Ponies of the old republic

Chapters

The new squad
Rescue mission
The interrogation
Of Siths and spice
The front door

The new squad

The sun slowly crept over the horizon of the capitol planet, as the shuttle from the republic fleet landed at the spaceport. Due to the early run, it was mostly empty, only ferrying a few troops on leave.

In addition to them where also a grudgingly rainbow maned pegasus, carrying her helmet under her foreleg as she strode out of the spaceport. “I can’t believe this!” she fumed to herself as she made her way towards the senate tower.

This had all begun so great! The best mare in the academy, permitted admission to spec-force training, and, to crown her hard work, she was taken up into the best of the republic forces, the great Wonderbolt squad!

Of course, destiny had laughed behind her back, so much was for certain. What was supposed to be a simple mission to show her skills for the leader, Major Spitfire, had slowly degraded into a complete mess.
The squad had ratted out on the republic and now ended with her being the only member of the squad, and even worse, it appeared that she now was about to take the rap for it all alone.

Still, she decided she had to make due, and here she was: outside the great senate tower.
“Whoa…” Sergeant Rainbow Dash was breathless. While she had seen large buildings before, it was something special about the tower, it stood as a monument over every reason that she enlisted in the first time.

She shook her head, regaining focus, and walked over to one of the senate guards, an unicorn stallion dressed in their traditional blue garb.
“You wouldn’t happen to know where the military command is stationed? I have a meeting with one of the generals there”
“They are in the western wing, first floor. Have a nice day, ma’am” came the reply, the guard barely looking at her in his straight posture.

“Ok, thanks! And it is sergeant, not ma’am, you stuffed-up…” She replied, the last part barely a low grumble as she strode into the great hall, towards the doors leading westward.

Walking through the tall corridors towards the generals office, Rainbow couldn’t help but shivering a little. She had, of course, been chewed out by an officer several times during boot camp.
But never by a general, and for that matter, not for having her entire squad deflecting to the enemy either. It was a new experience, to put it mildly. The thought alone made her wings rustle nervously.

Well.. She thought. Here goes nothing. She drew a deep breath, and stepped through the door into the general’s office.
“Sergeant Dash reporting as ordered, General Smith sir!” She saluted, bracing herself.

The gray-maned, green coated old general measured her through a strong gaze.
“At ease, sergeant. We’r here to discuss more pressin’ problems than yer supposedly lack of mindreading abilities.
Yer squad needs to rise again, and Ah hardly believe tha solution for that is to punish its sole remainin’ soldier.”
A sly wink followed the last part of the sentence, and Rainbow dared to give herself a slight touch of hope.

"The situation is still serious, tho’. We need ta make some swift decisions.” The earth pony rose from the chair, and started striding back and forth around the sergeant.
“First thing first. Ah am promotin’ you to lieutenant. Congratulations!”
Rainbow barely believed her own ears, and it took all her willpower to suppress a squeal as she saluted the general. “Thanks, sir!” she stumbled forth, trying to regain her composure.

“Unfortunately.” The general continued, “The other general’s means yer too inexperienced for this. Ah don’t believe ya’ll find this the best of news, but yer need some trained help. So Ah’ve decided to transfer an officer to yer squad, at least temporarily. Ah am afraid this matter is not up for discussion.

Please report at the trainin’ grounds, ya’ll find yer new teammate there. Dismissed!”

...

As she walked out of the tower, towards the barracks, the newly promoted lieutenant where miffed. The new rank was nifty, but she felt cheated. First it looked like she got the CO title, but then she lost it just as quick.

“Hello, I was supposed to report here?” She asked the drill sergeant in charge of the training outside the barracks.
“Ah, the newcomer. Report to the colonel, she’s the pegasus working near the medical tent.” The stern earth pony pointed down the grounds with a hoof.

Near the tents, true enough stood a pink haired mare and fuzzed over a private which apparently had walked into a door. Rainbow cleared her throat, and did a double take as the Pegasus apparently freaked out over the sound and jumped behind a crate of supplies.

“Oh, I’m sorry... You just surprised me a little.” The meek voice was barely audible as she came out of hiding. “Wait, you must be my new teammate! Pleased to meet you.” Her voice carried better now, with her being in control of the situation.
Rainbow saluted her: “Yes, thanks the same. I am lieutenant Dash, of Wonderbolt squad.”
The colonel saluted her back. “I am colonel Fluttershy, combat medic. And this”, She gestured to a small white rabbit that had jumped onto the supply crate as they spoke, “is Sergeant Angel, your other new teammate”

“What.” Her disbelief must been very apparent, since the rabbit replied by flipping her the bird.
“Oh, it’s no joke. He truly is a sergeant, and he’s even geared for it.”
This truly was no joke, as the rabbit was really, with a closer look, wearing a slim blue tinted chestguard like her, sergeant stripes included. In addition came, unbelievable enough, a weapon. Rainbow’s first impression of it was that it looked like a small rocket launcher. On a second gaze, it turned out to be a standard issue blaster pistol, with the handle removed and the trigger refitted so the wielder could actually use it.

“Isn’t he a cutie?” Fluttershy beamed, all too blind of what Rainbow Dash already considered a little pest.
“Just let me pick up my gear from the barrack, and I’ll brief you.” In an instant, she was gone, leaving Rainbow behind with Angel.

“Well, if I suddenly am to get two new teammates instead of one, then is it at least a small comfort knowing I aren’t outranked by a freakin rabbit with a peashooter” She grumbled, mostly to herself. It couldn’t have been low enough, though, since the furball decided to plant a ‘pea’ next to her left hind leg as a reply.

They never got to declare full on war at each other, since Fluttershy arrived at the same moment.

Rainbow where amazed. Where her own blue tinted armor where created for mobility as much as protection, par the course for pegasi troopers, (although they still became too heavy for proper flying, no matter how thin it was, limiting her to extended jumping.) someone had forgot to tell Fluttershy that she was a pegasus. Her yellow tinted armor was clearly intended for an earth pony stallion, and a strong on at that. It was simply huge.

Strapped to her back was a rig for the five medical probes she used, and resting in her forelegs where a large cannon.
“What is that monster?” Rainbow where almost disappointed with herself. Shocked by disbelief trice in a single day and it weren’t even noon yet.

“It is called a support cannon!” she cheerfully replied. “Unlike my sweeties, it can’t proper heal, but the plasma based energy beam it emits replenishes energy, alleviates pain and kick starts the natural healing processes, helping the targe.. I mean, patient, survive until help arrives or potentially avoid injury altogether!”
The very idea of healing others appeared to flow happiness through her mind.

“Your… sweeties…?” Rainbow where still not quite clear on how the colonels mind worked.
“Yes, these.” She tapped a button on her support cannon, making two larger probe droids and three smaller detach them self from her back rig and start hover around her, as she started nuzzling one of the larger ones.

“They are my little helpers, and we have so much fun together!” she squealed.

Judging by the resigned expression on angel, Rainbow presumed this was rather common, albeit not very popular in the rabbit’s opinion.

Rainbow cleared her throat again. “Maybe we should proceed to the briefing?”
“Ah! That’s true, I had completely forgotten it, I’m so sorry! Well, according to my orders, I am first to make the rules clear, and then we are to visit the quartermaster before receiving orders about our first mission, if you would mind.”

They sat down, and Fluttershy started.
“Mainly, the general’s idea is that I am here for the sake of guidance. So despite me having a higher rank, I have agreed to let you have the command and the final decision. Although, it means that you should take my advice to heart, if that’s not a problem.

Finally, it also means that, should I actually happen to give you a direct, explicit order, then you are to follow it without complaints. This is in order to ensure our survival should something really bad happen. I hope you wouldn’t mind.

Oh, and you are stuck with Sergeant Angel no matter how much you’ll end up dislike each other.”

Rainbow groaned as Fluttershy ended her speech with an innocent smile.

Rainbow Dash’ mood improved considerably at the next point of their ordeal.
They picked up her new weapon, a large rifle with steel stock, scope and a ribbed barrel shroud, at the armory, and where more occupied appreciate it than to actually pay any attention to the speccs read up by the quartermaster, a burly earth pony with a brown mane.

“… 100 shot clip size, 50 gigawix pulse generator, fully automatic, optic scope, air cooler, integrated micro harpoon with 30 yard carbontread coil…”

After a while, the quartermaster realized his half-hearted speech got no attention and resumed reading a magazine.

Her new weapon giving her a mood neither the pesky sergeant nor anything else the next mission might entail could ruin, Rainbow Dash leaded her trio back into the senate tower, for the next mission briefing.

…

“At ease, lieutenant. Let’s keep this brief, as this matter is important for yer main mission, which is to end this whole Deflection incident before it escapes the covers.”
The green coated general seemed riled up over something, as her phase in front of her desk was considerably faster than expected from a mare her age.

“Two days ago we captured a smuggler ferryin’, among an impressive list of various illegal merchandise, two crates of materials that are highly rare and expensive, but more importantly, crucial to the creation of bombs like the one stolen on Ord Mantell.
Given that the Empire does not have reason to believe in the existence of this prototype until recently, and the supposed destination of the smuggler, we believe there is a connection.”

The general took a short break here, as the high speed on both walking and talking apparently had made her short of breath. She sat down behind her desk, and produced a datapad.
“Here are all information regarding the smuggler and her arrest. Since Ah fear this place isn’t completely safe, Ah want you to interrogate her off world.

In this moment, the smuggler is being transported onto the last ship belonging to the Wonderbolt squad. Yers to use freely, by the way. I want yer to head towards the capital ship ‘Timberwolf’, which currently is in orbit ‘round Balmorra, and interrogate the prisoner there.
Since this is all happening off the record, Ah am going to trust yer better judgment and give ya free hoofs.
Dismissed!”
…
About half an hour later the trio where walking into the spaceport, heading down toward the hangars reserved for the republic military.
“What do you think about this mission?” The pink maned Pegasus asked, her voice carrying a slight concern.
“I aren’t entirely sure myself, to be honest.” Rainbow Dash replied. “But I’m confident we can do this with reasonable means.”
Anything else the two pegasi might have to discuss was quickly drowned out as their new ship, a BT-7 Thunderclap, appeared before them.

Awestruck, Rainbow Dash slowly walked up the ship's ramp, carefully entering.

“Greetings master, welcome aboard.”
The trio jumped, startled by this disembodied voice, but quickly regained their composure.
“I am the onboard ship computer, master. It is my duty and pleasure to keep this ship, and its inhabitants pleased. This is why I must ask you to check with the passenger in the cage in the cargo hold, she has expressed displeasure.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “I am not really in mood for that, please just ignore her for now.”
They headed up to the bridge, starting to prepare the ship for the travel, and plotted in the coordinates into the navicomputer.
The blue Pegasus broke into an exited smirk as the ship jumped into lightspeed.

“Well, Fluttershy, the big adventure begins now!”

Rescue mission

The lush groove shimmered in the red afternoon sun, as its rays bathed the small group sitting in the stone circle near the middle.

Jedi Sentinel Rarity smiled to herself. It truly weren’t better ways to spend the evening, than with the younglings.
The ten colts and fillies sitting there, trying their best to meditate over her words with expressions of concentration was the future, this she knew well.
And knowing she was a vital part in their education added to the unicorn’s good mood.

“…There is no death, there is only the Force.” She opened her eyes, and smiled warmly at the hopefuls.

“It may seem like just words, just a mantra. But if you bear this in mind, you will find clarity and guidance in the darkest of times.”

“Now, it appears that we got some time on our hands before you all are to return for the evening meal. Does anyone of you have some questions you haven’t dared asking the Masters? I promise I won’t call them silly.” The Purple maned jedi winked at her onlookers.

The younglings looked around at each other, a bit uncomfortable. After a little, a pink pegasus raised a hoof.
“Um... I just wondered... What are the difference between the Force and magic? I’ve seen unicorns lifting things just like the jedi does, but without any training.”
Rarity smiled to herself. “It is actually a good question, dear. It is a bit complicated, but I’ll try to explain it simply. The best way to put it is that it is two different sources.
They look similar, but where magic is ‘just’ spells useable by unicorns, the Force is an all compassing, well, force that is in everyone, that jedi can utilize. Not all jedi are unicorns, and not all unicorns are jedi. And they both have advantages over each other, and limits.

And even for unicorns, it does not need to be a connection between it. It can happen though, but it is most rare.
In my own chase, I am, well, decent, in both the Force and magic. But I got no connection between it.
Is it a bit clearer now, dear?”

The youngling wore an expression of slight confusion and comprehension. “I think it is, master. Thanks.”
The time had run out, as the sun crept away from the stone circle.

“Well then, my little ponies, I think it is time to return to the temple. I presume you are getting hungry as well?”

This was rewarded with a low chorus of nodding and quiet agreement, as the foals rose and started following her through the lush woods of Tython, towards at the large temple. There, the younglings bid her good day, and scurried towards the mess hall.

Rarity used her free moment to lean towards one of the boulders signifying the rim of the temple grounds, stretching her forelegs, a water canteen floating nearby in her magic grasp.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a young cream colored pegasus standing in front of her, bowing slightly in respect.
“Greetings, Master. I am to deliver a message: you are summoned to the council as quickly as you can manage.”

“Thanks, dear. I’ll go now then.” She nodded, and bade the mare a farewell as she rose and headed towards the temple doors, the canteen slowly drifting behind her.

…

Rarity straightened out her robes as she stood in front of the council doors, and entered into the large room. She was immediately met by chatter; it was evident that the meeting had been going on for a while. The voice quickly died when she walked up and bowed.

“Ah, miss Rarity. Good you could arrive on such short notice. I am afraid we got quite a situation on our hands.”
The grand master of the order, Master Celestria, appeared composed, but still couldn’t hide the slight concern in her eyes.
The rest of the council also directed their attention at her, eight masters of various ages.

“That’s an understatement, Grand master.” One of the elder councilmembers, a pegasus stallion with grey streaks in his blue mane, spoke out. “But why do we add even more to this chaos by involving one of the philosophy teachers?”
“I agree,” continued one of the younger masters, a blue stallion with straw yellow mane. “Nevertheless, I trust the Grand master. Let us proceed, apologies for the interruption.”

“Very well. Blue Print, would you explain the situation?”

At this, the other earth pony stallion present, a white maned master with several scars surrounding a bionic left eye and a prosthetic left front leg, rose up from the chair. He started speaking, voice gruff and slow.

“The situation at hand is quite uncomfortable for us, Miss Rarity. And we do not quite see a simple solution for it.
A couple of weeks ago, as a part of the graduation for Master Applejack’s padawan, we sent her on what was supposed to be a simple diplomatic mission working with one of the lower gangs at Nar Shadda.
The goal was to improve our influence on the poor in the area. She was supposed to travel incognito, and not blow her cover unless necessary.
Unfortunately, somewhere this went wrong. Some days ago, we lost contact with the padawan. Our contacts on the planet, however, has revealed that one of the gangs, a new and quickly growing one called ‘the Ursa Major’ has gotten involved.

They have apparently captured her, and the rumors is that the gang is supported by a sith lord, and their underlings.”

“I presume it is more to this?” Rarity inquired, brows furrowed.

“Unfortunately, yes.” One of the mares, a brown unicorn named Spellbound, took up the word. “The problem lies in the padawan in question. The very idea that a sith manages to get one of our own towards their side is horrible, but this is maybe even worse.

She is immensely powerful in both the Force, and in unicorn magic, maybe the strongest the academy has ever trained. And, she even got a complete connection between them. Her training as a sage has proven her strength, but she has suffered from a lack of self-esteem. This may make her a simple victim for the dark side, and she could become a major threat given her raw powers.”

Spellbound suppressed a shudder. “But, fortunately, our contacts managed to find out where she is kept. Her master is quite interested in going after her, but we think she should have some support.”

“But the main problem,” An grey unicorn with an wrinkled, frail outlook, started. “Is that the sith refuses anything to do with it at all. And then we can’t take any larger actions, we simply can’t afford breaking the Treaty of Coruscant!”

Now the other pegasus in the room, an auburn mare spoke up, her voice filled with enthusiasm. “So, by support, we mean you! Hopefully you will be able to give Master Applejack the edge needed to fulfill the mission without any larger problems.”

Rarity prepared herself to speak when a drawl carried through the room.
“Well, that’s all good and so, but Ah simply can’t understan’ how a teacher will help me?”
The speaker, an orange earth pony which had spent the meeting standing towards the wall behind Rarity, started walk up to the council table.

“I understand this is a bit confusing, Master Applejack. But it will soon be clear.” The grand master smirked slightly. “Miss Rarity here is mainly a teacher at the temple, yes. But she is also one of our Jedi shadows, and one quite well trained one at that.”

The disbelief on the orange jedi was dripping. “What? She’s a shadow?”

“Why yes, dear. Just because I prefer to educate the younglings does not mean I can’t be skilled in the field.” Rarity realized she likely failed to hide her annoyance, but decided to let it flow.
“Do I look so harmless?”

“Well, yes, ya do. Yer just teachin’, Ah’ve never even seen ya leave Tython, and not even carrying yer lightsaber.” Applejacks disbelief had been replaced by slight skepticism.

“Disbelief aside, Master Applejack, she is a jedi shadow, an agent of the council. A well hidden, and well trained one. I assure you she will be a valuable asset for you.”

Celestria had rose from the chair and walked around the table. The other councilmembers followed through.
“We are going to send you both to the smugglers’ moon, in order to save our lost member. The shuttle is ready for departure in about two hours, so you should go prepare yourself for the trip.
We wish you the best of luck. May the Force be with you.”
Rarity followed them out of the council room, and headed towards her room.

It’s been quite a while since my last mission, she mused absentmindedly, shredding her traditional robes.

She opened the lockbox and started strapping on her combat gear, a form fitting white suit consisting of long briefs, a purple utility belt, theater gloves and a tank top with a short hooded tunic, rimmed with purple accents. The whole suit was clearly crafted for elegance, without sacrificing a single bit of mobility or practically, showing off the wearer as a force to be reckoned with.

Before she left, she opened a small box containing her lightsaber. It was a double bladed weapon, looking every bit as elegant and deadly as its wielder. The handle was of polished wood, surrounded by silver inlaid metal. The two triangular blade emitters had a small diamond fixed to each side, pointing towards the endpieces.

Rarity held the work of art in her hooves for a slight moment, before she twirled it around her with skilled precision, and ended her graceful dance strapping the weapon to her belt in a fluid motion.
Pleased, she left for the landing pad.

…

Waiting impatiently, Master Applejack where striding back and forth in front of the small ship. The last days had been a chore, and now she was filled to her neck in worry for her padawan, annoyance with the slow council, and irritation at this teacher the council had forced her to work with.

The small voice in the back of her conscious constantly reminding her that such kind of emotions is not the way of the jedi, did not help.

“Argh!” she cried out to the empty landing pad. “Why does this have to be so difficult?”
Years of training and faithful adherence to the jedi code ought to be of more use, she mused.
The sound of light steps behind her snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned around. Surprise painted her face, since what stood in front of her was a far cry from the teacher she was used to dealing with.

“Not what you expected?” Rarity couldn’t help being a little smug, as the speechless guardian tried to work out her befuddlement.

“Not quite, to be honest.”

Rarity eyed her companion. She was still wearing the robes of the order, but had donned armored boots and gloves, as well as some additional plates strapped to her pants. She also noticed a chestguard beneath her tunic. A thick branch of a lightsaber hung from the utility belt.

Rarity gestured to the backpack near a crate with a hoof. I presume you are ready to go now?
Applejack picked it up as they walked up the ramp of the ship, a standard issue corellian Corvette commonly used by the order for intergalactic travel.

As they sat in the pilot seats, preparing the navicomputer for the travel, Rarity glanced over at her traveling companion. The ship jumped into lightspeed.

“Well then, dear. The big adventure begins now!”

The interrogation

Rainbow Dash slowly rose up from her bed, stretching her wings and arms.

Relatively speaking, the trip between Coruscant and Balmorra where rather short. It still took a couple hours. More than enough time for a quick nap, and some relief from the weight of the armor.

Unfortunately, as the ship computer just had informed her, those hours where soon over, and it was time to prepare herself for the interrogation of her prisoner.

She started strapping on her armor, careful not to fray some of her feathers as she worked her wings trough her back plate.

She lingered slightly on her shoulder pieces, resting her eyes on the paintings: Her cutie mark, par the course for the republic troopers.

The mark of the Wonderbolts, just like she had dreamt of since she enlisted. And finally, her lieutenant stripes, the first fruits of her labor.

The shoulder plates clicked into place, and Rainbow grabbed her helm and rifle on the way up to the bridge. There she met Fluttershy, sitting in the pilots’ seat, preparing to dock the ship.

“Do you think we should check with the prisoner, Rainbow? Angel is down with her right now, and I haven’t heard from them in a while…”

“We’re docking in a few minutes, they will check on her anyways when they move her. It’s not worth the bother.”

The lieutenant yawned. In her book, this was way too quickly after a nap to worry about that. Besides, they would be seeing more than enough of the prisoner soon anyways.

…

“We have placed the prisoner in an interrogation cell. On the table outside the cell are her belongings and a datapad containing all known information about her.”

The officer in charge of the prisoners, a scarlet mare, where leading them to the cell block.
“But if her behaviors during transport are a pointer, then I’d suspect you’ll have your hoofs full.”
The two mares entered the storage room before the cell, and took a look at the table.
“Oh my… did one pony carry all this?” Fluttershy held a hoof before her muzzle.

The table was filled to the brim. Near the end where a blaster pistol, shaped like an old revolver with a polished wooden handle, and a large one-hoofed shotgun.
In a pile beside the guns where about 10 vibroknives of various sizes, a whole bunch of grenades and other explosives, and several other weird things. A pack of balloons included
Thrown over the seat of a nearby chair where a frayed duster coat, and an large brimmed fedora. A pin of tree balloons where fixed to the hatband.

“It appears so… According to the datapad they gave up searching her after a while and simply confiscated her coat.” Rainbow answered, focusing on the datapad. “Would you mind use this? The old reports are dead boring.”

They entered the cell, and sat down at the table across their prisoner, a pink earth pony with hoofcuffs.

“HI! Are you the ones who are supposed to interrogate me? Are you going ‘bad cop good cop’? You do know I am innocent, right? Those meanies tricked me! I guess you are the bad cop, since this pink maned one looks soooo nice and you are surely nice you too but you looks so grumpy and we need to play this by the book or else this won’t be fun and it need to be fun! …” The pink mare didn’t waste time, that was for sure,

“Oh my…” Fluttershy looked worried over at Rainbow, who had developed a nasty twitch in her left eye over the last minute.
Rainbow busted up, slamming her hoof into the table. “I aren’t gonna stand for this!”
“But you aren’t standing, silly!” The reply came cheerfully. “Although you are now, I guess?”
Rainbow was fuming to the bursting point, so Fluttershy decided to interfere before it all went haywire.
“Um... Excuse me, but could we try this again from the beginning?” She fidgeted.
“We are Colonel Fluttershy and Lieutenant Rainbow Dash.

This is an interrogation in accordance with investigation in chase 22349. You, Pinkie Pie, are suspected of transport and harboring of illegal materials, tax exemption, possession of a stolen vehicle and more severely, of aiding the imperial war machine. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

The whole speech was dry and matter-of-factly, as she more or less read it straight from the manual.

The curly haired smuggler drooped. “It is as I said! I am innocent! Or, I admit I maybe weren’t entirely sure of the ship when I got it… and some of my load where maybe a bit suspect… but those crates you has been nagging about? I was told they contained adrenals. I was supposed to deliver them to some guy, that’s all I know.”

“Some guy?” Rainbow Dash had composed herself, but her left eye still twitched now and then.
“Yes! No question asked, cash on delivery, the usual. I would never willingly help the empire.” She crossed her forelegs, pouting.
“Those guys are a bunch of meanies! Have you ever been in an imperial prison? I have, and it is awful!”
Fluttershy sighed. “OK… But the reality still stands… Do you think you, if it weren’t too much of a problem, could tell us who your contact was?”

“Nope!” The reply was cheerful like ever. “I can find him, tho.” A sly smirk crept across her muzzle.
“What do you mean?” Rainbow looked suspicious at her.

“Well, Dashie, it is obvious that you consider my contact very important, or you wouldn’t waste spec force officers just to interrogate me. Not to mention doing it off world. It also is clear that whatever where in those two crates, we are talking juicy stuff, not just some boring stuff like ammo. And my sense tells me I am the best, maybe even only lead you got. So, I got the high card here.”

Rainbow Dash’ ears pointed backwards as her eye started twitching again. Fluttershy saw reason to defuse the situation again.

“Well, let’s suppose you are right, Pinkie. Then what?” She gave her a kind, but stern smile.
“Well, we could strike a deal.” Pinkie chippered.
"Yeah right!” Rainbow didn’t even bother compose herself this time. “And, what are your terms? Presuming I’m even going to listen and not just throw you in jail for life for collaboration with the enemy?”

“That wouldn’t be very nice, I mean, I can prove I were unaware of its contents.

But, if we still pretend you are contemplating my deal? I want my charges dropped. Then I’ll lead you to my contact. And, if you clear my record, I’ll stick with you till the end of this, and I promise you, I got friends absolutely everywhere. I could be really useful. And I’d like my gear back. As a bonus I’ll throw us a great party as a celebration of the success!”

She finished off with a cheer, blissfully unaware of the smoke curling out of Rainbows ears as she crushed the datapad between her hooves.

“…Why…you…I’m… but…ARGH!” She slammed her head into the table. “I give up. Fluttershy, what do you think? She resigned.

“Well, to be honest, it is a good idea… She will be very useful. But… Sorry for asking, but how will we know you won’t just run at first moment?”
“If you do, I’ll gonna personally hunt you down” Rainbow pouted. She did maybe agree with everything said so far, but she didn’t have to like it.
“Yay! You don’t need to worry. I’ll promise I won’t do anything bad. And I’ll keep my promises forever!” The last word came in a rather ominous shriek, but it lasted for less than a second before she was back to her chipper self.

“What’s next point of the plan? Or are we done here?”
“Well, we did get free hooves. Shall we go along with the deal?”
“I don’t like it, but yes. She is our best shot.”

Rainbow rose from her chair and turned towards the door, ending up with her face an inch from Pinkie. “Waugh! Weren’t you just hoofcuffed to the chair?”

“Yes, I ‘were’!”

Rainbow Dash facehoofed.

…

Back into the Thunderclap, the four of them sat in the meeting room.
Fluttershy where catching up with Angel, who had been guarding the ship in the meantime.

Pinkie stood near her lockbox, stuffing all the earlier confiscated gear into her pocket. Rainbow sat slouched over a chair, eying the smuggler.

Where does she put all that? She mused impressed, as bombs, knives and who-know-what’s where stuffed into pockets and compartments in her hat, her coat, the bandolier across her pale shirt, and in her belt.
She ended sheathing the shotgun in a hidden compartment over her left shoulder, making only the grip sticking out, and skillfully twirled her gun around before she stuck it into her quickdraw hoister.
“Ah, it feels great to have everything back! What are we going to do next?”

Rainbow snapped out of her absentmindedness. “Well, first we need to clear the mission with the general. “
They went into the main room and contacted the headquarters. A short while later the general appeared on the holoterminal.

“Good evening, Lieutenant? Ah presume yer interrogation has yielded fruits?”

Rainbow saluted her. “Yes, General. The prisoner was cooperative, but we had to strike a deal with her. It is above what we would do with a common criminal, but given the circumstances, we decided to agree with her terms.”
“Oh? Interesting. But Ah did say Ah would give ya the benefit of doubt, and Ah’ll stick to mah word.
But remember, this is happenin’ below tha table, so if it goes wrong, Ah might not be able to aid ya.”
“Very well, general. It is a risk we’ll have to take.”
“Ah wish ya good luck, lieutenant. Dismissed.”

“I think that went as well as expected” Fluttershy said absentminded as she restocked her utility belt.
“The general are sometimes a bit hard to read.”
“Yes… But, Pinkie, where do we start?” Rainbow sent a glare at the smuggler. She still didn’t trust her completely, and where still annoyed with the deal they made.

“Let’s see, Dashie. First I need some stuff from my old ship.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard, we still got it in custody.”
“Actually, Rainbow, it got stolen six hours ago.” Fluttershy covered under the lieutenant’s expression.
“Yes!” Pinkie chippered. “M co-pilot is very efficient! We were to meet on an abandoned mining facility on a corellian moon once I got out.”
“Corellia it is, then.”

…

After a four hours trip through the hyperspace, the Thunderclap landed on a rocky plain near a large quarry.
“This is it, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked, as she finished the landing procedure.
“Yuppie, this is where we was to meet. Let’s go!”

Outside, Pinkie leaded them towards a large mining shaft. “I believe it was this way… OH! I know! It’s here!” She ran towards a large cavern near the shaft.
They walked into the deep of the cavern. The faint lightning made Rainbow anxious, and she soon pulled out her rifle, igniting the flashlight near the barrel.

As they walked out of the tunnel into a huge open cave, Pinkie started giggling. “Relax, Dashie. It’s no one here, sill~” The rest of the word drowned in a shriek from her and Fluttershy, as a piece of the ground busted into the air nearby them.

Rainbow immediately dropped into combat mode, taking a long dive behind some rocks and released the safety on her weapon, scanning the area for threats.

A female voice carried through the caverns. “Leave now, or the next shot will be considerable more painful!”

“Hello! It’s I, Pinkie!”
“What? Wait a sec.” The sound of rustling feathers echoed through the cave, and soon a grey coated, blonde maned
pegasi landed in front of them. She wore a white shirt and a midnight blue west, and held a long barreled sniper rifle aimed at them from the hip.

She glared at them through yellow tinted sunglasses for a lingering second.
“It is you, captain! You managed to escape?” The newcomer exclaimed as she pulled Pinkie into a hug. “And who are these? They look like soldiers…” She looked suspiciously at them.

“Yes! I got a good deal with them; they are gonna clear my record if I help them out! Guys, this is Ditzy Doo, my co-pilot. She’s a super good sniper!”

“Hello, Ditzy. I am Fluttershy, and this is Rainbow Dash. We are of the Republic Special Forces, indeed. But don’t you worry. We are not going to use anything we hear during this mission against anyone. It is a part of our deal with Pinkie.”
“Yeah. This is more important than some smugglers and information brokers. Wait, I shouldn’t have said that…” Rainbow facehoofed at her own slip.

“Very well. But Pinkie, why did you come here if you are with them?”
“I needed some secret stuff from my ship, and I wanted to see you and Dinky first! Who knows how long time this may take?” She said as she gleefully skipped into the cave.

The others walked after her. Fluttershy glanced over at the sniper. “Who is Dinky, if you mind me asking?”
“She’s my daughter. A beautiful little filly, She’ll be 12 later this year.”
“What? Do you mean you are dragging your daughter with you through crimes?
“What other choices do I have?”
She removed the scarf around her neck, exposing a slave brand running across her throat.
“I was born a slave on an imperial backyard of a planet. When I found I was carrying Dinky, I decided to try to escape, or die trying. Fortunately, I managed without too many problems.”

She stopped walking, and removed her sunglasses. A golden eye stared directly at Dash, filled with unwavering determination. The other had a glassy tint and looked up through the roof of the cave.

“My main problem is that even as an imperial slave, I am still just a slave in the eyes of your precious republic. I am barely able to get a glance of passer-by’s, not a fish’ chance in the cooking pot’s to get a job. I’m going to do whatever it takes to give her a better life than what I got. No exceptions.”

They arrived at the ship, and any reply from dash got interrupted by the sound of cheerful laughter, as they saw Pinkie rolling around, playing with a pre-teen purple unicorn.
“Hi, Dashie! I got what I needed from the ship, so now I am ready for the fun!”
“What did you need, by the way?” Ditzy wondered as she walked up to the ship.
“Some supplies… I missed your muffins, by the way! The prisoner’s food is baaad. But, Ditzy, while I am gone, you can keep the ship! Don’t ruin it for me!”
Ditzy shook her head. “Pinkie, our ‘ship’ is an eighty year old bucket; I couldn’t ruin it even if I tried. But, I promise.”
Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Sorry for interrupting, but it’s getting late and we don’t even know where we are heading next. We should find out where we are going next.”

Pinkie perked up. “Yes! It’s a loooong way to Nar Shadda! We got to run! Take care of the scrapheap for me! Seeya later, Dinky, be good to mommy!” She chatted while pushing Rainbow towards the exit.

“Oh my… It seems we are leaving. It was a pleasure, Miss Ditzy, take care.” Fluttershy smiled at her as she followed the pair.
As they left, Dinky sat down beside her mother. “Mommy, where is auntie Pinkie going with her new friends?
“Well, sweetie…” Ditzy started absentmindedly, as she munched on a muffin.

“I believe they are going to change the galaxy, one way or another.”

Of Siths and spice

A large click sounded through the large room as the lights turned on. In the large cage in the end of the room a pile of cloth started moving, revealing itself as a young unicorn dressed in dirty robes. She got up to an upright position on her haunches, rubbing her eyes.

The lights are so sharp… how long has it been here now? At least more than a week…
She shook her head, clearing her mind from the morning headache she’d been used with the last week. On the second day of her captivity, she had learned the hard way that her captors where prepared for anything. A metal sheath covered her horn, filled with runes effectively cutting off any magic she might use. A shock collar, which beyond the usual painful bouts of electricity if she didn’t behave, where also pumping her bloodstream with adrenals and chemicals that made concentration difficult, and focusing enough to use the Force completely impossible.

Adding two armed droids and a pony guard that always were in the room made any attempts impossible, and she had quickly resigned, instead using her ‘free time’ to meditation and trying to coerce some information out of her jailors. The latter did more often than not reward her with a click on the collar remote, though.

She glanced around the room. Today’s jailor appeared to be an orange stallion with a bored expression.
“Is there any chance that I’ll be told why you are keeping me here?” She sent the stallion a quizzical look.
The only reply where an annoyed grunt, so she gave up the project. Too many question did usually hurt, so she started on her breakfast, a bowl of oats and some nutri-sticks.

After a few hours of boredom and attempts at meditating, she heard the sound of doors opening.
The droids and the guard walked out of the room.

“Twi~light Spar~kle” a singsong voice carried through the door, as three new faces came into the room. In front where the owner of the voice, what appeared to be a unicorn mare. She was dressed in the garbs common by the sith, a huge robe with way too much stash and ornaments attached. Her face was obscured by a hood, only her horn slightly poking out. She walked in long strides, holding her front hoofs clasped right above her chest.

Right behind her, on her left, walked a diminutive pegasus mare, about mid-teen. Her coat was turquoise, with a darker colored mane, and she was dressed in the garbs of the acolytes hailing from the sith temple. She held a double bladed lightsaber closely to her chest with both her hooves, and looked bashful towards the floor.

On her right stood a huge tan stallion, clad in a makeshift armor and a huge vibroblade strapped across his back, looking rather uncomfortable with the whole situation.

“Now, my dear, We hope you aren’t too displeased with our hospitality? We assure you, you are quite important for our plans… And then you just walked right into our hands? My master where so pleased…”
She did a mocking bow for her, giggling.
“You see, you are one of a kind indeed! And then the jedi got their hand on you… what a shame. But then we got you, and now We are here to fix that.”
The last part came in a tone that made Twilight shudder.
“w-what do you mean?”
“Why, We am going to make you sith. It might take some time, but We have all the time in the world. No one even knows you are here. We think we need to start by breaking your… spirit…”
Twilight gasped, fear shining in her eyes as she moved backwards toward the other end of the cage.
The sith chuckled again, and turned towards the filly. “Silverlight, would you be kind and make sure Mr. Barbell fulfills his tasks? We can’t afford more ‘mistakes’.” She sneered and shot the stallion a glare through the shadows of the hood.
Silverlight bowed and answered in a meek tone.
“Yes, Lord Trixie.”

When she walked out of the room, a flashing blue light filled the corner of her eye as manic laughter mixed shortly with a loud scream before the door shut down.

...

Nar Shadda, the smugglers moon. A hellhole were one generally didn’t last too long, unless one possessed loads of both skills and credits.

“Any idea where ta’ start? Ah recon this gang won’t be too easy find.”
The two jedi walked through the main marked hub near the space station, one of the few places that appeared remotely civilized.

“The gangs here work on a strange hierarchy. We should try talk to somepony higher up in one of the street gangs first, and work it from there. I’d suggest we try a bar in the lower marked district.”
“Why do Ah get the feelin’ yer been there before?” Applejack smirked at the flustered expression that appeared across her companions face.
“Well… Nar Shadda is a crossroad for surprisingly much, so my missions did end up here often enough, and the bar in question does have a good crowd.”
“Ah’m sure, sugarcube. Lead the way.”

A short taxi trip later, they stood in front of a huge façade covered in neon lights and imagery of mares in less than flattering positions. The largest of the signs spelled out ‘the Hyperlane’, some of the letters flashing. A long line of ponies stood in front of the entrance, trying to persuade the bouncers to let them in. Along the walls lay those who hadn’t managed it, or those who’d gotten thrown out.

Rarity leaded the way past the long line, getting the attention of one of the guards. The huge cyan stallion nodded his head at her. “Welcome, Missus Rarity. Please don’t start any brawls this time, will ya?”
She winked in reply and walked through the door.

“They seem ta’ know ya well here?”
Rarity giggled at the look her companion sent her. “Well, they know I can get in here one way or another. Eventually they realized it was much simpler for everyone to just let me in.”

As they made their way to the bar, Applejack starting using her eyes around the large barroom, taking notice of its patrons. Large armored bounty hunters armed to their teeth, tired-looking spice dealers, mares selling themselves, or pretending to do so while emptying the pockets of some drunkard… She shook her head. This was a far cry from Tython
.
Rarity went up to the barkeeper and ordered two ciders. The keeper, a mulberry mare, looked skeptical at the jedi. “I hope the bouncer asked you to refrain from starting any brawls? I am still repairing from last time…”
“No worries, Berry. I believe we are able to solve this with civil means. You wouldn’t happen to have any lieutenants from some of the street gangs here tonight?”
Berry looked around the room with an uncomfortable expression.
“Well, yes, but… Your best shot if you want something from the upper gangs would be Hidden Blade, but he is violent and short-tempered, not to mention drinking with several other of his underlings. Can you promise me no large brawls?”
Rarity chuckled at the hopeful expression of the bartender. “Last time I was, for starters, all alone. And secondly, I needed to get both me and my target out without anyone noticing. A brawl was the best option. This time is different.”
“I’m gonna regret this. But he is in the private lounge in the back.”

Beyond some uncooperative guards at the door, which a quick mind trick solved, they got into the lounge. Around eight ponies where seated at a huge table, filled with food and beverages.
“Well, well, well. We seem to have guests… and some filthy jedi at that.”
The owner of the venomous voice, a slim stallion seated at the middle of the table, stared at them through cybernetic eyes.
“Evening, Blade. We would like to talk a little with you.” Rarity smiled cheerful at him.
“I won’t. Show the filth the door.” A large stallion near the end of the table obeyed, and rose from the table.
Applejack went up beside Rarity, and gestured to their opponent. “Sit down.” He quickly obeyed, earning the ire of his boss. Hidden blade slammed his hoof into the table.
“Why is every single one of this useless lot so weak against your tricks, filth?”
“I can’t imagine how a life filled with spice, booze and hedonism is good for the mind.” Applejack deadpanned.
“KILL THEM!” A rustle waved through the table as eight ponies pulled out blasters and vibroknives.
Rarity sighed as the jedi pair took an unarmed combat stance. “At least they are drunk beyond their senses.”

The combat were quick and eventless. Despite the higher number, the gangsters where sloppy and useless against the well-honed and efficient battle style of the jedi, and soon the floor where riddled with unconscious ponies, taken down with precise hoof-strikes.
Not one to giving up, Hidden blade exposed his namesake and charged at them.
Seconds later he found himself pinned to the wall by an invisible force, as Applejack stood her ground with a hoof pointed at him. Rarity slowly went up to him, smiling innocently. “Ready to talk now?”
A string of profanity answered the question, and Rarity shook her head. “Option two then.”
She placed a hoof on his forehead, and closed her eyes as the horn flared up. The mindreading spell soon revealed what they needed, and she removed her hoof.

“Ah’m impressed.” Applejack sounded amused. “And yer… yer friends cheated at tha’ sabacc, so yer kicked their flanks. Ya never saw us.” Hidden Blade’s eyes became unfocused as the mind trick worked him. “…never saw ya… cheating filth… I won…” He slumped down the wall as the jedi left the room.

When they headed out past the bar, Berry shot them an angry glare, but Rarity just looked innocently at her. “Just ask them, we didn’t start any brawl at all.” Berry facehoofed as they left the building.

“What did that spell of yers uncover?”
“Honestly not too much, it mainly reveals what the target thinks about at the moment. It usually works wonders when the target knows the answer, but this guy mostly taught me new swearwords and what he would do to us if he got the chance. I did find a new name, though: A spice dealer living somewhere in the slums.”
.”Ya mean this ain’t the slums?” Rarity facehoofed in reply.

…

‘The slums’ where a fitting description of this quarter, as far Applejack was concerned. As they walked down the streets between tall skyscrapers and storages of miserable condition, they saw piles of junk, homeless ponies drifting about, street urchins shifting for something valuable and spice dealers pushing their goods. And this where in open street view, whatever happened in the secluded alleys was beyond imagination.

“Now, where was he supposed to be?”
“I would imagine somewhere in this area…” Rarity mused as she gestured at one of the urchins, a small filly showing signs of malnutrition. “Hello, sweetie. Have you heard of someone called Lasting Trip?” she smiled at the filly, handling her a haybar.
The urchin looked disbelieving at the bar for some seconds with sunken eyes behind a blank expression, before she snagged it and ate it in two bites. “I- I can show you.” The voice was barely audible.
She leaded them down some alleyways toward a shed made of a broken container and some sheets of plasteel. She did however appear to be afraid of the place, not daring to get closer than necessary.
“Thanks, dear.” Applejack reached a whole package of oatmeal bars towards the filly, who took them slowly in her hoofs, gratitude shining in her eyes like jewels. She hugged the earth pony and quickly ran off.
Rarity had an expression of sorrow and displeasure. “Places like this remind me why jedi still are needed. Oh well, let’s talk with our little spicer.”

The inside of the shed where about as clean as the outside, only a makeshift table, some crates and a desk with a chemistry set told that someone used to live here.
“Hello? Anypony here?”
The reply came in some movement behind the table. A unicorn suddenly jolted up into sitting position, and made a sound that maybe was supposed to be a word.
The pair took a step backwards at the revolting visage. The stallion where largely naked, with a coat and frazzled mane caked with grime far beyond the point where anyone could guess what colors he was supposed to have.
His eyes was diluted to pinpricks, looking everywhere as his hooves shifted constantly.
He spoke in a manic voice filled with dread. “Whadjawant! Oh, I knowz… ya wantz me dreamz! Evrypony wantz ma dreamz. But it costz… me dreamz are the beztz… no waitz! Yer is jediz… leeaaaveee… yer haven’t zeen anythingz… I iz having a legalz buizznezz.. yeeezzz…”
Applejack spoke up, regaining her composure. “We want information about a gang called ‘the Ursa majors’. Have you heard of them?
“Yeeezz… Diz mare buyz of me… zhe onze claimed zhe waz a big bearz. I didn’t belief herz… zhe waz maaadz. Good cuztomerz tho… but maaaadz.” Any other rambling was interrupted by a coughing fit.

Rarity glanced at her companion. “It is as good a shot as anyone, and the very idea of reading his mind is scaring me… You wouldn’t happen to know where she resides?
The stallion shook his head violently for a few seconds before snapping up, drilling his black pinpricks into her eyes. “We knowzz… zhe goez to a warehouze in the other endz of the quarterz… many guardzz… they likez to shoot… bad aimzz… too many andrenalz and zpizes… or not enuffz.. now leeeaavee uzzz.. we neeedz to dream… yeezz…”

At this, before they could react, he had picked up a large syringe filled with what appeared to be molasses, and plunged the whole needle into his temple. He made a long, weird scream as he slowly fell down face first into the table, where he started snoring, with a contempt smile across his face. The syringe remained, making the whole image appear ridiculous.

The jedi shook their heads and left the shed, hoping this would the last stop before the goal.

The front door

The works sector in Nar Shadda where a large quarter of huge power plants, and one of the more important areas. As a result, it was mostly cleaner than many other sectors, and less riffraff to be seen.
Like the whole moon, it did however have secrets. One of these secrets where a small marked known as ‘the Black Bazaar’, a hole where anyone could find anything, even hidden from the watchful eyes of the Hutt cartel. And this was where a small trio led by a pink mare skipping gleefully down the streets.

“Do you know for sure this is the place, Pinkie?” Rainbow still couldn’t shake the bad feeling, especially after she had been told she needed to disguise herself. The disguise in question where just a large tunic and some dirty rags tied around her legs in order to hide the armor, but it still did the job.
Fluttershy made sure Angel where hidden in the pocket on her long robe. “Yes, I mean, is it a good idea to go into a black marked with two republic soldiers?”
“Why of course! Our contact is a scaredy-cat, she wants to meet somewhere she can be in control, and she won’t be happy when we tell her I lost the crates she wants! And here it is!”
The soldiers exchanged glances as they followed her through a small door next to an exhaust pipe.

They soon stood in a large hangar, filled with desks, tables and stalls, ponies in all shapes and colors trying to sell goods and services, everything highly illegal.
They followed Pinkie towards a small weapons dealer wedged between an adrenal vendor and a droid store, and stood behind her as she greeted the mare behind the desk, a scarlet unicorn with a dangerous smile.

“Pinkamina Diane Pie… famed around the galaxy as ‘Pinkie’, a notorious smuggler. Known in both imperial and republic customs as ‘That random pest’. How may I aid you tonight?
Pinkie smiled in reply. “Hia! I got some crates I was supposed to deliver here!”
“Ah, true… You are late. Barbell is not pleased… and when he heard rumors that the Pubs got you, he became furious. No one steals from him and lasts long.
Where. Are. The. Crates?”

Pinkie threw her a disarming smile. “I got into some issues! You see, it turned out those crates didn’t contain overclocked hyperdrive foci’s like I was paid to smuggle… Instead I get captured, charged for smuggling imperial high energy bomb components. Isn’t that a good joke? I don’t like being lied to, you see. I don’t like being tricked into working for the empire either. So then I took a better offer!”

Fury raged in the unicorns eyes. “REPUBLIC SCUM!” she screamed, as she quickly rose up, reaching for her blaster. Rainbow quickly prepared herself, but before anyone else in the room managed to react, Pinkie had drawn her gun and fired a shot from the hip into the mare’s gut, before she quickly released a round from her scattergun into the skull of her former employer.
The echo of the last shot lingered through the large room as a pregnant silence filled it, everyone staring at the trio.
Eventually someone in the far end of the room started yelling: “They are republic troopers!”
The magic silence broken, every single pony in the room started pulling out weapons as Rainbow tipped a table over, dragging Pinkie and Fluttershy into cover just as the shots started hailing towards them.
“Well, that was smooth.” Rainbow deadpanned, shooting Pinkie a glare.
“Don’t ya worry, we can do this easily” She chippered in return, planting a shot between the eyes of the owner of the droid shop, stopping his attempt at flanking them.
Rainbow just grunted in reply, releasing a quick burst into the attackers, smirking as the screams revealed she struck the target.
“We just gonna be intelligent about it.” Pinkie continued, carefully taking aim on a fuel tank near a group of stallions. They soon disappeared in a ball of fire at the same moment as a thermal detonator flew in a wide arc, striking a earth pony square in the head, before it exploded, taking out three others.
“That’s true. Pinkie, Distract them a little!” Rainbow hunched down, quickly running behind some large containers as Pinkie started shooting like a mad.
Soon she had sneaked up behind a group of six earth ponies, and jumped out, activating the ion pulse generator on her rifle. A long waving stream of blue energy coursed through the hapless victims, frying them from the inside.
She quickly ejected the empty power cell and launched a grenade behind one of the other crates, throwing the ponies hiding behind it across the room.
As this got the attention of several others, she quickly dived into cover, starting reload the grenade launcher and the pulse generator.

“Seem like Dashie needs some help! Cover me!” She quickly activated a device on her belt buckle, disappearing in a ripple of blue energy.
Angel saluted her, and jumped up onto his owners shoulder, pumping out shots like a maniac at the riffraff.
Rainbow on the other hand, had enough to worry about. Someone had gotten in a shot at her shoulder after she took cover, as she had been careless about a crack between two crates. The armor did take the gist of it, but she couldn’t hold her weapon properly.
The attackers had noticed this, since they ignored the other two and pumped out blaster fire at her.
One of them suddenly heard a low giggle, and a low dump as one of his mates hit the floor with a vibroknife between he shoulders. He turned his head, the muzzle of a scattergun the last thing he ever saw.

Despite her good aim, close combat was where Pinkie truly excelled. Using her knives and the scattergun with deadly skills, her opponents didn’t stand much chance against the random mare, disappearing and reappearing everywhere.
Soon the shooting subsided, the last of the attackers hitting the ground after a pin point shot from Angel.

Fluttershy came out of cover and rushed towards her companions. “I am so sorry I am of no use in combat” she rambled as she kneeled down, examining Rainbow’s shoulder.
“Seems like it’s just a shallow wound…” she muttered to herself as two of her probes woke up, a larger one starting to clean Rainbows shoulder-wound before it filled the hole in the armor with a white hardening foam, as a smaller probe circled Pinkie, spraying a fine mist of kolto at the sparse cuts and bruises she had suffered in the brawl.
Pinkie giggled at the tickling sensation of the kolto, before she suddenly jumped up. “Wait, I forgot!” She rushed over at the stand where the whole brawl had begun, and started shifting through the pockets of what once was the scarlet mare, removing a datapad and a bag of credits.
The latter earned her a glare from Fluttershy.
“What? A mare gonna eat, right? And we need the info from her datapad if we want to find our target.”
“I agree. But it does not mean I approves.”
“Where are we heading now?” Rainbow interjected, getting to her hooves now as the probe had finished healing her wound. She rubbed her shoulder, still feeling slightly numb.

Pinkie fiddled with the data pad for some seconds. “From what I can gather here, she used to work as a quartermaster for the gang, with responsibility for all the smugglers they hired.
It seems she has been all over the moon, but it’s a warehouse near the slum borders that she visited twice as often as the other places. It is as good a shot as anyone.”
“I have a feeling this is gonna end badly… Do you all still have enough supplies?”
They nodded, and Pinkie took lead towards the slums.

…

“Judging by our surrounding, I guess we are getting close. Do you have any idea how we are getting in?” Rainbow sneered at a broken pipeline emptying waste onto the street.
“Why, silly! We are going to knock on the front door. Isn’t that the polite option?”
Rainbow facehoofed at the innocent looking mare smiling at her.
Soon they walked up towards the front doors of the huge building. Pinkie gestured at Fluttershy. “Please distract the guards a little, will you?”
The guards in question, two pastel maned mares wielding some old carbines, stood chatting near a small door in the middle of the building. Fluttershy went up and greeted them.
“Excuse me, but is this a gang hideout?”
The guards were out of words, staring empty at this pink maned mare dressed in a ragged robe.
Eventually one of them snapped out of it. “Wait, are you wanting to die? Kill her!” She grabbed her carbine and slammed a hoof onto a wall computer.
Soon a panel split up beside them, and a large auto turret rose from the hole, taking aim at them. The blooming laughter died on the guards faces as the turret started spewing sparks and smoke before it fell heavy to the ground.
“I did it!” Pinkie waved slicer pad in her hoof. Rainbow slammed her stock up the chin of one of the guards, exploiting the distraction. Following the motion of the strike, she released a shot into the chest of the other guard, while Pinkie finished of the first one.
“How did you know there was a turret here?” Fluttershy couldn’t help but wonder as she tried to unlock the door.
“My left ear twitched, so it had to be one here!”
Rainbow looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “o~k… I’ll take your word for it.”
The door opened, and they went into a large hangar filled with huge crates, powerlifts and shuttles.
A considerable number of workers and armed guards looked at the trio, who stood dumb folded at their own short-sightedness. Rainbow swore lowly as Fluttershy cowered backwards.
“Any good ideas, Pinkie?”
“Grenades, Dashie?”
“I can work with that” She quickly grabbed a plasma grenade from her belt and threw it towards a group of guards that had taken aim at them, while Pinkie’s thermal detonator rolled in below a powerlift. The following explosions created enough chaos for them to run towards cover.
“I feel we find ourselves behind crates getting shot at more than I can say I like.” Fluttershy cowered as the other two started shooting back.
“We need to flank them. Pinkie, you head right. I’ll run left. Fluttershy, give me a boost, Angel, start distracting them!”
Pinkie disappeared in a blue ripple as Angel saluted her and started shooting, back onto his shoulder perch.
Rainbow turned around and started running with a low head towards the left, as a stream of green energy from Fluttershy’s cannon filled her veins with adrenalin and energizers.
Some quick flaps of her wings threw her into a long jump over the ponies behind the cover, and she twisted her body mid-jump, releasing a long burst as she landed.
They didn’t stand much chance from her, and she turned around to continue her assault when she saw a huge stallion laughing, aiming an assault-cannon at her.
She swore and rushed towards some durasteel plates between them, hoping they would suffice as cover, as a hail of blasterfire tore up the ground around her. Judging her options, she peeked past the plates.
An idea struck her, and she threw a grenade over the plates, hoping to strike gold. A loud curse made rainbow smirk as she threw herself around the corner, taking aim at the now cryogen-covered stallion. He fell to the ground, and she rushed past him, opening fire as she ran.

In the other end of the room, Pinkie sneaked around placing small pink, balloon-shaped charges at strategic places.
The job itself was a lot easier with Dashie and Angel keeping everypony’s attention, but as a hoof struck her jaw she couldn’t help but wonder if her luck had run out.
She made an innocent face at the mare pointing a large rifle at her. “Smile!” she cheered as she whipped out a small detonator. Pushing the button, a series of explosions from her charges gained the attention of the mare, and Pinkie exploited that with a swift kick.
She quickly scooted to her hooves. Jumping behind a crate, she stifled a short giggle when the grenade she left behind went off, before she drew her weapons and ran towards the next group, nimbly dodging fire. After a quick jump, he descended upon them like a pink meteor.
The gunfire eventually subsided, and Fluttershy came out to aid her companions.
Rainbow had only suffered scratches, but Pinkie had a large bruise on her jaw from where the mare struck her. One of the large probes started using a thin surgical laser to reduce the swelling and coating it with a thin mist of kolto to ease pain.
Rainbow reloaded, walking towards one of the elevators.
“We better prepare us for anything from now on.”
Fluttershy removed the long robe and picked up the support cannon, following after her.
A short elevator ride later, the door opened.
They looked into a room filled with heavily armed guards, standing around a large six-legged artillery droid easily four times the size of a stallion.

“Burning hay…”