2 Arrival

The white and blue streams of hyperspace slowly drew back to reveal the dots and darkness of real space, the glowing orb of a star in the not-so-far distance and a large blue and green planet in the center of Prax’s viewport. From the powerful pull of the Force, he could tell that he had arrived at his destination. Even more than that, due to the strength of the pull, as well as the fact that the Force seemed to be emanating from the source, it led him to believe that he had been sent to this backwater planet in search of someone, not something. Only powerful Force-wielders gave off such strong ripples in the Living Force, although as his ship slowly drew closer to the planet, he began to notice other things that were not so encouraging. For one thing, there were no radio signals coming from the planet, or anywhere in the system for that matter, which could only mean one thing, primitive civilization, if there was a civilization at all.

That in it of itself presented problems. If the inhabitants had no radios, then it was a safe bet that they had yet to discover space flight or anything resembling a space worthy vessel. This meant that they would have no knowledge of the galactic community at large or of any alien life beyond their own planet. However, this was all speculation until he could get a closer look, so Prax guided his shuttle down to the dark side of the planet, where the pull of the Force was strongest. He guided his ship through the atmosphere and into the sky above the strange planet, noting with some confusion how similar it was to some of the planets he had visited in the Inner Worlds. Then again, the galaxy was full of strange things indeed, so who was to say that there couldn’t be a planet similar to lush Terran planets like Naboo way out here in the Reach?

Prax flew onward, past a high mountain that seemed to reach out of the plains below like a lone spire, towards a smaller settlement on the southern side that seemed to be the source of the Force sensations he was receiving. However, instead of simply setting down on the outskirts of town like he normally would, he opted to set his ship down within the confines of the nearby forest, finding a clearing large enough for his ship a good five miles into the dense foliage. The retro thrusters activated as he lowered the ship, rotating the wings of the shuttle to their horizontal landing configuration as the landing gear impacted the grass with a soft thud.He powered down the engines and exited the cockpit, walking over to the airlock and checking the readings for any unknown hazards that he might not be aware of. Usually life-supporting planets like this one were relatively hospitable, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

“Oxygen levels at forty-three percent.” He muttered with a raised eyebrow, “No signs of industrial pollutants other than slightly elevated levels of carbon dioxide, and no signs of background radiation or native bacteria that could be harmful.” He hummed to himself in surprise, “Must be quite a place to have an atmosphere this pure.”

Prax strapped on his blaster belt and clipped his saber to his opposite hip, slipping his dark grey cloak over his otherwise average clothing. He figured that if the natives had never seen an alien before, then it would probably be best to avoid detection until he got a better feel of the situation. He flipped his hood over his head and opened the airlock, the boarding ramp lowering to the ground with a hiss as he stepped onto the planet’s surface for the first time.

The grass was soft under his booted feet, the woods around him silent after his landing, although the rustle of smaller life could be heard if he listened hard enough. He smiled, feeling almost like he was back home on Jen-Saarinos with how peaceful this world seemed to be. Setting his wrist communicator with a beacon so he could find his way back, he set off into the wilds towards the settlement. Hopefully he could find the Force sensitive and get a lay of the land before the local star rose, given that the inhabitants of this world were hopefully diurnal in nature. Nocturnal natives would prove to be a bit of a challenge, but even then, he had confidence that he could move in and out of such a small town unnoticed if the need arose.

Princess Luna was feeling very out of her element. One minute she had been playing poker with some of her night guard to overcome the boredom that besieged the empty Night Court, and the next the entire castle had echoed with a deep rumble as something approached the city. She had stumbled to her hooves as she rushed from the throne room in an effort to locate the increasingly loud sound as her wings flared in terror. What kind of terrible beast could make such a noise and why hadn’t anypony alerted her to its presence sooner?

She had left the castle proper and found herself on the edge of one of the larger courtyards, spinning on her left leg to look over the castle and towards the looming shadow that was Mount Canterhorn’s peak. The illumination of her stars and moon were more than enough to spot the enormous bat-shaped thing as it flew past the city and headed towards the plains below, although as it passed she noticed a trio of blue lights located in the back of the creature, which seemed to be the source of the tremendous thunder that accompanied its passage.

For a moment Luna was tempted to follow the huge behemoth, but her instincts told her that this was something that even she couldn’t handle, even though she had fought dragons of larger size in her younger years. This thing hadn’t moved like a living creature, nor had her senses picked up any magic coming from it as it flew off into the distance and landed in the depths of the Everfree Forest. This greatly confused the lunar princess, because all life native to Equis had a reservoir of magic that helped them to sustain their own existence within the energy field of the planet. For something to completely lack magic was very troubling to Luna, as it begged a very important question. Where had the strange object come from, and what was it doing here in Equestria?

“Princess!” Captain Silver Light, her most trusted of her thestral guards and her personal body guard, cried as she flew up and knelt before Luna, “What was that terrible noise?” Her head flew from one side to another as her golden slit pupils searched the darkness for threats, “Are we under attack?”

“Nay, stay your nerves for the time being,” Luna soothed her jittery commander as she pulled the smaller mare to her hooves, “whatever it was simply passed the city by in favor of more wild places to roost.” She slowly turned and looked out over the plains below the city, as if she could see the hulking object from her perch upon the balcony, “And yet I fear this will not be the last we hear of strange occurrences happening in our fair land. Captain,” the thestral mare saluted sharply as she got herself under control, “see to it that the night guard is put under high alert, and have my armor readied for my use at a moment’s notice.”

Silver Light’s eyes widened under her helm, “Are you saying we’re going to fight whatever that was?”

Luna shook her head, “Not in a direct confrontation if it can be avoided. I sensed a large amount of power coming from whatever that was, although none of it seemed to be magical in nature. I am merely taking precautions on the chance that whatever it was turns into a threat to my little ponies.” She turned away from the railing and walked past the gaping thestral, who shook her head and followed her princess after a moment’s hesitation.

“So, what’s the plan, Your Highness?” Silver Light asked as she fell in on Luna’s left.

“We wait, and we listen,” Luna replied, “for any signs of danger near the town of Ponyville. I want you to send a small squad of the guard to keep an eye on things there, as an early warning system should that thing return for a less peaceful flight over our fair land. Whatever it was, I have a feeling this is only the beginning of something much bigger.”

Silver Light shivered at the ominous tone Luna had used but saluted anyway as she raced off down another set of halls to alert the rest of the guard. Meanwhile, Luna continued through the castle into the more brightly colored wings, following the stairs up one of the eastern towers until she found herself before a large set of double doors that were painted with stylistic representations of the sun.

Her sister’s bedchambers.

A duo of night guard stood watch at either side of the door, although they stepped to the side as Luna approached.

“Princess Celestia is expecting you, My Lady.” The guard on the left, Moon Shield if Luna remembered correctly, said with a bowed head as he opened the door with one hand.

Luna nodded her thanks as she strode into the room, hearing the door close behind her as she gazed about her sister’s chambers. Not much had changed since the last time she had been in this room, although the tears of shame and joy that had been shed upon her return had now been replaced by a heavy sense of foreboding and worry. Celestia was already up and dressed, although her crown rested on the bedside table instead of in her flowing mane and her eyes were slightly bloodshot from being awoken at such a late hour.

“Ah, Luna,” Celestia said as she spotted her sister in the reflection of her mirror, “I take it you were privy to our unexpected thunderstorm as well?”

Luna snorted at her sister’s poor attempt at humor, “Tis not the time for jest, dear sister. I saw what passed our city by and followed its flight path until it landed in the interior of the Everfree Forest. Whatever it is, it was large, roughly bat-shaped and had what I could only assume were engines sticking out of the back of its bulk.”

“Engines?” Celestia echoed, “What do you mean? Even the largest airships only make a fraction of that racket when they fly over the city.”

Luna nodded, “And yet that is the conclusion I am forced to make, given it was far too rigid to be a living creature, plus the fact that I could not sense any magic coming from it in any form.”

“What?!” Celestia cried, her towering form stumbling slightly as she forced herself into a standing position, “No magic, are you certain?”

Luna nodded once again, “I am certain. Whatever landed near Ponyville is far from the ordinary, and I fear we might be facing something we have never encountered before. I sent a small group of my guard to keep an eye on the town for safety, but other than that I felt it was prudent to alert you to the situation and to seek your guidance on this matter. You have been a part of Equestria far longer than I and have seen things that still make my own head spin. So, tell me sister, what are we to do?”

Celestia paced back and forth as she pondered the information she had been given, leaving Luna to stand and fidget in place as worry continued to eat at her mind.What was that thing, truly, and why was it here?

After several minutes, Celestia pulled up short and turned to face Luna, “I want a group of the Night Guard sent into the Everfree on top of the group you’ve sent to Ponyville. I want to find out what this thing is and what it is capable of before it can cause any harm. Please inform Captain Silver Light of my wishes, as you are the commander of the thestrals, not me.”

Luna swelled a bit in pride at her sister’s respect for her station, “I will see to it that a squad is sent immediately, sister. You only need to worry about your own duties once the sun had been risen this morrow.”

Celestia chuckled, “Oh if only it were that easy. I fear I might not get to sleep this night now that all of this has happened.” She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms under her generous bust, gazing out the bay windows at the city below, “I fell you may be right. I can sense it too. Something big is happening, and it all centers around that mysterious object.”

Luna followed her sister’s gaze, looking up instead of down at her shining moon, feeling for the first time in a long time, uncertain that she was doing the right thing. Certainly, she had been nervous and upset when she had made mistakes after her return, but this was something unprecedented, something not even she and her sister had experience with.

“May mother’s light guide our path,” she whispered to herself, “and father’s might protect us should we come to blows.”

It was an old prayer the ponies of Equestria had come up with for her and her sister’s parents once upon a time, back when ponies still remembered the fact that she and Celestia were not the first alicorns to control the sun and moon. It seemed only fitting to use it now, when even she and Celestia were not sure of the trials ahead, should there be conflict brewing on the horizon.

Prax could almost feel the forest retreating from his presence, although he was unsure if it was because of the aura he gave off with his Force abilities or because he was unknown to the local life. He skulked through the depths of the jungle-like foliage more like a wraith than a living being, using his abilities to hide his presence from the larger lifeforms he could sense hidden in the darkness. Smaller life he could probably handle, but if the size of the creatures he was sensing could be believed, then he would much rather avoid being detected at all.

It took him the better part of an hour to make his way to the edge of the forest, although by the time he managed to push his way out of the thick plant life, he was surprised by the seemingly perfect edge between the forest and the plains that he had just entered. On either side the forest stretched out in an almost straight line, leaving Prax to wonder what could have possibly led to such a divide from the disorder of the woods to the groomed environment he had entered.

“Definitely one for the records.” He muttered to himself as he recorded several pictures of the surroundings on his wrist computer, a little toy he had gotten from the creative exploits of the Temple of the Mind before he left on his journey.

From what Prax could see in the silver light of the full moon, there was a small cottage off to the left that seemed to be made from more plant life than metal, although it was hard to tell with the limited visibility. Further down the way was a path that led directly toward the town he had passed over, his keen senses picking up almost two hundred living creatures, although it remained to be seen if they were receptive to strangers. Given what little he knew of backwater worlds, they were typically more superstitious and had little in the way of combatting modern galactic tech, although he was unsure if this world was going to live up to the usual standards. Already he could sense that there was something odd about this world, and he was beginning to wonder if it was wise to continue on in the middle of the night without gathering more intel.

Prax decided that following his Force sense to the source of his vision would be the most prudent choice, and then falling back to the ship to figure out a plan of action. So, with his path chosen, Prax walked down the small road and soon found his way into the town proper. As he looked around, he noticed that the majority of the buildings seemed to be made from wood and thatch, although some of them almost defied the local standard with how out of place they were. One building looked like it was made from slabs of pastry while another seemed to have been carved from the interior of a tree. All and all it fit his first impression that this world was industrial level at best, and medieval level at worst, although from the lack of sewage clogging the streets he could hazard a guess that it was more towards the upper end if the train tracks that led towards the north were anything to go by.

Prax followed his senses as he made his way up to one of the larger buildings, noting the red cross that marked the front side and hoped that it wasn’t what he thought it was. If the person his senses were guiding him towards was in a medical facility, then it could prove difficult getting to them in order to assess their potential. However, using the Force to enhance his speed and strength, Prax was able to jump onto the roof of the building with little effort, allowing him to look through the windows as he drew nearer to the source of the Force vision. Finally, he found the room of his charge, opening the window and slipping into the room with barely a sound.

What met his eyes was a more modern medical facility than what he had first anticipated, although it was still far from the standards of the galactic community. There was a heart monitor hooked up to the youngling’s right arm and there was a packet of blood attached to its wrist just below the heart monitor patch. There were other machines hooked up to the child in various places, although Prax had no idea as to their function. The child’s neck and left shoulder were wrapped in what seemed to be medical gauze, leading Prax to reason that the youngling had been in an accident of some sort or had been attacked by something. While not what he had hoped to find, it was better than the youngling being institutionalized because of some unforeseen condition. At least now he knew that he could hopefully deal with the natives in a more civilized manner, although the question of how to do so remained to be seen.

Prax took a moment to inspect the child now that he was certain that it wasn’t going to be in any immediate danger, and he was slightly taken aback by its appearance. While the sheets covering its body were limiting in what he could see, Prax was able to determine that the youngling before him was humanoid in stature, although the finer details were definitely equine in nature. Its head was covered in a bright red mane that was tied in the back with a light pink bow, while the rest of its body was covered in a thin yellow-gold fur. The nose was more pronounced, a muzzle if he remembered the term correctly, and the eyes were absolutely huge compared to the rest of the face. A set of ears rested within the mane, large enough to be highly sensitive and probably omnidirectional given their location on the being’s head.

“Definitely one of the more aesthetically pleasing races I’ve met.” Prax whispered to himself, smiling down at the young equine, “Bet your parents are just as cute looking.”

He could sense the Force within the child before him, although he was surprised at how far towards the Light it was. Normally beings unfamiliar with the Force were more balanced between the Light and Dark sides, yet this child was so far into the Light he was actually beginning to wonder if it had been affected by the Children of the Light, and if it had, why the rest of the town hadn’t been assimilated into that repugnant excuse for an Order that plagued the Inner Systems. He was tempted to take the child and run some basic tests to ensure that it wasn’t under any effects that could prove problematic in the future, but he was interrupted by the sounds of wingbeats coming from outside.

Prax quietly walked over to the window and spotted a trio of what looked like winged adults flying over the building, each armed with what seemed to be swords and black metallic armor that covered about half of their bodies. Their wings were leathery, and their eyes were reflective in the moonlight, meaning they were most certainly nocturnal in nature, although Prax was unsure if they were the same species as the youngling behind him. Perhaps they were a subspecies, although Prax was pulled from his thoughts as one of the presumed soldiers paused in its flight and circled back towards the hospital.

Feeling that he had overstayed his welcome, Prax fell back to the front of the room, opening the door as silently as he could and making his way through the hallways towards the exit. The lights were mostly out, although as he made his way down a flight of stairs he found himself inside the lobby and discovered that he was not alone. Sitting at one of the desks, her hooves rested on the desk before her and her body leaned back in the chair she was seated in, was another of the adults, although this one lacked the wings and tufted ears that the others had sported. Her chest was pronounced like a human woman’s, and her body shape was very similar to that of a human woman, although the presence of white fur on her entire body and the bright pink mane and tail that hung down over her shoulder and hips dispelled that image to a certain extent.

Taking great care not to disturb the mare, for lack of a better term, Prax made his way to the front door and slipped outside, checking the sky for the soldiers before exposing himself completely. The last thing he needed was to get in contact with the locals before he was prepared.

Slipping through the town, now on full alert, he slipped through the side streets and kept to the shadows as much as he could, hoping to get away from the settlement without getting spotted. It took him several minutes, and with a few close calls as one or more of the soldiers flew over the rooftops of the village, before he was able to slip out past the small cottage and into the forest once again.

By the time he got back to the ship, Prax was beginning to get tired, even with his Force augmentation to help him keep going. Yet as he approached the shuttle, his senses picked up signs of life, and not the local fauna he had encountered before. Voices of various tones could be heard as he came up to the clearing that he had parked his shuttle in and was surprised to find more of those bat-winged equines walking all around and flying over sections of his ship. All were armed with swords and shields, although the armor seemed to be more for heavy engagement then the ones he had seen back in the village. One of them that stood next to the ship’s entrance hatch held up a hand and spoke into a glowing crystal. Her voice was a high, lilting tone, although the words were complete gibberish to Prax as a voice replied through what seemed to be a communicator of some sort.

“Well that kind of puts a hamper on my plans.” Prax muttered, although to his utter shock the ears of all six equines swiveled in his direction, their eyes widening and their stances shifting towards defensive forms as they turned to lock their gazes on Prax.

“Time to go.” Prax said as he turned and sprinted into the foliage, hearing one of the equines cry out a challenge as he raced into the plant life.

Slipping through vines and over rocky outcroppings, Prax felt confident he would be able to evade the locals, although now that they had found his ship things had just gotten more difficult. Without the communicators in the ship he wouldn’t be able to contact the other Jensaarai, let alone do anything about the locals with what little gear he had on him. Sure, he had his blaster and lightsaber, but he had a feeling sniping the local military wasn’t a good idea if he wanted to establish a peaceful relationship before taking care of the youngling.

With some difficulty, Prax was able to lose his pursuers, although there were several close calls where he had to use his Force abilities to hide his presence from them in order to avoid being detected. Finally, after several minutes of hiding and moving in a large circle, Prax was able to find his way back to the ship. The only problem, one of the soldiers had stayed behind and was guarding the loading ramp and was watching the edge of the forest like hawk. Her sword was drawn, and her shield was in the ready position, her body protected from the front and left side by the hunk of metal, although Prax was pretty sure his blaster could cut through the primitive armor without much difficulty.

Seeing no alternative, Prax walked out of the foliage and into the clearing, the eyes of the mare locking onto him in an instant. For a moment, it looked like she was going to call for help, but instead she walked up to him, keeping a close eye on his movements with her sword at the ready. Prax kept his hands at his sides and made no movements other than to follow the mare with his eyes as she walked around him and to his left.

Hoping to avoid anything unfortunate, Prax slowly turned to face the mare, noting that her fur was a dark grey in color while her tail was a light silver-blue. Her eyes were the same golden slits that all of her kind seemed to have, and her armor was indeed black metal of some kind. The sword in her grip was held in a firm but easy grip, and the shield on her left arm was held between them like it was her only line of defense.

Prax slowly walked up to the mare, his arms held wide in a placating manner, her eyes following his movements as he approached her. Suddenly, Prax lunged forward using his Force-enhanced speed to strike the mare right under the chin with a duo of fingertips. The mare barely had time to yelp in shock before her eyes rolled up in the back of her head, her sword and shield falling to the ground as she slumped forward.

Prax let the mare fall into his arms before lifting her up bridal style as he carried her back over to the ship, noting that she was surprisingly light for her size and the armor she was wearing. Feeling it would be best if he didn’t bring a possibly hostile alien onto his ship, he left her on the grass beside the landing gear and opened the hatch, walking into the ship before locking the hatch behind him.

Finally taking a breath, Prax walked into the communication section of the ship, noting that the array was active and seemed to be picking up a signal from somewhere. After fiddling with the controls on the console for a bit, he was able to locate the source of the signal, and in all honesty, it was rather surprising. Instead of picking up radio signals like it was supposed to, the array seemed to be picking up radiation coming from the outside, although instead of being constant like if there had been a solar flare, it was pulsing and ebbing at irregular intervals as if it were some kind of signal.

Not sure what to make of it, Prax set the array to record and then set the substation aside so that he could operate the normal communications systems. Getting the array fully powered up, Prax sent out a signal towards Jen-Saarinos, hoping to get into contact with the others before the locals sent in reinforcements.

The holo-projector came alive with the image of the Master, the middle-aged human nodding to Prax as he glanced around the communications room, “So Prax, off on another adventure, are we?”

Prax couldn’t help but smile, the Master’s dry humor had always been a favorite of his, “Yep, and you’ll never guess where I’m at this time.”

The Master shook his head, “You know I don’t make it a habit to ask where you Wanderers end up, although from what I can sense you’ve become a Seeker once more.”

Prax nodded, “Yes sir, and I’ve run into a bit of a snag. From what I’ve gathered from the locals thus far, they aren’t much more than industrial level tech, and they already found my ship. I did manage to find the child I was sent here to locate, but with the locals on to my presence, I’m not sure I can get to her without making the natives upset with me.”

“Have you tried talking with them to see if they can be persuaded to listen?” The Master asked, “Do they not speak Galactic Common?”

Prax shook his head, “Not from what I can tell. The language barrier is going to be an issue, but I’m more worried about what might happen to the child if we don’t get to her soon. Force powers that haven’t been trained can be explosive if left unchecked, so it’s imperative that we help the child learn to control her powers as soon as possible.”

The Master nodded, “Indeed, but right now I think discretion might be the better part of valor. I think it would be best if you retreated so you can continue observing the locals without being under surveillance from the government. We need to know more about how this society works before we can move forward with training the child. Take your ship and hide it somewhere the locals won’t find it, then observe the child from afar and make sure it stays alive until you can make formal contact.”

“And if they find me again and I can’t get away?” Prax prompted.

“Then you will do everything in your power to make a good impression.” The Master replied, “At all costs, you must ensure that the presence of the Jensaarai is not taken as a threat to the local population, in the case that we must return to that planet after your task is complete.”

Prax bowed his head, “Understood, Master. I will do as you ask and hide my presence until I have a better understanding of the situation.”

The Master nodded, the holo-projector shutting down as Prax turned to the cockpit and began powering up the engines. As the ship began warming up, he saw the shadows of the other soldiers flying up from the woods and back towards the clearing. Hoping to avoid being followed, Prax shot the engines up to full power, rotating the wings to their upright position as he climbed in altitude. As he flew into the sky, Prax could see the soldiers following him into the air, although he quickly left them behind as he kicked the ship up to speed. As he flew up and into the upper atmosphere, he thought about what he could do in order to be close to the child without being spotted again. The closest thing he had to a plan would be to circle around the planet and then come in from the opposite side of the forest.

With no other course of action, he powered into space before slingshotting around the planet and then coming in from the eastern horizon, using the rising sun to hide his approach as he came down in another clearing further into the forest. After rotating the wings for landing, he powered down the engines and let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he had barely avoided getting into trouble with the authorities. However, now that he was once again settled into a secure location, he had to figure out what to do concerning the child. He couldn’t simply follow the child everywhere she went, but if the Master was to be believed, along with his own experience, time was of the essence. With every passing day, the child’s power would grow until it reached a breaking point, surging through the child and the surroundings, destroying everything and everyone in the near vicinity. Entire cities had been destroyed by children of the Force in the past, and from what he had seen of this world so far, they had no idea what was coming. Time was running out, and if he couldn’t figure out what to do soon, their might not be a child left to train, or a town to live in.

As the shining morning star reflected off the hull of the shuttle, Prax walked out of the ship and made his way to the edge of the village once again, hoping and preying that by the time he came up with a plan, time hadn’t run out. He could see several soldiers walking the paths of the town, their gold and white armor in sharp contrast to the black armor of the others he had run into. These soldiers also seemed to be mostly male, while the ones he had run into previously were mostly female. He could also see other natives walking about in normal garb, and they seemed to come in almost every color of the rainbow. They ranged from bright pink to dark brown, and everything in between.

Prax couldn’t tell if he would be able to slip into the town unnoticed, but he had a slight feeling that he could at least get a good view of the hospital if he wound his way around to the north side of the village. Now if only he could get around the soldiers and villagers without being seen.

“Why do these things always seem to happen to me?” Prax asked himself, wishing that for once the Force would send him on an easy mission. “Oh well, that’s the way fragging cookie crumbles.”

Now if only he could figure out what to do from here.

Author's Note

Well, here's the second chapter of my new story. Please leave a like or comment if you wish, follow me if you so desire, and I hope you enjoy the book as it continues from here.

Anyways, hope to see you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.