Starlight

Night fell against the wall. His blood pattered softly on the stone floor. He had fought two more Sith knights and half a dozen soldiers. He had dispatched them with ease but had not walked away unscathed. A viro-blade was lodged in his shoulder and a lucky blaster shot had torn through his hand.

He shoved his weight against another door and forced it open. Standing in the room was his target. The man he had been tracking held a lightsaber to Twilight’s neck. Night shook his head.

“I have killed every single one of your comrades. Do you really think that this is going to save you? Hiding like a coward? No, I’m going to kill you. It doesn’t matter what happens before I do. It’s your choice, die with respect or like the bastard I suspect you are.”

The man’s arm dropped and his lightsaber fell from his grasp. Night smiled and took a step forward.  The man’s hand shot up with a small black knife in his hand. Night’s smile dropped and eyes widened. The man grinned like a maniac.

“I choose honor!”

“NO!”

Night dove forward. He was a second too slow. The knife dug into Twilight’s chest the second Night’s elbow cracked into the man’s throat. The man spiraled away and Night shot after him. He ignited his lightsaber and drove it into the man’s stomach to the hilt. Night pushed both against a wall and stepped back to watch the man hang.

“I’ll be back for you later.”

He scooped up Twilight and tore out the door. He dashed up the stairs to the small hospital room. He kicked the door open to find three soldiers mocking a scared group of ponies. Setting Twilight on a bed he let out a shrill whistle. The three men turned around. Night pulled the viro-blade from his shoulder. He shot forward and left the blade in one man’s neck; then took the falling blaster and shot the other two.

He turned to the cowering ponies.

“I need a doctor, NOW!”

Orderly Brown strode forward.

“I can help.”

Night nodded.

“I need a scalpel and some clamps. We may need a transfusion, so we’ll need blood. After we’re done we’ll need to patch her up.”

Brown backed up a step.

“Her? I thought you need attention.”

Night shook his head.

“I’m fine. She needs surgery now or she dies.”

Brown backed up another step.

“I-I, don’t’ know…”

“IF WE DON’T TAKE OUT THAT LULSEED RIGHT NOW SHE WILL BE CORRUPTED AND THEN SHE WILL DIE! WHAT PART OF THAT DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?”

Night spun around and took a small combat knife off of a soldier’s belt.

“You know what? I don’t care. I’m going to remove it a more mundane way. If you come near me with things that will help I will personally toss you out the window.”

He crossed the room to the bed Twilight was lying on. As he prepared to make the first cut he was shoved out of the way.

“We’ll handle the surgery, thank you. Just tell us what we’re looking for.”

“You’ll know it when you see it. Call me over when you see it, I have to remove it or it may cause… complications.”

The pony nodded and turned to Twilight. Night walked over to the door.

“Just call out and I’ll be back in a heartbeat.”

He ran down the stairs to where his prisoner awaited.

The door slammed open and an armored body flew through. Night walked to the hunched form and drove it up the wall. He lightly patted the man’s face until his eye’s fluttered open.

“Ah good, you’re awake.”

A fist slammed against the man’s face. Night followed it with one after another. He ignited his lightsaber into the man’s leg eliciting a scream.

“Does that mean you’re ready to start talking? Or will I have to keep tearing them from your mind?”

He punched the man again. Night heard hoof-steps enter the room but decided to keep punching the man anyway.

“What is going on in here? I heard a scream.”

Night looked over his shoulder at Celestia.

“Interrogation.”

“This isn’t right, you’re hurting him. Stop.”

“I have no such time for pleasantries. Your student is upstairs having surgery to remove a lulseed. This waste of life was telling me how to remove it.”

“Well this isn’t the way to find out. So stop beating this man senseless and …”

Night summoned a blaster to his hand and shot the man in the face. He tossed the weapon away.

“That’s okay I was done with him anyway. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have lives to save.”

He pushed past her and strode towards the hospital room. Night opened the door and strode to the bed where the surgery was taking place.

“Have you found it yet?”

The head surgeon shook his head.

“Everything seems to be fine. Are you sure something is wrong?”

“Yes, you just can’t see it. If you’ll allow me I can show you.”

“Well I don’t see how but-…”

“You’ll see.”

Night closed his eyes and focused on the pony’s mind. He looked down and saw the seed.

“Oh my, that’s…”

“Horrifying, I know.”

The seed had already expanded through a good part of the chest. Its black tendrils seeped slowly outwards, trying to envelop the entire body. The heart of the mass pulsed and the tendrils extended again. Night scowled in disgust. He took a Sith light saber from his belt and removed the crystal.

“Alright everybody stand back. This will be risky and the seed could attack any one in this room if you get too close.”

“So why are you safe?”

The door slammed open again. Celestia entered the room.

“Because he has one too.”

The surgical team all took steps back in revulsion. Night just shook his head silently and set to work. The crystal cut through a small tendril and Night watched with satisfaction as it shriveled and died.

“Yes, I have a lulseed inside of me. The difference is that I have an older version and can keep it repressed, she cannot.”

He cut off a larger tendril. The seed lashed out at him. Night watched with minor annoyance as the creature latched on to his arm. He deftly sliced off that tentacle and went back to work on the larger body.

“My lulseed was designed to emphasize on desires in young Sith apprentices. Everyone at the academy was implanted with one. Some went mad; others rejected the seeds and were killed. But the rest either suppressed them or learned to live with them.”

Night cut the largest tendril in two. The seed withdrew into itself.

“I’m going to need a sealable metal container and a lot of heat.”

Orderly Brown walked over with a small box.

“Will this do?”

Night nodded

“Open it.”

Night scooped the seed from Twilights chest and plopped it into the box. He slammed the lid on and seared the metal closed with his lightsaber. He nodded to the surgeons.

“The rest is up to you.” He turned to the princess. “Do you have a metal foundry or perhaps a volcano, nearby?”

A yellow aura surrounded the box.

“I’ll dispose of it.”

“Thank you.”

She took off out the window. Night waited until she was out of view then fell against the wall. His adrenaline had worn off and he slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Night brooded silently while he watched the ponies work. Tools lifted into the air with small glows surrounding them. He pondered why these even occurred.  Force energy caused no physical display except when used for limited abilities. Levitation though? Shouldn’t cause any visible affects whatsoever. He dozed slightly until the door slammed open once again. Luna stopped in the entrance and gazed about the room. Night rose stiffly to his feet and walked towards her. The look she gave him was a mixture of surprise, worry. It then quickly shifted to disgust. He struggled to keep his face impassive.

“Is there anyplace I can shower?”

Night’s voice must have dropped a hint because her demeanor changed in a heartbeat.

“Yes, we have prepared a place for you to sleep and clean yourself up.”

Her scowl deepened as she got an up close look of his blood soaked body. Night ignored the look and simply nodded. He walked through the doorway, being careful not to smear blood on the blue princess.

“Don’t you want me to show you where it is?”

Night kept walking but threw a retort over his shoulder.

“I’ll find it myself. You are very plain in your disgust of me. It’s clear that the farther I am away from you, the better.”

The princess stammered, trying to defend herself.

“That’s not true! I never said anything of the sort!”

Night spun around.

“Have you listened to nothing I’ve said? I can feel everything around me! Your feelings are an open book! You’re revolted by me! The only reason is, is because I killed a dozen, to save a hundred. It sickens you that I would take lives so willingly!”

Night ranted on

“You have no idea what kinds of monsters you had in this place tonight! But I do! And I solved the problem! You think everything is picture perfect, because for some reason you’ve never had to get your hands dirty!”

Night pointed an accusatory finger at the stunned princess.

“Oh, I’ve seen your kind before. The high and mighty ruler that hasn’t made a tough call.”

Night spun back around and strode down the hallway.

“No, you live too sheltered a life to have lost much. I’ve been making tough calls and have lost too much to regret it now. I live with the consequences daily while my friends rot in their graves. I’ll find my own way.”