As Kyris, Gale, and two other Clone Squads headed over to the vehicle bay and began fueling several BARC Speeder Bikes, the Elements, Celestia, and the ambassadors watched with expressions bearing tones of anxiety, curiosity, or in some cases, fear as they began to hover in the air.

"What's going on?" Dragon Lord Ember asked Celestia. "Where are they going?"

"Most likely case is pursuing those rogue Griffons, but I do not know for sure." Celestia replied. "What happens after that, I certainly do not know."

"Should we be concerned about this?" the Minotaur ambassador asked Twilight with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think so." Twilight replied. "I mean, General Marchen seems trustworthy enough to me. He's done nothing to provoke us the entire time he's been here."

"And Commander Gale's really nice too." Fluttershy added. "He spoke with me last night, needed to get some things off his chest. I think they'll be fine."

"If that's the case, there's no need to remain here." Ember replied. "I think these Clones have this well in hand."

"Indeed." Celestia said as the Clones and General Marchen primed their speeders and tore off into the plains near the Everfree Forest, following the path of the rogue Griffons. "Let us find somewhere to rest for the moment. I think we all need it."

As the Equestrians left the base, escorted by a Clone squad, a Republic Gunship took off and followed the departing Clones to provide air cover.

====

As the engines of each speeder bike roared in their ears, the sound dampening abilities of the Clones' helmets did nothing to distract them. Gale and General Marchen had taken point, with two Clone Squads, designations Alpha and Bravo, following close behind.

"Is there anything from our air support?" Kyris asked Gale, who activated his comlink.

"Watcher-1, you see anything?" Gale asked.

"Nothing yet, Commander" the Gunship's Pilot replied. "We'll keep our eyes peeled. We'll need to watch our fuel supply, though. We can only go so far before you'll need to pursue on foot or bike without us."

"Copy." Kyris replied. "Keep us posted on your progress."

"Understood, General. Watcher-1 out."

As Gale pulled up alongside General Marchen, he spoke over the roar of the engines.

"Why are those Griffons picking a fight with us now? They've had plenty of time before now to steal supplies or weapons."

"Maybe so, but we can't make assumptions about it while we don't know what their ultimate goal is." Kyris replied, turning to dodge a tree. "We'll find out wherever they're heading and search it for intel. Maybe then we'll get some answers."

"Yes, sir!" Gale replied as the Clones accelerated, tearing through the grasslands at breakneck speed. However, as they approached the Everfree, Kyris noticed a large area of trampled grass near the forest's edge. As the bikes came to a halt, Kyris dismounted and knelt down, closing his eyes. Gale, alongside fellow Jedi Quinlan Vos, could see depictions of past events through the Force, a talent of precognition. As he focused, he could in his mind's eye that the Griffons had headed into the Everfree, moving towards the mountains.

"They're heading northwest." Kyris said as he stood up. "The bikes won't be much help with this terrain. Lock them down, make sure they can't be stolen, then we'll proceed."

The Clones followed Kyris's instructions, and placed their floodlight attachments on their helmets, just in case. Kyris ignited his Lightsaber, and they proceeded into the Everfree, the Gunship flying overhead.

====

As the Clones activated their floodlights and followed Kyris into the foliage, the rogue Griffons ran ahead of them frantically, in a desperate attempt to escape. Mantling over the foliage with speed, they soon dove into a cave near the base of the mountains overlooking Ponyville.

"Did we lose them?" one asked, panting for breath.

"I don't think so, I'd bet they're still tracking us!" the second replied. "What should we do?"

Then, a fourth set of steps could be heard approaching. As they turned to the source, the faces of each Griffon blanched. It was a cloaked figure, but the aura of darkness around him made the sunlight fade even more.

"My lord." the first stammered. "We…"

"Do not try to explain yourselves. You three have all failed me, and yet I was told you were the best scouts in the Griffon Lands." the cloaked one replied. "I no longer need your services."

With a twist of the hoof, the necks of all three Griffons were snapped cleanly and quickly. Scoffing loudly, the cloaked one teleported away. A few moments later, the Clones and Master Marchen arrived. A few of them made a perimeter, while Gale and Marchen looked down at the bodies.

"Patch, check 'em." Gale ordered, and a Clone Medic came forward and scanned the bodies.

"Necks are freshly broken, sir." Patch replied. "They haven't been here long. I'd reckon we just missed the guy who killed them."

"Should we pursue, General?" Gale asked. Kyris touched his hand to his chin in thought, before kneeling down to touch the soil.

"We may have lost our three spies, but whoever is behind this did not go far." Kyris said, using a combination of the Force and his Lystraian senses to see a recollection of the environment. " he said. "Commander, call for reinforcements. We push forward."

"Yessir!" the Clones replied. As the chase began again, Kyris furrowed his brow and tightened his grip on his lightsaber.

====

As the cloaked one entered a cave that led to an abandoned mining shaft, he passed by the gate sentries and entered an atrium carved into the rock. Several crates with the insignia of the Separatist Alliance lay stacked nearby, and several black-armored Griffons were performing maintenance and cleaning duties on a rack of E5 Blaster Rifles. Crates of galactic-made tech were scattered about, and several more black-armored Griffons stood at their stations, each clutching blasters.

"Prepare yourselves. They are coming." the cloaked one said darkly, and each Griffon present took a Blaster, already charged and loaded, and nodded, stacking up on the entrance. The cloaked one nodded before motioning to a crate. Two Griffons opened it, and a red-colored magical aura appeared from the cloaked one's head.

"Awaken." the cloaked one said. A squad of eight BX-Class Commando Droids appeared, the normal white light in their eyes now an ominous red.

"Eliminate those who pursue me, and spare none of them. Not even the Jedi." he ordered. The droids muttered "Roger, Roger", and moved to stand with the Griffons. As the Cloaked one vanished via another teleportation, the Griffons tightened their grip on their blasters.

About five months ago, a small Separatist transport had crashed in the Griffon lands. It had quickly been raided and the supplies aboard, which included several platoons of inactive Battle Droids, had been repurposed by the Cloaked One and his troops. No one in his army knew his face, but they feared him and his magical power.

The crash had largely gone unnoticed by the main Griffon populace, as it had happened during a meteor shower, but the Cloaked One had seized the opportunity once he saw what a simple blaster could do.

The Cloaked One would have his revenge against Equestria. And his blasters and droids would clear the path for him to take it.

Author's Note

Oh my god, this took way too long to finish. But it's worth it to finish something I've been putting off for ages now, right?

Next chapter - The Clones and Kyris battle the Griffons and their droids, and several familiar faces from the Clone Wars begin their respective journeys in following the Sentinel to Equestria...