Obsidian Flight: Crisis In Equestria

Chapters

The Seven Starships
A Disturbing Discovery
Hard Landings
Fire and Darkness
Dark Secrets Revealed
Into the Hive

The Seven Starships

In the Frozen North of Equestria, A group of ponies in protective gear gathered around a large mound of ice near the summit of one of the Crystal Mountains. In the ice was a strange object that none of the individuals present recognized. One of them, a particularly muscular earth pony, smashed the ice open with his strong hooves. He looked down to see what the object was.

"Hey, that looks like something out of Saddle Arabia, don't you think?" He said to the others. "Actually, never mind. I'm probably thinking of something else."

"What should we do with it?" another pony, a unicorn, asked.

"Simple." A third voice announced. "You will give it to me."

Neither the earth pony nor the unicorn knew who their companion was, nor why they were journeying up the mountain together in the first place. Now their tensions were running high, and they wanted answers from this stranger as soon as possible. It didn't help matters that this mysterious individual was just about to leave now that this object none of them knew about was finally in their possession.

"Come on now, you aren't just going to walk off with that thing without paying us anything, are you?" the first pony questioned. "We almost got frozen to death getting up this high up the mountain with you."

"Oh, fine. Take your precious little bits." the third said, dropping two small bags in front of the other two ponies. "I have no real need for them, anyway."

"Thank you." the unicorn said flatly, visibly annoyed. "Now seriously, what do you want with that...whatever it is...anyway?"

"I know a certain Princess that might be interested in this." the third explorer said. Before mysteriously disappearing with the object into the darkness, the stranger's voice called out to them: "If you survive the climb back down, you can come with me to Canterlot. You can find me down at the lodge."

And then there was silence, apart from the cold winds. The two explorers just stood there for a few moments, until the unicorn realized--

"Wait, you had our climbing equipment!" he shouted. "Come back here now!"

"Great." the earth pony said. "Does this mean we'll have to roll our way back down in a giant snowball again?"

"I'll start rolling it, Nose Nip." the unicorn said, grumbling as he began using his magical horn to make a snowball that would roll in place until it grew to the size they needed.

"You do that, Frosty." Nose Nip said, before absent-mindedly looking up at the stars above.

Among those stars, a fleet of seven military starcruisers flew together in a rough V-formation, with the largest on the far end of it. This was Obsidian Flight, one of the finest Republic fleets to ever participate in the Clone Wars.

Jedi Knight Naat Reath stood on the bridge of the Venator-class Star Destroyer Bestial. She was wearing dark brown Jedi robes, with a pale blue tunic and a modest layer of fiber armor underneath. She and Captain Terra North were conversing with a holographic projection of Jedi Master Mace Windu.

“General Windu, our scout probes in the Baroonda system have detected an unusual amount of Separatist activity on the planet Baroonda.” Captain North reported to the Korun master.

Captain North was an accomplished Republic Navy officer in his mid-thirties. He was fifteen years older than the young blonde Jedi that stood beside him on the bridge, yet since Naat was a Knight of the Order, her status as his superior officer was without question.

“I have also heard of this, Captain North. But can you offer any reason as to why you are bringing your entire squadron with you?” inquired Master Windu’s projection. “You must understand that, unless the Separatists have a fleet of capital ships obstructing your path, the Chancellor may see this operation of yours as overkill.”

Mace Windu himself, of course, wasn’t actually on the bridge with them; He was currently sitting in a Republic Army forward command center on Dantooine, having eliminated the Separatist presence on that planet. He in turn was speaking to holographic projections of Naat Reath and Captain North.

“Please, Master Windu. You must give us the benefit of a doubt.” Naat Reath assured the Jedi Master. “I mean, I couldn’t fail my first major military operation as a Jedi Knight, could I?”

Naat was once the Padawan learner of Echuu Shen-Jon, who was in turn the Padawan of Master Windu. Naturally, she felt the need to assure her former master’s master that she would not fail as her master did, nor would she die in battle like her brother Stam did on Geonosis.

“You must keep yourself focused, young one.” Mace Windu said, concerned. “Many Jedi have lost their minds, even their lives, to overconfidence. You must not allow this to become a weakness.”

“With all due respect, master…” retorted Naat. “I don’t think Master Echuu would have lectured me like this after I concluded my training.”

There was an uncomfortable silence, before Master Windu frowned, and bowed his close-shaved head. Naat Reath was immediately taken aback by her own comment.

“I am sorry, Master Windu.” She said, solemnly. “I just miss him so much.”

“So do I, Naat.” said Windu, in the same tone. “It was tragic to lose him like that on Krant. He was truly one of the best Jedi I had ever trained.”

“And the best master I could ever ask for.” Naat Reath added. “But thanks to him, Sev’Rance Tann is gone, too. So at least his death wasn’t in vain.”

Windu looked up to the projections of Naat and Captain North. He knew that Sev’Rance Tann was one of the most feared military leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and one of the more dangerous members of Count Dooku’s Dark Acolytes.

“Indeed, it wasn’t.” he stated to the young Jedi Knight. “And I think he would’ve been proud to see his apprentice become so strong and independent.”

But in fact, Echuu already made this clear to his apprentice back on Krant. For he had not truly died in his lightsaber duel with Tann, but went into exile after temporarily falling to the Dark Side of the Force. Naat knew about this, but was instructed by her master not to inform the Council of his exile, and to leave him behind on Krant.

“Thank you, Master Windu.” Naat Reath said with a smile, before turning over to Captain North.

“Ahem…Captain, let’s continue our report, shall we?”

“Of course.” Captain North said, clearing his throat. “I would not deem the usage of Obsidian Flight in its entirety to be overkill, General Windu. I would consider it insurance.”

“I see. Speaking of which, how many ships are coming with you, and what are their classes?” Windu asked, returning to his inquisitive state.

“Besides the Bestial, we have six Acclamator-class assault ships, each with the usual complement, and also General Reath’s own Delta-7 starfighter.” The Republic captain explained.

“Fair enough, Captain.” said Mace Windu. “If you brought more than one Venator-class along on your operation, that would have been overkill.”

“We won’t need another one, anyway.” said Naat Reath. “We have the 182nd Legion and a squad of Advanced Recon Commandos attached to our Acclamators. They should be able to handle any ground forces that the Seps throw against us on that planet.”

“Then good luck, young Padawan.” Mace Windu nodded in approval. “And may the Force be with you.”

The holographic projections on Dantooine and the Bestial vanished. Captain North walked over to the edge of the bridge’s crew pit, and spoke to the engineers below.

“Is our fleet in position?” He questioned, in the same inquisitive tone as Master Windu. “Are the coordinates set?”

“Yes, Captain!” an ensign below replied. “All ships are present, and we are all set for the jump to Hyperspace.”

“You heard him, General.” Captain Terra North said, turning his head to Naat Reath. “Give the order, Master Jedi, and we’ll go to lightspeed.”

“Then let’s not waste any more time!” said the blonde Jedi. “Take the fleet to Baroonda now!”

The engineers copied the order and distributed it through transmissions to the other six warships, and together, the seven starships were voluntarily plunged into the cosmic blur that is Hyperspace.

A Disturbing Discovery

“Come on, Twilight!” shouted Spike for the ninth time in a row. “Hurry up, and get downstairs! You have to look at this!”

Twilight Sparkle was busy reading through yet another book about Star Swirl the Bearded, searching for any information on his unfinished spells. When she was unable to find anything else about them apart from she had already studied, she gave up with a groan and went downstairs to find out what Spike was shouting about.

“I really need to send a letter to Princess Celestia to see if she knows anything about…”

Twilight wondered aloud, when she saw Spike holding a letter, no doubt from Princess Celestia herself.

“It looks kinda important.” Spike told her, as she used her telekinesis to grab the letter. Immediately, she began scanning the letter.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I have news that might interest you.

A relic of some kind has been discovered in the Crystal Mountains. It appears to have some sort of magical properties, but it is nothing my sister and I can recognize. If you are interested in investigating it yourself, it has been moved to Canterlot, where it remains under a close watch by my guards. I have already told them to expect your arrival.

P.S.: Be careful if you do decide to examine it. Something very unsettling is contained within the artifact. I don’t know exactly what is in there (it doesn’t seem to open, no matter what spell I use), but it gives me a very strange sensation, all the same.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia.

An ancient relic that even Princess Celestia doesn’t recognize? What in Equestria could it possibly be? Twilight thought.

“Spike, we’re going to Canterlot!” Twilight said aloud to Spike.

“Are you sure? Because just reading that postscript gave me goosebumps.” The baby dragon said. “It could be dangerous.”

“You’re right.” The purple unicorn said. “I think we’re going to need some help with this one.”

“Should I get the others?” Spike asked, referring to Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.

“Definitely.” Twilight Sparkle nodded.

Meanwhile, in Canterlot, the two alicorn princesses, Celestia and Luna, were standing adjacent from a large, black pyramid-shaped object.

“Sister, who did you say discovered this…thing?” Celestia asked, staring at the strange markings on the sides.

“I do not know, dear sister.” Luna answered, just as confused. “I assumed that simple pony-folk living near the Crystal Mountains had found it.”

Celestia looked at the apex of the pyramid, and noticed a black crystal in its midst.

“I wonder if that jewel has anything to do with opening it?” She suggested.

She pressed her front hoof against the jewel, but suddenly a sound emitted from the pyramid: An assortment of soft beeping noises, followed by silence.

“I guess not.” Princess Celestia said, slightly disappointed. “Oh, well. Come, sister. We have a kingdom to run.”

“Indeed we do, big sister.” Princess Luna agreed, happy to be away from the strange artifact.

The two princesses left the chamber, and returned to the castle. But as soon as they left, the beeping began again, followed by a distorted voice. It spoke in an incomprehensible language, one that nopony in Equestria ever spoke:

“Rinks Shui, Aji oauiidas, Kressh! Jookio sioo ajibaj ma anm mioap ajoao…” droned the mysterious voice.

Then as quickly as it came, the voice was silenced, and the beeps died seconds later.

Obsidian Flight was still traveling through Hyperspace. They were now just a few standard hours away from reaching their destination: the Baroonda system. Naat Reath, who had been meditating on the bridge of the Bestial, felt a sharp pain in the head. She cried out, only for the sensation to abruptly vanish.

“Are you alright, General?” asked a nearby clone trooper. “Should I get you to the infirmary?”

“No, trooper. I’m fine.” assured Naat, who was suddenly out-of-breath. “I just felt something…odd.”

“What, like one of those ‘disturbances in the Force’ that you Jedi keep rambling on about?” asked the trooper, with a skeptical tone in his voice.

“Actually, yes.” Naat replied, ignoring the rude tone in the clone’s comment. “But I don’t know what to make of the one I just felt. It was either too brief or too far away…or both.”

“Well, whatever it was, it’ll have to wait.” The clone told her, obviously uninterested. “Captain North has arranged to meet with you on the observation deck. He wants you to help him develop a strategy for the attack before we reach the system.”

“Then lead the way, trooper.” Naat Reath commanded.

They both went up a turbolift that would take them to the Bestial's observation deck.

Meanwhile, on the jungle planet of Baroonda, a group of figures in black robes were standing in the heavy rain. Together, they quickly raised their arms, and sheets of rainwater were pushed away from them.

“How long till those foolish Jedi come here?” one of them asked the others.

“The Republic has been running slow of late, hasn’t it?” another asked.

Suddenly, a third figure ignited a red-bladed lightsaber. The others turned to look at him.

“Let them take as much time as they wish!” He said. “They will soon feel the wrath of our…”

A strange, but vaguely familiar sensation entered their minds in unison. The man with the ignited lightsaber recognized it, but said nothing. Suddenly, the collective feeling was removed from their minds.

“The Dark Side has cried out.” The second robed figure said. “But what did it say?”

“Only time will tell, brother.” A fourth responded. “Only time will tell."

On Coruscant, Master Yoda felt the exact same sensation. But since it was so distant, he did not not what to make of it.

"Strange, this is." the ancient Jedi muttered to himself. "Put much thought into this disturbance, I must. In great danger, I assume are the ones that have triggered it. May the Force be with them all."

Hard Landings

The Mane Six met in the Golden Oak Library, and discussed Princess Celestia's letter.

"So, what do you think of that artifact that Princess Celestia found?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "First off, why would Princess Celestia, one of the most powerful beings in Equestria, be unable to open some old chest?"

"Well, if spells can't open it, then perhaps it was kept shut for a reason." Rarity suggested.

"Or maybe it was only meant to be opened for...well, whoever actually owned it. That's what I would prefer..." Fluttershy said, half-mumbling.

"That's a good idea." Twilight said. "But the bigger question is: What might be inside it?"

"Oh! Oh! I know!" shouted, Pinkie Pie bounced around the other five ponies. "What if it was a diary? No, a birthday present! No, how about a pile of gold and jewelry?"

Spike and Rarity both had awestruck expressions on their faces.

"No, I don't think some gold or jewelry could make Princess Celestia uncomfortable enough to have to add that postscript." Twilight replied.

"Unless that gold and jewelry happened to be cursed." Fluttershy said softly, her eyes widening. "Or maybe it's a horrible monstrosity of unknown origin imprisoned inside for a thousand years?"

Rainbow Dash agreed with her. "Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me, really."

Then Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing, and started speaking at a very fast rate.

"Or maybe it contains some kind of computer thingy that, if messed with, could attract aliens to our planet, and we'll be forced to fight a war of epic proportions to beat them out of Equestria!"

Everyone else in the room looked at Pinkie Pie as if the pink earth pony had just declared herself to be an alien.

"What?" Pinkie Pie shrugged. "Just a thought!"

"Well, whatever it is, we should go to Canterlot in a little while, so that we can at least see what that darn thing is."

Applejack said. "It makes me mighty uncomfortable just standin' around and talking 'bout somethin' like this when we could just go there ourselves."

"And I'm fine with it if Applejack is." Rainbow Dash agreed.

"And if it is gold or jewelry in that thing, I think I should be around to examine it." Rarity said, addressing her cutie mark.

"Anywhere Rarity goes, I go." Spike said, giving the white unicorn yet another lovestruck grin.

"And I'd like to see if there are aliens involved!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"And I guess I'll go...since everyone else is going." Fluttershy muttered. "I just hope there aren't any evil monsters involved this time."

"Then it's settled." Twilight said. "Let's go to Canterlot!"

Meanwhile, on the observation deck of the Bestial, Captain North and Naat Reath were discussing their strategy for the battle that would begin very soon. They were standing around a holographic map of the planet, where Captain North pointed at various locations that would prove to be vital to their attack on the Separatist base.

"I have been informed that there is indeed a blockade of Separatist starships waiting for us around Baroonda. In order to bypass this obstruction, I have ordered the assault ships Oblivion and Cyclone to exit Hyperspace directly into the planet's atmosphere." The captain said, pointing out a series of small holographic images representing the trajectory of Obsidian Flight. "Our scouts believe that the base, or at least one of its outposts, is in a jungle clearing about fifty kilometers to the north of the city of Baroo. That is where the two ships will land, and deploy their infantry and walkers."

Naat stood there for a few seconds, generating many questions in her mind about his unorthodox, even dangerous plan.

"Captain, that is simply insane." said the Jedi, shaking her head. "If you have them do that, then they'd better be ready to make a quick stop; One moment too late, and they'll crash into the ground, or worse, break the crust of the planet and penetrate the core."

"Don't worry about that, Master Jedi." informed Captain North. "The crews of these Acclamators have endured more intense situations than this, or so they've told me."

"And even if they could bypass the blockade, land the ships without crashing into anything, and unload their ground forces without being neutralized by the Separatists' artillery, what will stop them the blockade from opening fire down on them?"

"Because the Bestial and the rest of Obsidian Flight will come out of Hyperspace simultaneously with the Oblivion and Cyclone, and engage the Confederate warships in orbit. Since their defenses will already be directed outwards, we should be able to draw their fire with little effort. By the time we neutralize the blockade, Baroonda will already be swarming with soldiers: Ours."

Naat was actually impressed by this part of his strategy.

"But what about the ground troops themselves?" She wondered. "They'll probably get torn to pieces the moment that those loading ramps open up."

"Yes, and the Bestial's starfighters will be pre-occupied by the blockade to provide support fire." Captain North admitted.

"I suppose I could take my Delta-7, and fly down to personally lead the infantry myself." the Jedi offered. "But first, we need to find a way to safely get those troops beyond the loading ramps without being fired on by an army of battle droids."

Naat suddenly remembered reading a Jedi report regarding the Battle of Geonosis. She recalled that artillery cannons that fired very powerful laser beams were used to bring down escaping Trade Federation core ships.

"Captain, what artillery do those Acclamators carry?" asked the blonde Jedi.

"The All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer, and the Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery." Captain North asked. "Why?"

"Here's my suggestion..." She began.

Two hours later, on board a Lucrehulk-class battleship in orbit around Baroonda, a Neimoidian officer was standing on the ship's bridge awaiting a report on the efficiency of the security detail that the Dark Jedi requested on the surface below.

"Where is that blasted droid now?" He demanded, anxiously. "If I don't have something to report back to Urjax soon, they will have my head!"

He turned towards the turbolifts, when he suddenly heard what appeared to be a muffled explosion. Before he could turn, something collided with the battleship, causing the entire room to shake. The officer fell flat on his face, and received a small bruise above his eyes. He got back to his feet, and looked out the windows to the most surprising, inconvenient thing he could imagine; He was directly facing at least four or five Republic warships, all firing their turbolasers at not only his ship, but the other ships in the blockade. A klaxon wailed and a battle droid's voice was audible on the ship's intercom system:

"Warning! Warning! Hostile starships have emerged from Hyperspace. All security forces to their stations. This is not a drill."

Suddenly, another explosion was heard from right below the Neimoidian, and the bridge was consumed in a ghastly inferno. He would never receive that droid's report.

The droid on the intercom droned on again:

"Alert! Republic warships have dropped out of Hyperspace behind the blockade! All fighters, proceed to inter--"

A blizzard of bluish-white laser bolts that were being fired from the Bestial's turbolasers had neutralized the communications relay on the Trade Federation battleship. Vulture droid starfighters scrambled out of nearly every starship in the blockade, and swarmed around the five attacking warships, completely ignoring the two that ran the blockade. The Bestial unleashed its own squadrons of V-19s to counter the fighters. The space around Baroonda was engulfed in explosions and dogfights between starfighters. Amid the chaos, the sleek triangular shape of a Delta-7 sped through the chaos and sped down to the planets below.

In the lower bay of the assault ships Cyclone and Oblivion, clone troopers of the 182nd Legion were being equipped and fitted for the extremely dangerous battle that they were about to fight as soon as the ships' loading ramps lowered. In addition to the usual white full-body armor and full-face helmets that they always utilized during combat, they also wore dark brown cloaks that were wrapped over their shoulders, since this region of the planet was undergoing a particularly nasty rainy season.

On the surface, battle droids and AATs were being assembled at the estimated landing area of the two Republic ships. Some of the droids were already firing up at the cruisers, but they were unable to penetrate the deflector shields. The ships, which were firing their turrets in all directions, touched down safely on the soaked, almost boggy earth of the planet. All droids and artillery units were aiming at the underside, ready to fire upon any clones that ran down them.

But as soon as the ramps went completely down, powerful bluish-green beams of plasma were issued from inside the ships, destroying a considerable amount of the battle droids and tanks on the ground. These powerful beams were joined by the blaster cannons of AT-TE walkers that were already crawling down the ramps. Following the walkers were hundreds of clone troopers that charged down, shouting battle-cries and discharging their blaster rifles into the dark jungles beyond.

When all the droids that attempted to ambush them were eliminated, the Delta-7 starfighter landed between the two cruisers, and its cockpit opened up to reveal the Jedi Knight that flew it. A clone officer, namely an ARC Trooper with blue-green streaks on his helmet and armor, met with her and gave the Jedi a report on the landing.

"General Reath, all battle droids in this area have been neutralized." shouted the ARC commander over the loud rainfall around them. "We are sending our troopers into the jungle, and towards the Separatists' compound!"

"Understood, Captain!" Naat Reath shouted back. "Let's move in, before the storm does the same!"

A sound of thunder was audible in the distance, and a flash of lightning hit the control tower of the Cyclone, only to be absorbed by the shields. Once in a while, it would be answered by the sound of blasters firing in the distance, as well as red and blue flashes in the darkness beyond the clearing.

Naat and the ARC captain raced through the trees, and caught up with the 182nd, which was already storming a military establishment filled with military structures and lined with landing craft. The metal surface of the base was already littered with dead clones and broken droids, but the battle still raged on under the dark, cloudy sky.

The young blonde Jedi unclipped a lightsaber from her belt, and activated it. A green blade emerged from the hilt, and illuminated a good fraction of the base. Naat stopped to look at her lightsaber. She remembered how it was once her Master's, until he gave it to her upon his exile on Krant. In return, she gave him her own blue-bladed lightsaber.

"This is for you, Master Echuu!" She shouted, before charging towards a nearby landing craft.

Using her influence in the Force, she ran at an incredible speed, then used the momentum to launch herself to the top of the craft. She used her lightsaber to cut a circular hole in the top, then dropped down into the vehicle, and destroyed it from the inside. She then emerged from the opened loading doors, and regrouped with the Legion.

As the progress of the battle made itself known from the explosions coming from the base, the figures in the dark robes stood on the edge of the clearing, and observed the attacking forces.

"So, the Republic has come at last." The leader said. "And a Jedi leads this army."

"Let's fix that, shall we?" One of the other members said.

The figures all drew out their lightsabers, ignited their scarlet blades in unison, and slowly marched side-by-side towards the site of the battle. Sounds of machinery and trees collapsing filled the area under the trees behind them.

Fire and Darkness

The Mane Six and Spike were finally in Canterlot, and approached the palace. They were permitted entry by the guards, and met with Princess Celestia in the throne room.

"So, I guess you decided to investigate the artifact, even when I suggested otherwise." said the pinkish-white alicorn princess. "But I am relieved to see that all of you are here."

"That's right, Princess." said Rainbow Dash, smugly. "We're here, and we'll take care of whatever's in that thing that you've been looking at!"

"Very well, my little ponies." Princess Celestia nodded, reluctantly. "I'll have Shining Armor escort you to the relic."

Above the jungle planet of Baroonda, Obsidian Flight found itself being pushed to its limits against the Separatist blockade. The bridge of the Bestial was being hailed by various distress calls from not only the four spaceborne Acclamators, but the fighter squadrons that it just recently deployed.

"Bestial, this is Commander Farne of the assault ship Templar! we have Confederate starships pouring Vulture droids all over us!" Exclaimed the officer of one of the ships. "Three of our primary weapons have been destroyed, and our deflector shields are on the verge of failing!"

Some officers of the Republic Navy would have been prepared for an evacuation code at any moment under such extreme circumstances, especially when their Jedi Generals were unavailable for direct command. but those that served alongside Captain Terra North knew better. The Naboo-born captain, whose people had suffered oppression from the Trade Federation more than ten years before, was in no hurry to allow his fleet to prematurely evacuate the system unless the entire operation was a failure. But he was not a cruel officer, either; He was aware of the damages that had been dealt to the Templar, and saw no sense in forcing his fleet to fight so recklessly. Instead, he calmly stood on the command bridge of the Bestial, and coolly assured Farne:

"We hear you, Commander, and will send Banshee and Doom Squadrons to assist you." he stated. "Pull your ship back behind us and the Grandeur. Prepare to intercept any Separatist ships that attempt to evacuate the system."

"Roger that, Captain". nodded Commander Farne's projection, who then turned around to relay orders to his unseen crew. "Alright, men! We're going to be moving into an intercept position; Turn the ship aside, and move it between the Grandeur and the Bestial..."

When the projection dissipated, Captain North re-activated the attack cruiser's communication system to send starfighters to protect the Templar.

"Be quick about it, lads!" Captain North spoke to the squad leaders, in his baritone voice. "The Templar is in need of all the fighter support it can get! And while you're over there, don't hesitate to show the rest of those Separatist scumbags how the personnel of Obsidian Flight mean business."

"Copy that, Bestial!" the leader of Doom Squadron replied.

"Banshee Squad is on its way, sir." obeyed Banshee Leader. "And we're ready to introduce those Seppies to our secret weapons!"

More than twenty V-19 Republic starfighters broke away from a dogfight near a Banking Clan frigate that was engaged with both the Peragus III and the Grandeur at once, and flew in a swarm formation around the Peragus III to get to the Templar, which was already turning its bow away from the planet.

When Doom Squadron reached the battered Templar, they unleashed their modified armament: Experimental cluster seeker missiles. The golden-trailed missiles each broke off into three white-hot projectiles, which then individually chased after one of the attacking droid starfighters. And thus: Twelve missiles were launched, and thirty-six droid fighters were blasted to pieces. Any others that remained were gunned down with the squadrons' laser cannons, or the Templar's remaining turbolasers.

Cheerful feedback was heard on the communications channels of the two squadrons and the Templar.

"Thanks, Doom Squadron!" Commander Farne radioed to Doom Leader. "We're ready to enter intercept mode! Now can you escort us to the required position?"

"Affirmative, Commander." Doom Leader stated, before switching his radio channel to the other fighter squadron. "Banshee, it's your turn to make sure that those Seppies don't deploy any more flying clankers out of those ships!"

"We copy and understand, Doom Leader." said the voice of Banshee Leader. "And we're ready to do what we have been equipped for."

Banshee Squadron circled around, and split itself between the three capital ships that were attacking the Templar. Flying over them like ravenous birds-of-prey, the fighters were arming and optimizing their weapons systems for maximum effect.

"Okay, boys..." Banshee Leader spoke into the squadron's private channel. "Let's see how attuned those Seps are...to the scream of a Banshee!"

And then the starfighters swooped down, and opened fire upon the shield generators mounted at the top of the Confederate ships. The cannons successfully disabled their primary shields on two Banking Clan frigates and the hangar bay shields of a Trade Federation battleship, leaving them open to Banshee Squadron's next stage of their attack run. The fighters flew a considerable distance from the ships, then turned back towards their targets. One by one, the modified V-19s unleashed their own secret weapons into the capital ships.

The missiles they fired left a pale-blue trail of energy in their wake, and when the first one directly hit the bridge of one of the Banking Clan frigates, creating a bluish-white orb of energy that slowly expanded. Very soon, the frigate was nothing but floating debris in space.

Some of the other missiles followed suit, completely ripping the other frigate to pieces in a cluster of shockwave-based explosions. The rest of the projectiles hurdled into the hangar bay of the battleship, causing a chain reaction that mercilessly crushed the rear area from the inside. All that remained of the Federation starship was its crumbling bow.

"Thanks, Banshee Squadron!" Commander Farne radioed. "We're all clear!"

"We're glad to have assisted, Templar." Banshee Leader answered. "And we were also glad to give our seismic torpedos a field-test."

"We saw that, Lieutenant Kyber." Captain North said, from the bridge of the Bestial. "I speak on behalf of the fleet when I say we are happy to see that those projectiles were worth the price we paid to get them."

"Thank you, sir." said Lt. Kyber. "Do you have any more orders for us, or should we return to protecting the Templar?"

"I do have more orders, Lieutenant." the Republic captain answered, sternly. "If this battle continues at this rate, we should be able to send the rest of Obsidian Flight down to Baroonda with little difficulty. I want you and Banshee Squadron to scatter that blockade. Plunge the whole thing into chaos by destroying their flagship, and then disabling the other ships' communcations relays."

"Right away, sir!" the clone lieutenant said.

On the bridge, Captain North received a transmission from his private comlink. He looked down at a small holographic projection of Naat Reath.

"It is magnificent to hear from you again, ma'am." the captain spoke. "Baroonda hasn't been too harsh for you, I take it?"

"The weather has been awful down here." the blonde Jedi General said. "But progress-wise, we're doing quite well. What is your progress on toppling that blockade?"

"At the rate that Obsidian Flight is progressing, I can guarantee that the Separatists will scatter or surrender in less than...twenty minutes."

"Excellent work, Captain." Naat Reath said. "And so far, we have already found the Separatist base and are engaging it in combat, even as we speak!"

"Good!" Captain North smiled. "What is the progress of the battle now?"

"Those battle droids took so much abuse I haven't seen in a Separatist army since Krant, but the 182nd Legion was able to seize their base. They're currently in the process of dismantling all intel and materiel that can be used against the Republic."

"Good work, General." Captain North beamed. "I'm sure that the Jedi Order would be very proud of you today."

"Yes, I'm sure they..." Naat Reath suddenly cut off, only to be interrupted by the ARC Trooper officer that suddenly materialized in the projection.

"Watch out! They're coming in from under the canopy!" He shouted frantically, discharging his commando pistol at an unseen foe.

"Captain Zed, what's the situation down there!" North began to shout after the ARC captain before he was beyond earshot of the comlink.

"Trade Federation reinforcements, sir!" Captain Zed continued shouting. " We don't know where they came from! And it looks like some Dark Jedi or Sith are leading them! Who the hell are they?!"

"Dark Jedi?" repeated Captain North. "Are you sure of this?"

"Yes, sir!" Zed shouted over the sounds of battle in the background. "They have black robes, red lightsabers, and everything! This is ridiculous! Was there any report from the scouts about Dark Jedi being on Baroonda, let alone a score of them? I don't think so!"

"Calm yourself, Zed!" Captain North said. "You are an ARC Trooper! You can handle anything these dark warriors could ever throw at you."

Captain Zed took cover behind a disabled AAT, and was visibly pulling himself together. As soon as he was calm, Captain North continued his transmission.

"I understand you are under heavy fire right now, but can you bring the comlink back to General Reath so she could verify this turn of events to me?"

"I would if I could, sir! But at the moment, she's dueling with more of those Dark Jedi right now! She's just killed or wounded two or three of them, but she's still outnumbered five to one!"

"Then get her out of there, Captain!" demanded Captain North, with much refined emphasis in his voice. "You need all the help you can get down there, and your men won't be able to get any more until we break this blockade!"

"I would get her out of there, sir!" the ARC officer exclaimed in an apologetic tone. "But these damn clankers have us surrounded on all sides!"

Down on the planet's surface, Captain Zed found himself uncomfortably accurate with his account; There were battle droids and tanks bombarding the captured base from nearly all sides. The only point where the tremendous circle of Separatist forces was weak was the way the clones came through, and only because more 182nd Legion troopers and their artillery support were still arriving from the landed Acclamators.

Naat Reath was separated from her troops, and was swinging her master's lightsaber at the Dark Jedi that were overwhelming her. After a while, the leader of the Dark Jedi became impatient, and unleashed a barrage of Force lightning upon the distracted Jedi. Reath found herself knocked to the ground, only to be suddenly pulled up with the Force, and drained of much of her energy, all by the Dark Jedi.

As she hung suspended above the ground, the leader of the Dark Jedi approached her:

"Naat Reath, I presume?" he said to her. "So you are the one that just disrupted our operation on this planet!"

"How do you know who I am?" Naat asked, through a tightened throat.

"That doesn't matter right now, you foolish Jedi." the Dark Jedi said. "What matters is that you are going to be punished for what happened to Sev'Rance Tann!"

Naat Reath's eyes widened. She remembered that horrible Chiss woman all too vividly, especially the horrible lengths that Master Echuu went to in order to see her dead on Krant.

"What does she have to do with this?" the Jedi Knight asked.

"Everything, you spineless little Padawan!" the Dark Jedi shouted over the heavy rainfall and the sound of blaster-fire in the distance. "She was very important to me, and you and your pitiful master had to kill her!"

"No! You don't understand!" Naat choked out. "It was Master Echuu, and Echuu alone, who killed her."

"Then I guess I should use you as bait to lure him out, now shouldn't I?" the Dark Jedi sneered.

"It won't do you any good, Darksider." Naat Reath said, glaring. "Echuu died of his wounds on Krant, shortly after Tann was killed!"

"We'll see about that, Padawan."

Then the Dark Jedi had his accomplices confiscate the Jedi's lightsaber, and then had the battle droids place magnetic binders on her wrists. Quickly, they fled back into the rainforest, and disappeared into the stormy darkness under the canopy. This happened just as Captain Zed and a group of 182nd troopers breached the droid reinforcements. The ARC captain activated the comlink again:

"Bestial, we've beaten those droid reinforcements back," Captain Zed said. "But there has been yet another complication!"

"What is it, Zed?" answered the gruff voice of Captain North.

"General Reath has been compromised, sir!" the ARC captain replied. "We just saw her being dragged into the rainforest in binders! It was the Dark Jedi, sir! They must have ganged-up on her! Do I have permission to take a squad to follow her captors?"

"Most certainly, Zed." Captain North replied. "And the Confederacy's blockade has already been sent in a rout. Obsidian Flight is still picking off the more persistent stragglers, but the Bestial will be able to utilize its resources to assist you from above. Should you need it, of course."

"Very good, sir." said the ARC captain. "I'll send another transmission to you as soon as we have a better fix on the General's position. Captain Zed...out."

Dark Secrets Revealed

Shining Armor led the six ponies through an underground passage that would lead them to the strange relic. As they trotted through the passageway, Twilight decided to catch up with her brother.

"So...where's Princess Cadence?" Twilight asked.

"She's visiting Fillydelphia for the weekend." replied Shining Armor. "She'll be back by tomorrow or the day after."

"What's it like being Captain of the Royal Guard?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Has anything exciting happened since the Changeling attack?"

"Apart from that...whatever it's supposed to be...in the room we're going to, it's been a slow week."

"Have you or any of your guards checked it yet?" Rarity asked.

"No. The funny thing is: The Princesses haven't given us a chance to do that." Shining Armor admitted. "When we set hoof in that room, it'll be the first time I've ever seen it."

They came to a gateway at the end of the passage, which opened when Shining Armor dug his horn into the middle. The door split in two, and slid into opposite walls.

"Well, here we are!" Shining Armor said, nervously. "Let's check out that...By Celestia, what is that thing?"

The seven ponies stood before probably the most unusual object that they had ever seen. It was a black and gold pyramid-shaped container of some sort, which alien symbols on its four sides, and a black jewel on top. Every few seconds, an odd beeping noise could be heard from within, with an occasion word uttered from a disembodied, garbled voice.

"Well, whatever this thing is..." Twilight Sparkle began.

"It's probably cursed!" Fluttershy backed away cautiously. "I think everypony in the room should leave it be...now!"

"Oh, don't worry!" Twilight said. "Whatever's in there, I'm sure it won't be cursed at all."

"Well, I'm not putting another hoof forward until someone tests it first!" Fluttershy whimpered.

"Neither am I." Rarity said. "Right now, I'm completely convinced that no valuable minerals are in...that thing!"

"Okay, Okay!" Twilight groaned. "We'll test it, then. Shining Armor, Applejack, can you give me a hand, here?"

"Sure thing, little sis." Shining Armor nodded.

The three approached the artifact carefully, and stood around it in a triangle.

"Okay, let's do this!" Twilight said. "I'm going to try opening it with this spell I found in a book on Star Swirl the Bearded."

"Well, if you say so, Twilight." Applejack said, adjusting her hat.

Twilight's horn illuminated with a reddish-violet color, and the artifact shook for a few seconds.

"Come on, Twilight." Shining Armor whispered. "I know you can do this!"

After a few more seconds, Twilight nearly collapsed when the relic wouldn't budge any further. The other ponies groaned in disappointment. Shining Armor rushed to Twilight's side.

"Are you okay, Twilight?" Shining Armor asked, carefully helping his sister back on her hooves. "What happened?"

"I just had the most...terrifying feeling of my life just now." Twilight whimpered, her eyes beginning to water from fright. "Princess Celestia was right; There is something wrong with that thing! Something very wrong!"

"See? I told you!" Fluttershy said in the back.

"Come on, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said, rushing up to her friend's side. "We beat Discord and Nightmare Moon, didn't we? What in Equestria could be in it that's so bad?"

"I don't know." Twilight said, breathing heavily. "But I just need to. If we don't find a way to open that thing soon, I'll never get over it!"

Her friends were looking at her with surprise and concern. None of them had seen her this obsessed with something since the "Lesson Zero" incident. But Shining Armor took it the hardest. What was in that thing that could make his beloved sister behave with such anxiety?

"Listen, Twilight." Shining Armor suggested. "I understand that this thing is troubling you. It's troubling all of us. But I think we should consult the Princesses about this."

"No! I want that thing opened now!" Twilight Sparkle exploded. "The Princesses already did what they could! I want to be able to figure these kinds of things out by myself, for once! Got it?!"

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie jumped back in shock at this outburst, Rarity and Shining Armor were speechless, and the others just stood with with their jaw dropped. Twilight was breathing heavily with a deranged look on her face. Finally, Applejack spoke calmly.

"It's okay, Twi. We'll get that thing opened for ya." She said, her green eyes shaking. "Just...please. Lighten up, will ya?"

Suddenly, as if a dark shadow passed by, Twilight was calm again. She was now looking at the terrified faces of her brother and her friends. She was overcome with guilt, but she couldn't tell why.

"Oh, dear." She said, now as shocked as they were. "What did I just do?"

"You, uh...kinda yelled at your brother." Pinkie Pie answered, nervously.

"Oh, Shining Armor, I'm so sorry!" Twilight said, fighting back the urge to burst into tears. "I don't know what came over me! I've never behaved like that!"

"It's okay, little sis." the white unicorn stallion said. "It wasn't your fault. Like you said, there's something wrong with that thing. The question now is: What. Twilight, I'd seriously like to know what happened!"

"I know you do, brother." Twilight said, calming down. "But I don't know what happened, either. It just felt like I had a very bad headache, and that I hadn't slept for five days straight."

"Oh, dear!" Rarity gasped at that notion. "Darling, that would make anyone behave like that! I can tell you that from experience, too."

"Well, I didn't really stay awake that long." Twilight said. "I'm just describing how that thing left me feeling."

"Which is a good reason why we shouldn't try this again without getting more help." Shining Armor said. "I don't want you freaking out like that again, little sis. You're one of the wisest ponies I know, and it slays me to see you behave like that."

"You're right." the purple unicorn said. "Let's ask the Princesses if we could use the Elements of Harmony."

"Now that's the spirit!" Pinkie Pie said. "Ooh! Do you think maybe Twilight shouted like that because of an evil sp--"

"C'mon, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash said, slowly pushing Pinkie Pie out of the room. "Let's get out of here before I start freaking out."

But before the seven ponies all left, the artifact beeped louder than before, and the sounds of voices whispering was again audible, this time in a more coherent voice and language, spoken by what sounded like an old woman:

"Perfect, my apprentice. You have been trained well. The Dark Side is strong with you, indeed."

Another voice emerged from the relic, this one barely audible.

"Thank you, my master. I will see to it that my new powers serve me well."

"We shall see." the first voice said. "Very soon, the Sith will rise to power, and the Galaxy will know of our might!"

"Wait! Everypony, back inside!" Pinkie Pie shouted, breaking away from Rainbow Dash. "I hear somepony talking in there!"

"Now what is she up to?" Rainbow Dash groaned.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Pinkie exclaimed as she ran down the passage, with the other six following her. "See?"

"I understand your words, Master Traya." the second voice uttered. "And I respect them greatly."

"Rise, Lord Sion." said the voice of Traya. "As the Lord of Pain, you shall receive torment beyond possibility...and give it to others, as well."

"I understand, Master." said Sion. "I take this responsibility with a heavy heart."

"Do not speak so idly about what you do not understand!" said the master, theateningly. "To understand, you must first experience what I refer to...up-close."

There was a sound like electricity crackling from within the artifact, and the sound of Sion's voice screaming in agony. The seven ponies stood there, absolutely terrified by what they heard. there were sounds of heavy, pained breathing, followed by more crackling. The cycle continued three times, until finally the voice of Traya finally spoke.

"You have passed the first lesson, Lord Sion." she said. "I trust you have learned it well?"

"I have, my master..." said the now-raspy voice of Sion. "I am ready for the next."

"In time, my apprentice..." Traya said. "In time, you will. Now go."

"Yes, Darth Traya." Sion spoke. "I shall perform my duties as a Sith Lord, and then return to your side."

"I know this, apprentice." Darth Traya said. "I know it all too well."

There were sound of footfalls, followed by silence. The ponies were now breathing heavily, so shocked by this turn of events. Pinkie Pie was speechless, Fluttershy was cowering behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and Rarity almost fainted.

"What...in Equestria...was that all about?" Shining Armor exclaimed. "That was easily the most disturbing thing I've ever heard in my life!"

He turned to the others.

"Okay, whatever Princess Celestia was expecting, I don't think that was it." he continued. "I think we should return to the Princesses, and tell them what we just discovered."

"Right behind you, Shining Armor." Twilight Sparkle said. "Let's go, before anything else happens!"

And they all bolted up through the passageway, and ran back to the palace.

On a shoreline on Baroonda, Naat Reath felt her blood run cold, and something uncomfortable enter her mind. It was even worse than the sensation she felt on board the Bestial. Here, she felt as though she was being plunged into a deep body of ice-cold water.

"I can feel it again!" The Dark Jedi leader shouted. "And I can confirm what it was, too!"

"What was it, Master Urjax?" One of the others asked.

"Somewhere beyond this Galaxy, a powerful Sith holocron has been tampered with." Urjax said.

"Beyond the Galaxy?" Naat Reath thought. "Had the ancient Sith truly spread their influence beyond this Galaxy alone?"

"What should be done about it?" One of Urjax's accomplices said.

"We shall find this holocron," Urjax said. "and then we shall recover it, and kill those who dared to desecrate it."

"But, master, it is beyond the Galaxy's boundaries!" the Dark Jedi said.

"I don't care about the distance!" Urjax shouted. "I don't care if we have to travel to a completely different Galaxy! I will not stand by, and let some primitive vermin soil the legacy of the Sith!"

"Yes, master." the Dark Jedi said. "What shall we do?"

"Get the speeders, and head back to our cruiser." Urjax said, before turning back to four of his Dark Jedi minions. "You shall stay here, and call a Federation landing craft to pick this Jedi up."

"What about Echuu?"

"Forget Echuu. This is more important to me than one Jedi Knight! This Jedi here will be a suitable prisoner for Count Dooku to use, in expense for the Confederacy's services to us. Once we acquire that holocron, we will be able to bring this entire Galaxy down to its knees!"

Suddenly, there was a sound of blaster-fire in the distance.

Into the Hive

It was strangely quiet under the canopy of the trees. No beasts were seen or heard, no insects buzzing, and no birds in the air. All that could be heard was the rain falling down on the overhanging canopy, and the sound of clone troopers wading through the swamps underneath.

"You know, I'm starting to wonder how this battle will affect civilian life in this area." one clone trooper said, attempting to break the silence.

"I know what you mean." said another trooper. "I'd be pretty damn ticked if this fighting postponed next week's race on the Fire Mountain Rally course."

"Corporal, we're trying to find our general and all you're worrying about is podracing?" questioned a third trooper.

"Hey, I made a bet with Lieutenant Zaps about who would win that race." said the corporal. " I bet fifty credits that Mars Guo, Jinn Reeso or Fud Sang won, and he bet a hundred that Cy Yunga, Navior, or Dud Bolt would win. I hope that I'm right, because that blighter still owes me fifty credits from our bets on last year's Malastare 100."

"Oh, Candy...you and your gambling." shrugged Captain Zed, who activated his infared scopes, and scanned the rainforest around him and his men.

"Captain, have you detected anything?" One of the other troopers asked, curiously

"Nothing." Zed shook his head. "They must be on the other side of this rainforest by now!"

"Should we go back?" the trooper questioned. "I mean, we could come back with speeders!"

"That will take too long," Zed said, "Besides, the roar of the engines might draw unwanted attention."

"But there isn't any wildlife in sight!" said Candy.

"Exactly." Captain Zed stated, turning to his men. "In a rainforest as big as this, wouldn't you think there'd be some kind of wild animal or two hanging around?"

"Oh, the captain's right." The first trooper moaned. "This just makes me uncomfortable as it is. What do you think drove the wildlife out?"

"Battle droids, perhaps?" said a third trooper.

"There's no sign of droids here." said Captain Zed. "Unless, of course, the swamp washed it all away."

Suddenly, the troopers heard a loud wailing noise to the North; They were not alone.

"Captain, what action should we take?" a trooper asked.

"Hide behind those trees!" Captain Zed ordered. "Keep your blasters ready."

They waded out of the swamps, and clambered behind the trees that stood around them. There was an odd plunking noise, as something large stepped into the water. Captain Zed peered out from behind a large bush, and saw the source of the noise: An acklay was stalking through the swamps, hunting for prey.

The six-limbed beast was more than capable of slaughtering an entire squad of clone troopers to pieces. But those squads didn't often have an ARC Trooper leading them. Captain Zed relayed hand gestures to his troopers, and placed a sonic mine on a destroyed tree. Zed had one of his troopers hand him a spare cloak, so that he could wrap it around the stump. For extra efficiency, he placed his own helmet on top of it, and its built-in communcator was amplified to its maximum volume.

He ordered his men away from the decoy, and spoke into the comlink he held in his hand.

"Come over here, you cheeky little monster!" said his voice as it came out very loudly from the decoy.

The acklay heard the noise, and saw what appeared to be a clone trooper sitting in the water. The ravenous animal slowly approached it, before letting out a loud screech. It charged towards the sitting clone, only to suddenly find that it had exploded, sending Zed's helmet soaring the air. The blast took the acklay by surprise, and had sent the beast somersaulting through the air.

"Go loud, boys!" He shouted, pulling out a modified blaster rifle.

The clones quickly showered the acklay with blaster bolts, and the beast fell into the swamps, dead.

"Boy, were we lucky!" one of the clones said. "I hope the 182nd Legion never has to deal with those things again!"

"Well, that's odd." said Captain Zed, recovering his cracked helmet. "Acklays don't usually reside on Baroonda."

"It must have been kept in captivity, until it was released." another clone said. "But by whom?"

"Well, if we were to trace where it came from, we should be able to find out." Zed told them. "It came from the North, so we'll go that way."

"I'm no Jedi, but I have a bad feeling about this..." said Cpl. Candy.

The clones eventually cleared the swamps, and found themselves in a drier area of the jungle. It was great to feel themselves walking on solid ground again. As Zed estimated, the acklay's tracks were visible in the direction they were going now. Eventually, they came to what appeared to be a cave with multiple openings.

"I don't like this, sir." a clone said. "It seems unusual that there would be a cave like this in the middle of a jungle."

"Right." nodded Captain Zed. "In fact, this cave looks like it was dug in by native creatures."

"Which ones, though?" Candy asked. "I don't think acklays could...wait a minute, does anyone else hear...scraping?"

The clones looked up at the highest opening in the cave, and saw a large insectoid creature with a black exoskeleton spying on them. It was clicking loudly, and scratching the stone walls of the cave.

"Damn!" Captain Zed shouted. "It's a Bartokk hive! This won't end well!"

The Bartokk gatekeeper jumped down on them, with a wild trilling in its repulsive voice. Zed already had his commando pistol out, and blasted the head off of the creature with ease. The disembodied head lay on the ground, screeching loudly. There was louder rustling and movement coming from the other hive entrances.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Zed exclaimed. "Troops, let's show these bugs how clones exterminate them."

All of the clones pulled thermal detonators out from under their cloaks, and tossed them into the hive entrances. There were several beeping and trilling noises, followed by several explosions, and the hive was caved-in.

"That was a close one, for sure." Zed sighed. "Now we just need to find another way around this..."

Suddenly, the ground collapsed underneath them, and the squad all landed in one of the lower tunnels of the hive. A few seconds passed, and the sickeningly familiar trilling returned. But the clones were ready this time. They discharged their blasters towards both ends of the tunnel, and ran quickly towards the one that ran North.

"I hope you bugs love the taste of hot plasma, because that's the only thing we have for you!" Candy shouted in the confusion, as he blasted six Bartokk warriors to pieces. "I ain't your candy!"

"Men, the exit is that way!" Zed shouted, pointing to a light-filled tunnel across from an egg chamber that they wandered into. "Run and shoot!"

The clones blasted their way through the hive, shouting loudly to frighten their enemies. Before Zed exited the hive, he tossed a pulse bomb into the egg chamber, so as to prevent any of the insectoid creatures from chasing after them. They ran about fifty feet from the northern entrance when they turned to see the Bartokk hive collapse in a massive implosion.

"Is everyone alright?" Zed asked his men.

"We're all fine, sir." confirmed the clones.

"Well, that's awfully lucky of you all." Captain Zed reflected. "I would've expected those things to tear three or four of you apart by now."

"Did you seriously think we would come to Baroonda without special training to fight off its more dangerous inhabitants?"

"Well, certainly not!" the ARC captain shrugged. "But now we need to find out where General Reath went. I don't think she was in that hive."

Suddenly, a trio of battle droids mounted on Single Trooper Assault Platforms zoomed at them through the trees, discharging their blaster cannons at the troopers.

"Take cover!" shouted Zed. "Blast them apart!"

Suddenly, a rocket shot through the air and destroyed the lead STAP. Its fellows were promptly caught in the blast. Zed looked around to see the source of the projectile, and saw two other ARC Troopers standing on the ledge of a nearby cliff overlooking their position.

"We've got your back, captain!" said the commando with the rocket launcher.

"Good shot, Boomer!" Zed called to him.

"Always glad to help, captain!" said the other ARC Trooper. "Now let's hurry and find our general!"

The clones journeyed through the rest of the rainforest, until they came near the shores of a beach under the shadow of a volcano. In the distance, a Separatist gunship and three Geonosian starfighters could be seen flying towards the people on the beach.

"Captain, we have multiple life-forms on the beach!" said Candy, checking his scopes.

"That's got to be them!" said Captain Zed. "Troopers, go loud!"

On the shoreline, Naat Reath heard blaster-fire coming from the rainforest, and her Dark Jedi captives all ignited their lightsabers.

"Looks like they've already caught up to us." said Urjax, drawing a second lightsaber. "We have no time for this."

Right then and there, the blue blaster bolts of the clones' weapons shot out from the treeline in a blizzard of hot plasma, creating confusion among the Dark Jedi. While most of them were able to deflect the shots, one or two of them were hit in the limbs, and collapsed onto the dampened sand. The gunship landed on the beach, and lowered its boarding ramp to allow a squad of B-1 battle droids to exit and engage the clones.

Urjax tossed his second lightsaber at the battle droids, using the Force to ignite its blade in mid-air, and used it to slice up the entire group, before bringing it back to him and catching it with his hand.

"Now is our chance to go!" said Urjax. "Board the ship, my brethren!"

The Dark Jedi quickly sped up the ramp of the gunship, leaving behind Naat Reath in their haste. One of Urjax's minions disabled the droids piloting the ship, and took control of the transport himself. After raising the ramp, the gunship took off and rushed off into the stormy skies. The three Geonosian starfighters that were originally assigned to escort the gunship wheeled around to pursue it, discharging their laser cannons as they went.

"General Reath, are you okay?" asked Captain Zed, as his men secured the beach and freed the Jedi from her binders.

"Yes, captain." said Naat. "But we must not let them get away from us."

Then Zed's comlink began to emit a stream of static.

"..Captain Zed, do you read me? Captain Zed, do you copy?" Captain North's voice rang through the device.

"Yes, sir." said Zed, speaking into the comlink. "We've managed to rescue the general. Requesting immediate pick-up!"

"Copy that, captain." said Captain Terra North. "But you will have to move your group to another area. Our ship's scopes have detected Trade Federation reinforcements headed your way."

"Acknowledged, sir." said Zed.

"Make your way to the far side of the volcano." continued Captain North. "The Peragus III will touch down there, and extract you and General Reath for immediate evac."

"I hear you loud and clear, captain." said Naat Reath, grabbing Zed's comlink. "And we'll be there as soon as possible."

"May the Force be with you, master Jedi." said Captain North.

Naat lowered the comlink to look at her troops.

"May the Force be with us all." she muttered quietly.