> Clone Wars: Equestrian Wars
>  by Pun System
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Prodigal Daughter: Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 1: The Prodigal Daughter


A world ridden with crime! Captain Rainbow Dash and her first mate, Night Glider, are making a routine smuggling run to the planet of Nar Shaddaa. Unbeknownst to them, this shipment of illegally modified blaster rifles destined for pirates in the outer rim is about to become far more trouble than it’s worth!
 



 
 	An XS Stock Light Freighter descended towards the urban skyline of the crime-ridden city-planet of Nar Shaddaa. Its roughly diamond-shaped durasteel hull was painted with two sky blue stripes running from bow to stern, a series of thinner stripes between them comprising a rainbow. The Rainboom’s top-mounted turret and side-mounted cannon stood idle as she came to a hover over the landing pad. Her landing gear deployed and she touched down gracefully as the soft blue glow from its engines faded away.
 
 	A loading ramp descended, and a pair of humanoids in flight suits emerged from the freighter. Both had long hair, tails, pointed ears, large eyes, and perhaps most predominantly, a pair of feathered wings on their backs.

 	The first, a female, had navy fur and white hair which had been brushed into a swept back style, giving her blue eyes a full range of vision. A blaster pistol was holstered on the outside of her right leg.
 
 	The second was a female whose fur was light blue, and whose hair contained every color in the visible spectrum. She was armed with a pair of blaster pistols, one holstered on each leg. Her brow furrowed as her magenta eyes scanned the docks. She stood at the foot of the ramp and crossed her arms. “Well, where are they?”
 
 	“They’ll be here, Rainbow. Give them time.”
 
 	“Really? ‘Give them time’? We’ve already rescheduled this shipment, what, three times? I’m beginning to think there won’t be a shipment!”
 
 	“They want to get paid as much as we do. They’ll be here any moment, I’m sure.” She had barely finished speaking when a door opened on the side of the dock and three figures began making their way towards the ship. “See? What’d I tell you? C’mon.” The pair began walking out onto the long platform towards the dock to meet the three walking towards them.
 
 	“Captain Rainbow Dash, I presume?” said the smooth-talking figure in front, a male human.
 
 	“That’s me. Now where’s my shipment?”
 
 	“Woah woah woah, easy there, Miss. We haven’t been paid yet.”
 
 	“That wasn’t our agreement!” Rainbow shouted, flaring her wings. “Shipment first, or you won’t get anything.”
 
 	A Rodian standing beside the human spoke up next. “Cho ba, doshi mawa lakotee. Noshawa b’gana.”
 
 	Rainbow stepped forward with her right foot. “I said—”
 
 	Night Glider pushed her aside. “Ten percent. No more than that.”
 
 	The three figures in front of her exchanged glances. “We’ll take it.”
 
 	Night Glider reached into her pocket and counted out the number of credits they had agreed upon before dumping them into the man’s waiting hand. “Appreciate your business,” he said with a smile. “Come with me and I’ll show you to your shipment.”

 	As the three turned to walk away, Rainbow punched Night Glider in the arm. She returned Rainbow’s glare with a roll of her eyes. The man led them back into a warehouse. Once their shipment was unloaded from the racks, Rainbow knelt down by one of the crates.
 
 	“And if you’ll just pay for the rest and put your name right here,” the man said, “Then you can be on your way.”
 
 	“I want to see the shipment first,” Rainbow protested.
 
 	“What? It’s all here, isn’t it? Twelve crates of blaster rifles. Specially ordered just for the Captain,” he said with a smile and a wink.
 
 	“I said I want to check inside the boxes,” she repeated, rising to her feet.
 
 	“Look, you want the merchandise or not? I don’t have to deactivate the sensors on those crates! You won’t even make it out of the atmosphere before security shoots down your ship!”
 
 	“Listen. I know when I’m getting scammed! Open these boxes, now!”
 
 	“Behind you!” shouted Night Glider. With superhuman reflexes, Rainbow jumped out of the way, just barely missing a blaster bolt. She turned and landed a high kick on the Rodian’s arm, following with a second kick to his head. She used her wings to readjust her trajectory in midair, landing on both feet. She threw her fists up, blocking a pair of punches from the man in front of her. She returned with a swift and powerful punch of her own, knocking him to the ground. Behind her, Rainbow heard a stun blast go off. She whirled around and drew her blaster only to see Night Glider standing over the second human, blaster drawn.
 
 	“Let’s see what these goons were trying to hide,” she said as she re-holstered her pistol. She opened the lid on the first crate and scoffed. “That’s what I thought,” she said, pulling a mouse droid out of the crate. “Where is my shipment?” asked Rainbow.
 
The man was lying on the ground, holding his head with one hand while bracing himself upright with the other. “I—I don’t know.”
 
 	“Where is it!?” she shouted.
 
 	“I don’t know, I swear!”
 
 	“If you don’t tell me inside of ten seconds fla—”
 
 	“Rainbow, he doesn’t know!” Night Glider said.
 
 	“It’s true,” the man replied. “They’re gone. I have no idea where they are by now.”
 
 	“You don’t have it here?” He shook his head. Rainbow knelt down next to the man. “Who did you give our shipment to?”
 
 	“I don’t know. She gave me some sort of code name. Didn’t even make sense.”
 
 	“Then describe her.”
 
 	The man looked up at Rainbow. “She looked—kinda like you. With the ears and the eyes. Not so much the wings. But she had a horn in the middle of her head and—ugh, I don’t know… Just said she’d pay double whatever you’d pay for the modified blasters.”
 
 	Night Glider knelt down on the other side of him. “We’ve still got ninety percent of our payment. You’ve already paid her for those blasters once. We’ll pay you a second time if you help us track down those blasters.”
 
 	“You still trust him?” blurted Rainbow.
 
 	“You want to get paid or not?”
 
 	“We’re already wasting our time here! I don’t want to waste our money, too!”
 
 	“I—I think I can help you out,” the man replied. “You ladies got another ten percent for me?”
 
 	“Five!” shouted Rainbow.
 
 	The man stared at her for a second. “Deal.”
 




 	Rainbow stood on a platform in one of the shadier parts of town.  Not to say that the other parts weren’t also shady; this just happened to be one of the worse parts of the undercity. On one side was the building the man had brought the fake shipment from, and on the opposite side was a sharp dropoff to the planet’s surface miles below. “So this is where you last saw her?”
 
 	“Yes, ma’am,” he said, a slight drawl in his speech.

 	“And when was that?”
 
 	“About three hours ago…”
 
 	“Oh, well that’s not so bad.”
 
 	“…this time last week.”
 
 	“What!?” Dash screamed. “She could be literally anywhere by now! She might not even be in this system!”
 
 	“Look, you asked me to take you here. Now you’re here.”
 
 	“No, we asked you to help us track down that shipment. I don’t see our shipment anywhere. Do you?”
 
 	Night Glider spoke up. “What else do you know about this shipment and this pony?”
 
 	“She came here with about a dozen others. I had a good dozen of my own workers here to deliver the crates. Had some sort of uniform deal going on. Armor, helmets, the whole shebang.”
 
 	“Were they ponies too?”
 
 	“Some were, some weren’t. Curious thing, too. Don’t normally see too many of your kind this little corner of the galaxy,” he said, shifting his weight and squinting at them.

 	“What was the code name she gave you?”
 
 	“You ready for this?” he asked, taking a step closer. “Masked Equality.” While the pegasi exchanged confused glances, the man backed up a few steps and began laughing. “Ain’t that the most ridiculous name you could imagine? Ha ha! I told you it didn’t make any sense!”
 
 	“Let’s get out of here, Rainbow Dash. This guy isn’t any help.”
 
 	Rainbow glared at the man. “Alright, mister, we asked you to find our crates. Does eighty-five percent mean anything to you?”
 
 	“Does five more percent mean anything to you?” the man asked. He grinned and uncrossed his arms to stretch out a hand. Rainbow shook her head and glanced at Night Glider just in time to catch her rolling her eyes. “No? That’s too bad. How about zero percent?” he snarled, his tone suddenly shifting. “Because that’s how much of your shipment you’re getting without me.”

 	Rainbow and Night Glider looked at each other, then reluctantly handed over more credits to the man. “Excellent! Now. Masked Equality said she was going to take the blasters to a nearby warehouse for storage. See, she didn’t know it at the time, but I was using this to listen in on her,” he said as he turned his head to the side, revealing a previously unseen earpiece. "Pretty clever, yes? Increases my range of hearing by over a hundred meters! A bit of noise cancelling for the up-close stuff, though. Otherwise, a normal conversation would practically burst my eardrum! Ha ha!”
 
 	“Ahem!”
 
 	“Rightrightright. The unicorn said those blasters were going to be very important for… ‘her cause.’”
 
 	“We paid you for useful information,” Rainbow reminded.
 
 	“I’m getting there, now, just hold on! She told the one right next to her that her organization was working out of this planet.”
 
 	“So they’re probably still here,” said Rainbow.
 
 	“That’s a relief,” said Night Glider.
 
 	“Then she said she’d something about getting back to Sublevel 39, in a warehouse a block past the swoop bike track. Then—then! The guy next to her said her name! Out loud! For anyone with a hyper aural-implant to hear!”
 
 	“And?”
 
 	“Her name… was—” The man collapsed on the spot, struck by a blaster bolt.
 
 	“What the—”
 
 	“Sithspit!” Rainbow caught the man on his way down. His head fell limp, having taken the full impact of the shot.
 
 	“Up there!” Night Glider shouted. Rainbow looked in the direction she had pointed just in time to see a humanoid with a jetpack take off.
 
 	Night Glider spread her wings and took to the sky. Rainbow spread her wings too, but paused a moment to rifle through the pockets of the dead man. She recovered her twenty percent, plus some extra “for her trouble.” She smiled and stuffed the credits into her pocket before joining Night Glider in the chase.
 
 	Up ahead, Night Glider drew her blaster and began firing on the person ahead of her. The target rolled onto their back and began to return fire with wrist-mounted blaster gauntlets. After a few seconds of weaving among traffic and descending a few levels, Rainbow heard an explosion, though faint. Directly in front of Night Glider, a moderate puff of reddish smoke appeared. Upon flying through it, veered off course and began rubbing her eyes. “Ah! Celestia! It’s in my eyes!”

Rainbow caught up to her and put an arm over her shoulder. “You alright?” Night Glider’s response was drowned out by a loud horn. She turned and saw a passenger shuttle barreling down on them.
 
 	Rainbow pulled her away and to a nearby platform, where she dropped to her knees and began continued rubbing her eyes. “Did you see where he went?”
 
 	“I—I didn’t. He used some sort of tear gas bomb.”
 
 	Rainbow sighed. “At least we know where he’s going. Sublevel 39, the industrial park just past the swoop bike track.”
 
 	“I’m practically blind. I won’t be able to follow you there.”
 
 	“I’ll find a way. I don’t care if I have to walk there.”
 



 
 	An open-air speeder came to stop in front of the main gate to a swoop bike track. “Thanks,” Rainbow said as she handed some credits to a droid in the pilot’s seat. The pegasi disembarked and the speeder flew away. “How’s your eyes?”
 
 	“Better.”
 
 	“Can you see ok?”
 
 	“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go.”
 
 	“We should be close,” Rainbow said as the pair began walking. “The warehouses shouldn’t be too far from here.”
 
 	“How will we know which one is the right one?”
 
 	“I’m guessing it’ll be pretty heavily guarded. They’ll probably be making use of weapons with post-market modifications.”
 
 	“Our weapons.”
 
 	“Exactly.”
 
 	“How are we going to get them back?”
 
 	“With these,” Rainbow said, patting her left blaster pistol.
 
 	“Then what?”
 
 	“Then we pay the second-in-command at the docks. And I think we’ll be getting a twenty percent discount,” she said as she pulled a handful of credits out of her pockets.
 
 	Night Glider smiled. “Smooth. Snagged those from the conman at the dock?”
 
 	“You bet.”
 
 	“Then let’s go get our weapons back.”
 
 	“You said it.”
 



 
From the top of a building, Rainbow looked through her electrobinoculars. “Look over there at the guards in front of that warehouse,” she instructed, passing the binoculars to Night Glider. “Tell me what you think.”
 
 	Night Glider peered through the binoculars. “Could be our target. Those rifles have silencers.”
 
 	“And high-power battery packs.”
 
 	“Hey! Look at that,” Night Glider said, passing the binoculars back.
 
 	“What?” Rainbow accepted the binoculars and looked through them to see a third figure where only two had previously stood. The third was a snow-white humanoid with pure white pointed ears, and a white coat visible on his neck and wrists. He also had a tail the same shades of white as his hair beneath his helmet. “What’s another pony doing out here?”
 
 	“That has to be it,” Night Glider said. “Our friend back at the docks said there were other ponies with the group.”
 
 	“That’s right, he did!” Rainbow put the electrobinoculars away and spread her wings. “Come on, let’s go!”
 
 	The two flew across the street onto the top of the warehouse and walked over to a spot just above the door. “On three,” Night Glider said. “One. Two. Three!” The pegasi dropped down onto the guards, knocking them out. They grabbed the limp bodies and weapons and flew back up to the roof. “Now we put their uniforms on and go in through the side door,” Night Glider instructed.
 
 	As Night Glider removed her jacket, a metallic object dropped out of it and clanged on the roof. “I’ve got it,” said Rainbow. She reached her hand out but did a double take when she realized what had just fallen—a lightsaber. “Why do you have that? I thought—”
 
 	“Rainbow, can we talk about this later?”
 
 	Rainbow picked up the lightsaber. “We both know what this means, Night. A lightsaber is a Jedi weapon.”
 
 	Night Glider snatched the lightsaber back. “In my hands, it’s just a tool.”
 
 	“You don’t get to choose what that weapon symbolizes,” Rainbow said as she pulled on the uniform pants.
 
 	Night Glider sighed. “Rainbow, is this really that important to you?”
 
 	“Absolutely!” she replied. “The Jedi showed me purpose, fulfilment, and a reason to believe in something bigger than myself,” she said as she worked her wings through the slits in the uniform top. Lucky this was a pony-friendly operation they were infiltrating. “Then, they took it all away and left me with nothing but lies.”
 
 	“Most of the Jedi mean well, Rainbow. Obviously, I don’t agree with everything they do, but if it means that much to you, then I’ll get rid of it at the next opportunity,” she said as she pulled the helmet over her head.
 
 	“Maybe you’re right about most of the Jedi, but the Council… ugh.”
 
 	“No argument here,” Night said as she stuffed the lightsaber into her uniform jacket.
 
 	With the uniforms on and the weapons in their possession, Rainbow and Night Glider swooped around the block and landed back by the side door. “Who goes there?” asked a unicorn guard.
 
 	“Friendlies,” Night replied.
 
 	“State your names or show me some ID,” said the human next to the pink unicorn mare.
 
 	Rainbow scoffed. “New recruits, eh? Well let me be the first to tell you this. My friend and I go wherever we want, whenever we please. Do you want to be a part of... our cause... or not? Because I’ve got connections up top!”
 
 	“Sorry, ma’am. Y—you can go now.”
 
 	The unicorn guard put in the passcode on the door behind him and allowed the pegasi to enter. They entered and the door closed behind them. “You’re lucky that worked,” Night Glider said.
 
 	“Aren’t I always lucky?”
 
 	“No. In fact, you’re not. You’re overconfident and you don’t think before acting. I had my finger on the trigger the whole time. Remember what happened on Raxus Prime?”
 
 	“That was not my overconfidence! That was an unforeseen circumstance!”
 
 	“That was unlucky.”
 
 	“Fine. Whatever.” Rainbow and Night Glider entered the warehouse racks. Row upon unending row of supply crates stood them. “Woah. That’s a lot of boxes to sort through.”
 
 	“We’ll have to split up. There’s no way we’ll find them in any reasonable amount of time together.”
 
 	“How will we know what to look for?”
 
 	“Rainbow, you’re holding one of our blasters.”
 
 	Rainbow glanced down at the weapon in her hands. “Oh. Right.”
 
 	“Call me if you see anything,” Night said, gesturing to her comlink.
 
 	“Just to be clear, you’ve officially given me permission to… ‘call you’?” Rainbow asked with a smile.
 
 	Night glider smiled back. “Anytime.” She began to back away, only to bump into one of the racks. She chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head as she began walking down the aisle. Rainbow smiled and shook her head at her as she turned to walk down the next aisle.
 



 
 	“Anything yet?” Rainbow called over the comlink.
 
 	“Nothing.”
 
 	“We’ve been at this for hours.”

“You want to get paid?”
 
 	“Well, yeah but—”
 
 	“Then you know what to do.”
 
 	Rainbow sighed and continued down the aisle, inspecting the labels on the crates. She flew up one column and down another, up a third column and down a fourth. She stretched and massaged her aching wings with her hands, preening the feathers as she went. The sound of a distant warehouse droid caught Rainbow’s attention. No, not a droid. Something else.
 
 	“Rainbow, we’ve got trouble!” Night called.
 
 	“What’s up?”
 
 	“My cover’s blown! There’s a firefight in progress over on aisle 110.” Rainbow looked up at the sign at the end of the aisle. She was on aisle 53.
 
 	“On my way!” Rainbow rushed to the aisle only to be nearly run over by a magnalift. “Hey!” she shouted as the vehicle swerved and came to a stop. “Get me to aisle 110!”
 
 	“So then, you’ve already heard?” asked the driver. “Security breach.”
 
 	“You going to go help?” She scanned the man for any weapons, but found none.
 
 	The driver chuckled. “Nah. I’m just trying to catch the action.”
 
 	Rainbow hopped into the cabin of the vehicle. “Well then you’d better step on it if you want to get us there in time.”
 
 	The sounds got louder as Rainbow got closer. By the time they got to aisle 90, the sounds had stopped. “Careful,” the driver said. “The suspect is armed and considered dangerous.” He slowed down his vehicle as Rainbow readied her blaster. As they reached aisle 105, Rainbow saw a pair of uniformed personnel dragging Night Glider between them.
 
 	“Oh, no.”
 
 	“Yeah, looks like we missed it. Bummer that.”
 
 	“Y—you can let me off here then.” The driver stopped and Rainbow hopped off. “Thanks,” she said halfheartedly.
 
 	“Don’t mention it,” he said as he drove off.
 
 	“Believe me, I won’t,” she muttered.
 
 	Rainbow turned down an aisle and glanced over her shoulder. When she found nobody there, she flew up into the racks. She kept an eye on the guards walking down the main aisle, darting through holes where there were no boxes. At length, they came to an open area in the front of the warehouse. Rainbow watched as the uniformed personnel dropped Night Glider in front of them. One of the uniformed individuals, the same white-coated stallion from outside the warehouse, approached an office door and knocked. “Starlight! We have a new ‘friend’ we’d like you to meet!”
 
 	He then backed away and Rainbow saw the door opened by an aqua aura. “A new friend, you say?” asked the lavender unicorn who exited the office. “Well what are we waiting for? Gather ‘round! Everyone, gather ‘round!” Rainbow seized her opportunity. She dropped down out of the racks into the shadows and walked out of the racks, approaching Night Glider along with the others in uniform. Her friend was still breathing; she’d probably been hit by a stun blast.
 
 	Clad in the enemy’s uniform, Rainbow found her place at the front of the encircling crowd as a pair of uniformed personnel hoisted Night Glider up to her knees and Starlight approached her. The unicorn’s horn protruded from a mask, and she bore a sheathed sword on her left hip. “Wake up,” Starlight said, putting her hand underneath Night’s chin. “Come on, wakey wakey.” She gently slapped Night’s cheek with the back of her hand. The personnel around Rainbow chuckled. Night moaned as her eyes fluttered open. She quickly came to and began to struggle against the guards holding her. “Now, now, let’s not be uncooperative, shall we?”
 
 	“You’re in charge here?” Night asked. Starlight’s only response was a smile. “Give them back!”
 
 	“Give what back? I haven’t even taken anything from you yet.”
 
 	“We were supposed to pick up a shipment of blasters. Where are they?”
 
 	Starlight chuckled. “I see. I take it you followed the clues I left behind and ended up here. All you want is to get your cargo and back to get back to your ship. Once you come to… understand our point of view, Captain, you will be free to spread our glorious truth across the galaxy!”
 
 	“Glorious truth?”
 
 	“Surely you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few years? The Sith have returned. What’s more, they’re trying to overthrow the Jedi. But the truth is… they’re both wrong.”
 
 	Night Glider replied with a look of confusion.
 
 	“Oh, poor thing,” Starlight said. “So young and innocent, oblivious to how the world really works. See, the Jedi and the Sith are really only pawns in a bigger game. The Force manipulates both the Jedi and the Sith. They aren’t so much wrong as they are… misguided. But I can correct them,” she said with a smirk. “For I have the power to sever connections to the Living Force!”
 
 	“What?” she shouted in horror.
 
 	“Oh, yes! It’s true! You may not have as much Force Sensitivity as a Sith or Jedi, but you are connected to the Force. I will now do you the favor of disconnecting you from it!” Night Glider struggled as Starlight stepped closer, and Rainbow sprang into action.
 
 	Rainbow surged forward with inhuman speed and kicked Starlight’s hand away. An instant later, she used her wings to laterally curve her trajectory in midair while she grabbed the soldier on the far side of Night Glider. She pulled him away from her and threw him at the other guard before reaching into Night’s jacket and retrieving the lightsaber. She ignited it, and its deep blue blade buzzed with energy. With a single clean sweep, Rainbow severed Night’s binders, dropping into a defensive pose a moment later.
 
 	Weapons cocked all around them as Starlight stared down the business end of the Jedi weapon. “She said give us our blasters back!”
 
 	Starlight collected herself before stepping backwards and raising a fist. The soldiers encircling them lowered their weapons. “So, you are a Jedi.”
 
 	“Let’s—just say, it’s complicated.”
 
“You want your weapons? Then we’ll fight for them.” She reached for the blade at her hip and unsheathed an ornately decorated vibrosword. Golden highlights traced a pair of dotted lines up the blade, forming a number of small equal signs. With the press of a button, the weapon began emitting a low hum. Rainbow placed both hands on her hilt and moved her blade close to her right side. Starlight’s blade, held in both hands, migrated to its starting position above her head.
 
 	“I have a better idea,” Night Glider whispered. “Let’s get out of here!”
 
 	“We need those blasters!” Rainbow replied. “En garde, thief!” Rainbow taunted, lunging forward and leading with a cross-cut. Starlight effortlessly parried, her vibrosword impervious to the lightsaber’s cutting power.
 
 	The look on Rainbow’s face must have made her shock apparent. “Cortosis,” Starlight said. “They don’t make vibroswords like this any more.” She pushed forward, and Rainbow stepped back as their blades disengaged. “This blade is as much a relic as your teachings!”

Despite how much Rainbow might have wanted to agree, her life was on the line. She dodged an overhead blow, then used her wings to evade an incoming leg strike. She lined up a trio of kicks aimed for Starlight’s chest and head, but the unicorn backed away each time. Another lightsaber strike, another parry and lock. Starlight’s horn began to glow aqua, and her whole body joined her horn. Starlight rose into the air, challenging the hovering pegasus and catching her off guard. Starlight’s vertically-held blade began exerting downward pressure on Rainbow, who resisted as best she could.
 
 	“Rainbow Dash, let’s go!” shouted Night Glider.
 
 	Starlight growled. “Don’t let them escape!”
 
     The soldiers encircling the pegasi readied their weapons. Night Glider spread her wings and thrusted her palms down towards the ground. A rush of air blasted her off the ground, aiding her takeoff. Rainbow pulled her legs up and kicked Starlight in the gut before turning to follow Night Glider. The pair evaded multiple stun blasts before making it back to the relative safety of the warehouse racks. They flew into the third row from the ground and rested in an empty spot with boxes on either side. Rainbow turned off the lightsaber and put a finger on her opposite wrist. “T4, can you hear me?” she asked her comlink. A series of beeps and blips answered. “We’re going to need a quick pickup Sublevel 39 in a warehouse near the swoop bike track!” A second set of astromech droid noises responded.
 
 	“Look! Up there!” called troops on the ground. A moment later, stun blasts ripped through the air around them.
 
 	Night Glider called out to Rainbow Dash. “Here. Give me the lightsaber.” Rainbow did as she was asked, and Night stepped forward and began dissipating incoming stun blasts from the soldiers below.
 
 	“Wanna split up?” asked Night Glider.
 
 	“I’m not losing you again.”
 
 	“Then let’s lose the troops on the ground instead.” Rainbow nodded, preparing to step off the opposite side of the rack. Night Glider stepped backwards a moment later, and the two flew into an empty row.
 
 	“Everyone fan out!” Starlight called from somewhere behind them. “I want them alive!”
 
 	The pegasi darted through another hole in the racks and into the next aisle over before coming to rest on the top rack. It was here they waited until T4-NK called back over Rainbow’s comlink.
 
 	“Good work. Now, I need you to point the Rainboom’s guns at the warehouse and blow a hole in the roof.”
 
 	“What!? Are you crazy?”
 
 	Rainbow shrugged. “Probably. But we’d be crazier for thinking they’ll just let us walk right out of here.”
 
 	Before Night could reply, a massive explosion shook the building. The pegasi instinctively covered their heads with their wings before looking around and assessing the situation. “There!” shouted Night Glider as she pointed at their new exit a few aisles over. The pegasi took off, but renewed blaster fire from below threatened to cut short their escape.
 
 	“Don’t let them out the roof or I’ll have your heads!” shouted Starlight. The pegasi resumed their course towards the exit, Rainbow returning fire with her blaster rifle and Night using her lightsaber for defense. Rainbow exited the building first, but Starlight teleported up between her and Night Glider. With no time to readjust her trajectory, Night plowed straight through Starlight, knocking her onto her back. Rainbow turned her head and located their ship hovering a few meters away. She began sprinting towards it, but Night Glider tripped behind her. She turned and watched the lightsaber fly out of Night’s hand and land at her feet. When Rainbow looked back at Night’s leg, she discovered what had caused her to fall. An aqua-colored aura held her right foot in place.
 
 	“Night!” Rainbow called out.
 
 	“Rainbow!” she replied as Starlight began to drag her backwards.
 
 	Rainbow stretched her hand forward and formed a loose fist. Night Glider’s momentum ceased. Rainbow pulled her fist towards her body, and Night began sliding towards her and away from Starlight.
 
 	Starlight growled and wrapped her magic around Rainbow’s hand, unclenching her fist. Rainbow reached out with her other hand, resuming the tug-of-war. Starlight responded by magically grabbing Rainbow’s other hand and spreading her arms apart.
 
 	“Rainbow, get help!” Night pleaded as she resumed sliding towards Starlight.
 
 	“We can’t call the police! We just blew a hole in the roof!”
 
 	“No, you’re right. But if this unicorn really can cut people off from the Force, then we’re in way over our heads.”
 
 	“But—but that’ll mean going back!”
 
 	“You have to, Rainbow!”
 
 	“No,” responded Starlight, “there is another option…”
 
 	Rainbow now found herself being pulled towards the opening in the roof as well. She re-clenched her fists and flapped her wings, overcoming Starlight’s magical grip. She grabbed the lightsaber from where it had fallen and leapt onto the boarding ramp of the Rainboom.
 
 	With a final glance over her shoulder, Rainbow watched Starlight and Night Glider begin to glow with aqua auras as they descended into the warehouse. The ramp began to retract as the ship flew away. Rainbow trudged into the cockpit and slumped into the captain’s chair. T4-NK greeted her with an interrogative set of beeps.
 
 	Rainbow stared at the star map in front of her long and hard before eliciting a deep sigh. She uttered a single word to the droid: “Coruscant.” The green-and-white droid—short for an astromech, but outfitted with a repulsorlift—signaled its understanding with a series of short beeps.
 
 	The lightsaber in Rainbow’s hands felt tremendously heavy. She lifted it to her eye level before sighing again. She rose from her seat and began to leave, prompting T4 to ask her where she was going.
 
 	“The dormitory,” she replied. “I—I need some time after what just happened.” T4 beeped his understanding before turning his dome to face out the transparisteel viewport. Rainbow retired to her quarters and collapsed into her bed. She sought sleep, but could not find it. She heard the increased whine of the hyperdrive as the ship entered lightspeed. Not even the drone of the hyperdrive could ease her to sleep. She rolled over, facing her small but familiar cabin.
 
 	As her eyes wandered, they chanced upon a footlocker across the room. Rainbow suddenly became aware of the lightsaber still in her hand. She sighed and crossed the room to open the footlocker. With the locker open, she placed the lightsaber right next to a second, double-bladed lightsaber which sat atop a brown robe and a rainbow-colored Padawan braid.
 
 	Rainbow paused a moment, fully aware of the meanings each item possessed. Then, she closed the locker.
> The Prodigal Daughter: Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight levitated Night Glider into a dimly lit room. She magically shoved Night into a cage on the far side and closed it before releasing her from her grip. “Let me go,” Night ordered.
 
Starlight smirked. “Actually, that’s the plan. You’re going to help us find your friend.”
 
“I’d never.”
 
“Give it a few days,” Starlight said as she clasped an amulet around her neck. “Or weeks. Or maybe even months. How long do you want this to take?” she asked with a sly grin.
 
“What do you want? Name your price.”
 
“Oh, I’m not in it for the money. I want you.”
 
“You want me to convert to your little cult of equality?”
 
Starlight frowned. “I wouldn’t call it a cult.”
 
“I’m pretty sure some of these who follow you never joined willingly.”
 
“Some did, but not all of them. But they did join.” Starlight lit her horn, and her eyes began to glow. As she stretched forth her hand, the amulet too began to glow. “Eventually.” A moment later, Night found herself flung against the front of the cage, pinned by the powerful magic. She groaned and convulsed as dark purple energy began to surround her. Starlight clenched her fist and pulled backwards, and Night Glider screamed in pain. A purple, cloudy aura flowed through the bars of the cage towards Starlight, forming a thick, pulsing cloud around her fist. Starlight opened her fist and made a slow, sweeping motion through the air with her hand, collecting the ethereal cloud and channeling it along her arm until it absorbed into the amulet. She then lowered her hand, causing Night Glider to collapse to the ground.
 
“What—did you—do?” Night asked between heavy, labored breaths.

Starlight opened her cage and the weakened pegasus spilled out of it, landing on all fours. Starlight then knelt down beside her. “I’m impressed you’re still conscious. The last two Jedi didn’t make it through the Equalization process awake. One not even alive. To be so close to the Force, then to be set on a different path, it’s too much for some Jedi to bear. Luckily most of my members were never Jedi like you.”
 
“Stop—calling me that! I’m not—a Jedi!”
 
Starlight crossed her arms. “You had a lightsaber in your jacket. Was it your friend’s?”
 
“The lightsaber—was as much a relic—as the Jedi are!”
 
Starlight smiled. “I knew I was right to recruit you. You’re already on the right path.”
 
“But this isn’t right!” Night blurted.
 
Starlight’s countenance shifted as distinctly as if she had removed a veil. She seemed to be expressing genuine pity for Night Glider. “Awww. Poor thing. You’re so confused. I know this is a lot for you to take in all at once. You just need some time to think, don’t you? We’ll start with a small chunk of time—just a few hours.”
 
Starlight stood and turned to leave. The door opened as she approached it. “Take her to her quarters,” she instructed the guards at the door. The guards rushed in, one human and one earth pony. The pony removed his helmet, revealing his white coat, white mane, and blue eyes.
 
“Woah, you ok?” he asked. Night didn’t have the energy to respond, much less resist. “Name’s Double Diamond,” he said as he helped her to her feet. “I can’t believe she found another pony! I can’t wait to hang out! Hope your stay in the tank is pretty short.”
 
Night leaned in towards him, partly to whisper to him and partly out of her own weakness. “What did she do to you?” she whispered.
 
“Woah,” Diamond said as a look of genuine pity crossed his face. “Don’t worry. It’ll all be ok. Soon, you’ll be just like us.”
 
“No. I’ll never,” she said through a whimper as she stumbled forward.
 
The human female on the other side of her twisted her arm. “We’ll see about that,” she said as she fitted Night’s wrists with a pair of binders.
 



 
Rainbow tossed and turned all night. Her thoughts remained with her former master, Night Glider. In the darkness with only the hum of the hyperdrive, her memory drifted among their many shared moments and memories.
 
“Master! I did it! I did it!” Rainbow exclaimed as she held up her lightsaber.
 
“Well, let’s see it,” said the young adult pegasus as she knelt on one knee next to Rainbow Dash. With the press of a button, Rainbow’s single-bladed blue lightsaber buzzed to life for the first time. An expression of pure joy flashed across Rainbow’s face as she proudly held her new Jedi weapon.
 
*****
 
Rainbow’s lightsaber hung from her belt as she and Night Glider prepared to part with her friends in front of the Jedi Enclave on the planet Equus Prime. Rainbow Dash stood opposite Gilda.
 
“We’ll still be cool, right?” asked Gilda.
 
“Of course.”
 
“It’s just—ever since you became a Jedi, I hardly ever saw you anymore. Always stuck inside the walls of that enclave.”
 
“And now I’ll be halfway across the galaxy…” Rainbow trailed off.
 
“So—I guess this is goodbye.”
 
Rainbow threw her arms around Gilda, pinning not only her arms to her sides, but also her wings to her back. “Goodbye, Gilda.”
 
Gilda grunted. “Rainbow? You’re touching me.”
 
Night Glider laughed. “It’s the last time she’ll see you for what could be a long time. Make the most of it.”
 
Gilda blushed with embarrassment as she reluctantly hugged Rainbow back.
 
*****
 
Rainbow stood close to Night Glider as the two stood before a funeral pyre. Before them, flames lapped at the lifeless form of Jedi Master Qui Gon Jin. Night Glider hugged Rainbow Dash with a wing, and although Rainbow normally wouldn’t allow such a gesture, it felt comforting in this dark and uncertain time. Just weeks ago, the Sith were extinct. Now, a member of the Jedi Council lay lifeless in front of her. It was as heartrending as it was foreboding.
 
“Do not fear the Sith, Padawan,” Night comforted. “There is no emotion; there is peace.”
 
Peace had been the farthest thing from Rainbow’s mind that evening. The Naboo crisis had brought the galaxy dangerously close to war, and with the return of the Sith, peace had never felt more fragile.
 
*****
 
Night Glider and Rainbow Dash watched with horror as the holo-screen on their Jedi Shuttle displayed live footage of a Geonosian execution arena. Rainbow's eyes darted among the faces of the Jedi, hoping to see her friends among those few surviving Jedi clustered in the middle of the ring.
 
“We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!” Master Mace Windu said firmly.
 
“Then… I’m sorry, old friend,” Dooku sighed.
 
Rainbow closed her eyes as she fought back tears. “That should have been us. We should have been there!”
 
“Rainbow, there’s nothing we could have done.”
 
“What right do we have to sit here in peace while our friends—our brothers and sisters—fight and die!”
 
“We’re needed here, Padawan. The Trade Federation has a considerable presence in this region of the galaxy. We’ll be needed here on Ryloth if there’s any sort of threa—”
 
“Yeah, maybe! But we’re definitely needed on Geonosis!”
 
“We have our orders.” Rainbow stared at the screen a few more seconds before turning it off, unable to watch her friends’ final defeat. A now familiar wing-hug drew her close. This time, Rainbow turned in and hugged Night with both arms.
 
*****
 
“Master Gun Di!” Night Glider shouted over the battle on Ryloth’s surface. “We can make it to the hanger if we hurry! Send as many civilians our way as you can!”
 
“I will break off and draw some of the droids away from you,” Gun Di replied.
 
“Wait!” offered Rainbow Dash. “Let me come with you,” she said as she drew her newly-upgraded double-bladed lightsaber from her belt.
 
“No, Rainbow. Come with me,” said Night.
 
“Stay with your master, Padawan Dash. Captain Keeli’s 303rd and I will delay and draw out the Separatists as long as we can.”
 
“When will you rendezvous with us at the hanger?” asked Night.
 
“We—won’t,” he said. Rainbow’s eyes grew wide with disbelief. “I’ll stay planetside with my clone garrison and wage guerrilla warfare once the spaceport falls. There may also be local resistance fighters we can ally ourselves with.”
 
“But Master Gun Di,” Rainbow began.
 
“Rainbow, let’s go!” Night ordered. Rainbow bit her lip as she surveyed the Jedi standing before her. He displayed an air of serenity even in the midst of a thrown-together plan and with no hope for escape.
 
“May the Force be with you,” he said as he ignited his lightsaber before charging out of cover and into the fray. Rainbow sighed before turning to face her master.
 
“Come on,” Night said. “Let’s find as many civilians as we can on our way to the hanger. Maybe we could find a freighter or something. Anything with more capacity than our Jedi transport.”
 
“Yes, Master.”
 
Behind them, Rainbow heard the sounds of battle intensifying along with a chant of “For the Republic!”
 
*****
 
Rainbow heard Night enter the cockpit, but she kept her head lowered. “Hey, Rainbow. You ok?” Night asked. She looked over her padawan’s shoulder and read aloud the title of the holo-net article she had been reading. “Ryloth Falls to Separatist Invasion.” Night paused before placing a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “We did everything we could.”

“But it wasn’t enough,” Rainbow countered. “We sent out warnings to the Republic, and they gave us more troops. Not enough, but at least it was something. We sent word to the Jedi and what did we hear back? Nothing!”

“These are hard times for the galaxy, Rainbow,” Night began.

“The Council is incompetent!”

“Padawan Dash!” Night scolded.
 
“Well, they are! They couldn’t save our friends at Geonosis, and they almost let the two of us slip through the cracks on Ryloth!”
 
Night sighed as she began massaging Rainbow’s shoulders. It helped to calm her, but only a little. “That’s the cost of war, I’m afraid,” Night said.
 
“I’m beginning to think the Council is right. We aren’t warriors. That’s why we’re so bad at keeping our own people alive.” Rainbow took a deep breath. Her tone lowered and her words slowed as she tried to collect herself. “What if it had been us? What if—Night Glider? This might sound crazy, but—but I’m beginning to think we’re better off without the Jedi.” Immediately after she said it, Night’s fingers froze in place on her shoulders, and Rainbow knew she should have kept that last comment to herself.
 
“Do you really think so, Rainbow?” asked Night Glider.
 
“Well, I—I don’t know,” she backpedaled. “I mean, sometimes it’s just so—We—”
 
Night sat down in the seat next to Rainbow and placed her hand under Rainbow’s chin, prompting Rainbow to look up at her face. “Do you think this is right for us?” she asked, placing special emphasis on the final word.
 
“Y—yeah, I think so.” Night smiled and brushed Rainbow’s hair off to the side, pushing aside her Padawan braid as she did. Once her hand reached the back of Rainbow’s head, Night began scratching behind Rainbow’s ear. When she was younger, Rainbow hadn’t given serious thought to the possibility that she’d fall in love with an older mare, but Night offered the perfect balance of motherly and romantic affection. Sometimes, it was hard to tell the difference.

“Well, to be completely honest, my faith in the Council has been shaken, too. I wasn’t sure how I should tell you, or even if I should. What's more, you’re the reason I’ve even stayed with the Order this long.” Rainbow looked at Night, wanting to believe what she had just heard but unsure if she had understood correctly. “Having a Padawan to take care of made me feel like I was giving something back. But if the Jedi are just going to order us into danger needlessly… I don’t want that for you.”

“You mean it?”
 
Night nodded as she put her arm around her Padawan.
 
Her ex-Padawan.
 



 
Rainbow finally gave up trying to sleep, instead resigning herself to get up and start wandering about the ship. The small vessel wouldn’t provide much of a walk, but at least it would be something.
 
The dormitory carried many mixed memories. The bunk across from hers was empty, as it would be for the foreseeable future. Yet it was on that bed where she had shared her first kiss with her childhood crush and mentor. Rainbow had heard that it was hard for someone to forget their first love. She hoped what she’d heard was true, yet in a way, she hoped it wasn’t. After all, remembering was easy, but moving on was hard. Much like anything else in life, she supposed. Rainbow shook her head and left the room.
 
In the cargo hold, Rainbow looked over the few boxes, yet she could still almost hear the sound of a several dozen children, half of which were crying in their mothers’ arms. With them, the sound of a dozen Twi’lek men as they comforted their wives, and the wives comforting their children. Refugees, all of them.
 
Rainbow walked out into a corridor and passed by the ladder that led to the transparisteel dome on the roof, and remembered the sights and sounds of turret-to-fighter combat. She'd racked up quite a few kills on her first flight, her aim aided by the Force, yet even that hadn’t been enough. Almost half the civilian vessels which departed the planet were lost that day, and she could never quite shake the feeling that she was at least somewhat responsible for the lost ships.

In the engine room, Rainbow found the hyperdrive to be functioning exactly as it should—not as it had on their first flight. Rainbow could still remember the sound of the engine starting to give out, see herself dropping down from the turret and rushing to the engine room, feel the heat emanating from the engine and the fluid oozing from its interior. Had she not been an expert mechanic, she might have found herself permanently behind the enemy blockade. Or worse.
 
On her return trip to the front of the ship, Rainbow passed through the ship’s central command room. She approached the command console in the center of the room, bracing her arms on it for support. Several holographic figures stood before her, most of them Twi’leks. Complicating the meeting, only some of the ships’ commanders spoke Basic. One of the holographic Twi’leks in front of her stumbled about as though his ship was shaking. “Damage report!” he shouted over his shoulder before awaiting a response from his pilot. “Oh, that’s not good. Enemy fi—” Without warning, his transmission cut out.
 
“Neera!” shouted another Twi’lek.
 
“Rainbow Dash,” Night called over the intercom, “get on the dorsal turret! We’ve got fighters inbound!”
 
Rainbow sighed and walked away, not towards the turret, but towards the cockpit. T4’s dome rotated as Rainbow approached, and the droid gave off a string of interrogative beeps. “Can’t sleep,” Rainbow replied. T4 replied with a sympathizing “Dwooooo”–the same sound he'd made when Rainbow had entered the cockpit her first time on the ship.
 
“You did great, kid. We’ve hit hyperspace now, so it’s straight on till—” she paused. “Hey Rainbow, what’s up?”

At first, Rainbow didn’t answer, her mind still trying to track fighters that had been left behind, calculating distances and trajectories and telling her where to lead her targets. “I—there were so many of them. I couldn’t shoot them all down. And the other ships—if I hadn’t had to fix the hyperdrive—I know I could have done better.”
 
Night Glider looked over at her. “Rainbow, don’t beat yourself up over it.”
 
Rainbow rotated the copilot’s chair and slumped dejectedly into it. “Never thought we’d see the war this close.”
 
“Yeah,” Night agreed. “All the stories of war can’t possibly do it justice. They all leave out the worst parts.”
 
“Could I have a turn flying? I need something to do to take my mind off what just happened.”
 
Night turned towards her with a look of concern on her face. “You sure you’re going to be ok?”
 
“Yeah. I’ll be fine. You know how I get when I’m flying something.”
 
Night smiled understandingly. “You do get pretty zoned out sometimes. Here. She’s all yours,” she said as she rose from the pilot’s chair. Rainbow forced herself to get out of the chair she was in only to slump into a second chair, breathing out a heavy sigh as she buried her head in her hands. “Oh, and T4? Don’t forget to make sure Rainbow’s doing ok every once in a while. I’ll be in the back checking on our passengers.”
 
T4 beeped his understanding as Rainbow settled into her new role as captain. First, she familiarized herself with the layout of the cockpit. There was the hyperdrive throttle, and those switches controlled the stabilizers. Those smaller throttles were for the sub-lightspeed engines. That gauge displayed the shield power. And that one the amount of battery charge left for the weapons systems. The life support panel displayed an unusually high concentration of carbon dioxide in the cargo hold. It wasn’t approaching dangerous levels just yet, but it was probably pretty stuffy back there. This wasn’t a passenger vessel, after all.

“T4, divert power from the forward canons to the life support system. Boost the air filtration power,” Rainbow ordered. Suddenly, her role seemed far more mundane. It helped her focus and center herself amidst the chaos she’d left behind above Ryloth. A quick glance at the navicomputer confirmed that they were still on course towards their destination—Coruscant? No, that wasn’t right. They were supposed to be flying towards—

No. It was right. Having been jerked back to reality by the discrepancy between the display in front of her and her memories, Rainbow sighed. “How long was I out?” she asked. T4-NK responded with a short phrase of astromech noises. “Guess we’ll hit Coruscant pretty soon then,” she said as she leaned back and put her feet up on the center console.
 



 
Two of Starlight’s Equalists dragged Night Glider down a hallway in the office wing of the warehouse. Her wings were held against her body by cords wrapping around her chest, and her hands had been bound with binders in front of her. A third uniformed Equalist opened the door to the room, and the other two threw Night inside. The door shut after her, and a moment later Night heard the electronic lock. Night flopped over onto her side. “Please, just let me go!” she pleaded.
 
“Oh we will,” said a guard, “once you become one of us.”
 
“No!” she shouted, punctuating her remark by kicking the door. “And give me something to change into so I don’t have to wear this ridiculous uniform!”
 
“You’ll learn to like it,” came the reply.
 
Night sighed and kicked the door, harder this time. She looked up and inspected the lock. It looked like there was no way to unlock it from the inside. Unless she got her Force powers or weapons back, she could be here for a long time.
 
Night took the opportunity to survey her surroundings. She had no tools to work with in the room; there was a basin of water, a cot, a bucket in the corner (the intended use of which she'd rather not think about), and a broken mirror, but nothing else. Not even a window. The room was lit by a set of sconces on the walls.
 
Night rolled onto her hands and knees, then rose to her feet. She walked over to the cot and tried to sleep, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Rainbow Dash. If only she were here. In time, she would come back and this whole mess would be over with. She wondered, would Rainbow bring Jedi to help? Or would she ask the Republic? The Republic wouldn’t care about some wayward ex-Jedi being held on some backward world. But the Jedi… they just might. At least she hoped they would.
 
Maybe, just maybe, the Jedi would forgive her. Night sighed and sat up. She wriggled her hands out from behind her back, under her legs, and into her lap. Then she began reciting words she hadn’t said—much less believed—for several months.
 
“There is no emotion; there is peace.”
 
As if the very walls could hear her, a voice replied from several speakers in the room. Empty yourself of your restrictive philosophies. Confused, Night Glider opened one eye. There is neither passion, nor peace, the voice continued.
 
Night Glider scowled and resumed her meditation. “There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.”
 
There is neither knowledge, nor strength, the voice droned.
 
“There is no passion,” Night said, raising her voice as she began to grow frustrated. “There is serenity.”
 
There is neither serenity, nor power.
 
“There is no chaos,” she said loudly. “There is harmony!”
 
There is neither harmony, nor victory.
 
“There is no death!” she shouted. “There is only the Force!”
 
As individuals, we are weak; only together can we free ourselves from the Force!
 
Night growled and buried her face in her hands. The voice paused for a moment before beginning again.
 
Empty yourself of your restrictive philosophies.

“Great. It’s on repeat,” she said aloud as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I hope Rainbow gets here soon.”
 



 
Rainbow drew a deep breath as the doors to the Jedi Council room opened and Mace Windu ushered her inside before taking his seat. Here, Rainbow saw the faces of the very individuals she had rebelled against and run from—the Jedi Council. Due to the war, several members were absent, blueshifted holograms of them in their places. One such holograph caught her eye almost immediately. “Ah,” the figure said. “It would appear our prodigal daughter has returned. Welcome back, Rainbow Dash.”
 
“Grand Master Celestia. It’s—good to see you again.”
 
“It is good indeed,” seconded Ki Adi Mundi, “to see such a promising young Jedi return to the fold.”
 
“Depart two Jedi did; but returned only one has,” noted Master Yoda.
 
“That’s—the reason I came back,” Rainbow said, holding her right wrist with her hand. “It’s my master. No, my friend.”
 
“You make a deliberate distinction. Is the former Jedi Knight Night Glider no longer your master?” asked Mace Windu.
 
“It’s… complicated. I don’t know if she’s ready to become a Jedi again.” To be honest, Rainbow wasn’t sure she wanted to become a Jedi again.
 
“Tell us,” Obi Wan began, “is she a Jedi, or isn't she?”

“N—” Rainbow paused, fully aware that her answer might determine whether she would gain the Council's support. With a sigh, she began again. “She's—she’s important to me,” she said in a softer tone.
 
“It would appear that your old friendships are not forgotten,” said Celestia. “Friendship is magic, and magic binds us ponies to one another more strongly than most other races.”
 
“Yeah. She’s still a close friend of mine.” Rainbow found agreeing with Celestia to be easier than speaking the truth.
 
“Yet we must learn to balance our natural affinity for magic against the Jedi teachings regarding forming attachments,” she continued.
 
“Of course, Master. It’s just—I need the help of the Council. Night is in some real trouble.”
 
“Do go on,” urged Plo Koon.
 
“Night and I were performing a cargo run to Nar Shaddaa when we got double-crossed by the dock owners. They sold our cargo to a Force-hunting cult led by a unicorn named Starlight Glimmer. In the process of trying to retrieve our shipment, Night was captured.”
 
“A unicorn?” asked Celestia. “All the way out on Nar Shaddaa?”
 
“Certain are you that this cult is hunting Force users?”
 
“I am, Master Yoda. I don’t know how, but Starlight claimed to have the ability to cut off the Force from her prisoners.”

The Council members glanced at one another for a moment in silence, exchanging looks of confusion, shock, and disbelief.
 
“That ability has not been exhibited for millennia,” Mace Windu stated. “What evidence do you have to support this claim?”
 
“I—I don’t,” Rainbow said, barely veiling her frustration. “Respectfully, Masters, I feel very strongly about this. I can't leave Night Glider to whatever fate Starlight has planned for her.”
 
“We cannot be certain,” Ki Adi Mundi began, “that this unicorn has the ability to sever access to the Force in her victims.”
 
“She seemed to think she did. I stole a set of their armor, including the helmet so I got pretty close to Starlight. Nobody else around questioned her when she reached out her hand towards Night. If she were lying, the other cult members would know best.” A few moments passed in silence as the Council members exchanged glances.
 
“Charging into hostile territory without a plan and with very limited knowledge of our enemy is going to risk even greater casualties,” Plo Koon warned.

Obi Wan Kenobi leaned forward in his seat. "But if what she says is true, something must be done."

Mace Windu stroked his chin and nodded slowly. “We must discuss this matter further in private. Rainbow Dash, please wait outside until we summon you.”
 
“Yes, Masters.”
 
“Rainbow Dash,” Celestia called. “Would you care to join me in the temple gardens?”
 
“Sure,” Rainbow replied. It wasn't like she had anything better to do.
 
“If you will excuse me then, Masters,” Celestia said as she disconnected her hologram.
 
As Rainbow Dash walked to the door, she was keenly aware of the stares coming from all around her, not all of which were as welcoming as Celestia had been.
 




Night Glider rolled over again on her cot. All around her, the voice incessantly repeated the same phrases it had when she first arrived. Sleep never came to her. She suspected by now that her water or supply bars had been drugged to keep her awake. Or maybe it was just paranoia setting in. Maybe she was just blaming the Equalists for her insomnia, or perhaps it was the droning speakers. In her current state, it was difficult to tell which answer seemed most plausible.
 
And yet, no Rainbow Dash. She didn’t know how long it had been. A day or two, perhaps. There was no way to tell time, and even if she could, there was nothing to mark the walls with. Maybe if she asked for something….

Suddenly, the recording cut out. “Good morning, dear Jedi!” Starlight’s voice called over the speaker.
 
“Is it really morning? I can’t tell. And I’m not a Jedi.”
 
Starlight ignored her and proceeded with her first question. “So, how about reciting that creed? Go on; I know you must have memorized it by now.”
 
This time, it was Night Glider who did the ignoring.
 
“No? Aww, too bad. Maybe tomorrow.” Starlight’s voice cut out and the recording began again.
 
“Rainbow Dash will be back!” she shouted. “You’re gonna get it then!” Night pounded her shackled fists against the wall, only to be met with the dissatisfaction of being ignored. With a sigh, she lay back down on her cot and tried again to get some sleep.
> The Prodigal Daughter: Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash walked through one of the Jedi Temple’s indoor gardens. Beside her, a squatty, four-legged holo-droid skittered along, projecting a life-sized likeness of Grand Master Celestia above it. The alicorn would have been head and shoulders (and horn) taller than Rainbow even without the holo-droid, but the projection had been shrunken so that she was now closer to Rainbow's height.
 
Rainbow replayed the council’s deliberations in her head as she walked. She didn’t look at any one object or individual for too long; her gaze constantly darted among the flowers and greenery. Whenever her gaze chanced upon another Jedi, she would quickly turn her head away, hoping to avoid eye contact. She noticed a stark contrast between herself and Celestia, whose carriage and stride spoke of confidence and serenity. She too was taking in her surroundings, though Rainbow knew that she was walking through the Canterlot Gardens in the Jedi Enclave, far away on the Mid-Rim planet Equus Prime.
 
Celestia reached her hand out, allowing a blue jay to light onto her finger. She stroked the bird with her hand before turning her head away as if there was something else nearby to look at. She then breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, she looked over at Rainbow and a gentle smile crossed her lips.
 
“Relax, Padawan Dash,” Celestia comforted as the blue jay flew away. “The temple in which you walk is a place of spiritual healing. It would seem you are quite in need of it.”

“I know,” Rainbow sighed. “Part of me wants to reconnect with my spirituality, but part of me feels too hurt and betrayed to trust again.”
 
“How so?”
 
“It’s just—I don’t know. I feel like—I feel like the Force let me down.”
 
“Let you down?”
 
“Yeah. And not just me, either. What about the whole planet of Ryloth? You don’t understand,” she said. “You weren’t there,” Rainbow said as she approached the large circular fountain in front of her. She leaned forward braced her hands on the rough stone surface that made up the bottom reservoir and looked down at her broken reflection in the crystal blue water. “The only thing worse than the faces of the refugees packed wall-to-wall in the freighter Night and I commandeered was the faces of the refugees we couldn’t pick up.”
 
“Do you feel somehow guilty or responsible for those refugees?”
 
“I—I just wanted to do more,” she said as she turned around to face Celestia. “It's just that Night and I could only do so much and—Where was the Council the day Ryloth fell? Where was the Republic? Where was the Force?” She slammed her fist onto the stone fountain, pretending not to be in pain as she did.
 
Celestia’s holo-droid moved next to Rainbow. “Padawan Dash,” she began soothingly, “a Jedi should not be eager to run off to war so quickly. There is no passion; there is serenity. Do not let your passions consume you.”
 
The instant Celestia stopped talking, Rainbow spun to face her. “What if there’s a cause? Is it the will of the Force to leave countless millions to die at the hands of the Trade Federation?” Rainbow turned and put her back against the fountain. She let herself slide down the wall until she reached a sitting position. “Sometimes, I wonder if the Force is even with us,” she sighed. “We say it so often it—it’s practically cliché. But does it really have any meaning?”
 
The holo-droid skittered a little closer and Celestia sat down beside Rainbow. She thought a moment before forming her answer. “What about your part in the final moments of Ryloth’s defense?”
 
“Hardly a defense,” Rainbow scoffed. “If by ‘defense,’ you mean ‘massacre.’ The few freedom fighters who weren’t cut down at first contact ran away in an effort to draw attention away from the hanger.”
 
Celestia nodded, grim-faced and somber. She waited a moment, letting Rainbow continue.
 
“A few dozen militia intercepted and ambushed the main tank column which was on its way to the hangers. They disabled a few tanks, but the Seps brought up heavy droids. The freedom fighters were poorly armed, untrained, and outnumbered. They were cut down like grass. I watched the explosions on the skyline from the gunner’s position of our ship, helpless to stop any of it. And then—then there was the space skirmish. A dozen ships took off, only eight made it out of the system. I gave them cover from our ship’s turret, but…” Rainbow trailed off.
 
“You were very brave, Rainbow Dash.”
 
“They didn’t have to die!” Rainbow cried as she pulled her legs in towards her torso. “Over a thousand civilians fired upon in orbit, their ships destroyed and half their bodies left floating in the vacuum of space! Civilians! Women and children!”
 
Celestia and Rainbow Dash sat in silence a few moments before Celestia stood up. “Rainbow, come with me,” she instructed as her horn began to glow. With a brilliant flash of light, Rainbow found herself in the gardens of Canterlot’s Jedi Enclave. Before her stood not a holographic projection, but Celestia herself. “Here,” she said as she stretched out her hand. Rainbow accepted Celestia’s hand and rose to her feet. Celestia turned and the pair began walking through the lush outdoor garden of the Enclave.
 
When Rainbow looked into Celestia’s face again, her smile was gone. “Rainbow Dash, I do not mean in any way to belittle the sacrifices of those brave soldiers and innocent civilians who died on or above Ryloth, but I’m afraid I have seen much more death in my years than you have, or ever will.” Celestia raised her gaze towards the sky. “And hardly a day goes by when I do not think of somepony I have lost. Often, my thoughts dwell with my sister. I’ll never forget the look on her face when I last saw her.”
 
“Right. I know the story.”
 
“Then you also know that my magic rotates our planet to create night and day, and it is also my duty to move the moon around the planet. But it wasn’t always that way. A thousand years ago, my sister, Luna, moved the moon.”
 
“At least until she rebelled.”
 
Celestia nodded. “Unfortunately, my subjects—our subjects then—did not appreciate my sister’s nights. Luna grew bitter and angry with me—hateful, even—and she tried to seize control of the planet for herself. I managed to escape the planet in my flagship, but my sister attacked with her own force of Lunar Soldiers. The rest is history.”
 
“You had to use the Elements of Harmony.”
 
“Yes. The Elements. I tried everything else I could, but she wouldn’t listen. From my ship's escape pod bay, the Elements started a chain reaction that sent my sister to the moon. A task force scoured Equus Luna for a standard year, but found no trace of her.”
 
“So, how’d you find her again?”
 
Celestia glanced down at Rainbow. “I didn’t.”
 
Rainbow froze in place. “Wait, what?” She jogged a few steps to catch up. “But—but that’s not—You’re just saying that. I know how these things work. Your sister is safe and sound somewhere. She just—disqualified herself from ruling as Princess and serving as Grand Master. It was embarrassing for everyone involved in the situation, so she just got swept under the rug. That’s how it’s always been, right?” Celestia shook her head. “No? But—how can that be the end?”
 
“It just is,” Celestia said as she stopped and turned towards Rainbow. “We must accept that we will not find closure for some chapters of our life.” Rainbow’s gaze dropped, the moral of Celestia’s story painfully apparent to her. “I know it’s not easy to move on, but we must begin to write the next chapter of our lives.” Rainbow looked up again. “How many other lives have you touched, Rainbow? How many more can you touch? You may never know if you remain here in this chapter of life, waiting for closure that never comes.”
 
“You make it sound so easy,” Rainbow said. “I know it won’t be.”
 
“I know.” Celestia said with a sigh. She turned her head away and began walking again.
 
“Master?” Rainbow asked once she caught up. “Are you ok?”
 
“I am fine,” she said as she seated herself on a bench. “But a moment of tranquility would be welcome. Come, sit with me.”
 
Rainbow did as Celestia requested. “How do you carry on like that? Your sister is just—gone. Did you ever want to just run away from it all? Like, well, like I did.”
 
“To my shame, yes, I did. I nearly lost my way for a few decades, but eventually I found peace and found my way back here.”
 
Rainbow lowered her head for a brief moment, wondering if she should risk further questioning. “Master?” she asked. “Did you ever feel like—giving up on the Force? Turning your back on it? Walking away and never looking back?”
 
“During those years of my life, I considered it. I had lost others before, being an alicorn after all, but... this was different. I wasn't supposed to lose Luna.” Celestia paused a moment, her head held slightly lower than before. “But, my grief did not go unnoticed. And when approached by the Jedi, I stayed here with them.”
 
“But why? Was it the will of the Force that you and your sister be put in a situation like that? Why did you still trust the Force when it killed off your sister?”
 
Celestia began calmly and slowly. “You and I are spiritual beings, Rainbow Dash. To give up our spirituality is to partially die. You would never take lightly your physical, emotional, or mental health. Why do you believe you can so easily give up your spirituality?”
 
“I—I don’t know.”
 
“The will of the Force is balance. I can only trust that through the Force, the harmony between myself and my sister will one day be restored. My sister was biologically immortal like myself, and since we never found the remains of her ship, there is still a sliver of doubt in my mind. I do not know whether I will see my sister again in life or through becoming one with the Force. It may not be easy, but you also must learn to trust the Force to restore you to your friend.”
 
“So, all I can do now is wait around for something to happen?”
 
“Not necessarily,” Celestia said with a smile as she rose to her feet. Rainbow rose as well, and Celestia put a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Sometimes, as you said, it is the will of the Force that we wait patiently for an answer to reveal itself. But sometimes, the Force knows we will be stronger and more complete individuals if we pursue and find the answers ourselves.”
 
“How will I be able to tell the difference?”
 
Celestia smiled. “Trust the Force, and you cannot go wrong. Now, it is time for you to return.”
 
Rainbow squinted at Celestia in confusion. “‘Trust the Force’? But you haven’t proven that I even can trust the Force!”
 
Celestia closed her eyes as her horn radiated golden light which filled Rainbow’s vision. “That is something you must do for yourself.”
 
“Master, wait!” Rainbow raised a hand to shield her eyes from the blinding light.
 
“And remember,” Celestia’s fading voice called out, “there is no chaos; there is harmony.”
 
Rainbow squinted until she could no longer keep her eyes open. Several seconds passed before the light was dim enough for her to open her eyes again. When her vision returned, she was back in the indoor gardens of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
 



 
Night Glider hugged her knees to her chest as she rocked back and forth on her cot. She couldn’t tell if Starlight had sped up the recording, or if she was imagining it to be faster than it really was. Her supplies of food and water were dwindling. In her stress, she’d already consumed more supply bars and water than she should have. Assuming, of course, that she’d correctly estimated the amount of time she’d spent in the room. She hadn’t slept the entire time she’d been locked away. She was beyond skepticism of her food and water, and now wondered if Starlight had used a magic spell to induce paranoia on her directly. She glanced at the mirror across the room, and even at a distance, even against her navy coat, she could see bags under her eyes. It was a wonder she saw anything at all with her eyes so bloodshot. Her wings needed preening and she smelled overdue for a shower, and she never quite got over the feeling that she was being watched.
 
In fact, the feeling got worse as time dragged onward. She ran her eyes along the ceiling for what must have been the thousandth time, but as usual she found no cameras. She shook her head and began rocking back and forth again.
 
A voice spoke inside her head. “She’s not coming back.”
 
“Yes she is,” she answered aloud. A verbal answer seemed a more natural response to the voice than a mental one.
 
“Then where is she?”
 
“I don’t know!” she lashed out.
 
“Please, I only want the best for you.”
 
Night Glider looked around the room. “No. You’re not inside my head. You’re Starlight!”
 
“You can’t stay in there forever. You will accept our ways.”
 
“No, I—Please let me out of here!” she begged.
 
“I thought you didn’t want to be a Jedi,” Starlight replied mockingly. “My code is far superior to the Jedi Code.”
 
“This—this isn’t a choice! You're forcing this on me!” Night replied. “Please, I just want to be free again!”
 
“You will be. Once you accept our philosophy.”
 
Night lay down and buried her face in her hands so the cameras wouldn’t see her break down crying. Her breaths came quickly and much shorter than usual. Her mind raced. Her heart pounded. She hated her very existence. She’d rather be anywhere besides where she found herself now. At this point, she’d be fine if she went to sleep and woke up on Ryloth again. Anywhere but here.
 



 
Rainbow strode into the Council chamber, fully aware of the thinly veiled looks of disdain certain members were giving her. She still felt overwhelmingly outclassed here, but something about the way Celestia and a few others looked upon her partially made up for it, giving her the feeling that she was indeed welcome back, if only by select members.
 
“Upon reviewing the circumstances surrounding your fall from grace and your return,” Mace Windu began, “the Council restores to you the rank of Padawan.”
 
“Furthermore, rescue your Master we feel you must,” Yoda added.
 
“You shall not be alone in this task,” Obi Wan said.
 
Obi Wan spoke next. “The Council has elected Anakin Skywalker to go with you. His Padawan Ashoka Tano and a few of his best men will travel with you.”
 
“Once you find Night Glider,” Celestia added, “we wish to… speak with her. To give her the same second chance we gave you.”
 
“Night Glider walks her own path,” Windu corrected, directing his gaze at Celestia. “She will answer for her own actions, and for her influence on her Padawan.”
 
“Hurry you must. Every moment you spend here, another moment Night Glider spends in enemy hands is.”
 
“Yes, Masters. Thank you.”
 
Plo Koon spoke up as Rainbow turned to leave. “May the Force be with you, Padawan.”
 
Rainbow turned and smiled. “Thank you, Masters,” she said, bowing shallowly before turning to leave.
 



 
Rainbow adjusted the yoke of the Rainboom to keep her ship in formation with Anakin's freighter and the two Republic gunships ahead as they flew through the undercity of Nar Shaddaa. “So,” she asked over her comlink, “what’s a Jedi Knight doing piloting an aging freighter around?”
 
“Well, let’s just say we ‘borrowed’ it. It’s in better hands now than it was before at least,” Anakin said
 
“I can relate,” Rainbow replied. From her position in the back of the diamond formation, she could see the Twilight dead ahead of her. “Bet it’s not the fastest ship around, though.”
 
“Well—it's fast enough.”
 
“Wanna bet?”
 
“You see those power couplings ahead on the right?” Rainbow looked in the indicated direction, her eyes glancing among the various structures.
 
“Yeah.”
 
“How about a little race? First one to fly around them and rejoin the gunships wins.”
 
“Master,” Ashoka interrupted, “we have a mission.”
 
“Don’t worry, Snips. This won’t take long.”
 
“'Snips’?” Rainbow asked.
 
“What?” Ashoka asked defensively. “Your master doesn’t have any cute nicknames for you?”
 
“Well, yeah,” Rainbow began, glad the others couldn’t see her blush, “but that’s different!”
 
“Different how?”
 
“Sir,” called one of the gunship pilots, “we’re almost at the drop zone.”
 
“Maybe later, Ashoka,” Rainbow suggested. “Look for the warehouse with the hole in the roof.”
 
“Your handiwork?” Anakin asked.
 
“Well, not exactly. That was T4.”
 
Rainbow’s droid beeped indignantly.
 
“The droid was following your orders aboard your ship,” Ashoka said. “So technically, that makes it your fault.”
 
“General Skywalker, we’ve arrived.”
 
“Thank you, pilot. Looks like Rainbow Dash here just showed us our way in. We’re going in through the hole in the roof.”
 
“Why?” asked Ashoka. “It’s not like the building doesn’t have perfectly functional doors.”
 
“Hey, this way we won’t have to break in or bypass security,” Rainbow pointed out. “T4, open the boarding ramp. Keep the ship in formation with the gunships until we return.”
 
“That goes for you too, R2,” Anakin said.
 
Rainbow rose to her feet and made her way back to the ramp. By the time she got there, the ramp had descended. A short distance away, she could see Anakin standing on the ramp of the Twilight. He gave her a two-finger salute before making the jump. Rainbow was right behind him. Anakin landed in a low stance, his approach slowed by the Force. Rainbow slowed herself with her wings before landing behind Anakin with her back towards him.
 
The two Jedi drew their lightsabers, casting a blue glow on the ground around them. Their weapons did little, however, to illuminate the darkened warehouse. Before long, Ashoka dropped down beside them, adding a green glow to the immediate area. At Anakin’s orders, the three Jedi spread out and created a perimeter for the clones. As the clones rappelled down, Rainbow looked around, her large eyes adjusting to the darkened building with inhuman speed. Though she didn’t have to rely on her own eyesight for long before the clones began turning on their helmet lamps.
 
“So, why a warehouse?” asked Ashoka.
 
“They’re storing supplies here,” Rainbow said, surveying the empty racks in their area. “Or at least they were.”
 
“Maybe they moved their supplies away from the hole in the roof,” offered a pistol-wielding clone with blue accents on his armor.
 
“That’s one possibility, Rex,” Anakin said. “But that doesn’t explain why the rest of the warehouse is empty too.” Rex turned his head to the side, shining his helmet lamps onto row upon row of empty racks. A number of deactivated lifting droids could be seen on the far wall.
 
“More importantly, where’s the cult?” asked Rainbow Dash. “You’d think they’d have moved to engage us by now. Or at least patched the hole in the roof.”
 
“Patience,” Anakin advised. “They’ll show up soon enough. Then, we’ll have our answers.”
 
“And our missing Jedi,” added Ashoka.
 
The Jedi and clone forces advanced through the racks and into the front of the warehouse without encountering any resistance. “They’re probably holed up in the office wing,” Rainbow suggested.
 
“Looks like we’ll be taking this place the hard way,” said Ashoka. She approached the door and prepared to stab through it. When she lunged to thrust her saber into the door, it opened automatically. She quickly drew her blade back into a defensive position, ready to reflect blaster bolts that never came. “That’s strange. It's unlocked.”
 
“Yeah,” Rainbow agreed. She walked past Ashoka, her lightsaber providing her with enough light to see the corridor ahead. Where the corridor split, the three Jedi took the right side while the clones took the left. Rainbow walked cautiously down the hall as Ashoka and Anakin checked the rooms as they walked past.
 
“I don’t think they’re here, Snips,” Anakin said as Ashoka peered into the fourth vacant room in a row.
 
“Then where could they be?”
 
“Here,” Rainbow said. “It’s the only one that’s locked.” Sure enough, the door whose sign on the wall read “Conference Room” did not open when Rainbow approached it. With the press of a button, the electromagnet in the middle of Rainbow’s double-bladed lightsaber shut off, providing her with two single-bladed lightsabers. She ignited the second blade before stabbing both of them into the door. After cutting a tall oval in the door, Rainbow kicked the door in and entered, sabers held defensively.
 
“Hey, look,” Ashoka said upon entering. “They left their holo-table on.” Rainbow Dash deactivated one lightsaber and examined the table. Sure enough, the conference table was emitting a faint blue glow.
 
Rainbow's gaze was drawn to a single tablet lying on the table. “And a datapad.”
 
“Let’s see what’s on it,” Anakin said. Rainbow passed the datapad over to Skywalker, who placed it into a slot at the head of the table.
 
The table’s glow brightened as a spectrogram appeared in the air between Rainbow and the two other Jedi. “Let me go, please!” a female voice begged. The spectrograph rose and fell in sync with the voice.
 
“That’s Night,” Rainbow said.
 
“You’re only making this harder on yourself,” Starlight’s voice coaxed. “This is for your own good.”
 
Night groaned, and the sound of someone weakly pounding on metal could be heard. “I’ll get out of here... one way… or another. Rainbow will be back.”
 
A moment passed in silence before Starlight replied. “Why did you leave the Jedi anyways?”
 
“I thought they didn’t care about us. I thought they left us to die on Ryloth.”
 
“Is that the ‘help’ you asked your friend to bring back? The Jedi?”
 
“She’ll find a way.”
 
“She’ll go back to her old ways. She’ll be just like the Jedi who left you on Ryloth.”
 
“No,” Night said. “No!” she shouted. “Nooooo!!” she howled, hitting the door again. “She’s not like them! She would never leave me behind!” Rainbow shook her head as she leaned on the table for support. “She’s different, I swear she is!”
 
“Yet here you sit,” Starlight said. “You’ve been left behind. Again.”
 
“No…” Night paused a moment, and for a moment Rainbow thought she heard her begin crying. “She—she left me.”
 
“She left you,” Starlight parroted.
 
“I—I’m all alone.”
 
“You’re all alone.”
 
“No,” Rainbow sighed. “She knows I wouldn’t.”
 
“I have no one left.”
 
“You have no one left.” Starlight said. “No one except for me.”
 
“Please… please help me,” Night said as she began to cry again, harder this time.
 
“You want my help?” Starlight asked. “Now that you see what your friend has become, you want to become part of our brotherhood.”
 
“Please, Starlight, I’ll do anything!”
 
Rainbow bowed her head. “We’re too late. Shut it off. I don’t want to listen to any more.”
 
With hardly any hesitation, Anakin did as she asked. “I’m so sorry, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow pulled out a chair, collapsed into it, and buried her head in the back of her elbow. Her posture helped to hide the tears she knew were coming.
 
“Sir,” called a clone at the door, “there’s no trace of them anywhere in the office wing.”
 
“Get the lights turned on, Rex,” Anakin said somberly. “Then search the rest of the building.”
 
“Right away, sir.”
 
Rainbow heard the datapad beeping beside her. “What else does it say?” Ashoka asked. Rainbow glanced up, but Anakin gave no verbal response as he continued reading.

“They’ve moved their entire operation off-world, Ashoka,” he said in a hushed tone that still managed to fill the quiet room. “They wanted us to find this. The only thing they left behind in this whole warehouse was this datapad.”

Rainbow looked up. “Then—I guess this is it. Let’s call off the troops and head home,” she said somberly. “Wherever that is.” She rose from her chair and used the Force to pull the datapad from across the room as she neared the door. The other two Jedi were right behind her.
 
Anakin raised a finger to his comlink. “Rex, recall your men. We’re not going to find what we’re looking for.”
 
“General Skywalker, are you sure?” the captain asked. “Our troops are searching the rest of the building as we speak.”
 
“Yes, I’m sure. Rendezvous at our entry point and we’ll make our way out of here.”
 
“Yes, sir.”

The walk back to the hole in the roof was long and silent. Rainbow's held her head low as she walked, only raising her head once the diffuse orange light from the hole in the roof shone down onto her face. She looked up at that hole and remembered their first escape. Well, her first escape. If only she had fought a little harder... maybe now she wouldn't feel so alone. She felt her ears fall flat against her head as she ruffled her feathers.

Rainbow felt a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry about your master,” Ashoka said.
 
“It’s not your fault,” she replied. “I knew the Council would drag their feet.”
 
“We'll get her back yet,” Anakin said from her other side.
 
“There is no chaos; there is harmony,” Rainbow said to herself. She repeated the phrase a few more times, quieter each time.
 
“Listen, I’ll have R2 analyze the information on this datapad. If there’s anything we can use to find this cult, we’ll find it.”
 
“Let’s hope we do.” Rainbow spread her wings and performed a Force-enhanced wing jump out the hole in the roof. She descended onto the roof just in time to see two Republic gunships and two mismatched freighters bank into a turn for their final approach to the warehouse.
> Micro-chapter: Looming Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A humanoid figure with a navy coat, slitted eyes, and tufted ears approached a steep throne. At the foot of the throne, he bowed. “Rise,” called a female voice from the top of the throne.

The stallion did as he was asked. “You summoned me, your Highness?”

“Yes. The thousandth year is drawing to a close. How go our preparations?”

“I am pleased to report we are nearly a month ahead of schedule, your Highness.”

The mare leaned back against her throne, and even behind her veil of darkness, her hand moved to a new position, displaying her pleasure at the news. “You have done well. The fleet shall be ready with time to spare.”

“And then the prophecy will be fulfilled!” he said, spreading his thestral wings in excitement.

“Indeed,” the voice called back. “The galaxy is in turmoil. I can sense it. Dark forces are stirring beneath the surface. With the galaxy distracted, there will be little resistance to our invasion. Every stallion, mare, and foal on Equus Prime shall soon know my name!” she said, leaning forward just enough for the light to catch her jet black face and billowing blue mane. ”Nightmare Moon!”