simply cannot be done." Rarity said.

"Why not"? Sev asked.

"Because it's late at night and everypony is asleep." Rarity replied.

"Listen here." Sev said while getting down on his knees to meet her on eye level. "I already wasted enough of my time by saving your sister and her friends; from spending a night in the forest. So you better take me to him."

Rarity gulped. "I can't, but if you could wait until tomorrow, then I would be happy to take you there."

Sev sighed and got back up. "Alright, but only because I'm very tired."

"Tired?" Rarity asked. "Oh my goodness!" Rarity exclaimed while (somehow) grabbing hold of Sev's hand. "Here, let me take you to my room and you van sleep in my bed."

"Ma'am I don't think that--."

"No, you saved my sister's life, and you are my guest, so you better will be treated with the uttermost respect." Rarity cut him off.

Sev sighed and pulled his hand our of her grasp. "Alright, but you don't have to drag me to it." Sev said while massaging his hand.

Rarity blushed. "I am so sorry." Rarity said. "But please follow me."

Sev nodded and did as she said. Eventually they reached a pink set of doors. 

"Please make yourself at home." Rarity said while opening the door with her magic.

Sev walked past her and into the room, he had to duck because the door was build on pony size. "I think I can handle it from here." Sev said.

"Are you su--."

"Yes." Sev quickly cur her off and quickly closing the door.

Rarity stood there, shocked that someone who had been so nice to save her sister, would do something like that.

'He must be very tired.' Rarity thought while turning around. 'And now for those three.' Rarity thought while walking towards the stairs.

Inside Rarity's room, stood Sev, searching for the bed. Eventually he found it.

Sev immediately took off his helmet and dropped it on the ground. He walked towards the bed and laid down on his chest.

'This is not the mosy comfortable position.' Sev thought. 'But I'm sleeping in a bed instead of a Gunship, so I'm not complaining.'

Sev closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

But before he fell asleep, a single line crossed his mind, a line Boss had used many times.

"Delta Squad, lock and load."


















> Their deaths
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"I think Sev might have an anger problem."

"I think you have an intelligence problem."

Sev and Scorch,arguing while fighting against the Trandoshian slavers on the RAS Prosecutor.



----------


It was morning in Ponyville,the sun shined brightly over the town of ponies and surprisingly, all of the ponies were up.

"Alright, now the finishing touch." Rarity said while straightening her elegant purple mane.

"Voila." She said while putting her comb back in her drawer.  Now, what should I do about Sev, he seems nice and all, but there is something about him that doesn't quite appeal me.' Rarity thought, remembering last nights events.

*knock* *knock* 

Rarity was cut off from her thoughts, when she heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"Who is it?" Rarity asked.

"It's me Rarity." Sweetiebelle replied.

"Oh, Sweetiebelle why are you and your friends not playing outside?" Rarity asked while walking towards the door.

"Well, Applebloom decided she wanted to go home and tell Applejack what happened." Sweetiebelle explained.

"And you suppose I believe that?" Rarity asked while opening the door. "Because I'm still going to tell Applejack about what you three did last night."

"Oh come on Rarity." Sweetiebelle whined. "Think of it this way, if we didn't go into the forest, then we wouldn't have found Sev."

"And if I didn't die on Kashyyyk, I would have never found you and you three would be still in that forest." Sev replied while walking towards Sweetiebelle.

"Oh Sev." Rarity said while walking past Sweetiebelle. "You're awake."

"Yeah, thanks for the bed, I needed that." Sev replied.

"That's alright darling, you're a guest and guests need to be treated with respect and dignity." Rarity said.

"Ok, but could we please go and find Thorn, I hate waiting." Sev said.

"Yes, but first." Rarity said while turning around. "Breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." Sev said. While

"Oh but I insist." Rarity while turning around.

"I said I'm not hungry." Sev said more sternly.

Rarity walked over towards Sev, until she was inches away from him.

"I insist." She said sternly.

Sev got on one knee and looked her in the eye. "I'm not hungry." Sev said.

Rarity bumped her muzzle against his helmet, grabbing it with her front hooves. "I. Insist." Rarity said.

"I've waited long enough." Sev said while grabbing his DC17s side arm pistol. "Now you better get me to Thorn, or I start killing things."

Rarity gulped and let go of him. "Y-You wouldn't do that to moi would you?" Rarity asked.

Sev got up and spun his pistol around. "I'll have to think about that."

"Sev." Sweetiebelle said while tugging his leg.

"What is it?" Sev asked.

"Uhm, I just wanna say thank you one more time." Sweetiebelle replied while hugging his leg.

"Daaaaw, that's so sweet of you Sweetiebelle." Rarity said.

Sweetiebelle blushed and let go of Sev's leg. "Rarity!" Sweetiebelle whined.

Rarity giggled. "You better watch out Sev, Sweetiebelle hasn't got a special somepony yet."

"Special somepony? Whatever that is, I'm not it." Sev said while holstering his blaster.

Sweetiebelle blushed even harder. "Stop it Rarity."

Rarity giggled. "Alright alright, how about this, we go to Fluttershy's cottage and find Thorn, and after that we return here for breakfast."

"Deal." Sev said.

"Alright." Rarity chimed. "Let's go!"

Sev nodded and walked beside Rarity, but stopped when she saw Sweetiebelle still standing by the bathroom door.

"Why isn't she coming with us?" Sev asked.

"She's grounded." Rarity replied.

"Grounded? That's it?" Sev asked.

"She's grounded for one week." Rarity replied, thinking Sev would see her as the 'big bad sister'.

Sev smirked underneath his helmet. "Time to have some fun."

"How about this." Sev said while pointing his index finger at Sweetiebelle. "She gets to come with us, or else I'm not going back for breakfast."

"I don't care if your not coming back for breakfast, I was just offering it." Rarity replied.

"Well you see." Sev said while pointing his thumb at himself. "If a clone would do something he wasn't supposed to do, he would have to go through intensive training."

"What are you getting at?" Rarity asked.

"Let her come with us and I'll make sure that she never sets foot near that forest, ever again." Sev replied.

Rarity looked at Sev and then back at her little sister. "I'm not sure, how do I know your not lying?"

"I'm a clone Commando, I never lie." Sev lied.

"Alright, I trust you." Rarity said while facing Sweetiebelle. "Sweetiebelle, you're not grounded anymore, instead you'll be spending a day with Sev."

Sweetiebelles ears perked up at hearing this. "Really?!" She asked with glee.

Rarity smiled. "Yes, really."

Sweetiebelle made an adorable squeak and ra towards her sister, she launched herself at her sister and gave her a bone crushing hug.

Rarity hugged her back. "Sweetiebelle, you should be thanking Sev instead."

Sweetiebelle let go of her sister and instead, launched herself at Sev.

Sev watched as the filly wrapped her legs around his torso. Sev mentally sighed, but he returned the favor by patting her on her back.

Sev grabbed Sweetiebelle and put her down. 

"Wow, I was so big when you picked me up, could you do that again?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"No." Sev replied.

Sweetiebelle pouted. "You're no fun."

Sev sighed and picked her up, placing her on his shoulder. "How's that?"

Sweetiebelle squeaked again. "This is so cool, I'm bigger than Rarity!"

Rarity smiled. 'Maybe I was wrong about him, Sweetiebelle seems to really like him.'

"Sev, could I stay like this until we reach Fluttershy's cottage?" Sweetiebelle asked.

Sev mentally shot himself. "Yes, but only this once."

Sweetiebelle hugged his neck. "Thank you! Your so cool and nice and cool and--."

"Ahem. I think we should head to Fluttershy's cottage." Rarity said.

Sev nodded. "Lead the way."

Rarity nodded and walked downstairs, with Sev following her,

After a minute, they reached the boutique.

"Alright." Rarity said while walking towards the boutiques entrance. "Since everypony knows who Thorn is, they shouldn't be startled when they see you."

Sev cocked an eyebrow. "Wait, are you telling me Thorn had an introduction?"

"Yes, and Pinkie Pie is going to throw him a party tonight." Rarity replied.

"Oh, that's.. Fun I guess." Sev said.

Rarity cocked an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"No". Sev replied while walking towards the door. "Just thinking about.... My brothers."

Rarity gave him a compassionate look. "But Thorn is your brother to, isn't he?"

"Yes, but I don't know him, I only met him once." Sev replied while lowering his head. "But with Delta Squad, I had something special, we were more than clones, more than brothers, we were.... Friends."

Rarity felt a nudge in her throat, she wanted to speak, but couldn't get herself to do it. She couldn't possibly understand what he was going through, he was alone, something Rarity; rarely was.

"Sev." Sweetiebelle said.

Sev slowly turned his head towards her. "What?"

"I'm sure Thorn can be your friend." She said while hugging his neck. "And I'm your friend to."

Sev couldn't help but smile a little. He brought hid hand up to her and gently patted her head.

Rarity smiled. "Sev."

Sev turned his head and looked at her. "What is it Rarity?"

'He said my name.' Rarity thought. "Know that, if you ever need help, my door is always open."

Sev nodded. "Thanks, but I don't need help, the only help I need, is this." Sev said while patting his DC17m, which was currently hanging from his ammo belt.

Rarity chuckled. "Yes, I suppose you are right."

"Let's get going." Sev said while walking towards the door.

"Yes." Rarity said while eyeing Sev once more. "Let's."

And so, the trio walked out of the boutique, ready to take Sev to his 'brother'.


****


As Sev, Sweetiebelle and Rarity walked through Ponyville, they would sometimes get strange looks from the ponies, but most would just shrug and continue what they were doing.

They had passed the town hall, even getting the chance to introduce Sev to Mayor Mare, much to Sev's dismay. When they had told the Mayor that Sev had helped Sweetiebelle and the other two crusaders get out of the forest alive, left a good first impression on Mayor Mare.

So they walked and walked, Sev was trying to keep his calm, but all of the bright colors were making him go crazy. 

'Have to keep calm.' Sev thought.

It wasn't helping that Sweetiebelle was asking him constant questions about him, like why his armor was painted red instead of pink, or why he has such a low voice while Thorn doesn't. It was starting to annoy him, it was almost as bad as Scorch's practical jokes.

"What is that?" Sev asked while pointing at a fast flying object.

Rarity looked at; what Sev was pointing at, when she got a good look of who it was, she smiled.

"That would be Rainbow Dash." Rarity replied.

"Rainbow what now?" Sev asked.

"Rainbow Dash." Rarity repeated. "She's a pegasi, meaning that she can fly."

"Flying is easy." Sev said while watching Rainbow Dash hover towards him. "Landing is hard."

"Not for Rainbow Dash." Rarity said. "She has only crashed one or two times from what I've heard"

"Hey Rarity!" Rainbow Dash said while landing in front of her.

"Rainbow Dash darling, how are you today?" Rarity asked.

"Awesome as ever." Rainbow Dash replied while flapping her wings. "Cleared the sky in ten seconds flat."

Rainbow Dash looked at Sev. 

"Thorn?" Rainbow Dash said while hovering in front of Sev's face. "Is that you? You look different, but I think it suits you better."

"Rainbow Dash, that is not Thorn." Rarity said.

"Of course it's Thorn, he's the only clone in Equestria remember?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well, not anymore." Sev said.

"Gaah! "Rainbow Dash exclaimed while stumbling backwards. "W-What's up with your voice Thorn?"

"I'm not Thorn, my name is Sev." Sev replied.

"Sev?" Rainbow Dash repeated while holding a hoof to her chin. "That name sounds really familiar."

"It's because he's part of Delta Squad, he's a Republic Commando." Sweetiebelle chimed in.

Rainbow Dash her eyes seemed to widen. "You're a Republic Commando?"

"Yes." Sev replied.

"And you're part of Delta Squad, the most awesome squad ever?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Uhm, I don't know what Thorn has been telling you, but in my opinion, all Commandos are 'awesome'."Sev replied.

"This is so awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a high pitched voice. "You, a Commando, here in Equestria, in front of me."

"Rainbow Dash, you don't even know him, or any other clones like him, you only know him because Thorn told you about him." Rarity said.

"Oh, your right." Rainbow Dash replied with a sheepish smile.

Sev groaned. "What's the hold up?" He asked with annoyance.

"Where are you heading anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Where heading to Fluttershy's cottage, we need to get Sev to Thorn." Rarity replied.

"Alright!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed while doing a backflip. "I'll go with you."

"Sure, the more ponies, the more fun." Rarity said.

"Let's get moving." Sev ordered.

"Jeez, what's your problem?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"My 'problem' is that we're not moving fast enough." Sev replied.

"Not fast enough huh?" Rainbow Dash asked with a hint of mock.

"Yeah, not fast enough." Sev said.

"Well, it so happens to be that I'm the most awesome and fastest pegasus in all of Equestria." Rainbow Dash said with a hint of pride.

"And it so happens that I don't give a klark about your reputation, or anything else for that matter." Sev replied while pushing Rainbow Dash aside. "Now get lost boy."

"Boy?" Rainbow Dash said while flying in front of Sev. "Did you just call me a boy?"

"Yeah your voice sounds like that of a boy, maybe you had a gender change, kind of strange though, never seen a boy with that kind of hair before." Sev said while chuckling.

"Why you." Rainbow Dash said while squeezing her eyes. "You better take that back you, you--."

"Or what? You're going to kill me?" Sev asked.

"What?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "No, why would I do that?"

"Sorry, forgot that I was talking to a child that thinks she's hot stuff or something." Sev said while walking past Rainbow Dash.

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash asked while grabbing hold of Sev's helmet. "Thorn has this awesome scarr because he did something awesome, I bet you don't have that." Rainbow Dash said while trying to remove Sev's helmet.

Sev grabbed hold of Rainbow Dash her hooves and threw her into the air.

Rainbow Dash quickly flapped her wings and regained her balance.

"You'll pay for that!" Rainbow Dash shouted while flying towards Sev with incredible speed.

Sev grabbed his DC17m and aimed it at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash quickly saw this and slowed down.

"S-Sev, no need to do that." Rarity said nervously.

Sev pulled the trigger, a laser shot out of his blaster. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

She heard the laser zoom past her, but it didn't hit her.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and checked her body for any injuries, but luckily for her there were none.

She looked at Sev and saw that he had lowered his weapon.

Rainbow Dash flew towards Sev and stopped when she was inches away from his face.

"What was that for huh?!" She shouted.

"That was a warning, the next one will go straight through your head." Sev replied.

"Sev darling, Fluttershy's cottage is just a few more minutes away from here. "Rarity said.

"Please don't be mad at Rainbow Dash." Sweetiebelle said.

Sev looked at Rainbow Dash and walked past her. "Let's get going." He ordered.

Rarity sighed. "Wait for me Sev."

Sweetiebelle shook her head and walked after her sister. 'What's wrong with you Sev? You were so nice yesterday.'

Rainbow Dash puffed and followed Rarity and the Commando. "Stupid Sev." She mumbled.


****


"There it is!" Rarity said while walking toward Fluttershy's cottage.

'Finally.' Sev thought while running towards the cottage.

"Hey wait up!" Sweetiebelle shouted while trotting after Sev. "I'm not as fast as you."

Sev didn't listen, he ran as fast as he could towards Fluttershy's cottage.

Sev stopped running when he saw a familiar clone walk out of the cottage, followed by a yellow pegasus.

"Thank you for your hospitality Fluttershy." Thorn said while saving Fluttershy.

Fluttershy smiled. "Thank you for saving my life."

"Commander Thorn!" Sev shouted.

Thorn's ears perked up. "Who's there?" He asked while getting up.

But who Thorn saw, shocked him, it wasn't a pony, no this was a clone like him and a very famous one too.

"Sir?" Thorn asked while walking towards Sev. After a minute, Sev and him were face to face.

"Commander, status report." Sev said.

"Sir!" Thorn said while saluting. "I arrived here a few days ago, I stopped an enemy threat towards the kingdom of Canterlot, I was honored by the two Princesses and from what I know." Thorn said while moving his head towards Sev's." I'm dead sir."

"So, you to huh?" Sev asked.

Thorn's eyes widened at Sev's question. "Sir, don't tell me you...."

"I died on Kashyyyk, piece of metal struck me and I died from blood loss." Sev replied.

Thorn's eyes widened underneath his helmet. "It can't be."

Sev sighed. "Commandos are not indestructible Commander, just because we've had better training doesn't mean we can't die."

"Wait you died?!" Rainbow Dash asked.

Thorn and Sev looked up and saw that Rainbow Dash was hovering above them.

Thorn sighed. "Not good."

"I'll double that." Sev added.

"What's going on?" Fluttershy asked while hovering towards Thorn. When she laid eyes on Sev, she cowered back in fear.

Thorn saw this and gave a pat on her back. "Don't worry Fluttershy, this is Sev, he's one of those Commandos I told you about; during our time in the train."

"Oh." Fluttershy said. She smiled and held her hoof out. "My name is Fluttershy, nice to meet you."

Sev grabbed her hoof and shook it. "A pleasure ma'am."

Fluttershy blushed a faint shade of pink. "Oh, just Fluttershy will do."

Sev shrugged. "So, how did you get KIA?"

"Droids came out of nowhere and overrun us, my entire platoon was killed and I was the only one left, eventually I died as well." Thorn replied.

Sev gave Thorn a pat on his shoulder. "Welcome to the land of the dead."

"Dead?!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "What are you talking about, death isn't something you should be talking about."

Sev chuckled. "Listen here, I'm going to get straight to the point: Thorn and I are dead, we died fighting against The Separatists, end of story."

Fluttershy's eyes widened at hearing this. She looked at Thorn. "Is i-it true?"

Thorn sighed. "Yes."

Sev laughed. "You know, I always thought the afterlife would be weird, but this is defiantly not what I expected."

Suddenly faint sobbing could be heard from behind Sev, Sev turned around and saw that Sweetiebelle was crying.

Sweetiebelle. Rarity said while bringing her in for a hug. "Shhhhh, don't cry.*

Sev shook his head and looked at Rainbow Dash. "You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?"

"I-I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash said.

"T-Thorn, are you r-really dead?" Fluttershy asked.

Thorn sighed. "Yes Fluttershy, I don't know how, but I'm one hundred percent certain I died on Scipio."

"Scipio?" Fluttershy asked.

"The planet were I died on." Thorn replied.

Sev looked at Sweetiebelle, he felt kinda bad for the kid. "She's young, death shouldn't concern her." Sev said.

"I know sir I know." Thorn said while walking towards Sweetiebelle. He bend down and spoke up.

"Hey, don't cry Sweetiebelle, there's no need to." Thorn said comfortably.

"But y-you *sob* said i-it yourself, you *sob* died a-and you--."

Sweetiebelle couldn't even finish her sentence, she began to cry into her sister. Thorn felt really bad for her, but he couldn't blame Rainbow Dash for it, she was just curious.

"Sev." Rainbow Dash said while tugging his arm.

"What?" Sev asked angrily.

"Listen, I don't usually do this but.... I'm really sorry for the way I acted to you a few minutes ago." Rainbow Dash said while lowering her head. "It's just that I was really curious and I guess that got the better of me."

Sev sighed. "Normally, I would have killed someone who acted to me the way you did, but I accept your apology."

Rainbow Dash smiled. "So friends?"

Sev grabbed her hoof and shook it. "Friends."

Rainbow Dash smiled at him.

"Uhm, e-excuse me?" She asked while tugging Sev's arm.

"Yes?" Sev asked while facing her.

"Would you uhm.... Maybe want to come inside my cottage and uhm maybe have something to d-drink?" Fluttershy asked.

"Sure". Sev said while walking past her. 

Meanwhile, Thorn had gotten Sweetiebelle to stop crying by telling her her; that he was alive now and that it was going to be alright.

"Uhm, Thorn." Rainbow Dash said while tugging his back.

"Yes Rainbow Dash?" Thorn asked.

"Sev and Fluttershy are going inside her cottage to get some drinks, Sev told me that I had to tell you; to come with him." Rainbow Dash said.

Thorn nodded and got back up. "Alright, everyone we're going to Fluttershy's cottage." Thorn announced.

"Oh, but Fluttershy has animals in there, filthy animals that lay in the dirt and--."

"Alright, you can stay outside while we go in then." Thorn said while walking away from her.

"Wait for me!" Rainbow Dash shouted while flying after him.

"Rarity." Sweetiebelle said while tugging her sister.

"Yes Sweetiebelle?" Rarity asked.

"Let's go inside." Sweetiebelle suggested.

Rarity sighed. "Well, I'd rather be 'inside' than 'outside'." Rarity said while walking towards Fluttershy's cottage.

Sweetiebelle smiled and followed her sister.

Five minutes later......

"Nice little home she's got here." Sev said while standing beside Thorn. "Being this close to the forest means you don't have to carry your prey for miles."

"Sir, this might seem strange but I think the inhabitants of this planet are Herbivores." Thorn said.

"..... You're kidding right?" Sev asked.

"Sir no sir, I'm pretty sure about that." Thorn replied.

"Here you go." Fluttershy said while handing Sev and Thorn two cups of water.

"Thanks Fluttershy." Thorn said while grabbing the cup and removing his helmet.

"Whoa." Sweetiebelle said in awe. "So that's what you look like."

"Yep." Thorn replied while taking a sip of his water. "Sir, why aren't you drinking?" He asked Sev, who was currently looking at the cup of water.

"I'm not fond of taking my helmet of in pubic." Sev replied.

"But Thorn said you all look the same." Sweetiebelle said.

"I know, but I'm not taking it of, no matter how much you beg for me to do it." Sev said.

Sweetiebelle pouted. "Alright."

"So, about your 'deaths'." Rainbow Dash said.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity exclaimed while covering Sweetiebelles ears. "There is a filly here, remember?"

"It's alright Rarity." Sweetiebelle said while shaking her head." I know Thorn and Sev are safe here, so I-I think I'll be fine, but if it gets too scary, I'll go outside or cover my ears."

"Are you sure?" Rarity asked with a hint of concern.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Sweetiebelle said.

"That kid's young." Sev whispered to Thorn. "But she's tough, I'll give her that."

Thorn smiled. "Commando material sir?" He asked.

Sev chuckled. "With a lot of training and exercise, I think she'd be able to pull it of."

"Really sir?" Thorn asked.

"No trooper, not a chance." Sev replied.

Thorn chuckled. "You know sir, out of all the clones that could have shown up here, you were the one to show up."

"Yeah, I wonder how the war is going." Thorn said.

"We're probably winning, from what I've heard, The Separatists are being pushed to their limits." Sev replied.

"Really?" Thorn asked.

Sev nodded 

"That's amazing." Thorn said.

"So, about your 'stories'." Rainbow Dash said while hovering in front of Thorn.

"Sit down and I'll tell you." Thorn replied.

Rainbow Dash squealed and sat down in front of Thorn.

Thorn smiled and sat down on the ground, while Sev leaned against the wall.

Rarity, Sweetiebelle and Fluttershy joined the: Story telling circle and waited for Thorn to begin.

"Alright, this is what happened to me, I'm warning you, this is not a nice story." Thorn warned them.

They all nodded in response.

"Alright, it all happened on a planet called: Scipio......"

And so, Thorn began to tell them everything that had happened that night, from his mission to escort Senator Amidala, to his final stand against the Separatist garrison.

During his story, all of the ponies went silent, listen to his sad story. Fluttershy even went so far, as to snuggle up against Thorn's side.

Sev also listen carefully to his story, he was impressed that Thorn was able to pull that kind of stunt of. 

"And that's what happened before I arrived in Equestria." Thorn said.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in." Fluttershy said.

"Yeah, sorry you ehm... Died Thorn." Rainbow Dash said.

"Thorn, if what you told us is true." Sev said while patting him on the back. "Then the only thing I can say is: Well done soldier."

Thorn got up and saluted. "Thank you sir."

"At ease soldier." Sev said.

"Yes sir." Thorn replied.

"Alright, now I'm not going to lie about this." Sev said while leaning his back against the wall. "My death was a whole lot worse than Thorn's."

"How can it be worse than that?" Rarity asked while shuddering.

"It just is." Sev replied while crossing his arms. "I think you should take your little sister back home Rarity."

"What?! Why?!" Sweetiebelle whined.

"Listen, I don't want to traumatize you, so just do what I tell you and go home." Sev replied.

"No, your not my father, so I won't!" Sweetiebelle snapped at him.

"Sev, I agree with her, if she wants to hear your story, let her." Rainbow Dash said.

Sev sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Don't worry." Sweetiebelle said while smuggling against her sister. "I won't."

"Alright, here we go....."

And so, Sev began to tell his story, his battle against the Super Battle droids, his fight against the Magnaguard and of course the fight against the Spider droid. His death was something all of the ponies, even Thorn gasped at.

"And that's what happened." Sev said  finishing his story.

"Wow, that's... A lot to take in, I mean you getting impaled by a huge piece of metal and then simply pull it out." Rainbow Dash said while wiping away a few tears. 

To be honest, everypony cried when Sev told his story, even Thorn felt really bad for him.

'He died slow and painfully.' Thorn thought. 'I died quick and almost painless.'

"Rarity." Sweetiebelle said. 

"Yes Sweetiebelle?" Rarity replied.

"Could we go home for breakfast?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"Well, breakfast has turned into: a afternoon snack." Rarity replied.

"Yeah, it's half past three." Fluttershy said while looking at her clock.

"We've been talking for four hours straight." Thorn said while grabbing his helmet.

"Yeah, Scorch would have loved this place." Sev said.

"Sev, we are going back to the boutique, you can come with us, if you want." Rarity said.

"What are you going to do Commander?" Sev asked.

"Well, I was going to go to Twilight, apparently Fluttershy got a letter from her, telling me to visit her at the library as fast as possible." Thorn replied.

"Well that settles it then." Sev said.

"What do you mean sir?" Thorn asked confused.

"I'll be going with you Commander." Sev said while patting him on the back.

Sev turned to Sweetiebelle and spoke up. "I haven't forgot the promise I made your sister, tomorrow we start your training."

"But it's Sunday tomorrow." Sweetiebelle whined.

Sev smirked underneath his helmet. "Training doesn't wait kid."


****


Fifteen minutes later.........

Inside the Ponyville library, Twilight Sparkle was preparing everything for Thorn's visit.

"Spike!" Twilight shouted.

"What is it Twilight?" Spike asked while cleaning the dust from another book.

"Where are my extra quills?" Twilight asked.

"I laid them on the table, like you told me to do just ten seconds ago." Spike replied.

"Oh I'm sorry Spike, it's just that I'm so nervous." Twilight said.

"Nervous? About a simple meet and greet?" Spike asked confused.

"Spike, Thorn is a hero, I don't know which questions I can ask him and which not." Twilight replied nervously.

"Don't worry Twilight." Spike said while walking over to her. "I'm sure Thorn is just as nervous as you a--."

*knock* *knock*

"Oh no, that must be him, I haven't even triple checked my quills yet." Twilight said while biting her hoof.

Spike rolled his eyes and walked towards the door.

"Spike wait!" Twilight shouted while teleporting in front of him.

"What is it now Twilight?" Spike asked.

"I'll get the door, while you triple check the quills." Twilight replied.

Spike groaned. "Twilight, there's nothing wrong with your quills, just open the door and let Thorn 'enter' first."

Twilight inhaled deeply. "Alright here I go."

Twilight her horn started glowing and a purple aura covered the doorknob, the doorknob twisted and the door opened.

The first to enter was: Rainbow Dash?

"Hi Twilight." Rainbow Dash said while flying past her.

"Rainbow Dash? What are you--."

"Hi Twilight!" Sweetiebelle cut her off, while entering the library.

"Sweetiebelle? What's going on?" Twilight asked confused.

"Twilight darling." Rarity said while entering the library.

Spike's eyes lit up when he heard the voice of her crush. 

"Rarity!" Spike said while walking towards the fashion mare.

"My little Spiky Wikey." Rarity said while giving Spike a hug.

"Spiky Wikey? That's your nickname Spike?" Thorn asked while entering the library.

"Hi Thorn!" Spike said.

Oh hi Thorn, how are you doing today? Twilight asked.

"I'm good thank you." Thorn replied while walking past her. "But there is someone I want you to meet."

"Really? Who is it?" Twilight asked curiously.

Fluttershy entered the library. "Uhm, h-hi Twilight." Fluttershy whispered.

"Thorn, I know who Fluttershy is." Twilight said in a as a matter of factly tone.

"That's not the 'person' I wanted you to meet." Thorn replied.

Twilight gave Thorn a confused look. I dont follow.

"Twilight, let me introduce you to: Republic Commando Sev, member of Delta Squad and best sniper out there." Thorn said while pointing at the library door.

Suddenly, a white bipedal figure came walking into the library, it's face and armor covered in; what appeared to be splatters of blood.

Twilight her mouth hung open from total shock.

The figure closed the door behind him and walked towards Twilight.

The figure stopped when it was a few inches away from Twilight, ot lowered its head and spoke up, with the lowest, threatening voice Twilight had ever heard.

"Hello."

And with that said, Twilight fainted.

The figure looked at Twilight and spoke up.

"I just killed someone without even trying, that's something new."




> Nopony messes with Sev
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"This place gives me the creeps."

"Ah Scorch, nothing is better than a jungle hunt, laying in the bushes, blowing a plasma shot into a hostile's cranium. Hmpf, makes me feel alive."

"..... Alright, now Oh Seven's giving me the creeps."

Sev and Scorch, while sneaking into a Trandoshian slaver camp on Kashyyyk.




------------


"Well that was unexpected." Thorn said while looking at Twilight’s (current) state.

Sev chuckled. "Oops."

"Oh my." Fluttershy said.

"I didn’t think you were that menacing sir." Thorn whispered.

"I’m full of surprises Commander." Sev replied while looking at Twilight. "She isn’t dead right?"

Thorn walked over to Twilight and bend over, he held a hand to her stomach. "Nah, she just fainted."

Sev shook his head. "Civvies."

"Twilight!" Spike exclaimed while running over to her.

"Easy Spike, there’s nothing wrong with her, she just fainted." Thorn said reasurigly, while getting up.

Spike sighed in relief. "Does this always happen when he speaks?" Spike asked while pointing his claw at Sev.

"That depends. "Sev said while walking towards Spike.

"Depends on what?" Spike asked.

"That depends if you're in my line of fire." Sev said while bending over to meet him on eye level.

Spike gulped and held his claw out. "S-Spike."

'Aaand that’s another kid who’s scared of me, I’m on a roll.' Sev thought while grabbing his claw.

"The name’s Sev." Sev said while shaking his claw.

"Seeeeeeeeev." Spike repeated.

"Yeah." Sev said while letting go of his claw. 

He looked at Twilight (who was still unconscious) and smirked underneath his helmet.

"Commander, come here for a sec." Sev said.

Thorn nodded and bend over beside Sev. "Yes sir?" He asked.

"Apparently, I don’t make a good first impression on civilians". Sev whispered.

"I haven’t noticed sir." Thorn sarcastically whispered back.

He received a jab in his side; in response.

"And quite frankly, that’s the way I like it." Sev whispered.

"Sir? But why would you ‘not’ want to make a good first impression? Gaining civilian's trust is one of the rules in Republic pro--."

"Republic Protocol is what cost many clones their lives Commander." Sev cut him off. "I’ve never followed any standard Republic Protocol, I make my own protocols."

'What is he thinking?' Thorn thought while looking at Sev. "Disobeying standard protocol will get you court-marshalled sir." Thorn whispered.

Several ignored his comment. "Hey, wake up." Sev said while nudging Twilight’s stomach.

Twilight mumbled in response.

Sev sighed and grabbed his DC17s side arm pistol, aiming it at the ceiling and pulling the trigger four times.

Four blaster shots; shot into the ceiling, making the ponies and Spike jump back in shock.

Twilight her eyes shot open. "Gaah! Who is there?!" She asked, her eyes moving from side to side. They stopped moving when they were locked onto Sev.

Twilight looked at Sev, horror and fear filling her eyes. Is that blood? She thought while taking a good look at his armor.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Sev said while getting up, popping his back while doing so.

Fluttershy flinched at hearing his back pop.

"G-Girls, m-mind telling me who this is?" Twilight asked nervously.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. !This is Sev and he’s part of Delta Squad! You know, the Republic Commando Squad Thorn told us about.?

"Huh?" Twilight replied.

"He’s a clone, like Thorn." Rainbow Dash said casually.

Twilight gave her a confused look. "But he doesn’t even look like Thorn."

"Yes he does." Thorn intertwined. "But he doesn’t like to take his helmet of in public."

Twilight gave Thorn a confused look, she slowly got up, stumbling backwards while doing so.

"Easy there Purple". Sev said while placing his leg behind Twilight, thus preventing her from falling backwards

"My name is Twilight Sparkle." Twilight said.

"What?" Sev asked.

"Nothing!" Twilight squeaked.

Sev looked at Thorn, who just gave him a shrug.

"Now." Sev said while tugging Twilight with his leg. "I believe you had some questions for us?"

Twilight gave Sev another confused look. "U-Us? Uhm I-I had some questions for Thorn, so I didn’t really prepa--"

"Listen here Purple--."

"Twilight Sparkle." She cut him off.

"You’ll be Twidead if you don’t let me finish." Sev said in his low menacing voice.

Twilight squeaked again.

"Sir, maybe I should do the talking." Thorn suggested while placing his hand on Sev’s shoulder pad.

"Suggestion denied Commander." Sev replied.

"But sir I--."

"Disobeying a superiors command, is against protocol Commander." Sev cut him off.

Thorn was about to reply, but sighed and walked back to his spot instead.

"Now listen here Purple, if you were planning to ask Thorn some questions." Sev said while pointing his finger at Thorn. "Then that’s too bad, because you’ll be answering to me and him instead."

Twilight gulped. "B-But I-I didn’t p-prepare enough questions f-for the both o-of y-you."

"B-But q-quite frankly, I don’t care." Sev replied sarcastically.

'What’s wrong with him?' Thorn thought while watching Sev; scaring Twilight to death with his talk.

"So what’s it going to be?" Sev asked.

Twilight had to fight back tears, never in her life was she so scared as she was now. Not only did he made her faint, but now he’s ordering her around like some kind of slave to.

"I-I could ask S-Spike if h-he would l-like to a-ask you some q-questions, you know t-to get a-all the i-information I need." Twilight managed to say.

"Will Thorn be coming with me?" Sev asked.

Twilight gulped and gathered the last remaining courage she had. "No."

"What did you say?" Sev asked while slowly getting up, his shadow towering over Twilight.

"I said no." Twilight replied while standing her ground. "Thorn spoke highly of you, he told me that Delta Squad was the most courageous, heroic and awesome squad ever."

"Well that’s not really what I—"

"Let her talk Commander." Sev cut him off.

Twilight took a deep breath and continued. "But you don’t fit that description, you are nothing like the ‘Delta Squad’ Thorn told me about."

She had done it, this would make him think twice before trying to order her around.

Sev laughed. "Am I supposed to feel guilty now?" He asked sarcastically.

Twilight’s mouth stood wide agape after hearing that. 'How could he not feel sorry, doesn’t he have feelings?'

"Y-Yes, you should feel guilty, it’s not nice to treat somepony that way." Twilight managed to say.

Sev laughed again. "Listen here Purple, I don’t care about the feelings of others, I don’t care about anyone except my brothers." Sev said while pointing his index finger at Thorn.

"B-But that still doesn’t mean that—"

"I don’t care about your opinion on how I treat others, this is how I’ve been doing it my entire life." Sev said. "Maybe you should man up and grow a spine." Sev said while pointing his index finger at her.

That did it, Twilight couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. She collapsed on the ground for the second time that day and began to cry.

"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed while flying over to her.

"Twilight!" Rarity said while trotting over to her.

"Oh my." Fluttershy said while trotting over to her as well.

"Sir, don't you think you are being a little harsh on her?" Thorn asked. 

"No Commander, if she wanted to ask us questions, she should have asked the them right here and now." Sev replied. 

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!" Spike asked Sev, with an angry expression on his face.

"Commander, we're wasting time here." Sev said. 

"Sir, with all due respect, but is this how you treat every civilian?" Thorn asked with a hint of anger. 

"I don't like civilians Commander, they get in the way." Sev replied. 

Thorn shook his head. "I used to think of them the same way, but that was until General Fisto showed me that I was wrong."

"So, now you've grown fond of them?" Sev asked. 

"Sir, these 'civilians' have treated me with nothing but respect, even going so far to give me a place to sleep." Thorn replied. 

"They only did that because you saved them." Sev said while crossing his arms. "Think about it, from what you've told me, we ate the first 'aliens' to arrive on this rock."

"Sir, what are you talking about?" Thorn asked. 

"What would have happened if you didn't save them? If you failed and died, or mortally wounded, do you still think that they would have treat you with 'respect', as they have now?" Sev asked.

"Y-Yes." Twilight replied to his question. 

"What was that?" Sev asked.

"I said: Yes." Twilight repeated while getting up.

"Twilight are you--."

"I'm fine Rarity." Twilight cut her off. "I just *sniff* couldn't handle the pressure."

"And that's also one of the reasons, I don't like civilians." Sev said. 

"We would have treated him the same way, as we have done for the past couple of days." Twilight said. 

"I don’t believe you Purple." Sev said.

"Hey back off!" Spike said.

"Stay out of this Spike." Twilight ordered.

"But Twilight he—"

"Is leaving this library this instant." Twilight cut him off.

"Again, don’t care." Sev said while turning around and walking towards the exit. "Commander, let’s get going."

"I said you had to leave, Thorn can stay." Twilight said.

"But he’s not." Sev said while opening the door. "Commander, I am ‘ordering’ you to exit this place with me."

"Sir, with all due respect but--."

"Are you disobeying a superior's order Commander?" Sev asked.

"……. Yes sir, I’m sorry; but your way of treating civilians who gave you shelter, is not right." Thorn replied while walking besides Twilight.

"So they gave me shelter, I don’t care about that, I didn’t ask for shelter." Sev replied while walking out of the library." Commander, you should know better, don’t tell me protocol never cost you any men."

And with that, Sev walked out of the library, closing the door behind him. Leaving Thorn standing there, thinking about what he had just said.

'He’s right, I lost many men because of protocols that didn’t make any sense.' Thorn thought while looking at the library door. 'I’m alone here, there are no space ports on this planet, I’m dead; at least I think I’m dead.'

"Well he’s gone, I hope he doesn’t come back." Spike said.

"I don’t know what his problem is, but nopony treats my friend that way." Rarity said.

"To think I made peace with that guy, biggest mistake I ever made." Rainbow Dash added.

"Thorn, why was he so mean all of a sudden?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don’t know, I really don’t." Thorn replied.

"Maybe he was sad about something." Sweetiebelle said.

"Sad? Sad about what?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don’t know, maybe because he can’t get back to Delta Squad or something." Sweetiebelle replied.

Fluttershy turned her head and looked at the door. "Sad about not seeing his family." She said.

"What was that Fluttershy?" Thorn asked.

"Maybe he’s sad because he can’t see his family anymore." Fluttershy replied.

"But Thorn is his family too, he’s a clone like him." Rainbow Dash said.

"Uhm but he doesn’t know Thorn." Sweetiebelle said.

"Whatcha mean Sweetiebelle?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"When Sev found us in The Everfree Forest and when we told him about Thorn, he said that he didn’t 'know' Thorn." Sweetiebelle replied.

"I don’t follow." Rainbow Dash said.

"Clones are technically brothers, but every clone has his own personality, his own friends and family." Thorn said, catching the attention of everyone else. "Sev must have had a really strong bond with Delta Squad, just like I had with my men."

"But that still doesn’t explain why he acted as a total jerk against Twilight!" Spike said, receiving nods from everypony else.

"I don’t know why he reacted that way, but you have to understand that we’re dead, there’s no going back for the both of us, maybe he didn’t realize that up until now." Thorn replied.

"But that’s still no reason for him to act like a jerk." Spike said.

"Well, Twilight was being a ‘jerk’ to him too." Thorn said.

"But I didn’t do anything wrong." Twilight said.

"Sev asked you, if you could ask the questions to the both of us at the same time." Thorn said while crossing his arms. "Why didn’t you just say yes?"

"B-Because….." Twilight trailed of.

"Because of what?" Thorn asked.

"Because… Of… his… Voice." Twilight replied.

"His voice? What’s that supposed to mean?" Thorn asked.

"His voice was what made me faint! Twilight admitted. "I was scared when I saw him, his armor looked like it had blood all over it and his voice was just so low and menacing."

"I can’t believe it." Thorn said. "Just because you were scared of his voice, you said no?"

Twilight fondled with her hooves. "W-Well….. Yes."

"And why didn’t you just tell him?" Thorn asked. 

"Because I was scared of what he might do to me." Twilight said while looking at her friends. "And I bet I wasn’t the only one."

Thorn looked at Rarity and the others. "Are you girls scared of Sev, just because of his voice?" Thorn asked with a hint of anger.

"Well his voice made me rather…. Uncomfortable when I first met him." Rarity replied.

"I was scared too." Fluttershy admitted while lowering her head. "Like I always am."

"When I heard his voice for the first time, I thought he was a big dragon." Sweetiebelle said.

"I thought his voice was pretty cool at the beginning, but when he threatened me, you bet your flank I was scared." Rainbow Dash said.

"Well, I was pretty scared to of what he might do, I’m still surprised that I didn’t faint right on the spot." Spike said.

"I can’t believe it." Thorn said. "I disobeyed his order, just because the six of you were too scared of his voice."

"Well it was his own fault too!" Twilight said.

"Yeah, he acted like a jerk to Twilight for no reason!" Rainbow Dash added.

"Well from what he has told me, you." Thorn said while pointing his index finger at Rainbow Dash. "Attacked him just because he made fun of you."

"He called me a boy!" Rainbow Dash said.

"And don’t forget he saved your life." Thorn said while pointing his finger at Sweetiebelle.

"I-I know that but --."

"And now he’s gone; to Kamino knows where." Thorn said.

The room went silent, no one said a thing.

After two minutes of total silence, Fluttershy slowly walked towards the exit of the library.

"Fluttershy, where are you going?" Twilight asked.

"I-I’m going to look for Sev and apologize." She replied.

"But why?" Twilight asked while walking up to her. "You didn’t do anything wrong."

"Yes I did, I didn’t know who he was and I already thought of him as mean and scary." Fluttershy replied.

"But he is mean and scary!" Spike said.

"Spike!" Rarity exclaimed while holding a hoof to her mouth.

"No, I misjudged him, we all did and I’m going to find him and say I’m sorry." Fluttershy said while opening the door.

"But what if he gets angry on you too, or worse." Twilight pleaded.

"Then I will not judge him for it, he has all reason to be angry at us." Fluttershy replied.

Before Twilight could argue with her, she flew out of the door, leaving Twilight standing at the doorframe.

"Well that escalated quickly." Rainbow Dash said.

"I’m going after her." Thorn said while walking towards the door.

"No you’re not." Twilight said while standing in front of him, closing the door and locking it with her magic.

"Twilight, open this door or Fluttershy will be the least of your worries." Thorn said.

Twilight gulped. "N-No, I’m sure Fluttershy can take care of herself."

"Have you seen how shy she is?" Thorn asked sarcastically.

"Yes, but when she or her friends are in danger, she can and will stand up for herself." Twilight replied.

Thorn sighed. "I am putting my trust in your hands Twilight, don’t waste it."

Twilight nodded. "Please sit down so we can begin the questioning." Twilight said while pointing at her study table.

Thorn sighed and walked over towards the table.

'Sev, please don’t kill anybody, I’d hate to see the citizens wet themselves by your doing.' Thorn thought.


****


As Sev walked through Ponyville, thinking about what happened a few minutes ago, he couldn’t but to smile a bit. 

'Scared of my voice.' Sev thought while walking past Ponyville town hall.

Yep, Sev overheard their entire conversation, when he heard them saying they were scared of his voice he smirked.  Good, they should be scared, that’s what I want people to feel when they lay eyes on me, I want them to be frightened.

"Mommy, look it’s the alien!" A young brown Pegasus colt said while pointing his hoof at Sev.

The blue Pegasus mother smiled. "Yes, that’s the alien. Do you want to say hello?"

"I-I don’t know mom, what if the alien doesn’t want to?" The colt asked.

Sev smiled underneath his helmet. 'That's something that will always cheer me up.' Sev thought while giving the colt a small wave.

"Looks like it does want to talk." The mother said to her son.

'I don't care of children are civilians, children are the next generation, just like the clone cadets.' Sev thought while walking towards the colt and his mother.

"Mommy, it's coming." The colt said while tugging her leg.

The mother smiled. "Yes, but remember what it told us yesterday?" The mother asked.

"N-Not really." The colt replied.

"That it wouldn't hurt anypony, now go ans talk to him." The mother said reassuringly.

Sev walked closer towards the colt, smiling the entire way. 

"Hi Mister alien." The colt swid while waving at him.

"Hi." Sev replied politely.

"So, what's it like being an alien?" The colt asked.

"Well, it feels normal I guess." Sev replied.

"Cooooool.* The colt said in awe.

"What's it like being a pony?" Sev asked.

"Feels normal." the colt said.

"Cooooool." Sev said while mimicking the colt's previous reply.

The colt giggled. "Your funny."

Sev bend down and patted the colt on his head. "You're a good kid, never let anyone change that."

The colt smiled again. "I won't mister."

Sev smiled underneath his helmet and stood back up.

"That was really nice of you." The mother said while giving her son a nuzzle in his cheek.

The colt pushed his mother away. "Mom, not when the alien is around."

Sev chuckled. "Don't worry kid, I won't tell anyone."

The colt gave him a nod. 

"Oh look who it is." A masculine voice said from behind the mother and colt.

Sev looked at the source of the voice and saw a brown pony with money bags on his rear, with him were two other ponies, probably males as well.

The mother turned her head. "Filthy Rich." She sneered.

"Well well, looks like I finally found you." Filthy Rich said while walking towards the mother.

The two stallions followed him.

"Filthy, I have already told you: I'm not interested." The mother said.

"Oh, just because your husband decided he'd dump you for some other mare, made you think I wouldn't try and get a shot at you?" Filthy Rich asked mockingly.

"Go away Filthy, my colt's here." The mother said.

"Yeah, but who's child is it?" Filthy Rich asked sarcastically. "I mean, you've probably bucked so many stallions, who knows who's the father."

"Filthy, I am warning you. "The mother said while walking towards him, leaving her son standing with Sev.

"Am I supposed to be scared?" Filthy Rich asked while motioning to the other two stallions. "Because I'm not."

Before the mother could react, the two stallions pinned her down on the ground, making her scream out in pain.

"S-Stop it!" The mother pleaded.

"No." Filthy Rich replied while rubbing her cheeks. "I think I'm going to bring you over to my place."

"Leave me alone!" The mother ordered.

"Shut it!" Filthy Rich said while smacking her cheek.

The mother began to cry, this was too much for her to handle.

"Mommy!" The colt shouted while trotting over to her.

"Stay back kid!" One of the stallions ordered while smacking the colt in his face, sending him flying backwards.

Sev watched the scene, he was already pissed at Twilight and her friends, but this just made him more angry. And when Sev gets angry, people get hurt.

Sev clenched hiw fists and walked towards the two stallions.

Filthy Rich apparently saw him coming. "Oh look, it's the alien, what are you going to do?" He asked mockingly.

Sev said nothing and continued walking.

"Well don't think your fancy tricks are going to work this time." Filthy Rich said while pointing his hoof at one of the stallions. "My buddy over here is a Unicorn, meaning he can hurt you, a lot."

Sev didn't reply and kept on walking. He stopped when he was in front of the two stallions.

"I'm not even going to ask." Sev said while kicking the Unicorn stallion in his face, sending him flying into a nearby trash can.

Filthy Rich's eyes widened after seeing this.

What are you waiting for?! He asked the other stallion. "Go get him!"

The stallion nodded and let go of the mother, he turned around and ran straight towards Sev.

Sev waited until the stallion was almost near him. He turned 90 degrees and lifted his right leg up. 

The stallion reacted to late and ran straight passed Sev. 

Sev brought his leg down on the stallion's back, feeling the bones crunch underneath his boot.

The stallion was smashed into the ground, Sev twisted his foot a few times on the stallion's back, receiving screams from the stallion.

Sev lifted his leg up and brought it down on the stallion's face, knocking him out cold.

Sev looked at Filthy Rich, who was now walking backwards.

Sev slowly walked towards him, his boots making clopping sounds while sounds while doing so.

Filthy Rich quickened his pace and walked back faster.

Sev grabbed his DC17m and attached his sniper attachment.

'I really need to kill something.' Sev thought while aiming his blaster at Filthy Rich.

Filthy Rich turned around and started running away.

'I really want to kill something.' Sev thought while looking through his scope.

Filthy Rich ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

'I really have to kill something.' Sev thought while bringing his finger to the trigger.

Sev inhaled deeply. "Down you go." Sev said.

"Stop!" A feminine voice shouted from behind Sev.

Sev sighed and turned around.

"Yellow, you better have to good reason for making my kill get away." Sev said.

Fluttershy looked up at Sev. "I saw everything, I was watching when you talked to that colt, watching when you *gulp* took care of Filthy Rich and his friends."

Sev turned around and attached his weapon to his belt. He saw that the mother had already made her way over to the colt, hugging him tightly while crying.

Sev walked towards the mother and spoke up.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

The mother looked up at him with teary eyes and nodded.

"You should probably head home." Sev suggested.

The mother nodded again and tugged her son.

The colt slowly got up, his legs shaking little.

The mother supported her son by holding her hoof around him, careful not to hurt him.

The mother and colt slowly made their way over to Sev. 

"Is he ok?" Sev asked.

The mother nodded. "Thanks to you."

"It's nothing ma'am." Sev replied. "I needed to let my anger out on someone anyway."

The mother weakly smiled and gave and motioned Sev to bend over.

Sev did so and got on one knee. "Yes?" He asked.

The mother gave him a kiss on his helmet and walked past him, careful not to hurt her son.

'What the?' Sev thought while processing what had just happened. 'Why'd she do that? It doesn't make any sense.'

"Sev are you ok?" Fluttershy asked concerned.

"I d-don't know." Sev replied while getting up. "Nothing like that has ever happened to me before."

Fluttershy smiled at him. "She's just showing you how thankful she is."

"Did this happen to Thorn too, when he saved the kingdom?" Sev asked.

"No, not that I know of." Fluttershy replied. 

"Why did you follow me?" Sev asked while looking at Fluttershy.

"I followed you b-because I wanted to say: I'm sorry." Fluttershy replied.

"Sorry about what?" Sev asked.

"Sorry for not looking at things from your perspective." Fluttershy replied while lowering her head. 

"My perspective?" Sev asked.

"Yes." Fluttershy said while looking up at him. "You’re alone here, well not really ‘alone’ but you get what I mean." Fluttershy said.

Sev nodded. "Continue and make it quick."

Fluttershy sighed. I" thought you were just being mean and unreasonable to Twilight, but it was kind of her own fault too."

"Really?" Sev asked. "Or was it because you were all too scared of my voice?"

Fluttershy winced. "I-I’m really sorry about that, but I can’t help it, your voice is just so low and scary."

"That’s the way my voice is meant to sound, enemies will crawl back in fear because of it." Sev replied.

"But why do you insist on scaring them?" Fluttershy asked.

Sev sighed. "That’s something I’d rather keep to myself." Sev replied.

"B-But if you don’t tell me what’s bothering you, how am I supposed to help you then?" Fluttershy asked.

"Help me?" Sev asked confused.

"Yes, help you become a better person." Fluttershy replied.

"Trust me Yellow, many others have tried, they all failed." Sev said.

Fluttershy wasn’t about to take no, for an answer.

"But I can, I’m sure if you would just try to be a little nicer than--."

"Hey bucker!" A masculine voice shouted from behind Sev.

Sev turned around and saw that the Unicorn stallion who he had kicked before, had gotten up and was now aiming his horn at him.

"Yellow, close your eyes and cover your ears." Sev said.

"Why?" Fluttershy asked.

"Just do it!" Sev ordered.

"No." Fluttershy said.

"This is not a discussion Yellow, cover your ears and close you klarking eyes!" Sev ordered.

"No, because I saw what you did to that stallion." Fluttershy said while pointing her hoof at the unconscious stallion.

"I warned you." Sev said while grabbing his DC17m.

"Oh no you don’t!" The Unicorn shouted while shooting a bolt of magic at Sev.

Sev stood his ground and let the bolt hit him, the bolt bounced of his armor and hit a nearby building.

If you’re wondering where all of the other ponies where, they all ran away in fear when they saw Sev almost beating that stallion to death.

"Sev please don’t hurt him!" Fluttershy pleaded.

Sev didn’t listen and aimed his DC17m at the Unicorn.

The Unicorn shot another bolt of magic at Sev, Sev stepped aside and the bolt went right past him.

'Finally I get to kill something.' Sev said while bringing his finger to the trigger.

"Oooh, m-my wing."

Sev sighed and turned around on last time. "Yellow, I told you to…. Oh blast."

When Sev had turned around, he expected to get another plead from Fluttershy, but what he saw, made him slightly worry about her.

Apparently, the bolt of magic that Sev had dodged, hit her in her right wing.

'That’s gotta be broken.' Sev thought while looking at Flutterhsy’s wing.

He turned around and saw that the Unicorn had already ran away. Sev had lost his kill, something that never happened to him before.

He shook his head and attached his DC17m back to his ammo belt. 

Hey bend over and gently touched Flutterhsy’s wing, making her wince in pain.

"Yellow, can you move your wing for me?" Sev asked.

Fluttershy looked at Sev with teary eyes, she tried to move her wing; but to no avail.

Fluttershy shook her head. "N-No, I-I think my wing is b-broken."

Sev reached for his belt and grabbed a syringe, he gently grabbed Flutterhsy’s head and inserted the syringe into her neck.

Fluttershy winced in pain. 

"W-What d-did you do?" She asked.

"I gave you some bacta, it’ll ease the pain; but you still need to go to a medical bay to get your wing treated." Sev replied.

Fluttershy slowly nodded. She tried to get up but the pain was still too much, making her collapse on the ground.

"I-I can’t w-walk o-or fly." Fluttershy sobbed.

Sev sighed and gently picked her up.

"W-What are you doing?" Fluttershy asked frightened.

"Do you know the way back to that tree house thing?" Sev asked.

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes I do, but Ponyville Hospital is j-just around the corner, w-we could go there and--."

"Yellow." Sev interrupted her.

"Yes?" Fluttershy asked.

"You talk too much." Sev replied.

Fluttershy blushed. "S-Sorry, but do you know the way t-to the aaaaah!"

"What’s wrong?" Sev asked with a hint of concern.

"My w-wing, I can’t feel my wing anymore." Fluttershy replied while breathing heavily

"That’s just the bacta kicking in." Sev said. "Strange, normally bacta kicks in five minutes after insertion."

"Sev, am I supposed to feel this tired?" Fluttershy asked.

"Tired?" Sev asked confused.

"I *yawn* feel really *yawn* tired all of a sudden." Fluttershy said while closing her eyes.

"Hey hey." Sev said while tapping her on her head. "You have to stay awake, don’t fall asleep."

Sev got no response, Fluttershy had already fallen asleep in his arms.

"Blast!" Sev shouted. "Is this some kind of crazy side-effect from the bacta  I gave her?"

Sev sighed and started running . 'I don’t know where I’m going, but I need to find that hospital.' Sev thought.

After a minute of running, he finally came across some ponies.

"Hey look it’s the alien!" One of the ponies said while pointing her hoof at Sev.

Sev ran towards them. "Ponyville Hospital, where is it?" Sev asked.

"Why would you want to go there?" The pony asked confused.

"To get dinner, why do you think I would want to go to a hospital?!" Sev asked angrily.

"Whoa, t-the hospital is just a few meters from here, keep going straight ahead and you’ll see it eventually." The pony replied while pointing her hoof at the direction Sev was supposed to go.

Sev gave a quick nod and ran towards the hospital.

'Just hang in there Yellow.' Sev thought while taking a quick look at Fluttershy.


****


Inside Ponyville Hospital, Nurse Redheart and Nurse Tenderheart were talking with each other, about patients, the weather and a certain bipedal figure.

"So what do you think of the alien?" Redheart asked.

"I think he’s….. Intimidating to say the least." Tenderheart replied.

"Yeah, I mean have you heard what he did to Filthy Rich?" Redheart asked.

"Yeah, I’ve heard he tried to eat him alive." Tenderheart replied.

"Really?" Redheart asked confused. "I heard he tried to kill him."

Tenderheart shrugged. "I don’t know which one is true, but what  do know is that--."

"I need a medic over here!"  A low masculine voice shouted.

Nurse Redheart and Tenderheart both turned their heads.

"It’s the a-alien." Tenderheart said.

"I-I know right?" Redheart asked nervously.

"Well, I guess we better greet him." Tenderheart said while walking towards Sev.

Sev watched as a blue pony with a cross on its rear made its way over to him.

"Welcome to the Ponyville Hospital." She said with a smile. "How can I help you….. Oh my." Nurse Tenderheart said while holding a hoof to her mouth.

"This one got hit by some sort of bolt, I gave her some bacta, buts eh fell asleep afterwards." Sev said.

Redheart, get me a stretcher now! And get Doctor Horse, tell him it's an urgency, tell him it’s one of The Elements of Harmony!

Redheart nodded and began to run as fast as she can.

Tenderheart looked at Fluttershy with a compassionate look. 

"What happened to her?" She asked concerned.

"Somepony shot a bolt of electricity at me, I dodged it but she took the hit." Sev replied.

"A pony shot magic at you?" Tenderheart asked.

'Magic? Are you kidding?' Sev thought. 

"Yes." Sev replied.

"Oh my, what happened next?" Tenderheart asked.

"Well, let’s just say you have to prepare another stretcher." Sev replied.

"….. I…. understand." Tenderheart said.

"There it is Doctor!" Nurse Redheart said.

Sev looked towards the source of the voices and saw two ponies that were running towards him. One was white with red hair and had a tattoo of a red medical cross on her rear and the other was light brown and appeared to be wearing Doctor’s clothes.

Doctor Horse and Nurse Redheart stopped when they were in front on Sev.

"Quickly! Put her on this stretcher!" Doctor Horse ordered.

Sev nodded and gently placed Fluttershy on the stretcher.

"How long has she been asleep?" Doctor Horse asked while inspecting Fluttershy.

About four minutes or so, I gave her bacta so her wing wouldn’t hurt anymore, I guess the bacta’s side effect was that she fell asleep after the insertion. Sev replied.

Doctor Horse nodded. "Nurse Tenderheart, please make sure that the alien has a pleasant stay here; while we take care of Miss Fluttershy."

Tenderheart nodded. "Please follow me sir."

"I'd rather not ma'am, I don't really like hospitals." Sev replied.

Nurse Tenderheart shook her head. "Sir, you will have to wait until the Doctor has fished treating her."

Sev sighed. "Can't I just leave the rest to you?"

Tenderheart shook her head again. "No, since you were the one to bring her here in the first place, she's you responsibility."

"That's not--."

"But she is, since there is no family member around to take care of her after her treatment." Tenderheart cut Sev off.

Sev mentally groaned. "But I don't even know her, I just helped get here."

Tenderheart smiled. "Then you are a good stallion for doing that, you can wait in here." Tenderheart said while opening a door.

Sev sighed and walked through. 

"You better tell the doc that he had two hours, after that: I'm gone." Sev said.

Tenderheart nodded. "I will, please stay in this room, I can get you something to drink if you want."

Sev shook his head. "Two hours." Sev said while closing the door.

Tenderheart gave the door a confused look and turned around. 'That voice of his almost made me run away in fear.' Tenderheart thought while walking towards the front desk.

As Sev entered the room, he saw that he was not alone, a grey filly with a blond mane was playing with her plushie.

Sev walked towards the corner of the room, he grabbed his DC17m and DC17s side arm pistol and sat down on the ground.

'Might as well clean my rifle to pass the time.' Sev thought while detaching  his sniper attachment.

Sev grabbed his anti-armor attachment and blaster attachment from his belt. He set them down in front of him and began to count his ammunition.

'Let’s see, I’ve got four Thermal detonators, four Electronics Counter Detonators, four Sonic Detonators and four Concussion grenades.' Sev thought while laying the grenades in front of him.

'I’ve got about twenty clips for my sniper attachment, eight anti-armor grenades, I think I have forty clips for my blaster attachment in my backpack and I still have my trusty side arm.'

"Whoa, what kind of toys are those?"

Sev looked up from his weapon arsenal and saw that the grey filly was now eyeing him curiously.

"These are adult toys kid." Sev said while putting all of the grenades and ammunition back in his backpack.

"Hey I know you." The filly said.

"I doubt that." Sev replied.

The filly smiled. "You’re the alien, I saw you a few days ago, but you look different now." 

"That’s because I’m another alien, the alien you saw a few days ago was probably Commander Thorn." Sev said.

The filly gave Sev a confused look. "So there are two aliens in Ponyville?"

Sev nodded. "Yep."

"Whoa, that’s so cool!" The filly exclaimed.

"What are you doing in the hospital?" Sev asked.

"My mommy had a flying accident and she sprained her wing." The filly replied. 

The filly gave Sev a curious look. "Mister alien?"

"Yes?" Sev asked.

"Why are you in the hospital?" The filly asked.

"Someone got hurt, I brought her here, end of story." Sev replied.

"What happened?" The filly asked.

"Nothing." Sev replied while attaching his blaster attachment to his DC17m.

"But if nothing happened, why are you in the hospital?" The filly asked confused.

"Hasn’t your mother ever taught you not to stick your nose into peoples personal business?" Sev asked with a hint of annoyance.

The filly’s ears dropped flat on her head. "S-Sorry, but it’s really boring in here and my mom was supposed to get me when she was done, but knowing my mom; she probably made her situation worse."

"Why’s that?" Sev asked.

"My mommy has bad luck." The filly replied.

"So? Everybody has some bad luck." Sev said.

"Well, my mommy has bad luck every day." The filly replied.

"Oh, that’s…. No fun I guess." Sev said.

The filly sighed. "You have no idea."

"Dinky!" A voice said.

Sev turned his head towards the door and saw a grey Pegasus standing in the doorframe, she had blond hair (the same as the filly) and she had bubbles on her rear.

"What’s wrong with her eyes?" Sev thought while watching the mare walk to the filly.

"Hi mommy!" The filly said while hugging her.

"Dinky, I’m so sorry to keep you waiting, but things got complicated." The mother said.

"Complicated?" The filly asked.

"Let’s just say Doctor is in need of a Doctor now." The mother replied.

The filly winced. "Ouch, sounds like he had it rough."

The mother gave her a cheeky smile. "Well, the Doctor said I can’t use my wing for two days, so unfortunately I’ll have to ask somepony to take over my shifts."

"But that would mean we get to spend some more time together!" The filly exclaimed while hugging her.

The mother smiled. "Dinky, you can be so adorable at time you know that?"

'Blegh, mothers.' Sev thought while watching the mother and filly. 'Never liked them, not that I had one…. Well aside from the Kaminoans, but I never really saw them a s a motherly figure….. They kinda creeped me out actually, those big eyes; like they were staring into your very soul. '

"Hey mommy, look who I met today." The filly said while looking at Sev.

The mother looked at Sev. "Whoa, you met the alien." She said happily.

"Yep, I’m the first one to meet him." The filly said.

The mother gave her daughter hug. "Really? That’s great, always trying to make new friends."

"Mom, the alien is watching." The filly said ashamed.

"Well maybe the alien wants a hug to?" The mother asked.

"No thank you." Sev replied. "I’m not too fond of hugs, or any physical contact with people I don’t know or like."

"So you don’t like us?" The filly asked sadly.

"I…. never said that, but I don’t know you." Sev replied.

"Well my name is Dinky Hooves and this is my mommy Derpy Hooves." Dinky said.

Sev nodded. 

"Soooo, what’s your name?" Dinky asked.

"The name is Sev." Sev replied.

"Well it was nice meeting you Mister Sev." Derpy said while grabbing a hold of her daughter. "But we need to get going, it was nice meeting you and I hope we see each other soon." Derpy said with a smile.

"Yeah, maybe we could." Sev Said.

Derpy nodded and turned to her daughter. "How about we get some ice cream?"

Dinky’s ears perked up. "Yes! Oh yes please!"

Derpy giggled. "Well let’s go!" She said while grabbing a hold of Dinky and running out of the room.

"Bye Mister Sev!" Dinky said before being dragged out of the room.

"Later kid." Sev replied. but he was sure Dinky couldn’t hear him anymore.

Sev sighed and leaned against the wall.

'This sure was one strange day, first the little ‘scene’ with Purple and now I’m in the hospital with Yellow, a strange day it is.'

"Hey Sev don’t you ever get tired of this?" A question echoed in his mind.

'Scorch, you have no idea.'


****


Two hours later.........

"Sev?" A sweet, caring voice asked.

Sev recognized that voice and turned his head. "Good to see you’re still alive Yellow." He said while watching Fluttershy walk into the room.

"Uhm, I-I want t-to thank you for taking care o-of me." Fluttershy said.

Sev waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Don’t mention it Yellow, but try not to get shot again."

Fluttershy smiled and looked at her (now) bandaged wing. "The Doctor said it was indeed broken, I’m afraid I won’t be able to fly for two weeks."

Sev got up and popped his back. "Flying is easy, landing is hard."

Fluttershy weakly nodded. "What was that you gave me a few hours ago?" Fluttershy asked.

"Bacta, it is used to ease the pain when a clone gets hurt on the battlefield, but if a clone gets severely injured, he’ll have to spend a few days in a bacta tank." Sev replied.

"Oh, does it always make you sleepy?" Fluttershy asked.

Sev shrugged. "Never did with me, maybe it’s a side effect."

"Well whatever it was, it took the Doctor at least an hour to wake me up." Fluttershy said.

"I was already wondering why it was taking so long." Sev remarked.

Fluttershy walked towards Sev and hugged his leg. "Thank you so much, I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t help me."

Sev rolled his eyes underneath his helmet. "What is it with these creatures and hugs?" He asked himself.

"T-The nurses told me I could go home, but that I needed to rest and try not to use my wing." Fluttershy said.

"Well safe trip." Sev said while walking towards the door.

"Wait." Fluttershy said.

Sev stopped and turned around. "What is it now?"

"M-My legs are still a bit sleepy so I was wondering if you could uhm, if you don’t mind uhm……"

Sev sighed and picked her up. 

"If you tell anyone…. Well you know what will happen." Sev warned.

Fluttershy gulped and nodded.

"Good." Sev said while opening the door with his left hand. "Where to now?"

"Uhm y-you have to go to the reception and sign some papers and--."

"Not really a big fan of paper work." Sev cut her off while walking towards the exit.

"But you--but you can’t-- *squeak*."

Sev walked to the exit and out of the hospital.

"So where to now?" Sev asked.

"Uhm, t-the others must be worried sick about me, we should probably head back to the library." Fluttershy replied.

Sev sighed. "The library it is then."


****


"So wait, you’re telling me that Jango Fett is technically your 'father'?" Twilight asked.

"For the last time Twilight: Yes." Thorn replied annoyed.

For the last couple of hours, Twilight had been bombarding him with questions about: His origins, the war and basically anything she could come up with. And if she didn’t know what to ask, that’s when the others got their opportunity.

'I am getting sick and tired of the questions.' Thorn thought.

"So what exactly is a bounty hunter?" Twilight asked.

Thorn groaned. "Can we take a break?"

Twilight tapped her chin. "Hmmm, a five minute break could be arranged, but we will need to continue the questioning afterwards. 

"Twilight I am getting kind of tired of your--."

*knock* *knock*

"Huh? Who could that be, and at this time of the day". Twilight said while walking towards the door.

"Who’s there?" She asked.

"Purple, open this door, I’ve got Yellow with me and her wing is broken." Sev replied.

"Her wing is broken?!" Twilight exclaimed while opening the door with her magic.

When Twilight had opened the door, she saw Fluttershy laying in Sev’s arms.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed while teleporting her out of Sev’s arms. "What did he do to you?"

"H-He didn’t do a-anything." Fluttershy replied.

"But your wing is broken and….. Wait why is your wing bandaged?" Twilight asked confused.

"Well, I was following Sev and I found him talking to a pony and her colt; but Filthy Rich and two other stallions were trying to harass her." Fluttershy said.

"Harass? I knew Filthy Rich was bad but this?" Twilight said.

"Yes but Sev uhm t-took ‘care’ of them, but one of the stallions shot a magic bolt at him, he dodged it…. But it hit me instead." Fluttershy said.

"Oh Fluttershy darling." Rarity said while bringing her in for a hug. "If I ever find those stallions they will pay."

"Don’t worry, I don’t think those three are going to bother her for a long time." Thorn said while looking at Sev. "Right sir?"

Sev tapped his DC17m.

"You killed them?" Thorn asked.

"No, just hurt one of them….. And almost killed one if Yellow hadn’t stop me." Sev replied.

"And that’s when Sev brought me to the hospital, the Doctor treated my wing and said I couldn’t use it for at least two weeks." Fluttershy said.

"That sucks Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said while bringing her in for a comforting hug. "I’ll make sure Filthy Rich pays for this."

"Or Thorn will." Rarity said.

"Yeah, Thorn how about you and me and that big gun of yours, go and visit Filthy Rich?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smirk.

"Sorry Rainbow, but I can’t and won’t do that." Thorn replied.

"Awww, why not?" Rainbow Dash asked.

*sigh* "how much I want to, I just can’t, it’s against the rules." Thorn replied.

Rainbow Dash pouted. "Stupid rules."

"Uhm, S-Sev I’m sorry for the way I treated you before." Twilight said while lowering her head.

"Purple, normally if someone would have treated me like that, I would have ripped their spines out." Sev said.

Twilight winched at this.

"But since I didn’t, consider your apology accepted." Sev said.

Twilight smiled and gave his leg a hug. "Thanks Sev."

'Again with the hugs.' Sev thought while patting Twilight on her back.

Twilight let go of his leg and looked up at him with a faint blush. "Uhm this might sound really stupid but, I’ve b-been asking Thorn a lot of questions."

'Too many.' Thorn thought.

"And I-I was wondering if could maybe ask you some questions?" Twilight asked.

"That depends." Sev said.

"Depends on what?" Twilight asked.

"Depends on how many and at what time." Sev said.

"Well I don’t know how many, but I would like to begin now." Twilight replied.

Sev sighed. "Alright Purple, but only if I get to ask you some questions afterwards."

Twilight smiled. "Sure let’s begin!"

'May the universe have mercy upon his soul.' Thorn thought.

****

"And then what happened?" Twilight asked impatiently.

"The Geonosians had me and Fixer surrounded, Fixer shot one out of the sky with his sniper, we were surrounded and almost out of ammo, but that's when Boss and Scorch showed up." Sev replied.

When Twilight had asked Sev about his life and missions, Sev told them; leaving no details behind. Everyone was listening carefully, dying to hear more of his awesome tales.

"And let me guess, you beat those Geonosians into a pulp right?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Nope, Scorch blew ‘em up." Sev replied.

"That Scorch sounds like a fun guy to be around." Rainbow Dash said.

"He is Blue, he is." Sev replied.

"And Boss sound like a really wise man." Rarity remarked. "I hope I get the chance to meet him sometime."

"Are those Geonosians really as bad as you told us?" Fluttershy asked.

"Those bugs are the nastiest thing I’ve ever seen." Sev replied.

"Oh my, look at the time." Twilight said while looking at her clock. "It’s already half past six."

"Wow, we sure have been talking a lot." Sweetiebelle said while yawning.

"Are you tired Sweetiebelle?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah, but it’s Sunday tomorrow so I--."

"Will be training with me." Sev cut her off.

"What?!" Sweetiebelle exclaimed. "I thought you were joking."

"I don’t do jokes." Sev said.

Sweetiebelle pouted. 

"It’s that or being grounded for a week." Rarity said.

"…… Fine, what time?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"Tomorrow, Eight o’ clock." Sev replied.

"What?! That’s too early." Sweetiebele whined.

"Clone troopers always get up early." Sev said while looking at her. "Commandos get up even earlier, but since your not a Commando, eight 'o clock will do."

Sweetiebelle sighed. "Alright, but it's not gonna ne too hard right?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"You'll find that out tomorrow." Sev replied.

"Well if you and Sev have to get up so early tomorrow, then we'd better head home." Rarity said.

"With 'we're' you mean you, Sweetiebelle and Sev right?" Twilight asked.

Rarity smiled. "Only if Sev wants to."

"I'll do it." Sev said while turning to Commander Thorn. "Tomorrow, eight 'o clock, White's home."

"Sir yes sir!" Thorn said while saluting.

"Commander, I've been dying to ask you this but: Did you leave your weapon back at the cottage?" Sev asked.

Thorn rubbed his helmet. "Well, we were going to the library and--."

"Commander, get your weapon before someone else might and take Yellow home with you." Sev cut him off.

"Yes sir!" Thorn said.

Thorn walked towards Fluttershy and spoke up.

"Ready to go?" Thorn asked.

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, I think I can walk, so there's no need for you to carry me..... But if you want to, I don't mind."

"Nah that's alright." Thorn said while walking towards the exit. "You coming?"

Fluttershy nodded. "By everypony and Sev."

"Bye Fluttershy." They all said in union.

"Rest that wing Yellow, that's an order." Sev said.

Fluttershy smiled. 'Maybe Sev isn't as bad as I first anticipated.'

"Sir, I'll see you tomorrow." Thorn said while opening the door.

Sev nodded.

"After you." Thorn said while motioning Fluttershy to walk through the door.

"T-Thank you." Fluttershy said While walking through the door.

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet and followed her.

The door closed, leaving Sev, Twilight, Rarity, Sweetiebelle, Spike and Rainbow Dash in the library.

"I'm gonna go to." Rainbow Dash said while flying towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Come on Sweetiebelle, we haven't even had dinner yet." Rarity said while walking towards the door.

"Yeah I'm starving." Sweetiebelle said. "Are you coming Sev?"

"Yeah I'm coming.* Sev replied while walking towards the door.

"Later girls and guy!" Spike said while waving his claw at them.

"Bye Rarity, take care of Sev!" Twilight added.

'Take care of me? Hmpf, no one 'takes care' of me.' Sev thought while walking out of the library. He closed the door behind him and turned his gaze upon Rarity and Sweetiebelle.

"So, dinner?"


****


"I can't believe nopony left a note; saying how sad they found it that I hadn't opened the boutique today." Rarity said while walking towards her kitchen.

"Maybe nopony was interested in buying any clothes." Sweetiebelle said while sitting down on a chair in the kitchen.

"Oh Sweetiebelle." Rarity laughed. "Of course ponies are interested in my clothes, why wouldn't they be?"

Sweetiebelle shrugged. "I don't know."

"Alright, what do you want for dinner?" Rarity asked.

"Hayfries!" Sweetiebelle replied.

Rarity smiled. "Hayfries it is then."

"Do you like hayfries to Sev?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"Listen, it's nice of you two being so nice to me, but you don't have to." Sev replied while walking out of the kitchen. "I'm going to get some sleep."

Sweetiebelle and Rarity watched as Sev walked away from them for the second time that day.

"I'm going after him." Sweetiebelle said while getting of her chair.

"Just let him be Sweetiebelle." Rarity said while laying a hoof on her sister's back.

"But he--."

"Probably needs some time to think, remember that he's been through a lot, let's just let him get some sleep." Rarity said.

Sweetiebelle looked at her sister with a sad expression. "I wonder if he will always be like this."

"I don't know Sweetie, I really don't." Rarity said while bringing he in for a hug. "I'll go and make those hayfries."

Sweetiebelle smiled and hugged her sister back. "Thanks Rarity."


****


Two hours later........

"Let's form up."

"Gogogogo!"

"Geonosian scum!"

"Boss, hold onto your guts while I rip out theirs."

"SBD!"

"Why do we always get the tough jobs?!"

As Sev laid on Rarity's bed, he kept having flashbacks from his previous missions. Maybe 'not being in a war-zone' has finally gotten into him, he's dead and there's no way of turning back..... But he really wants to go back, to his squadmates, friends, brothers.

"Sev, don't you ever get tired of this?"

Sev sighed and removed his helmet, revealing his scarred face, scarrs on the inside and outside.

'Scorch.' Sev thought while putting his helmet on the ground. 'You have no idea.'

And with that, Republic Commando RC-1207 fell asleep and drifted off to the land of dreams.

But what he didn't know, was that a certain fashionista had been watching him the entire time.

"So that's what you look like." Rarity whispered while closing the door. "Luckily he didn't notice me."

Rarity turned around and walked downstairs. 

'He does look rather...... Manly.' Rarity thought a faint blush making it's way on her face.


> Training escalated quickly
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"I understand, I understand wanting to walk way form the Order."

"I know you do."

Anakin’s and Ahsoka’s last converation, before Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order for good.



--------


*Knock* *knock*

"No, go away Rarity." Sweetiebelle grumbled.

*Knock* *knock*

"Rarity let me sleep." Sweetiebelle whined.

*Kablam!*

"Aaaah!" Sweetiebelle exclaimed while falling out of bed.

"Knock knock." Sev said while walking into her room.

"Sev, what are you--."

"Rise and shine cadet, training is about to begin." Sev cut her off.

"But it’s too early." Sweetiebelle whined.

Sev grabbed his DC17m and shot a plasma bolt into the ceiling.

Sweetiebelle gulped. 

"Get up and grab something to eat, we leave in ten minutes." Sev said while turning around and walking out of Sweetiebelle’s room.

Sweetiebelle sighed and opened her curtains. "Today is going to be a long and stressful day."

Sev walked downstairs, Commander Thorn had already arrived at the boutique with Fluttershy. Since Thorn didn’t really know his way around Ponyville (neither did Sev), she decided to walk with him.

"Commander!" Sev said.

"Yes sir!" Commander Thorn said while saluting.

"Call me Sev, we can drop the formalities." Sev said.

"Of course, Sev." Thorn replied.

"I have a lot to do today, I hope training will go smoothly." Rarity said while standing besides Thorn.

Thorn chuckled. "Trust me, at the end of the day, every muscle in her body will hurt."

"Oh my." Fluttershy said concerned. "Maybe I should get some medicine and--."

"It was only a figure of speech Fluttershy." Thorn cut her off.

Fluttershy gave a relieving sigh. 

"So Sev, how are you planning too train her?" Thorn asked curiously.

"Hmmm, that forest would do, I saw some animals in there when I first arrived here, they could be good target practice." Sev replied. 

"Target practice?" Fluttershy asked scared. "You don’t mean you are going hurt animals, are you?"

Sev chuckled. "I’ve been killing animals for sports, when I’m not shooting Battle droids, I like to hunt."

Fluttershy gasped. "How could you do such a horrible thing?!"

"That’s simple." Sev said while patting his Dc17m. "I use this and pull the trigger."

Fluttershy walked up to Sev and spoke up.

"You are not going to hurt any animals." She said sternly. 

"If I want to kill something, then I will kill something." Sev said.

"You." Fluttershy said while looking up at him. "Are not killing any animals, am I understood?"

"Oh boy, here comes the stare." Rarity whispered.

"The what?" Thorn asked.

"The “stare” is something Fluttershy uses when animals don’t listen to her; I’ve seen her stare turn a Manticore into a kitten." Rarity replied.

"But Sev isn’t an animal, he’s a Clone." Thorn remarked.

"Listen here Yellow." Sev said while bending down and bumping his helmet against her muzzle. I will do whatever I want, if I see and animal that doesn’t appeal me, or is a direct threat to me, I’ll kill it.

Fluttershy gave him an angry glare. "If you do that then—then I will slap you!" Fluttershy said.

Sev crossed his arms. "Go ahead, slap me."

Fluttershy inhaled deeply and gave his helmet a soft bump. 

"T-There, that will teach you." She said.

Sev chuckled. "Alright, that settles it, Commander you’ll be taking over my training with Sweetiebelle, I’ll be training Yellow over here."

"Uhm I don’t think that--."

"Yellow, we’re leaving." Sev said while walking towards the boutique’s exit.

"Wait Sev, what am I supposed to do with Sweetiebelle?" Thorn asked.

J"ust train her like we trained on Kamino, be creative." Sev replied while picking Fluttershy up.

"H-Hey, put m-me down." Fluttershy demanded..

"No, I’m going to teach you how to grow a spine." Sev replied.

"But I already have a spine, what use would--."

"It’s a figure of speech." Sev cut her off. "We’re going to your cottage and I’ll show you what I used to do for a living."

Fluttershy gulped. 

"Commander, you have your Z6 right?" Sev asked.

"Yes." Thorn replied. "It’s in the kitchen."

"Good". Sev said while walking towards the boutique’s exit. "We will rendezvous at this location."

"Of course Sev, good luck." Thorn replied.

"I don’t need luck Commander, I make my own luck." Sev said while walking out of the boutique and closing the door behind him.

"That Sev sure is one of a kind, isn’t he?" Rarity asked.

"Maybe, but like I said, each Clone is different." Thorn said while walking towards the kitchen.

"Would you like something to eat?" Rarity asked.

"No, Fluttershy was kind enough to make me one of her soup." Thorn replied.

"Oh, well I asked Sev if he wanted to eat something, but he said no too." Rarity said.

Thorn shrugged. "Maybe he wasn't hungry."

"Maybe, but what does your kind eat?" Rarity asked.

"Well, the official name of my race is: Humans, Humans are Omnivores." Thorn replied.

"Oh, so you eat fruit and meat." Rarity said with a hint of disgust.

"Yes, our body needs protein that are in both meat and fruits." Thorn replied.

"Well, we ponies are Herbivores so we don’t eat meat, there are Griffons and Minotaurs, they are Carnivores." Rarity said while walking into the kitchen and sitting down on a chair.

"Really? Well if you’re worried about me and Sev ponies, don’t worry we won’t." Thorn said.

Rarity gave a relieving sigh. "Phew, but… what are you going to eat then?"

"I… Don’t know, I guess I’ll have to hunt for my meal or something." Thorn replied.

"I don’t think Fluttershy would like that." Rarity said.

"+But what am I supposed to do then?" Thorn asked while leaning against the wall. "I mean, I can’t just change my diet."

"Well perhaps you could talk to Princess Celestia about it, I’m sure she could find a solution." Rarity said.

"Maybe, I just hope Sev doesn’t go and hunt without permission." Thorn said.

"I have been wondering, why is Sev so fascinated with… Killing things?" Rarity asked.

"I don’t know, maybe you should ask him yourself." Thorn replied.

Rarity gave a nervous chuckle. "Maybe I shouldn’t, I believe Sev isn’t really much of a talker."

"You don’t say?" Thorn asked sarcastically.

"Rarity, could you make me a sandwich?" Sweetiebelle asked while walking into the kitchen.

Rarity smiled. "Of course, oh and Thorn will be training you today instead of Sev."

Sweetiebelle gave a relieving sigh. "Boy am I glad, Sev is kinda scary when he starts to order you around."

Thorn chuckled. "I’m sure we’ll get to see more of his bad side. "

Rarity shivered. "I hope not, not that I don’t appreciate the things he has done for us, but it’s just that he is kind of… Rude."

"War can do a lot of things to people, maybe Sev was different before the war." Thorn said while walking towards his Z6. "I used to think I had to follow every order that was given to me, but war changed that point of view."

"The war you fought in was really bad, wasn’t it?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"You have no idea of the atrocities I have witnessed." Thorn said while patting his Z6 rotary blaster cannon. "The Separatists are not to be messed with, one mistake could be a fatal one."

"Here Sweetiebelle." Rarity said while placing a plate on the table. "Your sandwich is ready, I put some tomatoes, cucumber and roses on it."

"Thanks Rarity!" Sweetiebelle said while sitting down at the table.

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet. 'Luckily the war hasn't affected this planet, if it did, I wouldn’t know what The Separatists would have done to them."

"Mmm, this is amazing Rarity." Sweetiebelle said.

"Eat up Sweetiebelle, when training starts, you will address me with Commander or sir, am I understood?" Thorn asked.

"Yes Thorn." Sweetiebelle said.

"Good." Thorn said while walking towards the table. "Because training stats in one minute."

Sweetiebelle looked at Thorn with a dumbfounded expression and swallowed a piece of the sandwich. 

"So eat up and meet me at the front of the boutique in one minute." Thorn said while turning around and walking out of the kitchen. "I'll leave my Z6 in the boutique, make sure no one touches it." 

Rarity nodded. "I will, now hurry up Sweetiebelle."

Sweetiebelle looked at her sandwich and began to take big bites out of it.

"Sweetiebelle, don’t eat too fast." Rarity said.

Sweetiebelle put the last piece of sandwich in her mouth and got of the chair.

"Cwan’t twalk, mave to go!" Sweetiebelle said while running out of the kitchen.

Rarity shook her head and levitated the plate to the sink with her magic.

Sweetiebelle ran towards the boutique’s exit and opened the door. She stepped outside and turned around to close the door.

"Cadet! Stand at attention!" She heard Thorn shout from behind her.

Sweetiebelle turned around. "Do what now?"

Thorn sighed and saluted. "Like this."

"Ahaa." Sweetiebelle said while mimicking Thorn’s actions.

"Very good cadet, now is there some sort of open field around here, a field that isn't near Fluttershy's cottage?" Thorn asked.

"We could go to Sweet Apple Acres, I'm sure Applejack wouldn't mind." Sweetiebelle replied.

"Alright cadet, lead the way." Thorn said while motioning her to walk up front.

Sweetiebelle saluted and together they began their walk to Sweet Apple Acres.


****


Meanwhile at Fluttershy's cottage.

"Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty." Fluttershy panted while lying flat on the ground.

"Get up Yellow, those twenty push ups were just the warming up, now give me another twenty!" Sev ordered.

"B-But I-I--."

"That's an order Yellow." Sev said while crossing his arms.

Fluttershy sighed. "How long are you planning on doing this?" Fluttershy asked while beginning her push ups.

"As long as is needed." Sev replied while grabbing his DC17m.

"Wait, why are you grabbing your--."

"Thorn told me about an animal that had attacked you a few days ago, if my hunter instinct is correct, more of those animals might try to pay you a visit." Sev cut her off.

"Oh, b-but I think I could take care of them, you see I--."

"Thorn also told me that he got there just in time, if he had arrived ten seconds later, you would be dead". Sev cut her off again.

Fluttershy stopped her push ups and lay flat on the ground, her ears folded back on her head and she sighed.

"I-I can't help it, I'm just really shy and get scared easily." Fluttershy said.

"And that's why I'm here." Sev said while tapping Fluttershy's leg with his foot.

Fluttershy turned her head and looked at Sev. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Listen, being scared is for the weak." Sev said while getting on one knee and looking her in the eyes. "It's difficult to get over your fears, but with the right training, you can overcome those fears."

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, I can't, my friends tried to help me before, sometimes they would succeed, other times they would fail. And don't even get me started about Iron Will."

'So people have tried before huh? Well, I guess it's time for the last stage of my training: Hunting.' Sev thought while smirking underneath his helmet.

"Well then, we'll go in there and continue the training." Sev said while pointing at The Everfree Forest.

Fluttershy's eyes widened and she hid behind her mane. "I-I don't think that's a good idea, y-you see I-- my wing still hurts and--."

"Yellow, we are going into that forest, whether you like it or not." Sev said.

Fluttershy gave the most annoying squeak Sev had ever heard.

Sev grunted and walked towards Fluttershy.

"Up you go." He said while lifting her and placing her over his shoulder.

"P-Please don't go in there, I'm s-scared and-- why do I feel so ti-tire-tired?" Fluttershy asked.

Sev retracted a syringe from her neck.

"Bacta, seeing as it got you too sleep before, thought it might work again." Sev replied.

Fluttershy's vision started to fade. 

"W-Why? Why are you doing--."

Before Fluttershy could finish her sentence, the bacta kicked in and her body went numb instantly.

"Because you're constant ranting was beginning to annoy me." Sev said while walking towards the forest

'Finally I get to kill something.'


****


And yer sure nothin' bads gonna happ'n right?" Applejack asked.

"No, just some training in your.... What was it called again?" Thorn asked.

"Orchard." Applejack replied with a smile.

"Right, just some training in you orchard." Thorn said.

"Alright, just fer this once, but dontcha go around and usin' them fancy weapons o' yours." Applejack said while pointing her hoof at Thorn's blaster pistols. "I'd like take keep ma trees alive and well."

Thorn nodded. "Don't worry, nothing bad will happened to your trees." Thorn said.

Applejack nodded. "Well, I'm gonna go and buck some more apple trees with Big Mac, good luck with trainin' Sweetiebelle." Applejack said.

"Will do Applejack." Sweetiebelle said.

"Cadet, you only talk when you are told to." Thorn said sternly.

Sweetiebelle gulped and saluted. "Sir, yes sir."

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet. 'I'm kind of glad Sev decided not to train her anymore, not that he would be a bad Drill Sergeant, it's just his.... Killer instinct might scare her to death.'

"Sweetiebelle, we're heading into the orchard, double time!" Thorn ordered while pointing his finger at the orchard.

Sweetiebelle saluted. "Sir, yes sir!" And began trotting towards the orchard.

Thorn walked after her. 'Sev, please don't do anything you might regret.'

Thorn quickened his pace and began to run after Sweetiebelle. 'She's pretty fast for such a youngling.'5

Sweetiebelle stopped running until she was underneath an apple tree.

"This *pant* is harder than I thought." Sweetiebelle panted.

"And it will become even harder, remember that Clone cadets have to go through intensive training like this even day." Thorn said while walking towards Sweetiebelle.

Sweetiebelle groaned. "I feel sorry for those cadets."

"There's nothing to feel sorry about.' Thorn said.

Oh, ok. Sweetiebelle said with a smile.

"Sweetiebelle, I want to ask you a few things." Thorn said while sitting down and resting his back against the tree.

"What is it?" Sweetiebelle asked curiously.

"Come here for a sec." Thorn said while parting the ground beside him.

Sweetiebelle nodded and lay down beside him. 

"So, what do you want to know?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"Well, what do you think of me and Sev?" Thorn asked.

Sweetiebelle gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know, me and Sev.... Are born killers, we fight, kill and die for The Republic." Thorn replied while lowering his head. "My entire life consisted of  two things: Fighting and Following orders, I never thought this would happen to me."

"This?" Sweetiebelle asked confused.

"Being stranded on a planet that's peaceful, no war, no Separatists." Thorn replied.

"Well, you're here now, I'm sure you're happy right?" Sweetiebelle asked.

" I don't know, this; all of this is just really confusing." Thorn said.

Sweetiebelle placed a hoof on his leg. "Thorn, I'm sure everything will be ok, I don't know how, but I know it is."

Thorn patted her head. "Thanks kid, now get up ans give me twenty."

"Huh?" Sweetiebelle asked confused.

"I said: Get up and give me twenty push ups cadet!" Thorn ordered.

Sweetiebelle got up and saluted in front of him. "Sir, yes sir!"

Sweetiebelle began her push ups and started counting. "One, two, three...."

'Maybe she's right, maybe this is my redemption or something. I mean, every Clone asked themselves the same question over and over again: "What happens to us when the war is over?" No one knew the answer, but maybe I've finally found it.' Thorn thought while giving a relieving sigh. 'I just hope Sev can live without killing something for a long time.'

"Eighteen, nineteen, twenty." Sweetiebelle panted.

"Very good, run now towards the barn and back." Thorn said.

Sweetiebelle's mouth stood agape. "Y-You're kidding right?"

Thorn shook his head and crossed his arms. "I'm dead serious, now move it cadet!" Thorn ordered.

Sweetiebelle groaned and began trotting her way towards the barn. "Stupid training." She muttered.

Thorn chuckled. "I love my job."


****


Sev walked through The Everfree Forest, with Fluttershy still over his shoulder, he knew this place was scary for ponies, but he isn't a pony.

"Well, let's see what animal has the luck of running into me." Sev said while grabbing his DC17m. "And you need to wake up." Sev said while shaking Fluttershy.

Fluttershy gave the most adorable grunt, but Sev found it annoying.

Sev sighed and gently put Fluttershy on the ground. 

"Maybe that bacta idea, wasn't my smartest one." Sev said while looking around for any unlucky animals.

"Aaah." Sev said switching his blaster attachment for his sniper attachment. "Looks like I got something."

Sev looked through his scope and zoomed in on a tree, there he saw his target. It appeared to be some kind of flying animal, it had white feathers, a red belly and a innocent look. Something Sev hated.

Sev inhaled deeply and pulled the trigger. A plasma round shot out of his blaster, the bird had no time to react, before it even heard the sound of a blaster going of; the plasma bold had already hit its target.

The bird fell out of the tree, it hit the ground and its body went numb. 

Sev smirked underneath his helmet. "That's one down, millions too go."

Sev looked through his scope and looked at every direction of the forest.

He stopped when he saw a small brown creature, it appeared to have fur and long ears, it was hopping around, happily munching on some leafs and branches.

Sev pulled the trigger, he got the same result from before. Before the animal had time to react, the plasma round had already impaled the creature. The animal looked at his mid section, a solid hole was on his belly. The animal's eyes rolled back into its head and it fell to the ground.

"That's another one down." Sev said while looking through his scope again.

The killing continued, Sev had killed about seven more animals, five of them being of the same kind as the first two he had shot. The other animals consisted from snakes, to other kinds birds. Sev wasn't satisfied yet, he wanted-- no he needed to kill more, his hunter instinct still wanted more bloodshed.

Sev reloaded his blaster and looked around. The only animal he saw, were the ones he killed.

'Well, I didn't know I was that good... Actually I did.' Sev thought while lowering his blaster.

"Well, time to pick up the kills." Sev said while picking up one of the dead bunny's by its ears. Sev walked towards the rest of the dead animal, picking them one by one, blood oozed out their wounds, staining Sev's (already) blood red armor.

Sev walked towards Fluttershy, he looked down at her and sighed. 'Too bad she couldn't see my handy work in action, ah well maybe next time.' Sev thought while placing all of his kills ten feet away from Fluttershy.

Sev flicking his wrist and his triangular pointed knife came out of his hand pad. Sev rarely used this, but he did made a few modifications to it. Normally the knife would retract two seconds after it was activated, to deliver a full blow to your target. Sev's modification made it possible that the knife would stay outside of his hand pad, unless Sve flicked his wrist again, making the knide retract.

Sev laid his DC17m beside him and started to skin his preys, he began with the bunnies. Sev was quick at skinning animals, he had done it a lot of times before. 

After a few minutes of skinning, Sev was finally done with the bunnies, he was about to begin with the birds until a familiar weak, but caring voice stopped him.

"S-Sev, what a-are you doing?" Fluttershy asked.

Sev sighed and stood up, he stood aside from the pile of dead animals and motioned his hand towards them. "My hobby."

Fluttershy gasped. "What have you done?"! She exclaimed while trotting towards him. "Please don't tell me you did this." She pleaded while tears started to form in her eyes.

"I did it andquite frankly; I had fun doing it, death is a common thing when it comes to animals and--."

Sev was cut off when Fluttershy started to cry and punch his leg. 

"Monster, monster, monster." She repeated with evey punch. "You k-killed those animals." She sais while giving his leg another punch.

"I need to eat and--."

"I HATE YOU!" Fluttershy shouted between tears.

"Yellow listen I--."

"I HATE YOU!" Fluttershy shouted while punching his leg a hard as she could.

"Ouch, you an your stupid armor!" Fluttershy shouted while holding her hoof.

"Yellow, I told you before, this is what I like to do, I'm not changing that just because you like animals." Sev said.

"I HATE YOU!" Fluttershy roared.

*GROWL*

A loud growl interrupted Fluttershy's rant against Sev, she turned around.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" She shouted.

Fluttershy was angry, she was very anger, Sev did something unforgiving, he killed animals, animals she might have took care of before.

Fluttershy was about to turn around and punch Sev again, but when she saw what growled at her and Sev.

A pack of Timberwolves had made their way over to Sev's location.

"Blast, they must have heard by blaster or smelled the meat." Sev said while grabbing his DC17m. "Yellow, get behind me, no discussion."

Fluttershy turned around. "No, you'll kill them too, I won't let that happen." Fluttershy said while walking towards the Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves growled at her.

"There, there." Fluttershy said while trying to contain her fear and sadness. 

"One of the Timberwolves made its way over to Fluttershy." Sev aimed his blaster at it and spoke up.

"Back away Fluttershy, I can see how they are inspecting you, these are predators, they'll strike when you least expect it." Sev said while bringing his finger around the trigger.

Fluttershy didn't listen and let the Timberwolve come closer. The Timberwolf sniffed, inhaling Fluttershy's scent, he then proceeded to lick her cheek.

"Impossible." Sev whispered while lowering his blaster.

Fluttershy gave a small smile and patted the Timberwolf's head.

"Why are you here?" Fluttershy asked.

The Timberwolf stopped licking her cheek and turned its head to Sev and growled.

Sev growled back at it. 'No animal growls at me.' Sev thought.

"Oh you poor thing, did that big meanie scare you?" Fluttershy asked soothingly.

The Timberwolf nodded.

"Well don't worry, he won't hurt you." Fluttershy said while nuzzling the Timberwolf's head. "Just go back to your home and everything will be ok."

The Timberwolf looked at Sev, but lowered its head to Fluttershy, it nodded and turned around. It barked at the others, the other Timberwolves barked in response and began walking away from Fluttershy and Sev.

Fluttershy watched as the Timberwolves walked into the deeper parts of The Everfree Forest. But she remembered what had happened before.

"Listen to me you monster." Fluttershy said while turning around and looking at Sev with a furious expression on her face. "You will pay for this, one way or another, I want you to take me home and leave me alone. If I ever see you near, my cottage or any of my animal friends again, I'll make sure you'll pay."

"Yellow, get behind me." Sev said while aiming his blaster at something.

Fluttershy gave him a puzzled glare and turned around.

There she saw another Timberwolf, but there was something really strange with this one. Its eyes were black instead of green and green fluid was leaking out of its mouth.

"What's w-wrong?" Fluttershy asked while holding her hoof out to touch the Timberwolf.

The Timberwolf growled at her and tried to bite her hoof. Fluttershy retracted her hoof just in time, two seconds later and her hood wouldn't be attached to hee leg anymore.

"Yellow, get behind me now!" Sev ordered while aiming his blaster at the Timberwolf.

Fluttershy hesitantly walked back towards Sev, never keeping her eyes of the Timberwolf.

The Timberwolf growled and slowly walked towards Fluttershy.

"Easy Yellow, no sudden movements." Sev said while bringing his finger to the trigger.

Fluttershy gulped and walked towards Sev a little faster, she was scared, scared because she knew what was wrong with this Timberwolf, it had rabies.

The Timberwolf growled at her and in one swift move, launched itself at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy hid behind her mane and held her front legs in front of her face. 

"Nooooo!" She shouted.

*Pshewww*

Before the Timberwolf could even touch Fluttershy, it collapsed on the ground, landing inches away from Fluttershy.

Fluttershy slowly lowered her legs and opened her eyes.

There lay the Timberwolf, breathing slowly and heavily, a solid hole could be seen at the back of its neck.

Fluttershy gulped and turned around, to see Sev, still aiming his blaster at the Timberwolf.

"Did you?" Fluttershy asked.

"I was surprised that you got the others to leave." Sev said while lowering his blaster and walking towards Fluttershy and the Timberwolf. "But then this one came up from behind, I saw that there was something wrong with it, its eyes were black instead of green."

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, it is sick."

"Is it a curable disease?" Sev asked while bending down beside her and placing his hand on the Timberwolf.

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't know, I've never treated a Timberwolf before.'"

"Then you know what to do." Sev said.

"What do you-- no, not that, I'm not doing that." Fluttershy said while looking at Sev's blaster, which was currently held out to her by Sev.

"Yellow, every second we talk, this Timberwolf suffers." Sev said while placing his blaster beside her. 

"No, I won't do that." Fluttershy said while tears started to form in her eyes.

"If you truly care about animals, then you know what do do when one of them is sick and will never get better." Sev said.

Fluttershy began to whimper. "What? What am I supposed to do?"

"..... Put it out of its misery." Sev said.

Fluttershy looked at him with teary eyes. "I-I can't-- I just can't."

"Death is a part of nature, you should know that--."

"I know death is a part of nature, but what you have done is not how nature works!" Fluttershy shouted.

"Listen, you should--."

"Small animals are preyed upon by large animals, those larger animals are preyed upon by larger animals!" Fluttershy shouted while sobbing. "I know that, but you k-killed them. You. Are. A. Monster!"

"If that is what you think, then I won't judge you." Sev said while getting up, but not picking up his DC17m. "The choice is yours." Sev said while walking towards the pile of dead animals he had created. He sighed and turned around, only to see Fluttershy talk to the Timberwolf.

"I'm sorry, I'm so; so s-sorry." Fluttershy cried while grabbing Sev's blaster with her mouth. She positioned the blaster, that the barrel pointed at its face.

Fluttershy thought of what to do next, but couldn't figure out how to make the weapon shoot those blue thingies.

Sev walked towards Fluttershy and bend over, he gently grabbed her hoof. "See that?" Sev asked while pointing his finger at the trigger.

Fluttershy slowly nodded.

"Put your hoof around it and squeeze." Sev said.

Fluttershy looked up, at him her cheeks stained with fresh tears. She slowly put her hoof around the trigger.

The Timberwolf whimpered in pain.

"I'm so s-sorry." Fluttershy said.

"Do it Yellow." Sev said.

"I'm sorry."

"Yellow, do it."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Do it."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Yellow, do it now."

"I'm so, so sorry."

"Do it!"

*Pshewww*

Sev looked at the Timberwolf, a solid hole was now in its head, smoke was coming out of it. The faint smell of burned wood filled Sev's nostrils.

"W-What have I done?" Fluttershy asked while retracting her hoof from the trigger.

"You did the right thing." Sev said while grabbing his blaster.

"I j-just.... Killed an animal." Fluttershy said while crying into her hooves.

"It was going to die anyway, you put it out of its misery, you did what had to be done." Sev said while placing a hand on her back, careful not to touch her bandaged wing.

"Get." Fluttershy said while shaking Sev's hand of her back. "Your filthy whatever those things are called, of me."

Sev looked at his hand and sighed.

"Training complete." Sev said.

"What?" Fluttershy asked.

"I said: Training complete." Sev repeated.

"Training complete?" Fluttershy repeated while looking at Sev. She looked at Sev, then she looked at the pile of dead animals, and finally she turned around and looked at the Timberwolf she had put out of its misery. "Training complete?!" She shouted.

"Yellow, I'll be honest with you, the moment I saw you; I could see and smell the fear on you." Sev said while looking at the dead Timberwolf. "But it didn't go unnoticed that; you had a soft spot for animals, when I talked about hunting animals one hour ago, that shy little attitude of yours, changed into one; I never expected."

"So, you did all of this." Fluttershy said while pointing her hoof at the dead Timberwolf. "To see if your assumption was right?"

Sev shook his head. "Well I did want to see if I was right, the hunting I did just because I needed to."

"Needed to?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes, I needed to kill something you see I-- my life, my life during the war wasn't a nice one." Sev said while lowering his head. "Killing is the only thing I know, it's become a part of my life."

"But Thorn is a Clone too, he doesn't have to kill something and--."

"Thorn is part of The Coruscant Elite Guard, the only missions he was sent on were probably escort missions, missions were you rarely get to fight against Separatist forces." Sev cut her off.

"But--."

"I am a Commando, do you know how many Clone Commandos died on the battle of Geonosis?" Sev asked.

Fluttershy slowly shook her head.

"Four thousand nine hundred eighty two." Sev said.

Fluttershy flinched at hearing that number.

"I lost that many Commando brothers. The normal Clone troopers? I don't even want to know how many of them died on Geonosis." Sev said.

"What does t-this have to do with this?" Fluttershy asked while wiping away the tears from her eyes.

"I wanted to take revenge on all of those filthy bugs, the only way I saw fit, was to kill as many Geos; as they killed Commandos." Sev replied.

"I don't understand"  Fluttershy whispered.

"What I'm trying to say is: Death has become a part of my life, I can't live without it." Sev said.

"Why did you make me do this?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't like it when I see fear, fear is for the weak." Sev replied while looking at the dead Timberwolf. "Like I said before, when I first met you, I could smell the fear on you, I hate fear, I despise it." 

"So.... You thought this." Fluttershy said while pointing her hoof at the dead Timberwolf. "Would help me overcome my fears?"

"Yellow, what is your biggest fear?" Sev asked.

"I-I don't k-know." Fluttershy said.

Sev sighed. "What is one of your biggest fears?"

"L-Losing my f-friends." Fluttershy replied.

"What would you do, how would you react when all of your friends were killed?" Sev asked.

"I-I... I would be mad." Fluttershy replied.

"Mad?" Sev asked.

"I would be furious." Fluttershy said.

"Would you want to take revenge? An eye for an eye?" Sev asked.

Fluttershy hesitantly nodded. "Yes, but you already made one of my worst fears come true." She whispered.

"I did?" Sev asked.

"When I got my Cute Mark, I knew what my calling was, I knew I had to take care of any animal, big or small, dangerous or not". Fluttershy replied while lowering her head. "My biggest fear was; that I would somehow hurt an animal, whether it be on accident or not. I just k-killed a animal."

Sev felt a nudge in his stomach.

'What in blaze's name is going on? Why am I feeling so empty inside, all of a sudden?' Sev thought.

"And now, I'm scared. Scared that something like this happens again. If anypony hears about this, they'll think of me as a monster." Fluttershy said while collapsing on the ground.

"I *sob* hate myself. " Fluttershy said cried.

'What have I done?' Sev thought while looking at Fluttershy. 'Why am I feeling like this?'

Sev was feeling something, something he had never felt before: Regret. He regretted his actions, he didn't regret killing those animals, no he regretted hurting Fluttershy, she had been nice to him from the start. Even when all ods seemed against him, she still believed there was something good in him. She knew something lay behind that thick hunter shell of his: His heart.

Sev brought his hands up to his head and did something, he never thought he would. He removed his helmet and dropped it on the ground. He bend over and brought his hand to Fluttershy's mane, gently stroking it in a soothing manner.

Fluttershy looked up from the sudden touch, and saw Sev. But not his emotionless helmet, no she saw his face. 

His face was the same as Thorn's, but instead of a burn mark on his face, Sev appeared to have three claw marks, going down from the top right of his head, to the the bottom left.

"I've never showed my face to anyone." Sev said while grabbing his helmet. "If you keep this a secret, I'll keep this a secret too." Sev said while pointing his finger at the dead Timberwolf.

Fluttershy looked up at him. "I promise."

"Thanks." Sev said while putting his helmet back on his head. "And Fluttershy?"

"Yes?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm.... Sorry."

Fluttershy gave him a small smile. 

"I'm sorry too."


****
 

Meanwhile at Sweet Apple Acres.

"Can we stop now?" Sweetiebelle pleaded while wiping away the sweat from her head.

Thorn sighed. "Cadet, we've been training for two hours now, well you have." Thorn said while getting up from his spot. "So yes, we'll stop."

Sweetiebelle sighed and collapsed on her back. "Finally, four hundred push ups and four kilometres of running has really taken it's toll on me."

Thorn chuckled. "Just wait until tomorrow, your muscles are going to feel heavier than a AT-TE Walker."

"What?" Sweetiebelle asked while tilting her head.

"Nothing, just get some rest, you've earned it cadet." Thorn said.

Sweetiebelle smiled at him. "Thanks sir."

"Training is over, you can call me Thorn now." Thorn said.

"You *yawn* got it." Sweetiebelle said.

"Tired?" Thorn asked.

"Kind of." Sweetiebelle replied.

"Come on." Thorn said while picking her up. "Let's get you home."

Sweetiebelle yawned and nodded. "Thanks Thorn."

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet. "You're welcome kid."

Thorn began to walk towards the barn, Sweetiebelle had already closed her eyes and rested her head on Thorn's chest.

"Hey there partner." A low masculine voice said.

Thorn turned around and saw a red pony standing in front of him, he was pulling a cart filled apples.

"Hello." Thorn said politely.

"Yer tha alien right?" The pony asked.

"Commander Thorn of The Grand Army of The Republic." Thorn replied.

"Well, ma name's Big Macontish, but ya can call me Big Mac." Big Mac said.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Big Mac, byte I need to get going, but I hope we meet again." Thorn said.

"Eeyup." Big Mac said.

Thorn nodded and started his walk to the barn.

'Today was a fun day, never expected to be happy without fighting Battle droids. Sure the war is still my number one priority, but since I'm dead, I won't fight in it anymore.' Thorn thought.

Thorn had considered this a lot of times, he thought about his life after the war. Clones were meant to fight in the war, they were meant to protect and serve The Republic, Thorn knew that. Even though he was part of the Coruscant Elite Guard, he had his fair share of war. 

Sev was something completely different, even though he has the same genes as Thorn, he still faced bigger and more dangerous threats. Sure Sev is a cold blooded killer, but war can change a person.

'I wonder what Sev's been up to.' Thorn thought while walking past the barn.

"Well look who it is." He heard a familiar voice say.

"Hello again Applejack. "Thorn said.

"Aww, would ya look at that. That's ta cutest thang I've ever seen." Applejack said while looking at Sweetiebelle sleeping peacefully in Thorn's arms.

"Training, she did good." Thorn said.

"Well, Applebloom's grounded 'till Tuesday." Applejack said.

"Well, at least she's learned her lesson." Thorn said.

Applejack nodded. "Ah hope so, well I gotta go, them apple trees aren't going to buck themselves."

Thorn nodded. "I'll see you around Applejack." Thorn said while turning around.

Applejack smiled. "I hope so, yer a interestin' fella."


****


*knock* *knock*

"Coming." Rarity said while walking towards the boutique's front entrance. She opened the door with her magic, revealing Thorn; with a sleeping Sweetiebelle in his arms,

Rarity smiled. "Aww, that's adorable."

"I think I might have trained her a little too hard." Thorn said while stepping inside the boutique.

"Well." Rarity said while closing the door. "That gives us some time to talk."

"Talk about what?" Thorn asked.

"About you." Rarity said with a flick of her mane. "And your armor."

"..... Oh blast."

> Equestrian nights
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"I can't even see the enemy!"

"That's why they're called: The Shadow people Tuph!"

Fives mocking Tuph, while battling the Umbaran military on Umbara.



------------


"And that's everything I can tell you." Thorn said.

"Amazing, absolutely wonderful." Rarity said in awe.

Thorn sighed and rested his head on his hands. He had been talking with Rarity for two hours straight, from what his armor was made of, to the fashion on Coruscant. Thorn did his best to tell her everything he knew, but he was getting tired of this 'girly' talk, fashion wasn't one of Thorn's greatest interests.

"I would love to visit Coruscant, imagine how many of my dresses I could show." Rarity said, a twinkle appearing in her eye." And I haven't even begun about the royalty, imagine if I could design clothes for Chancellor Palpatine himself."

Thorn looked up at her and cocked an eyebrow. "Do you really think the Chancellor would be interested in your design's?"

"Well... Maybe." Rarity replied with a smile.

Thorn rubbed his temples.  "Listen, it's getting late, I would like to go back to Fluttershy and get some sleep."

"Oh, you can't possibly want to go out at this time, it's ten o'clock, you can stay here." Rarity said.

"I don't want to be a burden." Thorn said while getting of his chair. "Besides, I need to pick up my Z6; since I left it at Fluttershy's."

"You can get it tomorrow, you've eaten dinner here, so you'll be sleeping here too." Rarity said while getting of her chair.

Thorn sighed. "You are really annoying at times." Thorn said while giving her a cocky smile.

Rarity huffed. "How rude." She said sarcastically.

Thorn chuckled. "Where will I be sleeping?"

Rarity smiled. "Please follow me." She said while walking out of the kitchen.

Thorn sighed.’ I hate civilians.’ Thorn thought while grabbing his helmet and following her.

As Thorn followed Rarity to his new room, he couldn't help but think of Sev.

‘Where the kriff will he be staying?’ Thorn thought while walking upstairs. ‘I just hope he hasn't done anything he might regret.’

"Here we are." Rarity said while opening the door with her magic. "I'm sorry but I haven't cleaned the bed, I hope you don't mind."

Thorn shook his head. "Sev and I are brothers, I'd drink out his canteen if I had to."

"Blegh, are all males the same?" Rarity asked disgusted.

Thorn shrugged. "Are all females the same?"

"Touché." Rarity said.

"Goodnight Rarity, and thank you for your hospitality." Thorn said while walking inside the room.

"Thorn, no need to thank me, I should be the one thanking  you." Rarity said while placing a hoof on his leg. "If it weren't for you, things might have gone a whole different way."

Thorn placed a hand on her hoof. "Don't think about what could have happened." He said with a smile.

Rarity looked up at him and nodded. 

"Thorn, I am so happy that you arrived in Equestria, and Sev as well." Rarity said.

Thorn nodded. "Thank you."

Rarity smiled at him and turned around. 

"Thorn, no matter what ponies say about you, know that I will always admire the things you have done for us." Rarity said while walking towards the bathroom.

Thorn gave a small smile and walked inside, closing the door behind him.

'I wonder how the war is going.' Thorn thought while walking towards the bed.

Thorn placed his helmet on a desk that stood beside the bed, he grabbed his pistols and placed them on the desk as well. Thorn got on the bed and placed his hands underneath his head. He gave a relieving sigh and looked up at the ceiling.

‘To think these ponies see me as a hero.’ Thorn thought while looking at his helmet. ‘But that's what I was bred for, fight for The Republic, and if need be; die for The Republic.’

Thorn slowly closed his eyes, he gave one final sigh and drifted off to sleep.


****


"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Sev said while walking towards the exit of Fluttershy's cottage.

"W-Wait." Fluttershy said.

Sev turned around. "What is it?" He asked.

"If you want, you could stay here for The night.... I mean, if you want to that is." Fluttershy replied.

"Listen, if this is some kind of apology for your reaction from before, then don't, you had all right to be angry." Sev said.

"I don't know if I'm still  angry, but I can't let you go outside, especially at this time of the day." Fluttershy said while walking towards Sev.

"Alright. " Sev said while closing the door. "Where do I sleep?"

"Well, I thought Thorn would be sleeping here again, so I prepared my bed and--."

"Great, where is the bed?" Sev asked.

"Well it's upstairs, but what I meant was--."

Alright, let's get going. Sev said while walking upstairs.

"Wait, but I-- but *squeak*."

Fluttershy sighed and followed Sev, secretly hoping he didn't find her room. Unfortunately, he did.

"Alright." Sev said while opening the door to Fluttershy's room. "Time for some well; earned sleep."

Sev walked towards Fluttershy's bed, it was a tad bit smaller than Rarity's, but still an acceptable size. He got on the bed and gave a relieving sigh. 

"Uhm, Sev y-you're uhm, kind of in my bed." Fluttershy said while slowly walking into her room.

"Well, you said the bed was upstairs, so I went upstairs." Sev replied while removing his helmet. "Always better to sleep without this thing on your head."

"Well, it's just that... I normally sleep in my bed, I thought you could maybe sleep downstairs... On the couch." Fluttershy said while nervously looking around the room.

"If you insist." Sev said while getting out of bed. "I'll go downstairs then."

Fluttershy smiled at him. "Thank you."

Sev grabbed his helmet and walked past her. 

"You're welcome." He said while walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Fluttershy sighed with relief.

‘Now, time to brush my teeth and take a quick shower.’ Fluttershy thought while walking out of her room.

‘This could have been worse. Sev said thought while walking downstairs. ’She could have thrown me out, but then again, I'd probably be spending the night at White's place.’

As Sev finally entered the living room, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. He quickly turned around and flicked his night-vision on. He looked around the room, trying to find the thing that had been watching him. Only to be greeted with nothing.

Sev sighed and de-activated his night-vision. He made his way over to Fluttershy's couch, only to find out the couch was too small to lay on.

‘I should have stayed in the bed.’ Sev thought while sitting down on the couch. Sev sighed and crossed his arms, he lowered his head and closed his eyes.

‘Just a few hours of sleep, and I'm ready to kill.’ Sev thought.

Five minutes later, Sev drifted off to sleep.


****


As Princess Luna flew,  watching carefully over her subjects, she couldn't help but sensed a dark, and almost evil presence. A presence she had never sensed before.

‘Where is it coming from?’ Luna thought while flying over Twilight Sparkle's tree house. ‘It's not coming from there, it feels like it's near the Evefree Forest, near... Fluttershy!’

Luna concentrated all her magic, luckily she knew where Fluttershy lived, for she had been there before, during Nightmare Night. He horn started to glow and within seconds, she was hovering above Fluttershy's cottage.

But when she got there, she felt a darkness, she felt pain and suffering. It was almost too much to bear.

Luna gathered all of her courage and concentrated all of her magic on the darkness’' presence. She closed her eyes and felt herself being dragged into something.

‘Here we go.’ Luna thought.

A few seconds later, Luna opened her eyes, she looked around, only to find out she was in the middle of a forest.

‘Huh?’ Luna thought to herself. ‘How can I be in The Everfree Forest?’

"Mmm, fresh meat." She heard a male voice say.

Luna slowly turned around and saw what appeared to be some, industry of lizards, they were wearing clothes, were holding strange weapons and appeared to be cooking something, something that looked like an animal.

"What are you?"  Luna asked.

She got no response.

"Hello?" Luna asked while waving a hoof in front of the lizard's face.

No response.

Luna gave the lizard an angry glare.

"I am Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria and I order you to speak!" Luna said.

This time, the lizard tilted his head.

"Finally." Luna said with a smile. "Now what I was--."

"Look out!" The lizard exclaimed.

Luna gave the lizard a confused look. 

"Look out for what?" She asked confused.

What she got as a reply, was the lizard; being struck by a blue bolt, the same bolt that Thorn's weapon used. Luna watched as the lizard fell to the ground, its eyes rolling back into its head.

Luna looked at the other lizards, only to see them getting hit by the same blue bolts.

Luna had to cover her mouth, this made her sick.

"Nice work Deltas." She heard a distant, male voice say. 

Luna turned her head and saw four figures walking towards her. On was white and had orange markings all over its body, the other was a mix of black, grey, white, and yellow, the other was white and had green markings all over its body, an finally the last one, it was white, but its body was covered in what appeared to be blood.

She suddenly saw one of the lizards trying to crawl away from the figures, only for the red one to raise its weapon and shoot it in its back.

"That one should have played dead, now it’s extra dead." The red one said with a low masculine voice.

"He, serve’s them right." The yellow one added,

"Can it you two!" The green one snapped. "Boss where do we go now?" 

The orange one one pointed its fingers at a dirt road.

"That way Fixer, Deltas let's form up!" The orange one ordered.

The others all nodded and followed the orange one down the dirt path.

Luna gave them a confused look. Did they not see her? But if they didn't, then this must mean that she.

"Of course! " Luna exclaimed while flying after the four figures. "I must be in a dream. But the question is: Who's dream is this?" Luna asked herself.

Suddenly, she heard a loud explosion, Luna watched as the four creatures fought their way through the various lizards.

"Trandoshian scum!" The yellow one shouted while shooting some kind of explosive at two unlucky lizards, sending them flying backwards.

"Bang and you’re dead" The red one said while shooting a lizard in its head.

"You are dead!" The green one shouted while stabbing a lizard in its neck.

"You lizards need to know that I’m a lot scarier than you are." The orange one sad while shooting two lizards.

"What is happening?" Luna asked herself, she had to turn away from the horror, this was too much to handle.

"That’s the last of ‘em Boss." The yellow one said to the orange one.

"Alright Scorch, set up the Holo-pad, I want contact with the Advisor." The orange one ordered.

"Yes sir." The yellow one said while grabbing a strange device. He threw the device on the ground, and all of a sudden a blue creature came out of it.

"Advisor, I believe the Separatists are using this base as a station area for their assault on Kashyyyk." The orange one said.

"Alright thirty-eight, your primary objective is to rescue Tarful, he is said who be held captive in this base, meaning that--."

"Enemies go “splat” sir?" The red one asked.

The blue creature nodded. "Yes oh-seven, but next time; let me finish."

The yellow one chuckled. "Sev is always a man of words."

He received a jab in his side from the red one.

"If you don’t shut your mouth, I’ll use you as bait for the lizards." The red one threatened.

"Commandos, loose the chatter, we are on a spec-ops mission here!" The green one snapped at them.

"Forty’s right, loose the chatter." The orange one ordered. "Advisor our objectives are clear: Rescue Tarful and eliminate any Separatist or Trandoshian threat along the way."

The Advisor nodded. "Good luck Delta-lead."

And with that, the blue figure disappeared. Leaving a confused Luna standing, mouth agape. These creatures, they reminded her of Thorn, but they looked so different.

"What are these things?" Luna whispered.

"Deltas we are moving out, be prepared for hard contact."The orange one said.

"Copy that." The others said in union.

Suddenly, everything around Luna started to shake, trees were breaking and then everything went black.

Minutes passed before Luna opened her eyes, never had she seen such a powerful dream, or was this a nightmare? Luna opened her eyes and saw that she was no longer in a forest, no she now appeared to be in a dark room.

(Warning! Everything in this followig dream is non-canon! And has nothing to  do with Sev's history in the game or books!)

"Now, where were we?" A low voice asked.

Luna turned around and saw one of the most frightened things she had ever seen, it appeared to be a bipedal creature, it was wearing a cape, its eyes, its eyes were full of hate, its body was frightening. She didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t look friendly.

"You might have captured me General, but I’m not giving you any information, you’ll have to kill me first." Another voice said.

Luna turned around and saw the same red creature from before, only this time, she got a good look at its face. Its face had no fur whatsoever; but it was covered in cuts and bruises. The creature was hanging from some kind of blue magical force, its hands and feet being hold by the aura.

"You Clones are pathetic, did you really think you could defeat me?" The creature with the cape asked with a hint of mock.

"Just wait until the Jedi arrive, they’ll make spare-parts out of you." The red creature threatened.

The creature with a cape walked towards him, it raised its arm and stretched his fingers, revealing the sharp, claw-like fingers it had. It brought his hand towards the red ones’ face.

"I can make your death a quick one, resistance is futile, give me the information and I might let you live." The creature with a cape threatened.

The red one chuckled. "I am a Commando, I don’t betray The Republic; or my brothers for that matter."

"And I am General Grievous, Supreme Commander of the Droid Army of The Confederacy of Independent Systems, and soon to be, your doom." General Grievous threatened.

"RC-1207, at your service General." The red one mocked.

Grievous let out an annoyed growl. 

"Turn up the power, make him suffer!" Grievous ordered.

Luna looked at the red creature, suddenly its body began to shake, sparks coming from it.

Luna turned her head, she heard the screams of pain coming from the creature. Luna wanted this nightmare to end, she couldn’t take it anymore.

"Stop it!" She shouted.

"More power!" Grievous ordered.

The B1 Battle Droid nodded and turned up the electricity, making the red creature scream in pain.

"Raah! " It shouted, its body shaking violently from all the electricity that went through body.

"Are you going to talk?" Grievous asked.

The red creature looked at Grievous, his eyes burning with rage. "N-Never, you scrap-metal reject!" It shouted.

Grievous growled at him. 

"More power, highest level!" He ordered.

"But sir, if we do that; he won’t make it." The B1 Battle Droid warned.

"I do not care!" Grievous said while walking towards the Battle Droid.

"But sir, Count Dooku said—aaah!"

The Battle Droid was cut off when Grievous punched its head off, making the body walk around, waving its arms into different directions, before hitting the ground with a thud.

"Now." Grievous said while walking to the control panel. "I believe you were about to give me the information I need."

"You *pant*will have to kill me *pant* first, y-you bucket of bolts." The red creature retorted.

"I will." Grievous said while turning on the electricity.

"Raah!" The red creature roared.

"Now." Grievous said while turning of the electricity. "You will tell me everything."

"The name’s Sev, it’s the name of the Clone that’s going to end your life." Sev said.

"A Clone?" Luna asked herself. "It—I mean he is a Clone?"

"Hahahaha." Grievous laughed. "You think you can defeat me Clone?" He asked while walking towards him.

Sev smirked. "Yeah, I did blew your arm of with that anti-armor shell."

"A lucky shot." Grievous said while raising his mechanical hand to Sev’s face.

"Lucky shot? " Sev mocked. "I think it was true precision."

Grievous growled at him and punched him in his stomach, making Sev wince in pain and cough due to the sudden amount of power Grievous had.

"I have had it with you." Grievous said while grabbing something from his cape. "Dooku wanted you alive, but I don’t." Grievous said while activating his lightsaber. 

"Do you remember this?" Grievous mocked while showing him the lightsaber. "It belonged to the Padawan I killed, the Jedi Padawan who died because of your “true precision”."

Sev tuned his head away from the General.

Grievous chuckled. "Clones are pathetic, one Commando Droid equals twenty Clones."

"And one C-Commando, equals one hundred Commando Droids." Sev retorted.

"Silence!" Grievous ordered while punching him in his stomach again. "You will give me the information now!"

Sev looked up at him and gave him the most angry glare he had ever given someone.

"One day, a Clone like me is going to kill you and your clankers." Sev said.

"You fool. No one can defeat me, not even your Jedi." Grievous said while bringing the lightsaber closer to Sev’s face.

"I will give you nothing!" Sev spat at him.

"You will give me." Grievous said while lightly tracking the lightsaber across Sev’s face. "Everything."

Sev roared in pain.

Grievous laughed manically and did the same thing again, making another cut across his face.

Sev roared in pain, sweating and panting heavily.

"Now." Grievous said while grabbing him by his throat. "The information."

Sev spat in Grievous’ face, making him retract his face and wiping the spit away from his face.

Sev chuckled. "There’s more where that came from." Sev mocked.

Grievous growled and grabbed him by his throat, he made another cut across his face with his lightsaber. 

Sev suppressed the pain, trying not to show any form of weakness.

Grievous deactivated his lightsaber and sheathed it back in his cape.

"You are strong Clone, I will give you that." Grievous said while walking towards the control panel." I will make sure to break that strength."

With that said, Grievous activated the electricity again, making Sev scream out in pain.

"Suffer!" Grievous said.

"No, enough of this!" Luna shouted between tears. "I want to leave this nightmare!"

Luna concentrated all of her magic on leaving the nightmare, she tried to ignore the laughter and the screams of pain, she closed her eyes and she felt herself being pulled away from the dream.

Luna gasped and her eyes shot open, she was sweating and panting heavily. She looked at her surroundings and saw that she was no longer in the dream, she was hovering above Fluttershy’s cottage again.

‘A-Alright Luna, j-just stay calm.’ Luna thought to herself. ‘You still have to continue your duties as: Princess of The Night.’

But did she really needed to? For she had seen something, something she should have never seen. But that dream, could it been Thorn’s. Because of her knowledge, he was the only Clone in Equestria… Right?

‘I will have to ask Tia about it.’ She thought while flying towards Ponyville. ‘I just hope I won’t encounter many more of those nightmares.’


****


Sev’s eyes shot open, he was breathing heavily. He sighed and removed his helmet, revealing his sweat covered face.

‘Another nightmare.’ Sev thought while looking at his helmet.

"Suffer!" Echoed in Sev’s mind

‘Grievous, he’ll pay for what he did to me… and the Padawan.’ Sev thought.

He sighed and decided he would sleep without his helmet on, Sev laid his helmet beside him and closed his eyes.

‘Who was that blue pony?’ Sev thought to himself. ‘I don’t recall her being in the interrogation room.’


****


Location: Equestria

Current location: Carousel Boutique

Weapon status: Z6 rotary blaster cannon fully operational, DC15 dual blaster pistols fully operational.

Explosives: 4 Thermal Detonators, 2 Electronics Counter Detonators, 2 Sonic Detonators.

Armor status: Fully operational, slight damage because of Changeling's bite

Status CC-4254: Alive.


------


Location: Equestria

Current location: Fluttershy’s cottage

Weapon status:  DC-17m ICWS blaster fully operational, sniper attachment, anti-armor attachment fully operational, DC-17s side arm blaster fully operational.

Explosives: 4 Thermal Detonators, 4 Electronics Counter Detonators, 4 Sonic Detonators, 4 Concussion grenades.

Armor status: Fully operational, no damage.

Status RC-1207: Alive.


****


"Good morning Lulu." Celestia said while taking a sip from her tea.

"Good *yawn* morning sister, how are you?" Luna asked while walking into the dining room.

"Luna, something is troubling you." Celestia said. "What is it?" She asked concerned.

Luna sighed and sat down on a chair. "Well, sister are you certain Commander Thorn is the only Clone In Equestria?"

"Yes." Celestia replied. "Why do you ask?" She asked confused.

"Well we were in a--."

Luna was cut off when a letter magically appeared in front of her sister.

Celestia smiled and opened the letter, and started reading it.

"What does it say?" Luna asked.

Celestia looked up from the letter and smiled. 

"It appears we have a new visitor." Celestia said.

"Really? Who is it?" Luna asked curiously.

"His name is Sev." Celestia replied.

"….. I knew it!" Luna exclaimed.

> The Night and The Hunter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"On your knees, put your hands behind your head, slowly"

"Son, I wouldn’t be so hasty if I were you."

Bounty Hunter Cad Bane, threatening Senate Commando Captain Jayfon, before snapping his neck.



-----------


"So sister, what does thou think it will look like?" Luna asked curiously.

Celestia rose from her chair. "I do not know, perhaps he looks the" same as Thorn?" Celestia suggested.

"Maybe, but—sister We need to tell you something." Luna said.

"I’m sure it is really important, but Twilight requested that I come to her library; as soon as possible." Celestia said.

"C-Could We go with you?" Luna asked.

Celestia smiled. "Of course Lulu."

Luna nuzzled her sister. "We just hope things will go as ‘smooth’, as they did with Commander Thorn." Luna said.

"Why do you keep calling him Commander Thorn?" Celestia asked curiously.

Because it is; what he is. Luna replied. He saved Equestria from a horrible fate, the least We can do is call him by his military status.

Celestia chuckled. "Luna, you still have a lot to learn."

Luna gave her sister a confused look. "What does thou mean?"

Celestia shook her head and smiled. "Nothing, let’s get going, we don’t want to keep our new visitor waiting."

Luna nodded. 

"Ready?" Celestia asked.

"Ready!" Luna replied.

Celestia’s horn began to glow, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the location of Twilight's library. And with a simple *poof*, they were gone.


****


"So when will these Princesses arrive?" Sev asked while taking a seat on a nearby table.

Sev, could you please use a chair to sit on? Twilight asked with a hint of annoyance.

"No." Sev replied.

Twilight mumbled something under her breath, but decided not to try and convince Sev. It would be a battle, she couldn't win.

"Well, I sure hope the Princesses will arrive soon." Fluttershy said.

"Me too." Rarity added.

"You know." Twilight said while placing a book back on one of her many shelf’s." I’m surprised Pinkie Pie hasn’t throw you two a party yet, when I first arrived in Ponyville; the party was held on the exact same day."

Thorn shrugged. "Maybe she forgot."

Twilight shook her head. "If there’s one thing Pinkie doesn’t forget, it’s her parties."

"She takes parties that serious?" Thorn asked while placing his Z6 against a nearby wall.

"Yep." Twilight replied.

"Hey Sev, thanks for bringing her." Thorn said while patting his Z6.

"No problem, just make sure you never forget it again." Sev replied.

"Well, it’s a big gun, and I can’t attach it to my belt."Thorn said while crossing his arms.

"He’s got a point." Spike said while walking out of the kitchen.

"Big gun, doesn’t make a big man." Sev said.

"Who told you that?" Thorn asked.

"Walon Vau." Sev replied.

"Walon what?" Twilight asked.

"Walon Vau, one of the seventy-five Mandalorian Clone Commando training Sergeants." Sev replied while getting off the table. "A true source of inspiration."

"Wow, so he was like; your mentor?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, I respect the man." Sev said. "Walon Vau once said: "You can't breed soldiers with flash-learning and simulation. They must come face to face with death itself."

"What does that mean?" Twilight asked curiously.

"We Clones are bred for war, the flash-learning thing and simulation he talked about, were the simulation missions we Commandos got on Kamino; but they’re nothing compared to the real deal." Sev replied.

"A very wise speech." A motherly; yet regal voice said.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight exclaimed with a smile.

Princess Celestia smiled. "Twilight, how are you—oh my." Celestia trailed of.

Her eyes turned to Sev never had she seen something that threatening. It didn’t even look like Thorn. Was it because it was wearing different armor? Or had Thorn been lying to her, and all Clones do not look exactly the same.

"Princess Celestia and Luna, I’d like you to meet: Sev!" Twilight said while motioning to Sev.

Celestia looked at Sev. "Greetings Sev, I am Pr--."

"Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria; together with your sister Luna." Sev cut her off, leaving her with a blank expression. "Purple over here told me the entire story."

"Did she now?" Celestia asked.

Twilight blushed a  faint shade of pink. "I-I thought; since he told me a lot about himself and where he’s from, I would tell him something about Equestria… And its rulers." Twilight said with a nervous chuckle.

"That was very nice of you to do." Celestia said with a smile. "But I must ask, how did you arrive here Sev?"

Sev sighed. "Listen, I’m not a big fan of repeating the same story over and over again." Sev said.

"I…. Don’t follow." Celestia said.

"Listen Celestia, I didn’t tell you how I exactly arrived here. Thon said while standing besides Sev. "We…. Died, we were killed by Separatist forces and somehow arrived here."

Celestia flinched after hearing this.

"Thou died?" Luna asked Sev.

Sev nodded. 'Wait, I recognize that pony.' Sev thought.

"Was it General Grievous, that killed thee?" Luna asked curiously.

Suddenly, the pieces fell together. 

"I knew it!" Sev said 

"W-What does thou mean?" Luna asked confused.

"You were in my dream last night!" Sev said while walking towards her. "You saw what I dreamt of, how?"

Luna backed up. "U-Uhm, W-We are the P-Princess of The Night, We can enter  somepony’s dreams…. But We couldn't call you dream a dream. It was more like a nightmare." Luna said.

"Wait, you can enter dreams?" Sev asked.

"Yes, c-could We perhaps have a word with you.... Alone?" Luna asked.

"No, we can do it here and now." Sev replied.

Luna gulped. "P-Please? 'Tis very important."

"What could be so important, that it can't be discussed here?" Sev asked.

"Your nightmare, it was.... Frightful, We saw what that horrible General Grievous did to you." Luna replied while walking towards him. "We have seen many horrible things, but that was the most frightful thing We have ever seen."

"Frightful? What you thought was frightful, was just a fragment of what I've been through." Sev said while crossing his arms.

Luna was now in front of Sev, she was observing him very curiously, she knew what lay underneath his helmet; she knew the scars he carried.

"Nobody was supposed to see the things I've been through, you made a big mistake." Sev said while walking towards Luna.

"Please, Sev, I'm sure my sister is very sorry for what she's done." Celestia said with a neutral expression on her face.

Sev looked at the Sun diarch, he gave her a sharp glare; one she couldn't see because he had his helmet on.

"Enter my dreams again, and it'll be the last you'll ever enter a dream." Sev warned. He turned around and stood beside Thorn.

"Sev, threatening the leaders of a planet; especially the planet we're on, might not be the smartest idea."Thorn whispered.

"Well, you're a Coruscant Elite Guard, so why won't you do the talking?" Sev asked withal hint of sarcasm.

Thorn rolled his eyes underneath his helmet. "Just because it is my job to escort politicians, doesn't mean I like it."

"Ahem." Celestia cleared her throat. "I would like to know what you meant with: We died." Celestia said.

"Ah, yes, that is a very interesting story.... Well, it was for me." Thorn said while looking at Sev. "Sev?" He asked.

Sev shrugged. "I don't fear death, death fears me." Sev replied.

"I don't think death fears anypony." Twilight said.

Sev turned his head to Twilight. "Not until he meets me, he does."

Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Could we please discuss the current situation?" Celestia asked.

"What's there to discuss?" Sev asked.

Celestia cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"We're dead, there's nothing more to it." Sev replied while crossing his arms. "But somehow we survived and ended up here, now I don't care how; or why, all I care about is that I'm still alive." Sev said while walking towards Celestia. "And when I'm alive, things can get hurt if I don't like them."

"Is that a threat?" Celestia asked.

"No, it's the truth." Sev replied neutrally.

Celestia eyed Sev. "You are different, different than Thorn."

"That's because Sev is a whole different Clone, he's a Commando." Thorn said while placing a hand on Sev's shoulder. "And he's very good at what he does."

"And that would be?" Celestia asked.

"Killing, hunting, eliminating any threat to The Republic, but most importantly, taking back the things The Separatists; took from me." Sev replied.

"Thorn, me and my sister would like to have a word to you." Celestia said.

"Actually sister." Luna intervened. "We would like to have a word with Sev."

This time, Sev cocked an eyebrow.

"And why's that?" Celestia asked.

Luna moved closer to her sister. "Because We feel really sorry for him, and it's the least We can do; after We entered his dreams without his permission." Luna whispered into he sister's ear.

Celestia gave her sister a nervous look. "Are you sure?" She asked with a hint of concern.

Luna nodded. "We can take him to the castle."

Celestia shook her head. "That cannot be done, they are immune to magic, a teleportation spell won't work on them.

"Who said we had to teleport?" Luna asked.

"Well I don't see any other way." Celestia said.

"Sister, thou once told us: Always have a plan B." Luna said.

"And what is your 'plan B?'  Celestia asked. 

"We can get a chariot  to pick us up, or We--."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Sev cut her off.

"Huh? What does thou mean?" Luna asked confused.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Sev repeated.

"Why not?" Luna asked.

"Because I don't want to, and I'm not in the mood for talking." Sev replied.

"Perhaps you could talk to me instead?" Celestia asked. "I'm very curious."

"Again: Not in the mood for talking." Sev said.

"You don't show much respect for others, do you?" Celestia asked.

"I only respect the people, I've served with." Sev replied.

'This is getting out of hand.' Thorn thought.

"Perhaps you could both talk to me, I could tell you a lot about The Republic, or the Clone troopers perhaps?" Thorn said

Celestia smiled. "That would be very nice, but we still want to hear what he's got to say." Celestia said while pointing her hoof at Sev.

Thorn shook his head. "Sorry, but if Sev doesn't want to talk, then you have to respect his decision."

Celestia nodded. "Alright, Twilight; would you mind if we used your library as our 'chit-chat' room?" Celestia asked.

Twilight beamed with excitement. "Yes of course Princess! But... The library is a mess and--and the books are all out of order and--."

"Twilight." Celestia said in her motherly tone. "The library looks fine to me, why won't you join our conversation?" Celestia suggested.

Twilight gave her mentor a cheeky smile.

"So what do you want to know?" Thorn asked.

"Well, some basic things, The Republic, The Separatists, maybe talk about your home planet?" Celestia suggested.

"Right. "Thorn said. He turned his head to Sev. "So, you wanna talk or not?"

Sev shrugged. "The sooner they leave, the better."

"Watch your mouth mister!" Fluttershy snapped at him.

"These are The Princesses you're talking to!" Twilight added.

"And besides, a little talk never hurt somepony." Rarity added.

'How wrong you are.' Luna thought while looking at Rarity. 'A little talk, has done more to him; than you could ever imagine.'

Sev sighed in defeat. 'I need to kill something again.' He thought while sitting down on the table.

"Sev, I think the Princesses do not appreciate you sitting on my table." Twilight said.

"Does it look like I care?" Sev asked.

"No but--."

"Exactly." Sev cut her off.

Twilight pouted in defeat. "Stupid alien." She mumbled underneath her breath.

"I heard that." Sev said.

"Heard what?" Twilight asked innocently.

"Let's talk!" Fluttershy quickly interfered. 

"Yes, Fluttershy is right." Thorn said while placing a hand on Sev's shoulder. "Don't do anything you might regret." He whispered.

"I won't." Sev retorted.

"No, we won't mind him; using your table as a chair." Celestia said while walking towards Sev. "However, you will answer the questions I am about to ask." She said.

"And what if I don't?" Sev asked while getting of the table, Celestia's horn inches away from his visor.

"Then I will have to take actions." Celestia replied.

Thorn looked at Celestia. 'What is she playing at?' He asked himself, his hands slowly reaching for his blaster pistols.

"What kind of actions?" Sev asked.

Celestia smiled warmly at him. "Asking you politely." She replied.

Thorn mentality sighed in relief and rested his hands behind his back.

'That could have gone a whole lot worse, had she given the wrong reply.' Thorn thought.

"Fine." Sev said.

Celestia smiled. "Thank you Sev."

"So, questions?" Sev asked.

"Oh, of course." Celestia said while looking at her sister. "How about you go first Luna?" Celestia asked.

"Alright, question number one: What is thine full name?" Luna asked.

"RC-twelve-zero-seven." Sev replied.

"RC?" Celestia asked.

"Republic Commando, you could call us: The elite of the army." Sev replied.

"So, you are a special kind of Clone?" Celestia asked curiously.

"Well, every Clone is special in my opinion, it's just my rank." Sev replied.

"So, you are a high ranked officer?" Celestia asked.

"Not really, there are many Commandos out there, we Commandos out-rank standard Clone troopers, but we're not Commanding Officers." Sev replied while tapping his helmet. "My squad leader; Boss, has the rank of Sergeant, so he outranks me, Scorch and Fixer."

"Scorch and Fixer?" Luna asked. "Were those the green and yellow Clones we saw in thine dream?"

"Yes." Sev replied with hesitation. "Just how much did you see?" He asked.

Luna gave him a confused look. "We are afraid We don't understand the question."

"Did you see me, fighting on a desert like planet?" Sev asked.

"No, we only saw you on a forest, fighting against lizards, and we saw you in that room with Grievous." Luna replied.

"Good." Sev said. "So, what did you think?"

"Think of what?" Luna asked confused.

"The way I slaughtered those lizards." Sev replied while smirking underneath his helmet.

Luna gave him a nervous look. "Well, it was... Not what are used to see, in a average day."

"Then stay out of my head." Sev warned. "Or you might see things; that will haunt you forever." Sev said.

Luna gulped. "There's more?"

"Yes, much more, more bloodier and gorier." Sev replied.

"I will.. Remember your warning." Luna said.

"Next question!" Celestia said, lightening up the tension between Sev an her sister.

"Thorn, what did you do when you were fighting in the war?" Celestia asked. "What kind of Clone were you?"

"Well, I'm part of The Coruscant Elite Guard.. Well I was, at first I was a normal Clone Commander, fighting against The Separatist's droid armies." Thorn said while looking at his holstered blaster pistols. "But then I was assigned to serve under the command of Clone Commander Fox, Fox was.. A strict Clone, he never disobeyed an order; nor did he let any criminal scum escape."

"He was an officer of law?" Celestia asked.

"Well, yes, Fox was very strict and skilled when it came to bringing down criminals, he would always come up with a plan when there wasn't one, some of his own men even called him: The Chancellors favorite." Thorn replied. "He is a good soldier, just don't go to the wrong side of the law, 'cause if you do; he'll take you out."

"It sounds like you have a certain respect for him." Celestia said.

"And what does 'The Chancellors favorite' mean?" Luna asked curiously.

"Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the head of The Republic, he is guarded twenty four-seven by elite Senate Commandos, plus The Coruscant Elite Guard. Fox was assigned to guard The Chancellor at the beginning of the war, since then, he and The Chancellor have been very close." Thorn replied.

"Wow, sounds like he lives quite the life." Rarity said.

"Yes, indeed he does." Thorn said. "But, he also took down criminal sum on the streets of Coruscant, I recall him bringing down Ziro the Hutt."

"Well, an officer of the law; is a friend of moi!" Rarity said.

"Thorn, what type of Battle droids are there?" Celestia asked.

"Well, there are the standard B1-Battle droids, then you the B2-Super Battle droids, you have Destroyer droids; or Droidekas as some call them, you have the Aqua droids, you have T-series Tactical droid and the Super Tactical droids, then you have General Grievous' personal Magnaguards, and you have The Spider Droids, and many more". Thorn replied.

Celestia's mouth stood agape.

"Princess, are you alright?" Twilight asked with a hint of concern.

Celestia blinked her eyes a few times, she closed her mouth and nodded.

"I'm fine Twilight, it's just that-- never have I heard an army being so big." Celestia replied.

"Millions of Battle droids, fighting millions of Clones." Thorn said. "That's the war we fought in."

Celestia gave him a compassionate look. "I'm so sorry, your lives must have been hard."

Thorn shook his head." It's the life we are used to live, fighting is in our blood.*

"War is a routine." Sev said. "For both sides, it's a routine."

"A routine?" Lunar asked. "Why that is terrible, why hasn't anypony tried to negotiate with The Separatists?"

"There's no negotiating with those Separatists scum, we've tried before, it ended up with those them blowing up one of the power stations on Coruscant." Thorn replied.

"Why are they so cruel?" Celestia asked.

"I dont know, but their leaders are just as cruel; as they are." Thorn replied.

"Count Dooku." Sev hissed. 

"Separatist scum." Thorn added.

"Will the war ever end?" Celestia asked.

"I don't know, but when it does, I hope The Republic turns out victorious." Thorn replied.

"We will, we have to." Sev said.

"Alright, a different question." Celestia announced. "What is the name of your home planet?"

"Kamino." Thorn replied. "It was attacked by The Separatists a few months ago, they didn't stand a chance against us Clones."

"Wish I could have been there, I could have really wrecked some havoc." Sev said.

"Well, I was there, those clankers destroyed a lot of cloning facilities, killing a lot of unborn Clones." Thorn said.

Sev clenched hospital fists in anger. 

"Sev, it's over now." Thorn said while placing a hand on his shoulder. "We won remember? Kamino is safe."

Sev took a deep breath and calmed down.

"I'm sorry." Celestia said. "I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's okay." Thorn said.

"Sev, if an enemy would surrender to you, would thou still eliminate him?" Luna asked.

"Luna!" Celestia said. "You don't ask that to somepony!"

"No, I would kill him, I would make him regret the day he was born." Sev replied." I don't take prisoners, prisoners slow you down from your main objective, in war; no one gets mercy from me."

"We see." Luna said. "So thou thinkst mercy is for the weak?"

"Yes, mercy is a sign of weakness, The Separatists never showed any mercy, so I won't either." Sev replied.

"Thou thinkest in black and white, Sev." Luna said. "Mercy is not a sign of weakness, 'tis a sign of kindness."

Sev shook his head. "Never, I will never show any mercy, mercy is a sign of kindness? Ha! Don't make me laugh, mercy is for the weak." Sev said while looking at the two Alicorn Princesses. "If you show mercy, that means you're weak."

"I can assure you we are not weak." Celestia said.

"Have you ever killed someone?" Sev asked.

"No." Celestia replied. "We try to negotiate, and if they don't surrender, we'll capture them and throw them into a dungeon."

"And torture them for information?" Sev asked.

"No!" Celestia said. "What is wrong with you? Why are you so fond of death?"

"Because it's a routine." Sev replied. "A routine I tend to like."

"If it is a routine for you, how can I berry certain you won't hurt any of my subjects?" Celestia asked.

"If they won't provoke me, I won't hurt them." Sev replied.

"And what if they do?" Celestia asked.

"Then you better bring the body bags." Sev replied.

"If you do that, I will take action." Celestia warned.

"Try that, and I'll take my own actions." Sev retorted.

Celestia gave Sev an angry glare. 

"Come sister, we're leaving." Celestia said.

Luna gave her sister a confused look. "Why sister? We just arrived here."

"I've heard enough, Thorn we will see each other shortly." Celestia said before her horn started to glow. "Goodbye everypony."

Not even a second later, Celestia and Luna were gone. Leaving the ponies and Clones behind in the library.

"That's the first time I've seen the Princess that angry." Spike said.

"Sev, you better watch your tongue the next time you see the Princesses." Fluttershy said.

"I told them the truth, the truth can be hard." Sev retorted.

"Yes, but was threatening them really necessary?" Twilight asked.

"It wasn't a threat, threats are for people who bluff, I don't bluff." Sev replied.

"So, what now?" Thorn asked.

"I don't know." Rarity said.

"Well, I have some questions for you." Twilight said.

"Thorn, I'm out, I'll be in the forest if anyone needs me." Sev announced.

Fluttershy gave Sev a nervous look.

Sev didn't bother turning around, he walked through the library's exit and closed the door behind him.

"Well, he's gone." Thorn said.

I'll be heading home too." Fluttershy said.

"Wait for me darling, I'll walk with you." Rarity said.

"Thorn, would you mind answering some more questions?" Twilight asked.

Thorn shook his head. "No, I can't help it you're curious, go ahead and ask away."

"Great!" Twilight beamed while teleporting a quill and five rolls of paper. "I have a lot to ask."

"Oh kriff." Thorn said.


****


"Sister, what was that all about?" Luna asked her sister, who was currently on the balcony of her private chambers.

"I don't trust this Sev, I sence a dark presence coming from him." Celestia replied with a sigh.

"Maybe 'tis because of the was he has been through?" Luna suggested.

"Maybe, nonetheless he could become a potential threat, would we ever provoke him." Celestia said.

"What does thou wants Us to do?" Luna asked.

"Nothing Lulu, for now we do nothing." Celestia replied.

"Sister, surely there is something We can do!" Luna said.

"No, Sev hasn't hurt any of our subjects, but when he does, then we will take action." Celestia said.

"Sister, never has thou beenst this concerned about something." Luna said.

I'm concerned about Twilight and her friends, Sev is staying with them, that... Monster is staying with them." Celestia replied.

"Monster?" Luna repeated. "That is a quick assumption thou has made." She said, cocking her eyebrow at her sister.

"Only a monster shows no mercy, Discord, nor... Nightmare Moon weren't as merciless as he is." Celestia said.

"We tried to shroud Equestria into eternal night." Luna said while lowering your head.

"Only because you thought our subjects didn't appreciate the night, but you never intended to hurt anypony." Celestia said while wrapping a wing around her sister.

"But what about Discord?" Luna asked. "Surely he has hurt somepony."

Celestia shook her head. "His chaos was dangerous, but he used in a... Humorous kind of way, still he never critically injured; let alone kill somepony. Even Sombra didn't go as far as that."

"But Equestria has never been at war, Sev has." Luna said.

"That is why I think he might be a bad influence on our subjects." Celestia said.

"What about Commander Thorn?" Luna asked.

"He showed that he doesn't want to hurt us, only help us, sure he did kill those Changelings, but only to protect the innocent." Celestia replied.

"Maybe thou art right sister." Luna said while nuzzling her sister.

Celestia smiled, but her thoughts wandered on one man.

'Sev, I will keep a close eye on you, you have not earned my trust, nod my respect.' Celestia thought while looking at the beautiful landscape of Canterlot.

'A very close eye.' She thought.
> To The Crystal Empire!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"What are you doing?!"

"Never let the weak; tell you what to do. Welcome to Deathwatch!"

Pre Visla, welcoming Lux Bontari into Deathwatch, after burning a village, killing all of the villagers.



--------


It had been two days after Sev and Celestia had their 'miss communication', since then; Twilight was really angry at him, for showing such disrespect towards her mentor. Twilight tried to knock some sense into him, even going as far to give him a book about proper social behaviour, Sev was not amused.

During their time in Equestria, Thorn was the one who made the most friends, he had even picked up The CMC from school one day, surprisingly, Sev had agreed to go with him. Sev was not afraid of the Princesses, he thought they were weak, and since Thorn had told him what they meant by 'immune to magic' Sev had him confirmation, they were indeed at their mercy. 

And now we watch as the Commander and Commando, stroll through the busy streets of Ponyville.

"So Sev, tell me, what would you prefer? A Sonic Detonator, or a Thermal Detonator?" Thorn asked Sev.

"Easy choice, while the Sonic Detonator explodes on impact with any organic being, and Battle droids,I'd still go for the good old Thermal Detonator." Sev replied.

"Yeah, Thermal Detonators saved my life many times." Thorn said while waving at a nearby pegasus colt.

"I remember Scorch, making a customized bomb, it almost killed us all." Sev said with a chuckle at the end.

"I remember one of my men, throwing a Thermal Detonator towards a squad of B1-Battle droids, it literally bounced of their heads!" Thorn replied while laughing.

Sev couldn't help but laugh with the Commander, the only down side was because his voice was so low his laugh sounded almost evil.

"Hey Sev, do you think a garrison of B1-Battle droids could take out a squad of B2-Super Battle droids?" Thorn asked.

"That depends, are we talking standard B2's or heavy-class B2's?" Sev asked.

"Normal." Thorn replied.

"The garrison would probably win, seeing as those B1's are made to overwhelm you." Sev replied.

"Sev, have you ever held a Lightsaber?" Thorn asked.

"No." Sev replied confused. "Have you?"

Thorn nodded. "Well, I picked one up in the heat of battle, but then the General took it from me and said "thanks"." Thorn replied. 

"An elegant weapon for a more civilized time 'eh? Well guess what, times have changed." Sev said.

Suddenly, Sev stopped in his tracks and pointed his finger at something.

"What is it?" Thorn asked while looking at the direction; Sev was pointing his finger at.

"Thorn, since when do trees fly?" Sev asked.

Thorn watched closely, and it appeared that Twilight's library was floating in the air, but seconds later, it made impact with the ground.

Thorn and Sev looked at each other and nodded.

"Lock and load!" They said in union.

As they ran toward the library, Sev grabbed a Concussion grenade from his belt. They reached the library door and they both stood on both sides of the door frame.

"Open it, I'll throw in a Concussion grenade. "Sev said.

Thorn nodded and opened the door.

"Grenade!" Sev shouted while throwing the grenade into the library.

"What's that?" They heard a familiar tomboyish voice ask.

*Boom*

"Gogogogo!" Sev said while entering the library, his DC17 at the ready.

Thorn followed, his Z6 rotary blaster cannon already spinning up.

Sev practically rolled into something, something orange.

"Hey, get offa me!" Applejack shouted in frustration.

"I can't see." Rarity whined.

"What was that?" Rainbow Dash asked while rubbing her eyes.

Sev got off Applejack and attached his DC17 to his belt. "False alarm Thorn, no hostiles in sight."

"Hostiles?" Twilight asked while blinking her eyes a few times. "Don't tell me you thought we were hostiles."

"We saw your tree thing fly, we thought something bad might have happened." Sev said.

"Why was the library flying?" Thorn asked.

"Well, Spike said something our little egghead didn't like, so she kinda got really mad and.. Well, you saw what happened next." Rainbow Dash replied.

"What was it about?" Thorn asked.

"Princess Celestia said she required my presence in Canterlot for a test." Twilight replied.

"What was that thing that exploded?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Concussion grenade, temporary blinds hostiles who are dumb enough to keep their eyes open when it explodes." Sev replied.

"You callin' us dumb mister?" Applejack asked.

"I'm afraid we haven't met before." Sev said.

"Mah names' Applejack, owner of Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack said proudly.

"My names' Sev, Republic Commando of The Grand Army of The Republic, skilled hunter and killer, a pleasure." Sev said.

Applejack gulped. "H-Howdy partner. So you're ah Clone like Thorn?" She asked.

"Yes." Sev replied.

"So this 'test', when does it start?" Thorn asked.

"I'm to leave momentarily. "Twilight replied.

"Well good luck. "Thorn said.

"I hate tests, reminds me of the simulations on Kamino." Sev said.

"Oh and  one more thing." Twilight said.

"What?" Thorn asked.

"Princess Celestia wants you two; to come with us." Twilight replied.

"Great." Sev said sarcastically.


****


Location: Equestria;

Current location: Train station, Crystal Empire;

Weapon status: Z6 rotary blaster cannon, fully operational, DC15 blaster pistols, fully operational;

Explosives: 3 Thermal Detonators, 4 Electronics Counter Detonators, 4 Sonic Detonators, 4 Concussion grenades;

Armor status: No damage, armor fixed due to Sev's spare parts;

Status CC-5424: Alive.

Location: Equestria;

Current location: Train station, Crystal Empire;

Weapon status: DC-17m ICWS blaster fully operational, sniper attachment, anti-armor attachment fully operational, DC-17s side arm blaster fully operational;

Explosives: 4 Thermal Detonators, 4 Electronics Counter Detonators, 4 Sonic Detonators, 3 Concussion grenades;

Armor status: No damage;

Status RC-1207: Alive.


****


As everyone walked out of the train, they were met by a artic wind, Twilight put a hoof up to her face, trying to block the freezing cold.

"Ha! And you all made fun of me for packing so many scarfs". Rarity said while walki out of the train and onto the platform. Not far behind was Spike, carrying dozens of suitcases.

"Don't say a word." Spike said while walking out of the train, he stepped onto the platform, but tripped and dropped the suitcases. One of them opened and four scrafs were grabbed by the wind.

"Got them." Thorn said while grabbing two scarfs.

"Got the others." Sev said while grabbing the last two scarfs.

"Thanks." Spike said.

"Shining Armor?" Twilight asked.

Suddenly a vague figure could be seen through the icy wind. 

"Twily! You made it!" Shining Armor said.

The two of them trotted towards each other and hugged.

"We better get going, there are things here, you don't want to run into after dark." Shining Armor said.

Fluttershy gulped. "What kind of things?"

"Let's just say." Shining Armor said with a hint of fear. "The Empire isn't the only thing that has returned."

The six friends looked at each other in worry.

After a few minutes of walking through the thick snowstorm, Thorn was the first one to speak up.

"What's this 'thing' you're talking about?" He asked.

"Something keeps trying to get in, we think it's an old Unicorn King who originally cursed the place." Shining replied.

"King 'eh, I've always wanted to kill a King." Sev said.

"Hey I almost forgot to ask, who's the new guy?" Shining asked.

"His name is Sev, he's a special kind of Clone, he saved Rarity's sister." Twilight replied.

"Really? So that means we have two heroes now." Shining said with a smile. "Good, I think we are really going to need your help, the names Shining Armor."

"Well  I'm sure the King is no, match for--."

"Mroaaaar"

A loud, moan like scream interrupted Sev's reply.

Thorn readied his Z6, while Sev grabbed his DC17m.

"Where's that coming from?!" Thorn shouted.

"T-That's one of the things, isn't it!?" Fluttershy asked.

Suddenly, a large shadow with big green eyes appeared from behind them.

"What in blaze's name is that?" Thorn asked, his Z6 already spinning up.

"I don't know." Sev said while aiming his blaster at the shadow. "But I want to kill it."

"We have to get to The Empire now!" Shining Armor ordered.

Everypony turned around and ran away from the shadow.

Spike froze in place and looked at the shadow in fear. Shining quickly used his magic to lift him up and dragged him away. He put Spike on the ground and he began to run for his life.

"Sev, fall back!" Thorn shouted while running away from the shadow.

Sev opened fire on the shadow, his plasma bolt going straight through it.

"What the?" Sev asked himself.

"Let's go!" Shining Armor said while grabbing Sev by his arm.

Shining Armor gave the shadow an angry glare and shot a bolt of magic at it, it gave the same results as Sev's DC17m.

The shadow came closer to Shining Armor and Sev, Shining Armor tried to shoot another bolt of magic, but the shadow was closing in fast.

"Let's see how you handle this you fat, ugly fierfek!" Sev shouted while throwing a Electronic Counter Detonator at the shadow. The Detonator exploded and a high volume of electricity hit the shadow, it recoiled and roared on pain. Sev shot the shadow again, this time, the plasma bolts did hit it. The shadow roared in pain and disappeared.

"Let's go!" Sev said while running after Thorn, who he saw disappearing into some kind of blue force field.

Shining Armor, his horn now full of black crystals, looked up at the Commando and nodded.

They both ran towards the blue force field, they ran inside and were met with a beautiful sight. There was the Crystal Empire in all its glory. The entrance to the Crystal Empire stood tall. Sev looked around, confused as to how they were able to make inside so warm and cozy, while the outside looked like Hoth.

Twilight looked at her brother. "Oh no." She said while running towards her brother. "Shining Armor, your horn." She said.

Shining Armor tried to cast a spell, but the crystals around his horn prevented that.

Shining Armor shook his head and walked towards The Crystal Empires' entrance, Sev took one final glance at the force field.

'Hmmm, that Electronic Detenator did something to that shadow, my blaster didn't seemed to do a lot to it at first, but when I threw that Electronic Detenator, it recoiled and my blaster did some serious damage. I'll have to talk to Thorn about this.' Sev thought while walking towards Thorn.

"Sparklerific." Pinkie Pie said in awe.

"Sparkle what?" Sev asked.

"I don't know." Thorn replied with a shrug.

"Come on, let's get going." Shining Armor said.

"Yeah." Twilight said while looking at the castle. "Let's."

"Thorn I need to tell you something." Sev said while grabbing him by his shoulder. 

"Sev, we have to keep moving, we don't want to fall behind." Thorn said.

"Our blasters didn't even scratch that thing." Sev said.

"I know, I saw you trying to blast it." Thorn replied. 

"Yeah, but when I threw a EC grenade, it recoiled and I tried again, that time; my blaster did some damage." Sev said.

"Did you kill it?" Thorn asked.

"I'm not sure, that imbecile Shining Armor tried to be a hero, so I don't know." Sev replied.

"Well that's not good." Thorn said.

"Don't worry, we'll get another shot, and when we do, we'll kill it." Sev said.

"Copy that." Thorn said.

"Come on you two! Hurry up!" Twilight shouted.

"We're coming!" Thorn shouted.

"Civvies, I still hate them." Sev said.

Thorn and Sev followed Twilight and her friends, as they walked through The Crystal Empire, Thorn and Sev never lost their focus, that shadow was about to return soon, they just knew it.

Oh it's absolutely gorgeous!" Rarity said in awe. 
"
Rarity looked around the scenery, observing everything.

"There are no words." Rarity said while holding her hoofs to her cheeks, twinkles appearing in her eyes.

"Focus Rarity, we're here to help Twilight, not to enjoy tha scenery." Applejack said

"I don't see what the big deal is, just looks like another old castle to me." Rainbow Dash added.

"Ah, pfft, just another old-- have you lost your mind, have you looked at the magnif--."

Rarity stopped her rant when she saw Rainbow Dash giggling.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack bro-hoofed and laughed.

"Hilarious." Rarity said sarcastically.

They all walked inside the castle, Thorn and Sev were not far behind.

"Hey Sev?" Thorn asked while walking up the stairs of the Crystal Palace.

"Yes?" Sev asked.

"Why did Fluttershy looked at you like you were going to do; something really bad?" Thorn asked.

"Did she?" Sev asked.

Thorn nodded.

"I have no idea." Sev lied.

"Alright then, hey look there's the entrance." Thorn said.

"Looks like they already made their way inside, the doors are opened." Sev added.

Sev and Thorn quickened the pace and reached the entrance.

"Sunshine, sunshine, lady bugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They heard two voices say in union.

When they walked inside, they were greeted by Princess Cadence, only she looked very exhausted.

"We really need to get together when the fate of Equestria, isn't hanging at balance." Cadence said.While

Suddenly she flinched ans the protection spell was gone for a few seconds, but re-appeared.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked with a hint of concern.

"Cadence has been using her magic to spread love and light, that's what's been protecting it. But she barely eats, or sleeps, I tried to help her; but my protection spell has been countered by King Sombra." Shining Armor said while looking at his horn, which was still covered in crystals.

"It's alright Shining Armor, I'm fine." Cadence said.

"No you're not!" Shining snapped at her. "She can't go on like this forever, and if her magic were to fade, well all you saw out there is waiting for that to happen."

"That's why I'm here." Twilight said.

"Why we're all here." Applejack added.

Twilight looked at her friends, and the two new arrivals.

"Well with Cadence keeping her spell going, an me trying to keep an eye on things, we haven't been able to gather much information from The Crystal ponies." Shining said.

"Crystal ponies?" Rarity exclaimed in glee. "There are Crystal ponies?"

Everypony gave her a confused look. Rarity quickly regained her composure.

"Please, continue." Rarity said.

"But whe have to know of one of them knows how to protect The Empire, without using Candence's magic." Shining said.

Twilight thought for an answer.

"A research paper!" She said.

"Huh?" Shining asked confused.

"This must be part of by test, to gather information from the Crystal ponies and bring it to you!" Twilight said while tapping her brother.

"This is gonna be great! I love research papers!" Twilight said with much joy.

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash said while nudging Pinkie with her hoof. "Who doesn't?" She asked sarcastically.

"Ooh ooh, let me guess, is it Spike? Or Fluttershy? Or Rarity? Or Sev?" She asked while grabbing Sev's leg.

"Let go, or I'll break it off." Sev threatened. 

"Don't worry big brother, I'm really good at these things." Twilight said while bringing a leg around her brothers' neck.

Shining Armor smiled.

"We'll stay here and guard Princess Cadence." Thorn said. "Just like my days in The Coruscant Elite Guard."

"I'll stay here too, if that shadow shows up again, I'll make sure to kill it." Sev said while switching his blaster attachment for his sniper attachment. "It doesn't stand a chance against me."

"Who's that?" Cadence asked.

Twilight gave a sheepish smile. "Long story."


****


Two hours later, Crystal Palace.

"There she is." Thorn said while pointing his finger at Twilight, his other hand holding his Z6rotary blaster cannon.

Twilight was happily walking towards her brother answer sister-in-law, Spike carying a big book. Twilight stopped in front of her brother and opened the book with her magic. 

"A crystal fair, according to this book, it was established by their first Queen and became one of their utmost traditions, it was held every year to.. Renew the spirit of love and unity in The Empire, so they could protect it from harm." Twilight said while reading through a page of the very important book her, and her friends had found, when they were gathering information about The Crystal Empire. "My friends and I could put it together, everything we need is in the book."

"That sounds very promising." Shining Armor said while looking at his wife, his look; turning into one of sadness.

"We'll get started right away." Twilight said while turning around and walking towards the throne rooms' exit." Come on Spike, we've got a fair to put together."

"You two, please come with me." Shining said while walking towards the balcony of the Crystal Palaces' throne room.

"Sure." Thorn said while walking after him. "Sev, you comin'?"

"Yeah, I was just lost in thoughts, that's all." Sev replied while walking after his brother.

"I can't believe I'm about to ask this but.. Would you two be willing to defend The Empire, if it were to be under attack?" Shining asked.

Thorn and Sev looked at each other. 

"How can we be of assistance?" Thorn asked. "We're just two Clones."

"Clones who are immune to magic, from what I've heard from Princess Celestia". Shining replied.

"Yeah, and very skilled." Cadence added, her eyes barely open.

"Cadence, you should spare your strength." Shining said.

"I'll be fine, but I wonder, I sense this.. Dark presence." Cadence said.

"That's probably Sombra." Shining said.

"No, I know this sounds stupid but.. This one is far darker than Sombras'." Cadence said.

"Well, can you tell where it's coming from?" Shining asked.

Cadence shook her head. "No, all I can say is that it's really close."

"Don't worry, if that King Sombra comes face to face with me." Sev said while activating his gauntlet knife. "I'll skin him alive."

"Copy that Sev, have fun." Thorn cooed.

"Sev? That's an odd name." Cadence said.

"It's the only personality we Clones have, all we have are our nicknames." Sev said while de-activating his gauntlet knife.

"But, will you help us?" Shining asked.

"Yes." Thorn replied. "I will, Sev?" He asked.

"Whenever there's something that needs to be killed, count me in". Sev replied.

Shining smiled. "Thanks, it's good having two heroes like you around."

"Yeah, especially considering last events, which we still need to give you something for; in return." Cadence added.

"No need to, just doing my job." Thorn said.

"Thorn I need to tell you something." Sev said.

"What is it?" Thorn asked.

"If King Sombra manages to break to the force shield that is protecting this Empire, use your EC grenades." Sev replied.

"Got it, droid bloppers it is." Thorn said.

"Droid bloppers?" Shining asked confused.

"Electronic Counter Detenators, used to disable any small combat machine, mostly Battle droids, but Sev actually used one against that shadow thing, and it seemed to do a lot of damage." Thorn replied.

"How many of these 'Detenators' do you have?" Shining asked.

"I have four." Thorn replied.

"Three, considering the fact I used one to save your back." Sev replied.

"Yes, right, thanks for that." Shining said.

"No problem." Sev replied.

"So, Sev; are you sure you can take on Sombra?" Cadence asked.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I'll kill him, I've killed many other things, he shouldn't be a problem." Sev replied.

"You seem to be very confident about yourself." Shining said.

"When I've got him in my sight, he'll be dead before he even knows it." Sev replied.

"I hope so, Sombra is dangerous, he enslaved the Crystal ponies a long time ago, when he was still the ruler of The Crystal Empire." Cadence said.

"So he was a slave trader, well now it gets personal." Sev said.

"Why?" Cadence asked.

"I have a grudge against slavers, so now, I'll skin him alive and make him eat his own guts." Sev replied.

Cadence flinched. "That's.. One way of putting it."

"Sev does what he's good at." Thorn said.

"Hey, when will those crystals disappear from your horn?" Sev asked while reaching a hand to Shining's horn.

"I don't know but-- AAH don't pull them out, Unicorn horns are very sensitive!" Shining whined.

"Weakling." Sev said while examining a piece of crystal that he had pulled out of Shining's horn.

"Interesting, hey, are these things supposed to turn dark red?" Sev asked.

"Dark red?" Shining asked confused.

"Yeah, look." Sev said while holding out the crystal.

The crystals' color was indeed the dark red, almost blood like red.

"I don't know." Shining said.

Sev shrugged and trew the crystal away, unaware of it regaining its black colour again.

Cadence looked at Sev. 'Dark red?' She thought. 'That's new.'

"Sev, is that *yawn* blood on your armor?" Cadence asked.

"Some of it." Sev replied.

"No green" Thorn mocked.

"I don't like to get Trando blood on my armor." Sev replied.

"Trando?" Shining asked.

"Trandoshians, a race of humanoid lizards that are into slave trading." Thorn replied.

"Slaves? King Sombra would fit right in with them." Shining said, venom leaking from his tone.

Don't worry, just make you get to safety when an attack is inevitable." Thorn said.

"We will." Shining Armor said. "We will."


****


"Well, that's a nice fair they've put up." Sev said.

"Yeah, nice job they did indeed." Thorn added.

Sev and Thorn stood on the balcony of The Crystal Palace, together with Cadence and Shining Armor, watching as many of the Crystal Ponies were enjoying every stand and various kinds of food.

"Well, let's hope this will work." Thorn said.

"Hey, what's blue doing?" Sev asked while pointing his finger at Rainbow Dash.

"I don't know, why did she grab that flag?" Thorn asked.

"I don't know." Sev said.

"Wait, I just though of something." Thorn said.

"What?" Sev asked.

"What if we would focus our blasters on the shadow's weak point? Maybe then we'll be able to kill it witg one big attack." Thorn replied.

"Good idea, just don't steal my kills, I hate it when someone steals my kills." Sev said

Suddenly, Twilight and Rainbow Dash came trotting into the throne room.

"We have a big problem!" Twilight shouted.

"Oh, here we go." Sev said while turning around.

"Let's prepare the blasters." Thorn said while turning around as well.

"What's wrong?" Shining Armor asked.

Twilight came running up the balcony, the book she had before levitating in her magical grisp.

"What's wrong Twily?" Shining Armor asked.

"It's the Crystal Heart." Twilight said.

"What about it?" Shining Armor asked concerned.

"I didn't know anything about it being an actual relic, the book didn't say anything about the Crystal Ponies powering the heart." Twilight said while turning the pages of the book, frantically looking for an answer. Twilight gasped. "A page is missing, how did I not notice?!"

"It's alright Twilight--." Cadence couldn't even finish her sentence, she lost her balance an fell to the ground. Sev quickly reacted and caught the Princess, Cadence was breathing heavily in his arms.

"Twily." Shining Armor said with concern.

Suddenly, the same moan like scream could be heard, just then the force field broke and the icy cold weather entered. But that was not the least of their worries. The black shadow appeared again, but this time; it formed into a Unicorn head.

"Is that him?" Thorn asked.

"That's Sombra, The Empire is under attack!" Shining Armor said.

"Aah." Shadow Sombra said.

Cadence slowly opened her eyes, but with incredible speed, cast her eyes protection spell again. Sombra tried to enter The Empire, but the spell was cast too fast. The tip of Sombras' horn was cut off by the force field. Unaware to the ponies, it landed inside the force field; after it closed.

"I have to find The Crystal Heart!" Shining Armor said.

"No, you stay here with Cadence, she needs you Shining Armor,  I'll retrieve The Crystal Heart." Twilight said while trotting towards the balconies' exit.

"Sev let's help her." Thorn said while running after Twilight.

"You go, I'll stay here and protect Cadence." Sev said.

"Copy that, hit 'em hard." Thorn said.

"Solid copy." Sev replied.

'Let's just hope that force field stays active until we find The Crystal Heart.' Thorn thought while running after Twilight.

"Sev, what are you going to do?" Cadence asked.

"I'm going to stay here and protect you." Sev said.

"That's so sweet." Cadence said while placing a hoof on his leg. "Thanks for catching me by the way."

"Don't mention it." Sev replied.

"And thanks for saving my flank out there. "Shining cooed.

"Again: don't mention it, but try to stay out of my line of fire, when Sombra arrives." Sev said.

"How do you know he'll arrive, maybe Cadence is strong enough to withhold him." Shining said.

Sev shook his head. "No, I don't think she can hold on much longer, listen, that Crystal Heart needs to be found asap."

"Do you want me to go and help Twily?" Shining asked.

"No, stay here and protect her, I'll keep an eye on the horizon." Sev said while aiming his DC17m, at the Crystal gate. 

"Yes sir!" Shining said while saluting.

Cadence giggled. "I didn't know the Captain of The Royal Guard, saluted."

Shining chuckled. "Sorry, I got lost in the moment."

"Loose the chatter, I need to focus!" Sev ordered.

"Yes sir." Cadence and Shining Armor said in union.

Sev shook his head. 'Royalty, nothing special about 'em.' He thought while looking through his scope.

"Thorn, I told you not to follow me!" Twilight shouted while trotting down the stairs of The Crystal Palace.

"I told you, it was either Sev or me." Thorn lied. "I thought you'd prefer me."

Twilight sighed. "Alright, but if you ruin my test." Twilight warned.

"I'll fly like your tree did." Thorn finished.

"Yeah, that." Twilight said.
> The Fight Against King Sombra
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Remember, my dear Obi Wan. I loved you always, I always will."

Duchess Satine's last words to Obi Wan Kenobi, after Darth Maul stabbed her with Pre Visla's dark saber.



--------


"So, where do we go now?" Thorn asked while walking through the streets of The Crystal Empire. It was a confusing sight, and he had still not gotten used as to how strange the architecture of the empire was. Crystals as far as the eye could see. It was quite a sight to behold, actually.

"We have to find The Crystal Heart. I don't know where it is, but we have to find it." Twilight replied, glancing up at Thorn.

"Well, at least we know what to search for." Thorn replied, shaking his head. ‘One nitpick. There are crystals everywhere.’

"I told Rainbow Dash to keep the Crystal Ponies busy, my friends will make sure that the fair keeps going." Twilight said.

"Well, the heart must be hidden somewhere deep inside the Empire, maybe if we searched some of the buildings." Thorn suggested, shrugging.

"No." Twilight said while closing her eyes. "The Crystal Heart must be hidden." Twilight said while looking at The Crystal Palace. "There!"

"Where?" Thorn asked.

"The Crystal Palace, of course!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Twilight!" A familiar voice said.

Twilight turned around and saw Spike running towards her and Thorn.

"I'm coming with you." Spike said.

"No, Princess Celestia told me I had to do this test, by myself." Twilight said while walking away from him.

"I know, I promise not to lend a claw; to help you." Spike said.

Suddenly, Spike was covered in a purple aura and was levitated onto Twilight's back.

Not a claw, Spike." Twilight said.

"Let's move!" Thorn ordered while running towards The Crystal Palace.

"Hey!" Twilight said while running after him. "This is my test, remember?"

"I know, that's why I won't help, unless it's needed." Thorn replied.

Twilight gave an annoyed sigh. "Maybe bringing Sev was a better idea."

"I could always contact him on his commlink." Thorn said.

"No, that won't be necessary." Twilight quickly replied.

Thorn shook his head and ran into The Crystal Palace.

"Wait up!" Twilight said while running after him.

"He's pretty fast." Spike said.

"I've noticed." Twilight said while entering The Crystal Palace, closing the door behind her.

Thorn and Twilight ran through the palace, searching every corner. They entered some sort of study room, Twilight levitated a small statue if a Unicorns' head, looking underneath it. She grunted and put it back on its original spot.

"Did you really think, King Sombra hid it there?" Thorn asked sarcastically.

"It has to be here somewhere." Twilight said, while levitating some books out of a bookshelf.

Spike lifted up a carpet, he looked underneath it.

"Not a claw Spike!" Twilight snapped at him.

Spike let go of the carpet and laughed nervously.

"Let's get moving!" Thorn said while walking out of the room.

Twilight ran past him. "No time for talking." She said while running past The Crystal throne room. She stopped and looked at the Crystal throne.

"Spike, what's she doing?" Thorn asked while cocking his head to Twilight.

"I think she's.. Having a flashback." Spike replied.

"How can you tell?" Thorn asked.

"I've been living with Twilight, ever since she hatched my egg, I know these kinds of things." Spike replied.

Thorn got on one knee and waved his hand in front of Twilight's face.

Twilight snapped out of her trance.

"Of course!" Twilight exclaimed

"What? Did you find it?" Spike asked.

"No, because this isn't King Sombras' castle." She said while walking inside the throne room.

"But, isn't this were he used to live with all his power?" Spike asked.

"Yes, but it didn't look like this." Twilight said while looking at the Crystal throne.

Twilight concentrated her magic, her purple aura changing into one of pure black. Her eyes turned green and she unleashed her magic know the Crystal throne. The crystals on the throne became blackened, a shadow covered the floor, revealing a giant staircase.

"When did you learn to do that?" Spike asked.

"That was a little trick, Princess Celestia taught me." Twilight replied with a smile.

"I could have just blasted my way through." Thorn said.

"I don't think Cadence would appreciate you doing that." Twilight said while looking down the staircase.

"I'll go alone, Spike, Thorn you stay here." Twilight said.

"I don't think so." Thorn said while walking past her.

"Hey! It's my test, remember?" Twilight asked with a hint of anger.

"Yeah, I won't lend you a hand." Thorn replied while walking down the staircase.

Twilight sighed and followed the Clone Commander. 

"Wait, Twilight can I please come with you?" Spike asked.

"No Spike, and besides, I thought you didn't like the dark?" Twilight asked.

Spike carefully walked towards the staircase, looking down and seeing nothing but stairs and darkness. He gulped.

"Maybe you're right." Spike said while quickly backing up.

Twilight and Thorn walked down the stairs, Twilight upfront and Thorn not far behind her. 

"Can you see what's down there yet?!" Spike shouted.

"Not yet, I can't even tell how far down this goes." Twilight replied.

Twilight grabbed a crystal with her magic, she levitated it over to her and dropped it, she listened as the crystal fell descend to the ground, after a few seconds of listening, she finally heard the crystal make impact with the ground.

"That's a long way down." Thorn said.

"Spike!? Can you see outside?!  Twilight shouted.

Spike immediately walked towards a window, he looked outside, seeing the force field, it did not look good.

Sombra watched as the force field started to fade.

"Yes." He trailed of, as he watched the crystals on the crystal gate turn black.

'I will finally have my kingdom back.' Sombra thought while watching his dark magic swallowing even more crystals. 'But I sense something.. Something dark and powerful. What could it be?' Sombra thought.

"It's not good! "Spike shouted while running back to the stairway.

Twilight's expression turned into one of determination, she quickened her pace and ran down the stairs. But she tripped and fell down the stairs.

"Twilight!" Thorn shouted while running after her.

Before Twilight would have hit the ground, she quickly cast a levitation spell on herself, preventing her from making impact with the ground.

"Twilight, are you okay?!" Spike shouted from upstairs.

Twilight looked around, that's when she saw a big door. She smiled and cast her magic around the doorknob, only for the door to move at incredible speed. She tried again, and got the same result.

"Stop." Twilight said while jumping at the door, only to make impact with the wall. She quickly got of the wall. "Moving." She said.

Twilight was sick of this, she concentrated her magic, her eyes becoming the same as Sombras again, she hit throne door with her magic, this time, it opened.

Twilight smiled. "Spike, I think I found it." Twilight said while running through the door.

Unaware to her, the crystal above the door started glowing.

"Twilight!" Thorn shouted while running towards her.

"Twilight?" Thorn asked while slowly walking towards her. "What's wrong? Why are you staring at that wall?" Thorn asked.

"You didn't say anything about, not being your student anymore if I failed the test." Twilight said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Twilight! "Thorn said while shaking her with his right hand, his left hand holding his Z6. "What's wrong with your eyes? Why are they green!?"Thorn asked.

"Twilight! Twilight!" Spike shouted while running downstairs.

Twilight snapped out of her trance and turned her head to Spike.

"I know you told me to stay up there, but you were down here for so long, and you weren't answering, so I got worried and came down here and you were just staring at that wall, and I tried to get your attention and then you-- what were you looking at?" Spike asked while walking towards the opened door. "It's just a wall." Spike said while taking a close look at the wall.

The same thing happened to Spike, the crystal started glowing and Spike's eyes turned green.

"Huh? How did I get-- no Twilight I don't wanna go, please don't leave me!" Spike begged while tears ran down his cheeks

Twilight quickly closed the door, Spike's eyes turned normal again.

"King Sombras' dark magic, a doorway that leads to you're worst fear." Twilight said. 

"We were home, you told me you didn't need me anymore." Spike said while rubbing his eye. "You were sending me away."

"That is never going to happen." Twilight said while hugging him. "I'm never gonna send you away, and I'm not going to fail my test!" Twilight said while shooting a bolt of magic at the crystal that hung above the door, the door was covered in a white aura and opened, revealing another room.

"Are you two alright?" Thorn asked.

"We're fine, luckily you are immune to magic, I wouldn't know what to do if your worst fear would appear." Twilight replied.

"That's none of your concern." Thorn said while walking through the door. "Now let's go find that heart."

Twilight nodded and followed him.

"What's in there?" Spike asked while peeking through the doorway.

"Stairs, a lot of kriffing stairs." Thorn replied with a sigh. "Sev would have blown this place to bits, if he had gone with you."

"Maybe you should come with us this time." Twilight said.

Spike smiled and followed her.

"Let's get going." Thorn said while activating his commlink. "Sev, if you can hear me, we're underneath the palace, I repeat, we are underneath the palace"

"Who are you talking to?" Twilight asked.

"Sev." Thorn replied.

"How?" Twilight asked.

"I'll explain on the way." Thorn said while walking up the giant set of stairs.


****


Sev, Shining Armor, and Cadence stood on the balcony. Cadence was not looking good, the force field was not going to hold for much longer.

Sev looked through his scope, seeing the shadow at The Crystal Gate moving closer into The Empire.

"How long do you think this force field will stay active?" Sev asked.

"I don't know, Cadence is doing all she can, the only thing we can do now, is hope that Twilight has found The Crystal Heart." Shining Armor replied.

Sev sighed and looked through his scope, searching for Sombra. "Come out, come out, so I can kill you."


--------


As Thorn, Twilight, and Spike walked upstairs, Thorn couldn't help but think about his brother, who was currently guarding Princess Cadence. 

"What if this is just more of his magic, he makes a door that leads to your worst fears, why not a staircase that goes on forever?" Spike said while (with a lot of effort) walking up another set of stairs. 

Twilight looked up at the staircase, seeing how many stairs they had yet to walk. Twilight levitated Spike onto her back with her magic.

"Hold on to me." Twilight said while casting a levitation spell around her and Spike.

"Uhh?" Spike trailed of.

"Whoa!" Twilight exclaimed while floating towards the smooth side of the stairway.

Suddenly, they were now upside down, Twilight began running, only for the to (literally) slide upstairs.

Thorn watched as Twilight and Spike made their way upstairs. He shook his head and ran upstairs.

"Stupid magic." Thorn muttered.

After a minute of sliding, Twilight and Spike reached the upper level. They were now at the top of The Crystal Palace.

And that's when they saw it. The Crystal Heart.

Twilight looked at Spike, he motioned her to get it. Twilight smiled and walked towards the heart, only to activate a trap that was set up by Sombra.

Sombra felt the disturbance near the heart, he roared and casted a spell. 

Suddenly, Twilight was trapped within giant sets of crystals, but before she was trapped between the crystals, she kicked The Crystals Heart, making it fall and land near Spike.

Sombras' laugh could be heard, echoing through The Empire.

"The Crystal Heart, where is The Crystal Heart?" Twilight asked.

"Twilight, it's over here, it landed here when you dropped it." Spike said while moving towards the heart.

"Don't move!" Twilight ordered.

Spike did as he was ordered and stood still.

"You can move, just not towards me." Twilight said.

Twilight cast a teleportation spell, she was out of the crystal cage for a few seconds, only to be teleported back in; instantly.

"How could I have been so foolish?" Twilight asked while trying to push the crystals over. "I was just so eager to get it, and when I saw what was happening outside I"

"Twilight you have to get out of there, you have to be the one who brings The Crystal Heart to Princess Cadence." Spike said while looking at The Crystal Heart. "If you don't, you'll fail Celestia's test."

"King Sombra is already attacking The Crystal Empire, he could reach The Crystal Ponies any second, reach Princess Cadence, my brother, my friends. There may not be enough time for me to escape." Twilight said while collapsing against the crystal prison she was trapped in.

"Hey!" Thorn shouted while running up the last set of stairs, and into the tower. "Don't you ever pull that stunt on-- what in blaze's name is going on here?!" Thorn asked while pointing his Z6 at the crystal prison.

Twilight looked at Thorn and Spike, she nodded to herself and spoke up.

"You, you two have to bring The Crystal Heart to the fair." Twilight said.

"But Twilight you--."

"Go!" She cut Spike off.

"She's right, Twilight we'll come back for you." Thorn said  "Let's go, come on, climb on my back!" Thorn ordered.

Spike grabbed The Crystal Heart.

Spike took one final glance at Twilight, who nodded and smiled.

"Go!" Twilight shouted.

"Alright kid, let's kill a King!" Thorn said while climbing out of the tower.

Thorn jumped out of the tower, landing on a nearby crystal. Crystal were appearing behind them.

"Look out!" Spike said while blowing fire at a crystal.

"Oh not good!" Thorn shouted while jumping towards another crystal, unfortunately for him, he slipped and fell. Thorn quickly reacted and grabbed hold of the crystal with one hand, his other hand holding his Z6.

"Spike." Thorn grunted. "Get off my back and climb onto this crystal." Thorn ordered.

Spike nodded and walked over Thorn's helmet, he stepped on the crystal and looked down at Thorn.

"Give me your hoof!" Spike said. 

"No!" Thorn said, looking down he saw the balcony, he saw Sev, Cadence, Shining Armor, and the rest of Twilight's friends standing underneath him.

"Let's just hope this works." Thorn said while gathering the last of his strength. He threw his Z6 at the balcony, Thorn watched as his trustworthy Z6 fell towards Shining Armor.

A loud clank could be heard, grabbing the attention of Shining Armor and the others.

"Huh?" Shining Armor said, looking at the familiar weapon in front of him.

Sev turned around. "That's Thorn's Z6!" He said.

"It fell from the sky." Shining Armor said.

"Up here!" They could hear Spike shout.

Everyone turned their gaze towards the source of the voice, and were shocked, but relieved when they saw who’s voice it was.

"Spike!" Rarity exclaimed.

"And Thorn!" Shining Armor added.

"We've got The Crystal Heart!" Thorn shouted. "Spike, give me the heart."

Spike nodded and handed him the heart.

"Sev, catch!" Thorn shouted while throwing the heart at him.

Sev watched as the heart fell towards him, he reached his hand out for it, only to be distracted by a familiar moan like scream.

"Oh no, Cadence!" Shining Armor said while hugging his wife.

Cadence's horn stopped glowing, her magical barrier was gone, Sombra now had entrance to The Crystal Empire.

"The heart!" Rarity exclaimed.

Sev quickly turned around he tried to catch the heart, but regrettably failed to catch it. He watched as the heart fell to the ground.

"All is lost." Shining Armor said in utter fear.

"Not yet!" Sev said while jumping of the balcony, attaching his DC17m to his belt in the process.

"Sev!" Shining Armor shouted.

Sev flattened his body, getting less resistance from the wind and making his body fall faster. Sev reached a hand out for the heart, he almost had it until.

"That belongs to me!"

Sev turned his head and saw King Sombra, he quickly grabbed The Crystal Heart and grabbed his DC17 side-arm pistol and began shooting at King Sombra.

Sombra laughed manically and took hold of Sev's arms and legs, dragging him to the central square of The Crystal Empire. Sombra threw Sev at the ground, Sev made impact with the hardened concrete of the central square. His armor protected him from the impact, but he lost his grip on The Crystal Heart.

Shadow Sombra laughed and moved towards The Crystal Heart, his body regaining its original form, the form of the Unicorn tyrant who ruled over The Crystal Empire.

Sombra licked his mouth and moved towards The Crystal Heart, but was stopped when a plasma bolt made impact with his chest. Sombra stumbled backwards. He shook his head and looked at his attacker.

"Fool! You do you not know who you are dealing with!? I am King Sombra, ruler of the Crystal Empire!" Sombra roared.

"All I see is a king who is not worthy of his title." Sev retorted.

"How dare you?!" Sombra roared while shooting a powerful bolt of dark magic at him. Sev rolled out of the way, not wanting to test if his armor could withhold the blast. Sombra grunted in frustration and shot another bolt at him, Sev rolled out of the way again, much to Sombra’s' annoyance.

"My turn." Sev said while shooting a plasma round at Sombra. Sombra let the bolt hit him, and chuckled grimly. How many times was he going to try this? It did not hurt him, it did not kill him. He couldn’t be destroyed. 

"Fool. I am still part shadow, you cannot destroy me!" Sombra mocked.

"That's why I have a backup plan!" Sev retorted. Grabbing an Electronic Counter Detonator from his belt. He threw the ECD at Sombra and it landed several feet in front of him. Sombra looked at the strange device in front of him. "Ha! This thing doesn't even do anything! You fool!" Sombra laughed. 

"And." Sev trailed of. "Boom."

The ECD exploded, creating an electrical shockwave. Electricity coursed through Sombra’s body. this was no Equestrian electricity, far from it. Somehow it made him feel… vulnerable

"Raagh!" Sombra roared in pain, sparks of electricity igniting from his body.

Glaring at the Commando, Sombra gritted his teeth in anger and annoyance. He had had enough of this creature, and he was going to finish it off; right this instant. Concentrating his every thought on this final spell, Sombra’s eyes lit a malicious glow and a burst of dark magic shot at Sev, sending the Commando flying backwards. 

"Y-You fool, you cannot destroy me." Sombra said while slowly walking towards the Crystal Heart. 

Sombra moved closer towards the Crystal Heart, he could feel its power coursing through his veins. The Crystal Empire would be ruled by a king, once again.

When pain is inflicted to him, he gets angry. When he the ones he cares about are in danger, he gets stronger. But when he is about to lose a fight, he loses every bit of humanity that is still left in him. Slowly pushing himself off the ground, the Commando looked at Sombra. It was not uncommon for him to get angry with someone. He had a anger problem, just as Scorch stated. "Play time is over, king, "Sev said as he stood at his full height again, his back aching from the previous impact. 

"What?" Sombra asked in utter shock. This would have killed anyone. Pony or not, his magic was unlike any others.

"Republic Commandos, are not taken down that easily." Sev said.

"What?! How can this be?"  Sombra asked in utter shock.

"I'm immune to your magic, at least; that’s what I’ve been told. The blast might have sent me flying into a wall, but my armor protect me from the force of impact." Sev said, slowly stumbling towards King Sombra. "The Kaminoans did a good job, creating this armor. "

"Impossible,” Sombra said, his eyes widening.

"Oh it's possible." Sev said, kneeing Sombra’s chin. Sombra was sent flying into the air, but Sev quickly grabbed hold of one of his legs and smashed him into the hardened concrete they were standing on.

Sombra looked up at Sev,  only for an armored boot making impact with his face. 

Sombra roared in pain as Sev continuously kicked him, he felt his muzzle crack under the sheer force.

'This dark presence.' Sombra thought. 'It's him, it's coming from him.'

Sombra gave a small laugh. 'Looks like my time is up, but at least Equestria has a new threat to worry about… This darkness coming from him, will destroy us all.' Sombra thought, looking up at Sev.

"It's over." Sev said, bringing Sombra to his hooves. Sombra stumbled to keep balance, he looked at Sev with one eye, his left eye swollen and covered in his black blood.

Sev lifted his leg up and brought it down on Sombra’s' back, the cracking of his bones could heard by not only himself, but also by many ponies who were watching the scene from a safe distance.

Sombra fell to the ground, his body broken as well as his spirit.

Sev activated his gauntlet knife and walked past Sombra. Sombra was about to turned his head, until he saw a red hand come up from behind. He felt something impale his throat.

"This." Sev said while digging the knife deeper in Sombra’s' throat. "Is." He said, cutting through Sombra’s' neck, feeling his column and Adams apple crack underneath the sheer force of his knife. "Where you." With one final twist of his arm, Sev cut through Sombra’s' neck entirely, black blood oozing out of the giant cut he had made. "Die." Sev finished.

Sombra gurgled, he tried to breath, but couldn't.

But this wasn't the end for Sombra. Sev retracted his gauntlet knife. He brought his hands towards Sombra’s' neck, his fingers dug deep into the cut he had made.

Sev pulled, feeling Sombra’s' neck shift slightly. He pulled again, and again. Until Sombra’s' head came straight off. Blood splattering against his armor, his entire visor covered in Sombra’s' blood. Sombra’s' body fell to the ground, it began to spasm, moving its legs in different directions.

Sev wiped his visor clean, he looked at the head of the King he had slaughtered, he grabbed hold of Sombra’s' horn and broke it off. He threw the head towards the (now) motionless body of Sombra.

He looked up at the sky and roared. He roared for himself, for victory, for his brothers.

Sev looked around, breathing heavily. He walked towards The Crystal Heart and picked it up. He sighed and walked towards the central square.

All of the Crystal Ponies looked at Sev, fear filling their eyes. Never had they seen such an atrocity.

Sev looked at The Crystal Heart, it began to change color, from its original white; into the darkest red.

Sev sighed and quickened the pace, picking up his DC17m along the way.

"Where does this belong?" Sev asked a Crystal Pony, showing her The Crystal Heart.

The pony gulped. "T-There, it belongs there." She replied while pointing her hoof at the spot; where the fake Crystal Heart stood.

"You can do it Thorn, just a little further!" Spike encouraged.

Thorn grunted and with a lot of effort, finally managed to sit down on the crystal, along with Spike.

"Alright Spike, time to go." Thorn said while grabbing him.

"Where are we going?" Spike asked.

"Down." Thorn replied while jumping towards a wall.

"Aaah! We're going to fall! We're going to die!" Spike said while covering his eyes.

"Spike." Thorn sighed.

"Yes?" Spike asked in fear.

"Open your eyes." Thorn replied.

"No, we're falling." Spike retorted.

"No we're not." Thorn said.

"Huh?" Spike asked while opening his eyes. To his surprise, they weren't falling, they were literally walking down the walls of The Crystal Palace.

"How?" Spike asked in amazement.

"Magnetic boots, build into every Clones' armor." Thorn replied.

"Cool." Spike said in awe.

Thorn chuckled. "Come on, we're almost there."

After a few more minutes if wall-waking, Thorn and Spike had reached the balcony.

"Oh my dear Spikey Wikey!" Rarity said while hugging him.

"H-Hey Rarity." Spike replied with a blush.

"Thorn, I believe this is yours." Shining Armor said while cocking his head towards Thorn's Z6.

"Aaah, yes." Thorn said while picking up his Z6. "Thanks."

"Where's Sev, we need The Crystal Heart." Shining Armor said.

"I found Sev!" Rainbow Dash said while hovering above Thorn.

"Where is he!?" Cadence asked.

"The central square." Rainbow Dash replied.

"Cadence are you--."

"I feel a little better Shining Armor, but we need to get to the central square, The Crystal Ponies have to fuel the heart." Cadence cut him off,

"Let's go then!" Shining Armor said.

Everyone nodded and ran as fast as they could, eventually they reached the central square.

"Sev!" Thorn shouted while running towards him.

Sev looked at the Commander, but said nothing.

"Sev." Thorn said while stopping in front of him. "What happened."

Sev lifted his hand, showing him The Crystal Heart.

"You did it, you beat Sombra and retrieved The Crystal Heart." Thorn said.

"Sev." Cadence said while trotting towards him. "Give me The Crystal Heart, I will return it to…" Cadence trailed of. Cadence looked at Sev, he was holding a Unicorns horn, but this one wasn't from a normal Unicorn.

"Did you?" Cadence asked.

Sev said nothing and passed the Crystal Heart at her. Cadence caught it with her magic and levitated it towards the two crystal pillars that stood in the middle of the central square. The Crystal Heart regained its original blue color.

"Behold, the Crystal Princess!" One of The Crystal Ponies said.

"The Crystal Heart has returned, spread the love and light within you to power it, so King Sombra does not." Cadence said.

All of The Crystal Ponies lowered their heads, touching the ground and making a beautiful blue aura appear. Everypony turned into a Crystal Pony, the prison that held Twilight captive was destroyed by the spirit of love and light. The light destroyed every single bit of Sombra’s' dark magic, when it reached Sombra’s' body, it evaporated. Even Sev's blood soaked armor was cleaned, leaving only its original blood red color on it.

Sev looked at the horn he was holding, his new trophy, he deserved this, for he had saved the Empire, not someone else.

And so, The Crystal Empire was saved, not only by Twilight and her friends, but also two extraterrestrial beings.


****


Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, Commander Thorn and Sev walked towards the train station, their adventure had taken their toll on them, but they were happy, happy that everything turned out alright.

"Too bad it wasn't permanent, did you see how my mane absolutely sparkled." Rarity said.

"But, good things are better when they are: A Rarity." Applejack replied with a wink.

"Ooh." Rarity said with much glee.

"You've got to stop saving my rump like this, it gets embarrassing." Shining Armor said while nudging his sister.

"It wasn't me who saved you're rump, it was Spike." Twilight said with a sad expression.

"It's just a test." Shining Armor said as they reached the station. "Maybe she'll let you re-take it."

"I don't think she's going to give me a new test." Twilight said while walking towards the train.

"Sev, you're awfully quiet." Thorn said while walking towards the train. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing." Sev replied while looking at his new trophy. "Nothing at all."

Thorn nodded and stepped inside. Sev took one final glance at The Crystal Empire and stepped inside.

'Another kill for the cause huh?' Sev thought.


****


"So, your test was like a test ina test?" Thorn asked while walking through the halls of Canterlot castle.

"Well, you could say that." Twilight replied.

"Why did Princess Celestia require our presence?" Thorn asked.

"Well, let's just say, I now know what Sev did to Sombra." Twilight whispered.

Sev could hear her whisper, but decided to keep his mouth shut.

As the trio made their way over to the throne room, two guards opened the door with their magic.

"I'll be waiting outside." Twilight said with a smile.

Thorn nodded. "Alright, let's go."

Thorn and Sev stepped, the doors closed behind them. 

"Greetings." Celestia said while walking down her throne.

"Princess." Thorn said, giving her a polite nod.

"I heard you two helped save The Crystal Empire." Celestia said.

"Just doing our job." Thorn replied.

"I see, and does that job.' Celestia said while turning her head to Sev. "Also involve slaughtering a King?! Mentally scaring dozens of Crystal Ponies?!" Celestia snapped at Sev.

"I did, what you could not." Sev retorted, showing her Sombra’s' horn. "I butchered him."

"Walk with me." Celestia said.

Sev and Thorn looked at each other, but decided to follow her. After  a few minutes of walking, they reached a set of giant windows, each one of them holding an image. One of them showed Twilight and her friends defeating Discord, another showed Princess Cadence and Shining Armor.

But one window stood out in particular, that window held an image of a man, a man holding the head of a Unicorn King on one hand, while its other hand was raised sky high, a blade extended from its hand. Above stood Princess Cadence, together with The Crystal Ponies.

"Nice holo-pic." Sev joked.

"Yeah, really brings out your eyes." Thorn added.

"This is no laughing matter, this image is a disgrace! An atrocity was committed by you! "Celestia said while pointing her hoof at Sev. You might have saved The Empire, but know this Sev." Celestia said while moving closer to him. "You have not earned my trust."

"Celestia, this is going too far." Thorn said. "He saved an Empire, he only did what was right."

Celestia shook her head. "Perhaps, but know this Sev, you have not earned my trust or respect." Celestia said.

"I don't need the respect of a Princess that hides behind her castle walls." Sev said while turning around and walking away. "It would spoil my reputation"

> Home Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"I was apprentice to the most powerful being in the galaxy, I was destined to become so much more, but I was robbed from that destiny by The Jedi. By Obi Wan Kenobi."

"Then you must have you're revenge my brother."

"Yes, we shall start with revenge."

Dart Maul, to Savage Opress, after his resurrection.



--------


"I can't believe we're back so soon, and to think it's only seven o'clock." Rarity said while walking towards her boutique.

"Yeah, but what ah can't believe." Applejack said while moving closer towards Rarity. "Is that Twilight requested Sev to stay in the library with her." She whispered.

"I know, but remember, Sev was the one to save The Crystal Empire, so technically he's a hero." Rarity said.

"Maybe, but that fella was covered in blood." Applejack said, a shiver running up her spine.

"That might be so." Rarity said while opening the door to her boutique. "But I still think ponies are getting the wrong point of view of him. Perhaps you could ask Sev to help you at Sweet Apple Acres?" Rarity suggested.

"Well, we could defiantly use tha help, I'll go ask him tomorrow." Applejack said with a smile. "It's the least ah can do after he saved Applebloom."

"And Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo." Rarity added.

"And an Empire full o' Crystal Ponies." Applejack added.

The two of them shared a laugh, and Applejack took her leave.

Rarity smiled and stepped inside her boutique, closing and locking the door behind her.

"Rarity, there you are!" Sweetiebelle said while wrapping her sister in for a hug.

"Hello Sweetiebelle, why aren't you in bed yet?" Rarity asked.

Sweetiebelle smiled. I" made dinner!"

Rarity's eyes widened. "Oh no!" She exclaimed while trotting towards her kitchen.


****


"You can put you're stuff on the table if you like, there's a spare mattress in the basement, I hope you don't mind." Twilight said.

"Purple, I've slept in dirt, on trees, on the rotting corpses of my fallen enemies." Sev said while sitting down on a chair. "Just a mattress, is a luxury for me."

Twilight hushed him. "Listen, not that I mind you talking about your.. Enemies, but Spike is really tired and a little but shaken up. So if you don't mind, could you keep the volume down?"

"That kid showed me he had guts, I can't say that about a lot of people I've met." Sev said.

"Yeah, but it was you who saved The Crystal Empire." Twilight remarked. "Not Spike, that's why there's an window holding your.. Peculiar image." Twilight said with slight hesitation.

"I told Cadence and your brother I'd butcher Sombra, I always keep my word." Sev said while grabbing his new trophy from his belt.

"That's King Sombras' horn." Twilight said with a gulp. "I saw the window holding your image, did you really do that to him?"

"Yes, he was a threat. Threats are there to be neutralized." Sev replied while looking at his new trophy. "You could see me as his neutralizer."

"Wow, but you saved an Empire nonetheless, but I believe Princess Celestia doesn't quite trust you." Twilight said with a sigh. "I've never seen Princess Celestia as angry as she was to you, but I don't fully understand why."

Sev cocked an eyebrow underneath his helmet. "Isn't it clear?" Sev asked confused. "She's afraid, afraid I might make a mistake."

"From what she's told me, she was very angry at you because you killed somepony, but that somepony would have enslaved an entire Empire." Twilight said while pacing around her living room.

"What are you getting at?" Sev asked.

"All I want to say is: I'm grateful, grateful that you killed Sombra, grateful that you saved not only my brother, but also my friends and sister-in-law." Twilight replied.

"So, you're grateful I removed his head from his spine?" Sev asked.

"In a matter of speech, yes." Twilight replied.

"Aha." Sev said. "You know, maybe I misjudged you Twilight." Sev said.

"Twilight? You called me by my name!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Yes, don't get too fond of it." Sev said.

"This is so cool!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Hey!" Spike shouted from upstairs. "Could you lower the volume?! Some Dragons want to get their much needed sleep!"

"Sorry Spike." Twilight said.

Sev shook his head.

"Sev." Twilight said while moving closer to him. "Ponies might fear you for what you've done, but I know you did what you thought  was right." She said while placing a hoof on his leg. "And know that you've earned my respect, and that of my friends. Even if you are a cold-blooded killer."

"Twilight, stop praising me. It's getting annoying ." Sev said while pushing her hoof of his leg.

"W-What are you talking about?" Twilight asked with a hint of nervousness.

"What is the real reason you wanted me to stay here, with you?" Sev asked.

"I-I really don't know what you're talking about." Twilight replied.

"Twilight." Sev said in a threatening tone.

Twilight sighed and lowered her head. "How'd you find out I was lying?"

Sev shrugged. "I was kriffing with you. Didn't really expect you to take me that serious."

Twilight sighed again.

"But why did you lie?" Sev asked while getting of his chair.

"Princess Celestia told me to... Keep an eye on you, because she doesn't trust you." Twilight admitted. "She's afraid you might hurt somepony."

"So, the Princess is having her own people spy on me? Hmpf, what a coward." Sev said.

"Princess Celestia is not a coward, that I can assure you." Twilight said.

"Then why does she not trust me? Is it because I killed Sombra? Is it because of what her sister told her?" Sev asked, annoyance clearly present in his voice.

"I don't know, just don't tell her, I promised to keep it a secret." Twilight begged.

Sev sighed. "I won't tell her, but I won't forgive you either Purple." Sev said while walking towards the basement's entrance.

Twilight looked at him with a saddened expression. Was he really that bad? Sure he had some anger-- well, major anger issues. But he did save the day. He did save en empire.

Sev opened the door to the basement and walked downstairs. Finally reaching the basement, he took a quick look of his surroundings. On the ground was a mattress, it had pillows and everything. The was a small window that could be opened, there were some small bookshelfs and what appeared to be some sort of tubes. 

Sev sighed and laid down on the mattress, feeling the soft fabric made him feel a little bit better. He removed his helmet and put it beside the mattress.

'So, let's review my current situation.' Sev thought while looking at the ceiling. 'I've got a ruler from this planet that doesn't like me, her own student has been ordered to spy on me, an entire Empire fears me. Yep, that about sums it up.'

Sev gave a relieving sigh and grabbed his new trophy from his belt.

'At least I killed an inhabitant of this planet, no matter what planet I am on, I at least kill one inhabitant... That Wookie on Kashyyyk was an accident, but it still counts.' Sev thought while placing his trophy beside his helmet.'And that Duros kept asking for it. Told him a Thousand times I didn't want to buy any death sticks, but he just had to keep asking.'

Hoofsteps could be heard, it was probably Twilight, going to bed or something. 

Suddenly, the basement door opened, the dim light shining through the doorway.

"Sev." Twilight said from upstairs. "I don't know if you're asleep or awake, if you want to talk or not." Twilight said with a regretfull sigh. "But, I'm sorry I lied to you, I shouldn't have done that, especially since you saved my brother and everypony else. All I want to say is: I'm so, so sorry, about everything. I hope you can forgive me."

With that said, Twilight closed the door and walked upstairs, thinking about nothing but Sev.

Sev listened carefully, hearing the hoofsteps of Twilight getting softer and softer. Sev put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

'I don't know if she was telling the truth, or that this was another one of her lies.' Sev thought. 'But either way, forgiveness is not something you just get. You have to earn it.'

Sev rolled on his side, his back facing the many bookshelfs. He relaxed and drifted of into the land of dreams.


****


"Thorn, I'm so glad you're not hurt." Fluttershy said, handing him a blanket and a pillow.

"Fluttershy." Thorn said while taking the blanket and pillow from her. "That's the fifth time you've said that to me." He said while putting the blanket and pillow on her couch.

"I know." Fluttershy said with a gently smile. "It's just that.. I wouldn't know what to do, if you hadn't come back." Fluttershy admitted.

"And why is that?" Thorn asked while removing his helmet.

"Because we're friends, I care about you.. And Sev." Fluttershy replied.

"You do?" Thorn asked surprised.

"More than you realize." Fluttershy replied, a faint shade of pink appearing on her muzzle.

"Fluttershy, are you blushing?" Thorn asked jokingly.

"N-No!" Fluttershy quickly replied, her blush deepening.

Thorn laughed. "Daww, Fluttershy it's nice of you to say that. In the war, we Clones had our brothers to look after, they were the ones who were glad we were still alive."

Fluttershy lowered her head. "I'm not one of your brothers, does that mean you don't like me?" Fluttershy asked with a hint of sadness.

Thorn got on one knee and cupped her head with his hand. "Fluttershy, for the last couple of days you have been nothing but nice to me." Thorn said with a smile. "Of course I like you."

Fluttershy smiled and wrapped her hooves around his torso, Thorn smiled and returned the hug.

"Thanks Thorn, you're really sweet and caring." Fluttershy said.

"Hey, I learned from the best. I learned from you." Thorn said while breaking the hug.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes, in my entire lif, I have never met such a sweet, caring woman like you." Thorn replied.

Fluttershy could explode from happiness, never had she been given such a compliment, especially from a stallion. Is this why she felt so strange around Thorn all the time? Could it be because he saved her from that Manticore? Or could it be because of what he just told her?

"Fluttershy." Thorn said while getting up

"Yes?" Fluttershy asked.

"Don't change, stay who you are." Thorn said while walking towards the couch.

"I will." Fluttershy said, the memories of her and Sev's meeting coming back to her.

"You're a sweet girl, don't let anyone tell you differently." Thorn said in honesty.

Fluttershy nodded and turned around.

"Goodnight Thorn." She said while walking towards the stairs that led to the upper level of her cottage.

Thorn laid down on the couch.

"Goodnight Fluttershy." He said.

Fluttershy walked upstairs, she took one final glance at Thorn, who had his back turned on her.

"Goodnight my sweet Clone, don't you ever change, you're personality is the thing I like about you. "

And with that said, Fluttershy walked upstairs, she got ready for bed and fell asleep instantly; when he body made contact with the soft fabric of her and mattress.

"Goodnight Sev." Thorn said. "Celestia has a wrong point of view of you, you're a good man, she just has to see it for herself."

And with that said, Thorn closed his eyes and drifted of to sleep, ready to take on the next day.


--------


Meanwhile in a galaxy far, far away...

"You wanted to speak to me Chancellor?" An infamous Clone Commander asked.

"Yes." The grim figure known as Chancellor Palpatine replied. "Please sit down Commander Fox, we have much to discuss."

"Yes, my lord." Fox replied while sitting down in front of The Supreme Chancellor.

"Now, tell me exactly what ARC trooper fifty five fifty five told you." The Chancellor said.

"Yes, my lord." Fox replied.

"Good, like I said, there is much to discuss." Chancellor Palpatine said in a grim voice.
> When there are too many Pinkie Pies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"And it looks like your luck, just ran out."

"If you’re going to kill him, do it like a man."

Cad Bane, rescuing Obi Wan Kenobi, who was disguised as bounty hunter Rako Hardeen
.


--------


"Fire!" Sev ordered.

Thorn pulled the trigger from his blaster, successfully hitting the target Sev had set up.

"Nice shot Commander." Sev said while aiming his blaster at the log. "But I can do better." Sev said while pulling the trigger, successfully hitting the log.

"Nice shot!" Thorn said.

"Like always." Sev replied.

"Ooh Thornieee!" A familiar high pitched voice said.

"It’s Pinkie Pie." Thorn said while turning around.

!Hi guys!" Pinkie Pie said while bouncing towards them. "I figured you two would be near The Everfree Forest."

"Good to see you Pinkie, how are you doing?" Thorn asked.

"I’m doing fine, I was just going to umm…" Pinkie trailed of.

"Going to do what?" Thorn asked .

"Going to.. Visit Zecora." Pinkie replied, secretly she was lying, for she was going to do something really stupid.

"Zecora? Who’s that?" Thorn asked.

"She’s a zebra, she lives in The Everfree forest." Pinkie replied.

"I thought that place was dangerous." Thorn said.

"Oh the Everfree? Pffft. No way." Pinkie lied.

"Alright, have fun then." Sev said while turning around and shooting the log again.

"Pinkie, are you sure you want to go in there?" Thorn asked. "I could go with you."

"No, there’s no need for that." Pinkie said while bouncing past him. "I can do this on my own."

"Okay?" Thorn said confused.

"Thorn, let her be, if she dies, it won’t be our fault." Sev said.

"That’s your opinion. "Thorn said while looking at Pinkie Pie, as she bounced further into the forest.

"What was that about?" Thorn asked.

"I don’t know, didn’t you say that Pink is a little.. Strange?" Sev replied.

"Yeah, Twilight said something about a party." Thorn said.

"Really? Well, count me out, I’m not fond of parties." Sev said while shooting the log again.

"Maybe it’s a party, meant for you." Thorn mocked.

"A party for me? Don’t make me laugh." Sev retorted.

Thorn shook his head an chuckled.

After half an hour of target practice, mostly consisting of them using their side-arms, Sev and Thorn decided they would head back to Ponyville. That was until they saw a familiar pink pony.

"Hey Pinkie! Back so soon?" Thorn asked.

Pinkie bounced towards them. "Today’s a fun day! Isn’t it?" She asked.

"Uhm, yes?" Thorn replied unsurely.

"Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" Pinkie said while bouncing away from Thorn and Sev, heading towards Ponyville.

"What was that all about?" Sev asked.

"I.. Have no idea, and I thought Senator Binks was strange." Thorn replied.

"Well, she better stay away from me." Sev said.

"Hi!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing behind Sev and Thorn.

"What the?!" Thorn exclaimed while turning around.

"What is she doing here? Didn’t she just?" Sev asked while pointing his index finger at Pinkie.

"Hi guys! Today is a fun day right?" Pinkie asked while bouncing in front of them.

"Uhh, Pinkie didn’t you head towards Ponyville like; ten seconds ago?" Thorn asked.

"No, but I’m planning on doing so!" Pinkie replied while bouncing past them.

"Thorn, what is going on?" Sev asked while watching as Pinkie bounced of into the distance; with incredible speed.

"I don’t know, Twilight told me Pinkie Pie was.. One of a kind, but this just tops it off." Thorn replied.

"Hi guys!"

"Oh you have got to be kidding!" Sev said while turning around, only to be greeted by another Pinkie Pie.

"Today is a--."

"I’ll tear your throat apart if you say that line again". Sev cut her off.

"Pinkie, what are you doing?" Thorn asked.

"I’m heading towards Ponyville to have fun with my friends!" Pinkie replied while bouncing past her.

"Sev, something fishy is going on here." Thorn said while watching Pinkie bounce towards Ponyville.. For the third time in a row.

"I swear if she is behind us again, I will kill her." Sev said.

"Hi guys!"

"Alright, I’ll rip her kriffing throat out!" Sev said while turning around and activating his gauntlet knife .

"Sev wait!" Thorn said while grabbing him by his arm.

"Let go of me Commander!" Sev ordered.

"I’m going to Ponyville to--."

"To have fun with your friends, we know! Just go before he might hurt you.. Or I get the temptation to release his arm." Thorn cut her off.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said while bouncing past them.

Sev shook his arm free of Thorn’s grip and aimed his DC17m at the bouncing Pinkie Pie.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Thorn said while lowering Sev’s blaster. "You don’t want to do that."

"Oh, yes I do." Sev retorted .

"Think about Twilight and her friends, I don’t think they would be happy with you killing one of their friends." Thorn said.

Sev sighed and lowered his blaster. 

"Wait a minute." Sev said. He grabbed his blaster attachment and switched it for his sniper attachment. He looked through the scope until it said 20X.

"I see three of them." Sev said while looking through his scope.

"Three of what?"Thorn asked confused.

"Three of those annoying pink ones." Sev replied.

"Three? No, no; that can’t be right, there’s only one Pinkie Pie." Thorn said.

"Well, my eyes aren’t lying, I count three, I could of course drop them and make it zero." Sev retorted.

"Are you sure?" Thorn asked. 

"Like you said Thorn: Something fishy is going on here, and I’m guessing we’re about to find out why." Sev said while lowering his blaster and walking after the bouncing Pinkie Pies.

"Sev, where are you going? Thorn asked.

"To Ponyville." Sev replied.

"Why?" Thorn asked while walking beside him.

"To get a better clue, as to what’s going on." Sev replied.

"Listen, whatever it is, I’m, sure Twilight and her friends can handle it." Thorn said while placing a hand on Sev’s shoulder.

"I don’t think so, they couldn’t handle Sombra." Sev retorted.

"That was because they had other things to do." Thorn said.

"They were holding a fair, in the middle of an attack." Sev said bluntly.

".. Well, I’m sure they had their reasons." Thorn said.

"Party hard, whoop whoop." Sev said while still heading towards Ponyville.

"Sev, wait!" Thorn said.

"Listen, something is about to go down there, and I want to be there when it happens, so I can kill whatever is causing it." Sev said while poking Thorn’s chest plate with his index finger.

"What if it’s Pinkie Pie who’s causing all of it?" Thorn asked.

"Then I’ll just have to shoot her.' Sev replied.

"Sev." Thorn said, annoyance clearly present in his voice.

"Just kidding Commander, now let’s go." Sev said while quickening his pace.

"Blast." Thorn whispered while walking after his brother.

After a few minutes of walking, the due arrived at Ponyville, only to be greeted by a lot of Pinkies.

"What  in--."

"Blaze’s name is going on?" Sev finished.

"Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" The Pinkie Pies said in unison.

"Thorn, I told you this--."

"FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN!" One of the Pinkie Pies shouted in Sev’s ear.

"Raah!" Sev exclaimed, slamming his fist into Pinkie Pie’s face, only for her to disappear and re-appear in front of him.

"What the?" Sev said.

"Hi!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Alright, I’m going to skin her alive!" Sev said.

"Sev, we have to find Twilight and ask her what is going on." Thorn said.

"Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" The Pinkie Pies said in unison.

"Hey! You want to have fun?" Sev asked.

The Pinkie Pies stopped their rant and looked at Sev, they all nodded in agreement, big smiles planted on their faces.

"Form a circle, but make sure you all stay very close to each other." Sev said while reaching for his belt.

"Okie dokie lokie!" The Pinkie Pies said in union.

They stood in a really tight circle, their body’s pressed into each other.

"Alright, now smile." Sev said while grabbing a Thermal Detonator and flipping the switch.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Thorn said while grabbing the thermal Detonator from his hand, and de-activating it.

"What?" Sev asked.

Thorn held the Detonator in front of his visor. 

"These are used for threats only, not for self pleasure." Thorn said.

"These things are a threat, a threat to your eardrums." Sev retorted.

"Come on, let’s go to Twilight’s library." Thorn said while handing over the Thermal Detonater

"Sure, but if one of those Pinks screams in my ear again." Sev threatened.

"Stun them if you have to, but don’t kill them.. Yet." Thorn said.

"Now you’re speaking my language." Sev said while patting Thorn’s shoulder.

Thorn lead the way, Sev while Sev covered his back, seeing as many of the Pinkie Pies were happily bouncing their way over to other houses, and probably ponies, made him sick. He hated bright colors, and he hated that pink one.

"Twilight!" Thorn shouted while running towards the lavender mare.

"Thorn! Sev!" Twilight exclaimed while trotting towards them

"What is going on here?" Thorn asked.

"There are a lot of Pinkie Pies due to a magical water mirror, we need to fix this, but we can’t figure out who the real Pinkie Pie is." Twilight said.

"Blast, well what are we going to do now?" Thorn asked.

"Applejack and her family are rounding up the Pinkie Pies, we’ll lead them to the town hall and make them do a test." Twilight replied.

"A test? How is that going to solve this problem?" Thorn asked.

"Just come with us, and you’ll see for yourselves." Twilight replied.

"Alright, let’s go!" Sev said.

"Follow me." Twilight said, leading her friends toward the town hall. After a few minutes of running and trotting, they reached the town hall. When they got inside, Fluttershy, Rarity and Spike were already inside.

"There you are Twilight." Spike said while walking up to her. "We’ve been waiting like forever."

"Sorry, but I decided to bring Thorn and Sev with me." Twilight replied.

"Wait. Where are the Pinkies?" Thorn asked

"Applejack is probably really busy gathering every single one of them, so we’ll just have to wait." Twilight replied.

"How are we going to find out who the real Pinkie Pie is?" Thorn asked,

"Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan." Twilight replied.

"Care to enlighten us?" Sev asked.

"Sure, now listen carefully."

After telling them their plan, Thorn was the one to show the slightest concern, while Sev just started laughing.

"Watching paint dry?! Hahahaha!" Sev laughed.

"Hey, it’s a good plan!" Twilight retorted.

"Twilight, you’re going to get them, to watch pain dry." Thorn said bluntly.

"Y-Yes." Twilight replied.

"I’m sorry, but that has got to be the most idiotic plan I’ve ever heard." Thorn said.

"Maybe, but we’ll see if it works in a few minutes." Twilight said.

"A few minutes?" Sev asked confused. "Why, what’s the hold up? He asked while impatiently rubbing the trigger of his blaster. "My trigger finger is itching"

"Because the Pinkies will probably arrive--.

Twilight’s sentence was cut off when the town hall’s doors were thrown open by at least two dozens of Pinkie Pies, they all trotted inside and started to bounce around and shouting "Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!"

"There they are." Twilight said.

"Attention Pinkies! May I have your attention please?" Twilight asked.

The Pinkies didn’t hear her, mostly because they were yelling “fun, fun, fun, fun” at the top of their lungs.

"Let me try." Sev said while gently pushing her aside.

"EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SIT DOWN, OR I’LL KILL YOU ALL!" Sev shouted at the top of his lungs, making the Pinkies Pies sit down instantly and focusing their gazes on him.

Just then, Rainbow Dash came flying into the town hall, carrying a sullen looking Pinkie Pie.

"I found this one poking her hoof at the ground, drawing frowny faces." Rainbow Dash said.

"Let her sit with the others." Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash did as she was told, and dropped the sad Pinkie with the others.

Sev nodded.

"Good, now we are going to let you take a simple test, a test your idiotic brains will probably never pass, but whatever." Sev said while pulling the curtains,  revealing a freshly painted wooden slab.

"We’re going to *sigh* make you; watch paint dry. "Sev announced. 

All of the Pinkies gasped and exchanged worried glances with each other.

"On your mark, get set, go!" Twilight said. 

All of the Pinkies concentrated on watching the paint dry, none even daring to blink.

"Boy this is so exciting!" Spike said while sitting on a chair, and eating popcorn.

'Alright.' Sev thought while carefully switching his sniper attachment for his blaster attachment. 'Whoever loses their concentration, will lose their head.'

Minutes past, but not a single Pinkie Pie broke.

"Maybe not that exciting." Spike said while leaning upside down on his chair.

"Ooh hey! Look at the bridy!" One of the Pinkie Pies said.

'You’re dead.' Sev thought while aiming his blaster at the Pinkie Pie, only to be cut off by Twilight; shooting a bolt of magic at the Pinkie Pie, making her (literally) fill up with air until she was as big as a balloon and shrinked into nothingness . A faint pink aura could be seen flying out of one of the windows of the town hall.

'Oh, trying to steal my kills ‘eh?' Sev thought while taking a glance at Twilight. 'I don’t think so.'

"Watch me bounce and touch the sealing!" One of The Pinkie Pies said while jumping up at the ceiling, making another Pinkie Pie watch her.

Sev aimed his blaster and shot the Pinkie Pie who was watching first, he then proceeded to shoot the one who was in mid-air.

The Pinkie Pies fell dead to the ground, and within seconds, disappeared with a poof.

Twilight looked at Sev with a shocked expression on her face.

Sev looked at her and shrugged. "Don’t steal my kills, I hate that." He whispered.

Twilight sighed. "Go ahead."

"Yes." Sev whispered.

"Is that a bird crossed with an orange?" One of the Pinkie Pies asked, while looking out one of the windows.

"Cool!"

"Where?!"

The three Pinkie Pies were shot by Sev. Sev smirked underneath his helmet. 'This is the most fun I’ve ever had since.. Two days ago.'

"Look what I can do with my hooves." One of the Pinkies said to another. Blowing on her right hoof, making pink-fingerlike appendages appear on her right hoof.

"Look what I can do with my finger." Sev said while shooting the two Pinkies.

"Bet you can’t make your face crazier than this!" One of the Pinkies said, while magically turning her face into that of a G1 pony.

"Bet you can’t do that again now." Sev said while shooting the two unfortunate Pinkies.

'I love my job.' Sev thought while smiling.

The killing continued, Sev mentally laughed at his ‘luck’, while Fluttershy closed her eyes and held a hoof to her face, and Rarity waved a hoof in front of hers.

Eventually, there were only two Pinkies left, one of them had to be the real one. One of them was way up front, while the other was way in the back.

"Oh, I’m going to enjoy this." Sev said while attaching his blaster to his belt, and walking towards the two Pinkies. He stood between the two and watched them as they watched the paint dry.

The clock ticked on and on, Sev was staring to lose his patience, but he was not the only one.

"Ooh I can’t take it anymore." Rainbow Dash said while hovering in the air. "Somepony’s making balloon animals!" She said.

The Pinkie Pie up front began to sweat, and eventually broke.

"Where?" She asked while turning her vison away from the wooden slab.

"Aaand, you’re dead." Sev said while walking towards her.

Sev grabbed her by her throat and lifted her up, he retracted his arm and activated his gauntlet knife.

"Hi!" The Pinkie Pie said.

"Bye!" Sev said in the same happy tone(only with his voice, it sounded way more threatening and scary).

Sev dug the knife deep into her skull, feeling her cranium crack underneath the sheer force of power. Pinkie’s body went limp and Sev dropped her on the ground and she disappeared with a simple poof.

"That was fun." Sev said while retracting his knife.

"Wow." Thorn said in utter amazement. "Nice job Sev! How does it feel?" Thorn asked jokingly.

"Well, there’s still one left." Sev said.

"No, no that’s the real one!" Twilight quickly intervened.

Everypony looked at Pinkie Pie, the real Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie, you can look away now." Twilight said.

"Pinkie shook her head. I passed?" She asked.

"You were the only one who kept staring at the wall, congratulations." Thorn said.

"I couldn't leave my friends, I just couldn't." Pinkie said while looking at her friends, Clones and ponies alike. "But I guess, sometimes I have to choose between you."

"I knew you would be up for the challenge." Twilight said with a smile.

"I didn't." Sev said.

"I'm me! I'm me! I'm me!" Pinkie said while jumping in the air. "Or am I?" She asked while frantically touching her face. "Yeah, pretty sure I am!"

"Thorn, it's time for target practice again." Sev said while opening the door.

"Copy that." Thorn said while walking after his brother. "See you later."

"Bye!" The ponies an dragon said unison.

Sev and Thorn walked out of Ponyville town hall and looked at each other.

"Wanna race to the forest?" Thorn asked.

"Sure, but you better move quickly." Sev replied while running away from him.

"Hey!" Thorn shouted while running after his brother. Not fair!"

"Life isn't fair! But you don't hear me complaining!" Sev retorted.

Thorn smiled underneath his helmet.


--------


"Please enlighten me Commander." The grim figure known as Chancellor Palpatine said while looking out the window of his personal office.

"Well, I didn't hear much of the conversation, the Gunship landed and we moved in on the target. We found him and I told him to stand down, he freaked out and pointed his blaster at me, I pulled the trigger and shot him.. The biggest mistake I've ever made." The infamous Clone Commander Fox said.

"And why would that be a mistake?" Palpatine asked.

"I killed my one of my own brothers, my own family." Fox replied.

"There are many Clones out there, I'm sure one death wouldn't make a difference." Palpatine said while turning around, facing Commander Fox as he sat in front of the Chancellors' desk.

"Sir?" Fox said, quite shocked about hearing The Chancellor say that.

"Clones are the heart and soul of The Republic, if one Clone dies, another will take its place." Palpatine said.

"His. His place." Fox corrected.

Palpatine smiled. "His. Now Commander, what exactly did ARC- fifty five fifty five; tell General Skywalker and Captain Rex?" Palpatine asked.

"Hasn't General Skywalker told you what happened? What he said to the general?" Fox asked.

"Yes, but I want to know what you heard." Palpatine replied.

"The only thing I overheard was; General Skywalker saying you weren't able to do what he claimed, my lord." Fox replied.

"I see." The Chancellor said while rubbing his hands together.

"My lord?" Fox asked.

"Yes Commander?" Palpatine asked.

"What exactly did ARC- fifty five fifty five accuse you of?" Fox asked.

"Oh, he thought I had a plot to overthrow The Jedi." Palpatine replied.

"Really? That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard, with all due respect my lord, but you wouldn't stand a chance against a Jedi." Fox said.

"Yes, they would probably kill me before I could strike." The Chancellor laughed. "Commander Fox, you have earned my trust, I trust that when the time comes, you will not turn your back on me." Palpatine said.

"I would never do that, my allegiance lies with you and The Republic." Fox said.

"Very good Commander, you may return to your post." Palpatine said while sitting down at his desk.

Fox got up from his chair and saluted. "Yes my lord."

Fox turned around and left the office, leaving The Chancellor alone, with two Senate Commandos guarding his office's entrance.

Lord Sidious smiled. 'Yes, you have earned my trust Commander, but your use to me has come to an end. I need to put distance between us, I can't have you uncovering my plans.' Lord Sidious thought.

'I will see that you are, taken care of.'
> Crisis on Coruscant
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Fives! Stay with me Fives! Fives!"

"The mission.. The nightmares.. They're.. Finally.. Over."

"No Fives, come on Fives, don't go, stay with me, stay with me! Fives? Fives?! ... Don't go."

"Captain Rex sharing his last conversation with ARC trooper Fives, before Fives dying in his arms."



--------


Commander Fox walked through the crowded streets of the lower levels of Coruscant, two Shock troopers walking beside him. It had been a few days after the conversation he and the Chancellor had. Fox's consciousness had been nagging him ever since. When he had shot Fives, he never thought it'd be this bad, but he was wrong. Some of the Shock troopers who had been there when it happened, had told some others, and those others told others. Commander Fox himself tried to suppress his feelings, feelings of regret and sorrow.

"Sir." One of the Shock troopers asked, pointing at a local bar. "This is were the pickpocket was last seen."

"Right, still can't believe they asked us to take care of this small criminal scum." Commander Fox said, slightly irritated with their new assignment.

"Sir, reports say that the pickpocket is a Duros, sir." The other Shock trooper said, checking his holo pad for clarification.

"Alright, eyes open and fingers on the triggers. Show civilians the picture of the suspect and ask them if they have seen him." Commander Fox said.

"Yes, sir!" The Shock troopers said in unison.

They entered the bar, weapons lowered and eyes opened. The local thugs or "criminal scum" gave the Republic soldiers nasty glares.

"Go and ask that group over there." Fox ordered, pointing his finger at a nearby group of Twi'leks and Weequays.

The troopers nodded and walked towards the group.

Fox looked around, trying to find the Duros, he walked towards the bartender.

"What's a Clone doing in a bar like this? Ain't they got special Clone bars for your types?" The Ithorian bartender asked.

"I'm on duty." Commander Fox replied while showing him the holo pad. "We're looking for him, he was last reported to have been seen here."

"Hmmm." The Ithorian said while taking a closer look at the holo pad. "Yeah, I think I saw him just a few minutes ago, but son, I think you might want to turn around." The Ithorian said.

"And why's that?" Commander Fox asked.

"Because the Duros you're looking for, just stole your blasters." The Ithorian replied.

"Huh?" Fox said while turning around. Indeed there was a Duros, holding his blasters.

The Duros, clearly shocked that Commander Fox had been able to spot him, turned around and ran out of the bar.

"Hey!" Fox shouted while running after the Duros. 

The Shock troopers saw their Commander run out of the bar, they quickly followed and caught up with him.

"Set weapons to stun, I want him alive!" Commander Fox ordered.

The Shock troopers nodded and set their weapons to stun.

The Duros was pushing civilians aside, running into different side-streets. Fox and the Shock troopers were on in his tail, but the Duros was faster than they had anticipated. Different civilians were being pushed into the Clone troopers, Fox quickly pushed them aside, not wanting to let the criminal escape, he threw a chair at him. The chair flew through the air, accidentally hitting a Twi'lek; instead of the Duros. 

"Sorry." Fox apologized while running after the Duros.

The Twi'lek cursed at the Clone Commander and threw a bottle in his direction.

Fox watched the bottle fly past him. 

"Talk about bad aim 'eh?" Fox shouted while running after the Duros.

The Duros pushed a nearby crate, making it fall in front of Fox. Fox jumped over the crate and rolled into a trash can.

"Fierfek!" Fox shouted while getting up, his armor now covered in leftovers and rotten fruit.

"Commander, we're going after him!" One of the Shock troopers shouted.

"I'm coming!" Fox shouted while running after his men.

"Fire!" Commander Fox ordered.

"We can't sir, we might hit civilians." One of the Shock troopers said.

Fox groaned in anger. "Split up, we'll cut him off!"

"Sir, yes sir!" The Shock troopers replied.

They split up, each of them running into a different side street, while Commander Fox kept running straight after the Duros.

"In the name of the law: Stop!" Fox ordered.

The Duros took a right, he ran into another side-street,  only to run out of it seconds later.

Commander Fox ran towards the Duros, the Duros took the left side-street, only to run out of it seconds later. The Shock troopers came running out of the side-streets, their DC15s carbine rifles aimed at the criminal.

The Duros backed up, until he hit a dead end. The Duros aimed the stolen blasters at the Clone trio.

"Weapons down and on your knees!" Fox ordered.

The Duros spoke in it's native language, from what Fox could understand, he was pisssed off.

"Men, stun him." Fox ordered.

The Shock troopers aimed their blasters at the Duros. The Duros aimed his blasters at Fox and pulled the trigger.

Fox tried to dodge, but the plasma round hit his shoulder. Fox fell to the ground, the faint sound of a blasters stun function could be heard. Fox's vision became blurry, he turned his head and saw one of his troopers run towards him.

The trooper got on one knee and checked his pulse.

"Hold on Commander, you're gonna be fine." The Shock trooper said.

Fox looked at the trooper, only seeing some red and white blurrs, instead of a full Clone trooper. Fox's eyes closed and his body went numb.


****


"How.....Doing?"

"......Stable.....Rest......Better."

Fox slowly opened his eyes, he checked his new surroundings. He was lying in a,bed, in a bright room, full of medical tools, he slowly turned his head and saw a 2-1B Medical droid standing beside his bed.

"I see you are awake." The Medical droid said in its usual low, mechanical voice. 

"Yes, w-what happened? Why am I here?" Fox asked.

"You have been shot, we had to perform surgery." The Medical droid replied.

"Surgery?" Fox asked.

"Yes, you were shot in the side of your head, and right shoulder. Parts of your cranium were damaged so we had to perform surgery, to make sure no brain tissue was damaged." The Medical droid replied.

"My men, are the two troopers that were with me alright?" Fox asked.

"I do not know, but you need to rest." The Medical droid replied.

"When can I leave?" Fox asked while moving a hand through his-- wait, since when was he bald? "Hey! Where did all my hair go?!" Fox asked.

"It was shaved, necessary for us to perform the surgery. You will be allowed to leave in two days" The Medical droid replied.

"Oh, this is just great." Fox said, sarcasm dripping from his voice he dropped  onto his pillow.

"Be glad you are alive." The Medical droid said.

"Who were you talking to?" Fox asked.

"No one, I was just recording the surgery." The Medical droid lied.

"Okay?" Fox said, slightly confused.

"Get some rest, sir, I need to report about the surgery." The Medical droid lied. It walked out of the room and closed the door.

"Well, I guess I better do as he says." Fox thought while closing his eyes.

The Medical droid walked until it reached a corridor, it grabbed a holo pad from its robotic leg and activated it.

After a few seconds of waiting, a cloaked figure appeared. 

"Is it done?" The figure asked.

"Yes my lord, I have successfully removed the chip from the patient." The Medical droid replied.

"Good, good." The figure said. "Everything is going as planned. Soon this Clone will die, and he will no longer be a thorn in my side." The figure said. 

"My lord, I have told him he could leave in two days." The Medical droid said.

"No, that is too long, have him leave in two hours." The figure ordered.

"But sir, if I do that, he--."

"You will do as I say. Now listen closely for the following instructions; of phase two of my plan." The figure said.


****


"Don't do anything that requires intensive use of you're muscles." The Medical droid said while giving Fox his last insertion.

Fox rubbed his neck and nodded. "You got it." Fox said while walking out of the room. 

Fox walked outside, his armor off, wearing nothing but the thin clothing he wore underneath his armor. Two Shock troopers were waiting at the entrance of the military med-bay, at least: that was what he was told. Fox walked towards the exit. Indeed there were two Shock troopers at the entrance.

"Commander." One of the Shock troopers said.

"Troopers, was the Duros captured?" Fox asked.

"Yes sir, he is locked behind bars for a long time, sir." The Shock trooper replied. 

"Love the new style Commander." The other Shock trooper joked.

"Shut your mouth, soldier!" Fox snapped at him.

"Sorry Commander, but why are you bald?" The Shock trooper asked.

"I was shot, remember? Plasma bolt hit the side of my head." Fox replied.

"Sir, from what Kicks and O-Niner told us, you were hit in your shoulder, not the head." The Shock trooper said.

"Huh? Then why did the Medical droid tell me that I was shot in the head?" Fox asked.

"Want us to have a word with him?" One of the Shock troopers asked.

"No, no, let's just go." Fox said while holding his head.

"Are you alright sir?" One of the Shock troopers asked, concern clearly present in his voice.

"I'm fine, really, I'm fine." Fox replied while walking past them. "Where's the Gunship located?"

"Follow us sir." One of the Shock troopers said.

Fox followed the troopers, outside was a LAAT, they stepped inside the LAAT, the blast doors closed and the ship took off.

"Commander, we're ordered to transport you to the nearest barracks, after that, The Chancellor has requested your presence in his personal suite." One of the Shock troopers said.

"Who gave you that order?" Fox asked.

"The Chancellor himself, sir." The Shock trooper replied.

"Why?" Fox asked.

"I don't know sir, I get the orders and I follow them." The Shock trooper replied.

"Alright, but how are Kicks and O-Niner?" Fox asked.

"They called for a med-evac after you were shot, you were picked up and brought to the medical bay. They're alright, just worried about you, sir." The Shock trooper replied.

"Well, tell them I'm doing just fine." Fox said.

"I will, but we're landing soon." The Shock trooper said.

Fox nodded.

Minutes passed. It was quiet inside the Gunship. The Gunship landed at the barracks. Fox and one Shock trooper stepped out of the Gunship, they walked towards the barracks' entrance. Around the barracks were all sorts of troopers, playing games, talking, and having fun. Fox and the trooper stepped inside the barracks, walking through the busy halls of the barracks, greeted by many Clones. They walked towards the armory, opening the door and stepping inside, Fox saw his armor and helmet, neatly cleaned up and hanging from a clothes hanger.

"I'll wait outside, get dressed sir, take any weapons you need." The Shock trooper said. 

Fox nodded and walked towards his armor.

The door of the armory opened, the Shock trooper stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

Fox put on his armor, beginning with his boots, thighs and legs. He rubbed the spot he was shot, he shook it off and put on his shoulder pads, arm pads, and gauntlets. Flicking his arms and legs, hearing his joints pop. He walked towards the weapons depot, grabbing a set of DC-15s blaster pistols and a DC-15 blaster rifle. He checked his weapons, holstered his blaster pistols and walked outside of the armory.

"Sir." The Shock trooper said while turning to face the Commander.

"Trooper, get me to the Gunship." Fox ordered.

"Sir, yes sir." The Shock trooper said while turning around. Follow me, we don't want to keep the pilot waiting.

Fox followed the trooper, they walked outside the crowded barracks. AT-TE's, LAAT's, HAVwA6 Juggernauts, as far as the eye could see. Clones were marching in formation. Fox smiled underneath his helmet, he was proud to be part of the biggest army the galaxy had ever seen. They walked towards a Gunship, they stepped inside.

"Pilot, take off and drop us on these coordinates." The Shock trooper said, using his commlink to send him the coordinates. 

"Yes Sergeant, right away." The pilot replied.

The Gunships' side doors closed. It took off towards the famous Chancellor's suite, Fox began to think: What would the Chancellor want from him? Did he heard what happened to him? Was he worried? No, the Chancellor wouldn't be worried about a Clone like him, like he said: "There are many Clones out there, if one dies, another will take its place." Fox thought the sentence was rude, Clones are not tools, they are living, breathing men.

"Trooper, did The Chancellor tell why he wanted to see me?" Fox asked, he knew he had asked before, but another try wouldn't hurt.

"No sir, perhaps he is worried about you." The trooper replied while tightening his grip around the metal bars that hung from the Gunship. "I mean, you are probably the only Clone who has ever gotten this close to The Chancellor."

"Well, either way, seeing The Chancellor in person is an honor." Fox said.

"Not for you it isn't." The trooper joked.

"Perhaps." Fox said while crossing his arms.

Fox rubbed his sore leg, it still stung a little. 

"Are you alright sir?" The Shock trooper asked.

"Yes, I'm fine trooper, this itch is just killing me." Fox replied.

"You should be grateful it's just an itch, that Duros could have killed you, sir." The Shock trooper retorted.

"I guess you're right trooper, but watch your tone." Fox warned.

"Yes sir! Sorry sir." The trooper apologized.

"Apology accepted, trooper." Fox said.

Suddenly, the Shock troopers' commlink beeped. The trooper answered the call and spoke up.

"This is: CT-5489, what is it?" The Shock trooper asked.

"CT-5489, we'll be arriving at our destination soon." The pilot said.

"Copy that pilot." The Shock trooper replied. Turning his commlink of, he looked at Fox. "Sir." He said.

"I'm not deaf trooper, I'll be ready to leave." Fox said.

The Shock trooper nodded.

Minutes of flying passed, flying was one of Fox's favorite things to do, he loved it. The Gunship landed at the famous Senate building of Coruscant. He'd been there lots of times. One time,he had been sent there to stop the infamous bounty hunter Cad Bane from freeing the crime lord: Ziro the Hutt. But Bane was one step ahead of him, he had planted bombs inside the room where he held the Senators hostage. Bane ordered Fox and his men to holster their weapons. Fox ordered his men to lower thier weapons. He watched as Bane walked past him, even giving him a toothy smile before stepping into his speeder and escaping. That day, Fox knew he had failed The Republic.

The Gunships' side doors opened, Fox stepped outside, his DC-15s carbine blaster rifle in his hand. Unfortunately for Fox, he put too much pressure on his injured leg and fell to one knee.

"Commander!" The Shock trooper shouted, ready to run out of The Gunship.

"Report back to base." Fox said while holding his hand up in a dismissive manner. "Tell Kicks and O-Niner I'm doing just fine. "

"Yes sir." The Shock trooper said while grabbing the metal bar inside of The Gunship. "Pilot, get her into the air and report back to base."

"Yes Sergeant." The pilot replied.

Fox watched as The Gunship took off, smiling to himself, he turned around and was greeted by four Senate Commandos.

"Are you Commander Fox?" One of the Senate Commandos asked, his armor being blue with stripes of white running over his helmet, arms and legs. This had to be a Captain.

"Yes." Fox replied.

"Please follow us, we will escort you to The Chancellors' suite." The Senate Commando Captain. said.

"Right." Fox said while walking after the Commandos, careful not to put more pressure on his injured leg.

After a minute of walking, they reached a landing platform, there they stepped inside a ship, it took of and flew towards its destination.

"So, nice weather 'eh?" Fox asked, trying to start a conversation with the Senate Commandos.

"It's alright I guess." One of The Senate Commandos replied.

"Right." Fox said. He cleared his throat and looked out of a nearby window. Seeing the crowded streets of Coruscant. It was getting dark, and when it got dark, it got dangerous.

'I should be out there.' Fox thought while touching the glass. 'To uphold the law, protect the innocent, serve the public trust.' He thought. A sigh escaped his mouth, instead of taking down criminals, he was being escorted to see The Chancellor.

'Could have been worse.' Fox thought while rubbing his =shoulder. 'I could have been killed.'

"Commander, I will have to ask you to hand over your weapons when we reach The Chancellors' suite." The Senate Commando Captain said.

"I know that, only Jedi are allowed to enter with their weapons... And you guys." Fox retorted.

"Hand them over, we will keep them safe." The Senate Commando Captain said.

"Sure." Fox said while grabbing his blaster and blaster pistols. He handed them over, the Senate Commando Captain grabbed them and handed them to another Senate Commando.

"Sir, we will be arriving at our destination shortly." The Senate Commando who was piloting the ship said.

"Roger that." The Captain replied. "Commander, sit tight and good luck."

"Thank you Captain." Fox replied.

Finally, the ship landed, opening its doors. Commander Fox and two Senate Commandos stepped outside, the Commandos were carrying their standard DC-15s blaster rifle, only they had a customized wooden stock. Fox and the two Senate Commandos walked inside the famous building, a building well known among Politics and Jedi alike. They stepped inside a elevator, one ofthe Senate Commandos pressed a button, going more than two hundred levels. 

Suddenly, one of The Senate Commandos' commlink started beeping. "This is Blaze." Blaze said, answering the call.

"This is Captain Rukis, new orders came through, you are to escort Commander Fox to The Chancellor's office, Chancellor Palpatine requested it himself."

"Copy that Captain." Blaze replied. He turned his commlink off and looked at Fox. "Upper level it is." He said while pushing another button.

The elevator stopped, they didn't step outside, due to it being the wrong floor. The elevator doors closed and it went up again.

This might sound strange but, Fox was feeling.. Different, like a piece of him was missing. But what? What could be missing? Fox didn't know, and quite frankly; he didn't care. He only cared for one thing: His job.

The elevator stopped as they reached the upper levels of the building. The two Senate Commandos and Commander Fox stepped out of the elevator, only to be greeted by two other Senate Commandos, who were currently walking towards them.

"What's the access code?" One of The Senate Commandos asked.

"Forty-zero-twelve-nine-seven-four." The Senate Commando replied.

"Area pacification granted, The Chancellor has been expecting you". One of the Senate Commandos said.

They nodded and walked past the two, walking towards the entrance of he famous office of Chancellor Palpatine himself. The Senate Commando entered a pacification code. The doors opened, revealing Chancellor Palpatine sitting behind his desk. Hands folded and a smile on his face.

"Please enter." The Chancellor said.

Commander Fox and the two Senate Commandos who had escorted him entered the office, the two Senate Commandos stood at attention.

"Please leave us, we have much to discuss." The Chancellor said.

The Senate Commandos nodded, Senate Commando Blaze walked towards the door, but instead of opening it, he locked it.

"I'm sorry Chancellor." Blaze said while turning around and aiming his DC-15s at the other Senate Commando. "But I'm afraid that just won't do. "

And with that said, he pulled the trigger. 
> Crisis on Coruscant II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"You must realize, you are doomed!"

"Oh I don't think so."

Obi-Wan Kenobi, sharing a final 'civilized' conversation with General Grievous, before the start of their final fight.



--------


"What are you doing?!" Fox asked, shocked at the scene that had just unfolded in front of him.

The Senate Commando known as 'Blaze' had shot his partner, another Senate Commando for crying out loud! Fox rushed towards Blaze, but stopped when Blaze aimed his weapon at him.

"Easy there." Fox said while holding his hands up. "No need to get this office dirty."

"Commander, please step out of the way, I don't want to hurt you." Blaze threatened.

"You're a Clone, I know because of your voice." Fox said while slowly walking towards Blaze, his hands still raised.

"Don't move!" Blaze ordered.

"Alright." Fox said while putting his hands behind his head. "See, not moving."

"Step out of the way, I have unfinished business with The Chancellor." Blaze said while walking towards Fox, his DC-15s carbine rifle still aimed at the Clone Commander.

"I can't let you hurt The Chancellor." Fox said, he firmly stood his ground and put his hands behind his back, unbeknownst to Blaze, activating his commlink while doing so.

"Hurt The Chancellor?" Blaze repeated. "It's The Chancellor who's hurting us Clones!" Blaze said.

"What are you talking about?" Fox asked.

"You wouldn't understand." Blaze said while walking past Fox.

"You're a traitor, and traitors need to be dealt with." Fox retorted.

"I've been dealt with before, but survived." Blaze said in a grim tone.

Fox turned around. "What do you mean?"

Blaze ran towards The Chancellor, he ran over the desk and grabbed him by his collar.

"Unhand me at once!" The Chancellor ordered.

Blaze jabbed him in his side, making The Chancellor gasp for air.

"Chancellor!" Fox exclaimed.

"Stay where you are!" Blaze ordered, aiming his blaster at Fox.

"Chancellor are you alright?!" A voice asked from outside the office. "Get this door open at once!" The voice ordered.

Blaze tilted his head.. A big mistake. Fox sprinted towards Blaze, elbowing him in the side of his helmet, making him stumble backwards. Fox launched himself at Blaze, he grabbed hold of the blaster, trying to wiggle it out of Blaze's grasp. Blaze lifted his leg and kicked Fox in his gut, making him hold his stomach and falling to his knees. Blaze aimed his blaster at The Chancellor. 

"This is the end for you." Blaze said.

Fox's instincts kicked in and he launched himself at Blaze again. Making impact with Blaze's side, sending him and Fox collapse against the wall.

A loud explosion could be heard, the entrance to the office was blown open and two Senate Commandos came rushing in, their weapons aimed at Fox and Blaze.

"Chancellor!" One of the Senate Commandos exclaimed.

"These two were trying to assassinate me!" The Chancellor said, fear clearly present in his voice.

"What?" Fox asked while turning around, releasing Blaze in the progress. "What are you talking about?" Fox asked in utter fear and shock.

"Quickly! Shoot them!" The Chancellor ordered, fearing for his life.

"Wait, I didn't--."

Fox was cut off when the Senate Commandos began opening fire at him. Fox quickly ducked behind the desk. The Chancellor ran towards the two firing Senate Commandos.

"Get The Chancellor out of here! I will handle th--."

The Senate Commando was cut off when Blaze shot him in his chest.

The other Senate Commando grabbed hold of The Chancellor's arm and dragged him out of the room.

"You're not getting away from me!" Blaze shouted while running after them.

The Senate Commando made a run for the elevator, pressing the up button, he activated his commlink.

"Attention all Commandos, we have a breach. The Chancellor is in danger and I am escorting him to a safer location. A Senate Commando and Clone Commander have tried to assassinate The Chancellor and are now in pursuit, I need immediate reinforcements!"

"This is Captain Rukis, we are on our way!" Captain Rukis said through the commlink.

"Thank goodness, I thought we--."

The Senate Commando was cut off when three plasma bolts went straight through his chest. He fell to the ground, his body going limp.

Blaze ran towards The Chancellor and uppercutted him, knocking him out instantly.

"What do you think you are doing?! "Fox asked while running towards Blaze, holding the DC-15s carbine rifle of the dead Senate Commando in his hands. He aimed the blaster at Blaze.

"Put him down!" Fox ordered.

"Fox, didn't you hear what he just said, he told those two you tried to assassinate him." Blaze said.

"I-I-- that's not true! Y-You're trying to get into my head!" Fox retorted.

"Fox, you already made a big mistake when you killed that Clone, don't make another one." Blaze said while picking The Chancellor up and hanging him over his shoulder. "You know damn well what he said, he betrayed you, he betrayed all of us." Blaze said.

"I-I." Fox stammered.

"Trust me, all will become clear soon." Blaze said in a nicer tone than before.

Fox wanted to shoot him, he really wanted, but his mind said not to. As if his body had its own will, he lowered his blaster.

Blaze nodded. As if on cue, the elevator that was called a few seconds ago; arrived. Blaze stepped inside, The Chancellor still hanging from his shoulder. "Come on, we need to get going, and we're probably going to have to shoot our way out." Blaze said.

Fox entered the elevator, perhaps Blaze was right. 'Why did The Chancellor say that he wanted to assassinate him? Why would he do that? Weren’t they.. Friends?'

"Commander, press the button, we will go to the lower levels". Blaze said.

Fox hesitantly pushed the button and the elevator went down.

"Have you ever killed Senate Commandos before?" Blaze asked while grabbing a Thermal Detonator from his belt.

"No." Fox replied.

"Well, there’s a first time for everything." Blaze said.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, Blaze instantly threw the Detonator out of the elevator.

"Look out!" They heard someone scream. An explosion followed, and then there were screams of agonizing pain. Fox and Blaze stepped out of the elevator and looked around them. A squadron of Senate Commandos laid sprawled across the ground, some of them were still alive, others were dead.. including Captain Rukis, the Captain that had escorted Fox to The Chancellor.

"What have you done?" Fox asked while looking at the bodies of the dead Commandos.

"We need to keep moving! Come on, on the double!" Blaze said while running towards the exit.

Fox shook his head. "What have I done?" He whispered while running after Blaze.

They reached the landing platform, the same landing platform Fox had been dropped off by Captain Rukis and his men. There he saw the ship that he was in before.

"There!" Fox said while pointing his index finger at the ship. Two Senate Commandos were guarding the ship.

"I got this." Blaze said while walking towards the ship.

"Hold!" One of The Senate Commandos said while walking towards Blaze. "What are you doing with The Chancellor, Blaze?" He asked confused.

"Where is Captain Rukis?" The other Senate Commando asked.

"Sorry, but we’ll be leaving now." Blaze said while walking towards the ship.

"Hold it Blaze." One of the Senate Commandos said while pointing his DC-15s carbine rifle at him.

"Commander, do it." Blaze said.

"Do what?" Fox asked frantically.

"Do it!" Blaze ordered.

"H-Hold those two! They have taken The Chancellor hostage!" A Senate Commando said while running out of the same exit, Blaze and Fox had run out.

"Blast." Blaze muttered while throwing The chancellor into the ship. He turned around and shot the two Senate Commandos. The Commandos fell dead to the ground.

"No!" Fox shouted.

"Move it!" Blaze said while grabbing hold of Fox’s arm and dragging him into the ship. He closed the doors and sat in the pilots’ seat. The engines were turned on and the ship took off.  Fox looked down at the landing platform, seeing the wounded Senate Commando who had run out of the exit fall to his knees.

"What have we done?" Fox asked.

"We have done the right thing, now put that piece of kriff on one of the benches, I will get us somewhere, no one will find us." Blaze said

Fox aimed his blaster at Blaze. "I am not betraying The Republic!" Fox practically shouted.

"You are helping The Republic, The Chancellor is not who you think he is!" Blaze snapped back at him.

"He is the one who will end this war, he will bring peace to the galaxy!" Fox retorted.

"No, he will not! He will destroy the galaxy, shroud it in darkness, for he is not who you think he is!" Blaze said.

"I-I have m-my duty, g-good soldiers follow orders." Fox said.

"Commander, please, calm down and do as I say." Blaze said.

For some reason Fox could not comprehend, he lowered his blaster and did as he was told, putting The Chancellor on a nearby bench and watched him closely.

'Why am I doing this? This goes against every standard protocol!' Fox thought.

After half an our of flying, they reached a familiar place. Blaze landed the ship and walked out of the cockpit.

"Commander, you know where we are, don't you." Blaze said as he walked towards The Chancellor and put him over his shoulder.

"I remember this place, this is-- why? Out of all the places, why here?" Fox asked.

"This is were it all ended, this is were I failed to do my duty, but now I can redeem myself." Blaze said while walking towards the, all to familiar storage bay.

"Redeem yourself? What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Fox asked.

"Commander, I only wanted to do my duty."" Blaze said while stepping inside the cargo bay. Fox followed him, carrying his DC-15s carbine rifle.

"I remember now." Fox whispered.

"Get down soldier! Get down! On your knees!" Fox ordered while running towards Fives, a squadron of Shock Troopers behind him.

"No--no wait!" Fives shouted while waving his hands in front of his chest, trying to get the Troopers to back off.

"Don't do it soldier! Don't do it!" Fox ordered while running towards Fives, his blaster pistol aimed at the ARC Trooper.  

"Fives!" Rex shouted, trying to get his brother to calm down.

"Stay away from me!" Fives demanded while reaching for the pistol that Captain Rex had laid on one of the nearby crates. He grabbed the blaster and aimed it at Fox.

Fox pulled the trigger, hitting Fives directly in his chest. Fives fell to the ground, breathing heavily. A burn hole in his chest plate.

"Fives!" Rex shouted while pushing the ray shield. 

"Get this ray shield off!" General Skywalker ordered.

One of The Shock Troopers shot the shield generator and the ray shield was gone.

"Fives!" Rex exclaimed.

"Call for help! We need a medic!" Red ordered, getting down on his knees beside Fives.

"R-Rex." Fives called out.

"Fives." Rex said comfortingly.

"This i-it's.. Bigger than any of us, than anything I could have imagined." Fives said while trying to reach out for Rex.

"I-I never meant to." Fives said while reaching out for Rex. Rex held his brother close, Fives'  head near Rex' ear. "I only wanted to do my duty."

Fives breathed heavily and his body became weaker. He leaned back, Rex following his brothers' movements, holding him above the ground. One of his hands rested under Fives' neck, while the other rested under his back.

"Fives. Stay with me Fives. Fives!" Rex pleaded, shaking Fives a bit.

"The mission.. The nightmares.. They're.. Finally.. Over." And with those final words, Fives' body went limp. His head slowly turned and his eyes closed.

"No, Fives. Come on Fives. Don't go! Stay with me, stay with me! Fives? Fives! .. Don't go." Rex pleaded, but it was too late. "No, oh no." Rex whispered, his bottom lip trembling as tears started to form in his eyes. Rex carefully placed Fives' head on the hardened metal ground, General Skywalker knelt down beside Rex and placed a hand on his shoulder. Even The Shock Troopers removed their helmets and stood in a circle around Fives, bowing their heads respectfully. They mourned their brothers' loss.. Except for one.

"What have I done?" Fox thought while looking at the scene.

"What have I done?" Fox whispered.

"Commander, it is time you know the truth." Blaze said while removing his helmet.

Fox's eyes widened underneath his helmet.

"You? It can't be."

> A bond between brothers! Fluttershy's feelings?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Skywalker should have attacked by now!"

"Don't worry, he knows the plan!"

Commander Cody and Jedi General Obi- Wan Kenobi, during the battle of Christophsis.



--------


As Thorn walked through the crowded streets of Ponyville, greeting ponies along the way, he was going to help out Fluttershy today. She apparently requested his presence, not that he cared what the reason was, he was always there to help people, or ponies in this case. Walking past Carousel Boutique, he saw Rarity walking out of it. She waved at him, he returned the greeting. Thorn had insisted Sev should join him, but Sev told him he needed some time alone, probably to fight of animals, or hunt.. Without letting anyone notice. He had told Thorn about the "incident" he and Fluttershy had. He demanded Thorn not to speak of it to anyone, which Thorn agreed to do so. 

After a long and not-so boring walk, he finally reached Fluttershy's cottage. There he saw Fluttershy, taking care of her animal friends. He smiled underneath his helmet and walked up to her. He had left his Z6 with Sev, not wanting to scare the animals. But he still had his dual pistols with him, just in case something might happen. Fluttershy saw Thorn walking towards her and smiled. She flew up to him and smiled.

"Hello." She greeted him.

"Hello to you as well." Thorn replied, receiving a giggle from Fluttershy. "So, what do you have in store for me today?" He asked.

"Well, I actually need your help with Mr. Bear, he hasn't been eating his food, and he doesn't seem to like it when I get too close." Fluttershy replied.

"Alright, show me this little "Mr. Bear" of yours." Thorn said.

"Follow me, he's just around the corner." Fluttershy said while flying away from him. Thorn followed her. 'Pfft, probably some kind of small animal that doesn't want to eat his food.' Thorn thought, letting put a small chuckle.

"Here we are." Fluttershy said while motioning at a big ball of fur.

"Alright ya overgrown furball, eat up." Thorn said while patting the ball of fur. Suddenly the ball of fur stood up, and became bigger. There stood a creature Thorn had never seen before, it didn't remind him of any of the creatures he had ever encountered in his travels across the galaxy. But there stood: A bear.

"Uhh, nice boy, down." Thorn said. The bear swinged its paw at Thorn, Thorn jumped out of the way, just in time before the bear could hit him. He grabbed his dual pistols and aimed them at the bear. "That's not a pet, that's a killing machine!"

"No, Mr. Bear is really nice, he's just.. Grumpy for some reason." Fluttershy retorted, giving the bear a sad look. "I don't know what's wrong with him."

"Perhaps an infection?" Thorn suggested. 

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, he has always taken his medicine, and later time I checked, he had no wounds or cuts."

"Hmm, perhaps it has rabies." Thorn said.

"No, of he had, other would have infected the others too, and there is no foam around his mouth." Fluttershy said.

"Well, either way." Thorn said while looking at Fluttershy. "That thing has got to eat, whether he likes it, or not."

"I know, oh I wish there was something I could do." Fluttershy said.

"Hmm, why won't we ask Twilight for help, or even Sev.  Thorn said.

"We could try Twilight, but I think it is for the best if we'd leave Sev out of this one, seeing as he had so much "fun" at the whole "Pinkie Pie clone incident."

Thorn laughed, remembering how Sev had shot all of those clones.. In a way, they deserved it, they were annoying to say the least.

"Well, you go get Twilight and I'll watch this thing here." Thorn said. 

Fluttershy nodded and flapped her wings. She took of and flew towards Ponyville.

"Now." Thorn said while holstering his pistols. "What to do with you?"

The bear roared at Thorn.

"... Kriff it." Thorn said while activating his commlink.

"What is it now Thorn?"He heard Sev ask from the commlink.

"Nothing much, got a new creature here for you, perhaps you would like to inspect it?" Thorn replied.

".. I'll be there in ten minutes." And with that, the conversation ended.

"Well, that was quick." Thorn remarked while looking at the bear. "Don't you think?"

The bear, for some reason, nodded.

The ten minutes had passed, and in the corner of his eyes, he saw Sev walking towards him, carrying his Z6 Rotary blaster cannon. Thorn waved at his brother and he pointed his finger at the bear.

"That's it." Thorn said.

"Hmmm." Sev mused while walking around the bear, inspecting every feature of it. "Paws are medium sized and it has sharp claws, its probably carnivorous,  this would make a great trophy."

"No, the reason I asked you to come here is because this thing won't eat." Thorn said, not wanting Sev to kill the bear,

"I see, but you can't just "feed" animals, they like to hunt." Sev said while nudging the bear with his foot, making it roar in annoyance.

Sev handed Thorn his Z6 and nudged the bear again, this time, the bear swinged its paw at him. Sev dodged and punched the bear, making it yelp and recoil.

"You have to show them who's in charge, if you don't, they'll get too dominant." Sev explained while walking towards the bear. "Down boy!"

The bear roared at Sev, Sev roared back and raised his fist. This time, the bear did nothing and looked at Sev, almost pleading him  other to hurt him. Sev held out his hand. The bear hesitantly held out its paw, until it felt a sharp pain I'm its paw. It retracted its paw and looked at Sev, angry, but relieved.

"What did you do?" Thorn asked curiously.

It was then that Sev, showed Thorn a small.. Thorn. "This was stuck in its paw, thing must have been so annoyed by it, it got a short temper." Sev said while throwing the thorn away.

"Wow, that was fast, I'm sure Fluttershy appreciates this." Thorn said.

On cue, Fluttershy came flying towards them, stopping in mid-air when she saw Sev. She slowly flew towards them and greeted them.

"H-Hello Thorn.. And Sev." She greeted them. "How are you doing?"

"We're good, oh, and Sev fixed the problem with Mr. Bear, turns out there was a thorn stuck in its paw." Thorn replied.

"I think I'll eat again, so don't worry about that." Sev added.

"Oh, t-thank you so much." Fluttershy said with a kind smile.

"You're welcome, but I almost forgot, I promised to help out Applejack at her farm." Thorn said while turning to face Fluttershy. "Unless you want me to help you out with something else."

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, that is alright. You have already done enough. Good luck with helping Applejack."

Thorn nodded and began his walk towards the apple orchard. Meanwhile, Sev was pondering what to do, he'd have to admit, this place was kind of boring.

"Sev, would you perhaps like a cup of tea, or maybe some water?" Fluttershy asked politely.

"Some water will do, thanks Yellow." Sev replied while sitting down on the ground. Crossing his legs, he grabbed his DC-17m and started to clean it, a usual routine for Sev. Fluttershy came flying up to him with a glass of water, strangely, holding it in her hooves. She handed it to Sev, Sev removed his helmet and drank the water. Putting his helmet back on, he noticed Fluttershy staring at him.

"Something the matter?" He asked, making her blush a bit.

"N-No, I was just wondering if you would uhh, maybe go to Ponyville with m-me?" Fluttershy asked.

"Ponyville, that means crowd, that means a lot of civvies, meaning the answer is: No." Sev replied while continuing to clean his blaster.

"Please?" Fluttershy asked.

"Please, won't help." Sev replied in a neural tone.

Fluttershy flew up to him and gave him the biggest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen. "Pretty please?"

Sev sighed. "Just let me finish this and we can go, but only for a limited amount of time." Sev warned.

If Sev wasn't around, Fluttershy would have squealed from happiness. You see, ever since she saw what Sev had done to Sombra, she was scared. But after spending more and more time with him, even getting him to talk about something else than war, she found out he was quite a nice person. You just had to dig really deep to find his soft side. Eventually, Sev finished cleaning his blaster, they began their walk towards Ponyville. 

"So Sev, what are you afraid of?" Fluttershy asked the Commando.

"Nothing scares me." Sev replied.

"Oh, well my mother always told me that everypony is scared of something, even if they don't like to admit it." Fluttershy said.

"I'm not afraid of anything, it would be wise to drop the subject Yellow." Sev said while looking into the distance.

"Well, there's Ponyville, uhm, would you mind if we visited Rarity first?" Fluttershy asked. Sev shook his head. 

"No I don't mind, just make it quick." Sev replied.

Fluttershy smiled and they continued their walk towards Ponyville. Coming across many different ponies, greeting them along the way--only Fluttershy did all the greeting-- they finally arrived at Rarity's boutique. As on cue, Rarity came walking out of the boutique.

"Fluttershy, darling, are you ready for our trip to the spa?" Rarity asked. It was then that she saw Sev. "Oh, and I see we have a stallion, or should I say man,to accompany us."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a spa something that woman attend to, to do.. Woman stuff?" Sev asked.

"Well, there are some stallions who visited the spa, but not very often. But it is quite a relaxing experience." Rarity replied while walking over to Sev. "You could really use a pedicure, or some make-up to cover that nasty scar of yours."

.. How do you know I have a scar, the only one I showed my face to was. Sev said while turning his head to Fluttershy. Yellow.

"Huh? Sev I promise I didn't tell anypony about what I saw!" Fluttershy quickly said, not wanting Sev to get angry at her.

"Then how does she know?" Sev asked, his voice filled with anger.

"Well.. Remember that time when you slept in my room, I kind of got a itsy bitsy peek at your face." Rarity replied, answering the question for Fluttershy.

"White, I am going to leave now, I need to blow some steam off. When I get back, we are going to have a a little talk about the privacy of others." Sev said while turning around and walking away from the boutique.

"Should I.. Hide?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy shook her head and smiled. "Sev can be a pain in the rear, but he is nice once you get to know him."

"Alright, but Fluttershy, you wanted to talk about Thorn?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy blushed at her question. "Yes, about that."

"You like him." Rarity teased.

"I do not, I think he is very nice and he would make any mare happy." Fluttershy retorted.

".. Alright, whatever you say darling." Rarity said with a flick of her mane. "To the spa!"


****


"Applebloom, give me my helmet back!" Thorn demanded while running after the little, farm filly. They had been running for several minutes. This all started because Thorn was helping Applejack collect apples, but because of the heat,  he chose to remove his helmet. But because the little filly was so interested in Thorn, she choose to grab his helmet and put it on. She was going to show it to her friends, but Thorn saw her just in time. And now, they were running through the orchard, Applebloom laughing and Thorn annoyed by the fact he couldn't catch her.

Applebloom was giggling to herself. 'He'll never catch me.' She thought while passing another apple tree. She was about to make a run for the barn, looking back, she saw Thorn running after her. She thought she was going to get away with this, but it water then that she bumped into somehow. She fell on her rear, Thorn's helmet falling of her head and rolling away from her. Applebloom rubbed her head.

"Hey, can't ya watch were yer.. Going?"

"I could be asking you the same question." Sev retorted while looking down at the filly. He crossed his arms and tapped his feet impatiently. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I uhh, I was just having a litte fun, mister." Applebloom replied, frightened of the figure in front of her. Sweetiebelle had talked about him, she told her his name was: Sev, that his voice was the scariest thing you'll ever hear, and that his armor, was the creepiest armor ever made.

Before Sev could retort, Thorn came running up to them. He picked up his helmet and looked at Applebloom with a stern expression. 

"Applebloom, if we were on Coruscant, you would have been arrested and put into juvenile hall." Thorn said while wiping some dirt of his helmet. "But, since we're not on Coruscant anymore, I'll let you of with a warning. Don't do it again."

Applebloom nodded. "Sorry mister, but it's just that, since Applejack grounded me, there's nothing much ah can do." 

"Well why not try and help out in the orchard." Thorn suggested. "You can take over my shift, because my work is done anyways."

"But." Applebloom said, only to be cut off by Thorn.

"It's either that, or I tell Applejack that you touched someone's belongings, without asking first."

"I would take the deal, kid." Sev said.

Applebloom pouted. "Alright, but this isn't over!"

"Sure it's not, now go." Thorn said, waving the filly off.

Sev watched as the filly trotted towards the many trees in the orchard. Not wanting to stay at the orchard for much longer, Sev turned to Thorn and spoke up.

"Thorn, I need to blow some steam of, I am going into the woods to hunt for fresh meat." Sev said while grabbing his blaster. "You want to join?"

Thorn nodded. "Sure, I could go for some meat, haven't eaten some in a while. Just let me get my Z6 and we can go."

"Alright, meet me at the edge of the orchard, there's a passage way that leads to the forest." Sev said while walking past Thorn. "Sending you the coordinates now."

Thorn's commlink bleeped. Thorn nodded and began to walk to the barn. Reaching the barn, he garbbed his Z6 and went on his way. Not bothering to disturb Applejack, since she was too busy bucking trees, he followed the coordinates Sev had given him. Finally reaching the coordinates,  he saw Sev standing at the egde of the Everfree forest. 

Sev nodded at Thorn and they began their trek into the forest.


--------


Meanwhile, on one of the many cargo bays of Coruscant..

"Do you know who I am?" Blaze asked.

"Yes, you're that ARC trooper, Fives or something like that." Fox replied.

Blaze laughed, but was this really Fives? His hair was the standard, short, Jango Fett hair style, but last time Fox checked, Fives was bald. Blaze walked towards Fox and kicked him in his gut, making him clutch his stomach in pain.

"Do you see the tattoo of the number five on the side of my head?!" Blaze asked while picking Fox up.

"No, I don't." Fox replied. "But if you aren't Fives, then who are you?"

"I am the one who's going to end all of this, I am the one who will end this war and spare many of our brothers a cruel fate!"

"Who are you, trooper?" Fox asked.

"My name, is Echo."
> Can the future be changed?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Send a message to the fleet! We have to warn--gaaah!"

"Sergeant!"

The nameless Clone trooper Sergeant's last words, before being killed by The Commando Droids, who infiltrated the Rishi-moom outpost.



--------


"So, Commander Fox. Echo spat at him. You don't know me, but I know you, I know a lot about you. I've done my research, and found out you are a " By the book" kind of Clone, right?" Echo said.

"Following Republic protocol, is what makes us who we are." Fox spat back at him.

"This man, this so called "Chancellor". He is the one that will lead The Republic into its downfall, he will not end the war; he'll only postpone the end of it. Echo said, looking at The Chancellor with disgust. Rage and hatred filled in his eyes. As an ARC Trooper, my armor was stronger, that is how I survived.. That is how I made it out of that kriffing hole." Echo said.

"What "kriffing hole", are you talking about?" Fox asked while slowly stumbling towards Echo, his stomach still stung; due to the kick in the gut Echo had given.

"The Citadel. A Separatist prison. The most highly guarded one for that matter. I was sent on a mission to rescue Jedi Master Even Piell. The mission went downhill fast. We were compromised and had to re-treat, but we managed to rescue General Piell, along with Admiral Tarkin and other Republic officers. We had a Separatist shuttle, which we had captured, waiting for us at one of the landing bays. But unfortunately, before we were able to get even near the shuttle, we were under enemy fire. Droids and their defense turrets were firing at us. I saw one of the droids man a turret, and it had its optics set on the shuttle. I tried to make my way over to the shuttle, I tried to use its turrets to destroy the enemy turret.. But it was a doomed plan, I was almost inside of the shuttle, but it was destroyed. The explosion send me flying.. And I blacked out." Echo replied.

"That's quite the story, soldier." Fox said. "But that still doesn't explain why you decided to take The Chancellor hostage." He said while crossing his arms.

"Because I overheard things, things that.. I was never meant to hear. General Piell had been killed. I was on The Citadel, my body hurt, but I tried to ignore it. When I awoke, I found out I was on some kind of operation table. Then I saw one of those Tactical droids walk in, with all sorts of tools, and believe me, those tools weren't to patch me up. Echo replied with a sigh. Luckily, I knew how to.. Fake things. So I faked a heart attack." Echo said.

"You faked a heart attack? That has got to be the most idiotic thing, I have ever heard." Fox said, sarcasm clearly present in his voice.

"Well, droids aren't that smart. So they untied my binds and were about to.. Well, whatever they do to you when you have a heart attack. I snapped the droid's neck and got up from the table. Of course, two of those B1's entered the room. I took them out and grabbed the blaster of one of them. That is when the fun started. Now, I am not going into full detail, but I had to run, run fast, and duck, duck many lasers. Luckily, Osi Sobeck, the Citadel's supervisor, had been killed, at least, that's what I heard after I escaped the "operation room". After my risky escape, I was able to hide in one of the Separatists' cargo shuttles. After seizing control of the shuttle, I just put in the coordinates to Republic space.. Not the wisest idea. I was near Ryloth. Apparently, The Separatists still hadn't given up on terms of concurring the planet. I was hit by one of my own brothers, I crashed.. But survived. In case you are wondering what happened to my armor, that's simple, I had none. The droids had removed it, so it was just the usual, tight, body suit. Luckily for me, I crashed in Twi'lek territory, I was quickly surrounded, but helped by the Twi'lek resistance." Echo said.

"And let me guess, you were eventually brought to Republic forces, you explained what happened, and that's how you arrived on Coruscant." Fox said.

"Yes and no, while I was brought to Republic forces, I was still wounded, apparently some of my ribs were broken and I had a slight concussion. I was put on the Venator-class starcruiser Spirit of Justice, and was treated there. What I didn't know, is that they had captured a Separatist representative named: Roka Malisius. He was a Neimoidian, but he was as much a slug like Viceroy Gunray. They checked my designation and serial number on the cruiser. When they found out I was presumed K.I.A, they were quite surprised I proved the opposite. They found out I was part of the 501st Legion. So what do you think they did?"Echo asked.

"I don't know." Fox shrugged, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowing at Echo. Luckily, Echo couldn't see him staring at him, because he still  had his helmet on. "They contact General Skywalker and you were recruited back in the 501st?" Fox said.

"Well, General Skywalker was apparently on a rescue mission on Scipio, they didn't tell me any specifics. So, they decided it would be for the best if I was to be returned to Kamino and stay there until General Skywalker returned from his mission." Echo said, a sigh escaping his mouth. "That's when things started going downhill. When we arrived on Kamino, I was instantly taken to the medical bay. The Kaminoans examined me there, and after a couple of hours, I was free to go. That's when my curiosity got the best of me. I asked one of the Kaminoans about my brother, my friend, Fives. They asked fir a specific designation, I told them his designation and serial number."

"What happened next?" Fox asked curiously.

"That's when I received the news, how ARC Trooper fifty five fifty five, was Killed In Action. Now that shocked me, but what I was told next, was what completely blew my mind. They told me how Fives tried to rescue a Clone, but the Clone still died. But that wasn't the only thing, no, what shocked me the most was.. That Fives tried to kill Chancellor Palpatine. But I knew Fives, he would never do something like that!"

"But he did, and he died here. Fox said. I still regret killing him, but I was only doing my duty."

"Yes, but now, finally, I can avenge my brother. Because I know, that what Fives had discovered, had The Chancellor worried." Echo said.

"What do you mean?" Fox asked.

"While I was staying on Kamino, I saw a droid who was about to be escorted to the re-program chamber. I asked the troopers who escorted him why, and they told me he had helped Fives when he was still on Kamino. I needed information, so I told them I could do it. After some talk and taking ranks, they abruptly agreed. I took the droid to the re-program chamber, but instead of  him, I--."

"You questioned him." Fox finished.

"Yes, that's when he he told me everything, he told me how he had helped Fives, how they found out that these "micro organic chips" were planted in our genetic code, from the minute we were born. When we were cloned! I asked him what purpose these chips served, but that, he did not know. But eventually, I had to do what had to be done. So I re-program the droid.. For once, just this once, I felt sorry for a droid. He helped my brother, when I told him Fives was killed, it was like he showed the slightest emotion, like he was actually.. Sad. Then, the droid asked me what my name was. I told him my name was Echo. And he told me his name was: AZ-3. And with that, I gained a lot of information, in a short amount of time. Eventually, I decided to follow in my brothers' footsteps, so I left Kamino.. On my own. Not caring about the consequences of my actions." Echo said.

"That still doesn't explain why you decided to assassinate The Chancellor, or how you ended up in that Senate Commando armor." Fox said while walking towards him.

"Because, after arriving on Coruscant, I entered one of them Clone bars, you know, were soldiers who actually see combat, take their time and have fun." Echo spat at Fox. "Anyways, I came across some Troopers of the 501st, I asked them what they knew of ARC Trooper Fives, that's when a Clone came walking up to me. I believe his name was Kix, and he told me that he had spoken to Fives, before he was killed. I kept asking what happened next, but he told me that if I really wanted to know, I should talk to Captain Rex, or General Skywalker.. But as I said before, General Skywalker was on Scipio, and were General Skywalker goes, so does Captain Rex." Echo said.

"Yes, continue." Fox said.

"No, I've already told you enough. The only reason I tried to assassinate The Chancellor was because-- because.. A voice in my head kept telling me to." Echo said.

"A voice in your head? What voice?" Fox asked.

"I don't know!" Echo shouted in frustration. "I kept hearing it, it was driving me crazy!" Echo screamed while grabbing hold of his head in frustration.

"Echo, what did the voice tell you?" Fox asked.

"Ooh, w-what happened?"

"I see you are finally awake." Echo said while walking towards The Chancellor. Grabbing hold of his collar, he dragged him onto his feet and looked him in his eyes.

"Release me at once!" Chancellor Palpatine demanded.

"Quiet!" Echo shouted while punching The Chancellor in his stomach, making him clutch his chest and falling to his knees. He coughed and looked up at Echo. "Why are you doing this?" He asked in fear.

"You know why." Echo said.

"End this! Do it! Strike him down! "

"I-I." Echo stuttered.

"Strike him down! Save the galaxy!"

"Echo, stop!" Fox shouted.


--------


Five minutes earlier...

"We're closing in on the target, be prepared for unwanted combat." Captain Rex said to his superior.

"Thanks Captain Rex, let's go save The Chancellor." Jedi General Anakin Skywalker replied.

As the Republic LAAT Gunship flew through the city of Coruscant, following the track of the stolen transport ship, in which The Chancellor had been taken hostage in. General Skywalker had returned to Coruscant, shortly after the battle of Scipio. He was to return to The Jedi Temple immediately, to report and explain what exactly happened on Scipio. But when he arrived, he received the news of Chancellor Palpatine, his good friend and fatherly figure, being kidnapped by a rogue Senate Commando, and Clone Commander Fox. Not wasting any time, he gathered a squadron of his finest men, including his most trustworthy Clone Captain Rex. And now, we find the General and his squadron of Clones, closing in on their target.

"General." Captain Rex said.

"I know, Rex. I can't believe it either. But it's true." Anakin said with a sigh.

"I can't believe we're at this junk again, thought I'd never have to come back here." Rex said.

"General, we'll be landing within two minutes, I suggest we move in, as fast as we can." A 501st Clone trooper said, grabbing a DC-15s blaster rifle from the ammo crate inside the Gunship.

"Yes trooper, but set weapons to stun, I want these two alive for questioning." Anakin ordered.

"Yes sir." The Clone replied.

"Rex, I'm going to need you on this one, buddy." Anakin said.

"Have I ever let you down?" Rex asked.

"No, not yet. But there's a first time for everything, right?" Anakin joked.

"Perhaps, but not today sir." Rex laughed.

The Gunship soared through the Coruscant streets. Finally reaching the sinister storing bay, the troopers and Skywalker exited the Gunship and ran inside of the cargo bay. Anakin motioned them to be quiet and stay low. Anakin stood behind a set of metal crates, he peeked his head around the crate and saw Clone Commander Fox, and The Senate Commando. The Senate Commando aimed his weapon at The Chancellor. That was their cue.

"Echo, stop!" Fox shouted.

"Take 'em!" Anakin ordered, while activating his lightsaber. The troopers followed their General and aimed their weapons at the two rogue Clones.

Echo, hearing the familiar voice of his former General, instantly grabbed The Chancellor and held his in a head lock, and aimed his weapons' barrel at The Chancellor's back. Picking The Chancellor up, he looked at Fox and motioned him to get behind him.

"Let The Chancellor go!" Anakin ordered.

"General Skywalker, don't you remember me?" Echo asked.

"Release The Chancellor, trooper!" Anakin ordered, slowly moving toward him. Only to stop when Echo fired a plasma round in front of Anakin's feet.

"Stay back!" Echo ordered.

"Calm down, let's talk about this, alright?" Anakin suggested. He de-activated his lightsaber and attached it to his belt. "Men, lower your weapons."

The 501st Clone troopers did as they were told, but with slight hesitation. Finally, Echo moved closer toward Fox. 

"Brother, this plan has failed, we need to make a run for our transport." Echo whispered.

"No, I am going to stay here, I am not--."

"Anakin, please, these Clones are going to kill me!" Chancellor Palpatine shouted.

"... Go, I'll cover your back." Fox whispered back, grabbing hold of Echo's blaster. Echo nodded and slowly walked towards Anakin, The Chancellor still in his grasp. That's when Fox fired the blaster, stunning several of the Clones. Anakin grabbed his lightsaber and activated it, but Echo pushed The Chancellor into Anakin, making them fall on the ground.

"Quickly Fox!" Echo shouted while running out of the cargo bay. Fox quickly ran after him. Troopers were firing at Fox, running after him as fast as they could. Fox finally got out of the cargo bay, frantically looking around for Echo and their transport. But there was no Echo, and no transport.

"He left me." Fox said, his head lowered in sadness. Fox heard the 501st troopers shouting, he could hear them closing in on him. Fox wasn't going to escape, at least that's what he thought. Then, out of nowhere, a small, two-manned, green cargo ship came flying towards him. The ship stopped and landed in front of Fox. The cockpit opened, revealing Echo. 

"Come on, we're leaving this planet!" Echo shouted.

Fox didn't want to know how, or why, he instantly entered the ship and they took off. Fox took one final glance at the cargo bay they were in. Seeing General Skywalker and some 501st Clone troopers running out of it. Fox simply shook his head and removed his helmet. His heart felt like it could explode any second. The ship flew sky high, finally breaking through the atmosphere of Coruscant.

Fox sighed and cursed himself for doing something this stupid. He looked at Echo.

"Where will we be going?" Fox asked.

"Tatooine." Echo replied, typing in the coordinates for the desert planet.

"Why?" Fox asked.

"Because it's the only place, they'll never suspect us to go. Now sit back, and enjoy the ride." Echo replied.

And so, our Clone troopers set course for Tatooine, not knowing what the future has in store for them.... 
> Behold, a new threat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"No, I am your father."

"Noooooo!"

Darth Vader, to his son Luke Skywalker, in Cloud City. Finally revealing the truth about Luke's father.



--------


Chancellor kidnapped! After the attempted assassination had failed, Clone troopers Blaze and Fox kidnapped The Chancellor. Later on, Blaze revealed that he was actually Echo, the presumably dead ARC Trooper. Now, with their plan failed, they escaped of Coruscant. Now we watch as The Jedi disuss what to do with the two, rogue Clones.


****


"This is truly concerning." Said Mace Windu, running a hand over his head. He sighed and looked at Jedi Master Yoda. "What do you think of the situation, Master Yoda?"

"Hmm, on the run, these Clones are. Broke their oath, they did, stop them we must." Yoda replied.

"Agreed, if we do not find these Clones, who knows what they might do, or who they might come across." Added Jedi Master Obi-Wan, rubbing his beard in thoughts.

"Master, with all due respect, but perhaps I should take care of this. Me and my men could--."

"No, Skywalker." Mace Windu cut him off. "The Chancellor has already assigned a Republic agent to the case, do not worry, these Clones will be found."

"Who is this agent?" Anakin asked.

"Solved many crimes, he has. Personal favorite of The Chancellor, he is." Yoda replied.

"His name, is: Nicholaus Sacero, he was born here, on Coruscant. He became a Republic agent at the age of twenty." Obi-Wan said, answering Anakin's question.

"I see." Anakin mused. Well, where is this agent? He asked curiously.

"The Chancellor's office, discussing the current situation." Mace Windu replied.

"Alright, I'll go pay him a visit and--."

"Anakin, please, I know you would want nothing more; than to take care of this case, but we are Jedi, not Republic agents. And besides, we have a different mission we must complete." Obi-Wan cut his former Padawan off.

Anakin sighed and bowed. "Yes Master, forgive my enthusiasm." Anakin said with sarcasm. "But about that other mission."

Obi-Wan chuckled while the other Jedi just shook their heads.


****


Meanwhile, in The Chancellor's office....

"So, agent Sacero." Chancellor Palpatine said, running a finger over the holo-pad that lay on his desk. "I see you are very skilled at your.. Work."

"Yes."The brown haired Human male, wearing a Republic officer vest and twin DC-15s blaster pistols, safely kept in his holster, replied. 

"Tell me, do you have any idea what  you are dealing with?" Chancellor Palpatine asked.

"Two rogue Clone Troopers, Clone Commander Fox and Senate Commando Blaze. They tried to assassinate you, then kidnapped you, and finally, tried to assassinate you again. But their plan failed and they escaped." Agent Sacero replied, a neutral expression planted on his face.

"Good, good. Now, this conversation is to stay between these walls, do you understand?" Chancellor Palpatine asked, in which agent Sacero nodded. "I want those Clones terminated, by any means necessary."

"But that is against the law, but, if you would be so kind as to--."

"You will be given one million credits in advance, another million when you have finished your task." Chancellor Palpatine cut him off.

"Very well, but where are the credits?" Agent Sacero asked.

"They are right here." Chancellor Palpatine said, motioning to a metal briefcase. Agent Sacero got of his chair and walked towards the briefcase, opening it, he saw the golden rectangular shaped, bars. He smirked and grabbed hold of the briefcase. "Sir, if I am to terminate these Clones, that means that I will need a ship, and those Police droids will do no good."

"Do not worry, go to these coordinates in the lower part of the city, there you will find people who are more suited for what you will be doing." Chancellor Palpatine said, giving him a commlink. "Now go, terminate these Clones, oh, and don't forget to take your credits."

Agent Sacero nodded and grabbed hold of the briefcase, walking out of The Chancellor's office, closing the door behind him. Chancellor Palpatine folded his hands together and smiled wickedly. "Good, everything is going as planned."


****


As Agent Sacero walked towards his very own: Republic Attack Shuttle, the briefcase full of credits in his right hand. He couldn't help but let the thought of becoming a millionaire and finally retire from the Coruscant Police Department, flow through his head. Sure he earned enough credits, but for him it just felt like he was repeating the same routine all over again. Then he remembered what The Chancellor had told him, the lower parts of Coruscant. He'd have to get changed, if he were to show up in his service clothes, he would get shot on sight. Sighing, he called for a Coruscant Hover Cab. "First things first." Sacero said while watching the Cab land in front of him. "Recruit my new.. Partners."

Agent Sacero stepped inside the cab.

"Where to?" The Duros who flying the cab asked.

"Take me to the coordinates, wait outside until I'm finished. After that, take me to the most disgusting bar, filled with sum from all over the galaxy." Agent Sacero replied.

"One trip to death, coming up!" The Duros laughed. 

Agent Sacero rolled his eyes. The Hover Cab took of. Giving Agent Sacero enough time to think about his new mission. Killing Clones, something he'd never dared to do. But now, he was. And for some reason, it gave him a new spark, a spark he hadn't felt in a long time. He was going to kill those Clones, and he'd was going to have fun, doing it. 


--------


"There she is, Tatooine." Echo said.

"I cannot believe that we sunk this deep, we're Clones for crying out loud!" Fox said.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, I found us some new clothes." Echo chuckled.

"What are you-- there's no way I'm wearing that." Fox said.

"What, they're just some old robes." Echo retorted.

"Those are robes, worn by Jedi." Fox stated.

"Well, I wonder how they ended up here." Echo laughed.

"You.. Stole them?" Fox asked.

"Jedi's aren't the only ones who wear these, a lot of people do. When I 'found' this ship, these robes where already here. So technically, I didn't steal them." Echo said.

"But you stole the ship." Fox retorted. 

"Stealing is a big word, I prefer borrowing without returning it." Echo said.

Fox groaned in annoyance. "I should have stayed on Coruscant!"

"Tatooine is just as good.. Well, aside from all the criminals, hot temperatures, and Jabba The Hutt." Echo said, a shiver running up his spine.

"Just land this ship, and make sure not to attract any attention." Fox replied with an annoyed tone.

"I'll be landing in Mos Espa, there, I'll sell this piece of kriff, along with the cargo inside of it." Echo said.

"You planned all of this, didn't you?" Fox asked.

Echo gave a toothy smile. "Indeed, Tatooine would be the last place they would come to search for us. Pretty smart huh?" 

"Yes and no, just make sure-- and I can't believe I'm going to say this-- that The Republic cannot find us." Fox replied.

"Fox, I escaped The Citadel, I'm sure I can land this thing without tracking any attention."

Time skip, ten minutes...

"My speeder!" Screamed a Twi'lek trader, holding his head in frustration and anger.

"Not my fault." Echo said with cocky smile.

"You literally landed on his speeder, how did you manage to do that?" Fox asked. 

He and Echo had decided to leave their helmets in the ship, and they were wearing the Jedi robes, so they wouldn't get noticed. The angry Twi'lek walked towards the two Clones, grabbing a blaster pistol from his holster. 

"You are going to pay for this!" He shouted.

"We will, we are going to sell the ship and we will pay you back." Fox replied.

"Why don't you give, me that ship o' yours?" The Twi'lek asked, waving his blaster in front of Fox's face. "Unless you wanna die?"

"Kriff this." Echo said, grabbing hold of the Twi'lek's blaster and punching him on the head with it. The Twi'lek fell to the ground. The other people, aliens, and other scum of the galaxy, simply watched and returned to their business.

"That was.. Unnecessary." Fox said.

"Yep." Echo replied, bending over and digging his hand into the Twi'lek's pockets. He grabbed hold of a small pouch, opening it, he saw that there were around six hundred credits in it. Echo smiled and looked at the Twi'lek. "Thank you for the generous offer, we will make sure to make good use out of these."

"Robbing people?" Fox asked, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"One often meets his destiny, on the path he takes to avoid it."

"So, this is our destiny?

"... I'm afraid so, this is what we have left, as deserters, traitors. We are on the run, this is our destiny."




> A short talk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Did you hide the data?"

"Yes, they searched me, but I hid te data pretty well."

"Where exactly?"

"Aaah, you don't wanna know.

Delta Boss, to Delta Scorch.



--------


As Twilight and Sev sat in the library, Twilight telling him about Equestria and its history. Sev stiffed a yawn. And he thought Fixer was boring. She kept talking about " The Magic of Friendship" and how it saved the day many times. Well, so did his blaster. Sev took a glance at King Sombra's horn, the horn he had personally ripped of his head when he beheaded the king himself. Sev did wonder, why did he fell the sudden for vengeance when he killed Sombra? Deciding to shrug it of, he looked at Twilight and sighed.

"And that's how we found out that we misjudged Zecora and--."

"Twilight." Sev said, putting his hand over her muzzle. "Please stop the history lesson."

Twilight looked at Sev and blushed. "Sorry, I get carried away sometimes." Twilight then looked at Sev, as if thinking about something. Finally, she smacked her hoof to her face and groaned. "Sev, I so sorry for not telling you earlier. But Princess Celestia requested your presence in Canterlot."

"For what purpose?" Sev asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Well, she didn't really explained a lot in the letter she sent me. Just that she requested your presence." Twilight replied.

"What about Thorn?" Sev asked.

Twilight shook her head. "She strictly asked for your presence; only."

Sev sighed. What was Princess Celestia up to? Last time he checked, she was pissed at him. Probably because there is now an image of him, holding Sombra's head, in Canterlot castle. "Well, if the "Princess", requested my presence, then I'd better oblige." Sev said as he walked towards the library's exit.

"Sev, do you even know how to get to Canterlot?" Twilight asked.

"Just aim for the big mountain, and it'll be all good." Sev replied.

Twilight sighed and followed Sev. "Spike, I'll be out for a few minutes!" She shouted, receiving a simple "alright" from Spike, who was still in his basket.

After walking towards the train station, with Twilight casually waving at ponies she knew, Sev stepped inside the train. Sev's mind was pondering about something else. Celestia, he felt uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. He just had this gut feeling, something was going to go wrong. Sitting down on the train's wooden floor, because the chairs were pony-sized, he sighed and rested his head against a nearby bench.

'Well, I do wonder what will happen next.' Sev thought as he closed his eyes. 'No more thinking, it's sleepy time.'


****


Sev's eyes shot open. Kriff! Did he over sleep?! Quickly getting on his feet, he quickly made his way over to nearby window. Looking out of the window, he saw that they had almost reached Canterlot. Sev sighed and walked back to his spot. After fifteen minutes, the train reached its destination and everypony on board got of the train. Sev looked around, ponies were still giving him stares, or asking for autographs. Sev just walked past the, or pushed them out of his way, and quickly made his way out of the station. Sev looked up and saw Canterlot Castle. Well, he was defiantly pissed now, he was not in the mood for walking. 

Sev walked through Canterlot, eying the scenery and the different kinds of shops. He had to say, this land was kind of.. Peaceful. But peaceful is something Sev totally disliked. He liked war, killing his enemies felt good, and he had fun doing it. Call him whatever you want, but he gets the job done, one way or another. Sev ignored most of the ponies, but stopped in his tracks when he saw a little filly, her mane yellow and her fur black, sitting on the ground, sobbing.

Sev sighed. Curse him and his soft spot for children. He bend over and looked at the filly.

"What's wrong?" Sev asked as he lifted the filly's face, looking her straight in her eyes. 

"I-I lost my mommy." The filly replied as she began crying even more.

"Where did you last see her?" Sev asked.

The filly pointed her hoof at nearby shop. Sev turned his head and looked at the shop.

"You lost your mother in the gift shop?" He asked. The filly nodded. 

"Alright, let's go find her." Sev said as he scooped the filly into his arms. The filly gave a small gasp, but relaxed when she and Sev entered the gift shop. "Alright, now tell me when you see your mom and--."

"There she is!" The filly exclaimed while pointing her hoof at a brown colored mare, her mane white and she had four bubbles as her cutie mark. The mare looked as if she was desperately searching for someone, or somepony in this case. When she laid eyes on Sev, she quickly trotted towards him and smiled. "Oh thank Faust that you're safe and sound!" The mare said as Sev put the filly down on the ground.

"Mommy!" The filly exclaimed as she hugged her mother tightly. "I'm so sorry, but I got bored so I went outside, and that's when I lost you."

"It's okay, just don't go running of like that again." The mother said as she turned her gaze towards Sev. "Thank you, very much."

Sev nodded and walked out of the gift shop, ready to head to Canterlot Castle, and Princess Celestia.


****


As Sev walked up the stairs of Canterlot Castle, even greeting some of the guards along the way. He couldn't help but notice he was being followed. Having almost reached the throne room. Sev stopped in his tracks and spoke up. Come out, come out. So I can kill you.

The only thing Sev got as a response, was a gulp of fear. Turning around to confront his stalker, he was not surprised to see Princess Luna. Sev shook his head. Ever since she entered his dreams without permission, he held quite the grudge againt her. "Alright, what do you want?" Sev asked with slight annoyance.

"We are to escort you to the throne room, 'tis what our sister hath asked Us." Luna replied with embarrassment. Shifting her hooves in nervousness, she looked at Sev. "Well, art thou not going to enter?"

Sev nodded and opened the enormous doors that led to the famous throne room. Entering the throne room, Sev's gaze fell upon the throne itself, were Princess Celestia was looking down upon him, her eyes already telling enough.

"Sev, as much as it pains me to see you, there are some things we need to discuss." Celestia said, keeping a neural tone. 

Sev could only snort. He hated talking, his blasters did the talking for him. Princess Celestia already had a grudge against him, a grudge, he couldn't help but not understand. He only did what he was bred for. So what did he do wrong? He saved The Crystal Empire. He was the hero, he still is. 

"What's there to discuss?" Sev asked in a bored tone.

"Your actions in The Crystal Empire. Death is not a common thing in Equestria. Ponies were scared, they still are. All because of you and you actions against King Sombra." Princess Celestia replied.

"Sister, please." Princess Luna said, desperately trying to stop her sister from scolding Sev.

"No, his actions were brutal. Beheading a pony while colts and fillies were watching. Do you have any idea what kind of impact that had on their fragile minds?!" Princess Celestia asked, rising from her throne.

"Yes, I do." Sev replied as he walked towards the solar hierarch. "As much as it pains me, I do. I've seen children, scarred for life. Because off war, because of The Separatists. So to answer your question. Yes, I do know what kind of impact it has on children's minds." Sev was now standing in front of the solar hierarch, towering over her and looking down at her. His blue, T-shaped visor staring down on her. 

Celestia kept her cool. Not wanting to show any signs of fear.

"I understand your statement, but this cannot go unpunished. Sev, I hereby order you to serve the Canterlot Royal Guard for one week. That is final." Celestia said as she walked past him.

"Like I said before: I don't take orders from you. You're not my superior. You're weak, weak because you send out your mosy faithful student and her friends, into their deaths. They would have died back there. You're weak, pathetic, and most of all: A coward. And that, is final."

And with that, Sev walked out of the throne room, leaving a shocked Princess Luna, and a angry Princess Celestia behind. 

If Celestia could explode, she would have done so.. Twice. How dared he! She was the Princess of Equestria, raiser of the sun and beloved ruler over her little ponies! So why did it pain her when he talked to her in such a way? Sighing, she returned to her throne and sat down.

"Sister, art thou alright?" Asked Luna, as she slowly walked towards her sister.

"He shows no respect, he kills for pleasure, he threatens my subjects." Celestia said as she looked at her sister. "And still ponies see him as a hero."

"He calls himself a hero." Luna corrected as she nuzzled her sister. "Should We talk to him? Perhaps revisit his dreams."

"No." Celestia sighed. "Just leave it, it's no use. So long as he hasn't killed any of my subjects, I have no right to arrest him." Celestia said as she gently pushed her sister aside. "I just don't understand why he doesn't want to reason with me."

"Well, thou hast that royal temper." Luna said.

"And?" Celestia retorted.

"Perhaps thou should try a different approach, invite him for a royal dinner, get him to like you." Luna replied.

"To like me? Luna, he hates me!" Celestia exclaimed.

Luna sighed. "Sister, We will talk to him. But thou needst to loosen up, and lose that temper of yours."

Luna walked out of he throne room, while her sister fiddled with her hooves. "I don't have a temper... Right?" She whispered.

As Luna trotted through the castle, scolding herself for what she was about to do. She saw Sev, walking ten feet in front of her. Luna readied herself-- and in one swift move-- hovered above Sev, and landed in front of him.

"Step out of the way." Sev demanded.

Luna shook her head. "Please listen to Us. Our sister didn't mean what she said, she just has that.. Royal temper. Please come with Us and we can discuss this in a more formal way."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"I'm going to gut you."

"Pleaseeeeee?"

"... Fine."

"Huzzah!*

Sev sighed and followed Luna. God did he wanted to kill something.

Finally, they reached the throne room. Stepping inside once more, Sev was greeted with something he never would have expect. There stood Celestia, without her crown and royal regilia. And she had a look on her face that didn't seem to fit Sev's liking.

"Hello Sev." Celestia purred as she draped her wing over his shoulder plate.

"... Call in reinforcements"
> Sev and Luna 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Power! Unlimited power!"

Darth Sidious, to Mace Windu.



--------


"Sev, you know, I've always admired stallions in armor." Celestia purred as she draped her hoof over his chest plate. Sev was in trouble, first Princess Celestia hated him, and now, she's trying to seduce him?! Sev could only turn his head away, awkwardly. He was in a tight spot. Should he just shoot her and be done with it? No, that would not be a wise idea, Thorn would get really angry at him for that... Oh, and the ponies would be missing their Princess, let's not forget about that. 

"If you like stallions in armor, why not go to your guards? I'm sure they would love to spend time with you." Sev said as he pushed her hoof away from his chest. "Besides, I'm not interested."

Celestia pouted, but grinned as she teleported in front of him. "Oh, but you will be." She said. Celestia moved even closer towards Sev, making the Commando take a few steps back.

"Stand down Princess." Sev demanded as he pushed her away from him, only for her to teleport in front of him again. Sev sighed and turned to Princess Luna. "I liked the old one, this new one is getting really annoying." Sev said. He felt Celestia's wing on his shoulder. "And is going to be dead soon." He grumbled as he clenched his fists in anger. Could you kriff of!? Sev shouted as he pointed his blaster at Celestia's face, eager to pull the trigger. "I swear, if you touch me one more time, I will add that horn of yours to my collection." He said, showing her King Sombra's horn. The horn he had personally removed from the tyrant king.

Celestia seemed to flinch, when he saw the horn of the king she, and her sister, had defeated so long ago. Gathering her courage, she jumped at Sev, pinning him to the ground as she tried to remove his helmet. Which only made the position they were in, even more awkward.

"Sister, please let him go." Luna sighed as she used her magic to lift her sister; of the Commando.

"Luna, what is the meaning of this?!" Celestia asked in anger and confusion, as she was sat down beside her sister. "You told me to be nice to him." She whispered to her sister. "It appears I was right all along, he is just a mindless beast. I tried being nice to him, tried to befriend him."

"Thou art trying to court him, sister." Luna deadpanned. 

"Because you told me too!" Celestia retorted

"We did not!" Luna replied, shocked and angry at the same time.

"Would you two shut up?! I can hear your kriffing whispers, and what is it you said?" Sev asked, walking towards the two Princesses. "I'm a mindless beast?" Sev snapped at Celestia. He pointed a accusing finger at her and spoke up. 

"You are the one who is mindless! You sent your own student to her death, you couldn't handle an invasion, by an inferior race! I saved an Empire, Thorn saved your Kingdom! And here you are, sitting on your throne, just waiting for the next thing to unfold itself. Maybe it's a Separatist invasion, or maybe Gungan will come at you and steal your fancy crown. You'd be stupid enough not even to notice it." Sev's rant ended, leaving both Princesses shocked. They knew Sev could lose his temper, they had witnessed it first hoof, many times. But now, he was really angry at them. Especially Celestia, who was currently thinking on how to retort on Sev's rant.

"Why you-- you vermin!" Celestia snapped at him. "You think you are strong, just because you kill? Killing is a sign of weakness. Taking a live, no matter for what cost, is a crime. War, the war you fight in, is none of my concern. You might have been through a a lot." Celestia said as she pushed Sev aside. "But so have we."

Sev grabbed Celestia by her mane, pulling it slightly, making her face him directly.

I have one word to describe you: Weak." Sev said as he let go of Celestia's mane. Turning around, Sev walked towards the throne room's exit. Only for him to be bucked in the side by Princess Celestia. Sev was sent flying into a wall, his armor blinking blue, before his shields were fully charged again. 

Sev shook his head as he looked up from where he was laying. He activated his gauntlet-knife and ran towards Celestia. Celestia's horn started glowing. They were inches away from each other, only for Luna to teleport Celestia away from Sev's knife. Sev looked at Luna, as Celestia re-appeared beside her sister. Getting up, and re-tracting his gauntlet-knife, he walked past Luna and exited the throne room.

Celestia snorted as she fixed the hole, that Sev's body had made. "And he's calling me a weakling." Celestia looked at her sister and smiled. "Well, now that he's gone, we can--."

"Art thou out of thine mind?!" Luna shouted, almost using her Royal Canterlot voice.

Celestia's eyes widens at her sister's sudden outburst. Why was she angry at her? Sev had asked for this to happen, he was always showing such disrespect towards her. Always calling her weak, never giving her a chance. Sure, she wasn't nice to him, the first time they had met, but that is in the past. She was a Princess, he should be showing her respect!

"Lulu, I--"

"Don't Lulu us." Luna cut her sister off, glaring at her sister. "We are going after Sev. Thou should think about thine actions, not everypony will agree with thine decisions and opinions." Luna said as she walked after Sev.

Celestia stood inside her throne room. The proud Princess of Equestria. Everypony admired her, they all liked her. So why was it, that she shed a tear, when Luna said that to her? Was it because of what she said? Or was it, because of what Sev has been saying to her, ever since the day they met?


****
 

"Sev, please wait." Luna said, despratly trying to keep the Commando inside the throne room.

Sev gave no response as he walked out of the throne room. Not wanting to deal with Celestia, nor Luna. He walked through the castle halls,  concentrating on getting out of the castle as fast as he could. Some Royal guards greeted him, he greeted back, but didn't stop to talk to them. If Celestia was going to come after him, she better be prepared to face his blaster. Of course Luna hadn't given up the hunt as well. Constantly teleporting in front of him, trying to make him stop and return to the throne room with her. Sev just pushed her aside, not caring about her pleads.

"Sev, We art sorry for our sister's behaviour. Luna said as she teleported in front of him again. Please,would thine anger be bested, if We were to..." Luna trailed of.

"Do what?" Sev asked, crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow underneath his helmet.

"Well, We can't offer you much, We art stil tying to blend in with Equestrian society. After the Nightmare Moon incident." Luna admitted, sadly looking at the ground as a small tear fell from her eye. It was true. Many ponies might have forgiven her for almost bringing eternal night to Equestria, but she knew her subjects were still afraid of her. But Sev, Sev didn't know about her past, and he too, shared an awful past. What she had seen in his dreams, was ten times worse than Nightmare Moon. At least her other self hadn't killed anypony. But Sev did. Not that she cared, mostly it was self defense.

"Sev, We would appreciate it if thou would attend night-court with Us." Luna said, giving Sev her best puppy eyes.

Sev shook his head, and walked passed her.

Luna pouted and grabbed Sev by his leg, not letting go of it. "Please." Luna whined, as she was dragged across the castle by Sev. Sev ignored her, she reminded him too much of Scorch. Always childish. Then he remembered, Scorch was his best friend and brother. So maybe, just maybe, Luna was like him. Mentally scolding himself, he stopped and shook Luna of his leg.

"Alright, I'll do it." Sev said. 

Huzzah! Luna exclaimed in joy. Thou art not going to regret this decision! Luna said as she gave Sev a quick hug. We have to tell our sister about our decision, We hope she will agree. 

"And if she doesn't?" Sev asked.

"That is simple." Luna said, winking at him. "We will just tell her that We made you one of our Night-guards."

"Clever girl." Sev chuckled. Wait, did he chuckled because of her?

Sev watched as Luna walked away from him, probably going to make her sister hate him even more. Why didn't he just forgive Celestia? Well, the answer is simple. If she had just accepted who he was, nothing would have happened. But she just needed to call him a beast, a killer, a monster.. Truth is, she was right. He was a killer. He was a monster. He was.. A beast. But he did what he was best at. What he was bred for: Defending The Republic, by any, means necessary. Even if that meant giving up his own life.

I am a soldier. It is our duty, to defend the innocent, whatever the cost. Sev thought, taking a quick glance at his DC-17. "My life, compared to the lives of others, is worth nothing to me." Sev whispered.

"Are you certain of that, young Clone?" A dark, grim voice asked.

Sev quickly turned around, not seeing anyone. "Who's there?" Sev asked.

"I am everywhere, I am life, I am death, I am The--."

"Sev!"

Sev turned around, seeing Luna trot up to him. She had a big smile planted on her face. 

She nailed it, didn't she? Sev thought while walking up towards Luna.

"Ready to go? Night-court is about to begin!" Luna exclaimed. Wow, she was very happy. Why? Sev was just an ordinary Clone, nothing special about him.

"I'm always ready." Sev replied


****


"My lord?" Asked an infamous Sith Lord, who was currently residing in his secret palace, on Serenno.

"Lord Tyrannus, the two Clones have escaped. Our plan is in danger. You know what has to be done." Lord Sidious replied.

"Of course my Master." Dooku said, bowing for his all powerful Master. "I will handle this, personally." Just then, two MagnaGuards appeared behind Dooku, activating their electro staffs. Sidious smiled wickedly as he began to laugh. The evil laughter echoing through the castle. 

Dooku couldn't help but grin. Finally, the destruction of The Jedi, was near.








> Night-court 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"I'm afraid the shield generator will be quite operational, once your friends arrive."

The Emperor,  to Luke Skywalker.



--------


"So, what do you usually do in night-court?"Sev asked in curiosity. He and Luna had been walking through the castle, her guards had replaced Celestia's guards. Sev found them to be equally stupid. Their armor, their voices, everything just annoyed Sev. Guards had to be strong, strike fear into someone's heart and soul. These guards made Sev want to laugh. But, they were Luna's guards, and Luna had been nothing but nice to him. But he still remembered her entering his dreams, something he hadn't quite got over.

"Well, it is usually just Us keeping a look on everything. Making sure everypony has pleasant dreams." Luna replied.

"That’s pretty boring. Sev remarked, making Luna shrug."

They reached a balcony on which they both stood on and watched as it became dark. Sev always thought Luna would be as bad as her sister, but he was beginning to think he was wrong.

"And this is what you do on your boring job?" Sev joked.

"Yes, it can be very boring. But We like it." Luna replied. Looking up at the night sky, she sighed as she raised the moon. "No matter how hard we try, our subjects will always choose the day, over the night." Luna looked down at the ground as she felt a watery substance falling down her cheeks. She was crying again. 

Sev had not noticed her crying, he had been watching the sky instead. For him, the night was the perfect time for a mission. He could blend in with the dark, stalking his enemies until they noticed they were being followed. But when they did, it was already too late. It was then, at that exact moment, he heard it. The soft sobbing of The Lunar Hierarch. Looking down at Luna, he couldn't help but feel very strange inside. The only time he had felt this strange feeling, was when he saw one of his fellow brothers die for the first time. It was the first time he saw one of his brothers get shot, and it was then, at that exact moment, he vowed to kill every enemy he faced. Once the foe was in front of him, he would fight. Even if it cost him his arms and legs. But still, why did he feel like this again?

"Princess?" Sev asked warily, not wanting to upset her even more.

Luna looked up at The Commando and wiped her tears away, trying to hide her sadness. "We are fine." Sev. She lied.

"I'm not buying that." Sev said as he crossed his arms and pointed his index finger at her. "From what I've noticed, you have more brains than your sister does. From what I've seen, if danger would be in front of you, you would fight it!" Sev said as he looked up at the sky. "Listen, I know you think that no one enjoys the sky night. But there are hundreds of species in the galaxy that do, and even some Clones prefer the night over day." Sev said as he looked down at Luna again. "And one of those Clones just happens to be me." Sev added.

Now that was something that surprised her. Not the part about the million species enjoying the night, but the fact that he enjoyed the night as much as she did. "Why does thou enjoy the night night, over day?" She asked in curiosity.

"Well." Sev began, looking down at Luna, who looked up at him with hope filled eyes . "The night is perfect for hunting, killing..." Sev trailed of. Only for Luna to look at him in confusion. "And the stars!" Sev practically blurted out. "The stars are what make the night so uhh.. Beautiful! Yes that's the word I was looking for! And let's not forget about.. The.. Princess, are you alright?" He asked. He was surprised to see Luna stiffening her laughter.

"Hahahaha! Oh w-we are sorry Sev." Luna laughed as she wiped a few tears of joy from the corner of her eyes. "But we appriciate thou trying to cheer us up." She said. Luna looked as if she was thinking of something -and without Sev noticing- embraced the Commando in a tight hug. "Thou art the first one to actually be honest to Us about our night. Even if thine answers were.. Not what we expected, they were honest." She whispered into his chest.

All of Sev's thoughts were focused on one thing: Do not grab your blaster. Luna was lucky he had not noticed her moving closer towards him. Hadnothe noticed her, she would probably be hurt, badly. But what was tgis funny feeling he was feeling? A feeling he hadn't felt since he had gotten his first kill. Was this the fealing of achievement? Achieving something you thought you'd never accomplish. For Sev, it was showing emotions. But he hadn't shown any emotion towards her, had he?

Luna finally let go of the Clone. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you Sev. Now, this is something We usually never do, but.." Luna trailed off, as if scared to say something.

"But what?" Sev asked.

"But we were wondering, if it's not too much to ask." Luna inhaled deeply and -after a long pause- spoke up. "Would thou accompany Us into entering dreams of our subjects?" She asked.

Sev cocked an eyebrow underneath his helmet. "I don't follow." He replied, scratching his helmet in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, 'tis a nightly routine for Us to watch over our subject's dreams. Making sure they are pleasant ones, and not ones filled with fright." Luna replied. 

"I don't know Princess." Sev replied as he looked up at the sky. "Is it safe?" He asked.

"Of course it is. When we enter dreams, nothing can go wrong." Luna replied.

"Alright." Sev said as he tugged his blaster. "Let's do it then."

"Huzzah!" Luna exclaimed as she and Sev floated through the sky.

"Wait a sec." Sev said, just realising what had occurred. "You're using, magic on me. But I'm supposed to be immune." He said as he looked at Luna. "What is this sorcery?"

Luna cocked an eyebrow in confusion at The Commando. "We have no idea. Maybe thou art immune to certain kinds of spells?" She said, not even sure herself.

"Maybe." Sev replied as he looked down. He and Luna soared through the sky, and to be honest, Sev was enjoying it. He looked towards Luna. She was smiling, the Princess who was bawling her eyes out just minutes ago, was smiling. Sev had no idea what he had done that made her so happy. He just agreed to go with her. He couldn't be the first one to go with her on such an adventure, right? Shrugging of the remaining thoughts of confusion he was pondering on, Sev enjoyed his little ride in the clouds. Scorch better not be watching, or else I'm going to kill him. Sev thought, remembering Scorch's comedian attitude. Even in the mids of battle, he would still be able to crack a joke. 

Sometimes Sev wished he was more like his brothers. He wished he was like Boss: The calm and dangerous one. The Boss had skills none of them possessed, and if it weren't for his leadership, he and Delta Squad would have perished a long time ago. He wished he was like Fixer: The smart and serious one. He knew everything, every mission, every rock that was on the planet. Though he could be annoying with his attitude, he was still second in command. So if The Boss would fall, he would have to take his place. But in all honesty, Fixer would rather be commanded, than commanding. And of course, let's not forget about Scorch: The comedian and the one who seems to have a bit of a soft side. Caring for his brothers and not even doubting an order. Thinking about them made Sev even more angry at himself. Angry because he couldn't fight alongside them anymore, angry because he couldn't be with them anymore. But most of all, angry because he lost the one thing he treasured the most: Family.

"Sev?"

Sev's eyes shot open and looked at Luna. Who had a concerned look on her face.

"What?" Sev asked.

"Art thou alright?" Luna asked.

"I'm alright." Sev replied as he looked down. They were now flying over Ponyville. Everything seemed nice, but they were closing in on a familiar house. A house that looked very familiar.

"Is that.. Carousel Boutique?" Sev asked.

Luna nodded as she looked down as well. "Yes, young Sweetiebelle has been having nightmares. And for some reason, I can't get rid of them."

"Maybe I can help." Sev said as he tugged his blaster. "Nightmares go boom, Princess?" Sev asked, trying to be comedic for once.

Luna giggled as she and Seven closed in on Carousel Boutique. "Let's go."

'Alright, killing spree coming up.' Sev thought
> Jolly cooperation 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Luke, use The Force."

Obi Wan Kenobi, to Luke Skywalker.



--------


Darkness. That was The only thing Sev could see at the moment. Having agreed to enter Sweetiebelle's dream, together with Luna. The Commando now looked around him,master the darkness started to materialize into a room. A room that was unfamiliar to him. There were several small, wooden tables with smalle litte chairs placed behind them. At the front of the room stood a big, wooden desk. Behind the desk stood a big chalk board. Sev had only seen one of those things before. They were very primitive. But being on a planet that hasn't invented space travel yet, it was understandable. 

"Where are we?" Sev asked, looking at Luna. 

Luna looked at Sev. "We are in Sweetiebelle's dream. This is the school she attends." She replied, smiling at the Commando.

Sev shrugged as he scanned the classroom. Suddenly, he heard a door opening. Grabbing hold of his blaster, he aimed it at the door. "Who's there?" Sev asked.

"Calm thyself, Sev." Luna said, pointing a hoof at the opening door. "They are just fillies."

Sev tilted his head in confusion. But quickly understood what Luna meant. Sev couldn't help but smile a bit, as he watched several fillies enter the classroom. He only knew a handful of these fillies. There was: Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetiebelle, and Dinky.. Three of them had actually helped him once. He'd have to repay them for that, one day. Sev walked up towards Applebloom, only for her to completely ignore him. If looks could kill, then Applebloom would have been dead by now.

"Hey!" Sev said, walking towards Applebloom and pointing his finger at her. "What's your problem?"

Applebloom said nothing. She kept staring at the teacher's desk, and sometimes she would take quick glances at Scootaloo. Giggling to each other.

Sev could only stare in confusion. Luckily for him, he still had his helmet on.

Luna couldn't help but giggle a bit. "Sev." She said, walking towards him. "They cannot see you, because they are part of Sweetiebelle's dream. Young Sweetiebelle is the only one who can see us."

"Well." Sev said, turning around to face Luna. "Where is she at?"

"Well, the dream has for some reason kept repeating itself." Luna said, looking at the fillies that had their eyes glued to the chalk board. I"t always starts with young Sweetiebelle, standing in front of the class. After a few minutes, she starts talking about who her greatest hero is. Then, when her teacher asks who her greatest hero is, she answers with: My sister, Rarity." 

"What happens next?" Sev asked.

Luna sighed, her head lowering as she looked at the floor. "Young Sweetiebelle runs out of the classroom, crying."

Sev looked at his blaster, an evil, yet justified thought crossing his mind. Princess. Sev said, looking at Luna. "Is it possible for us to 'change' the outcome of her dream?"

Luna looked at him in confusion. "What does thou mean?" 

"Well, if her dream ends with her, running out of this classroom and bawling her eyes out. What if we altered the course of this dream?" Sev asked.

"Well.. We never tried it before, but thou knows what ponies say: You can't judge a book by it's cover." Luna smiled at him. "Go ahead then, but please try to be gentle."

"Gentle is my middle name." Sev joked, walking towards the front of the classroom. He sat down on the teacher's desk. Miss Cheerilee not even noticing him. Probably because this was a dream. Sev turned his head towards the door, wanting for Sweetiebelle to enter the classroom. Luna soon joined him, standing beside Sev. And there she was. Sweetiebelle entered the classroom, a confident expression on her muzzle.

"Hello Sweetiebelle." Miss Cheerilee smiled at the fully. "Are you ready for your presentation?"

Sweetiebelle smiled and looked up at Miss Cheerilee, only for her eyes to widen when she saw the huge mass of plastoid armor sitting in Cheerilee's desk. Sweetiebelle gulped as she watched Sev's visor stare down at her. Drips of sweat fell down Sweetiebelle's forehead.

"Sweetiebelle, are you all right?" Miss Cheerilee asked, a hint on concern in her voice.

"I-I'm f-fine." Sweetiebelle replied, her eyes glued to the behemoth that sat on her teacher's desk. What was he doing in her classroom? And why had Miss Cheerilee not noticed him? Deciding to try and ignore The Republic Clone Commando, Sweetiebelle gathered her courage and looked at the colts and fillies that looked at her with looks of: Confusion, curiosity, and distaste.

"Hello e-everypony." Sweetiebelle began, looking down at the note she had brought with her. "M-My presentation is a-about heroes. Heroes are.." Sweetiebelle trailed off. Turning her head, she turned to Sev, who had his gaze fixed upon her. Gulping, Sweetiebelle looked back at her class and picked up where she left of. "So, heroes are.. Umm."

"Sweetiebelle, do you need a time-out?" Miss Cheerilee asked, looking at the young filly. "You did prepare your presentation at home, right?"

"I-I did!" Sweetiebelle replied, looking down at her note. She gasped when she saw the sentences fade away, and a few letters connecting with one another. Sweetiebelle's ears folded back on her head when she read the one word that was written on the note.

"Loser." Sweetiebelle sniffed, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm just a.. Loser."

Suddenly, a humongous shadow was towering over Sweetiebelle. Turning around, her eyes widened a bit, when she saw Sev standing in fron of her.

"Soldier!" Sev shouted, looking down at Sweetiebelle. "Has Commander Thorn not taught you the first rule of combat? He asked, bending over to meet her on eye level. Once the foe stands before you, then even if it costs your arms and legs, you fight!"

"I-I don't get it!" Sweetiebelle whispered.

"These students around your foes." Sev said, pointing his finger at her. "And you are the blaster, pointed at their faces! Now turn around, and nail this presentation!"

"Yes sir!" Sweetiebelle saluted, turning around and ignoring the looks of confusion her classmates were giving her. 

"This is your moment, so use everything to your advantage!" Sev ordered.

"What is a hero?" Sweetiebelle asked her classmates. "A hero or heroine is a pony or character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage, bravery or self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good; a mare or stallion of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or hers brave deeds and noble qualities. There are many heroes. The most noticeable are of course: Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. And let's not forget about The Elements of Harmony."

A muffled 'yeah' could be heard, coming from Scootaloo's seat.

"But recently, a new hero appeared from out of nowhere. Not much is known of him, only that he is not from this planet. His name is: Thorn. He is a Clone trooper from The Galactic Republic. I trained with him once, and I'll tell you. He's not somepony you want to make angry. He saved Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor's wedding, from the evil Queen Chrysalis. He helped defend The Crystal Empire against King Sombra. At least, that's what my sister: Rarity told me."

"And what do you think of him?" Miss Cheerilee asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "Is he your greatest hero?"

Sweetiebelle bit her lip, and looked back at Sev. Sev nodded, looking down at her. 

"Go for it, kid." Sev said, giving her a thumbs up.

"No." Sweetiebelle replied, looking at Miss Cheerilee. "He's not my greatest hero."

Miss Cheerilee raised an eyebrow at her reply. "Then who is?" She asked, grinning evilly. "Your sister?"

"No." Sweetiebelle replied. "His name is like a number. His voice will send shivers down your spine. He doesn't show any mercy, and he doesn't like it when ponies disrespect him. His name is: Sev. He is, just like Thorn, a Clone trooper. But he's different than him. He's a Commando. He goes on these really dangerous missions and always returns from them. Me, Applebloom, and Scootaloo were the first ponies he met. He helped us find our way back to Ponyville when we got lost in The Everfree forest. He has these cool weapons, and he was also with Thorn when King Sombra attack The Crystal Empire."

"What happened next?" Asked a filly.

Sev looked at the filly, and saw that it was the same filly he had met in Ponyville hospital. 

'Dinky.' Sev thought, a small smile forming on his lips. 

"While Thorn was the one who retrieved The Crystal Heart, along with Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Sev actually fought agains King Sombra. Rarity didn't go into any details about the fight. Telling me it was 'a bit extreme'. But what she did tell me, was that Sev actually leaped of The Crystal Palace and landed in front of King Sombra. They started fighting mid-air, and Sev was thrown into a nearby wall. But he survived the impact and he kicked Sombra's flank!"

Sev couldn't help but smile at her story. While he would have told all of these colts and fillies all about the fight (in full detail nonetheless), Sweetiebelle was doing a great job. Sev listened to her story, until he felt someone tug at his arm. Turning around, he saw Luna smiling at him.

"What?" Sev asked.

"Our work here is done. Thou did an excellent job. We are proud of thee." Luna replied.

"... It was my pleasure." Sev replied, a bit confused about the fact Luna was proud of him. "What now?"

Luna looked at Sweetiebelle, who was currently enjoying herself, telling her classmates about Sev. "We think it is for the best, if we leave this dream. Her nightmare is gone." Luna said as her horn was covered in a blue aura. Seconds later, Sev was covered in the same aura. Sev took one glance back at Sweetiebelle. He smiled underneath his helmet. But his smile disappeared when he saw a strange figure standing at the very end of the classroom.

The figure started at Sev and started whispering. His voice was soft, but Sev could still hear what it was saying. 

"Greetings Commando. You may not know me, but I know you. For I am life, and I am death. A am light, yet dark. I am: The Son."

"What the-- Princess, wait!" Sev ordered. But it was too late. Sev and Luna left the dream. Leaving the Commando with more unanswered question.

"Yes." The Son said, walking towards the front of the classroom. "He will most certainly do. Now, I shall leave you, child. Perhaps we will meet again." And with that, he disappeared into the darkness. Sweetiebelle not even noticing him as he disappeared.
> A team of two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Henceforth you shall be know as: Darth Vader."

Darth Sidious to his new apprentice.



--------


Agent Sacero sighed as he rubbed his eyes. He was getting tired of these talks. When he decided to enter a nearby bar, he didn't expect it to be this bad. Drunk, everywhere he looked people were drunk. He had decided to hide his uniform, therefore he needed to 'dispose' of a certain taxi driver who unfortunately had a set of robes he needed. But, him still being an officer of the law, decided to stun the poor taxi driver. Sighing, Agent Sacero walked towards the Ithorian bartender.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked, polishing a glass.

"I'll have the strongest drink you have." Agent Sacero replied as he looked around him, making sure no one was listing. "I also need some information."

"What kind of information?" The bartender asked as he served Sacero his drink. "You're not a cop, are you?" He asked suspiciously.

"No." Agent Sacero laughed as he took a sip from his drink. "I need to get rid of someone."

"Ahh, you're looking for a bounty hunter." The bartender said as he took quick glances around him. He leaned towards Sacero and spoke up. "Listen, there are numerous bounty hunters out there. But of you're really looking for one who gets the job done, I'd advice going to Tatooine."

"Tatooine? Why?" Sacero asked curiously.

"From what I've heard, that's where the best of the best are." The bartender replied as he looked at Sacero. "You're leaving, right?"

As a reply, Sacero handed him hundred credits. "This conversation, never happened." He said as he walked out of the bar.

The bartender grabbed the credits. "My lips, are sealed."


****


Agent Sacero sat in the cockpit of his Republic Attack Shuttle. He was leaving Coruscant to begin his new mission. A mission; The Chancellor assigned him to. Two Clones, two Clones that had to be terminated. How hard could it be? Well, not that hard. Agent Sacero was skilled in many ways. He could stand his own against without a blaster. And with a blaster, you'd better not be in his line of fire. Agent Sacero looked out of the front window of his cockpit. Four Venator Class Starcruisers  hovered above him. A set of Headhunters flew passed him. 

"Bounty hunters, I can't believe I'm actually hiring one." Agent Sacero muttered as he looked around the shuttle. "I have to say, out of all the ships, this has got to be my favorite. The interior, just everything looks amazing." He said as he put feet on the co-pilot seat.

Suddenly, he heard a door open. Turning around, he saw it was the door that led to the cockpit. The cockpit he was stationed in. But what stood in the doorframe, was what confused him the most. There stood a BX-series.Commando Droid. Carefully moving his hand towards his blaster pistol, Agent Sacero got up from his chair. "What are you'd doing in my ship?" He asked as he quickly grabbed his blaster, only for the Commando droid to leap towards him. The droid kicked away Sacero's blaster and in the progress, uppercutted Sacero, making him fall on the cockpit's metal floor. 

Sacero quickly got up and leaped towards the Commando droid. But the droid jumped aside. Sacero, reacting quickly, grabbed hold of the co-pilots seat and spun around, kicking the Commando droid into the control panels. The droid threw a punch at the agent, but Sacero ducked and kicked the Commando droid's legs, making it fall over. He ran towards his blaster and aimed it at the Commando droid. The Commando droid, having no chance of escape, leaped towards Sacero again. Sacero pulled the trigger of his DC-15 blaster pistol several times, the plasma bolts making impact with the Commando droid's metal plating. The Commando droid twitched as sparks came out of its body.

"Stupid droids, how inferior you are to Humans." Sacero said as he spun his blaster, holstering it as he turned around. "I'll be getting rid of you once I--."

Agent Sacero was cut off by a hard object colliding with his head. Agent Sacero fell to the ground, unconscious.

"You Humans are all the same." Said another BX-series Commando droid. "Celebrating when you have not won. You are inferior, we droids are superior." The droid said as he placed Sacero in the co-pilot seat. "Setting course to Serenno." The droid said as it entered the coordinates. The shuttle disappeared into hyper space. Heading towards a sinister planet, that held a sinister man.


****


Count Dooku stood on top of his balcony, looking over the distant forest of Serenno. His master's orders had only been given; two days ago. He knew that if he didn't act quickly, the two Clones would surely but a hold to their plans. Dooku had to be careful, he could not sent an entire invasion force to every planet, only for two Clones. He had considered hiring bounty hunters, but he knew how that would turn out. Even when going into The Box, the bounty hunters he had hired to capture Chancellor Palpatine were all failures. Even the mighty Cad Bane could not complete the mission. Sure, Obi Wan was there as well, going undercover as a bounty hunter himself. But still, his plan should have worked.

"My lord."

Dooku turned around, greeted by General Kalani. "Yes general?" Dooku asked the Super Tactical Droid.

"A Republic ship is entering orbit, shall I send in the fighters to intercept?" Kalani asked.

Dooku shook his head as he walked passed the droid. "No that will not be necessary." He replied, looking back at the droid. "I will retrieve the 'cargo', the ship was carrying. When I am finished, destroy it." And with that said, the Sith Lord walked out of his private 'office'. 

"Yes, my lord." Kalani said as he brought his metalic, clawlike fingers up to his head. "This is General Kalani, prepare a demolition droid."

"Roger roger." Could be heard from the other side of the commlink.

Dooku walked down towards the entrance of his palace. Thinking to himself what his master would want him to do with this Republic Agent. He had no idea who he was or what he looked like, only that he was given a lot of credits by The Chancellor himself. Well, whatever he had been given, Dooku could always double it. Finally reaching the entrance, Dooku stepped outside and watched as the shuttle landed meters away from him. Walking towards the shuttle as the front hatch of the ship opened, Dooku watched as a Commando droid carried out a unconscious man.

"I thought there were two of you?" Dooku asked the droid.

"T-forty nine was killed." The droid replied in its usual, low, neural tone. "The mission however, was a success, my lord."

"Excellent work." Dooku said as he inspected his new prisoner. "Take him to my office, take my guards with you and guard him. When he wakes up, contact me immediately."

"Roger, roger."The Commando droid replied as it carried Sacero towards the palace. Count Dooku walked towards the shuttle d stepped inside. He entered the cockpit and saw the destroyed Commando droid. "Merely a single loss." Dooku said as he turned around and left the cockpit, but not without noticing a small briefcase. Picking it up, he left the cockpit and saw a demolition droid t run towards him. 

"My lord, I have arrived, as you ordered." The B1 demolition droid said as it looked over Count Dooku. "I'm guessing that needs to be blown up."

"Yes, have it done immediately." Dooku said as he walked back into his palace.

"Roger, roger." The droid replied as it looked at the shuttle. It rubbed its head as it looked at the single grenade that it brought with him. "I need a lot more."

Dooku walked through his palace, walking passed various statues of former Sith's. He'd always find The Sith's past intriguing, ever since he turned to The Dark Side. His master taught him everything he knew, at least, that's what his master told him. Finally reaching his meditation chamber, he entered the chamber. He positioned himself on the ground and crossed his legs. Closing his eyes, he opened his mind and let The Force flow through him.

"Lord Tyrannus." The voice of his master echoed through his mind.

"Yes master?" Dooku asked 

"Have you done as I asked?" Lord Sidious asked.

"Yes master, the agent has been captured as you have ordered." Dooku replied.

"Very good, soon my young apprentice, the Jedi will be no more. Once more the Sith shall rule the galaxy." Lord Sidious said. "Now my apprentice, make sure the agent is on our side."

"He will be, master. Whether he disagrees or not, he will join us." Dooku replied.

"Good, good. And what if he doesn't?" Lord Sidious asked.

"Then he will be dealt with." Dooku replied.

"Yes, that is.. Acceptable. I must go now, my apprentice. The Dark Side will guide you." And with that, the connection between master and apprentice was broken, for a while at least. Dooku was about to return to mediation, but his commlink bleeped.

"Yes?" Dooku asked.

"Sir, the agent has awakened." The Commando droid said over the commlink.

"Very good, keep him restrained, I will be there shortly." Dooku replied as he got u up from the floor. He was going to have a little talk with a certain agent.