Star Wars: The Old Republic: Taris Resettlement Initiative

Chapters

Prologue: Rotation
Act 1: Chapter 1: Motivation
Chapter 2: Search Party
Chapter 3: Team Effort
Chapter 4: The Gang's All Here

Prologue: Rotation

Big Macintosh eased the harness onto his shoulders, accustomed to its weight. Adjusting it only once so it was aligned with his back, he began pulling his plow through the time-worn earth of the Sweet Apple Acres soil. He walked forward, pulling the plow at a steady pace so that that the plow didn't rest in the dirt, making the line it carved an even depth from beginning to end. His hooves barely made an imprint in the loamy soil and were quickly erased by his pulling as the plow created another row for new planting. It would be one of many he made that day.

The ground under his hooves shook a little as he reached the end of the field. He turned, readjusted his harness and plow and walked in the opposite direction, making another row. The soft dirt under his hooves did not settle.

It was time to rotate the crops at Sweet Apple Acres, which meant a lot of lay ahead for Big Mac and his family. Of course, not all of his family were going to be involved in the current crop rotation because of recent events. But, that was something Big Mac had grown accustomed to, as well; every so often, Applejack and her friends were needed to save Equestria and restore harmony and balance and whatnot. He knew it was necessary, what an important role his sister played in the peace of their world and by extension, their farm. Without her and the magic of the bond she and her friends shared, their farm could be destroyed by any number of evil villains, monsters or malcontents. What AJ did was necessary.

He pulled the plow parallel to the other rows he'd made, carving another one. This field was designated for a new crop of jumper carrots- special carrots that leapt out of the ground when they were ripe. Tilling the ground was necessary to make it sure the soil stayed nutrient-rich before the carrots were planted. His rows were nice and even but weren't as deep as they should've been.

Stopping somewhere in the middle, he sighed. His sister may have had an obligation as the Element of Honesty but honestly, Big Mac wished more of her obligations kept her closer to home. Her family needed her here. Even though she wasn't usually gone long, some problems interrupted their busy schedule of farming. There was always some situation that needed her attention.

And the next one had come.

A giant shadow approached him. The ground beneath his hooves began to vibrate, shaking like a stampede was nearby. But Big Mac already knew where the noise was really coming from- it was directly above him and headed his way.

The machine rustled the tops of the trees as it flew low overhead. Big Macintosh didn't know what it was called but it was about the third one he'd seen in two days. Equestria had joined something called the "Galactic Republic" in recent years, a decision made far above his head in more ways than one. What it had meant was that Equestria, his home, had become part of a much larger community in the grand scheme of things. For himself, that meant he occasionally saw one or two of the weird airship-like machines flying about overhead. For his sister and her friends, it had meant their obligations had just become that much greater.

The craft flew directly over the field Big Mac had been plowing. Even though it was several meters above him, whatever force was keeping it airborne shook the ground just slightly causing his rows to almost disintegrate back into an even level of half-tilled soil. It didn't even pause as its shadow passed over him, leaving him behind in his field. He sighed heavily; he didn't think he would ever become accustomed to the visits made by their new galactic neighbors. Hopefully, one day they'd be able to show up without messing up his day's work, though. Knowing that he'd only half to re-plow the field when the visitors left, he unhitched himself and decided to head for home.

Granny Smith was sitting on the porch when Big Mac got home. She was gently rocking in her chair, contented smile on her face and seemingly oblivious to the flying contraption sitting in front of the farmhouse.

She waved as she saw him approach. "Hey there, dumplin'! Coming in for an early break?"

"Eeeyep," Big Mac replied. As with his grandmother, he paid little attention to the shuttle or the bipedal armed guards standing casually beside it. The early morning sunlight reflected off the black visors of their helmets and made their white armor almost shine. The ship itself was about half the size of their barn, resembling a cross between a bumblebee and a swan with its wings clasped together above it. "Have you seen AJ this morning?"

"Mm-hmm. She's inside talkin' to the space folk again. I reckon they're here about the trip," the elder pony said. She said, casting a long glance at the space craft. "Seems like the world's gettin' bigger all the time. Never know who or what's gonna show up next."

The world hasn't gotten any bigger. It's just that we keep finding out there's more to it. Those were the words he wanted to say to his grandmother but he didn't. Instead, as he stepped through the door, he nodded and uttered his trademark, "Eeyup," and closed it behind him.

"-and of course, we offer the same compensation we agreed upon to you and your family."

"Cautionary: This is predicated upon our immediate departure, specifically within this rotation. The project-"

"HK, you really don't need to repeat yourself. I think she understands."

"Statement: Very well, master."

The two voices were coming from the kitchen, one he recognized and the other he didn't. Either way, he knew they were here for AJ.

"I understand what y'all are doing is important for a lot of folks. But I was scheduled to be there in two weeks, now somethin's gone wrong and y'all need me to be there sooner," the voice of Applejack said.

"Statement: You are correct, master."

"What you're not telling me is what happened," she said sternly. The two other voices were silent.

Big Mac walked into the kitchen, not bothering to introduce himself to the guests. His sister, sitting at the kitchen table across from the two guests gave him a smile as he entered. "Mornin' Big Mac."

"Mornin'," he replied. He went over to the tap, filled a cup with some water and grabbed two cubes out of the icebox. Taking a sip from his beverage, he turned to walk out the way he came.

"Uh, Big Mac?" AJ stopped him.

He sighed. "Eeyep?"

She walked over to him, placing one of her hooves on his shoulder. "You wanna sit for a while? I was just discussin' things with these gentlemen about the trip me and Twi are takin'. Care to join us?"

Not particularly. "Sure," he said. He took a long drink from his glass and sat down.

"So, this here is Miss Saresh," AJ said, sitting down, "and uh… what was his name again?"

"HK fifty-five, organic relations and negotiations, at your service," the droid replied.

The woman next to her was a green alien with two long tentacle-like tails hanging down from the top of her head. She extended her hand across the table to shake his hoof. "Governor Leontyne Saresh, the Republic's officially appointed representative of Taris. Or, more accurately, what little of Taris we've reclaimed so far."

"Statement: That includes members of the resettlement initiative located on Taris and off-planet as well," HK-55 said, bowing his own head slightly in a show of respect. Big Mac returned both of the nods.

"Anyways, like I told ya and granny last week, me and Twi and the others signed up to help out with the Republic's new resettlement program," AJ explained.

Big Mac nodded, remembering the similar conversation they had last week. "Eeyep."

"And now, seems somethin's happened and they need me a little bit earlier," Applejack said, glancing at the two across from her. "And that was…?"

Governor Saresh cupped her hands on the table. "Unfortunately, the resettlement program has run into some… unexpected difficulties. We have several groups right now on the planet trying to resettle areas where it's safe. But the environment of Taris is making things harder for each group than we could've anticipated. And now, several of our expeditions are wanting to leave."

Applejack raised an eyebrow at that. "So, let 'em. I thought y'all said this operation was voluntary?"

"To be blunt, that is part of the difficulty," Saresh said, leaning forward. "We're running out of volunteers."

"Commentary: The environment of Taris has always been one of exceeding danger from many sources. The planet is mostly covered in ruins and is rampant with disease, pollution and hostile wildlife." The golden machine blinked.

The governor placed her hands on her comrades' to quiet him. "Which the volunteers were informed of before they arrived. And we are getting more but for some reason, the larger and more established groups are threatening to leave. Specifically, they're not cooperating with us or each other. It's almost as if each one has become independent but they still need our resources and those of the other teams."

HK-55 nodded, removing his hands slowly. "Statement: This counter-productive behavior is threatening the entirety of the resettlement initiative. This malfunction must be corrected for the project to continue through either the repair or removal of the organic meatba-"

"HK!" Saresh raised her voice, surprising both Big Mac and AJ. "I'm sorry, but they get the picture. There's no need to go into detail."

AJ and Big Mac looked at each other, then back to Saresh. "Malfunction?"

She smiled. "I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive my companion. He tends to think in more mechanical terms than some are used to."

"I'm sure," Applejack said. "So, y'all want me to try and foster some teamwork between your volunteer groups, is that it?"

The green alien nodded. "Yes, in a manner of speaking. The four groups we have working on the surface right now include a detachment from the Republic military, an enclave of Jedi, a convoy of freelance spacers and a group of civilian refugees, contractors and other volunteers. They each have their own base of operations and outposts on Taris and were working together efficiently until things broke down." She leaned forward, eyes to the table. It was clear she was going to ask for something very crucial. "We hired a negotiator, someone who came to us very recommended but… it appears they went missing."

"Missing?" Applejack repeated. "You're sure they didn't just up and quit?"

She nodded. "We're fairly certain they haven't deserted us. Actually, they are… someone you know."

Applejack slowly turned to the green alien. "And they are?"

The woman visibly swallowed. "I want you to know that she did volunteer of her own accord. She came highly recommended to us and was very enthusiastic about the project. We only lost contact a few hours ago and we have full faith that Twilight Sparkle-"

"Twilight's missing?!" the two siblings shouted. "Why didn't you say anything before?!"

Now trembling slightly, the alien averted AJ's eyes. "We-we thought the delicate nature of the matter-"

"Delicate?!" AJ said, standing, "my friend's gone missing and you didn't try to tell me right away?!!"

The robot also stood as soon as AJ did. Its eyes glowed red.

"HK!" The governor grabbed the machine's arm, pulling it back down. "We have informed all of your other friends and Princess Celestia. They are all aware of the situation."

HK-55's eyes blinked once, then returned to yellow. "Statement: The remoteness of your location made it necessary to come travel to you directly. All other contacts were informed via holocomm transmission."

Applejack calmed down but remained standing. "You should'a let me know the moment you got here instead of givin' me some sales pitch about how much y'all need help."

Saresh stood. "I am sorry. We did this only to prevent panic. Believe me when I say we are doing all we can."

The farm mare adjusted her signature hat. "Not here, you're not. Let's get a move on. Faster we get there, the faster we find her."

"You're coming with us?" Saresh said, visibly surprised. "There are a few formalities to cover first but I'm sure we could waive them given the circumstances. If you're joining the project, then-"

"I'm not agreeing to join anything," AJ corrected. "You're taking me this planet project of yours so I can find Twi."

The machine and alien exchanged glances. "I- absolutely. Before we can depart, there's just-"

"Now," the orange pony ordered, pointing outside. The two followed her out the door without another word. The door closed behind them and Big Mac once again found himself alone. He finished his drink.

The door opened again and his sister stuck her head in the kitchen. "Hey, you and Granny Smith gonna be all right while I'm gone?"

"Eeyep."

"Anything you think you'll need before I get going?"

"Nnnope."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, brother. I always know things'll be in good hooves with you here," she said, turning around again. "I'll be back as soon as I-"

"AJ," Big Mac reached his hoof out, "hold on."

"Yeah?"

He inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled. "Applejack… you know I'm not much for words," he said, shifting. It was difficult for him in more than one way and she could tell. Her brother had always been careful with his opinion for fear it wouldn't be heeded, would only cause trouble or something else. It was best just to stay out of things if you could, at least in his mind. But there were some things, some issues that if he felt were so important, he would voice his opinion. And now was that time, now more than ever.

"I know, Mac. But you can tell me," she said.

He looked to the front of the house as if he could see through the wall. "I know you have to go off and do these things every so often… but this one don't feel right."

She moved closer to him. "What do you mean?"

"Just that," he shrugged. "It don't feel right, you goin' off to this place alone."

"Hmmf, shoot," she scoffed. "Won't be no harder than Manehattan was. And y'all thought I'd have trouble there too, didn't ya?"

He nodded but remained firm. "We're not talkin' about Manehattan, AJ. This," he looked again, "this is bigger than that."

She nodded, too. Walking up to him, she took his hooves in hers. "I know. But this is important. It's bigger than just us and the farm, Mac. It's bigger than all of us."

He turned back to her. "No. It's not."

She didn't say anything for a moment. It was clear there wasn't much she could say to ease his mind. "I'll be careful."

"I know you will," he said back to her. "I just don't know if that'll be enough this time."

His sister gave him a confident wink. "Well, if it isn't, you'll just have to come get me outta trouble, won't you?"

Big Mac sighed. "You know where my place is, AJ."

"I know," she said, putting a hoof on his strong shoulder. She was just as strong as him, just in different ways. Something else they both knew very well. "I'll just have to come back soon, won't I?"

He finally smiled. "Eeyup."

Act 1: Chapter 1: Motivation

Taris, Variah System, Outer Rim

The planet Taris appeared oddly green-grey as the Republic shuttle approached the planet. A few ships were already in orbit, three egg-shaped Valor-class cruisers circled, guardians to the large ruined city below. The shuttle dipped below the atmosphere, slipping into the clouds like a bird diving into the sea. They plowed through the clouds until the faint peaks of destroyed and abandoned skyscrapers began to poke through the skyline.

Applejack had been told about what happened Taris: three centuries ago, the planet was covered in a giant city of sprawling skyscrapers, massive buildings and roads that blanketed the whole surface. The buildings were so thick and tall, the ground couldn't be seen from above. That changed when the planet had been attacked by a fleet of starships that razed the city, destroying it all and left only ruins in its wake. Now, the surface was very much visible with massive lakes of green grass, trees and plant life spreading up through the holes in the wreckage to reclaim the planet.

The orange mare could see the ruins for the viewport. "You're not planning to fix all of this in one season, are you?"

Governor Saresh, sitting next to her in the shuttle, laughed. "One step at a time, Applejack. We need to make sure we have a stable foundation to build on before we try to fix anything."

"Probably a good idea," she said, skepticism thick in her voice.

The HK unit turned his head around from his seat in the cockpit. "Commentary: The Republic has invested a considerable amount of its resources to establish a presence within Imperial space. Why, if not for the first attempt-"

"*Ahem*," Saresh cleared her throat, "We're here to focus on the future

The skyscrapers seemed almost endless as they continued their descent. The shuttle had to wave around more than a few of them, adjust course to evade dangling or broken antenna, railings and twisted metal that jutted upward. Finally, they reached a larger spot of green where several tree-like structures stretched up and around taller skyscrapers. In the center of them was a large round pyramid-shaped structure that rose up like a volcanic island of steel. The shuttle flew into the 'mouth' of the pyramid, down into one of the many landing bays of the Olaris Spaceport.

The door opened and the landing ramp deployed the moment the shuttle sat down in the hangar. Light filtered in from above as Applejack stepped out, the other two passengers following her. The hangar was huge, easily big enough to fit six shuttles of the same size. Everything from floor to ceiling was either made of a marble-like blue stone while the supports and light fixtures were made of a darker blue metal. Upon exiting the shuttle, there was already someone waiting for them.

"Applejack!"

"Rarity! Good ta see ya, darlin'!" The two mares quickly embraced each other.

"It's good to see you too, Applejack. I wasn't sure you'd arrive so quickly."

The orange mare quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "And what's that supposed to mean? You know if one of our friends is in trouble, I'll come runnin'."

Her longtime friend smiled. "Of course, AJ. But Taris is so far away from Equestria, we weren't sure you'd be able to get here so soon."

"Ah, that don't matter, Rarity. You know no amount'a distance could keep us apart," she said, giving her a harder shoulder pat.

"I wouldn't doubt it for a moment," her friend replied.

They took a step back from each other. "So, what's all this you're wearing? Don't tell me we have to wear some kinda fancy-pants… pants while we're here, do we?"

"Haha, not exactly," Saresh said, awkwardly chuckling as she stepped up beside the pair. "Miss Rarity has helped us design some specialized protective outfits for Equestrian volunteers."

Rarity nodded. "It's quite dangerous out there, Applejack- the others will attest to that."

"The others? You mean the rest of our crew?"

HK-55 came up next to the to stand across from Saresh. "Statement: Several of your associates have already been contacted and are currently searching for Commander Twilight. Aerial reconnaissance is being carried out by volunteer Rainbow Dash."

"Ha! I coulda guessed that," Applejack smirked.

"Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rainbow are already looking for her. I decided to stay behind and try to coordinate our efforts with the rest of the people here," Rarity said. "But she hasn't been missing for long. We have every confidence that Twilight's perfectly fine and that we'll locate her soon."

"That is a relief," Applejack replied, wiping her brow with her hat. "Alright then, what can I do to help?"

Rarity took her by the shoulder and the four began walking out of the hangar. "Well, first we need to get you the proper equipment."

"Fancy suit?"

She stopped her before the exit to the hangar, turning to face her friend. "You must understand, Applejack: Taris is a very dangerous place. We can't simply let you go out there unprepared."

The farm girl rolled her eyes. "I get it, I get it, alright. Get me some new duds before we get going, then."

Rarity smiled. "Only the best for you, AJ."

"Uh huh."

The pair walked out of the hangar together. Behind them, Saresh and HK let the ponies get ahead of them until they were in the hangar alone.

"Statement: It appears you were correct, master."

"About what, HK?" she asked, her voice stern.

"Statement: I was simply saying that your theory of her companions aiding in her acclimation proved to be true. They disseminate information quite effectively once familiar with their surroundings. All it took was the proper motivation."

"Indeed," the green twi'lek said, rubbing her chin. "Let's make sure they stay properly motivated."

From the hangar, Rarity walked with Applejack took a turbolift to the main lobby. The two were passed by droids, beings and even a few other ponies as they entered.

"Gotta admit, all this is pretty astounding," Applejack said, unable to help from gawking as she walked. They exited the elevator bank into the lobby, a massive foyer with a walkway above. Decorative plants were placed in areas to greet new arrivals along with large, golden statues that rose up to the ceiling. The floor they walked on appeared to be some form of marble and was covered in a lavish, blue carpet. Flags of the Republic, the blue-and-white winged symbol they used, hung on the walls at equal spaces. It all was a a very curious contrast to the destroyed and ruined landscape she saw flying above the planet.

To their left was a large windowed wall that let them see out into the massive landing shaft their shuttle had just entered from. As if on cue, the same shuttle, or a similar looking one, rose out of the shaft and took to the skies. As they walked from the adjacent hall into the main area, they passed two technicians that were working on something that looked like a large vase. The blue image of Governor Saresh flickered above it, mouth moving and gesturing as if to welcome people coming off the turbo lift. It shimmered in a static haze, not ready yet for visitors.

"It is quite a lot to take in," Rarity agreed. "It took the Republic a long time just to build all of this. The Reclamation Base is the hub for all of our operations and projects so it's quite important. But elsewhere, it's not quite as developed as all of this."

"I can imagine," Applejack said, looking up at the high ceiling. "How long did it take 'em to build all of this?"

"About two weeks, give or take."

"They're sure they need my help?"

Rarity giggled lightly. "Maybe they're wanting to get the next one done even sooner. And with your ingenuity, I'm sure it will be built to last."

"I'm sure," she said, her voice sounding more than a little skeptical.

The lobby was connected to the entrance by a large divider with two entryways on other side leading out. Rarity led Applejack through the entrance and out into the open air of Taris itself.

"Well AJ, welcome to Taris."

"Wow…" the cow pony remarked. "This… is a might bigger than Manehattan."

The Taris Reclamation Base was a collection of several one, two and three-story buildings, warehouses, prefabs and tents sprawled out in front of the spaceport like a small city in front of a castle. Stone walkways cut into the grass between the bases with large trees that rose above the buildings. Around the base were tall ruined skyscrapers that resembled broken spears. Some of them had overhanging floors that stretched over the base, providing an odd partial canopy. A wall connected the skyscrapers at the foundation and surrounded the base up to the spaceport, an almost feudal-like defense.

"Ladies! Please, wait up!" Saresh said, jogging up from behind them. "We must get Applejack registered in the personnel database!"

Before Applejack could say anything, Rarity cut in. "Governor, please, the formalities can wait for-"

An alarm blare cut her off. It was a high-pitched wailing noise that repeated while several yellow lights on the buildings began to rotate and spin.

"Don't tell me," Applejack said, "I'm the ten-thousandth customer today, is that it?"

"Rakghouls!! Rakghouls!!" a voice yelled at them. Down the main thoroughfare of the base, a green-armored soldier ran towards them at a full split.

Saresh squinted as the foot trooper dashed at them. "Corporal? Corporal! You're one of the gate guards!"

"Rakghouls!!"

"Wait!" she held up her hand, "Where's your rifle? Where's the rest of your platoon?!"

"RAKGHOULS!!" he screamed, ignoring her completely and running past them.

"I'm guessing that's bad," Applejack said.

"Very bad," Rarity said. She flipped down her visor and peered into the distance. "Very, very bad."

"How many is it?" Saresh asked, a shrill fear in her voice.

Rarity swallowed involuntarily. "Too many." Her visor's magnification showed them- about thirty rakghouls stampeding their way from the gates down the thoroughfare. They charged fast, closing faster most sentient bipeds could run.

Squinting, Applejack tried to see them for herself. She could just barely make out a collection of odd gray, brown and red figures coming towards them on the road, hopping like strange ape-like creatures. Even as she watched them, they became easier to make out as they got closer. "What in tarnation are those things?"

"Rakghouls," Saresh said. "We have to get back in the spaceport- now!" They began bolting for the spaceport before she finished the words, breaking into a full sprint as the creatures advanced on them. They reached the place they had been standing just as they retreated into the spaceport. Saresh smashed a button on the side of the wall and the heavy doors of the entrance began to close perilously slowly.

Saresh pressed the button rapidly. "Come on, come on!"

"Statement: Master, it may help you to know that repeatedly pressing the button will not accelerate the door's mechanism. In fact, pressing it more than once may cause the door to jam."

"Then do something to make the door close faster, you bucket of bolts!"

HK-55's photoreceptors flickered once in unison, the droid's version of blinking. "Commentary: There's no need for that language." Before the twi'lek could respond, he had already turned to face the door. He pressed his golden arms on one side of the door and pushed. The HK unit effortlessly closed the door's heavy frames just before the first rakghoul reached the base.

"Statement: Task is complete, master."

The creatures slammed into the door. Clawing and snarling sounds came from the other side, the hungry gnashing of dozens of the monsters. They all backed away from it as the creatures banged at the other side but the door held in place. Finally, they received a moment to catch their breaths.

Applejack was the first to recover. "Okay, what in the hay were those things?"

"Rakghouls," Rarity answered.

"I gathered that much."

"Statement: Rakghouls are the result of sentient beings infected by a virus known as the Rakghoul Plague, a disease which is believed to have originated from the ancient Sith Empire and carried by rakghouls. Exposure to the plague causes infected sentients to become rakghouls themselves, predatory creatures completely devoid of their previous personalities and intelligence," HK explained. "A cure has been developed but is only effective at stopping the virus before total transformation has taken place."

Applejack shook her head. "Sounds like y'all got some nasty critters."

"Nasty… critters…" Rarity repeated. "That's definitely one way of putting it. But they are very dangerous, Applejack, even for somepony like you. A single bite or scratch could get you infected by the Rakghoul Plague. It infects ponies just as easily as it does everything else."

"We've lost too many to those damn things already," Saresh said, rage seething in her voice. "And now they're inside the base itself! How the hell did those things get past the guards at the gate?"

The soldier, the furthest one from the door, edged forward cautiously. Even covered head-to-foot in green camouflaged Republic armor, it was clear the trooper was shaken from how much he was shaking. "I-I don't know, ma'am. M-maybe they burrowed! Dug under the gate or something!"

"The perimeter around the gate's solid duracrete, there's no way the things could've dug through that," Saresh said.

"What about the pipes?" Rarity asked. "There's an extensive pipe network that was part of the old city- it runs right under the base. It's possible they could've come up from the manholes."

"The aqueducts," Saresh said, thinking. "We restored a portion of the original system to act as our own water reclaimer. Could they be using it to get past our defenses?"

Applejack looked around. "That water system doesn't happen to run into here, does it?" They all began to back away from the walls and clustered in the center, all except Applejack and the droid. "What're y'all doing? We can't just hide in here and do nothing!"

"We'll contact all the outposts." Saresh hastily pulled a small cylinder out of her pocket, keyed it and held it up to her mouth. "This is Governor Saresh on emergency code Omega. Rakghouls have invaded Resettlement Zone One! We need any and all available help at the Olaris Base right now!"

"Do you think they'll get here in time?" Rarity asked. A loud bash hit the door as if to give her question more impact.

"They'll have to, Rarity. Blast, where are those damn Jedi when you need them?"

Applejack stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. "Alright, I now see why you need my help. Y'all got a critter problem and the first thing you do is go bothering the neighbors. No wonder you're having so much of a hard time."

A flash of rage crossed Saresh's brow. The green twi'lek winced, balling her fists to restrain herself. "Miss Applejack, I don't think you fully understand the situation. There's dozens of rakghouls out there and we don't have the manpower or the firepower to take them all on."

The cowpony simply adjusted her hat. "I understand ya got some hungry varmints on your doorstep and y'all are acting like it's somepony else's problem."

HK blinked again. "Statement: My language databanks contain over seven-hundred forms of communication but I am not finding an entry for the term "varmint." I am now updating the entry for rakghouls to include varmint."

"Well Miss Applejack," Saresh said, controlling herself, "what would you propose we do about this situation?"

She gestured to the door. "It don't take a genius to figure they're hungry. Back home, if we had a heap'a hungry varmints show up, we'd toss some food in the corral and trap 'em."

Now it was the rest of the group's turn to be dumbfounded. "That… might actually work," Rarity said. "We use bait to lure them into a cage or something."

"Some of the larger shipping containers might work," Saresh said, pacing. "But we mostly only have protein packs at the base- stuff doesn't even smell like meat. The rakghouls may not go for it."

AJ adjusted her hat again. "Then, we go with option B."

"And that is?"

She looked back at both of them with steely-eyed determination. "Live bait."

It took most of the walk back to the hangar for Applejack to convince the others her plan could work, most of the climb through the service access that she should be the one to do it and then the entire portion of their travel to the roof to convince them that she wasn't crazy. As they reached the edge of the roof, she finally got them to stop trying to get her to reconsider.

HK poked his head over the side of the roof to discreetly observe the rakghouls. Being a droid, he was less likely to draw the rakghouls because he couldn't be eaten. Not that they wouldn't attack him if they got the chance, just that they mostly went after meat instead of metal. After he had scanned all he could, he crept back to where the group was closer to the middle of the roof.

"Statement: There appear to be thirty-four rakghouls surrounding the entrance to the spaceport. Without armament, I calculate our chances of eliminating such a group at four-hundred and eighteen to one."

Rarity shook her head. "I do not like the sound of those odds…"

Applejack shook her own head in frustration. "We ain't trying to eliminate the critters, just corral 'em. What do you calculate our chances of that are?" She then immediately held her hoof up. "Don't actually try to calculate them, please."

"Statement: I do not appear to have any entries on corralling techniques. It is possible the concept of corralling is not considered a form of combat. My programming may not be prepared for this," HK said.

The orange cowgirl rubbed her forehead. "I'm getting a headache and I haven't even been here ten minutes…" Her friend put a hoof on her shoulder. "Alright, so the plan is to lure all the raky-thingies into one of those big boxes over on the other side of your fort," she pointed at the far corner of the base. "Once they're inside, Rarity teleports us out and we slam the door on 'em."

"That plan is incredibly dangerous," Saresh flatly stated. "You could trip, get eaten alive, get trapped in there with them. This is insane."

"No," AJ fired back, "this is how you get things done. Question is, how're we gonna get down there?"

They all looked over the side of the roof, careful not to be seen. None of them thought they were in danger of the rakghouls climbing up there but they also didn't want to give them reason to.

"No ladders," AJ said, looking to the ground. "Nothing soft to land on either. We ain't gonna be climbing down."

"What about… riding down?" Rarity said. She pointed across the base at the building next to the storage containers. "Look, there's a cable leading all the way to the administration center."

"My office," Saresh commented. "I had a direct power line installed before we got the generators up and running. It was supposed to be taken down once the office was finished. I'm actually glad they haven't gotten around to it yet."

Applejack's eyes followed the long cable to the antenna on the roof where it was mounted. "Yeah… yeah, that could work. Good idea, Rarity!"

"Hmm," the white mare tapped her chin, "but how how are you going to ride it down? You need something to grasp it with so you can slide down easily."

"Ngg… hnng!" the Republic soldier grunted. "Hey! How about this?" He was leaning over the barrier, grabbing something. They all rushed over to help him and also make sure he didn't fall to the ground.

"Corporal, be careful- what are you-" Saresh asked, then leaned over the side herself. "Oh no, you can't. Not the flag."

"You got any better ideas?" Applejack asked, helping the soldier remove the flag.

The governor actually did look around to see if there was anything else they could use. She then decided to keep her mouth shut and help them remove the flag attached to the side of the base.

To balance themselves out, Rarity held one side of the flag and Applejack held the other. With its middle hanging on the cable, they prepared to use it to swing down.

"How are you going to get their attention?" Saresh asked.

"Like this!" Applejack yelled. She and Rarity tucked in their legs, pulled down on the flag and kicked off the roof. "YEEEEHHHAAAAAWWW!!"

The three remaining on the roof watched as they slid on the cable across the compound. Like moths drawn to a flame, the rakghouls looked up at Applejack's shouting, saw the hanging mares and immediately began running after them. They all left the door in a hungry herd.

"Commentary: It appears her tactics, though most unorthodox, are indeed efficient, master."

"I like her," the soldier said, watching them with enthusiasm. "We could use more like her around here."

Saresh raised an eyebrow at both of them. "Are you suggesting she can do your job better than you can, corporal?"

"No, ma'am. I'm suggesting she can do your job better than you can," the soldier said, chuckling. The governor, arms folded, decided to roll her eyes rather than court martial the trooper. They were all having a rough day.

The two mares hit the ground as soon as it was safe enough to drop. The rakghouls, fast creatures, were right on their tails as soon as they touched down.

Rarity looked over her shoulder as she ran. "It's working! AJ, they're actually following us!"

"O'course their followin' us! Keep your eyes forward!" Applejack yelled.

Behind them, the snarling horde was stampeding towards them. They seemed to be moving even faster than before, more eager now. Applejack and Rarity galloped faster, legs carrying them as fast as they could towards the large shipping containers next to the admin building. The ponies reached the container, the sound of their hooves resounding off the crate's walls as they bounded from the pavement to the metal. When they reached the back of it, they spun around.

"AJ! Grab my hoof!"

"Not yet," she said.

Rarity looked back at the oncoming herd. "AJ? They're…"

"Not yet."

The rakghouls charged headlong at them, mouths open as they advanced with savage hunger. Thirty-four of the creatures, some gray, some brown and others an odd pinkish-crimson. Their roars and growls reverberated off of the walls as they came closer and closer. The first of their cloven feet entered the container.

"AJ!!"

"Now!" Applejack grabbed Rarity's hoof. In an instance, the two vanished from sight in a bright flash. The swarm of rakghouls slammed into the back of the container, slathering the walls and smashing into each other. They piled on each other, unable to see that their prey had disappeared.

Instantaneously, AJ and Rarity reappeared behind the rakghouls outside the container. Rarity activated the door button with her magic. The door began to close precariously slowly.

"Uh oh," Applejack said.

Rarity looked at the container door slowly lowering. "You have got to be kidding me." She hit the door button several times more.

Confused, the rakghouls began turning around, looking at them. Not the smartest creatures, they continued to fall over each other as they tried to move around.

"Rarity?" Applejack asked.

"I'm working on it. Confound this thing," the white mare said, hitting the button faster. The door hadn't even closed halfway.

"I was just gonna say, the robot said not to hit the button more than once."

Rarity looked back at her. "I don't think it matters much anyway." For a brief moment, the two just looked back at one another, wondering if they should start running again. They both knew they had goofed; in their eyes, they each apologized to each other even though neither blamed the other. The rakghouls began lurching towards them.

Suddenly, the door slammed to the ground as if on its own. The lock to the side clicked, sealing the horde inside.

"Wow!" AJ said, "Rarity, great job! I didn't know you could do that!"

"I… I didn't," Rarity said. They both turned around to see a pair of hooded figures just behind them.

"Hello ladies! Forgive my interventions, but it seemed you were in need of assistance," the first said, stepping forward.

"I'm sorry my partner and I didn't arrive sooner," the other, a tan-skinned human said. He also stepped forward and pulled back his hood. "I'm Master Vars Algwinn."

"And I am Master Sev-Tai Ell," the other one, a long-haired human with a handlebar mustache said. "We sensed a disturbance in the Force and got here as quickly as we could." Both the new arrivals were wearing green-colored armor of some kind with the robes around them. They would've been somewhat camouflaged against the background of the city if not for the robes.

"It's quite alright, gentlemen," Rarity said, relieved. "You got here just in time; that's what matters."

"Sure does," AJ agreed, removing her hat and wiping her forehead.

"Ah-ha! Masters!" Saresh said, running up to their position with HK and Vasser in tow. "Thank goodness the Enclave sent assistance. Rakghouls breached the perimeter. We think they may have been using the aqueduct system under the base."

"We noticed," Vars said. "That was our deduction as well."

"We've flushed the waterlines and closed off the connecting valves to the old pipes. That should keep them out of the base for now, at least until we can get someone to close off the pipes from the surface."

"That'll have to wait," Applejack cut in, "until after we find Twilight. Now, you just said the base is safe, right?"

"Statement: That is correct, master. And should there be any more incursions by the creatures, I shall ensure that your safety is-"

"Right. In that case, I'm heading out. Where was Twilight when you last knew where she was?"

"Applejack..." Rarity stopped her. The farm mare felt her friend's voice like an anchor on her hooves. "We really must get you prepared if we're going out there."

The orange mare did a complete one-eighty. "Rarity, y'all know there's no time for that! Ya'll keep talkin' about how dangerous this place is but ya keep forgettin' Twilight's stuck out there in it!"

"Applejack-"

"No buts, Rars. I'm going now, and nothing you can say will stop me," AJ said adamantly.

But the white pony was resolute. "Applejack... I know you want to go out and help Twilight right away."

"I do..." AJ said, her voice sounding desperate. Underneath her brave exterior was a pony who was truly worried about her friend. But she knew, they both knew that worrying wouldn't help find her any faster. "You know if one of us was in trouble, Twilight would be out there first-thing."

Rarity walked over to her friend. She grabbed her hooves and held them up, locking eyes with her. "And you know Twilight wouldn't want us doing anything reckless, too. You know she wants us to focus on our own safety first."

AJ's lip trembled but she nodded. "I... I do."

"Exactly," Rarity smiled. "Let's go get you kitted out."

"Alright..." the cowmare said, defeated. She followed her friend and the others back to base. "As long as this doesn't take too long."

"Faster we get going, faster we're done," Rarity replied.

AJ tugged her hat down. "Why do I feel like that's something I'd say?"

Applejack was happy they didn't make her wear the same fancy bodysuit like the one Rarity was wearing. Unfortunately, the governor insisted she wore some form of body protection and so she along with Corporal Vessar(the guard from the gate) jury-rigged a suit of trooper armor for her to wear. Instead of the gloves and arm guards, they gave her a second pair of boots to wear over her hooves. They made her wear a chest guard and something over her flank but she put her hoof down with helmets. Her hat was protection enough.

Finally geared up, she stepped out of the spaceport, determined. The two Jedi were ahead of her standing vigil by the gate awaiting her and Rarity. The day just seemed like it got longer and longer… and she wasn't even sure it was the same day, being on a different planet.

"Ready, Rars?"

Her friend only took a moment to adjust her visor before replying, "Ready!"

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road!" As the two left for the entrance gate, they saw their escorts had already preoccupied themselves.

"Ha!"

"I almost had you with that one."

"Not quite, Vars, not quite! Ha-HA!"

Rarity stopped just short of them but Applejack walked right up. "The heck are you two doing?"

The Jedi were sword fighting right in front of the gate: Vars wielded a single lightsaber with a black-green blade while Sev used a double-saber with a black-yellow blade on each end. They were both wearing green helmets, now, too and their robes were now some kind of kilts tied at their waists. For some reason, AJ didn't think that was because of the swordplay. The sound of their blades clashing and sparking nearly drowned out AJ's question but as she approached, the two ceased fighting.

"Ah, Master Applejack. You're prepared to head out, then?"

"You'll have to excuse us," Vars said, both of them deactivating their swords. "We didn't know how long you'd be so we engaged in a friendly duel."

"Friendly? Right," Applejack said, moving past the two. "You two put away your toys and let's get a move on."

The two Jedi exchanged a glance, then glanced at Rarity. The fashionista pony shrugged; she had no answers for them. They began following her.

Sev ran up alongside her as she marched out of the base. "Actually, Miss Applejack-"

"Just Applejack will be fine, or AJ if you're in a hurry."

"Right, well, Miss AJ-"

"Grrrr..."

"AJ, those weren't toys you saw us with," Sev said. He unclipped his saberstaff from his belt and showed it to her. "They're actually very powerful weapons called lightsabers that-"

"And you were playing with 'em," AJ cut him off.

"We uh, we weren't actually playing," Vars said on the other side of her. "We were engaged in a duel, honing our blades for the task ahead. It was a way of practicing and-"

"And you decided to do this right when we're about to head out?" she said, carrying on. The two Jedi exchanged glances of confusion, Rarity offered an apologetic expression as she passed. "Look, all your fancy-schmancy rules and gadgets don't change the fact that our friend, MY best friend happens to be out there and needs our help. That's all I care about right now. If you can't keep up, I will go alone."

"That won't be necessary," Vars said sincerely.

"My lady, we are wholly devoted to you and finding your friend," Sev added.

"Good," AJ replied. "The faster we find her, the faster we get back to where it's safe," she said, stepping out of the base. She thought to herself, And I'll be on my way outta here. Corporal Vasser closed the gate behind them as they departed, the four of them walking into Taris' untamed ruins and wilderness.

Chapter 2: Search Party

Chapter 2: Search Party

The path out of the base led up a series of ramps- for vehicles, AJ guessed. They passed by a few buildings that resembled the ones she'd seen in the base, except that they looked abandoned. A couple were even on fire, small fires, at least and there were large vehicles parked next to them along with the beginnings of what looked like vegetable garden plots. Whoever had been here had left in a hurry.

"These were some of the earlier settlements," Vars commented. "Mostly just to test the viability of-"

"I didn't ask," AJ responded, nearly cutting him off. The Jedi looked surprised at her, making her realize a bit what she'd done. Rarity gave her a sterner look and Applejack said, "I'm sorry, there. Please, go on."

"Ah... well, I was just saying that these were among the first settlements the Republic made when we came here," Vars said, looking at them as they passed. "It's not easy to start a new colony, much less in such a devastated place like this. These earlier houses were just for people starting out, almost like an experiment to test the viability of Taris itself."

"I see," Applejack said. "And they're like this because...?"

"They must've been damaged when the perimeter was breached," Rarity said. "We mostly use the buildings for light storage, now. The settlers all relocated to the larger outposts last week."

"Hmph," his friend scoffed. "You'd think we'd have better defenses this close to the base."

Applejack looked back over her shoulder at him and asked, "You think things could've been done better?"

The mustached Jedi chuckled, not breaking a stride. "That's one way of putting it. But, we're not really in a good position to criticize. Jedi are supposed to steer clear of politics, aren't we?"

His friend shrugged. "Hasn't stopped us before."

Applejack could 'sense' the conversation was getting offtrack. "So, where was Twi last time y'all saw her?"

"Her last transmission came from somewhere north of Gendar Station. There was a search party forming there before I left," Rarity explained.

"Well hey, that's a start!" AJ said, breaking into a gallop. "Let's head there and maybe we can join 'em! Come on, now! While we still got daylight!"

"But, it's still a ways away! We should take a speeder or-" but it was too late. Rarity was forced to stop mid-protest and run after her friend and escorts.

With Applejack leading and Rarity doing her best to guide, they trekked north from the Olaris Resettlement Zone into the overgrown ruins. Taris' buildings and skyscrapers that once dominated its Upper City had been positioned atop large, round platforms standing on the surface. Many of these platforms suffered only light or superficial damage, despite the fact they only held up rubble and ruin now. But, they provided an ample amount of shade for the group as they continued through the ruins. More than once, Vars or Sev used their lightsabers to cut a low-hanging vine that was in their way. Rarity appreciated this action while Applejack thought they could've just as easily gone around them.

The paths that took them through the destroyed and fallen buildings were mostly grass and dirt. Reconstruction had only occurred in certain resettlement zones like Olaris. Outposts and watch stations had been established at points in-between the settlement areas so that civilization was never more than a few miles away, at least near the settlements. Still, it was a bit of a hike through the narrow passages between broken structures and around more solid, crumbling obstacles. They didn't run into any more rakghouls, something they were all thankful for and eventually they reached the outpost.

"So, you, uh... said there was a search party formin'?" AJ asked, looking over the outpost. "I really don't hope it was like this when you left."

"What's happened here?" Rarity asked. "Everything's been... destroyed." Gendar Station was, or at least had been, one of the Republic's patrol outposts situated under one of the more-intact platforms north-west of Olaris. But the outpost in front of them had been apparently ransacked in the time since Rarity departed. The fence surrounding the outpost had been torn apart, the main prefab structure's windows and doors had been broken and a large tent had collapsed over a cluster of tables. The only thing that looked relatively intact was a tent with some computer terminals in it.

"This looks like it happened recently," Sev said. He and Vars both ignited their lightsabers, eyes already scanning the area. "Meaning whoever or whatever's responsible could still be around."

"Anybody got any idea'a what caused it?" AJ asked. "More varmints?"

"Perhaps," Rarity said, unsure. "There doesn't appear to be anyone left." The ponies and Jedi walked cautiously into the outpost to investigate.

Vars knelt in front of some dark marks on the pavement. "There's some carbon scoring here."

"Heh, not really much to go on. You could say that about the whole planet," Sev remarked.

Vars touched the marks with two fingers, a small amount of the soot rubbing off. "Still fresh. Looks like there was a firefight."

"Oh dear," Rarity said. "I... it's almost too hard to believe."

"Which could also be said about the whole planet," the mustached Jedi reiterated. He disengaged his lightsaber and walked into the main prefab building, a small two-story shack made from mostly plasteel. The ponies followed him; Vars took up the rear as a precaution. The inside of the building looked about the same as the outside: chairs were overturned, glass lay shattered at the base of a shelf and the walls had more dark streaks in some places, evidence of blaster fire.

"Terminals here are still working," Sev announced as he activated one of the computers. "The surveillance system may have picked up what happened."

"What's that smell?" Applejack asked. "Smells like... I dunno, something weird."

"Hydrazine," Vars said after sniffing the air. "It's an industrial chemical they use to ignite tools for welding like plasma torches and fusion cutters."

"And flamethrowers," Sev said, a slight smirk crossing his expression.

"I, uh, I don't think we have any flamethrowers here at the outpost," Rarity remarked nervously.

Vars gave a slight scoff at the notion. "I think he's implying whoever attacked the base might've brought one with them."

"Who, exactly, would want to attack this place?" Applejack asked, making note of the base's condition.

The holoprojector on the room's back wall suddenly sprang to life. "A good question. One to ask when we find them." The blue light coalesced into figures on the table, an image of the outpost and the surrounding area.

"Is that the security camera feed from outside?"

Vars nodded. "We seem to have found it."

The holographic image displayed Gendar Station and some of the surrounding area. Republic troopers and scouts, some of them ponies, fired shots from behind the outpost's walls. The soldiers used cover as they fired on some sort of unseen assailant outside of the camera's range. Suddenly, explosions ripped into the sides of the walls, blasting the armored troopers from their positions. A pair of bulky bipedal figures wearing heavier armor than the troopers walked into view and approached the front gates. They raised their arms at the gate and jets of flames shot fourth from their gauntlets, quickly melting the gate.

"I'm guessin' those guys ain't just the neighbors dropping by for a visit," Applejack surmised. They watched as the two figures stepped into Gendar Station, over the writhing and incapacitated troopers and began trashing it. They tossed around the equipment, as if looking for something or someone, and then began picking up the soldiers. Some resisted and were bashed for it. In the end, they were all restrained in some way or another and then placed on a hoversled that was already parked at the outpost and then carted away.

Vars stared at the image intensely. "Bounty hunters."

"Bounty hunters?" Rarity and AJ both asked.

"Mercenary scum hired to do pretty much anything, usually criminal work," Vars said, a searing heat in his voice. Both the ponies noticed him gripping the table tighter than before.

"And many are regular schmucks trying to make their way in the galaxy," Cham added.

"By breaking the law," Vars said back. "With flamethrowers and other weapons that cause only violence and suffering."

Sev continued to smirk at his friend. "You'll have to forgive Master Algwinn; he's had some bad experience with bounty hunters." He patted his friend on the shoulder. He began muttering, "There is no emotion, there is peace, there is no emotion, there is peace," quietly to himself.

While the other Jedi continued reciting the code, Sev began digging through a container near the door. "The one good thing about those flamethrowers is that we can track them." He pulled out a tool that looked like a remote control with two stubby antenna sticking out of the front. "This is a portable scanner. Not as heavy duty as a ship or base-mounted one but it gets the job done. It can analyze just about anything you point it at and even administer first aid. This will help us find the bounty hunters." He said, tossing it to Applejack.

"What're you giving this to me for?"

"And... why exactly would we want to find those... bounty hunters?" Rarity asked nervously.

Vars pushed off the table as both Jedi prepared to head out. "You'll have to forgive Master Ell; he's had some... unique experience with bounty hunters," the two exchanged glances. "He seems to believe that if we find them, we'll find your friends, too."

Applejack adjusted her hat, immediately following him. "That's all I needed to here. We've got our lead."

"But, this... well, it sounds like more of a hunch," Rarity protested.

"It's still all we got, Rarity," AJ patted her on the back. "Even if it's not, we might find her while we're out there looking for them."

"I guess that's true..." the white mare admitted.

"Besides, I have a feeling whoever did this didn't do so for no reason," she said, determined.

Rarity nodded, still nervous. "I think we can all agree on that."

They left the outpost behind and set out into the wilderness once again. Applejack had trouble getting used to her scanner but Rarity and the Jedi didn't. They quickly found the trail of hydrazine residue just outside Gendar Station and followed it further through the jungle ruins. The path became narrow as they ventured further north; the Republic had only cleared certain paths into the ruined landscape. As they continued on, Vars took it upon himself to explain what he and Sev had been doing on Taris.

"-which all happened even before the planet was destroyed and we don't have very many records of it. But, the ruins of the Jedi Tower seem mostly intact so it's possible we might be able to find more information about what happened here three centuries ago."

"Was Twilight interested in all of this?" AJ asked, hoping to get back to the matter at present.

"Oh, yes," Rarity answered. "She and Spike spent most of their time helping with the excavation of the old Upper City. They were very excited to find out more about the civilization because they suspected ponies might have-"

"Hey, we got something here," Chan announced. "The trail's stopped."

"Stopped?" They gathered around the torgruta.

"Stopped. The source of the hydrazine seems to have disappeared," Sev said, narrowing his eyes at his scanner's readings. "The trail just seems to end here... right at this spot. Rather abruptly."

"What does that mean?" AJ asked.

Sev pocketed his scanner. "Well, it means we've either reached the end of the trail... or..."

"Or what?" Rarity asked.

*Snap!* "Waaah!"

"AAAH!!" Without warning, a net concealed on the ground beneath them closed around them. It bunched them together and hoisted them all into the air as a group.

"It's a trap! It's a trap and we walked right into it!" Rarity exclaimed, struggling.

"Stop mo-ow! Stop moving!" Vars yelled.

"Oh, you can move alright," a voice on the ground said to them.

"Yeah. Always more fun to hit a moving target," another voice said.

The group looked down to see the two bounty hunters they'd been following. Their weapons were raised right at them as they hung helplessly, including the flamethrower they'd been tracking.

"You like this? Been followin' us, looking for it?" the hunter with the flamethrower said. He brandished it at them and aimed the silvery gauntlet in their direction. "Try anything funny and we'll show you how it works."

They all stopped moving. None of them needed an explanation of what would happen if the bounty hunters decided to use their weapons while they all dangled like a worm on a hook.

"What do you want from us?" Vars asked.

The two hunters chuckled. "Oh, my sincerest apologies, most wise masta Jedi."

"I know these circumstances must seem quite peculiar, forgive us for not explaining things for you," the second said. He removed his helmet, revealing that he was a red-skinned, horned alien. "I'm Sorno."

"And I'm Jarg," the other said, still keeping the flamethrower trained on him. "And what we'd like is for you all to be very comfortable."

"Most comfortable, indeed."

"While we hand you over to the Imps and collect your bounties."

"Imps?!" the captives all asked in unison.

"What are you talking about? The Imps would never post a bounty on Jedi with the Treaty of Coruscant still in place!" Vars declared.

"Heheheh."

"Hahahah."

Applejack, the side of her face stuck to the togruta's, was not able to see the bounty hunters. But she could still hear them both chuckling at what Vars had said. "Did anyone hear a joke in there?"

"What's so funny?" Vars asked.

The bony-faced one looked at the horned hunter. "Would you like to tell them, Sorno?"

"Only if you think it's a good idea," his accomplice said.

"I would never, ever think of doing something without your approval."

"Nor I yours, Jarg."

"I believe it was my turn when I set the traps," Jarg said, smiling.

"Which means it's my turn," Sorno said, grinning at the captives. He chuckled. "What's funny is, we weren't talking about you, masta Jedi," Sorno said.

"Heheh, yeah, ain't no Imperial bounties for Jedi... yet. But I'm sure the Hutts would shell out a few credits for a couple nice decorations. Maybe Karagga or Nemro, but surely one of 'em," Jarg added. "Maybe Needles'd like to experiment with a couple Jedi."

"Heck, we could just toss up a couple carbonite Jedi on the Galactic Trade Network and we'd probably get a few buyers. Point is, you're not who we're after. It's THEM we're after," Sorno said, pointing his weapon at Rarity and Applejack. "The bounty for Equestrians is through the roof right now, enough to put the Black List to shame."

"We're here for the ponies."

"Oh dear..." Rarity nervously said. "Are you sure there isn't... something else we could do to compensate you?"

"The Republic will-ow," Sev shuffled his position, pinched between Vars and AJ. "The Republic can pay you. If you let us go, leave the planet right now, I can assure you that-"

"Heh, no dice, Jedi." Jarg shot down the idea and swatted at them with the flamethrower. "Not that we don't trust you."

"We do, believe us."

"We would never want to be deceptive."

"We're honest criminals."

"It's just that we have a contract with Darth Vylios," Jarg said, chuckling. "And we'd hate for the Empire to get a bad impression of us."

Sev calmed his breathing. He focused on both of them, concentrating on their eyes, their faces and their minds. The intent was written in their expressions, he could feel it in the Force. "You don't want to turn us into the Sith." Both hunters looked up at him in bewilderment. He continued, "You want to leave this planet and never return."

"A mindtrick? Seriously?" Vars asked. "Like that will actually work."

Jarg's flamethrower began to lower. The hunter suddenly looked down, as if contemplating a sudden realization. "I... I don't want to turn you into the Sith."

"I want to leave this planet and never return," Sorno repeated. Both of them holstered their weapons, turned around and departed.

"What in the hay did you just do to those guys?" Applejack asked. "You guys psychic, or something?"

"The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded," Sev said.

"Weak-minded is right," Vars said.

"What are you complaining about?"

He shifted again. "Well, for one, why didn't you make them get us DOWN first?!"

"Oh..."

Chapter 3: Team Effort

Chapter 3: Team Effort

"They ain't coming back, are they?" Applejack asked, though only silence answered her as they hung. The net swayed, jostled by their own movements and what little breeze there was but it was clear Jarg and Sorno were gone. They were alone, helpless and hanging twenty feet above the ground.

"Sev?"

"Yeah, Vars?"

"I think... Rarity, if you could move your leg just a bit-"

"Which way?" Rarity asked, squeezed in between the two Jedi and her friend.

"Move it up a bit and then, Sev-"

"I got ya, hold on," Sev said, twisting his body to angle his belt towards Vars' hand. "Can you reach it with the Force?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to unclip it," Vars said, reaching with his hand. His friend's double-bladed lightsaber twitched at his belt. "It's stuck."

"You have to pull it up first."

"I am pulling it up, it's stuck!"

"No, up towards you!"

"What does that even mean?!"

"Guys," AJ interrupted, "probably not the best time to fight when we're dangling like fish in a net. Just a thought."

Her words were not heeded. "Which way are you pulling it?"

"I'm pulling it up!"

"That's the wrong way- pull it towards you!" Sev yelled.

"Maybe I reach it with magic," Rarity suggested.

Applejack took the opportunity to get comfortable. "Don't try to help them, Rars, I'm sure they got this all figured out."

"No, no, I've almost got it!" Vars protested.

"You don't have it at all!" Sev said back. "Let her help!"

"She might accidentally turn it on!"

"Give her a chance! You've been trying here for almost-"

"I've almost got it! I've almost-"

Rarity, squashed to the side of the two of them, didn't know what to do. "Should I help or not?"

"At this point, I don't think you could make things any-"

*voom-voom*

Two flashes of blue suddenly flew overhead. They sliced through the top of the net causing it to fall around them. But they did not fall with it. For a brief moment, it was as if time had stopped for the four of them. They hung in the air, supported by seemingly nothing at all.

"What's... going on?" Sev asked, looking around. "You doing this Vars?"

"Was about to ask if you were doing it."

Even Rarity was confused for a moment. But Applejack wasn't. For once, she knew exactly what was going on. "Relax, fellers. The pros have arrived," she said, feeling better than she had all day.

The group was gently lowered to the ground in a purple field of energy, not of the Force but of something else all together. Applejack didn't need to be told what it was, didn't need to turn around to see who it was, didn't need to ask the name of the person, of the pony who had rescued them. She already knew the answer.

"Twilight!!!"

"Applejack!" The two mares ran to each other and embraced.

"Twilight, darling!" Rarity was quick to run up after them and join the hug. Vars and Sev were content to watch, relieved that the ordeal was finally over.

"I'm happy to see you're all safe," another voice said. The five of them looked up to see another cloaked figure, another Jedi Master, this time, a female.

"Master Arralai!" the other Jedi exclaimed. They ran past the ponies up to her, nearly running through them. She pulled her hood back as they approached, revealing she wasn't a human but a zabrak. She nodded to both of them individually as they approached.

"Twilight, where were you?" Applejack asked. "What happened out there? Why didn't y'all tell me you were leaving early?"

"A lot of things happened," Twilight said. "We found a possible connection between Equestrians and the ancient inhabitants of Taris. Logs left behind by a group of exiles called the Outcasts make references to the lost history of this planet."

Applejack shook her head. "Twi, Twi, Twi, you're telling me you came all the way out here just because somebody went and dug up some old books?"

The purple unicorn bashfully shrugged. "Well, these logs might be the only clues we have to that time period, and whether or not ponies visited this planet, too. So... yes? But, they're really important. I was hoping to research this more for Princess Celestia."

Rarity smiled softly at both of them. "If there's one thing we can always be certain of, it's our Twilight will never pass an opportunity to learn something new."

"Especially if it means dragging us along for the ride."

Twilight blushed. They were right and there was no way for her to hide it. Still, she was happy to see them and she knew they were happy to see her. "Thank you both for coming. I'm sorry I made you go to all the trouble of searching for me."

"What caused you to drop out of contact?" Rarity asked. "We were afraid you ran into those two bounty hunters."

"We did," the female Jedi said. She strode over to the ponies with an air of confidence about her. It was somewhat unsettling in the ruined landscape. "We were actually hunting for them after we rescued the prisoners. Instead, we found and rescued all of you."

"You rescued the other prisoners?" Rarity asked. "You mean the ones from Gendar Station?"

Twilight nodded. "That's right; Master Arralai and I managed to lose the bounty hunters but then they captured Gendar Station. It seemed like they wanted to lure us out," she explained.

"Well, that's great!" AJ remarked. "Finally, some good news! We were due for some after all of this."

"I think we are all agreed on that," Vars added.

"The troopers we rescued should already be back at Olaris by now. We should check in with the governor so she can call off the search," Twilight said.

Applejack put her hat back on its rightful place atop her head. "Now, that sounds like a plan, Twi. Best one I've heard since I came to this planet, anyway," she declared, striding off back to base.

Just as soon as she walked off, Twilight turned to Rarity and asked, "Has she been like this since she got here?"

Rarity simply smiled, a little too wide to be entirely genuine. "Hardly noticed at all, dear Twilight. Hardly noticed at all."

"That makes one of us," Vars commented.

"Y'all gonna stand around all day? Come on, let's get back to base camp before somepony else goes missing," Applejack said. None of them raised any objections. Taking the same path they had used to get there, they journeyed back to Olaris.

Although AJ had started out in front, her concern for Twilight's well-being gradually saw her drift further back to the middle of the group with her friends. Master Arralai was out in front with the other two Jedi taking up the rear, both to keep the ponies safe and simply because the female Jedi was walking considerably faster than the rest of them.

"How you holding up, Twi?" AJ asked.

"Good... good," Twilight said. She looked over to her orange friend, walking beside her. "How've you been, though?" AJ glanced at her from the side as she asked that question. "Rarity tells me you haven't exactly enjoyed the trip here so far."

"I think that's putting it a bit generously," Applejack said, her tone blunt and honest as always.

"We were both concerned with finding you," Rarity interjected. "It was a bit strenuous on all of us, no doubt."

"I appreciate it," Twilight said, "but what we're doing here is important. Not more important than any of us, of course but... we really could use your help here, Applejack."

Applejack sighed. "I know, Twi, I know. I'd just like it if we were doing this a little closer to home, is all. Call it a personal preference."

"That's the only real difficulty you're having with this place?"

"It's a pretty strong preference."

Twilight nodded. "I can understand that. It definitely felt like I was out of my element when I first got here. But... you get used to it."

Rarity giggled. "I believe it took me the longest to "find my element" here. Being out here, so far away from civilization... and insect repellant. But, we go where we're needed to help Equestria. Even if it's a little further from Equestria than we're comfortable with, at first."

"I know, I know. I guess this is just a little bit of an adjustment for me, is all," she admitted. She looked down at her own hooves as she walked, stepping lightly on the grass underneath them. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to manage." Even lightyears away from Equestria, on an entirely different planet, the grass was green, cool and felt the same as the grass back on her farm. It wasn't the same on every planet and some planets didn't even have plant life. But it was the same here and it reminded her of home. It made sense that it took her friends to get her to see it. She finally felt comfortable on Taris, walking beside them.

"So, what exactly are we doing here, anyway? Some kinda community project?"

"Something like that," Twilight said. "The Republic wants to rebuild Taris to make it a symbol, a beacon of hope. This project will be a testament to our cooperation and the message that when we work together, anything is possible. Every species that contributes here will be allowed to establish a colony on this planet. This could be the first colony for ponies on a new world."

"A colony?" AJ repeated. "We're here to build our own pony colony?"

Twilight patted her saddlebag. "Well, not quite. Based on the information I've found, we won't be building a colony- we'll be restoring one." She rubbed the back of her neck and added, "As soon as we find it, anyway."

AJ raised her head and looked around her. Amongst the ruins, there were trees of different kinds, flowers in some places and vines and foliage of all kinds throughout the destroyed buildings. She felt the grass underneath her hooves and knew that there was soil underneath all of this, rich, ripe and ready. They could do this.

"I think we can do this, Twi."

Both of Applejack's friends grabbed each other excitedly, turned to her and asked, "Does this mean you'll stay?!" They looked at her with eyes wide and gleaming, full of sparkly, excited hope.

She nodded. "I wasn't planning on leaving until you guys did anyway."

The sun was beginning to set by the time they arrived in the resettlement zone. Sounds of strange creatures, the early calls and howls of predators began to ring out as daylight retreated. They increased their pace a little but thankfully were not accosted further in their travels back to base. As they approached, they noticed more activity in and around the base: the gate was manned again and there were people working on the early settlement sites they passed. Corporal Vasser waved as they entered the base, closing the gate behind them.

"The base seems to still be in order," Rarity said, looking around. "That's a welcome bit of good fortune."

"Heh, yeah, would'a just been our luck to come back and find this place wrecked, too." They all looked at Applejack. "I, uh... hey, what's with the crowd?" As they passed the large supply building in the center of the base, they were greeted by a large crowd. Or rather, they'd just walked into the back of a large crowd.

"You can't just keep us here!"

"Screw the contracts! We're leaving NOW!" Dozens of people, beings from all over the galaxy and even a few ponies were all assembled in front of the spaceport. The doors in front were closed, as if the base was still under attack. From the looks of the people there, angered, shouting and a few banging on the doors, it may have been.

"What are all these people doing?" Twilight asked.

"Let's find out," Master Arralai said. She strode up to the nearest person at the back of the crowd, a tall bothan.

"Easy there, darlin'," AJ cautioned, trotting up to join her. Her friends followed close behind.

"Excuse me, sir, but can you tell me what's going on?"

"Oh ho, Jedi," the cat-like alien said, turning around. Several others turned around at the sound of the word Jedi. "I don't know exactly who's idea this was but maybe you can talk some sense into the governor."

"Governor Saresh? What's she got to do with this?"

"She's not letting anyone leave!" a woman behind them yelled.

"She claims our contracts "forbid" it and that we have to stay here on Taris until they're up," the alien explained. "I don't know about anyone else here but I didn't sign up to get eaten!"

"This is outrageous!"

"The Republic can't keep us here!"

"We're not your slaves! We're not your slaves!"

The crowd grew angrier. The doors to the spaceport were still closed with only a shimmering blue hologram in front, a hologram of Governor Saresh.

Applejack careened over shoulders, stood up on her hind legs but still couldn't see. "One thing's for sure, we ain't gonna get any answers back here, so-"

"We should assert ourselves to the front," Master Arralai declared. The Jedi proceeded to do exactly that- she walked forward and immediately, the crowd began to part. She didn't appear to touch other beings but they were pushed aside, as if they had been shoved. Some were only bumped while others were more harshly shoved. A few responded by turning around in quick hostility, but when they saw who was in their way, they stopped.

"Guess she has the right idea. We're with her! Comin' through!" AJ called.

"Yes, um, excuse us," Rarity added. Both she and Twilight continued excusing their party all the way to the steps of the spaceport. As they approached, the massive doors opened. HK-55 was standing there to "greet" them with his rifle drawn.

"Assertion: For your safety, I must ask that you stay clear of the premises."

"What's goin' on?"

"Has there been an accident?" Twilight asked. "Was it the rakghouls?"

A tall, broad-shouldered man with slicked-back brown hair stepped to the side of HK. He stood a full head taller than everyone else, but somehow didn't look like he was talking down to them. "The situation has become a bit more complicated than that, I'm afraid." It sounded like there were more people behind him, but the others couldn't tell.

Before the others could ask, the green-skinned Jedi erupted in praise. "Master Cerik! It's so good to see you back!"

He smiled. "And you too, Kara." The sound of boots behind the new master grew louder.

"ANOTHER Master?" Applejack said, her voice nearly a sigh. "How many 'masters' are on this planet, exactly?"

"Dozens," Arralai answered matter-of-factly, turning to her. "Master Cerik, however, is the leader of the Jedi Order's operations on the planet."

He nodded. "The Jedi Order has an investment in this world, as does the Republic."

"As do the colonists," Twilight added. Cerik looked down at her. "Oh, uh, I didn't mean to interru-"

"You're correct," he said stoically, making some wonder if he approved or disapproved of Twilight's addition. "Taris is an investment for all of us. We've all risked much coming here and now, that investment is being recognized."

As Cerik spoke, the doors opened further, pulling back all the way to reveal green-armored soldiers marching out from either side of the divider. Single-file, the soldiers poured out, filling the entrance. Behind them, more robed figures, more Jedi assembled. Men, women, soldiers and Jedi assembled like they were going to war. They assembled behind Master Cerik.

"What... in the hay are all these guys?"

Cerik clasped his considerably-large hands behind his back. "The Senate has approved more military, financial and Jedi support for Taris. Even though resources are stretched thin, your efforts here are being recognized. I'm here to reassure you all that more help is on the way."

Applejack and the others had to step back as the soldiers filed out. More poured out of the space port in lines along with the Jedi. For every ten soldiers, there was a clocked figure in front of them, another Jedi. The colonists who had been dissenting before were now silent.

"Twi..." AJ began, "Something tells me these new fellers aren't here to help us do any digging." Applejack stood resolutely as a sea of green flowed around her, out into Olaris to do Celestia only knows what.

But whatever they were starting, there was no stopping it. Vars and Sev started talking to one of them while the other troopers continued. More ships flew overhead, casting shadows on the settlers. The soldiers who were already deployed quickly began setting up new and building things. Not engineers or workers, but soldiers.

"We will get to the bottom of this. Taris is a dangerous place," Twilight said.

AJ nodded. "Looks like it just got a lot more dangerous."

Cerik stepped forward. He looked down at the ponies, resembling to them something of a centaur or minotaur from Equestria. "You are the Equestrian survey group."

"Survey group?" AJ repeated.

He looked at her, his green eyes striking. He seemed to be examining something about her until finally, he smiled. "I sense your unease. Your kind are still new to the galaxy, you have yet to witness devestation like on Taris."

"I, uh, would have to agree," AJ admitted, tilting her hat back. "What exactly y'all bringing all these soldiers here for? Ya got dragons are something I haven't seen 'round here?"

Cerik quirked an eyebrow. His expression and voice remained stoic. "There is much you haven't seen. Including above us." The last of the troops filed out of the building as more ships flew overhead. A shuttle dropped off a large four-legged vehicle and landed nearby to open its rear bay and deploy yet more troops.

The tall Jedi took center stage on the steps again. "There is a Sith battle fleet at the edge of the system. We don't know what they're doing, we do not believe they are hostile at this time. The Treaty of Coruscant and the Treaty of Equestria are still being upheld by both sides. But, we have noticed unauthorized landings in this area. Olaris will remain on alert, as per the governor's instructions."

"Alert? What the hell does that mean?"

"We want off this rock!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible at this time," Cerik said, his voice booming. "For security measures, Taris is effectively under a quarantine. No ships may leave." The crowd boo'd, despite the soldiers around them, even louder than before. It looked almost like a revolt might be forming. "People, please. The Republic is here for you."

"We need food!"

"And you will get food," Cerik said, swiftly responding. "You will get whatever you need. I understand that it has been very difficult. And the Republic acknowledges your resolve, your courage, your sacrifice. I am here as a representative of the Jedi Order with word from the High Council and the Senate. I'm here to say we are not abandoning you. On the contrary- we are reinforcing you."

Applejack looked behind her. The gate of Olaris, the one she'd seen before was being taken down. In its place, a pair of turrets and barricades were being set up. "Reinforcing? Y'all are turning this into a combat base!"

Cerik looked at her. "That is exactly what we are doing," he said, not missing a beat.

Governor Saresh and HK-55 appeared from behind him. "Taris is a member of the Republic," she said, addressing the crowd right after him. The massive Jedi stepped aside for the small green woman. "I'm proud to announce that all of our reconstruction projects have just had their funding approved. We will be getting more supplies and manpower than we ever dreamed. And all of it paid for by the Senate!"

The crowd cheered. One moment they had been ready to take arms, the next they were celebrating. Several of the Cathar roared their approval, making AJ's skin crawl.

"Things have been hard for us," Saresh said. "This planet, this Republic, all of you have endured so much. But it is a testament to our unshakable unity, our resolve to take whatever this galaxy, whatever the Sith can throw at us and still stand. This world, our Taris, it is destined to become a beacon of our unity, our resolve and our hope for the entire galaxy that we can recover from any atrocity. Taris will become that beacon because of you, because all of us are working together to build a brighter future. This future belongs to all of us and now, with the Republic's help, we can make it a reality today! I am proud to welcome all of you officially to the Taris Resettlement Initiative! The future of Taris is ours!"

People clapped. Even the soldiers stopped what they were doing to clap. The settlers cheered and AJ saw that even Twilight and Rarity cheered. It was like a switch flipped. The colonists all went back to work. The green-armored soldiers and some of the Jedi went with them to supervise and assist. Olaris came to life.

Is this what passes for business as usual around here? AJ asked herself, watching the colonists.

Twilight seemed to sense what was on her friend's mind. "Sometimes, people just need a little inspiration. When times are tough, even a single bright spot can make all the difference."

"A blank check from the Senate helps, too," Saresh remarked, chuckling as she approached the others. "It's good to see you back, Captain Sparkle."

"Captain Sparkle?"

"It's, umm... thank you, governor," Twilight said bashfully.

Applejack folded her hooves. "Alright, a lot of stuff has been goin' on since I got here, since BEFORE I got here, I think somepony needs to tell me exactly what is goin' on. Are we restorin' a colony, buildin' a new one or...? What's goin' on, Twi?"

Saresh interrupted before she could answer. "You do deserve a full explanation. All of you. Please, come with me to the governor's building, I'll explain everything there." She started walking down the path, intent on leading them.

"Hold on," AJ stopped her, "where's Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy? I'm not going anywhere until they-"

"They're fine, I assure you," the green twi'lek said with a firm but not stern expression. "We'll contact them on their holocommunicators and have them meet us at my office. Is that all right?"

Applejack frowned, but nodded. She followed the governor down the path to a squat, square prefabricated building on a platform next to the north wall. For better or worse, Applejack was intent on getting answers.

Chapter 4: The Gang's All Here

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