Star Wars Episode IV, Rise of the Rebellion

by FourShadow

Rating: teen
Tags: Bon-Bon, Other, Adventure, Equestria Girls, Science Fiction, Sunset Shimmer, Star Wars, Crossover, Alternate Universe, Lyra, Flurry Heart
Length: 122416

It has been many years since the death of the Galactic Alliance and Order 66. But at the same time, it has given way for the birth of a new alliance who fights for freedom against the merciless Empire and their diabolical leader; Darth Midnight

Many years have passed since the Clone Wars ended. Now the new Empire strives to take total control of the entire galaxy, and crush the Rebels who keep standing in their way. But when an astromech droid crosses path with the daughter of a Jedi and a bounty hunter, the Rebels will soon find themselves with some new friends, and returning old ones...

Collaboration with Scholarly-Cimmerian.

Published 2021-05-04 15:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2023-02-28 00:53:04 UTC

A Friend In Need

Author's Note

And so our story, continues. :twilightsmile:

Lots of fun easter eggs. Some silly, some a bit in your face, others a bit more subtle, it's all over the place. :derpytongue2:

Hope you enjoy! :twilightsmile:

A Friend In Need

After driving back to the 'house', Flurry and IG-11 moved the hurt astromech unit inside. They carried him into the ship's workshop area, where various droid parts and tools laid strewn about. Bon Bon always loved to collect battle droids to repurpose them into lives of freedom, so she started collecting anything she could in hopes of bringing new life into the cruel and heartless universe around them.

Spike was sat up straight on the floor, standing still in shutdown mode. And nearby were two astromechs; Cheep and G-G. The two were curious to see a new astromech in the ship, and they rolled up close to Flurry like excited loth cats.

"Hey guys," Flurry smiled, softly petting them both and giving them both hugs.

"Chirup, chirp chirp chirp."

"I don't know who he is, Cheep. I ran into him, both figuratively and literally out in the Dune Sea on our way back. We hit him so hard, I thought he could use some repair, maybe we can find out where he came from," Flurry thought.

"Veep-oo."

"G-G, it's okay, I'm sure he's harmless," Flurry reassured.

She plugged in a power cord into the astromech's main port, turning on a small generator to provide some battery power. And just as an extra safety precaution, a restraining bolt was applied to keep the astromech from bouncing around like crazy.

And with one adjustment, the astromech's systems started to activate and turn back on again. Spike's head spun in a 360 motion a few times as he finally woke up.

"w-ga-b-e-etah- Agh, ah!" Spike snapped, waking up. "I gotta get moving! Wait... who hit me? Where am I? How did I get here!?"

"Whoa, easy buddy, it's okay!" Flurry protested, putting her hands up. "It's okay... it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

The C1 unit was hesitant, especially as he shook and rattled on the spot. "Who are you? How do I know you're not going to hurt me? You put a restraining bolt on me!"

"Well, I'm not gonna--whoa!" Flurry yelped, noticing something rather glaring from the astromech. "You can... you can speak Basic?"

"Yes, I can speak Basic, now let me out of here!" the droid yelped, trying to wiggle his feet away from the unknown Equestrian.

"Hey, hey, wait!" Flurry said, gripping his struts to look him straight in the eyes. "Listen, I promise I won't hurt you. It's my fault for almost turning you into roadkill, that's why I brought you back to fix you. Just let me help, please?"

"Ohhhh... alright," Spike moaned. "But I really need to get going, I have somewhere to be."

Flurry nodded as she walked over to the workbench, picking up a few tools. "Where do you have to be?"

"Somewhere important," he replied, still shaking. "Who are you anyway?"

"Oh, I forgot," Flurry tittered. "I'm Flurry, nice to meet you. Oh, and this IG-11," she said, introducing the C1 unit to the assassin droid beside her. "Don't worry, he's friendly."

"... Wait. What's your name?"

"Flurry," she answered.

"I... uh..." Spike sounded confused. Flurry Heart raised a brow to his confusion.

"Are you okay?"

"Sorry, I... I thought you were someone else. You kinda reminded me of someone, but I can't put my claws on it," Spike said, unsure.

Flurry just shrugged it off and continued to try and help repair the astromech's damage; starting with wiping away some of the dust off his paneling. "Say, what's a droid like you doing out in the desert by yourself, anyway?"

"I can't tell you. It's a secret," Spike said.

"What kind of secret?" Flurry asked, wiping away dust from a panel.

"It's just a secret, a very important one, but that's it," the C1 said, refusing to say anything else.

Flurry pouted. "Well you're no fun."

"I'm sorry, but it's really important."

"Well... can you at least tell me your name? I don't know who you are," Flurry asked.

"My name is SP-1K. But I prefer you call me Spike," Spike replied, realizing he had no chance of running away.

"Nice to meet you Spike," Flurry softly smiled, extending a hand out to try and shake his little claws. And one of the little hands from the side of his dome extended out to shake hers, politely.

"Chirp chirp chirp," Cheep said, lightly raising his little claw up to say hi as well.

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry guys, where are my manners, Spike these two are my astromechs; CH33P and RG-G1. But I prefer to call them Cheep and G-G," Flurry introduced.

"Huh. You have a C1 unit? Where did you find him, I remember getting a memo about us C1 droids no longer being produced," Spike stated.

"My mama found him back in the Clone Wars, rescued him from a crashed Y-Wing. Same goes for G-G," Flurry summarized, fixing the dent she made into Spike's torso.

"Huh. So if they were to get into a Y-Wing...?"

"They would probably have a meltdown or self-destruct," Flurry deadpanned. And she shrunk when she saw Cheep and G-G rattling in place, growling in anger/fear at the word. Even Cheep raised one of his claws up in a fist expression. "Like that."

"Good to know. Then they probably would get along with Chopper, he hates Y-Wings just as much as they do," Spike said, looking over at the two astromechs.

Flurry scrubbed some more, now grinding the brush a little harder. "Sheesh, that's a lot of carbon scoring. How did you even get any of this, were you on a cruiser or--"

By accident, Flurry flipped something and fell on her back, unintentionally activating a holo-recording. There wasn't much, just only the Twi'lek woman that Spike had conversed with back on Coruscant. Only a portion of what she had said back on the planet made it through, but the additional image of her holding a gun and looking back at something to shoot drew more curiosity.

"--Find them, and they will take you back to Yavin IV. Now go! Sunset Shimmer is counting on you!”

Flurry blinked. "What's this?"

"Um, what is what?"

"That!" Flurry pointed.

"Find them, and they will take you back to Yavin IV. Now go! Sunset Shimmer is counting on you!”

"Oh THIS? Um... it's nothing, just a malfunction or some old data," Spike said, rather unconvincingly.

"Who is that Twi'lek?"

"She's no one. Just an old friend back home, that's all," Spike lied.

Flurry pulled herself back up, leaning closer to look at the recording with a better eye. Even Cheep and G-G rolled up to get a better look, trying to decipher anything of importance from that archived piece.

"Chup, chirp chup choop," Cheep said.

"Bwoop boop, brrrrrrt bweeeep bop."

"Nope. Just this short loop," Spike continued to lie.

"Who is Sunset Shimmer?" Flurry asked.

"She's no one," Spike lied.

"Okay, you are clearly lying," Flurry sighed. "Spike, what is this for?"

"It's important!"

"You keep saying that, what does that mean?" Flurry whined, starting to get annoyed.

"Now go! Sunset Shimmer is counting on you!”

The message continued to play that same loop over and over. Flurry tapped her foot on the floor, rubbing her chin to try and think. Obviously this woman's message must have been important, but why? What did Spike have that was important? Where was Yavin IV? And most importantly; who was Sunset Shimmer?

"This woman is has to be important. Is this what you're hiding, or is it only part of something important?" Flurry asked, giving it some thought.

"... Maybe," Spike blurted. "Maybe not."

"Well if it's not important, then who is Sunset Shimmer?" Flurry pressed.

"She's no one. Just someone I knew a long time ago," Spike lied.

"Well maybe we need to play back the whole recording, maybe there's more to it that we aren't seeing," she said, walking over to Spike. She was about to tamper with his body some more until--

"Wait!" Spike protested, putting his little claws up. "I have an idea. You might be able to play back the whole message if you um... remove this restraining bolt," Spike fibbed.

Flurry wasn't sure if she should believe it. She could see right through the C1 unit, guessing right away that he just wanted to get away. But upon second thought, she realized there wasn't any chance for him to escape. If he was on a ship he didn't know, maybe he couldn't find a way out. And more importantly, she had plenty of droids on board who could keep him from escaping. Maybe for now, she could remove it...

"Well... I suppose maybe it wouldn't hurt, and I guess you're not gonna be able to run away so easily," she said, unsure. But regardless, she slid over and started to yank on the restraining bolt, until she finally pulled it right off. And the moment it was yanked off, the holo-recording shut itself off. "What the--wait, turn it back on! Play back the message!"

"What message?"

And IG-11 smacked the back of his dome.

"Ow!"

"The message you were just displaying," IG-11 retorted.

"Chirup!"

Just then a soft alarm dinged from further down in the ship.

"Oh. Someone's calling. Maybe it's Mom and Mama," Flurry thought out loud. "Just give me a minute, I'll go see who that is." She walked out of the room, leaving the droids by themselves. IG-11's scope eyes swiveled and glared at Spike as he stood there, stiff as always.

"I require an answer to why you are obscuring the details of your mission," IG-11 asked.

"No, assassin. Do you have any idea what's at stake right now? The Empire could get here, any minute, and I'm really starting to dislike you," Spike snarked.

"Eleven!" Flurry called. "Can you come here? Mama's calling on the other line, I don't know if it's important!"

"I'll be right there," IG-11 called back.

The assassin droid marched down the hallway, where Flurry had called. He found her inside the main cockpit; a mostly clean cockpit with four seats. Two for the pilot controls, and two behind for monitoring all vital signs and controls of everything else from within the ship. And there were a few cup-holders for anyone who brought a drink up front!

The assassin droid sat in the co-pilot seat, next to Flurry. And once he was down, Flurry flicked the switch, turning on the hologram projector.

"Hey Flurry," Bon Bon greeted.

"Hey Mama," Flurry smiled. "How goes the bounty hunting?"

"Well we're only a half-an-hour away from where the target was spotted. But your mother and I thought about stopping for a moment or two to stretch our legs. Thankfully we did not fall into any Sarlacc pits or run into those Krayt Dragons that apparently still live," Bon Bon replied. "So we thought about checking in with you. How was the Boonta Eve Classic?"

"It was awesome!" Flurry squeed.

--

Unbeknownst to Flurry, Spike was busy looking around, trying to find a way to sneak off the ship. Cheep and G-G were still standing by, waiting to move in case he tried to make a run for it. Luckily Spike had a plan. First thing was first, he had to get the restraining bolt off. Looking around, he wanted to look for something he could pry it off with. He tried using his little claws, with no avail. They weren't strong enough to yank it off. But maybe...

He shimmied across the ground without the other astromechs watching, pressing himself against the wall. He found just the spot and moved his body against it, pressing against the bolt. Just a few more pushes, and finally the restraining bolt snapped right off his body and onto the ground. Now that it was off, he could take his chance. He slowly pushed back to a wall, thinking for a second. He had to get the two astromechs away from the hallway door, that was the only way out, he was sure of it. But how? Wait a minute. He remembered he was in a droid repair bay. He grabbed a tool from the side, slowly raising it over his head. And without making a sound, he chucked it over his head and down the other hallway to get them to move.

The tool made enough noise to grab their attention. And so Cheep and G-G spun around and rolled down towards the other hallway towards the noise. Now that they were gone, he could make his escape. He rolled down the unguarded hallway, swiveling his dome around to look at the various rooms. He found a vac-room, gross meatbag thing. He went past a two-person bedroom, presumably the owners of the ship. And he moved past another room that he could only imagine was Flurry's bedroom. Curiously, he rolled inside to take a quick look. His eyes took notice of a set of pictures that were on display on a bookshelf. But upon closer inspection, he could see the holopictures were only of Flurry and her mothers.

"Hmm... guess that answers that."

Turning around, he exited the room and went down further in the ship, trying to find a way out. He rolled into the living area, where he could see a holo-chess table with plenty of seats around it, probably for family game nights. Though when he swiveled around and looked at the wall next to him, he almost shrieked.

Four electronic docks were holding humanoid droids; three of them were the junky commando units that Flurry trained with earlier that day, and another was an old tactical droid from the Clone Wars; with faded purple and gold paint, but blazed with a Mandalorian symbol on the chest.

"Yikes. I thought your model was outdated," Spike commented, turning around. He had to get out of there, now. Rolling across the ship, he saw two hallways on the left and right, he could immediately guess they were gunner seats. But eventually he came across a mostly empty flat section in the only lower section of the ship. Pressing the button, he watched as a ramp extended to open up to outside. He rolled down the ramp, finally landing back on the scorching sand.

Activating a rocket, he flew away from the house on Beggar's Canyon and to the bottom of the canyon for more solid ground. He would have to walk all the way to where he needed to go if he had to. Since Flurry and those crazy droids weren't going to help, he would have to be on his own then. And so, he rolled away, determined to find his allies...

--

"... So yeah. ... Sebulba died," Flurry winced. "Was surprised to see Gasgano won this time. And hey, at least Quadrinaros actually left the starting line... for three seconds."

Bon Bon chuckled. "Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Anything else happened?"

"We unfortunately ran--"

"--Into a rock!" Flurry interrupted, silencing the assassin droid. "We uh, kinda hit some rocks while driving back. But the landspeeder is fine, just some dust, that's all," she said, trying to sound convincing.

"... I see," Bon Bon said, unsure of whether or not to believe her. "Flurry, you know if you run into a womp rat, I'm not going to be mad. Damn things keep flouncing everywhere. But anyways, we gotta get going, we've got to get that bounty before anyone else does. Just make sure you get dinner, and make sure the droids stay fully energized. And if anything goes wrong, please, call us and we'll come home."

"I'm okay, Mama. I promise," Flurry reassured.

"Well alright. We'll call you before you have to go to bed, kiddo. We'll see you soon!"

The Mandalorian waved goodbye and the coms shut off. This left Flurry to stare at IG-11 unapprovingly.

"Why can we not tell your mothers about the astromech?"

"They're off trying to get the bounty, we can't distract them while they're out. I think we can handle this problem just fine, Eleven," Flurry said, folding her arms.

"Very well. But if this situation gets out of our control, we must call your mothers," IG-11 said, standing up and walking out of the cockpit.

As afternoon stretched to evening, Flurry decided to wander around the ship to stretch her legs. She had already ate, and she was looking for something to do to enjoy her time for the evening. She would check on Spike later. Standing in the middle of the ship, she walked down to the left and parked herself in one of the gunner seats. She moved the seat around, which in turn, moved the blaster cannons as well. It had been a long time since the family had to use these. And Flurry pondered whether or not they were going to be needed again.

Climbing out of the seat, she walked back to her bedroom, looking at the variety of things she had on her shelve. A few plushies that she liked to hold onto; most notably a snail that she held onto for all those years. And a little doll of a white-armored soldier, which her mothers explained was a 'Storm-trooper', a legion of troopers from the old Clone Wars. She wiped the dust off a shelf for a second, and picked up another picture. Within she could see herself as a five-year-old with her mothers out on a beach; on Naboo. A wonderful planet that made the best vacation residence during the summer. Alas, they could never go back. Not with the fear of the dangers that now surrounded the galaxy.

And finally, she slid her hand over a necklace; of a Mandalorian symbol. She walked over to her full mirror, looking at herself for a second. And she placed the necklace over her head, so it rest around her neck. She clutched it tightly, making sure it wasn't loose. She looked in her mirror, smiling at herself. She remembered when her mama first gave her that Mandalorian pendant, something she said would keep her safe when she was younger. And out her window, she could see binary suns off in the distance getting ready to go down. Almost time to do one more security check before she would lock up.

Walking out of her room, she walked into the cockpit and grabbed a control box that fit in her hand. She walked down the hallways, periodically checking if anything was open that shouldn't have been. The top hatch that led to the ceiling of the ship was sealed tight, no issues there. And there weren't any other windows that needed to be closed as far as she could see.

"Flurry Heart," IG-11 interrupted.

Flurry looked over to the marching assassin droid as he approached her; with Cheep and G-G behind him.

"Eleven, is everything alright?" Flurry asked.

"Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!" Cheep grunted, raising one of his claws into a fist motion.

"We have a potential problem," the nurse droid stated.

"What problem?"

"Veep boop," G-G spoke.

"He has escaped."

“Wait, what!?”

Flurry ran down the hatch and back onto the ground, holding up her binocular lenses. She looked down the long stretch of the canyons, and saw nothing. And in a quick emergency check, she pulled out a small scanning device, checking for any droid signatures. Sadly the only ones that were within her vicinity were her, IG-11, and all of the droids on the ship.

“Blast it! Spike’s probably long gone by now,” Flurry huffed.

“Perhaps it was for the best,” IG-11 responded.

“Excuse me?” Flurry was appalled. “That droid needed help, he crash-landed here, didn’t he?”

IG-11 stood still, while his eyepieces kept swiveling around. “This is true.”

“Look, I have a suggestion.”

“Proceed.”

“Since it’s too dangerous with all of the Tuskens, how about we leave in the morning, and get Spike back here?”

IG-11’s eyes focused back onto Flurry. “This is acceptable. However, I do not feel it is right to lie to your mothers.”

“We kinda have to. Let’s tell them we’re just going to look for something to buy in Mos Eisley,” Flurry said.

“That alibi is a 25% chance of failure,” IG-11 stated.

“Well it’s one we have to roll with,” Flurry sighed, walking back into the ship. And so IG-11 followed her back inside, and the hatch began to rise back up and close, locking down for the night.

Far from Tatooine, three Imperial Star Destroyers were hovering outside of Lola Sayu; a volcanic world that had a large piece of it's lower mantle exposed, now revealing a bright lava and energy inside. It once was a planet of conflict between the Republic and the Storm Empire, now it remains an Imperial controlled world.

Inside one of the Star Destroyers was one of the prisoners, one of the escapee Rebels who had received more torture than some of her fellow allies. She was being held in a containment field; arms and legs immobilized while hovering. The multiple electric shocks didn't help matters either.

"I really don't see why you are being so stubborn. Just give me the information that my masters require, and the pain will stop. Or don't. I must admit that I'm finding this quite enjoyable." the protocol droid snapped. His red eyes glared at the captive ominously.

The rebel weakly raised her head to look at him, but she just slumped back down. She was exhausted, hurt, and she could barely bring herself to speak. Just then, the doors opened. A figure in a dark cloak and mask walked inside. This figure was shorter than the one who pursued the Rebels and Spike on Courscant, and her mask was different as well.

"000, have you succeeded in getting the information?" The masked woman asked.

"This woman refuses to talk, no thanks to you slapping her face multiple times, and stabbing her mates in front of her. If you just gave them to me, I could have had the information ready hours ago," the protocol droid replied. "And I told you once before, I am Triple-Zero."

"I don't care," the masked woman said. "Give her another electric shock."

"I'd be happy to!" He said, waddling over to the controls again.

Another electric shock surged through the Rebel's body, making her scream in agony and pant heavily as the shocks stopped.

"If you cooperated, this procedure could be less painful than it is now," the woman in black stated.

The Rebel panted as she looked at them. "You.. will... never... get... me... to... crack!"

"Inquisitors always have a way of getting the weak to crack," the woman snarled. "Especially when it comes to hunting down things of importance, Rebel. Or would you prefer I use your actual term... Jedi?"

The Rebel woman looked up with a scared look, although it wasn't as big as the Inquisitor had hoped. She had been tortured and hurt so much that she could barely express any horror outside of her misery and pain.

"Jedi Knight, Mystery Mint," she said, reading from a manifest. "Survivor of the Great Jedi Purge, and ally to the Rebel scum. Oh how the mighty have fallen."

"At least we're fighting for something worth fighting for," she moaned.

The gloved hands of the Inquistor grabbed her face, pressing into her cheekbones as she yanked her head forward, gazing into her unseen eyes.

"The Rebellion is nothing more than a group of insurgents, disturbing the peace. You call us evil, call us tyrannical. But every day, we ensure the galaxy stays safe from your kind. I'll ask you again; where did the rest of your Rebels go? Where is the Rebel base... where can I find Sunset Shimmer?"

"I... will... never... talk," Mint weakly moaned, her head dropping down again, almost on the brink of blackout.

The Inquisitor's impatience was growing. But just as she was about to raise her hand to signal the protocol droid--

"Sister."

A Midnight trooper walked into the room, holding his gun in the safety position. The Inquisitor lowered her hand, and stood up straight to listen to the trooper's words. "We just received word from Captain Phasma. Her team has found the tracking signal from another one of the escaped Rebels. It's hailing all the way from Tatooine."

The Inquisitor was quiet for a moment. "Tatooine... very well. Tell the crews to prepare my shuttle, I will be embarking with the Fourth Sister to go after them. As for the prisoner..."

"May I kill her? I would love to finish her off," Triple Zero offered.

"No. She may have some use for us," the Force-user said.

"Oh yes, of course! If you think it's best to leave the prisoner alive, giving them the chance of escaping later! By all means, certainly!"

"Take her to the site of our new project. Perhaps she would be more useful in construction," the Inquisitor declared. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have plans to obtain..."

"Yes Sister," the Midnight trooper nodded.

And as Mint stayed up in the hovering containment field, her head weakly fell just like her hands and she passed out. She wanted to get out, she had to save Spike. But everything just went black.

The very next morning came, another hot day on Tatooine. But it didn't bother Flurry Heart or IG-11 as they sped along the narrow gorge that was Beggar's Canyon. They had to find Spike, and fast! Flurry once again, drove the landspeeder, and thankfully she did not slam into anyone this time. At least, she hoped she wouldn't do it again. And their trip was accompanied by a holotape cassette playing some music, spoken in the Mando'a.

Ooh, lek!
Tettar ohira ner kar'ta
Dinuir bic a ohira!
Ooh, lek, ik'aad!
Ooh, lek!
Tettar ohira ner kar'ta,
Vercopaanir bic draar gev!
Ooh, lek, ik'aad

Dressed just for emergency, Flurry now wore long pants and black boots that could protect her feet from the hot sand. She still donned a tank top, and she strapped on a pair of goggles to protect her eyes, along with fingerless gloves. And on her left arm was some padded armor, white armor with minty-green highlights, branded with a Mandalorian symbol right on the shoulder piece.

"There's a droid in the scanner, just up ahead!" IG-11 stated, his scopes swiveling down on the radar console.

"Understood! Hang onto something, I'm going to hit the accelerator!"

She slammed her foot on the pedal, and the landspeeder sped up. They raced around several corners until finally the green and purple droid was visible. Flurry slowed down the speeder, not wanting to slam into him again like before. The two of them finally pulled over, parking it as they rushed towards Spike still waddling away. "Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?" Flurry asked, jumping in front of him.

"I told you, I need to find my friends!"

"You cannot walk away from us with a vague response," IG-11 intervened.

"Are you serious right now?" Spike deadpanned.

"You're lucky you haven't been scrapped by any bounty hunters," the assassin droid continued to argue.

"Okay, hold on 11, it's fine, maybe we should just go back to the ship," Flurry suggested.

Suddenly, Spike started shaking in fear, rattling the metal on his body."Guys! Shut up. I'm picking up several life forms. Type-4 bio-signatures east of us," Spike worried, jittering and wobbling in place.

"Oh no. Tuskens," Flurry thought, pulling out a weapon from the landspeeder to fight. IG-11 whipped out his guns to take a stand as well, eyes swiveling in circles to monitor his surroundings. Everyone listened carefully, hearing the sounds of the wind blowing through the desert sands. Rocks crumbled near the canyon walls, and all three of them were standing in guard positions, ready to fight if necessary. But just then--

"Urrrrrrk!"

Flurry yelped, and pointed her gun up at the top of one of the canyon walls. But her fear washed away and replaced with a smile as she saw who was yelling at her.

"Oh. Hi Hoar!" Flurry waved.

"Urk urk urk!" The Tusken Raider shouted, waving at her.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to trespass on this area, we were just looking for him. We'll get out of here in a few minutes, I promise," Flurry shouted up.

"Rukh urrrrr!"

The Tusken Raider waved his gun in the air some more, but gave her a few hand signals that gave her the okay, and left. Flurry sighed, thankful that he wasn't going to attack. "Hoar, sometimes, I swear... anyways, look, Spike, maybe you do have somewhere to go, but--"

"Flurry."

The girl stopped talking, waiting for the C1 unit to speak, hearing him talk louder than before.

"Do you have any idea what's at stake here? What I have in my possession could mean an upper hand on the Empire, something we desperately need right now. I barely got here with my circuits, and I watched a bunch of my friends get killed!"

His voice was raised, and Flurry was starting to understand he wasn't joking. The astromech was scared.

"If I don't get these plans to my friends, this could mean the end of everything we worked hard to build, everything we've tried to fight for! I've come all this way, and I'm not stopping. Shoot me if you have to, but you're not stopping me from leaving," Spike argued.

Flurry Heart and IG-11 exchanged glances, looking at each other puzzled. Nothing they would do would stop him, and Flurry couldn't find a way or a loophole to counter Spike's argument. The seventeen-year-old looked back at Spike, and squatted down to stare at him straight in the eye. "How important is this information?"

"Very important," Spike replied.

Flurry thought some more. "What even is the information?"

"I can't show it to you out in the open, you don't know who's watching. But if you let me go, I could take you to where my friends are, and maybe you could see what we're after," Spike offered.

Flurry and IG-11 looked at each other again, thinking things through.

"Your mothers would want you back home, safe and sound," IG-11 stated.

"Yes, but they also said if I wanted to go out every now and then it's fine, as long as you're accompanying me," Flurry sassed with a smirk, folding her arms.

"This is true."

"So... I have another suggestion," Flurry proposed.

"Proceed."

"You and I will go together, with Spike, and we will look for whoever he's after. I will be safe with you, and we can still help this droid. Mom always said to help someone in need, and right now, he needs our help."

The assassin droid thought things over, and came with a reply. "This is acceptable."

Flurry then looked at Spike. "Do you want us to help?"

Spike looked around. "Well... looks like I don't have a choice. And it'd be nice to have some help. Sure!"

"Great. Then come on, let's get moving! Eleven, you're driving" Flurry agreed, sitting back in the shotgun seat of the landspeeder. IG-11 marched back, and threw himself back into the driver's seat. Lastly, Spike hovered with his rocket, and laid down on the edge of the landspeeder. And just as extra safety, a small attachment from his back opened up and clamped onto the landspeeder so he couldn't fall off.

Adjusting the brakes and stick-shift, IG-11 set off on the sandy roads once again to leave.

The landspeeder raced across the desert. The ground the landspeeder hovered across wasn't exactly smooth, and Spike clinging onto the back, next to the engine in the middle. The trip was a bit bumpy, but he still had a tight grip.

"You okay back there, Spike?" Flurry hollered.

"I'm okay! Just watch out for the--" The speeder slammed over a rock, and it sent Spike flying off the landspeeder and bouncing back on the ground again. "---AGHHH!!!!"

"Blast it! Third time! Third time, I swear!" Flurry ranted.

--

The trio finally made it to a stop (after basically strapping Spike down on the landspeeder to keep him from flying off again) and they huddled together on an edge of rock, staring off into the wide empty deserts that stretched as far as the eye could see. And just with a binocular view, they saw a large spaceport just beyond the ridge. And just as extra precaution for cover, Spike was covered in plenty of sand and dust as partial disguise; mostly accidental thanks to him flying off the speeder.

"Mos Eisley Spaceport," IG-11 stated, looking through the binoculars. "I believe a wise legend once said, 'you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.'"

"Who said that?" Flurry asked.

"Your mother says it was quoted an old hermit that used to reside in the Dune Sea," 11 replied.

"Well Mos Eisley is where I need to go. That's where my friends are hiding. I just hope our ship is still intact," Spike worried.

--

The outside of the spaceport was rather quiet. Only a few womp-rats and passer byes hung out there, and most of the time they had to jump or run for their lives if a speeder was coming by to avoid roadkill. Most of the time, this wasn't the case. And IG-11 completely ignored the womp-rats as he slammed into a trash-can, scaring the living daylights out of them, even hitting one of them in the process.

"You just hit a womp rat!"

"I drove at the appropriate speed, it had enough time to get out of our direction," 11 sassed.

"But you can't drive like a maniac! We're not in the Dune Sea!"

And IG-11 sassed back with a recording from his hard-drive. "First rule; don't play the hero. Shoot anything that can't shoot back. Like porgs, circus people, peasants, tourists, dust, banthas, and little womp rats."

Flurry glared. "Mama said that as a joke!"

Regardless of their spat, they drove further inside and Flurry finally got a better look of what this spaceport was like. It was a rather large town, filled to the brim with the lowest of the lows. Servants of the Hutts, smugglers, fugitives, all types of evil were residents of this lawless space port. Even the droids were cruel and harsh , as Flurry noted from one worker droid smacking the scrap out of a hovering drone.

And Flurry gulped as she saw one scary looking Devaronian point a gun at a nearby dweller, forcing him to hand over his money and then shove him straight into a garbage can.

"Just look forward Flurry. The less attention we draw to ourselves, the better," 11 advised.

The little girl, not wanting to be seen, lowered herself in her seat, trying not to be seen by anyone passing by. Even the sweet Palliduvan lady at one of the vendors looked at some customers mean with malicious intent. But Flurry's face shrunk when she saw what was up ahead. Scary looking troopers in dark purple armor patrolling the streets, talking to a few people who were passing by in landspeeders.

"Oh no. Those guys are Midnight troopers, they're looking for me," Spike whimpered. "What do we do!?"

"Spike, wait, calm down! Maybe we can slip by."

"And if we can't?"

"I'll sic IG-11 on them," Flurry said nonchalantly, before going back to scared. "But I hope we don't have to go to that..."

Their landspeeder slowed down as they drove further into the port, and they watched as the towering troopers marched towards their speeder to talk. Flurry was shaking as she looked at them, but she had to keep it calm. Slowly she breathed in and out, and gave them her undivided attention to speak.

"How long have you had these droids?" The trooper asked.

"About all of my life sir. They're family," Flurry said, calmly.

"Let me see your identification," the Midnight trooper asked.

"Oh, of course," Flurry nodded, pulling out an identification card and giving it to him for verification. The trooper looked at it, and back to the girl.

"And the assassin droid is registered?"

"Yes sir," Flurry nodded.

"I'm asking as part of the routine questions; what business are you here for?"

"Groceries and trade of parts," IG-11 answered.

The troopers took one brief look at Spike who laid there, playing dead to avoid attention. He prayed that the dust and sand would be decent enough and waited for their response...

"This isn't the droid we're looking for," the trooper said to his comrades. His helmeted face looked down at Flurry. "You can go about your business. Move along."

"Yes sir, thank you sir," Flurry replied.

And IG-11 speed off in a flash, taking the group far away from them as soon as possible. Their speeder made a turn, passing by some more civilians and criminals moving around on their business, and they avoided crashing into another rolling speeder that moved on by. Eventually they found a place to park, and so they moved the landspeeder over to a building wall, with a little bit of shade to cover it. Not a lot, but it would have to do.

"Wow. I can't believe that worked. That is just gross incompetence," Spike stated.

He felt the straps coming off his body, and so he pulled himself onto the ground and extended his wheels. The other two joined him, and so the group marched off into the port.

Not surprisingly, the rest of the port was just as filthy and disgusting as the entrance. More low-lives and criminals around, making trade and deals with the market people. And Flurry saw some more familiar races that her moms taught her growing up; Mimbanese, of course. Some out of place Gungans as well. Zygerrians, Pykes, Rodians, Weequays, quite the variety of people here. Some looked suspicious, some looked less suspicious than others, and only a few rarities of people who actually looked genuine and didn't look like they were up to anything bad. Regardless, their walk took them directly into the slums.

“Okay Spike, we’re here. So where should we start to look for this Rebel group of yours?” Flurry asked, looking around.

“I don’t know. My friends just told me to find them here, they never said where,” Spike replied.

Flurry sighed. “This could complicate things…”

The trio looked all around them. There had to have been somewhere for them to go to. Someone or something had to be helpful. Flurry’s attention turned to across the street, right before her was a local cantina. She could hear music blaring from inside, the Modal Nodes, she loved their tunes. Sadly that was a bar, and she was not of the legal age to go inside to drink.

But since her mothers were not around…

“You know, we could take a look inside that cantina? Some of the best pilots come there—”

“—We are not allowed in that kind of establishment, and you are underage,” IG-11 said, putting a stop to her immature desire.

Flurry pouted. “Come on, I’m not going to drink anything, I just wanna look…”

“Flurry, we can’t get in even if we want to.”

“Why?”

Spike’s projector eye flashed a holographic screen before them.

--

In front of them was the point of view of another droid, one roughly the same height as herself, presumably. This droid, whoever he was, was walking right into the bar along with a human; one dressed in a white work outfit and flowy blond hair. They were walking right through the bar until—

“Hey! We don’t serve their kind here.”

“What?” said the man next to him.

“Your droids, they’ll have to wait outside, we don’t want them here.”

“Just wait out by the speeder, we don’t want any trouble,” the man said, looking at the protocol droid’s eyes.

“I heartily agree with you sir.”

--

And the hologram shut itself off.

“And that’s why we can’t go in,” Spike replied. “Also people die in there a lot, and no one bats an eye if you slice off someone’s arm.”

Flurry blinked, rather disturbed at that sentence.

“You think I’m kidding? A friend of mine back at base told me so; two drunk guys started threatening him, and then a minute later, one of their arms got sliced off, and barely anyone reacted. Just went straight back to drinking.”

Flurry gulped. “And now I think I understand why Mama said never to come down here alone.”

“You are not alone. I am right here with you,” IG-11 replied, comfortingly as he patted her shoulder.

Flurry yanked the assassin closed in a tight gripping hug. "Thank you, I really appreciate that."

Some awkward silence passed as the people around them kept about their business.

"... So. We should uh... keep looking then?"

"Yeah, yeah, we uh... we should," Spike said, rolling forwards.

Flurry and IG-11 just proceeded to follow him, ready to keep on searching. Hopeful they would find Spike's allies... and also hope that Flurry's moms wouldn't be upset that she was helping a complete stranger.

Beyond the Dune Sea, stood a curved building with sandblasted metal and pitted stone. This palace belonged to Jabba the Hutt; one of the most powerful gangsters in the galaxy. He led the the Hutt Cartel, a powerful crime syndicate like the Black Sun or the Pyke Syndicate. Jabba himself was one mean, slobbering, slug. If you made a mistake, you wouldn't get any second chances. His eyes may appear sleepy, but he wasn't someone to take lightly.

He laid there atop a stone dais within the throne room, enjoying having a smoke from a hookah pipe. Also by his side was Salacious Crumb, a monkey-lizard and court jester, and on his right was Oola; a lime-green Twi'lek who had been kidnapped and forced into a life of slavery and debauchery. She stood at the end of the flatbed chair, not wanting to touch that slimy beast that kept her on a leash and revealing clothes. Inside the palace, some soft music was playing as part of the warm ambience, while members of his entourage chilled in his main room. There was the majordomo, like Big Fortuna. Tessek, Jabba's accountant. A wide variety of entertainers, of course. Some who were hired, some forced with no choice of escape. And of course, the obligatory Gamorreans who acted as guards.

But the guards stepped aside as some visitors were approaching. Bib Fortuna led some guests down to the center of the room; a metallic floor that was one of the only bits of outside light coming into the palace. The arrived 'guests' were a cuffed Nitko with scars on his face, a dark blue Mandalorian with light pink highlights on her helmet, and another bounty hunter, wearing a big cloak that disguised the body, with only a golden helmet with a black faceshield covering the head.

The Mandalorian turned her gaze to the left, noting another Mandalorian-clad figure among Jabba's entourage; with olive green and yellow armor. And the golden helmeted figure noted the Trandoshan in a yellow jumpsuit, kicking back in his chair, hissing and drinking as he stared at them.

Great. Just the bounty hunter we need who could ruin my cover.

"Ohhh..." The big Hutt said, smoking some more from the pipe. "Coo sa da?"

"Greetings, Exalted One," Bon Bon introduced. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am simply the Mandalorian; or Mando. And this is my partner, Vigo. We've captured the assassin that you put a bounty on, for not paying up front when you gave him some very kind services."

The Nitko sneered. "The services were bantha poodoo! They didn't mean anything!"

Jabba the Hutt let out a big chuckle as he sat there, staring at the Nitko. "Chuba Stoopa. Uba canta caiot ritke nan wata, boya bo see mah pankpa an mah bukee, an tee wamma mi jop?"

"I had no choice! The Empire boarded me!"

"Which is why you fight for your life," Bon Bon snarked.

"Mando. Jee katka bauuot, Dobra kacmhata. Jee canta wa votetka see u kulle rah nah bacdop cay bu bacaka see tee dan," Jabba interrupted, grabbing her attention.

"Well good Jabba, I might be a lowly hunter, but if there's a challenge and good pay, I'll take it. Besides, I had to meet you personally." Bon Bon said.

The Hutt chuckled, with a few other backgrounders chuckling as well. After he stopped laughing, he glared at the Nitko with a smug expression, at least, Bon Bon assumed it was smug.

"Peee che uba, Nitko, Jee canta hihnoba du mah jacdee hatkocanh woy bu koudanwohola. Jee caiit yom boya che uba hocan. Tah kung kacaheu mi see Solo. Bacaka tee uba, Solo paknee ata bo yoyohba bai wahpiha mi. Paknee ata jen koumhaptecee."

Two guards came in, yanking the Nitko lowlife out of the Mandalorian's hands and off to Jabba's prison-area. Now only the two bounty hunters were left standing in the middle of the room. Jabba directed his attention towards them.

"Peee che uba dopa, Jee sonpa bacdop. uba gee woy mi wa lhonu bargon, an che da, Jee bacaka bai wamma uba bacdop sonocha, 000."

Bon Bon did not like the sound of this, at all. "Your wanted ads said you were offering fifty thousand for the bounty."

Jabba grunted, this time sounding uninterested. "Fortuna. Bunno bai hoohah."

Bib Fortuna stepped up, looking over to Jabba, and then to the two bounty hunters. But before he spoke to the two hunters, Jabba spoke to him first. "Jee hatkocanh lee chalya hoohah huntodon cuee, um da doth fa. La caiot paknee ata fa, mo jot."

The majordomo nodded, and glared at the couple with his red seething eyes.

"Jabba doth yo ho soducha, 000. Da doth hea uba dopa doth meeto toe yoieu," Fortuna said, moving towards them.

Some uncomfortable silence filled the room, as everyone was waiting for their response. The two masked figures stared at each other, giving silent nods.

Finally, Bon Bon said something. "Kark fa. Ta woha paknee ata fa."

"She agrees," Fortuna said, breaking the Huttese language for only a second.

"Tessek! Lee chalya hoohah twa beeska mu-moolee!" Jabba barked.

A Quarren stumbled over from a corner with a brief-case, revealing the credits inside. Once it was sealed and locked, he passed it over to 'Vigo' who accepted. But before they were about to leave--

"One more thing, mighty Jabba. May I have a quick look at your slave?"

"Gahke."

Bon Bon slowly approached the Twi'lek girl, not wanting to frighten her. Although she did lean backwards on the dais, not wanting to be centimeters near this stranger. Bon Bon examined her, eyeing her up and down. And softly she took one of her hands, opening her palm. The Twi'lek didn't understand, until she felt something soft and hard land in her palm, only for Bon Bon to disguise the object by making her fingers fold up. The Twi'lek finally understood her intentions, but she kept quiet. It wasn't much, but she would use it.

The Mandalorian silently nodded to her, while 'Vigo' stared at everyone around, wondering what their next moves were. Thankfully nobody had done or noticed what Bon Bon was doing, and watched as she backed away and stood next to her partner.

"Just curious. Considering looking into Twi'leks, possibly. We best be on our way; thank you very kindly, Jabba. May you and your entourage have a wonderful day," Bon Bon concluded.

Once all was said and done, the two figures went up the steps to leave the palace. Nobody stood in their way or tried to stop them, and the Gamorrean guards stepped out of the way to let the two depart as the palace gates opened. Once they were out, the two of them proceeded to walk as quickly as they could, far from the palace.

They finally got enough distance from the palace so anyone close couldn't see their faces or hear their words, which provided them the opportunity to remove their helmets for a moment. "There, now we are done, and we got paid thirty-five thousand credits," Bon Bon said with a grin. "And we didn't have to kill anyone."

Lyra used all of her strength and yanked the golden mask off with a pop! Her hair stuck up on end, and she had to rub her hand through it to get it all back down.

"Couldn't I have worn literally any other mask? This thing is heavy," Lyra pouted. "I don't even know how that Zorii girl could wear this, this is impossible!" And her hair poofed right back up on end again.

The Mandalorian giggled. "You know you look cute with that puffed hair."

"Bonnie..." Lyra playfully pouted.

Bon Bon gave her a loving peck on her cheek, helping her brush her hair down.

"I do appreciate you giving that slave the knife," Lyra smiled, softly.

"I had to. I'm not positive of her chances, but better she get a chance to escape than to be stuck there forever. Now come on, let's go home," Bon Bon said, walking with her wife to the bikes.

Lyra, placing the helmet on the back of her bike, Lyra raised her com device. "Lyra to Sweetie Drop base. Lyra to Sweetie Drop base. Come in, Sweetie Drop."

She got static for a brief moment, until one of the astromech voices came through.

"Chirp chirp chirp churp," Cheep spoke.

"Cheep, where is Flurry?"

"Chur... churup?" Cheep said, sounding unsure.

"What do you mean you don't know? How do you not know?"

"Cheep cheep cheep!"

"Eleven too?" Flurry questioned.

"Lyra, wait. Stay calm, if Eleven is gone, then he's probably with her."

"Yeah, but where?" Lyra questioned. "Cheep, where did Eleven and Flurry go?"

"Chirp, chup chup chup choop," The C1 unit replied.

"Wait, with who!?"

"Chirp choop," Cheep finished.

Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other.

"We gotta go to Mos Eisley, fast."

Not another word was exchanged. Quickly the two put their helmets back on their heads and jumped onto their bikes. The engines revved and so the couple raced off from the palace, on their way to Mos Eisley. Whatever Flurry and Eleven were doing, this didn't sound good to them. Who was this stranger they were aiding? Either way, they were going to have to have a serious talk when they find Flurry.

The Rebels

Author's Note

So sorry this took a while guys, been trying to get as much done as I could. Hope the wait was worth it!

Thanks to Scholars for helping me edit and write! :twilightsmile:

The Rebels

Flurry and the droids kept wandering about the vendor stands, passing by some more shady looking owners and customers. While the teenager did have IG-11 with her, she did get the harsh truth that she wasn't going to be protected forever. But she was going to cling onto whatever protection she had now. Wald's Parts, great deals, hard to negotiate with the owner, she thought. One small eatery underneath the shade of a tarp; good place, meh food.

"Say Spike, is there anything you can tell us about these friends of yours that can make it easier? Are they a particular race or species?" Flurry asked.

"I suppose I could tell you that. One of them's an Equestrian, just like you. Tan-yellow skin, dark turquoise green hair," Spike said, nodding to her. "Let's see, there's--"

The astromech froze. Flurry and Eleven stopped as well, and Spike's dome slowly tilted over to an alleyway. He saw something that made his dome rattle. "Ohhh great."

Flurry and Eleven looked over, catching what he saw. A young adult, this bird-like humanoid with gray-bluish hair, light lavender fur and feathers, with shorts, a tank top, and a vest was currently being hassled. Three of those supposed 'Midnight' troopers who had pauldrons on their shoulders and sand over their padding. And one of them, standing so still as if she had a stick up her rear, was the superior officer.

"But ma'am, please! I was just going to purchase some Mantell Mix, I'm innocent, I swear!"

"Spread her legs!"

The two troopers slammed her body against the wall, moving her legs apart. The superior officer patted her hands over her legs, her waist, and on her back where her wings were desperately trying not to wiggle in fear or swat at them. They were armed, she did not want to lose those wings today. Spike, Eleven, and Flurry threw their backs against an adobe wall, hidden from the Imperials. Needless to say, none of them liked what they saw.

"This is unnecessary brutality," IG-11 stated.

"Yeah, and she's one of my friends," Spike pointed out.

"Friend?"

"Yes, friend!"

This gave Flurry and IG-11 an idea. An awful idea. One that made the two of them slowly look at each other, and Flurry had a rather devious smile. "Eleven?"

"I am standing by."

"Think you can, say, take them out?"

"Hold on. Don't kill them," Spike interrupted. "Just don't kill them, alright?"

"Well... okay. Take them out without killing them," Flurry instructed.

"Acceptable," IG-11 agreed.

--

The poor bird was still being given grief by the Midnight troopers, even though she really did nothing to warrant this.

"I swear, I didn't do anything--agh!" One of the troopers pushed her face into the wall. "No, please! It hurts!"

"ST-5933 and ST-5472, keep that Rebel scum restrained. We're going to bring her in for interrogation," the officer ordered, rather cold and maliciously.

Suddenly, out the corner of her eye, the officer saw a shadow lurking down the alleyway. She turned around, hearing a few mechanical footsteps march, and caught sight of the ominously silent assassin droid.

"Whoa!" The other trooper gasped, pulling out his weapon.

The officer whipped out her blaster as well, as the two of them stood together and pointed their weapons at IG-11.

"Oh no... this can't be good," the Midnight trooper moaned.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of one of their kind, ST-D17," the officer grunted.

"Ma'am, I hate to question authority and breaking my silence... but do you not know what that thing is? That's an assassin droid, those things are not something you mess around with," the trooper responded.

"He's right Captain, those things ripped apart one of my men when we were going through the lower side of this backwater town," ST-5933 added.

The officer ignored their warnings and instead, spoke strongly to the assassin droid.

"Who are you?"

IG-11 was silent, and stood there menacingly. He looked at the Imperial woman, his eyes focusing on her as he analyzed the situation. Four threats and only one of him. Risk assessment calculated that his chances were going to be okay. But right now, he just had to take them out without killing, as Flurry ordered.

"I said, who are you?" The Imperial officer demanded.

Still, silence was present. IG-11 faced them, and without a second thought, he slowly marched forward towards the group. The bird-like woman who was struggling to break free from the two troopers looked terrified, and within good reason. Flurry however, hidden behind her cover with Spike, wasn't afraid for Eleven. She knew he was going to be fine, there was only four of them.

"Stop! I said, stop moving! I will shoot!"

The officer fired first, landing a shot on IG-11's plating, but it didn't kill him. The shot was too far from his main circuitry to have any effect.

"Oh freaking Karabast," ST-D17 cursed.

"How is this thing dangerous?" The officer mocked. "How can this skinny junker be--"

IG-11 interrupted before she could finish her word by clutching his claw onto her wrist. He yanked her when she gripped her, and twisted her wrist enough to make a loud snapping sound and for her to scream in agony.

"OH GOD!"

And before anyone else could react, IG-11 gripped her tightly and threw her body up into the air and slammed her against the ground, knocking her out. The other trooper fired at her, but IG-11's torso spun around knocking the weapon out of his hand, and his other arm whipped around to grab him by the throat.

"Oh, wait! Ack--no, please!"

The assassin droid's next response was to spin around and slam his back against one of the dwelling walls, making him scream as he kept slamming him like machine on an assembly line. He slammed harder and harder, until finally the adobe wall started to crumble and break a little from how hard he was using him as a puncher. There weren't any holes made, but the massive dent was enough to create some damage. Eventually Eleven let him go, and turned his focus on the other two troopers. Both of them decided to just shove the Arisian girl into the ground before running up towards him.

IG-11 still held back, and continued to fight without killing them. He grabbed ST-5933's left arm and slammed his fist against his gut. ST-5472 tried to move in, but IG-11 swatted at him like a bug, slapping his face hard enough to knock him out cold. He then proceeded to throw the trooper he had a tight grip on on top of him, like he was piling a stack of food. Just for good measure, he delivered a swift kick to his stomach, eliciting a moan. His eyes looked around, and he took notice of one of their weapons. Picking it up, he pointed it at the downed troopers.

"Whoa, whoa! Eleven, wait!" Flurry yelped, finally emerging from hiding to step in. Spike soon joined her as well. "Don't kill them!"

"They incited unnecessary brutality, they must be terminated," IG-11 said, using only his simple analysis as an answer.

"Eleven, wait!" Spike protested, putting his little claws up. "These guys are looking for me, I don't want them getting back up right away, but if they're dead, it's going to tell the Empire that I'm definitely here. Just stun them, at the very least, they'll look incompetent to their superior officers and face repercussions."

IG-11 thought this over, and came to a single conclusion. "Understood." Immediately, he lowered his weapon, dropping it by the trooper's side. At last, their attention came to the bird-like girl they were trying to help. She was afraid of Eleven, rightfully so, but not so afraid when she saw Flurry.

"Hey, are you okay?" Flurry asked, offering a hand to help her up.

The bird did accept, and she got back up on her feet. And when she looked at her, she grew a big grin on her face. “You… you saved me,” the fluffy girl stammered. “You saved me from them!” And she picked up Flurry in a big hug swinging her around. “How can I ever repay you?”

“You’re… crushing… my lungs!” Flurry heaved.

“Oh, sorry!”

"But really, I didn't do anything. You should be thanking my nurse," Flurry said, gesturing to him.

The bird gulped. "H-H-He's your nurse droid? But he's an assassin droid!"

"I am not a hunter. I am a nurse droid," IG-11 replied.

She couldn't believe what she heard. This assassin droid wasn't going to kill her?

"How is he--"

"--My mama found him as spare parts. She reprogrammed him." The bird looked at him again, and back at Flurry. And taking notice that the Imperials had been taken out for now, Flurry cleared her throat, looking at the fluffy bird lady… thing. “Who are you anyway?”

“I’m Silverstream, I’m an Arisian, from Seaquestria. Long-time refugee, and now a mighty Rebel!” She cried out, pretending to swing a long-range rifle in her arms, holding it proudly in the air. “Who are you?”

“I’m Flurry Heart. And this is IG-11. Why were those guys harassing you?” Flurry asked, raising a brow.

“Because I… wait. How do I know you’re not one of… them?” Silverstream whimpered, backing away slightly.

“Them? Them, who?”

“Those Midnight troopers, how do I know you’re not on her side!”

“I’m not!” Flurry protested. “I saw them harassing you, why would I be on their side if I helped you?”

“I… I don’t know,” Silver admitted, her ears flopping. “I’ve been around so many sketchy characters, I don’t know who to trust anymore.”

"Silverstream, it's okay, you can trust them," a familiar voice said.

The Arisian looked to the side, and squeed when she saw Spike rolling towards her. "Spike! You made it! Do you have the... you know...?"

"I have it, safe and sound," Spike said, giving a salute. "But we can't look out here. Those guys will get up any minute."

"Then follow me! I know where we're currently staying, come on!" Silverstream said with a chipper demeanor. She gestured the group to follow, and so Flurry, Eleven, and Spike trailed after her.

Silverstream led the three of them around the corner towards another alleyway, far from the one they were just in. Silver's hand knocked on the door, and she waited. A gatekeeper eye extended from a hatch, looking at Silverstream.

"Coo ne?"

"It's Silverstream. I just got back," Silverstream replied, focusing on the gatekeeper's eyes.

"Uba koee doneha."

The gatekeeper droid pushed itself back in it's little slot, and a door slid open. She walked in first, with Spike rolling right behind her. Flurry and IG-11 were last to follow, and poor Eleven had to duck as he walked inside the small dwelling. Together they walked down a small set of steps into a large open room. It's clear from the inside that the house was just meant to be used as a cover. Hardly any furniture to be considered 'homey', aside from a few chairs, and an indoor firepit in the corner.

“Hey guys, I’m back!”

Flurry heard a loud clamor of joy from inside.

“And I made a new friend!”

When Flurry walked into the room, she was met with of a group of five new faces in front of her. An orange Draconoid (mainly known as just dragons from Drakein), a turquoise and red Changeling, a hulking Yakyakiee, a blue Griffon, and a lime-skinned Equestrian with green hair. And they made their first introductions to her in the most wonderful way; with all of them cocking blasters and pointing them straight at Flurry like they were ready to kill.

“Whoa, whoa, hey, hey!” Flurry held her hands up in the air.

“Guys, it’s okay! She’s with me, she’s a friend!” Silverstream defended.

“It’s not just her we’re pointing them at,” the Draconoid growled, steam hissing from her nose.

Flurry was confused until she saw IG-11 trying not to bump his head into the entrance as he emerged.

“Where did he come from?”

“I say we blast it to smithereens!”

“Wait, no!” Flurry yelped, standing in front of him. “He’s with me, he’s family! He’s just my bodyguard… and also my nurse.”

The five of them stared at her in disbelief.

“That’s your nurse?” The Griffon asked. “That’s an IG unit, they’re hunters.”

“I am not programmed to hunt, but to nurse and protect.”

His eyes spun to Silverstream’s arm, and he softly pulled it towards him, making everyone reinforce their weapons on him. Silverstream felt like panicking, especially as a small nozzle extended from his bony arm, only to watch as some chemical sprayed on her cuts.

“I… huh?”

“This is a bacta spray. It will heal you in a matter of hours,” IG-11 replied, finishing the hose down on the cuts before removing his hand from her wrist.

“I… t-thank you,” the Arisian replied, unsure of how to react.

“You have behaved well,” IG-11 replied. One of his panels opened up with a small little hand, extending out a small piece of candy. “Have a blue lollipop.”

“Ooh, piece of candy,” Silverstream squeaked, accepting the lollipop.

Spike managed to squeeze past Flurry and the assassin droid. “Hey guys, I’m here!”

“Spike! You made it!” Ocellus clamored.

“Of course I made it, why wouldn’t I?” The astromech asked.

“Glad you made it safely, Spike,” Gallus acknowledged. “Is anyone else with you?”

“Not really, outside of these two,” Spike gestured with his claws.

Flurry and IG-11 received plenty of judging stares from the Rebels around them. This group sure seemed like an odd bunch. Some were worried, others looked more territorial, and few were excited to finally introduce them.

“Sooo… who are you?” Smolder asked.

“My name is Flurry Heart. This is my nurse droid/bodyguard, IG-11. Who are you guys?”

“I’m Sandbar,” the Equestrian young adult introduced. “And this is Smolder,” he introduced, with the Draconoid snorting smoke from her nostrils. “Yona,” continuing to show a friendly wave from the cloven-hooved Yakyakiee. “Gallus,” he gestured to the very chill looking Griffon. “And Ocellus,” he finished, getting a shy but cute wave from the Changeling. “And I take it you already met Silverstream?”

“I have. Now can someone tell me what all of this is about? I really hope I didn’t sic 11 on those Imperials for nothing,”

“Hold on. How do we know we can trust them? I know the assassin just sprayed your arm and gave you candy, but that doesn’t mean you should just accept them,” Smolder said, glaring at the strangers. “How do we know they’re not just going to turn us over?”

IG-11’s scopes swiveled as he stared at the Draconoid. “The Imperials were harassing your Arisian ally. Flurry Heart told me to cripple them so your friend wouldn’t be hurt.”

"He's right!" Silverstream confirmed. "They found me, but then he started whipping them all around like they were nothing!"

"Still though, I'd like to know who we're dealing wit here. Where do you come from?" Smolder asked.

"Well... I don't know. I guess here? I live somewhere out in Beggar's Canyon," Flurry said, unsure.

"And you somehow have a fully functional assassin droid?" Gallus asked.

"He's family. My mama's good with droids, she revived him when he was just a box of parts," Flurry explained.

The Changeling's eyes took notice of the white and teal arm armor she wore. Standing up, she walked closer to her, looking at her more carefully.

"Um, what are you doing?"

"That symbol on the armor there," Ocellus pointed. Flurry looked down, noting the Mandalorian symbol that was branded on the shoulder piece. "That's Mandalorian. Are you a Mandalorian?"

"Well... kinda, sorta. My mama's a Mandalorian," Flurry admitted.

"What?"

"No way!"

"Yona heard of Mandalorians. Legends say Mandalorians were proud, strong warriors, much like us Yakyakiees!" Yona said with excitement. "But yet, you don't wear traditional Mandalorian armor?"

"Like I said, I'm sort of a Mandalorian," Flurry tittered, rubbing the back of her head.

"And what about your father?" Sandbar asked..

"Um... I don't have a father, I do have a mom," Flurry said.

"I don't understand, what's she getting at?" Smolder asked. "... Wait. You just said you had a mama, and a mom? Does that mean..."

Flurry nodded.

"Ohhh..." everyone said, simultaneously.

"That makes sense," Gallus shrugged.

"Guys? The plans?" Spike interrupted. He extended something from his torso, and used his little claw to hold it. "I have them intact."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Good. I was wondering if they were safe," Silverstream sighed with relief.

"Well come on, let's pull them up!"

Spike put the data back in his hard-drive. And taking center in the middle of the room, his holoprojector activated, accessing the data. And with the shades drawn, the projection finally displayed, showing a large factory/outpost. Connected to the factory were a few power-generators, some barracks, communication centers, it was a completely operational center. And the next screen flipped to show a list of several numbers, identification numbers of course. These however were names listed for prisoners; as shown by the few mugshot photos that Spike pulled up.

"That's Aroli!" Yona pointed, showing a mugshot of a blue Twi'lek woman.

And then Spike went through some of the numerous mugshots, pulling up the pictures.

"Mogra, Nairomi, Siero, all of them!" Sandbar exclaimed. "How did they get here?"

"I'm sorry, who are these guys?" Flurry asked.

"They're Rebel friends of ours; they were believed to be dead during a supply run on Malastare," Sandbar explained. "But how did they end up here?"

"I think the bigger question is, why are they here? This is a factory, isn't it? What are they making?"

Spike was just about to go to the next picture--

Boop. Boop. Boop.

A soft beeping noise came from one of the datapads on the wall, alarming the 'housemates'.

"Uh oh! Proximity alert!" Ocellus warned.

"Flurry, assassin droid, get down!" Smolder yelled, shoving Flurry to the ground.

"Ow! I could have just gotten down!"

The six Rebels pulled out their weapons, aiming them at the steps and facing the door up top. They heard a hand knock on the door, but no one on the other side speaking. IG-11 was about to raise his weapons, but he lowered his hands instead. His scopes spun around as he faced the door.

"The ones approaching are not enemies," IG-11 determined. "My scanners are detecting allies."

But that answer was followed by what was trying to pry the door open. A glowing green blade was seen going right through the door, making everyone gasp. Even worse, the blade started to move around in a circle, cutting through the door without any issues whatsoever. None of them even knew who possessed that kind of weapon, certainly not anyone on Tatooine! But Flurry raised her head, and her pupils shrunk.

"Oh no..."

After a perfect circle had been made, the group heard a few soft taps on the on the door. And moments later, the circle had been pushed right through with a powerful slam, bouncing down the stairs right in front of them. Two adults rolled inside; Flurry instantly knew who they were. Even with the golden helmet that her mother was wearing to hide. Lyra kept her lightsaber blade pointed at the Rebels who all backed off, immediately. Bon Bon even twirled her twin blasters, pointing them at the group members with determination to shoot.

“Alright which one of you little bantha shits kidnapped my daughter!?” Bon Bon yelled.

“Wait, hey, we didn’t—”

“—Save your lips buster before I slice them off like frosting!” Bon Bon threatened, pointing her blaster at Smolder. Smolder shut up at once, but snorted smoke.

“Mom, Mama, hey! Stop! They’re fine!” Flurry yelled, standing in front of them. “They’re friends! They didn’t kidnap me and they haven’t endangered me!”

The two of them slowed their movements, looking over to IG-11 who stood by. “This is true.”

Bon Bon still sighed under the helmet. “Flurry, why are you here? I told you not to—”

“—They’re not strangers, they’re part of the Rebellion!”

The two exchanged glances. “What Rebellion?”

“The Rebellion against the Empire, haven’t you heard?” Gallus asked.

“Oh we’ve heard. And it’s not something we want any part of,” Lyra glared under the helmet. “Flurry, come on, we’re going home.”

“Mom, this is important! They need our help, they’ve been looking for this astromech droid who has information!” Flurry insisted, gesturing them to Spike.

“Flurry, we’re not—”

“—Wait a minute,” Lyra held her hand up. She crouched down to get a better look. She pulled the helmet off her head to let her face become visible, and once the C1 unit saw that face, his optics were locked onto her. Lyra couldn’t believe her eyes, she knew that purple and green color scheme anywhere. “Spike? Spike is that you?”

The C1 unit looked up at her. “Lyra?”

Lyra’s defenses lowered as she started smiling and laughing with joy. And out of nowhere, she yanked Spike over and embraced him in a friendly hug. “It is you! Haha, how you’ve been buddy?”

“Wait, you know him?” Ocellus asked.

“Of course I do! Spike here is a Clone Wars veteran, I fought by this little guy for a few missions.” And Lyra cursed herself for speaking up, realizing what she had just revealed.

“Are you a Clone Wars veteran?”

“... more or less,” Lyra admitted.

“And you’re a Jedi!” Ocellus pointed.

“… No I’m not,” Lyra said quickly.

“Yes, you are. Why else would you have a lightsaber?”

“… I stole it?”

“You rolled in like an acrobat. I think you’ve got enough stamina to slice our heads off if you wanted to,” Smolder rolled her eyes.

“Maybe so but—wait a minute. How do you know what a Jedi is?” Lyra asked, raising a brow as she glared at the Changeling.

“Our leader is a Jedi! We were sent here by General Shimmer to pick up Spike for an intelligence operation.”

The minty Jedi lost her voice. She didn’t speak, but instead just stood with absolute stillness and curiosity. Was she hearing her words right? “General Shimmer? As in Sunset Shimmer?"

“Yeah! You know her?”

Lyra slowly sat down, trying to take this all in. “Shimmer… She’s alive. All this time, I thought everyone I knew was dead but… she’s alive.”

“Dead? What do you mean?”

Lyra looked to her partner, squeezing her hand briefly before looking to the group of Rebels. “I thought she had died a long time ago, along with everyone else I knew during the rise of the Empire. You’re telling me, she oversees your Rebellion?”

“Yep!” Everyone shouted.

Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other with unsure faces, and back to them.

“What exactly are you six doing here, anyway?” Lyra questioned.

“We were stationed here. We got a transmission from Spike to come find him, said he had secret plans he needed to get back to the Rebellion,” Sandbar explained.

“Which explains why you kept spouting off about a secret mission and avoiding us,” Flurry said, crossing her arms with a little pout.

“I’m sorry, but I had to leave. What I have may be very important to help the Rebels win the war,” Spike reassured, patting her leg slightly.

“And what do you have?”

“A data disc. We barely scratched the surface of it, but it’s a new project the Empire has been developing. Whatever it is, I have a feeling it’s being mass produced,” Spike explained, spinning around where he stood.

Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other again.

“Should we?” Lyra quietly said.

“I don’t know, I thought we chose to stay out here because it’s far from this,” Bon Bon whispered.

“We couldn’t avoid it forever,” Lyra frowned.

“Hey! Why don't you four come with us! Can you come with us? Please?” Silverstream begged. “We could use your help!”

“You’re a Jedi, you’re a Mandalorian, and if you two could tame and control an IG unit, we could use people like you to help us!” Ocellus also begged, giving them a rather adorable expression with those little bug eyes of hers.

Flurry was next to speak up, noticing her moms were still not entirely on board. “Mom. Mama. They need help. You always said there’s not enough genuine nice people in the universe. We should help them. Besides, what else are we going to do here on Tatooine? Podracing is nice but we can't stay here forever."

Lyra cursed herself, why did she had to teach Flurry that. Now she couldn’t argue against her, she’d be a hypocrite.

"Flurry, we've stayed here to keep you safe, away from conflicts like this," Lyra said, trying to defend her argument.

"And you've done a good job. But I want to help. And I know we can help. Please, Mom?"

Dang it, she got me again, Lyra cursed to herself.

“Well? Hon, whatever you want to do, I’ll be right with you,” Bon Bon said with a smile. “If you want us to go back out there and fight, I am with you all the way.”

Lyra looked at the group of Rebels again. This group was of course, new to her. Some species she hadn’t seen in a while, mainly species she had never seen before. Sure a few of their systems were neighbors to Equestria, but that was aside the point. This group looked serious about fighting the Empire; an evil that they were familiar with, having heard about their constant spreads throughout the galaxy. Made from ashes of the former Republic she used to work for, now a force that intended on conquering the universe.

She looked over to Bon-Bon. The woman whom she had been happily married to for over 18 years, and always had her back no matter her choices. IG-11; the former assassin droid made to nurse and protect, still programmed with memories of fighting and combat maneuvers. And then to Flurry: her daughter who she swore to protect until the end of time, eager to join the Rebels to fight.

Her hand moved down to the lightsaber sticking out the side of her belt. Her weapon that she never let go of, knowing she would need it to fight. And she thought their proposal again. A chance to fight again. A chance to see her old friend, Sunset Shimmer once again. A chance to do something that she once stood for; fighting injustice and to fight for the freedom of the galaxy.

Lyra knew what she would be risking. Not just her life, of course. But if she did this, if she said "yes"... it would mean an end to the life that she and her family had made for themselves. No more hiding from the Empire. No more being able to live quietly - or as quietly as she and Bon-Bon had been able to, at any rate. Joining the Rebels would mean joining a war... and hadn't she walked away from that, all those years ago? But was it even possible to avoid that, any longer? How could she, when there were kids here - some of them barely older than Flurry! - who were trying to fight for a better future?

Lyra thought it all over, weighing the options before her, until finally, she found herself at a decision.

She pulled out her lightsaber, and ignited it, letting the green light of the blade glow inside the little hut. Lyra looked at the group of Rebels, and a small but confident smirk grew on her face. "The Jedi are coming back. Let's show the Empire that we're not wiped out."

"Alright!

"Yeah!"

"Whoohoo!"

"Alright, settle down guys," Lyra said, ushering everyone to calm down. “Now, if we’re going to be a part of this... Rebellion, we need to discuss some things first. Is your Alliance against anyone who is, say... Mandalorian?"

"Not really. Sunset Shimmer's philosophy was to have the Rebellion be open to everyone in the galaxy, at least those who wouldn't turn and betray them to the Empire," Sandbar answered, putting his hands on his hips, checking his blasters. "Though I do think they might take issue with the assassin droid..."

"I can convince them," Bon Bon said, patting Eleven's shoulder joint. "And now here's something I want to know; do any of you have a starship?”

The six of them were about to speak, until they all froze, sinking their heads.

“We uh… don’t. Pirates kinda…”

“Trashed it, stripped it, sold parts on the black market,” Ocellus said, meekly, her little wings flapping in fear.

Lyra scrunched her face. “Oy… okay, that’s fine, we can deal with it. We do have a ship out in Beggar’s Canyon. Do any of you have any other friends we should know about?”

“Not really,” Gallus shrugged.

“Rebels try to make any friends out here, but no one wants to join Yona or Rebel friends,” Yona pouted.

“We considered talking to this farmer out west, some neighbor to the Lars homestead, but she’s… something,” Smolder hissed, some smoke puffing from her nostrils. "We couldn't get an answer on whether or not there were other Jedi out here. We were also trying to find a Jedi Master, goes by the time of Rainbow Dash."

"We searched everywhere, but no one knows if she's even on Tatooine. We were hoping if she was around, we could invite her to join the Rebellion, but..." Ocellus continued.

"The vagueness of our search has basically gotten Rebel friends nowhere," Yona pouted, folding up her arms.

“I see…” Lyra rubbed her chin. “Okay, tell you what. If you still have business to take care of here, do what you need to do, and meet us over at the Sweetie Drop. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

“Sounds good to me,” Bon Bon agreed, walking with Lyra through the front door. “Flurry, are you going to come back with us, or…?”

“Can I just stay for a few more minutes?” Flurry begged. "Maybe Eleven and I could go look for that Jedi, Rainbow Dash?"

“Well… okay. I don't know if you'll find any Jedi, but you're welcome to look. But IG-11’s staying with you,” Bon Bon agreed. “And be out of there in an hour. We checked the scanners, the forecast says there’s going to be a sandstorm closing in an hour and a half.”

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Okay, it's worse!" Flurry yelled as the hot sands hit her face.

Flurry and IG-11 stayed over a lot longer than Bon Bon had hoped. By the time they left Mos Eisley to try and look for that supposed Jedi, a heavy sandstorm had arrived, making it impossible for either of them to see where they were going. It didn't help matters either that their landspeeder had decided to break down by the time they had reached the middle of the desert, so now they were stranded even more. Not even IG-11's proximity scanner could help them guide their way through the storm. Not even the Force could help her feel her way through the storm.

“Agh, this storm’s getting worse!” Flurry yelled, keeping her eyes shut, having lost the protective goggles on top of everything else. “We can’t stay out here, we have to find shelter.”

“I am widening my radius to search for cover,” IG-11 acknowledged, not even flinching with all of the sands and winds blowing right past him. Every step his stick feet took, it just felt like they were going in circles. Nothing but continous grounds and sand brushing past his feet. He did keep hold onto Flurry's hand to make sure he didn't lose her, and out of guardian instinct as well. But neither of them could feel or sense any familiar surroundings, or even any canyons or walls to take cover behind.

But his eyes looked ahead, seeing something just up ahead in the wind. A strange shape pushing its way through the sandstorm, with a cape blowing in the wind. “We have a potential threat on the horizon.”

Flurry still didn’t open up her eyes. “Well, what is it!?”

“My scanners indicate an Equestrian-based life form of some kind is approaching us,” IG replied, still keeping a watchful eye on the shadowy figure and Flurry.

Somehow, within all of that howling of winds, they could hear a voice calling out to them.

“Hey!”

“I believe she is calling to us.”

“Come on, follow me!” The figure yelled in the wind, urging them to come to him.

Flurry and IG-11 pushed as hard as they could through the harsh and stinging winds, coming closer to the figure. As they got closer, IG-11 could see the figure much more clearly; some woman, hidden in a massive headwrap and goggles to block her eyes from the wind.

“Come! You’ll be safer inside!”

Regardless of whether or not she was friend or foe, they still kept going towards her, wandering in the hot storm.

--

Flurry had no idea how long she had been out there, it must have felt like forever, even though it had only been 10 minutes since the stranger had come and called to them. Somehow, even as an inhabitant of Tatooine and having lived here for a long time, she never got used to the sandstorms.

“You are about to walk down some stairs. I advise you be careful and hold onto my claw,” the nurse droid suggested.

Flurry tried to move her hand out, unable to see where he was. But thankfully his metal claw moving to her fingers got her to hold on as the two slowly moved down some stairs to get out of the cover. But even as they went down, they still had to get inside. So they followed the hooded figure inside, and heard a door slamming behind them. And the sounds of the wind were getting quieter, only to be heard as the sounds of the outside world.. Flurry still felt ringing in her ears from the sound, and her face was stinging.

Thankfully the stranger was ready for an emergency such as this.

“Use this, splash some in your face,” she said, holding a water bucket.

“Oh, thank you,” Flurry said graciously, as she splashed hordes of water into her face to cool down. She rubbed some in her eyes, slowly adjusting her vision to the lights of inside. Adobe covered ceilings and walls, but built in with metal padding for the floors and furniture. She found herself in front of a masked stranger. “Ah!”

“Hey, easy kid. You’re fine, I won’t bite,” the voice said, sounding scratchy but still female at the same time.

The goggles were removed, revealing a pair of magenta eyes with baby-blue skin. The head scarf came off, revealing her whole face, with a chiseled chin and spiked up rainbow hair, almost like a military haircut in a way.

And she was wearing a black tanktop with sleeveless vest, with a rainbow lightning bolt graphic on the vest. Her left arm was packing some serious muscle, but Flurry also noticed her right arm was completely artificial, a skinny three-fingered B1-unit arm but with armored padding near the shoulder. Last of all were a pair of long pants to keep her legs safe from being covered in sand, and work boots that kept sand away from her toes.

“Hey, who’d you bring down!?” A farmer's voice called.

“It’s okay, I just brought them in to keep them safe from the storm,” the woman replied.

Another figure came into view, one just as tall as this short-haired woman. Orange skin with some freckles on her face, and a noticeable cowboy hat atop her head. A plaid shirt and denim looking sleeveless vest, with a graphic of three juicy looking apples. Her arms were packing muscle as well, only she had both arms instead of one artificial. And a pair of cowboy boots and pants held together by a buckle. She also had two holsters clipped to her pants, revealing two blaster pistols.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I-I, I mean, I—”

The cowgirl chuckled. “Now you listen, you don’t have to apologize. We’re happy to let you stay here until the storm clears, you can’t go anywhere until it dies down. Just as long as you don’t try and rob us, you hear me now?”

“O-Of course,” Flurry protested, holding her hands up.

“Now who even are you kid?” The short-haired woman asked, pulling up a chair for her guest and for the others.

The rainbow haired girl moved her chair backwards so she could rest her arms on the backrest, while the cowgirl just sat up regularly. IG-11 hesitantly parked himself in the seat, keeping all of his optics on the two of them and all around; he didn’t care, he was going to nurse and protect if he had to. And eventually Flurry sat down too.

“I’m Flurry Heart, and this is IG-11. He’s my nurse droid, and also my friend,” Flurry introduced herself.

“A nurse droid? This assassin droid is a nurse?” The farm-girl asked, moving herself up defensively.

“I will not attack you. I was reprogrammed to help those in need, and to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” IG-11 responded.

The cowgirl raised a brow. “I see…" she hesitated, keeping the holster-side open just in case. "Now why are you two doing out here anyway?”

“The speeder broke down. We’re trying to find someone, some woman who I think used to be a Jedi Master. Master Rainbow Dash, I think.”

The rainbow haired woman’s eyes looked at her with intrigue. And her slouching pose turned a bit more up straight, as if to give this kid her full undivided attention.

“Jedi Master Rainbow Dash… now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time,” the woman said, nodding.

“Do you know her?”

“Of course I know her. She’s me,” she said, with a soft but prideful smirk.

Flurry was speechless. “You? You’re… oh my gosh, if you’re Rainbow, then you must be,” she stammered, looking at the girl with the hat.

“I’m Applejack. Formerly Jedi Master Applejack,” the farmer chuckled, shaking her hand. “Nice to meet ya, partner. Now what were you doing out there in the desert with the assassin droid by yourselves?”

“I, well, it’s a long story, but I rammed into an astromech droid in the desert, and he was carrying information that needs to go to the Rebellion and directly to Sunset Shimmer!”

The two farmers looked at each other, exchanging glances.

“Sunset Shimmer. Now that’s another name we haven’t heard in a long time,” Rainbow admitted, looking at her friend.

“So you do know her?”

“Of course we do, kid. She’s a Jedi,” Applejack grinned. “And we’re Jedi as well. Well, used to be.”

Flurry blinked. “Used to?”

“It’s hard to explain kid. The Jedi were a thing of the past,” Applejack said, getting up to get a refreshment from a dispenser. She poured some blue milk into a cup for Flurry, offering it to her which she accepted. “Why do you think we’re living out here?”

"Because you're moisture farmers?” Flurry tilted her head.

“That’s only forty percent true,” Rainbow said, crossing her arms. “We don’t want to be anywhere near the Empire. They’re problematic as it is. Besides, their people wiped out half if not all of our friends.”

"Wiped out? What are you talking about?" Flurry asked.

Rainbow and Applejack were quiet. The rainbow-haired girl sighing softly as she looked at her prosthetic arm.

"Kid. What do you know about the Clone Wars?"

Flurry scratched her head, and rubbed her chin, thinking momentarily. "Well... from what my moms told me, they were long, painful. Then out of the blue, the Empire rose up and the Republic became decimated. But whenever I try asking about that further, they don't tell me anything."

"We won't give you a full history lecture; but you need to understand somethin'. The Clone Wars were called the Clone Wars for a good reason; our battles were won thanks to soldiers that were purchased and mass produced. Clone troopers. Bred for combat, and some of the best fighters we've ever worked with. I still smile every now at then at some old memories with my clone commander," Applejack admitted. "But... that came to an end."

"Why?"

"Out of nowhere, all of our clone battalions just turned on us. No reason, no words, not a second thought. They just turned on us and tried to kill us," Rainbow said, seething. Her puny metal fingers were clenching at the memories. "They wiped out so many friends... I don't even know how they could do that..."

But as the two friends explained, Applejack noticed something. Her eyes slowly leered to something shiny that reflected in her eyes. A small metal object clipped to Flurry's belt. At first, it looked like some type of blaster, but upon a secondary view, it looked like it was something else.

"... Actually. Flurry, what's that?" Applejack asked.

"What's what?"

"That thing on your belt, what is that?"

Flurry looked at her side, pulling out the object she referred to. "Oh, um. It's nothing, I--"

"--That's a lightsaber," Rainbow realized, looking at it. "That's a lightsaber, isn't it?"

"Um. Maybe?" Flurry hesitated.

IG-11 slowly started to stand up, unsure of their intentions, but he didn't attack. The two adult women looked at each other for a second, then back to Flurry.

"Turn it on."

Flurry wasn't sure, but she gave in anyway. She had a steel grip on the piece of junk and she flipped a button. A medium green glow filled the room, as a shimmering blade ignited.

"For land's sake..."

"Kid, do you... she has to. She's gotta be."

"Gotta be what?" Flurry asked, getting a bit impatient.

"You're a Jedi, aren't you?"

"Wait, give me a minute," Rainbow snapped, darting out of the room and down a set of stairs, leaving the guests and Applejack alone for a bit. The droid and the two girls heard the sounds of things being thrown around, as hinted by the clattering of metal and random junk. Finally after two minutes, Rainbow Dash ran back up the steps into the living room with two pieces of curved metal clutched around her battle-droid fingers.

She gave her farmer friend her weapon, and the two of them gripped the weapons tightly. Together, they activated the blades, letting two new lights shine in the room; a green and a baby blue blade. The sight alone was enough for Flurry to gasp with wonder and awe.

"You two really are Jedi..."

"We are. Now we just wanna know one thing; do you have the Force?"

Flurry said nothing. A Jedi was asking if she had the Force? Oh she had to show her! But on what, what could she use? Looking behind her, she saw a staff leaning against a wall. Slowly, she closed her eyes and tried to cancel out all potential distractions. She slowly raised her hand, letting the Force guide her to where the staff was. The tools on the wall made a soft clinking noise. And the noises got louder as they vibrated in their place.

Until finally, one of the tools started to remove itself from a hook on a wall, and slowly float towards Flurry's hand. Keeping it steady, the tool hovered right into her open fingers, and she clenched it once she grabbed it. And, for the first time in over a decade, the two Clone Wars veterans felt the start of something they had not known in a very long time: hope.

Escape From Tatooine

Author's Note

I am so sorry for taking so long to get this done, there were a lot of things hindering my production on this, but I finally got it done and now we've got some more action out.

Hope you guys are still gonna enjoy this as we continue and have a great evening! ^^ Thanks to Scholarly-Cimmerian for editing!

Escape From Tatooine

Several hours had passed and thankfully the storm lifted up. It was now the middle of the afternoon, and the residents of the moisture farm were getting ready to depart. Applejack and Rainbow Dash grabbed a handful of necessities for themselves (mostly food, weapons, any supplies that could be carried in a backpack or two). Once they had what they could carry, they followed IG-11 and Flurry Heart back outside to the ground level of their farm.

Applejack wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead as she gazed out at the desert for one last time.

"You know somethin' Rainbow? As nice as it is to see Sunset Shimmer again... I think I might miss this place," Applejack admitted.

"I won't. Seriously it's nothing but sand for miles; who was that guy that said it's coarse, and rough, and irritating, and gets everywhere and all that?" Rainbow complained.

"Skywalker, and he doesn't live here," Applejack pointed out.

"Well not now!"

"Um, guys?" Flurry interrupted. "What's that?"

The group looked to the right, gazing off at the distance. A massive dust cloud was rumbling through the barren wasteland. Pulling out her binocs, Applejack rasied them to her eyes to get a closer look.

"Uh oh."

"What?" Flurry asked.

In Applejack's viewpoint, she saw a massive silver transport racing towards their location. She couldn't see the driver, but she saw plenty of soldiers in purple armor on the sides of the transport, held by support doors. And there was someone sitting on the top of the transport with an open hatch, pointing towards their direction.

"We've got boys in purple, and I don't think they're friendlies."

"Midnight troopers," IG-11 calculated. "We must depart at once."

"Now come on, let's not overreact here," Rainbow said with a cocky smirk. "Let's see what they want, and if they're going to give us a hard time, I say we fight."

"I don't know..."

"Kid, we'll be fine. Can you fight?"

"Um... no," Flurry admitted. "I've been training but I've never really, um, fought anybody..."

Rainbow and Applejack looked at each other and gave each other single nods.

"Okay, kid, go back inside. I want you to find our landspeeder. The keys are in the kitchen in a glovebox. When we're ready to leave, I want you to pull out and get us to where yer mom's ship is," Applejack ordered.

"Okay, got it! Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Relax. We'll be fine. Take your nurse with you," Rainbow added.

Flurry wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to argue. And so she and IG-11 went back down the steps straight back into the farmhouse for cover and to look for the keys. Just in the nick of time, as the Imperial troop transport had finished rolling up towards them. They had made enough distance between them and the farm and so all the Midnight troopers jumped off the transport and started running towards them cocking their blasters in defense.

"Attention! Traitors to the Empire!" Yelled the Imperial officer on the top of the transport. "You are surrounded! Come out with your hands above your head, or we will open fire!"

"Sheesh, quick to throw out accusations much?" Rainbow muttered to herself. "Guess we're going to have to fight now, huh?"

"Uhhh, Rainbow... I'm not so sure..." Applejack worried, looking at the troops coming out of the transport door.

"Oh come on, they're just copycat clone troopers, how powerful can they be?" Rainbow cockily said, shrugging their numbers off.

Applejack gulped. "Rainbow? I think those two might..." she said, pointing forward.

Standing far away but close enough to see were two figures, presumably female, dressed in black cloaks and hoods. And judging by the silver reflective weapons hanging by their belts, it was easy to guess who they were. They were the last two to emerge from the transport, only they didn't run up with the rest of the Midnight troopers. They stood back and allowed the troopers to go up front.

"Sith?" Rainbow asked.

"Probably."

The two Inquisitors stared down the two Jedi. but did not remove themselves from their current stances. The two Sisters looked at each other, and silently nodded.

"Captain. Fire at them," the Second Sister ordered.

All at once, the soldiers in dark purple opened fire on the Jedi. Bracing for their fire, the two Jedi booked it and threw themselves behind some empty barrels that were sorted in a way that was just enough to protect them from the blaster bolts.

"I sense these troopers won't be enough to handle the Jedi," the Fourth Sister spoke, watching as the Midnight troopers slowly moved closer and closer, trying to box the two in.

"Maybe not. But that's why we're here. Let them believe they have a chance, and once they annihilate our men... we make our move," the Second Sister grinned maliciously under her mask.

While the two Inquisitors watched, both Applejack and Rainbow Dash kept their heads down behind the cover, desperately praying they wouldn't get shot through the hearts.

"Great, this is just like dealin' with those Palpatine Witnesses last week," Rainbow complained, ducking again.

"I think there's a clear difference between them and the Witnesses," Applejack said, pulling out her two blasters. She dashed out of her cover in a sideways run, blasting at a few of the troopers before her. "They didn't try and blast us to bits!"

She pulled herself over a piece of cinderblock, taking a few potshots at some of the Midnight troopers who were charging at her.Two of them went down with direct shots near the shoulder regions, only a few inches away from their hearts. But they didn't stop fighting back.

Taking her chance, Rainbow Dash stood up and hit a small panel on the side of the adobe wall next to her. A secret compartment unfolded showing a variety of weapons, but she simply took a DC-15 carbine blaster. Gripped in both hands, she held the blaster at the ready and stood in firing position, blasting at the Midnight troopers before her. Rainbow Dash managed to shoot two of them down, and ducked as another blaster shot was about to hit her head. Applejack took care of the next one as the two of them didn't move from their current positions, keeping cover and playing this encounter smart.

Meanwhile, IG-11 and Flurry peaked from a door, watching as the fight ensued. The two of them were standing on the steps that they had taken down to the main floor, peaking over the ledge above ground.

"That's a lot of troopers," Flurry worried.

"The two Jedi will suffice against this squadron. But I do not think they will stand for long against the two Equestrians in black," IG-11 observed, watching the two Inquisitors from afar. "We must access the landspeeder."

Trying not to worry, Flurry and IG-11 ran back down the steps and back into the dwelling; they had to find those keys.

--

Rainbow Dash gripped the blaster tight as she started to move from her cover, blasting as much as she could. Spending more than fifteen years on Tatooine and living with Applejack had given her all the time in the world to learn how to use a handheld blaster and not using a lightsaber. These troopers didn't need to be slashed apart with a saber, just simple blaster shots would do.

She looked to her left, bam. Trooper went down. She looked to the right, bam. Another trooper down. She turned her head as a trooper was about to ambush her, until he was taken out by a single shot in the chest by Applejack. She jumped up on her cover and gripped her blasters like a gunslinger, blasting up a storm as more and more Midnight troopers went down. The two of them were an unstoppable team, and as the two Inquisitors predicted, the Midnight troopers didn't stand a chance against the veterans of the past. No matter. They'd surprise them once they had cleaned their troops out.

Some of the troopers tried to be a bit more risky and move in closer, but that ultimately proved to be a big mistake. One of them tried to lunge at Rainbow, but she delivered a swift kick in the chest and fired a shot at his shoulder, rendering him down. Another trooper tried to come at her, swinging an electric baton. He stood his ground, ready to swing and attack. Rainbow Dash sternly glared, silently enticing him to come towards her to attack. He swing the baton at her, forcing Rainbow to jump out of the way. He swung it towards her, urging her to keep moving backwards until he was right close to Applejack. The farmer took her chance and shoot a blaster bolt in his leg, making him twist his ankle and fall to the ground, screaming in pain. And Applejack finished him off with a blaster bolt to his side before focusing on the troopers again.

Only six troopers remained, and the two of them were ready for the final numbers to roll in. Applejack ran from her cover sideways, shooting as she ran, taking down one of them in the process. Getting their attention, Rainbow Dash used this opportunity to take out another trooper while he wasn't looking, and then another one who was too late to draw his weapon.

Applejack ran back sideways again, this time going back to the area where she and Rainbow had just started the fight. But the two of them ducked for cover where Rainbow had hidden before, reaching for the ammunition compartment. A small droid popper from the Clone Wars, intended to electrify it's targets.

"Grab their attention, I'll do a hardball!" Rainbow asked, also grabbing the trigger to hit the charge.

Applejack pulled out again with a smirk on her face. "Hey troopers! Yer about as bad as shootin' as Six-Tat on a hot summer's day!"

None of the troopers understood what that meant, but regardless her taunt worked like a charm. All of them tried to shoot at her, not even noticing the small metal ball that bounced on the ground underneath their feet.

"What the?" One of the troopers looked down.

"Oh my," another one sighed, realizing what was about to happen.

And all three of them were feeling a strong surge of electricity surging through their bodies. All of them screamed in pain as their armor-clad bodies writhed on the ground until their cries of agony stopped. They were defeated.

The two Jedi got up from their hiding spots and into the open, not realizing that the two mysterious cloaked figures had vanished. They were on the lookout for more of those troopers in purple, wondering if more was going to arrive for them to fight.

"Hah! Come on, bring it on!" Rainbow cackled. "Is that all you got?"

"How about us?"

In seconds, somehow the two figures in black cloaks and masks were now standing smack-dab a few feet away from Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"So, who are you two?" Applejack asked.

The two figures said nothing, but instead drew their weapons; a sword-handle with a circular ring around. But then when they flipped a button, two red blades appeared from the circular weapons.

"... Well, yer guess was right," Applejack blinked.

The two veterans pulled out their lightsabers and ignited their blades. Two sword-users against two as they faced each other.

"We're looking for someone. Someone we believe is hiding here on this world," the first Inquisitor spoke. "Where can we find this astromech unit?" She pulled out a holo-device, projecting an image of Spike.

"I'm sorry, you must be mistakin' us for someone else. We haven't see that astromech around here," Applejack shrugged off.

"You never were a strong liar, Applejack," the second Inquisitor remarked. And before Applejack could question how this woman knew her name, she charged straight towards the veteran. She swung first, which Applejack blocked just in the nick of time.

The other Inquisitor made her move and tried to go for Rainbow Dash's heart, but she picked up on her tactic soon enough. She blocked her move and tried to swung over her head, only for the Inquisitor to move her blade up to block. Sparks flew as the sabers clashed, and an adrenaline that the veteran hadn't felt in a long time was starting to kick back again.

Rainbow Dash used her fleshy hand to use the Force, slamming against the Inquisitor and pushing her away from her body. The Inquisitor nearly fell, but kept herself up even as her boots grinded against the sand. She pushed Rainbow back, forcing Rainbow to fall on her back with a powerful thud. The forty-three-year-old Jedi groaned from the pain, but she got back up.

"You think you're so tough?" Rainbow smirked, blocking her next attack. "We've taken on Sith Lords stronger than you."

The Inquisitor was chuckling under the helmet, almost amused by her statement. "If the Sith Lords of the past were so strong..." The Fourth Sister started, pushing Rainbow back with her upper body strength. Rainbow tried to push back, but she couldn't. Every move she tried to anticipate, it was like the Inquisitor was three extra steps ahead of her.

The same could be said for Applejack as she tried to fend off against the Second Sister. Her red blade was swung left and right, and Applejack was trying her best not to feel the hot sting of the blade. Applejack tried to swing, but she couldn't make any attack, instead, all of the moves were coming from the Inquisitor. "Then how are you becoming so tired?" Applejack couldn't keep up with this woman's speed, it was uncanny! Every time she tried to make a swing, she was blocked. She couldn't do anything against her! Her heart started pounding and she started panting harder than ever, this wasn't possible! Applejack worked every day on the moisture farm, always lifting weights and workout out whenever possible, but still this Inquisitor was beating her. The Sith Lords they faced in the past were strong, but not to this level!

The Fourth Sister's grip was stronger as she started to force Rainbow's gripped weapon down lower. Rainbow tried to pull herself up, but the Inquisitor was proving to be quite resilient. One final push got Dash distracted enough for the Inquisitor to try and hack at her with the other side of her double-bladed weapon. Rainbow tried to get out of the way, but was too late. She wasn't killed, but the Inquisitor managed to slash through her artificial limb, letting it hit the ground.

"Agh!" Rainbow yelped, hissing from the injury. It might not have been real, but it still felt painful to lose that connection again.

"You shouldn't rely on Clone Wars era tech to survive. Outdated, outsourced, obsolete... just like you," the Inquisitor warned.

Rainbow tried to fight back, but the Inquisitor Force-pushed Rainbow across the gruond, skidding across the sands and making a massive trail from where she was kicked. She tried to ignite her lightsaber but all it did was create a small series of sparks from how hard she fell on it.

Applejack looked back in fear, seeing her friend kicked down. The Second Sister took her chance and kneed Applejack in the groin and roundhouse kicked her in the chest again, sending her flying and slamming on the ground next to her. Both of them were now struggling to get themselves moving with the wind knocked out of them.

"I almost feel bad for you two. You could have just told us what you knew, and we would have left you two to decay in peace," the Fourth Sister snarked, walking towards them with her cloak swaying in the winds. "Now I think it only makes sense that we finish the job and move on."

Both of their lightsaber blades were ready, clamped tightly by their hands as they held their weapons up. Their chance to make the final blows were now!

The ground started rumbling and shaking underneath them. The Inquisitors looked around, wondering if maybe the rumbling was coming from some underground animal rising from the surface. They did know that the legendary Krayt Dragons would burrow underneath their feet.

But instead, a massive door from the ground surfaced. Sand started to fall towards the ground as it rose up, making the two Inquisitors stand there with caution. They couldn't see much, but it looked like the door had opened to a massive entryway underground, intended for speeders. The sounds of roaring engines in the distance of the tunnel were hitting their ears as it got bigger and bigger...

Instinctively, the two of them moved out of the way as a massive vehicle emerged from the tunnel, roaring louder than any other machine or weapon in the area. Two massive engines were held together with a purple energy binder, and said engines were connected to a four-seated control pod. And sitting in the pod was IG-11 behind the wheel with Flurry Heart in the shotgun seat.

"You didn't say your landspeeder was a podracer!" Flurry yelled, trying to make her voice clear to the two Jedi.

"Thought we'd surprise ya!" Applejack shouted as she helped Rainbow Dash walk over. The two of them quickly jumped into the seat, with Rainbow Dash still wincing and hissing from the pain.

"Wait, your nurse droid can drive?" Rainbow asked.

"Well, yeah!" Flurry said, rather nonchalantly, wondering why that question needed to be asked to begin with.

The two Inquisitors however were not done with them as they got back up.

"Punch it!" Applejack shouted.

Eleven's foot hit the pedal, and the podracer took off like a blaster bolt, kicking sand right at the two Inquisitors. Both of them were covered in sand and dust from the kick, and needless to say, they were unhappy.

"All units," the Second Sister ordered, speaking into her com. "Pursue the Rebels, they are escaping in a pod-racer. Destroy them!"

"Yes Sister."

Podracing was one of the most dangerous sports in the galaxy. Not because of the betting, not because of the drivers, but because of the actual racing vehicles. Sure it was fun, but these weren't ordinary racing vehicles; every podracing vehicle built by hand were some of the most dangerous machines ever, mostly because they were fast. Not normal fast, this was faster than normal to the point where if you took your eye off the environment in front of you for more than a few seconds, you'd most likely crash and die.

To the eyes of the group who were flesh and blood, everything was going by in seconds. Rocks, the structures, it felt like rocketing through space. While Rainbow Dash could easily drive through this, having years of experience fighting and racing in adequately fast craft and speeders, her lack of two hands rendered her useless. Yet she still wondered how Flurry's nurse could navigate the entire landscape at the speed they were going.

Luckily with IG-11 helming the wheel, there wasn't too much difficulty. And the environment they were speeding off on wasn't an issue either, plenty of wide open spaces for now. But there was still mountains and rocky structures coming up ahead. Worse, Imperial speeder bikes started to emerge from the treacherous lands and race after them.

"Targets in sight," Eleven stated, using one of his eyes to peer on his left.

One of the bikes was lined up beside them, and not needing to be told, IG-11 just gave a massive nudge to the bike, nearly sending him crashing into one of the walls. Almost. The scout trooper wasn't kicked off, which to IG-11, only meant he had to use some more force. He slammed into the bike harder, sending the rider and the bike right into one of the structures, exploding upon impact, killing him.

Two more bikers pursued them, using the triggers on their bikes to try and shoot at the engines. This only encouraged them to go faster. Just up ahead was Beggar's Canyon, all they would have to do was try to get to the top of the canyon walls and they'd make it. Carefully, the podracer moved into the center line and pulled through the narrow gorge, with the bikes still pursuing.

The roaring engines of the podracer echoed throughout the canyon as it went around dangerous corners, trying desperately not to slam into the walls and explode. Only a few scrapes and peels of metal had been damaged, but the racer kept going. And seeing what was up ahead, IG-11 started to steer to the right of the wall.

"Wait, what are you doing!?" Rainbow asked.

"Wait, you're not seriously--" Flurry interrupted.

"Hold on tightly. We might be flying out of the car."

"Wait, WHAT!?"

A single service ramp going straight up was just up ahead, with a single gate blocking it off. However that didn't stop the assassin droid's intentions as he broke through the weak gate, making everyone scream as they started to go up the massive ramp. The speeder bikes saw the broken ramp, and the podracer going right up, but they didn't stop moving.

Everyone screamed at the top of their lungs as the podracer was flying, but IG-11 wasn't panicking. He switched the dials and knobs on the control console, automatically adjusting the flaps and panels on the sides of the engines to make a turn as they were in the air. Carefully, the podracer began to make a turn around from where they jumped, aiming for the top of the canyon walls.

Still shrieking as they went down, the podracer finally landed on top of the canyon, bouncing softly as it started to slow down upon IG-11's pushing of the buttons.

"I believe we have arrived at our destination," IG-11 said, his head turning around to face the terrified expressions of the veterans. Neither one of them were saying anything but just looked at the nurse in horror. "That was a joke to lessen your discomfort."

Applejack just gave him a soft glare. "Don't do that again."

"Come, we must leave."

All of them jumped out of the podracer, standing on top of the canyon on their own feet.

"Follow me! I know where the ship is, come on!" Flurry insisted, urging everyone to follow her.

Gallus, Sandbar, Yona and Silverstream stayed at the edge of the ramp, looking for Flurry and IG-11. They got the report of the landspeeder heading towards their location, but they had to stand by in the event of Imperials showing up. They had to cover their escape, so the four of them had weapons deployed and ready to open fire to help get their new friend inside.

Just then, they saw Flurry running towards them with a panicked look on her face.

"Oh finally, Flurry where have--" Gallus was about to ask.

"WE GOTTA GO!" Flurry yelled as she darted right up the hatch and inside, boots stomping up. IG-11 followed suit, not saying a word as he tried to speed his stick-figure legs up the ramp. Silverstream and Gallus were confused, and were about to speak until--

"Run for yer lives, girls!" Applejack added as she ran up the ship. Yona and Silverstream were confused, but shrugging it off they ran inside the ship to join the others. Now only Sandbar and Gallus were outside, but it wasn't going to be for long.

"Better safe than sorry, guys!" Rainbow Dash sped on by.

And not wanting to argue, the two guys followed suit and ran back inside the ship. And soon thereafter, the hatch slowly closed up and sealed tight, locking behind them.

"Okay everyone, strap yourselves in, now!" Bon Bon yelled over the radio system.

Yona and Smolder buckled themselves down a set of chairs that faced a small computer system, while Sandbar and Ocellus buckled themselves to the living room booth along with Silverstream and Gallus. Cheep and G-G bolted from their charging docks, tools exposed and spinning, ready to repair in the event damages were to happen.

"Can't believe we're heading home like this," Silverstream worried. "Assuming we even get off the ground..."

Bon Bon flipped several switches above her head and yanked a lever down on her left. Four blaster cannons mounted at the front of the ship unfolded, set in position. The engines on the back of the ship began to shake and rumble, but a burst of energy ignited.

"Hang onto somethin' everyone, this is gonna be a bit bumpy," Bon Bon yelled into the coms. And then her hands immediately kept flipping switches and trying to get the rest of the ship up and moving. "Come on baby, stay with me now..."

Lyra's eyes gazed forward and shrunk. "Uh, Bonnie? Are the cannons active?"

"They should be," Bon Bon said, seeing the same thing. Hovering in front of them was a starfighter with two big black wings on the sides facing them like daggers, and a single cockpit in the middle.

"Mind if I shoo him off the driveway?"

"I'd be fine with that," Bon Bon said, rather casually.

Lyra hit a switch, unlocking the joystick on the console. Her hand gripped it and she raised her thumb over the blaster button.

"Get out of the way you lunatic!" Lyra yelled before hitting the trigger.

The cannons fired at the TIE fighter with a solid shot, blowing it up right before their eyes. A massive cloud of fire burst in front of them, but thankfully went away after a minute or two. Now that their view was clear, the ship slowly started to rise up and take off. The legs folded up underneath the ship, and with a push, the Sweetie Drop launched from it's hollow cover and took off above Beggar's Canyon.

Everyone inside the vessel were clinging onto anything they could, feeling the ship rattling and shaking. Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to hold on tight to whatever they could. A powerful push of the engines launched the ship across the skies, making Bon Bon and Lyra shout and squee in excitement.

"Whoohoo! She still lives!" Bon Bon hollered, raising a fist in the air. "Now let's get these bugs off our backs!"

The radar screens displayed several red dots approaching their radius, and the roaring sounds of the TIEs behind them were enough to give them an indication who was behind them. Lots of them.

"We need someone to use the gunner seats!" Bon Bon grunted as she made another spin. And slamming her fist against the com, she yelled to the crew onboard. "Does anyone on this ship besides us know how to shoot a target from a gunner's position!?"

"I do!" Silverstream chirped from the hallway. The doors had been left open for anyone to come to the cockpit and speak, if needed. "You?" Bon Bon asked, watching as the poor Arisian was slammed into the wall as they made a sharp turn, sliding right to the left side of the ship away from the cockpit. "Yep-oww!" She grunted, trying to get back up. She had to dig her claws into the doorframe just to not slide again. "I've been using gunner seats since I was a pre-teen!"

"Okay, straight down to the left past the kitchen, there's a gunner's seat you can strap in. IG-11, I want you to go down to the right, understand?"

"Affirmative," the assassin droid replied.

"Got it!"

The two of them ran down the ship, carefully trying not to fall or bash their heads into anything from the constant tremors. Once they were in the middle, they split off to the two separate ends going for the gunner stations. IG-11 climbed in and gripped his fingers on the turret sticks, scopes looking straight out the window where he was assigned.

Silverstream jumped into her chair, but yelped the moment she lightly touched the control stick. It was a lot more jerky than she had expected, but she was still willing to give it a shot. From the sliding side to side she had done, she could see how it affected the position of the turret.

"I'm in position!" Silver called out.

"The Imperial fighters are coming on your port-side, blast them down!" Lyra ordered.

Silverstream wiggled her seat around with the control sticks, trying to get used to the controls for a second. Then seeing a headphone jack on the side, she pulled it off and set it over her head, with the microphone piece close to her beak. She gripped her claws on the joysticks and watched as several TIEs whooshed past her window, bouncing everywhere on her radar screen.

She hit the triggers once one of them flew by, but she missed. Grunting in frustration, she waited as another one flew by and she fired again, but the TIE kept evading her shot. Locking her eyes on the radar screen and in front of the window again, she waited for the TIE to return.

KABAM!

Direct hit, and so the TIE fighter went down. Silverstream cheered, but quickly put her focus back on the window. IG-11 swung back and forth in the chair, trying to fire as many shots as possible. He waited for the TIE to make another turnaround and hit the trigger, blasting another fighter out of the sky.

Flurry, Gallus, Smolder, and Ocellus were desperately clinging to their seats as the ship shook and rattled.

"Have you ever left Tatooine before?" Gallus asked, worried.

"A few times!" Flurry admitted. "I did go to Naboo's Festival of Colors once though!"

Poor Cheep and G-G who were clamped tight under the astromech docks were chittering and whimpering, worried about the constant shakes.

"Hang on little guys, we'll be okay!" Flurry said, trying to calm them down. "I hope..."

Silverstream's chair kept spinning around as she tried to keep blasting, but the turrets suddenly stopped. No more laser rounds continued to fire from the cannons, they were down. Even checking the screens, she saw a light indicating the malfunctions.

"Uhhh, Mandalorian? The side turret's not working anymore!"

"Dammit!" Bon Bon ranted in the cockpit, slamming her fist against a bare wall.

"Front cannons still optimal," Eleven inquired.

"We don't have any back turrets, do we?" Gallus yelled into the coms system as he struggled to hold onto his seat.

"No, we don't, we... wait a minute," Bon Bon stopped. The Mandalorian had an epiphany, and she pressed a button to display a screen on the dashboard. What she saw made her grin. "Okay, new plan! Rebels!" Bon Bon yelled, slapping her hand against the intercom button again. "I'm asking this once, go down the hall check on your right, there's a closet."

Sandbar and Yona were the ones to get up from their chairs to check, both running down the hall as per order. They opened the door and their eyes sparkled to see what was inside.

"Ohhhh Yona likes this!"

"Me too!" Sandbar said with an excited grin. But he stopped briefly. "But what are we gonna do with a bowling ball?"

"Listen! I need you guys to grab the seismic charges and bring them to the back of the ship, there's a machine I have back there that acts as a launching mechanism. I only use it as a final resort. Now load the launcher!"

The two Rebels shrugged as they grabbed the charges and went down the hallway to the back of the ship, finding the open room with the launching mechanism as told. The two of them loaded the arsenal into the machine, hearing a clicking noise and a green light turn on.

"We're ready!" Sandbar said, tapping the intercom.

"Fire one!"

Bon Bon hit the launching mechanism, and out from the back of the ship... a bowling ball went flying out and right past the pursuing TIEs.

"Wait, why didn't we hit anything?" Bon Bon asked. "You set the charges, right?"

"There's no charges on a bowling ball," Yona responded.

Bon Bon's eyes widened and her brows furled. "YOU DID WHAT!?"

"It's a heavy object, we thought maybe it could smash their windshield!" Sandbar protested.

"That was a wedding gift from Equestria you little---ergh! The next family possession you break, I'm shoving you in the rear launcher! Use the seismic charges!" Bon Bon ranted in the coms.

Following orders this time, the two Rebels loaded up the seismic charge into the loader. Once it was secure, Yona waited to hit the switch to activate the launching mechanism.

"Okay, fire!"

Yona pulled the switch, releasing the seismic charge into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was too late as the TIEs got out the way, with the charge releasing a massive booming sound right behind them.

"Aggggh!" Bon Bon ranted. "Okay, how many more charges do we got left?"

"Last one!"

"Dank Farrik!" Bon Bon yelled. "Why didn't I buy the--okay. Let's make this count. Load it up, and don't launch the charge until I say so, understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" Sandbar replied.

"Mind getting us out of here alive first!?" Smolder begged.

Lyra flipped more switches on her side of the cockpit, providing more power to the engines to make them go faster. "Reserving power for the back, I hope it works..."

The ship's engines thrusted more, rocketing faster into the sky. The TIE fighters were still on their tail, but Bon Bon refused to turn around. She wasn't about their last seismic charge go to waste.

"Almost in range..."

Bon Bon's eyes kept bouncing back between the radar and her view of the air above. Once they were finally within range..

"Now!"

Yona yanked the lever, sending the seismic charge down the hatch and out of the back of the ship. Everyone waited as the TIEs kept getting closer, and the charge began to glow in a big blue ball as it got closer to the fighters. Without noticing the bomb, the TIEs were right in the middle of the bomb as a massive sonic blast of a sound echoed in the air and sent a wave in all directions. The blast reduced the fighters to spare parts.

With no more red dots on the radar, Bon Bon and Lyra whooped and cheered.

"YAHOO!! Great timing, Yona!"

Now that the TIEs were out of sight, the Sweetie Drop went straight up into the air, rocketing towards the skies. It punched through the atmosphere until they were no longer seeing clear skies. Suddenly the view from the cockpit turned dark as the ship finally emerged into space, where millions of stars twinkled all around.

"We made it!"

And at that exact moment, a Star Destroyer jumped from hyperspace in front of them.

"Okay, we didn't make it," Bon Bon said, rather casually as she spun the ship around, avoiding the turrets. And to make matters worse, a swarm of TIEs emerged from the Star Destroyer's hangar to pursue them. As they made their next turn, Smolder and Silverstream ran up to the cockpit to get a better look.

"Can we lose them?" Silverstream asked.

"We'll lose them," Lyra reassured. "I just need the coordinates."

"What if we lightspeed skip?" Smolder asked reaching for the button, only to have her hand swatted by Bon Bon.

"NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. There is a 100% chance of dying if you pull a stupid move like that, this ship can't take that kind of jump, and I'd like to see my daughter have kids before I die!" Bon Bon yelled, yanking a lever down. "Now can someone tell me where this base is!?"

"I got it!" Spike yelled as he rolled towards the center of the cockpit. One of his panels opened up, sticking out his interface arm. He accessed the ship's navigation system, and a series of coordinates were processed on the screens.

"Okay, great! Everyone hold on tight!" Bon Bon yelled.

The TIE fighters were closing in fast and were almost within range to shoot at them. Four of them closing in on them fast. Bon Bon's eyes darted back and forth between the radar screen and the lever, waiting for the right moment.

"Almost... and... NOW!"

She yanked the lever down, and a burst of energy shook the ship. Everyone watched the front view as everything around them started to zoom right behind them, until the ship finally started to speed off in the blue tunnel of hyperspace. The TIEs were too late and so they all went in separate directions the moment they had vanished.

"Second Sister, they've jumped into hyperspace."

The Inquisitor growled from the bridge of the Star Destroyer. "Get me Captain Phasma..."

--

Now that the crew had jumped into hyperspace, the married couple threw themselves back in their chairs, thankful they had escaped.

"That was too close," Bon Bon said. "I think I need a soda."

"You and me both. But you know something? Escaping those Imperials, flying through the junkyard... I haven't had a rush of adrenaline like that in over seventeen years," Lyra admitted, spinning her chair around to face her wife. "I don't know if it's because of all the excitement or stress, but something about that oddly felt good."

Bon Bon giggled as she pulled her wife close and kissed her lips. "I think I understand that feeling too. Maybe even a little more than before."

"Oh honey, not now, can't we wait til the ship's empty?" Lyra playfully pouted, getting Bon Bon to blush. "Just kidding, Bonnie."

"I know," Bon Bon tittered. "Come on, hon. Let's make sure no one's killed themselves."

The two of them got up from the cockpit, setting the ship into autopilot mode so they could take a moment with the rest of their crew. IG-11 and Silverstream got out of the gunner seats and joined everyone in the main living room, where the Rebels were chatting amongst themselves.

"Hey everyone. Just letting you know, we're in hyperspace and on our way to your base," Lyra announced.

"Awesome!"

"Alright!"

"Whoohoo!"

"Now until we get there, you all are free to wander about the ship if you need to stretch your legs. If you need a snack or something to eat, just let us know, that includes Flurry," Bon Bon said, gesturing to their daughter. "Vac-tubes are down the left hall, so if you need to use it, it's there. I do think we need to set some rules though," she said, giving them all a serious face. "One, please do not keep asking me how long until we get there, hyperspace travel takes a long time."

"Rule two," Lyra added. "Please for the love of all that's sacred, please do not go into our bedroom."

"Why would we want to go into some old lady's bedroom anyway?" Smolder asked, sarcastically.

"Do I look old to you?" Lyra glared.

"How old are you?"

"I'm forty-three!"

"You're old," Smolder snarked.

"Ignore her!" Sandbar interrupted, trying to defuse their Draconoid friend. "We won't go into your room, we understand."

"Thank you. And last rule; please do not touch or play with any of the droids over in my workstation. Those parts are extremely rare, and I would appreciate it if my hard work didn't become squandered," Bon Bon finished.

"Oh, Mama?" Flurry interrupted.

"Yes Flurry?"

"Um... well, I kinda forgot to mention something before we left... I might have, sorta, um..."

"You didn't forget anything, did you?" Lyra asked.

"No Mom, it's just, um... I might have picked up two more passengers," Flurry admitted, sinking her head and twiddling her fingers.

"Flurry..." Lyra said with a stern glare.

"They're good people, I swear!"

"Alright, so who are these other passengers?"

Emerging from the corner was Applejack with a toolbelt strapped to her waist, and holding a wrench. "Well, I fixed loose wirin' in that exposed floor. Hopefully this ship won't have any more issues while we leave."

Lyra was frozen stiff. Another familiar face from her past came back, and she couldn't believe her eyes.

"You... how... but... yo..."

Applejack looked at their ship's captain and gasped. "For land's sakes... Lyra?"

"Applejack? Is... is that actually...?"

"Hey Applejack, you gotta see the workshop! This ship's a walking droid store, I swear they got everything," Rainbow said, coming around the corner to stand next to her. "I just need to figure out how to ask if... ohhh."

And Lyra felt her heart was about to explode. "You're... you're both alive? Two members of the Council are still alive?"

Rainbow and Applejack gave each other glances, but looked back to Lyra and Bon Bon with warm faces.

"Yeah. We're alive. Mind if we talk somewhere in private? I think we got a lot to catch up on."

Lyra finally pulled herself together to speak. "Yes... yes we do."

Lightning flashed all over the main Imperial fortress. Hidden on the perfect planet, far from the public eyes of the Outer Rim and Core Worlds. Security measures of every kind were around; armed guards, ground turrets, even a selection of Star Destroyers on the outside to act as a blockade.

The inside of the main fortress was covered from wall to ceiling with metal, much any standard space cruiser. Midnight Troopers wandered around, performing their assignments, speaking with others, what one would typically see in their work environment. One of these soldiers, Captain Phasma, was making her way through the fortress to report directly to the true leader of the Empire herself; Darth Midnight. After the failed attempt to stop the Rebels from escaping on Coruscant, she had ordered several divisions to try and go after the missing plans. She hadn't reported to Midnight in quite some time, and her report was long overdue, mostly because she was hoping to have some good news to report.

But with the plans escaping their grasp yet again, the captain had no choice but to hike up her beskar covered boots and face the music. The chrome-armored captain marched through the halls until she approached a dark purple fluorescent set of doors. She stared at them for a moment or two, until she finally got the courage to face her leader.

Inside, there were a few dark purple lights, with only a few standard white lights to brighten the room. Everything else was either black, gray, or white, as the standard for the military operation that the Empire strived as. It almost looked empty, until the shadow of a helmeted figure was visible, thanks to the lightning flashes coming from the outside of the fortress.

Captain Phasma right away moved herself down on one knee, as to properly address her leader with the most respect.

“Stand on your feet, Captain. You are not the Sisters, you are not required to take a knee.”

Quickly she corrected herself and got back up, standing straight like any military leader. “Yes, Lord Midnight.”

The dark mistress of the Empire herself slowly turned around, facing the captain of the Midnight Trooper Corps. Her right hand whirred as she stretched her fingers. “Well Phasma. Do you have any excuse for your failure?”

The captain lowered her head. “I have none, mistress. We failed to stop the Rebels from escaping, and only two ships escaped the fight; the Ghost crew and a remaining Rebel force. And the Inquisitors failed in capturing the one who escaped with the plans.”

Midnight’s breathing echoed in the room as she let Phasma talk. “I see.”

“I have no excuse for my failure, Lord Midnight. If you must execute me, I understand the consequences.”

Darth Midnight’s heeled boots stomped down the steps from her window, and she stood in front of Phasma, towering her in size. It didn’t even matter if she wore boots or not, she was still taller in comparison. Midnight’s hand slowly slipped under Phasma’s helmet, enticing her to raise her head up to stare Midnight deep in the scary eyes hidden behind a mask.

“You failed. Yet I sense there is something else you are not telling me. I can feel you trembling in my presence.”

Phasma corrected her stature and replied, “We did notice something during this fight. Surveillance reported an astromech unit escaped in a single long-distance pod from the fight, and one of the last things we saw was one of them passing off the data to the droid.”

“Who is this astromech unit?”

Phasma was confused. “Mistress, it’s one astromech are you sure—”

Midnight silently glared under the helmet. Right away, Phasma understood and cleared her throat, and checked her data pad, “We’ve identified the astromech as a C1 unit. We cross-referenced the data to any fugitives and any remaining C1 unit droids, but this one does not have any connections to Unit C1-10P, or Unit CH-33P who was missing in action during the Clone Wars. However, after a search from the old Republic archives, we narrowed down the serial number as SP-1K.”

A profile picture of the astromech came into view on a hologram, and Midnight stared at it, intensely.

“I haven’t seen this astromech in a long time… where did he leave?”

“I tracked the astromech to Tatooine. But unfortunately it had help from some Rebel fugitives, and they escaped. We cross-referenced every make and model on the freighter, but we cannot seem to find it. It appears to be custom-made.”

Phasma then pressed another button, showing a picture taken of the Sweetie Drop as it took off to the skies.

“The only other information that appears to be relevant is that SP-1K escaped onto the vessel, along with two Jedi fugitives.”

“Jedi? Who?” Midnight questioned.

“The old Republic files mark them as Jedi Masters Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”

Both of their identification pictures appeared on the holopad, with Phasma flipping through both pictures to show.

“So it is true then. Sunset Shimmer is not the last Jedi. This certainly makes things… interesting.”

Phasma cleared her throat. "Shall I send every available fighters and starcraft to find them?"

"No," Midnight said, raising her hand up. "By the time we look for them, they will have already gotten the plans to the Rebellion. They'll no doubt be making a plan to strike at our project. And when they do, we will be ready. Send four available factions to the project site, and inform Commander Dust. We will need some Mandalorian assistance."

"Yes, Lady Midnight," Phasma nodded before walking away to perform her assignment.

Arrival At Yavin IV

Author's Note

And we are back! We finally are progressing, get some more character growth and development in, and more on the way!

Hope you all enjoyed it! :twilightsmile:

Arrival At Yavin IV

The ship had been in hyperspace for a few hours now. By now, everyone had settled in for the trip and were starting to relax and calm down. Bon Bon took a part of that time during the trip to work on Rainbow Dash's artificial limb. And so, sitting on the workbench, Bon Bon was carefully removing the rest of the destroyed arm off Rainbow.

Lyra and Applejack were also present, accompanying her for the time being while IG-11 and Cheep took over cabin control. As the droidsmith worked, the two veterans looked around Bon Bon's workshop. It was incredibly messy, with parts on the walls, the floor, carts and crates on shelves, everywhere. It was a wonder how this Mandalorian could even keep track of anything. Also resting on the workbench next to Rainbow Dash was a white astromech dome with red paneling.

"How did you lose a limb again?" Lyra asked, trying to start a conversation with the two veterans.

"Let's just say the final days of the Clone Wars weren't exactly victorious for us. Or, really anyone," Rainbow said, trying to avoid telling the truth.

"I see," Bon Bon said, rather nonchalantly.

"But what about you Lyra?" Applejack asked, hands on her hips. "The last time I saw you must have been, oh I don't know... seventeen years ago?"

"I'd really rather not talk about that," Lyra winced.

The two former members of the Jedi Council were quiet for a second, giving silent exchanges to one another on how to approach the subject.

"We would have loved having you on the Council," Applejack said, rather guiltily.

"I couldn't devote my life to the Jedi and my wife," Lyra replied back, with a bit of heat in her tone.

"Ahem," Bon Bon cleared her throat, trying to break the tension. "I got the cut pieces off. Now I can get a new one. Lyra, can you get me the box of arms?"

"Sure," Lyra answered, walking to a shelf and pulling out a crate of droid arms. She set them on the workbench as Bon Bon dug through them.

"Now lemme see here..." Bon Bon pulled some of the arms out of the box. Super battle droid, standard battle droid, Pyke torture droid, many various types of limbs. But eventually she pulled out a colored blue B1 unit arm still intact. "Think you can settle on this for the time being?"

Rainbow sighed. She didn't want to have the same type of arm, but she didn't want to reject her hospitality, nor be picky. She was their guest after all. "Sure."

And so, Bon Bon got back to work. She pulled some tools out from the wall, starting to apply the bolts onto the mechanical implants.

"So, um. Anyways," Applejack continued. "You two... you're both married now, aren't ya?"

Lyra's look of derision soon melted away. She gave a soft but friendly smile to the veteran and gave a nod.

"Well now. I dare say you found yourself quite a gal," the farmer complimented, making Bon Bon and Lyra blush.

"Heh, yeah. Just uh... don't take her from me, okay? She's mine," Lyra stuck out her tongue, childishly.

"Still though, congrats. Kinda wish we saw the wedding though," Rainbow admitted.

"You lucked out," Bon Bon continued, doing a quick diagnostics check on the wrist. "Since we were on the run by the time we decided to get married, we ended up having a wedding on Takodana. Maz was nice enough to be our priest, but I think Hondo had too much to drink."

"He was a nice best man though," Lyra shrugged nonchalantly.

Applejack's curiosity got the best of her as she looked around her little workshop. In a bin she saw a few more droid limbs sticking out, some hands with missing fingers and various panels and wiring exposed. On a shelf she saw nothing but heads; battle, protocol, tactical, super tactical, pit, probe, architect, it was stunning to see how many types of droid parts she had. Even on a small shelf there were at least two astromech domes with faded paint that looked like they were still mostly intact.

The farmer's eyes then settled on the strange orb that was resting on the shelf with faded paint. She reached her hand out to look at it--until the orb came apart and revealed a to be a buzz droid hiding underneath it chittering and clicking at her.

"Dah! Buzz droid!" Applejack was about to pull out her blaster--

"If you shoot Bee, I'll stop trying to fix your friend here," Bon Bon threatened, pointing a wrench at the farmer.

"Ah... ah..." Applejack looked at the buzz droid for a second, watching as it leapt off the shelf and onto the workbench. It clapped its little legs across the wall and past Rainbow Dash making her shiver. She squirmed more as she saw it get close to her, suddenly moving itself onto Bon Bon's body.

"Relax, he's family too," Bon Bon said, fixing the final circuit. Bee suddenly appeared on Bon Bon's shoulder, sitting like a little bird. Bon Bon smiled and patted its head, making it purr like a loth-cat. Even Lyra gave it a pat which made it climb onto her, demanding more attention.

"Hey little guy," Lyra giggled, patting its shell and head.

"Okay, the final bolts are attached," Bon Bon finished. "Now, try to feel with it. Try to make your hand move." The Mandalorian took a small tool and poked at a finger, watching it flex. Then she poked at another, seeing it reflex as well. And poking it some more got the hand to move with Rainbow's reactions and body. The joints made a small wincing noise as they moved, but it wasn't in any danger of falling apart. "Great! Now we just need to do one more test."

Bon Bon walked to the corner and pulled out a B1 battle droid head. "Pick this up without difficulty."

Rainbow got off the bench, flexing her arm some more, trying to get used to the feeling. She stretched her arm and looked at her fingers, watching them flex and move with her thoughts and feelings. Bon Bon held the head in her hand, offering Rainbow to grab it by the neck. Rainbow stretched her three-fingered arm out, extending long enough to try and grip it. Her fingers softly tapped the neck until they wrapped around with a tight grip. As carefully as possible, Rainbow pulled her arm back to hold it normally, not feeling the weight of the part too much for her grip.

"Excellent. I think your arm should be alright now," Bon Bon declared, taking the head back and putting it back in the box. "Now, you two wanted to discuss where we've been all this time?"

"That would be nice to know," Applejack asked, folding her arms.

"Follow us, we can get some blue milk and discuss everything in the cockpit," Lyra offered.

A few minutes after fixing her limb, the four adults walked over to the cockpit of the ship, watching as hyperspace traveled around them from the glass. Everyone had a nice cup of cold blue milk in a mug, and the four chairs in the cockpit were nice and comfortable enough for them to sit in. Flurry and the rest of the Rebels were occupied as well, leaving them some nice and quiet time alone.

“So let me get this straight, you two have been hiding out on Tatooine for all this time?” Applejack asked.

“Well yeah, Tatooine’s a perfect place to hide. Especially for a bounty hunter like me,” Bon Bon said with a small smirk. “Personally though, I wanted to settle down on Glee Anselm or Scarif, but the Empire now controls those. Because of course they have to take the nice tropical environments…”

“And I guess that means you tried settling on desert planets next?” Rainbow Dash asked, taking a sip of her drink.

“No, we then tried settling on winter planets. But none of us really wanted to have to purchase a ton of animal skins or furs just to keep ourselves warm. Hated Hoth, Carlac was a no-no, only went to Ilum once and that was to help Lyra restore her lightsaber, and Kijimi can go die in a fire,” Bon Bon said, seething at the end.

Rainbow and Applejack blinked.

“Oookay, I’m not even going to ask about that last one…”

Bon Bon tittered. “Sorry. But back to my point, so we ditched that, and that’s when we settled on trying to find desert planets. Pasaana sucked, Jedha sucked, Jakku sucked, Arvala-7… eh, iffy on that one. Savareen’s barely nice even with the beach, Geonosis had practically nothing, so we basically settled on Tatooine. It’s a hell-hole, but it beats traveling endlessly in space getting hunted by the Empire.”

Rainbow raised a brow. “Yeah… sure. But why not go back to Equestria?"

"Have you seen what the Empire's done to Equestria?" Lyra said with some doubt. "It's hell now. The Empire controls Equestria now. And Mandalore's no better."

"... Great," Applejack said, rather lowly. "Just when I hoped they'd leave our homeworld alone."

Just then, the door to the cockpit opened, and Spike rolled inside. “Hey, Lyra, Bon Bon, I know things were kinda chaotic during the escape but I just wanted to ta…” His dome rolled to the side and immediately froze. He couldn’t process what he was seeing right now. “It… is it really…?

Even Rainbow and Applejack couldn’t believe it, but the two of them held back their surprised looks with neutral ones, mainly just to mess with him for one last time.

“Its… oh sweet Solaris. You two are alive…” Spike gasped.

“Well of course we’re alive. Why wouldn’t we be?” Rainbow said, casually, leaning back in her chair.

“It’s been so long! It’s so good to see you both again!”

“… And you are?” Applejack asked.

“Oh no. You don’t remember?”

Rainbow Dash silently smirked to Applejack who hid her smirk as well, despite Spike’s confusion.

“… wait, you seriously don’t remember me? After everything we’ve been through? The raid on Geonosis? The Siege of Alveare where we jumped onto the Storm King’s warship to rescue Chancellor Celestia? What about the time when we all first met, when Master Yoda helped create the Equestrian Jedi Temple? None of this rings a bell to you!?”

And for the first time in years, both Applejack and Rainbow Dash started to laugh.

“Okay, now it’s coming back buddy,” Rainbow joked, patting the top of his head. “I never forgot who you were.”

“Oh now you remember. Lyra, these two are not who they claim to be!”

“Spike, stop, I’m sorry,” Rainbow Dash said, kneeling down to give the C1 unit a hug. “I am actually happy to see you bud, it’s been such a long time.”

Spike sighed and moved his little hands to try and give her a hug. “Sorry, I’m not much of a jokester nowadays. Kinda lost my sense of humor after… well you know.”

Applejack gave the astromech a hug too. “Sorry, sugarcube. But we are happy to see you again.”

Spike couldn’t show it, but he was smiling inside. “So am I.” His head turned to look at Rainbow again. “Hey, you got a replacement arm!”

“Yeah, but it’s a skinny battle droid arm,” Rainbow complained, extending it and making a flexing motion. “And I have three fingers, do you know how hard it is to type with three fingers?”

“The original Master Yoda had three fingers,” Spike pointed out.

“Well, yeah, but, ju—agh, I’m not debating this,” she said, throwing herself back in the seat.

“I do like your new hairstyle by the way, looks awesome,” the astromech complimented. “Now where was I… oh, right! Lyra, Bon Bon, if you two don’t mind, could we… talk?”

“About what?” Lyra asked.

“Well, it’s…” Spike’s dome spun around to look behind him, making sure no one was there. “It’s about Flurry. Can you just close the door?”

“I got it,” Bon Bon said, flipping a switch. The door closed instantly. “Or did you want to speak with only the two of us?”

“Honestly all four of you should probably be involved right now,” Spike admitted. “When Flurry found me in the desert, I do not know why, I had a feeling in my processor like I knew her. Just exactly, out of curiosity’s sake, where did you find her, or get her? Did you adopt her, is she naturally born…?”

Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other, and then back to Spike.

“Well, Spike… um. We kinda, sorta… adopted her,” Lyra admitted. “I don’t know if you knew this or not, but I was asked by the Princess of Canterlot and her husband to watch over their baby because of a potential Changeling threat. We’ve been raising her ever since.”

Spike’s dome spun backwards again and then looked back at the married couple. “Is… is she really… Is it her? Is she Flurry Heart?”

“Yes, she is,” Lyra nodded.

“… Omigosh, she’s still alive!” Spike cheered. His dome now did a complete 360 multiple times and his little hands made cheering notions in the air. “I knew it, I knew it in my spark that she was still alive somehow, I just knew it!”

“Still alive, what are you talking about?” Bon Bon asked.

“Well… wait. You two don’t know? You didn’t hear about the Siege of Canterlot?”

“Siege, what siege—what are you talking about?” Lyra insisted, starting to get worried.

“Girls… I don’t know how to say it. Shining Armor and Cadence, they’re… they’re gone,” Spike whimpered, arms slowly drooping.

The two partners were quiet, and Lyra slowly fell back in her seat, trying to comprehend what he had just told them. It couldn’t be true, it couldn’t! It wasn’t true, it had to be impossible!

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I wasn’t there, but from what I learned, apparently a few days after they had their baby sent away, Queen Chrysalis and her army of Changelings led an invasion that wiped out everyone and, well… she took Cadence’s place. Ten years later, the Empire came down and wiped out the Changelings in return, under the command of Darth Midnight.”

Lyra’s heart started to pound against her chest, and all sounds were getting quieter. She only heard a stinging drone sound emit as she tried desperately to not have a panic attack. It wasn’t until Bon Bon’s hand held onto her hand did she finally wake up. She looked at Bon Bon with a scared face, practically trembling. The Mandalorian, understanding her wife’s fear, pulled her in for a hug to try and comfort her.

The two former Jedi could only sit there in complete shock and awe, speechless in fact.

“A few days… If I didn’t leave, I… or oh God, Flurry…” Lyra’s voice shook.

“Hon, you didn’t know,” Bon Bon whispered, holding her, rubbing her back affectionately.

“She could have been… oh…” Lyra trembled.

“You’re okay. It’s okay, you’re here, and Flurry is still safe,” Bon Bon whispered, holding her for another minute or two. Once Lyra finally calmed down, the two partners sat back down in their seats.

“Lyra, I know you’re scared, but you did save her. I didn’t know she was even safe, but honestly I’m more than happy knowing that she’s been safe all along because of you,” Spike comforted. “And the Mandalorian, of course. And now that we know she’s safe, that means…” He froze again. A darker thought entered his processor. “Oh no…” His dome looked over to Rainbow Dash and Applejack who shared an equally scared look.

"Oh no..."

“Why so scared all of a sudden?” Bon Bon asked, turning to look at them.

Smolder stared intently at the holochess board, and then at the player across from her. Their eyes exchanged intense glares, one wondering what each other were going to do for a move. The player across from her had already made his move, and now Smolder had to think it over.

“Cheep cheep cheep.”

“I don’t know what he just said to me,” Smolder asked, still staring.

“He just asked ‘are you going to go?’” Flurry questioned, sitting next to the C1 unit with her arms folded with a deadpan expression. She looked at her shoulder armor for a moment, adjusting the piece to make sure it wasn't going to fall off.

“I’m thinking here…” Smolder protested, looking back down on the board.

“How long has she been thinking of a move?” Gallus asked.

All three of them turned their eyes over to Gallus, Sandbar, Yona, Ocellus, and Silverstream who were all drinking from coffee mugs. Although they were drinking the sweet sensations of hot chocolate with some little marshmallows that the mothers picked up from Naboo.

“Sixteen minutes,” Flurry pouted, resting her head.

“Hey, how would you like to play this game then, huh? You got some brilliant idea, hmm?” Smolder complained.

“Just pick one!” Everyone shouted.

Smolder finally gave in and moved a piece to the next slot on the board. Finally, Cheep made his next move, which was officially the winning move. Enough for Smolder to throw her arms back and yell at the air, flame bursting out of her mouth.

“Hehehehehehe.”

“How’d you like it if I burn your photoreceptor, huh trashcan?” Smolder growled.

“Hey, Smolder, calm down! It’s just a game,” Sandbar reassured.

“I don’t like to lose,” Smolder huffed with smoke coming out of her snout.

“Cheep and G-G have more experience playing this game, they’ve played it for over 20 years,” Flurry explained, rationally. “I’ve only beat them once, and I think they let me.”

“Chirp chirp chirp churp,” Cheep replied, swiveling his head around at her.

“Pretty much,” Flurry shrugged.

“I have a deck of cards, anyone want to play Sabacc?” Sandbar offered.

“I’m in,” Smolder nodded. “Flurry, you wanna play?”

“I’d love to!” Flurry smiled. “Cheep, are you in?”

“Chirp chirp.”

“Great. Hey, ask G-G or any of the droids if they want in,” Flurry asked.

The C1 unit nodded, sliding out of the seat and roll towards the hallway.

“I gotta admit, it’s kinda weird to see you so chill with them,” Smolder admitted, scooting herself over so the rest of the gang could come in to sit.

“How come?” Flurry asked.

“Well, I mean… they’re machines,” Smolder said, flatly. “They’re not living, breathing, things.”

“Maybe not, but they’re still family. Those two have helped look after me ever since I was a baby,” Flurry stated. “They may be droids, but they’re still thinking beings like us.”

Cheep rolled back, with G-G right behind him. The C1 pulled himself back in the seat, still making everyone wonder how the hell that fat machine was able to sit like a humanoid being in that booth. But they didn’t question it for long and just moved along like nothing weird happened. And G-G pushed a small little ramp that acted like a booster, allowing him to elevate his height so he could face everyone at the table.

"Astromechs are in," Flurry acknowledged.

“Okay boys, let’s do it, cards are all out, I assume everyone knows the rules?” Sandbar asked. Everyone nodded. “Great, let’s start. Gallus, you want to be the dealer this time?”

“Sure,” Gallus agreed.

“You guys go ahead and start, I’m going to check on the bridge, see how far we are from Yavin,” Flurry said, sliding out of the booth.

She walked out of the living room and around the hallway to the bridge. She hit the switch, opening up the door to the cockpit, only to see Lyra and Bon Bon’s skin having gone cold. “Um… Mom? Mama? Is everything okay?”

Rainbow and Applejack were the first to step up.

“Oh, they’re fine! They’re just uh… not handling the news well,” Applejack tittered.

“What news?” Flurry asked.

“Well, just, uhhh…” Rainbow’s eyes darted around, trying to think of a lie fast. It wasn’t going to be good if Applejack lied, she was a horrible liar. Which meant it was all on her. They couldn’t tell this kid what they knew. “Sebulba’s not allowed to enter any more races!”

Flurry blinked with a deadpan expression. “Sebulba’s dead. He bit the dust after he tried racing on some Tusken Raider’s turf.”

“Oh, well, uhhhh…”

“Mom, is everything okay?”

Flurry stepped forward into the cockpit, hoping for a straight answer.

"Mom? Mama, are you okay?"

Lyra was quiet for a moment or two, her hands cupping her face and slowly breathing in and out as if someone had told her the worst news she had ever heard. She got up out of her chair to look at her daughter in the eye, clearly in some form of stress. Then by surprise, she yanked her daughter to her, holding her tightly. Flurry didn't know what to say or do, but she just slowly hugged her back. And Bon Bon joined in as well, everyone trying to stay calm in the situation.

"Mom, if something isn't okay, I'll listen," Flurry insisted.

Lyra pulled out of the hug for a second, trying to keep her voice calm and collected, even despite her clearly shaken up. "I'm okay. I'm just... a little worried, because someone didn't mention the fact that there were two Dark Siders attacking you guys," Lyra said, putting her motherly instincts back into gear.

"They came out of nowhere, we were trying not to die!" Applejack protested, also playing the part. Truth be told, she could feel Lyra wasn't acting right now, not with her tone.

"Or, uh, I don't know, you took our daughter into a freaking PODRACER!?" Bon Bon yelled.

"IG-11 was the one driving, it's not their fault," Flurry protested.

"It's still dangerous to be in a podracer, do you know how fast those things go?"

"We just ran away in an old spaceship from a bunch of guys who were trying to shoot us down," Flurry snarked, folding her arms.

Lyra rubbed her eyes and her temple, trying to relax and calm down. "It's just... I'm worried, okay. I just want you to be safe, okay? I'm glad these two and Eleven were there to keep you safe, but I... well you know."

"I understand," Flurry hugged her mom again. "We'll be careful next time. I promise."

She gave her mom a quick peck and walked out of the cockpit, letting the doors slide behind her. While she did understand how her moms were about her safety (and understandable, considering the amount of bad people that lived on Tatooine) she still felt a bit annoyed at times. But yet a part of her felt like there was something they weren't telling her...

Lyra and Bon Bon sat back down in the cockpit chairs, staring off into space.

"So. What you said, is this true?"

"I'm afraid so," Applejack said, lowering her hat. "I'm sorry you knew about this now but..."

Bon Bon raised her hand up, as if to quietly tell her to stop talking. "It's fine. Better we know about it now than later."

"I think we're going to have to make a decree," Lyra said, staring at space in front of her, not looking back at Rainbow or Applejack. Her face was entirely neutral as she tried to bring her composure back to normal again. "We cannot let Flurry know this. Ever."

"Lyra, Flurry is going to find out eventually," Rainbow pointed out.

"And if we bring her on missions, she might find out she still lives," Spike added, rubbing his hands rather worriedly.

"Maybe she will. Or maybe she won't. But I want you all to promise me, no matter what happens... we cannot tell her this. Understood?"

Rainbow, Applejack, and Spike all collectively agreed and just let out a disappointed, "Understood."

Lyra's gaze shifted to her Mandalorian wife. "Bonnie, are you on board, or..."

Bon Bon looked back to her former Jedi of a wife. "I don't like it... but I don't want to dump any more bad news onto Flurry. We'll keep this quiet, for now."

And like that, the entire cockpit was quiet. No one said another word and just stayed silent, Lyra kept her hands gripped on the steering controls with Bon Bon by her side. The two veterans behind them exchanged looks, pondering whether or not they were making the right choice. Even Spike looked unsure about their current predicament. But he vowed to stay silent on the subject matter like everyone else.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew were getting deeply involved in the game of Sabacc. And despite Smolder's pleas, everyone didn't take issue with IG-11 pulling up a chair and sitting with them to play as well. Despite the game only requiring six to eight players, the group made do with the additional players that were participating in the game.

"Does anyone else require sustenance?" IG-11 asked.

"No thanks."

"We're good."

Since Sandbar dealt all the cards, he was the first to set a card down; a green card with five dots. The player on his left, Flurry was next. She looked at her cards and set a card down onto the discard pile. Now it was Cheep's turn. The astromech's eyes looked at his cards and then at the discard pile again.

"Chirp chirp."

Now it was G-G's turn. The R4 unit looked over at his deck with his small hands, and very carefully reached his hand over to grab another card from the deck, having made his turn.

"So Flurry, I know you haven't played the game, but have your parents played?"

"I know my mom has. She doesn't think I know this, but I heard over coms she apparently played Sabacc against some bounty hunters back on Tatooine," Flurry explained, watching as IG-11 set a card down on the deck.

"Okay so here's something I don't understand," Gallus asked, pointing a claw at her. "Your moms are a bounty hunting Mandalorian, and a Jedi... how exactly does that work?"

Flurry shrugged, casually. "I don't know, I guess it just does. I never questioned it."

"What version of the game are we playing?" Ocellus asked, interrupting the conversation for a second.

"Correllian Spike," Sandbar answered. "Why?"

"Oh, I wasn't sure, that's all," Ocellus replied, her wings clicking lightly. "I've been trying to read up on all the popular games in the galaxy, and heard this one was a popular form." She then pulled another card out from the deck.

"It is, but another reason it's so popular is people gamble on these games," Smolder remarked. "I stand."

"I've never gambled before, it's always so risky. And every time I try to play with someone, they keep asking me to bet my necklace," Silverstream whimpered, clutching the jewel around her neck to protect it.

"That's now how it's played on Gryphus," Gallus said, setting a card down on the deck. "You etither had something to bet, or you don't play."

"... ouch," Flurry winced.

"What can I say. It's how the Griffins play," Gallus shrugged off casually, watching as Silverstream set another card down on the deck. "Of course, the Griffins also cheat when they play, so what do I know."

"Ohh..." Ocellus tittered.

Yona looked at her cards and then at the card facing down. Following the rules, she swapped her card with the one on top. Sandbar then set the next card down, rolling the dice. "Okay... no doubles, so we keep going."

Flurry was next again, setting a card down on the deck. And then Cheep looked down at his cards again and then the deck. His claw slapped another one down on the discard pile, waiting for G-G to make his move. The R4 looked at his deck, and then played a card.

"Bwoop boop."

"So is there anything I should expect when we arrive at your base?" Flurry asked, bringing the conversation back around.

"Well I'm not sure how open everyone's going to be regarding, um," Ocellus's head looked to the droid dock against the wall. "The Storm Army droids?"

Flurry tilted her head to look, until it suddenly clicked. "Ohhh... well, I mean. They're reprogrammed, they're not dangerous. They don't shoot or harm anyone unless ordered to. Does your base have droids?"

"Yeah, we do but none of them are your nurse," Smolder pointed to Eleven, "or the soldiers who served the Storm King."

"So there aren't any battle droids in the Rebellion? Commandos, droidekas, nothing?"

"No. Not sure why we'd even need them," Smolder said, rather nonchalantly. "They're not exactly smart."

"They're not smart, but they still pack a punch," Sandbar pointed out.

"No kidding. You don't know what an army of them did to Mount Aris," Silverstream's ears drooped.

"But imagine what they could do for the Rebellion," Ocellus asked with a small tinge of excitement. "They could do so much for us."

"Just as long as they're not clones," Gallus said, placing another card down after everyone else had gone. "It's hard enough telling them apart, I prefer being able to know who's who."

"But I have learned there were ways to tell them apart," Ocellus spoke up. She pulled out her book flipping through the pages. "Apparently to make themselves more distinct, each of them had their own little names to make things easier for the Jedi and each other."

"How do you know so much about the Clone Wars?" Flurry asked.

"I've been studying the Clone Wars immensely," Ocellus squeaked, pulling a holodevice out of her bag with a few memory chips. "I never participated in it, but from what General Shimmer taught me, it wasn't exactly the greatest of times. She did like the clones at the time though, and she gave me instructional videos for my studies."

"Oh really? That's cool! May I?" Flurry asked, gesturing to the holodevice.

"Sure."

Flurry grabbed the device from her and flipped the button. The hologram projector turned on, showing a man with short blond hair and white armor, with a blue shoulder pauldron facing her. Presumably this was directed at whoever was supposed to get the message.

"Whoa... that's a clone?" Flurry asked.

"One of many," Ocellus replied. The hologram captured everyone's attention, despite the figure on the device not giving anyone any direct attention.

"My name is Rex. But you can call me Captain, or sir. War does not come with a guarantee. No soldier gets the promise of safety--"

Flurry flipped the channel to another video, looking for more on the memory chip. This time another clone came into the hologram view, with a few others next to him.

"My designation is Trooper 27-5555 sir."

"We call him Fives. I'm Hevy, and this is Echo."

And she flipped again.

"I'm Commander Cody. Your new boss."

And again.

"Sir yes sir!"

And then back to the first video.

"Look around, we are one and the same. Same heart, same blood. Your training is in your blood."

Then Flurry turned the device off, passing it back to Ocellus.

"Supposedly, there were over a hundred-thousand of those troopers serving the old Republic. But they're all a thing of the past now," Ocellus said, putting the device back in her bag. "They don't exist anymore. If only I could have seen what it was like back then..."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Ocellus. Just remembering the things my dad said, it sounded like he thought the Empire was even better than the Republic," Sandbar interjected. "Of course, I have no way of knowing this and um... uh, never mind."

"What?" Flurry asked.

"I'll tell you guys another time. Not now," Sandbar insisted. "Now round three?"

"Hey guys!" Spike hollered. Spike came rolling around the corner, grabbing everyone's attention. "We're almost at Yavin IV! We made it!"

"Alright!"

"Hooray!"

"About time!"

Once they were out of hyperspace, The Sweetie Drop burst into the atmosphere near Yavin Prime; a gas giant of a planet. And not too far was the lighter colored, warm blue and green planet known as Yavin IV.

“Here we are, Yavin IV,” Spike declared, looking out the cockpit window with the Jedi.

“So is there anything we should expect now that we’re here?” Bon Bon asked.

“Well, right about now we should be activating their proximity alert, which means they should be calling us right about… now.”

And speak of the devil, someone was calling them on the coms channel.

“Unidentified vessel, you are entering restricted airspace. Identify yourselves.”

Lyra tapped the button to respond. “Yavin IV, this is Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Why are you entering this sector?”

“We are currently in transit to your base, we have astromech unit SP-1K safe and sound, along with a Rebel group who call themselves Team Six. They have offered us a chance to join your Rebellion, and my family and I would like to join.”

Some silence was on the other end. Lyra and her wife looked at one another, unsure of their responses.

“What did you say your name was again?”

“Lyra Heartstrings,” she repeated.

“I see. Well Miss Heartstrings, we will be escorting you down to the platform; I would advise you to follow our escorting X-Wings, and if you do not comply, we will open fire.”

“I understand. Over and out,” Lyra finished, shutting off their coms.

As expected, two ships were seen coming from the planet towards their freighter; two light fighters with wings that looked as if they could fold into an X-shaped pattern. Both of them flew past the ship and spun around, flying side by side next to the freighter. They guided the Sweetie Drop towards the planet, and so they began to make their descent to the surface.

Several clouds whooshed past them until finally they were flying within the planet’s surface. The skies were nice and bright with clouds in the air. And the lands as far as they could see were filled with nature; forests and jungles extended for miles across the planet. But they could see a few open areas visible. Plenty of fields where they could see some people with farming equipment tending to the flourishing crops. Some rivers where some guys in fishing gear were catching some delectable looking fish for food. And just up ahead, they could see the heart of Yavin IV; the Rebel base.

Big ancient stone temples converted into the Rebel base, with plenty of vegetation growing all over them. Some of the structures were in ruins, but it didn’t hurt the Rebels from expanding their resources and grounds. Flurry pressed herself against the gunner window, staring at the world with awe. She could barely remember the last time she had seen something other than sand.

“Whoa…” Flurry said in awe. “This is the Rebel base?”

“Yes it is!” The Yakyakiee beamed, joining her in looking outside. "Rebel friends found temples seven years ago, and as Rebels do, Rebels make do with what Rebel friends can,” Yona said with pride. “Those temples are all ruins from long ago. Ocellus has been studying them.”

Once they were within range, the two X-Wings broke off and allowed the freighter to find a space on the massive landing zone. The Sweetie-Drop’s legs extended and unfolded, and landed on the platform with a smooth touch, like a bird arriving to it’s nest.

“So now that we’re here, how do we come out of the ship?” Applejack asked. “Are they gonna shoot us the minute we get out?”

“Probably not, but I highly recommend everyone follow my lead,” Spike suggested.

“Okay,” Lyra nodded, walking with the Jedi to meet the others. “Flurry,” she said, looking at her daughter. “Turn on the rest of the droids; only the active members.”

“Yes Mom,” she agreed.

She walked over the droid dock, and pulled down a lever. One by one, each of the humanoid droids that were resting on the docks activated; all three commando units and the purple and gold tactical droid turned on, slowly coming off the dock.

A few Rebel troopers walked out onto the platform to greet the arrivals. The hatch opened up along with the ramp to lead down to the ground. First to come out were Smolder and Gallus, who were then pounced on by Yona who was struggling to push out of the stairway. Next to come down were Lyra and Bon Bon, who were then followed by Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Next to come were Flurry and IG-11, with Cheep and G-G rolling behind them. And the rest of the droids who were online marched behind them like soldiers, keeping weapons held behind their backs to not startle the Rebels. Last to exit were Silverstream, Ocellus, Sandbar and Spike who got off the ramp to join them.

“Hey Tamont,” Silverstream greeted to the Rebel trooper.

“Hello Silver,” the trooper acknowledged. He looked over to the group of adults who stood together. “Which one of you is Lyra Heartstrings?”

“That would be me,” she said, stepping forward.

“When you said you and your family were wanting to join us, I didn’t know you had a big family,” the trooper said, looking at the group that stood with her.

Lyra giggled. “Guess I should have been more specific.”

“Either way, this is quite a surprise. If you and your family would be so kind to follow us,” he said, gesturing them to come with.

Naturally, Team Six along with their new friends followed the troopers towards the main entrance of the base. As they walked, the new ‘guests’ looked around. So many ships were here, it was quite impressive to see what this group had put together. Multiple starfighters as far as the eye could see of various types; a white and blue carrier parked with some engineering staff running repairs on the wings. Some Rebels moving around with mini trooper carriers, showing pilots in orange and blue jumpsuits. As far as Flurry could tell, the Rebellion had gathered various people from across the galaxy. Twi'leks, Niktos, Duros, Sullustans, Nautolans, Kel Dors, Mirilans, Zabraks, Equestrians, etc. There were also species that weren't as common to see across the galaxy; Xextos, Lurmens, Patrolians, Terrelian Jango Jumpers, and many more.

Bon Bon’s eyes wandered towards one section, noting two other freighters were within the base. One was a customized VCX-100 light freighter, and an extensively modified Corelian light freighter. Among the VCX freighter, Bon Bon picked up on a young woman, presumably in early adulthood, with very vibrant and colorful Mandalorian armor. Said colorful Mandalorian quickly noticed Bon Bon, and stood there, staring at her momentarily.

But then her attention was drawn to another figure; a green Twi’lek woman emerging from the ship rather slowly, with the help of a Lasat. And judging by the shape of her belly, she could only make one calculation.

“Um, is that woman pregnant?” Bon Bon asked.

Spike and the Rebel trooper picked up on this.

“Huh? Oh, sheesh. Yeah, she is,” Tamant replied. “Yeah, doctors keep telling her to stay home, but she still insists on performing her duty.”

“Well maybe someone should tell her to keep her green ass at home! Until you give birth!” Bon Bon ranted quietly.

Just then, one of the admirals in charge emerged from one of the temples, quickly pacing to greet the arrived Rebels. “Team Six, I am glad to see you again,” the admiral greeted. “Is Spike and the plans safe?”

“Yes sir. Along with some new friends,” Yona nodded, turning to let their new friends come forward.

About a dozen eyes were now staring at the arrived crew, making them feel a little uneasy.

“Why are they staring at us?” the commando droid asked.

“We are outdated models. Perhaps they are questioning how we are still operating at a full capacity,” IG-11 answered.

“Welcome, new faces. My name is Admiral Deacon, welcome to Yavin IV. May I ask what are you all doing here?”

“Allow us to introduce ourselves,” Lyra began. “My name is Lyra Heartstrings, survivor of the Jedi Order. This is my wife Bon Bon, our daughter Flurry, and these two are my friends; Masters Applejack and Rainbow Dash, survivors of the Jedi Order.”

The two gave nods and waves.

“Wait. You all are Jedi?” The admiral questioned.

“Yeaaahhh?” Lyra hesitated. “Is that a problem?”

“Oh no, no, no, no problem at all! I just didn’t expect to see Jedi here. General Shimmer will be very happy to see you all. In fact, why don’t you all follow me, I can take you inside to meet her,” the Admiral nodded.

“What about my droid crew?” Bon Bon asked.

“You’ll have to tell them to stay there, at least until we can give them clearance,” the admiral said. “It’s a safety thing, you know.”

Bon Bon nodded. “Flurry, can you stay with the droids?”

“Of course,” Flurry said, standing by with IG-11 and her fellow astromechs.

“We’ll be right back.”

The Rebel Six, Spike, and the four adults followed Admiral Deacon through the hangar and into one of the hallways. The walls were made of the same stone that made the entire temple. It was amazing to see that such a temple had stayed together for so long, but even more so to see the Rebels were making good use from it. Tubing and cables clinged to a few walls connected to various rooms throughout, some nice warm lights to guide their way.

Rebels of all classes passed them as they followed the admiral. Some wealthy, middle, working, poor, there were all types. Best way any of them could tell was based on some clothes, but that was just on the surface. There were a few droids that passed as well, some Gonk droids, astromechs, protocol, the usual kinds. Pilots making their run in the jumpsuits. Bon Bon especially took notice of a Mikkian woman who passed them in a commanding officer's uniform.

"Dang. They've got everything here," Applejack observed.

"Except a massive government willing to fund us," Yona replied.

The group finally entered the main room of the base where the main council was. Among the people surrounding the big holoprojector in the room was a human male with white gray hair and facial hair; a Mon Calamari with tan and dark skin, and an Equestrian man with pale skin and spiked blue hair. But the individual that caught their attention was the woman leaning over the table and gazing at the map projection; dressed in a teal jumpsuit, white jacket with orange striping on the sleeves, and black fingerless gloves. Her fiery hair also made her stand out like a sore thumb.

“General Shimmer,” Admiral Deacon said. “The team you deployed on Tatooine is back, and they, along with Spike, have come back with the plans.”

“Excellent, admiral," the general said, not turning her head.

“And… they brought friends.”

The general didn’t understand, and her fiery hair spun around so she could get a look. What she saw in front of her was enough to make her silent. Could it really have been her? Lyra Heartstrings, in the flesh. A former Jedi who had ran from all those years ago was back. And by her side were two more friends that made her heart want to explode. She couldn't believe her eyes.

“Hello Sunset. It’s been a while.”

Registration

Author's Note

Whew... thank god. I am so sorry for taking so long, I've been slacking off, and I really need to get back into a more consistent schedule. But I am happy to report we're finally making progress folks! It's a bit bloated, admittedly, but I worked my best with what I wanted to write and do for this chapter.

I wanna thank Scholars again for helping out on some scenes in between, honestly this chapter would have stayed dormant had I not asked for help. So either way, thank you again Scholars, and thank you all for your patience and waiting. I hope the wait was worth it. ^^

Registration

“Hello Sunset. It’s been a while.”

Sunset stared with complete surprise. The admiral to her left looked at her with a neutral expression, while the Rebel Six stood by, awaiting instructions. Except for Spike who stood close by, his little hands acting as if he was anticipating excitement or a burst of emotion to be exploding from Sunset.

“U… Lyra, Wh… a… I don’t believe it, you’re… you’re alive. H-How have you been? Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine,” Lyra said, softly.

Sunset’s eyes then looked to the Mandalorian next to her, who took off her helmet. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you.”

“Bon Bon. I’m Lyra’s wife,” Bon Bon said straightforwardly.

“Oh. Um. Well, nice to meet you. So… you got married.” Sunset looked back at Lyra with a small smile. “Glad to know at least one of us accomplished their dreams.”

Lyra couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah… I did.”

“Good to see you haven’t changed, Sunset,” Rainbow greeted, not wanting to wait anymore.

Sunset’s hands cupped her mouth as she tried to hold back a squeak. Were they really here? Was she seeing things right?

“I… is… you’re… you’re both…”

Applejack soflty smiled. “It’s alright, sugarcube. We’re alive.”

Sunset didn’t hold back and she yanked her old friends close to her, holding them in a big hug. Neither Rainbow or Applejack fought back, and instead embraced their friend, holding her in an equally big hug as well.

“Thank goodness you two are okay…” Sunset whispered, trying not to cry.

“We’re okay, Sunset… we’re okay…” Rainbow said, hugging her some more.

"I... I thought, I..."

"Shh... it's okay," Applejack comforted, rubbing her friend's back. "It's okay sugarcube. We're back."

Sunset backed out of the hug, not even trying to hide the tears of joy on her face. She wiped them away still having that warm smile that made her two friends smile back.

"H-How did you... I thought--"

"--We've been hidin' on Tatooine since the fall of the Republic," Applejack sumised. "And courtesy of these two, and their daughter, we decided to come back to fight and see you again."

Lyra and Bon Bon both smiled softly, happy to see a warm reunion among the group of friends.

"Say, I don't suppose you've heard from any others?" Applejack asked. "Rarity here?"

Sunset frowned.

"Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked.

A head shake.

"What about Fluttershy?"

"Girls, I haven't heard from the three of them in years," Sunset sighed with disappointment. "I don't know if the Empire got to them or if they're still on the run, but I've been praying that they've stayed alive." She reached in her pocket, showing a small device with a button. "I keep thinking maybe one day will be the right time to hail them, get them to come find me again someday but.. I can't bring myself to do it. What if they don't respond, what if they're gone, what if... oh..."

Rainbow patted Sunset's shoulder with her prosthetic arm. "I get it, Sunset. It's okay. The good news is, we're here now, and we want to help again. Can we join the Rebellion?"

That question got Sunset to lift up her spirits and smirk a little. "Do you have to ask?"

"Hey girls," another voice interrupted. The veterans looked at the man with blue hair standing near the projection table with a soft but friendly demeanor. Wearing a formal uniform only seen from the guards on Naboo.

"Flash?" Rainbow realized.

"Guess I can't fool your eyes," Flash Sentry nodded.

"Good to see you again, Sentry. You're still Captain of the Royal Guard, right?"

"Not anymore. Now I'm Captain here in the Rebellion Alliance," Flash corrected. "Sunset needed some help, and since Naboo had been quiet for some time, I volunteered to help."

"Glad to see another familiar face again," Applejack admired.

"Oh, where are my manners. Um General Dodonna," Sunset interrupted. The older gentleman turned his attention back to her. "This are some of my friends, Masters Applejack and Rainbow Dash. And this is Lyra and Bon Bon."

"It's an honor to meet you all," Dodonna greeted with a wise-sounding voice.

"And this is Admiral Raddus," Sunset gestured to the Mon Calamari with them.

"Greetings Admiral," Applejack politely saluted.

"General Shimmer has told us a lot about you two. I hope we can use your knowledge and wisdom to our advantage if we are to defeat the Empire," Raddus spoke. His voice was rather husky but he had an optimistic demeanor.

"I hope so too, Admiral," Rainbow agreed.

"Um, before we can discuss anything, I think we have something else to talk about...?" Lyra interrupted, making a gesture with her hand.

"What? What is it?" Sunset asked.

"Do you want me to say it, or you?" Bon Bon asked.

"If you want, I mean...?"

"Alright, I'll tell her," Bon Bon shrugged nonchalantly. "Sunset, er, General, whatever formality you want us to use... Flurry Heart is alive."

As the adults went inside, Flurry hung outside the temple with the droids. The group stood there awkwardly, looking around as everyone went along their day. They received some very mixed reactions from workers who passed by here and there. Some gave confused glances, others gave rather angry/scared reactions. It just looked horrific on all levels to have these scary looking droids on the base. But she stayed put, sitting on a stool that one of the droids put out for her to sit on.

She hummed quietly, watching as Rebels passed her by, going about their business. Among them, she saw a few pilots here and there, some ground crews who most likely came to work on the ships that were parked. And she was happy to see some astromech units were working plenty throughout the base. R2 units, R4s, R5s, they had ‘em all.

She even saw some protocol droids and Gonk droids wandering about. There was just so much around her, it was hard to believe this was real. And her attention was soon drawn to one of the Rebels approaching her; a C1 unit with an orange dome with yellow striping pattern.

“Oh, hi there,” Flurry waved. “Who are you?”

“Womp womp womp. Woomp woom womp woompr.”

“Nice to meet you, Chopper,” Flurry smiled.

“Chirp chirp.”

“Womp womp womp?” Chopper questioned, extending one of his claws out as if he was putting a hand on a hip.

“Chirp chirp,” Cheep replied.

“Womp womp!”

And Chopper suddenly slammed his body into Cheep, making the other C1 unit angry. Cheep grunted and growled from the attack and he slammed right back, pushing him backwards.

“Hey, hey, stop that!” Flurry yelled.

But the two didn’t listen, and their spat resulted in the two using their claws to slap their domes multiple times. Finally, Flurry put an end to it by stepping in between them and using her hands to push them away.

“Cheep, Chopper, you two need to chill out—aghhh!” And Flurry felt a little jolt of electricity in her body, courtesy of Chopper. “Okay, that’s it!”

“Chopper, what’s wrong with you!?” A woman yelled from near the VCX freighter.

“Womp womp! Womp womp!” Chopper growled.

G-G had enough of Chopper as well, beeping in several tones that Flurry knew was swearing. And on top of that, the R4 unit whipped out the machine gun that was built into his body which unfolded on top of his dome, lowered to aim straight at the C1 unit. Chopper immediately backed off, raising his hands up.

"Boo-wop bop! Bwoop bwoop bwoop!" G-G cursed, rattling and shaking. Even the sound of the cannon charging was enough to make Chopper scared.

“Chopper, just get back here! Hera needs us!” The woman said again, calling the C1 unit back over.

Chopper grunted, rolling around and cursing something to himself as he went back to the person who called her; a Mandalorian woman with a multi-colored Mandalorian suit.

"Wow. Rude little booger, isn't he?" Flurry folded her arms.

"Chirp chirp," Cheep cursed, sitting his claws on the sides of his dome in a 'hands-on-the-hips' motion.

Just then, another droid walked by, attention drawn to the crew.

“Greetings.”

Flurry looked up at the black droid who was practically towering her in height. Hulking black torso but surprisingly long skinny arms and legs, and a small head with innocent eyes. And on his shoulders were visible Imperial logos.

“I’m K2-S0.”

Flurry smiled. “Hi K2, I’m Flurry Heart. Funny, I have a K2 as well. This is K2-B4,” she pointed to the purple and gold tactical droid. “Say, how come you have Imperial markings?”

“I am a reprogrammed Imperial droid,” K2 replied.

The teenage girl gave a nod. “That’s cool.”

“A little girl like you should be terrified. How do you find me cool?”

Flurry giggled. “My mom is good with droids, I always found them cool. They’ve been some of my best friends since I was a little girl,” she said, gesturing to the bots standing close to her.

K2 was quiet as he looked at the collection of droids by her side. “Do you wish to know the probability of them getting hacked and turning against you?”

Flurry scowled. “No.”

“It’s high.”

“Thank you, that's very helpful,” Flurry deadpanned.

“It is very high,” K2-S0 said, stomping away from the group to do whatever assignment he was tasked to do. Flurry rolled her eyes, brushing off that statement. Cheep and G-G just watched as more astromechs passed on by.

Finally the adults came back. Sunset saw the group of droids next to the teenage girl, completely missing what they were. It wasn't until they walked into the open that she finally got a good look at them which made her heart start to pound against her chest.

"No... no... they can't be..." Sunset froze, her voice shaking. "It's not over..."

"Sunset, hey," Bon Bon interrupted, snapping her back to the present. She got in front of her, giving her a soft expression. "It's okay. They’re reprogrammed with free will, they’re not enslaved by the Storm Army anymore,” Bon Bon said.

Sunset wasn't sure what to think. She looked at the droids for a moment or two, and to Lyra. If they truly were under their control, then maybe there wasn't any issue here. For now at least. And they did look like they had no intention of attacking her.

"Alright. Just make sure they don't malfunction," Sunset asked.

"Great. Now that that's out of the way, Sunset Shimmer, this is Flurry Heart, our daughter,” Lyra introduced.

"Hello General," Flurry greeted with a cute little wave gesture on her hand.

“... Oh my goodness, you’ve gotten so big!” Sunset squeed softly. “I remember seeing you when you were just a baby.”

Flurry blushed slightly, “Heh, you uh… you did?”

“Yes! I remember—um,” Sunset cleared her throat. “Your aunt Twilight shared a picture of you with me in the Clone Wars, you looked adorable.”

“Mooomm…” Flurry groaned.

Lyra giggled. “Relax, it’s just one person who knows."

"But seriously though, it's nice to meet you," she shook Flurry's hand. "I know all of this seems new to you, but I assure you, we'll do what we can to make sure you and your family settle in here in the Rebellion."

"It's appreciated," Flurry smiled. "Oh, these are our droids. This is Cheep and G-G," she said, gesturing to the astromechs. "IG-11, my nurse droid," she continued, letting the former assassin look at her. "And our stolen/bought tactical droid; K2-B4."

"Nice to meet you all. Especially your commando units," Sunset acknowledged. "Now, come, come, come. We'll need to get you all registered into the system, and then you guys should meet some of the people you’ll be working with,” Sunset insisted.

What was only half an hour felt like several hours as they were waiting to to finish the registration process. The droids were no issue, but trying to get the rest of the girls in was difficult. So much paperwork, so much to sign and agree to.

"Okay, Flurry you should be the last one, hopefully," Lyra groaned, pulling up the holopad. "Name, Flurry Heart. Age?"

"Seventeen," Flurry responded, sitting next to her in the waiting room as they worked to get it sorted.

"Species; Equestrian," Lyra filled out. "Okay now the same questions they asked us; have you ever been infected with any diseases?"

"Aside from common cold and allergy season?" Flurry asked.

"No."

"Then no."

Lyra crossed that part out. "Any allergies that should be made aware of?" Flurry gave a deadpan stare to her mom. Lyra just took that as a 'no'. "Are you prejudiced against any races or species?"

"Okay, what kind of question is that?" Flurry blurted, getting frustrated.

"Flurry--"

"--Okay, no! The answer is no," Flurry groaned, holding a hand to her head out of sheer boredom.

"Okay, that answers that section, now we just have fifty more questions to go over."

"Aggghhhhhh!" Flurry moaned, throwing her arms up in the air.

Finally after a nightmare of paperwork, the new arrivals had been completely registered and provided with identification cars, allowing them access inside the base. And soon thereafter, Sunset began to lead them on a tour.

"As you already saw, the massive tarmac outside and inside the hangars are where we park the fighters," Sunset began. "You can park the Sweetie Drop closer if you want, there's spaces for freighters."

"Mind telling the C1 unit from that VCX freighter to not start a fight?" Flurry pouted.

"You mean Chopper? Sorry about that, the droid's always got a grumpy attitude," Sunset apologized. "He's been on edge recently, apparently the pilot of that freighter's due any day now with a baby."

"And yet apparently she looks like she has no issue prepping for another mission?" Bon Bon asked.

Sunset facepalmed. "... She left for Coruscant, didn't she?"

"I tried to stop her," Spike protested. "She refused to stay home."

"Spike, remind me later, I need to give her orders that she's grounded until she gives birth," Sunset asked. "I don't care if she insists otherwise, I don't want to risk her health nor her unborn baby."

"Adding it to the list," Spike answered.

"So Sunset, you mind telling me what all of this is about?" Lyra asked. "What is it you and this Rebellion are fighting for? Obviously against the Empire, we know that for sure. But what are you hoping to get out of this, what's your end goal?"

"I'm... not sure I should say," Sunset admitted.

"Sunset, we're already wanted criminals now, you might as well come out and tell us," Bon Bon said, cutting the chase.

"Well, since you put it that way," she said, stopping the group in the hallway. "We're trying to fight the Empire, so we can restore the Republic."

That sentence made Lyra and Bon Bon freeze.

"Okay, nope. Never mind, I'm out of here," Lyra deadpanned, ready to turn around and leave.

"Lyra, stop. Let me explain, okay?" Sunset pleaded. "I know it doesn't sound good, but I wanna explain."

"Okay, humor us," Lyra asked. "Why do you want to bring back a system that was failing?"

Spike rubbed his dome. "Great. Here we go again..."

"Spike, it's a good question, and if they're going to help us, they deserve to know," Sunset said. "Come. I'll explain everything."

Not sure about her responses, the group continued to walk after Sunset. And as they walked, more Rebels passed them, giving some small looks at the new people who were joining them, having similar reactions to seeing the bizarre droid members that were a part of Lyra and Bon Bon's crew.

"Wait, I have a question," Flurry piped up.

"Feel free to ask," Sunset acknowledged.

"What was wrong with the Republic?"

"Oh, where do I even begin?" Sunset said.

Lyra and Bon Bon heard glass shatter in their heads. Sunset Shimmer of all people was the one saying that?

"The long answer is hard to explain. The short answer; it was corrupt. Citizens lives were made worse, the economy was going downhill, people weren't being paid well enough to support themselves... even those who worked in our very own Jedi Temples on both Coruscant and Equestria."

"I thought working in the Jedi Temple would have paid well?" Ocellus asked.

"Unfortunately Ocellus, it didn't, as I did not realize until then," Sunset answered. "But after that, I started to learn some things..."

“Like what?” Bon-Bon asked, curious in spite of herself. Sunset paused for a moment, like she was thinking over just what to say, or perhaps how she should say it.

Then, she smiled. “Walk with me, and I’ll tell you.”

“What?” Flurry said, taken by surprise. Her moms were taken aback as well, and Lyra began, “Why?”

“It’s like, well, it just helps me explain things better,” Sunset answered, almost apologetically. “Like a visual aid.” Her expression shifted, the smile fading as the Rebel leader looked at them in a searching kind of way. “Just please, trust me for a few minutes on this, Lyra. If you still don’t want to take part when I’m done talking, I’ll let you and your family be on your way. All I ask is that you let me show you what we’re trying to build here.”

Lyra didn’t answer right away. She looked to her wife first, and Bon-Bon looked right back at her, and while neither woman said a word Flurry Heart was convinced (not for the first time either) that her moms could in fact communicate without ever making a single noise.

Then, with a certain reluctance, Bon Bon nodded, and Lyra looked resolutely to Sunset and said, “All right.”

Sunset led the Heartstrings family, along with Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Team Six back outside of the temple. Their tracks were taking them outside back onto the tarmac where various ships were parked; mainly starfighters, with the exception of the three freighters, and two Corvette-class ships that had hammer-like cockpit shapes. Some more shuttle-carts rolled through the base, escorting workmen to their stations in a much quicker manner which made their jobs much easier to handle.

"Sunset, is it really necessary to walk back out here? I'm not going to unpack everything from my house just to move into the base," Lyra said with some sass.

Sunset couldn't help but giggle. "That's not why I want you guys to come out here, and I'm not going to ask you or your spouse to remove anything from your home. It's your ship, not mine."

"Then why are we out here?"

"I'll show you. Come on, just a few more feet," Sunset gestured, asking them to keep following.

The group didn't understood what was so particular out here on the tarmac that required them to see. Even the droids looked around, although Cheep had a low growl and death glare at the nearby Chopper who stood with the VCX class freighter. He was not about to let that orange crop-topped booger come near him and shock his family members again.

"So before I continue, I want you to look at the people working around you. Do you see any similarities?" Sunset asked.

Curiously, Lyra, Bon Bon, and Flurry looked around them, including their droid family. Their eyes surveyed the platform, noting the various people that were here. Lyra turned towards a construction area on the tarmac; eyes focused on a colored human man who looked like he had not eaten in days. The scrawny man had finished twisting a bolt on an engine part, and took a seat on a piece of cargo that was used as a chair. A Chagrian woman in a pilot jumpsuit walked over with a plate of food, smiling with warmth in her face as she offered it to the man who accepted it gracefully. She sat next to him and the two of them shared a soft moment of embrace with a kiss as they ate lunch together.

Bon Bon found her attention wandering to an Ithorian with a metal speech synthesizer on his neck, most likely meant to help translate his words to those who didn't speak his language. He was dressed rather formally, and held a manifest in his hand as he talked to a Klatoonian man and woman, clearly talking about something work related they didn't understand. But regardless there was clear communication with each other.

Flurry's eyes gazed to a crew working on one of the starfighters; a Falleen woman wearing a jumpsuit that was covered in dust and scorch marks, even on her face. She wiped her forehead for a second as she rolled out on a small board, where a Pyke man stood next to her, offering a washcloth for her to clean her face. She accepted, cleaning her face from all the dust and dirt. And nearby was an astromech unit who was holding a small cup in his claw, which she accepted. She gave the astromech an affectionate pat as she stood up, enjoying the cold water she needed.

"Not really. I'm not sure I understand your point, 'General'," Lyra asked.

"None of them look the same. You understood that, right?" Sunset questioned, hoping they would pick up on her point.

"Yes," the ex-Jedi replied. "But why's that important here? Bon Bon and I are neighbors to a ton of people from across the galaxy. Not sure why there was a Gungan living two grounds below us, but still."

"Exactly my point," Sunset continued, turning to look at some more of their fellow workers. "There is no one type of being in this galaxy. We're all people, and we should be using our differences to help one another; not live life in constant fear or paranoia."

Nearby, a Wookiee was seen conversing with a Togruta man, both of them giving a friendly hug to greet one another. And close to them was a human woman with dark black hair, conversing with a Zygerrian man and Aqualish woman.

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but not everyone believes in this perfect utopia, Sunset. Not all of us get along," Bon Bon said, rather dejectedly.

"Which is why I'm putting together this Rebellion to restore the Republic," Sunset said, once again. "Just listen to me for a few minutes, okay?"

The family was quiet again, allowing Sunset to finally speak her mind.

"Everyone here on this base, every person, every droid, we're from all corners of the galaxy. A few elites," she said, looking to see an Equestrian man assisting a labor droid with moving cargo off a YC-123B transport hauler. "... Middle...", Sunset gestured to a Quarren, a Selkath, and a Kel Dor who were going over some manifests, checking some cargo that needed sorting. "... Working...," Sunset continued, turning the group's attention a Felucian farmer, who was driving a small hover-tram onto the tarmac, with several carts of fish that had been caught from the streams. "Even poor," Sunset finished, gazing back to the human man and Chagrian woman who were enjoying their meal in each other's company.

"This kind of unity, is the kind of closeness that the Republic should be, the kind we should have been all along," Sunset remarked. She gestured the group to keep following; and despite not wanting it to show, Lyra and Bon Bon couldn't help but be intrigued by Sunset's words. This definitely didn't sound like the Republic they remembered from long ago, and even Rainbow and Applejack were starting to understand what Sunset meant.

Sunset led them further across the tarmac, some more workers passing them by and getting out of the way.

"I didn't know it before, but I do now. We as the Jedi, failed our duty as guardians of the Republic. We didn't realize all we were doing was protecting the interests of the Senate and the leaders, not in the very people we swear we were protecting," Sunset explained.

"Wait, hold on a second..." Rainbow interrupted. "We... didn't? I don't understand, how could we... we... we fought a war! We fought a war for three long years to protect the citizens of the Republic, and we lost, how could we have been on the wrong side the entire time?"

“I’m not saying we were on the wrong side, Rainbow Dash,” Sunset answered, patiently, “But it was a war we shouldn’t have fought to begin with.” She added, just as Rainbow opened her mouth to argue further, “Do you remember when the Clone Wars began, for us and Equestria?”

“I do,” Applejack said grimly. “They began right after the Storm Empire launched an invasion of the whole dang planet. And if you’re tellin’ me that we shoulda just rolled over for that-“

“I’m not!” Sunset insisted. “Please, AJ, don’t think I’d ever say that.” She sighed, clearly thinking about what to say next, and then she said, tentatively, “Do you remember what happened when the war progressed? After we rallied and fought back the Storm Armies over Canterlot?”

Rainbow and Applejack both nodded.

“I remember,” Rainbow said, dully. “Like I could forget the fighting on Geonosis.”

“Or Umbara,” Applejack grimaced, repressing a shudder.

Sunset nodded in sympathy. “And that’s just it. The fighting didn’t stop at Equestria. It just kept going… and we all got swept up in it.”

Bon-Bon folded her arms, a skeptical look on her face. “What are you getting at here, Shimmer?” she asked.

Sunset Shimmer looked firmly at Lyra, and at AJ and at Dash too, as she began to speak in earnest now. “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never to attack. That’s what Master Yoda taught us, nearly every day at the Temple, and it was a lesson we all forgot when we ourselves were attacked. We got caught up in fighting back, and didn’t stop fighting when we had driven back the invaders… we, the Jedi Order, were supposed to be guardians of peace and defenders of justice, but instead we let ourselves get caught up in bringing war instead.”

“We could have drawn the line, when we turned back the Storm King’s forces. But we pushed forward. And we got sucked into war, bogged down across whole star systems. And people suffered everywhere for it. Neutral parties, citizens of the Republic, even on the other side, when we started invading the Storm King’s territory.” Sunset Shimmer frowned harshly, her eyes turning downcast for a moment as she said, “We should have been better. Sued for peace, or established a border and held the line there. But instead, the peacekeepers of the Republic became its bringers of war.”

Sunset briefly turned around, trying to find her place again, and then turned back at her group. "The point is, we made things worse. And then when Blueblood took over as Chancellor, and then taking up the mantle of Emperor, I will never understand," Sunset grit her teeth on that last part. "All he had to do was declare that the old ways of doing things were ineffective and that the government needed change. Because people were unhappy with the Republic and the Jedi, that includes us," she continued, gesturing to Rainbow and Applejack who looked ashamed, "everyone bought into the idea and the promise of the Galactic Empire."

Sunset let out a heavy sigh at that remark and she cupped her face, trying to bring herself together and stay composed. She looked up at them with a wistful frown. "None of them knew what was soon to come."

"Well yeah, we became the top fugitives in the galaxy," Rainbow grimaced, folding her arms with a furled eyebrows. "Not like we had a choice; either die or run to live."

"Why else would I suggest my family move to a place that's always warm and hot?" Lyra remarked.

"Anyways," Sunset said a little louder. The group understood she wasn't done, and allowed her to keep talking. "So that promise to bring order to the galaxy and fix the problems the Republic had? Yeah, that was all a lie."

Bon Bon was about to say something sarcastic and snarky, but Lyra rubbed her elbow into her shoulder, stopping her from speaking again.

"I don't understand," Flurry asked. "I know there were several fights with the Empire that were reported over the holonet, but if they were supposed to fix things, why do people hate them?"

Sunset's eye twitched at that question. But she didn't explode or rant, instead taking a deep breath to breathe in and out, and slowly rubbing her face to try and process how stupid that question was, at least to her.

"Lyra, Bon Bon. You two have lived on Tatooine for how long?"

"Fifteen years," Lyra answered.

"How many Imperial occupations run through the towns and villages on Tatooine?"

"Not many, but once in a while, we'll see them come," Bon Bon answered this time.

"Do you have chain code identification?" Sunset asked.

"Yes, yes we do," Lyra revealed. "We knew the Empire would pull us over to question us at some point or another, so we had chain codes registered in the event that happens," she said, sounding a little shaken up at the end of that sentence. "You don't know how scared it makes me to imagine one of them forcing my daughter over for something she didn't do."

"Well I'm afraid there's much more to it than that," Sunset continued. She looked back at some more of her rebellious coworkers. This time her eyes were set on a few aquatic species who looked as if they had been emerging from a swim near the streams; a Nautolan, a Quarren, and a Karkorodon. All of them were hauling a few more nets filled with fish that had been caught, and eventually filling up some crates for them to be delivered to their kitchen wing of the base for freezing. A fellow Mikkian gave them the nod as she hauled off the fish. "All of these people here, more than half of them had to deal with harassment and assault from the Empire. If they didn't abide by their rules, they were arrested for 'treason', which is their excuse to just police people without real reason."

Now Flurry was starting to understand what she meant; her curious expression turning to a frown.

"Yona and her people were arrested for no real reason," Sunset droned on, seeing the Yakyakiee snort in anger. "That Goatal man, over there by the Y-Wing?" She pointed. "He was almost arrested just for trying to sell fruit on the market. Or that Ithorian man, the one with the vest the translator on his neck," she gestured. "He nearly was arrested for conspiring with 'insurgents' who were trying to chase Imperials off Lothal since they were killing their economy and their farms."

"So they're basically the battle droids from the Storm Empire, only more extensive," Lyra summurized.

"Not exactly. The Storm King may have been in charge, and was a tyrant, but there were people in his kingdom that did truthfully wanted to live in peace without violence. The Galactic Empire? They may bring order and security, but only through an iron fist... or with the business end of a blaster.. I didn't want to, but... I nearly gave up."

Sunset sighed again, getting a soft pat from Applejack's shoulders to reassure her. Sunset patted her hand, and kept going.

"I didn't want to give up. But I saw how bleak everything was, and I realized I had no chance. The people who sided with the Empire, those who chose to join them instead of leave, only made things worse. But then I saw more... they even oppressed their own people. I watched from my apartment as they held a citizen at gunpoint, one of the troopers even questioned why they did it, seeing as how they were supposed to be soldiers not executioners. But that only got him a blaster shot through his chest. No one did anything, no one stood up to them or tried to stop them."

Sunset looked up, this time with a bit more bravery in her face. "But it was then, I had a decision to make. I could either stay hiding... or I could live again, and do something. I had a chance to begin again, and I took that chance. I fought my way through the galaxy, gathering people who sympathized with my cause, and I learned several rebel cells had been created long before my journey. I met up with them all, I helped move many of them here on this planet, and we've been building our forces ever since. We're fighting to bring back the Republic; not the same government that failed, but a Republic that will be improved, be the trusting government we should have had from the start."

Sunset finally finished, folding her arms. "So now you understand."

"... I see," Lyra replied, still trying to process all of Sunset's words. "And so you and everyone else here are basically fighting to bring back the Republic and fix the problems the Republic had in the first place?"

"That's our mission, yes," Sunset answered. She could still see Lyra wasn't entirely happy about what she had learned, making the former Jedi sigh. "Lyra, what happened before... I... we should have seen it all from the start. We should have realized that all we did was make things worse... I should have been a better friend. To you, to them," she gestured to Applejack and Rainbow Dash who looked equally disheartened to hear those words. How could they have been so blind to the world around them?

"But I want to make things better, I seriously want to make things better. Not just for us, but for everyone in the galaxy we hurt. For every person we screwed over, for every real problem that existed that we just ignored, for every man, woman, and child in the galaxy who's probably too scared to speak up about any issues out of fear of being jailed for 'treason'. Please... I'm begging you. If you guys stay with us, I promise you, you will see some real changes around the galaxy. Actual, sincere, changes."

Lyra and Bon Bon looked at one another, then back to Sunset. This goal of hers seemed ambitious, although to them it seemed impossible. But as they considered all their options and thought back to the forces collected outside the temple, knowing many years it took to assemble these forces... Sunset wasn't kidding. That alone made them look back at the former Jedi with an agreeing smile, nodding at her in agreement.

"Thank you," Sunset sighed with relief. "I promise you two aren't going to regret this."

"I hope so. For the sake of my wife, and my daughter at least," Lyra said. "Now, is there anything else you need to show us? I can't speak for my family, but I'm starting to get a little hungry, sooo...?"

"I'll take you all to the cafeteria to get something to eat. There's just two more things I need to show you first. Follow me," Sunset gestured.

The group followed Sunset back inside the temple and entered another room. The sight didn't make Rainbow or Applejack all that impressed, but it did light up the Heartstrings family when they saw it.

“Oooh…” Flurry said in awe.

The room they were inside was a workshop. Tools laying about, a speeder bike mounted on a lift for repairs with some engineers working on it. And in the other side of the bay, there were dozens if not hundreds of droid parts all scattered about. Eyes, arms, heads, struts, a whole bunch of stuff! Perfect for anyone to make a new droid if they desired. There were practically crates overflowing with parts!

“Oh I am going to be swimming in those parts before this day is over,” Bon Bon giggled.

“I thought you might like this,” Sunset laughed, walking in with them. “Lyra told me you’re a droidsmith, right?”

“I am. You want me to assemble droids, just give me the tools, and I’ll get right to work.”

Sunset grinned. “Maybe some other time. But please, follow me. There's one more person I want you to meet, he'll be joining us on missions.”

The group followed Sunset into one of the command centers, showing many Rebel admirals and generals at work, monitoring the equipment and transmissions, looking for anything new or listening in to reports from Rebel allies across the galaxy. Some of them flipped through the starcharts, others were navigating the galaxy map from the massive holoprojection table.

The most distinguishable character that any of them could pick out was the shiny gold protocol droid looking over the table, assisting with the search for other nearby systems.

“But before we meet him, here’s someone else I’d like you to meet,” Sunset said, tapping the protocol droid’s shoulder.

His bright yellow eyes turned to look at her. “Oh, mistress Shimmer, may I help you?”

“I want you to meet some new members of our team,” Sunset said, gesturing to the group.

“Pleased to meet you all. I am C3PO, human cyborg relations,” the protocol droid announced. “And you are?”

“My name is Lyra Heartstrings, Jedi Knight. And this is my wife Bon Bon, and our daughter Flurry Heart,” Lyra introduced, shaking the droid’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, goldie,” Bon Bon smiled.

“Glad to see another droid survived the fall of the Republic,” Applejack grinned.

“I…” the gold droid looked up and his head nodded up and down, remembering that face. “Master Applejack! I knew one day you would return. Oh and Master Rainbow Dash, oh, so good to see you again.”

Rainbow smiled, making a clicking sound with her tongue.

“Oh my. Whatever happened to your arm?”

“Uhhhh… let’s just say, an accident was involved,” Rainbow summarized, not wanting to go into any more detail.

And some more of the arrived friends marched in; IG-11, Cheep, G-G, and Spike rolled inside.

“Oh goodness gracious! An assassin droid, please, don’t shoot!” 3PO threw his hands up to surrender.

“Wait, wait!” Flurry stepped in front of the droid. “It’s okay! He’s with us, he’s a friend.”

“What do you mean, friend? He’s an assassin droid!”

“I am IG-11. I am this child’s nurse droid. I am not programmed to hunt, but to nurse and protect,” the assassin explained.

“Oh… oh my,” 3PO said, unsure of how to handle it. That is until he heard the beeps coming from the two astromechs close.

“Chirp chirp chirp churp. Chirp churp choop chup.”

“Bwoop boop.”

“My sincerest apologies, how could I have missed you two?”

“Bweep beep.”

“Chirp churp.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, CH33P and RG-G1.”

The two astromechs swiveled their heads around in a 360 motion.

“Oh, where is uh…” Sunset droned off, subtly letting 3PO know who she meant.

“He just went off to help finish the repairs on Captain Koovah's X-Wing with R2-KT. He should be coming back any minute,” C-3PO replied.

“Who? Who is he talking about?” Flurry asked.

“Oh, he’s someone only Applejack and Rainbow would know,” Sunset said, smiling. “He’s an old friend of the Republic, served since day one. He’s reliable, smart, he’s one of the best soldiers… and friends you can ask for.”

“Well come on, who is he?”

Just then, the doors opened. They could not see who it was, but a shadow emerged from the hallway. A white leg first rolled inside, connected to an astromech torso and legs. A gray dome with blue paneling on the head, and on a few torso panels. He rolled inside and stood up straight to address his friend with the same kind of professionalism that he always used to address allies inside the base.

“Flurry, Lyra, Bon Bon, 11. I want you guys to meet another close friend of mine,” Sunset squatted down next to the astromech, still facing her friends. “R2-D2.”

“Brt brt brt bwoop.”

“Hey, R2, how’s it going buddy?” Spike said, rolling up to him, face to face.

“Bweep bert bert bert bop.”

“No kidding,” Spike said, rolling around to look at the new people. “We're making a lot of friends today.”

“This guy has fought since the beginning of the Clone Wars and to the end of the Clone Wars. He is a legend, fighting alongside many prominent figures in the war,” Sunset explained, patting his dome. “Including Skywalker himself.”

The Changeling’s wings flapped with excitement. “Skywalker? As in the Anakin Skywalker?”

“Mmmhmm,” Sunset nodded. “But that’s a discussion for another time. Now that you all have seen the base, how about we go get some grub?"

Day turned to evening. After parking the Sweetie Drop with the other freighters, the gang followed Sunset into the mess hall to get dinner. There were plenty of workers in the mess hall eating their meals, talking with others about their day, etc. And of course, there plenty of spaces to accommodate everyone. Stone walls all around just like the rest of the base, with a few warm lights that didn't hurt anyone's eyes. Various tables of shapes and sizes, a few corner booths made for private discussions.

The group followed behind Sunset as they went inside. Just then, a WA-7 service droid rolled up. "We got more customers, honey! Jedi by the look of them."

The main man they had for the kitchen poked his head out. A slightly chubby Besalisk with a mustache and dirty clothes, most likely from all the cooking he was doing. He waved to the General and saw the other guests, recognizing two of them right off the bat.

"Come on up, grab some grub!" He hollered.

Sunset smiled as she led the group forward. "Everyone, this is another old friend of mine; Dexter Jetster. Finest cook on Yavin IV."

His eyes took notice of the new members that were with her. "Wow! What do you know. The Jedi haven't gone extinct as the galaxy thinks, huh? Hehehe. Please, take whatever you like! There's more where that came from!"

Sunset and the group started to grab clean trays from the rack nearby, lining up one by one to grab some food.

"We've been trying to put in a bit more effort to have a bit more delectable food for the past few weeks. We still carry standard ration sticks on missions, but we've been trying to make the most out of who we could recruit and take. We've got food from across the galaxy here; meats, veggies, fruits, dairy products, we've got everything nutritious here to make sure we keep up the fighting force. And nothing wrong with a small bit of dessert either," Sunset gestured, showing the dessert selection at the end of the line.

She grabbed her meal first; a small amount of Nuna Legs, with a few harvested veggies grown on Naboo. And when she reached the end of the line, she grabbed a cup and got some blue milk from the dispenser, eager to sit down and enjoy her meal. One by one, everyone got something that looked delicious to them and followed Sunset to a selection of tables and booths along a wall where they could all sit.

Flurry found herself next to Ocellus as the Changeling planted herself next to her, along with the rest of Team Six as they pulled themselves to the tables. Her eyes looked around some more, looking at the cafeteria environment.

"I highly recommend you all hit the sack early tonight. Since the five of you are new, I need you to attend the Species Resources seminar in the morning before going to training," Sunset explained.

"Sunset, we know how to behave around people," Bon Bon protested.

"Maybe you do, but I still think it's necessary. This isn't the Clone Wars anymore, we're not working with the Republic. I don't want to go to work tomorrow and have to break up anyone because of some dispute over someone's tail or fur or scales. Understand?"

"... Yes Sunset," the five of them said, as if they were called out by a school principal.

"Thank you," Sunset softly replied. "Now, anyone here have a topic of conversation they would like to propose?"

"I do," Flurry asked. "If you don't mind me asking, you said that my auntie showed a picture of me when I was just a baby. Did you... know my aunt?"

Sunset was caught off guard, and she ended up doing a spit-take of her drink which managed to hit the stone wall behind Flurry's head. She took wipe her mouth and look at her friends with an embarassed look.

"S-Sorry about that. Kinda surprised me, I didn't think I'd be hearing that question today. Or at all..." the general cleared her throat. "S-So, um, what did you hear?"

"I don't really know much. My moms just told me she was a great Jedi, but... she's dead," Flurry said, rather somberly.

"... Oh. Well, your moms aren't wrong. Twilight was a great Jedi, a long time ago," Sunset began, trying to find the right way to phrase her words. "Before everything was the way it was, she along with Rainbow and Applejack here, and many others, they held a council on Equestria; a Jedi Temple. You understand what the Jedi's roles are supposed to be, right?"

"I think so?" Flurry rubbed the back of her head, and taking another sip of her milk. "But Mom only tells me a little, she doesn't really talk about it much," she said, looking over to Lyra.

"And for good reason," Lyra added. "It becomes difficult after a while."

"Well, if you're young with the Force, I think it is important to understand what happened. At least, some of it," Sunset answered. She had a small wistful smile as she thought back to long ago. "Before I joined them, I was actually an apprentice for the Sith; the Storm Empire. I didn't know why I had joined them, but they offered me a chance to live and get off the streets, only after they saw what kind of power I had. I tried to do my best with them, but I couldn't keep up with them. They taught me to use anger and rage as fuel for power."

"Which is not the Jedi way," Applejack shook her head.

"Exactly," Sunset acknowledged with a finger.

Flurry just kept nibbling on her food as she listened to the general.

"But one day, after some much contemplation and consideration... I decided to try and desert them. I escaped in my starship, and fled. What I didn't realize was I had attracted the Jedi's attention, as well as the Sith. And when I found an ancient temple holding what I thought would give me power, there they were. The Mane Jedi Council, who had followed me all the way there. Two of them sitting next to me, along with Master Twilight Sparkle; your aunt."

Flurry's expressions didn't change. She was intrigued, but she wasn't speaking much, only listening as she enjoyed her dinner with their friends.

"I didn't leave quietly. I fought as best as I could, and they dragged me out in electro-cuffs. I thought when they brought me to Equestria, my life was over. They were going to execute me on the spot, and that would be my end. I didn't ask to be dragged, I didn't want to be so angry and vengeful, I... it was how I was raised," Sunset sighed remorsefully. Rainbow's metallic fingers patted her friend's shoulder in sympathy. "But what shocked me to my core, they didn't kill me. Twilight and her friends offered me a chance to join them."

"To become a Jedi?"

"To be a better person," Sunset corrected. "From that day on, I had to work, train, build my way up to becoming a proper Force-user, understanding how to properly hone my strength. But as I stayed... I noticed something. Spending time with them, the Jedi and their friends on Equestria... I felt this strange joy, this warm feeling. It took me a while to understand but, I realized from that day on... I was home."

Lyra had to admit, she did share a smile with the others.

"From that day on, I chose to dedicate my life to helping people, to stopping the Storm Empire, and try to win the war. I didn't just jump into the battlefields to get some sick adrenaline kick from slashing at droids, or showing how much more aggression I had over others. I fought because I wanted to stand for what I believed in, and I wanted to help every citizen in the galaxy because it was right. Because it was good, and above all... it's kind."

The group of friends exchanged some silence among each other.

"Well said. Very well said," Bon Bon admitted. "I suppose that belief hasn't changed since then?"

"No. The rules may have changed, along with the current power constructs, but I'm still going to fight the Empire. For everything and everyone we lost, and to finally make things right. Even if it means if I have to go down fighting to accomplish it," Sunset reassured with boldness in her voice.

"I hope so, for our sake. I just don't want to come back to a war that will play us all again," Lyra said with a rather low and ominous tone.

"Lyra, I swear to you, this isn't going to be the same."

"I hope so, Sunset. I hope so..."

Once their newest recruits had gone to bed, Sunset went straight back to work. With Spike following her, the two of them entered one of many briefing rooms on base. Waiting for her was Captain Sentry, Admiral Raddus, General Dodonna, Spike, and R2-D2.

"I apologize for delaying our meeting. Now that our new recruits have settled in, I believe now we can take a look at those dataplans. Spike, do you have them?"

"Still have them," Spike nodded, using one of his receptors to access the port. "Displaying dataplans, now."

Everyone gathered around the projection, watching as a new image was on display. A blueprint schematic of a TIE Fighter; unlike any they had ever seen. Three wings in a triangular formation, with weapons on each wing. Along with the schematics were detailed notes regarding the structure and design.

"What kind of TIE is that?" Captain Sentry asked, confused.

"According to the schematics, it's called a TIE Defender," Spike answered. "Commissioned by Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Imperial High Command."

"Thrawn... I recognize that name," Sunset grit her teeth. "Hard to believe he used to be an officer of the Republic. Great mind, and yet he chose to stay with them." She briefly recognized the attention of the other officers in the room and cleared her throat. "Anyways, Spike, is there anything else about this project from the data?"

"Well, there's more information regarding weapons and technicalities, but it's going to take hours to go through. I think we better show some of this to the analysts," Spike said.

"Are there factories producing this project? How many of them are there?" General Dodonna asked.

"Apparently, just one. There are coordinates marked, but I can't say I've been to the system," Spike said.

"Beep boop. Brt bop beep, bwoop bweep bop," R2 chittered.

"Great. Not even R2 recognize these coordinates," Spike groaned.

"I'll talk with the imagery analysts," Raddus spoke up. "Perhaps someone else might know the system. Maybe those new recruits might know as well."

"I'll talk to them about it in the morning. Right now, let's just put our focus on this. Is there any other relevant information we should know from here?"

"So far, no. I'll try to have more information as we decrypt through it," Spike said.

"I think you've done enough today Spike. You should go get charged up. And that goes for you too, General," Admiral Raddus ordered.

"Admiral, I'm not tired," Sunset protested.

"Sunset, when is the last time you've gotten sleep?"

"I'll sleep after we decipher this information," Sunset argued.

"Sunset, come on, you don't think straight when you're tired. I know you're stressed, but you need some rest," Flash insisted.

"I... okay," Sunset agreed, defeated. She couldn't argue with the admiral, or her friend. She never did function well being awake for more than the allotted hours any normal being should have been awake. "You have someone else to take over my shift?"

"Yeah, we got it," Flash nodded.

"Alright. See you in the morning guys," Sunset waved as she left the briefing room.

"Good night General," General Dodonna nodded.

The door slid open with a faint grinding of metal, and Sunset Shimmer stepped through and into her quarters. It was a small room, simple in both accommodations and decorations; the biggest addition she had made was for a small terrarium, containing in it a small reminder of home in the form of an Equestrian sun gecko. Ray, as she’d named the little reptile, was the one bright spot in an otherwise very spartan chamber.

There was always so much work to be done, she saw little point in trying to beautify a chamber she mostly just used for sleeping, or for checking up on her pet. And besides… she was still a Jedi at heart. Or at least, she did as much to live up to the ideal as she could.

Sunset removed her jacket and carelessly tossed it over a nearby chair. As she then sat down on her bunk and began to remove her boots, it finally started to sink in for her that she was, in fact, tired. Very tired, as found herself unable to suppress a big, embarrassing yawn.

“How long have I been up?” Sunset mused out loud, wincing as she sucked in a deep breath, and stretched. Aches and stiff muscles that she had ignored earlier on were now making their existence known, and she winced as she unbuckled her belt and lightsaber.

I really need to get some sleep, she thought ruefully. She stripped down to her underclothes, and then put on a simple top and pants for her nightwear. The soft pajama clothes made her very much ready to just clamber into bed and fall into a deep, hopefully long, sleep, but there was still one more step to attend to before she could do just that.

Sunset knelt on the floor, and pulled a mat and a cushion out from underneath her bunk. She set the two out in the center of the floor – cushion resting neatly on top of the mat – and then, after a few careful stretches to relax, she sat down on top of the mat, closed her eyes, and worked to gather her thoughts.

As she sat, breathing steadily, rhythmically, in and out, Sunset felt herself start to relax. The weight of the day’s work began to slip away, as she opened herself up to the flow of the Force…

I am one with the Force, and the Force is one with me…

Sunset repeated, in her head, the mantra, over and over again, as she slipped bit by bit into a meditative trance.

--

Across the galaxy, another figure was seated in meditation.

Like Sunset Shimmer, this person was a Force user, resting after a long day and reaching out for the Force. Unlike Sunset Shimmer, this person was seated, not on a humble mat on a plain stone floor, but inside of a high-tech metal chamber on top of a raised, hexagonal dais.

Inside this chamber, oxygen and other breathing gases were occasionally, almost rhythmically, pumped inside, for the benefit of the occupant. The person inside the chamber did not mind the sound, the steady hiss of pressurized air, and the faint hum of machinery. They were long since used to it. No, the occupant of the breathing chamber sat stiffly, regally; they might have almost been a statue… or perhaps, a machine at rest, would have been a more fitting description.

If the Force swirled gently around Sunset Shimmer, it churned and writhed around this person. Like a raging river, or a blazing wildfire, the Force stormed and thundered… and the occupant of the breathing chamber would not have it any other way.

Peace was a lie. One that the Jedi had clung to for a thousand generations, and it had led them to their doom. There was no peace in the galaxy. There was only passion, and power, and strength… and only for those with the will to take it. This was the true secret of the Force. This was the true power…

The power of the Dark.

All the while as Sunset tapped into the Force, she sunk deep into her mind, feeling a sense of calm and easement. She felt the spirits of the past flowing with her, meditating with her. She was ready to slip further away--

Shimmer.

Sunset's eyes twitched. She knew that voice that called to her.

Shimmer.

Her eyes opened, finding herself in the middle of a wide open plain. Grassy blades brushed in the wind, and she saw some open patches of paved land in front of her. And to top it all off, the sun was nice and shining over a beautiful summer day. This wasn't Yavin IV; it was Equestria.

She didn't know what was enticing her, but she chose to take a few feet forward and step into the open path in front of her. She looked around her, taking in that warm air and beauty around her. But a new prescence made her turn around, instantly. Suddenly, standing across from her in the open path was Darth Midnight. She stood stiffly, staring off at her, breathing heavily into her air filters.

Sunset grit her teeth. "Midnight."

"It won't be long before we face each other again. Our long awaited meeting will soon come."

Sunset said nothing. She just stared defiantly back.

"You could have joined me and the Empire. You could have helped bring justice to the galaxy."

Sunset scoffed. "Your construct of justice is just keeping everyone in line with fear and scare tactics. I'm not going to be any part of it. Just give up trying to talk me into joining, it didn't work before, it won't work now."

Midnight was quiet for a moment. Her voice turned dangerously low. "You still stand by your beliefs I see. You haven't forgotten what Master Twilight had taught you."

A gust of wind brushed through Sunset's hair as she stood, but it didn't faze her.

"I must admit, I was quite surprised to find out that two more members of the Jedi Council had finally come out of hiding," she said, rather ominously low. "It'd be a shame if the remaining three didn't find you..."

That sentence made Sunset's spine tingle. And she broke her fierce look for a moment.

"That scares you, doesn't it? Just the thought of seeing the very last of the original Jedi Masters no longer in existence, all of those memories just... fading away..."

"You wouldn't dare..."

"It will only be a matter of time before they are found, and all traces of the Clone Wars past is erased forever. Although they aren't as important as another matter. You have a new addition to your Rebellion, don't you? I felt a strange energy in my chambers, raw energy that I haven't felt in a long time..."

Her mask kept breathing intensely, sending more shivers down Sunset's spine.

"I will await the day I finally meet your new apprentice. Til we meet again, Shimmer..."

--

Sunset's eyes opened wide and she gasped. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she nearly fell over with a splitting headache. She pulled herself onto her hands and knees, trying to breathe slowly and carefully. Sweat was running down her forehead, and she tried to wipe it away as best as she could. Carefully, she pulled herself up to sit, letting her legs rest on the ground while her back laid against her bed.

The General reached for a nearby towel, wiping some of the excess sweat from her head, trying to bring her heart rate down. And suddenly she felt a strange bump of scales rub against her hand. Looking by, she saw that her pet had escaped its terrarium and had crawled its way towards her. He kept nudging her hand, trying to give her some means of affection. He saw her and was scared out of his mind. Sunset smiled softly and extended a hand to let Ray climb into her palm. She raised her hand up, moving her arm around so he could climb on top of her hand so he could see her.

"It's okay Ray," she whispered. "I'm okay. I hope."

The gecko still gave her a nuzzle with his head, and Sunset couldn't help but nuzzle back. For all the hell that this war was, she did have her moments of sunshine and joy that made it worth fighting for. And having little Ray with her made the fighting all the more worth it. Ray climbed up her arm and down her body, curling up on her lap just to keep her company. Sunset didn't bother to find, she enjoyed having her little ray of sunshine with her. Feeling exhausted, her eyes wearily closed, and she fell asleep.

First Day!

Author's Note

And so we retrun; and now we get to an essential portion of being a Rebel; training. And silly life insurance policies :3

Heavily inspired by Studio C's video of Rebel Life Insurance, I highly recommend you giving them a watch, they are friggin' hilarious. :twilightsmile:

First Day!

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Uggghhhhhh..." Flurry groaned, trying to move her arm out to slap the alarm clock from her hammock bed. She had no desire to get out of bed, she just wanted to sleep in! She kept trying to reach out and grab it, but it was too far away. And without trying to keep herself balanced, she rolled out and fell onto the metallic floor with a thud. "Owww..."

"Flurry, come on! Get up!" Lyra shouted from the hallway.

"I don't wanna..." Flurry whined.

"Come on! Greet the day!"

"Ughhhhhh... whhhyyyyy..."

Struggling to pull herself up, she slapped her hand down on the alarm. Her eyes could barely open and the smallest smidge of light hurt them. Whining she tried to walk but she ended up slamming her face into a wall.

"Oww...."

And trying to grip control again, she tried to slip her feet into her boots that were on the ground, but with no such luck. The boots fell over, and she just whined some more from being unable to put them on so easily. And trying to reach out for her armguards failed as well as the pieces just fell from the rack, which only made her whine some more.

The morning sun rose over the temples on Yavin IV. It was time for everyone to get up for another day of work. Now everyone had basically gotten used to walking up at 0600, it was a normal waking time, at least those who had the day shifts. But there were some who never could get used to waking up so early; that especially included two of the new arrivals from the day before.

A yellow-orange hand knocked on the door of one of the quarters. "Rainbow, Applejack. Come on, you gotta get up!"

"Ugggggghhhhh, go awayyyyy..." Rainbow whined. "It's not time for school yet..."

Sunset was taken aback. How tired was Rainbow, she couldn't have been that sleepy?

"Rainbow, come on! You have orientation at 0800 hours, and I want you and Applejack for training later!"

"Nooooooo...."

"I'll come in there!" Sunset warned.

"Sunset, come on..."

Sunset playfully rolled her eyes and opened the door. She marched inside, and the crashing noises inside scared the daylights out of a poor employee who was walking outside.

"Hey, stop it! Why are you so strong!?"

And moments later, Sunset was pacing backwards out of the room, dragging Rainbow Dash by her bare feet across the hard ground.

"Hey! Stop it!"

"You awake?"

"Yes, I'm up, now let go of my legs!" Rainbow barked. Sunset did set her legs gently back on the ground, and Rainbow slumped back to her quarters to get dressed.

After struggling to wake up, and getting breakfast into their systems, the four adults and Flurry were requested to go to another temple building on the base. By orders, the five of them were required to attend a quick seminar to go over a few things before they were to go off on their assignments for the day.

Walking into the briefing room, where they saw several other people within the seats. Various Rebels of all shapes and sizes and races spread throughout to participate in the seminar as well. The group could only presume these were new people who had recently joined the Rebellion just like them.

Soon, the group of five took their seats near the front, close by to a Vulptereen man with spiked teeth sticking out of his long snoot, and a Selkath. One seat remained in the front row, next to Applejack, and she saw an Aleena man waddling towards them.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"No of course, go ahead," Applejack nodded.

The Aleena man jumped and climbed into the seat, getting nice and comfortable in the spacious seat. The Aleena people were very short, like Lurmen or Patrollians, but very loyal and kind.

“So what is so important about this?” Flurry asked, leaning over to her mother.

“It's orientation. I know it's not exciting, but this is important to know and then they’ll move on,” Bon Bon shrugged. “Just stay on your best behavior.”

“I always stay on my best behavior,” Flurry protested.

“I was talking to your mother.”

“… oh.”

After a few minutes of waiting, the head of the meeting finally arrived and stood in front of the briefing room. A Miralian woman with light blue skin and the natural black diamond tattoos. “Hello everyone, my name is Tika Enzar, I am in charge of SR here on Yavin IV, and I just want to say, thank you all for joining us against our fight with the Galactic Empire. It is always welcoming to see new recruits ready to join us. Before we discuss certain rules and policies on how to behave here, we'd like to run through a few quick policies regarding life insurance. Now if you will direct your attention to the monitor, we can get through this session in under 20 minutes.”

Rainbow Dash restrained herself from groaning out loud. Frankly, she had been through a dozen of these before, and she never found the excitement in them. But she still kept herself on her best behavior, understanding that this was important, even though she knew how to behave around people.

“First off and foremost, I want you all to understand that I know joining our cause is scary, which is why I am open to any and all questions.” And someone in the room raised their hand. “Yes, young man?”

“Um, I have a family I’m trying to protect. What happens to us if we… you know?”

“Well we do have several policies in place to protect you and your families in the event something bad happens to you,” Tika explained. “All new hires are eligible for life insurance through Naboo Mutual Benefits Association.”

“But how much does it cost?” A Rebel pilot questioned.

“Well monthly it costs around, ehhh, 500 credits.”

Everyone collectively groaned.

“Not all of us are exactly rich, you know?” A Sullustan snarked.

“I’m aware of this everyone, but it is very difficult to find a company that’s willing to fund an organization that’s trying to undermine the government,” Tika said, rather flatly. “Anyways, moving on, we do have health insurance for you all and… yes, young lady in the front?”

Flurry Heart lowered her hand. “I had a question. You have under a list of clauses, the ‘Death and Dismemberment Clause’, what does that do?”

“That means if you lose a limb, we will provide artificial replacements,” Tika explained.

“… How many people lose limbs around here?” Flurry asked, her skin turning cold.

“Well we’ve had a few incidents involving Imperials who’ve used lightsabers, there was a case where one of our members had lost his eyes and then died a few months later…”

Now Flurry and her mothers were looking terrified.

“Or a case where arms were ripped off by angry Wookiees… but this clause is here to help restore any employees with lost limbs.”

And Rainbow Dash raised her artificial limb. “Are we allowed to replace any artificial limbs with better ones? Because I just have this flimsy battle droid arm, and I kind of need five fingers, not three…?”

“Yes, you are.”

Rainbow fist pumped in the air. “Yes!”

“Moving on; that covers all of the life insurance policies, but we do have some harassment policies we need to discuss as well. Now I’m sure most of you are well behaved, but I’m just going to tell you them because it is my job,” Tika continued.

And on the monitor, a series of bullet points were displayed in front of them.

“Number one: please refrain from calling others nerf-herders,” Tika instructed. “Number two: respect all species. The Empire is strictly against anyone who is not homo-sapiens and we’d like to show the Empire just how wrong they are. So this is why the Rebellion is open to all species.”

One of the new employees slowly raised their hand; an Abednedo one at that.

“Does that include me?”

“Yes, Brau, that includes you. I know we’ve only recently discovered your kind, but yes, Abednedos are welcome,” Tika continued.

And another hand went up, a Trandoshan hand.

“Yes Trandoshans as well. I know your species doesn’t have the nicest reputation, but we are open to them as well.”

And Tika saw the hand of a Kyuzo raised as well.

“Yes, you too. Everyone, it doesn’t matter where you came from. It doesn’t matter if your species has the best or the worst reputations in the galaxy. The only way we can defeat the Empire is if we help one another. It does not matter if you are a Changeling, a Trandoshan, a Pyke, a Gungan, it doesn’t matter who you are. Just be kind to your fellow employees, always wear pants on duty, keep things safe for work, and remember what we are fighting for. Understand?”

Everyone in the room gave a few affirmative grunts and nods in response, understanding the woman’s words.

“Okay, moving on. Number three; please maintain all Rebel Droids. I understand that they may seem to be tools, but they are more effective and helpful as teammates than you realize.” And Bon Bon raised her hand. “Yes ma’am?”

“Does it matter what type of droids are working with the Rebellion?” The Mandalorian droidsmith asked.

“What do you mean by that?”

Bon Bon rubbed the top of her helmet, awkwardly. “Well I have two astromech units, but I also have some Storm Army issued droids from the Clone Wars with me as well. They’re good, don’t worry, but I was wondering if they would be allowed as well.”

“Technically, yes. What kind do you have?”

“All operational units consist of one IG unit, one tactical, a single buzz droid, and three commando units.”

Tika admittedly was shocked to hear those words. “I… see. Well, as long as they remain loyal and helpful to our cause, I see no reason as to why they can’t be a part of our team.”

Lyra leaned over to Bon Bon with a smirk. “I’d like to see her react to a droid battalion joining the Rebels, wouldn’t that be a surprise.”

Just then a Wookiee raised his hand.

“Yes, Rantha?” Tika asked.

“Rahhhh! Arraraaah rah.”

“That’s a good question, but yes, ripping arms from people’s sockets does qualify as assault and harassment,” she explained, calmly. “Anyways, moving on,” Tika continued, flipping over to another slide. “While fighting in a war is tiresome and difficult. we do offer plenty of vacation days, but I highly recommend you save some because we will be helping some rebel cells move to here later this year.”

Everyone let out a collective groan.

“How many more cells can there be?”

Another person raised their hand.

“Yeah, I had a question,” a Weequay man asked. “So these vacation days, does it matter what we do? My partner and I, well, he and I were considering possibly going to someplace calming for a vacation day, but we don't know what company policy is on that...?”

“No sir, you and your spouse are free to do what you’d like on your vacation days, as the company is planning to put in some more fun activities here on base to make sure that we have something to keep our allies stable during these times. But If any of you are planning to go on a trip outside of Yavin IV, we strongly recommend staying away from Canto Bight, because they will rip you off, and from all of the reports we gathered,” Tika said, flipping to another slide, showing a listing of various races and species that were commonly seen throughout the galaxy, “Canto Bight is extremely racist, and none of us in this room, except for humans and Abednedos, would be allowed in. In addition, any time you spend there would only inflict more suffering to the child slaves.”

Everyone looked at each other awkwardly.

“You know, someone should really do something about that…” a Pantoran man said, shaking his head in utter confusion.

After the rest of the seminar by Species Resources, Flurry walked through the halls with IG-11 to go to the spot where her first place of training would be. Her arms were covered all the way up to the bare shoulders with the clone trooper armor, a second piece to match her existing one she wore on Tatooine, the day she met Team Six. She still wore long pants and her dusty boots as she trailed to the doors of the meeting spot. After they found the room, IG-11 gave a reassuring pat on her shoulder and let her go inside to set her off on her first day.

Inside, there were a handful of young recruits, probably newbies like her. Although they definitely looked more prepared to handle combat practice more than her. She lined up with them, adjusting the armored pieces on her arms, getting some strange looks. But their attention was drawn to the bark of the drill instructor.

“Attention!”

Everyone, even Flurry stood up straight. Although out of everyone, Flurry was the only one who seemed a little anxious. The instructor revealed herself; an Equestria woman with bright yellow skin and fiery shortened hair. Flurry swore she had the exact style and cut as Rainbow Dash, just hers was a full on solid color instead of a wild rainbow. She was dressed in what she assumed was a blue pilot suit; shown by the top of the suit dangling around/tied around her waist, and sported a white tank top, and a piece of Clone Wars armor on her right side, branded with a wolf logo.

“My name is Spitfire! I like many of you, are a part of the Rebel Alliance. I know some of you might not know me, but I’ll make it clear. I’ve been with the Empire before, I know how they function. But we will not act the same way! I’m going to whip you all into the best soldiers the galaxy will see; we will show them that we will not stand down, and we will not take any more of the Empire’s crap! I don't care who you once were, I don't care how good you were in your neighborhoods or shanty towns, you're in my turf, and nobody takes a crap unless I say so! Understood!?”

“YES MA’AM!” Everyone shouted.

“Excellent,” she grinned, her eyes not visible behind the sunglasses. “Now let’s see who we’ve got to work with here…” she pulled out a datapad containing the list of names. “Gyaos?”

The Zabrak woman stepped up. “Present and waiting ma’am!”

“No need to step forward newbie, I just wanted you to confirm your name,” Spitfire acknowledged. “Gemle?”

The Rodian man raised his hand up to salute, giving her a silent sign of respect.

“Excellent,” she nodded. “Pox?”

Flurry silently waited as she called on every new recruit's name. It would only be a matter of time before hers would be called.

“… Burvo?”

A human man saluted.

“And our last one, got my late notice… Flurry Heart,” Spitfire said, stepping towards her. She could see the sweat dripping on her forehead in fear. “So you’re the daughter of a Mandalorian and a Jedi, eh?”

Flurry tittered. “K-Kinda.”

“You’ve got the Force kid?”

“Well, yes—”

“—Well FORGET THE FORCE!” Spitfire snapped. “Because you can’t rely on the Force to solve all your problems! And while we value every Force-user that joins our side, you need to learn how to survive in the field without it!!!!”

The teenager gulped and slowly nodded. “Y-Yes ma’am.”

“Good," Spitfire hissed. "Now! Come with me!" She opened another set of doors, letting light from the outside shine in. "We're going to your first obstacle course!"

The group followed the instructor out the doors and soon were on a dirt path, going deep into the forest...

The walk through the forest was mostly quiet, with the few recruits chatting to each other, or the sounds of the wildlife around the group. A few animals made calls as they went along their business.

Flurry Heart was quiet during this entire walk. While getting chewed out at by Spitfire wasn't as bad as other times she was yelled at (she remembered being yelled at for far greater ordeals than this), she was locked up during their walk. Sure, Spitfire allowed some social interaction among them (or at least didn't hear them speak), but Flurry didn't know what to say. All of these teenagers and young adults were new to her, and she felt like an outsider. She swore all of their eyes were watching her, despite only four sets of eyes watching her.

One of the recruits, a Mikkian in her early twenties tilted her head to the male on her left. "Hey. Who's the new girl, with the purple and blue hair?"

"I dunno, some newbie I guess," he shrugged. "Can't say I ever saw her before."

"She showed up yesterday," the Snivvian in front of the human man answered. "Daughter of some Jedi and Mandalorian. Don't get any stranger than that."

"Can't be any stranger as some of the other things around here. Assassin droid nurse?" A Gran recruit shivered. "No disrespect to the general, but that is a massacre waiting to happen."

Flurry's pacing was slowing down a little; not because of their remark, but mostly because she just hoping to get out of their eyesight. But the recruits just passed her by, not bothering to slow down because of one quiet girl.

"Slowing down a little, Mando," the Zabrak teen said with a bit of arrogance, brushing past her shoulder. "Don't slow us down at the training course, 'kay?"

Flurry said nothing. Once again, she didn't know what to say. But she couldn't bring her eyes away from a bright yellow-orange Mikkian girl. "Hey, don't worry newbie. We're all in this together, they're just teasing you," the Mikkian said with a warm smile. "What's your name?"

"O-Oh. I'm Flurry," Flurry said, almost stuttering. "Y-You?"

"Tazza," the Mikkian replied. "Nice to meet you." Her eyes lingered to the graphic on her shoulder piece. "Are you really a Mandalorian?"

"Kinda," Flurry answered. "I get it from my mama's side."

"Ah, I see," Tazza replied, nodding her head. She looked back, seeing Flurry's rather shy expression as she darted her eyes elsewhere. "Hey, don't be shy, it's okay. I'm new too, we all are."

"Some more than others!" The Zabrak shouted back.

"Cool it, Gyaos," Tazza rolled her eyes. "So is it true that you have a nurse droid?"

"Yes."

"And said nurse droid is an assassin droid?"

Flurry gulped. "Y-Yeahh...???"

"That is cool!" Tazza squeaked. "I never met an assassin droid before, and your family owns one?"

"He's been in our family all my life," Flurry shrugged off. "It's not that big a deal, mama's good with droids."

"Hey, nobody is just that good with droids. Reprogramming something as deadly and dangerous as assassin units? You can't just be good, you have to be amazing. Much like fighting against the Empire, you can't just be decent, you have to be top skill."

The seventeen-year-old felt herself shrinking in shame. "Which I am not."

"Yet," Tazza corrected. "We don't know what you can do, maybe you're strong and you just don't know it yet."

"Maybe. We'll see," Flurry looked away. Her eyes looked at some of the various recruits who were all in front of her, noting some familiar races that she had commonly seen, but a select few that were different to her. "Who's the guy two people ahead of us? The one with the massive spiked shell on his back?"

Tazza looked ahead, noting a muscular man with scales; horns on his head and on his snout, along with his entire shell-covered back being covered in spikes. "That guy's an Anguirun, from Angura. Strong species, apparently they can turn themselves into living cannonballs because of their shells, but not a lot of history to them, at least that's what the professor taught us."

"... Huh," Flurry thought. "Well what about that guy, all the way in the front?"

Tazza squinted, noting one of the members walking ahead of them; a strange being with medium blueish skin, but a face that looked horrifying; like a decaying human turned zombie.

"That guy's a Carpenthian; nice people, but they keep getting a bad rep for being money-grubbing and parasitic," Tazza replied. "Apparently they can actually disguise themselves to look like humans, but it was Admiral Raddus's suggestion that none of us should be ashamed of who we are and just embrace who we are."

"That sounds nice," Flurry smiled, for once.

"It is. I cannot tell you how invigorating it is to walk around without being judged or hassled," Tazza said with a sigh of relief. "Oh! We're here!"

Spitfire halted the group, and everyone moved a bit closer to take a look at the course in front of them. Set up in front of them was a Pelta-class frigate, sitting on a tarmac entrenched near a waterfall. It sat near a brook turned outpost; with some metal plates placed on the ground for walking paths, bridges over the brook, some crates scattered about, etc.

"This is where your first test will be. You'll be split into two teams, and from there, you're going to perform in a specific scenario that could be one of many scenarios you'll encounter in the field. Your goal is to make sure you get the job done with no slip ups that could compromise your plan; but be wary, you must be prepared for anything. Anything can happen, and anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. So watch each other's backs and remember you're working together. I don't wanna see anyone playing dirty, or leaving a man behind. Understood?"

"YES MA'AM!"

"Good! Now split yourselves up into teams or I'll do it myself!"

Almost immediately everyone had split into two teams; with roughly six people on each team. Tazza had joined up one side, and gave Flurry a head tilt, gesturing her to join her. Realizing her chances would dwindle, Flurry quickly moved over to Tazza's side to be a part of that team.

"Now that's more like it," Spitfire grinned. "Red team," she looked to the left side. "You will go straight to where the red flag is mounted and await further instructions." The Red team quickly scampered off into the woods to where they were supposed to go. "Blue team, you'll be going over to that ridge over there and you'll also wait for further instructions. Now get a moveout, we start the simulation in ten minutes."

Quickly, the Blue team ran further into the woods towards a ridge that overlooked the entrenched arena. There was some rocks set up to act as a cover/barrier on the edge, which thankfully didn't move when some of them pressed their weight against it. Flurry reached into her holster, grabbing a WESTAR-35 blaster pistol holding in her hand in the event she had to use it. And so now, she and her team waited for their instructions...

A few minutes passed, and soon enough the simulation began. Flurry huddled with her group on the cliff, overseeing the frigate to await instructions. Soon enough, their com units clicked with static until their commanding officer spoke.

"Okay; Red Team, Blue Team, this is control. There is a bomb planted inside of that frigate; you need to disarm it if you're going to get all of your members out alive. Red Team leader, report,” the technician called from his station.

Hidden in several shrubs was the Red Team; an Anacondan, a human female with brown skin, a Snivvian, a Rodian, a Nikto, and the team leader; a blue Roonan.

“The six of us are in position, awaiting orders,” the Red Team leader reported. “Loxal out.”

“Okay, now you Blue Team, report your position.”

Hidden behind several boulders was the blue team which consisted of Flurry Heart, Tazza, along with a Pantoran, a Klatooninian, a Lurmen, and Gyaos, the Zabrak girl from earlier. “We’ve taken position, although our new teammate here is slow to take cover,” the Zabrak glared, making Flurry sink a little.

“I’d advise keeping derogatory statements down on a minimum, this is a team effort after all,” the technician interrupted. “Red Team, there are four guards standing on top of a small tower, and the shield blocking off the ship is in the control box a few kilometers to your left. I recommend a silencer technique.”

“Roger control,” the Red Team leader replied. His eyes looked over Snivvian. “Think you can take care of a few targets for us?”

The Snivvian grinned as he pulled out his sniper rifle. “I’d be happy to.”

“Now come on Red Team, let’s get that power box,” the leader ordered, leading the other two teammates behind him.

“Blue Team, the Red Team is disposing of the guards on the tower and the power box. Take care of the ones on the ground.”

"Roger control," Gyaos replied. "Come on slow-pokes, let's go kick some butt!"

One by one, the rest of the group followed after the eager Zabrak down a hillside, carefully sliding down and trying not to make a sound. Luckily none of the acting guards below could see or hear them. The Red Team meanwhile was quick to respond for their part of the mission. While a few guards were standing at a watchtower, it didn't stop the team's plans. First to move was the Anacondan who slithered through the bushes right past their tower without being spotted.

Then without them noticing, he climbed up the tower's legs as careful as he could, tail still wrapped around his blaster. And right on cue, one of guards left the tower to climb down to the ground to check out a disturbance. Quickly and quietly as possible, the Snivvian charged his sniper rifle for stun, and fired a shot at the guard's chest, subduing him and letting him drop.

"What was that?" One of the guards asked, hearing the noise. The Anacondan stunned another guard in the back, distracting them long enough for the Snivvian to stun the other two that were on the watchtower. With them gone, the rest of the team could creep away to the power box. The Red Team leader focused on trying to undo the controls to the box while the others stood around.

Just then, more guards emerged from a door that opened up. Quickly, the Nikto and Rodian recruits set their blasters to stun and fired at the guards, unfortunately missing them. The guards shot back, hitting a few shots at the trees nearby, almost hitting them. Red Team leader didn't snark at them, but just quickly did his best to keep turning off the shields.

Meanwhile, the Blue Team finally lowered to the ground, seeing an assortment of guards that were running out from an opposing side to try and take on the Red Team.

"Come on guys, it's showtime!"

Gyaos and the others stood up, firing their blasters at the guards with the stun settings turned on. Two of the guards went down, but the other four kept firing. Quickly they hunkered back down for cover, only briefly moving up to try and take a shot at them. Gyaos and Tazza managed to get shots in, although not enough to bring them down. Flurry however, was staying hunkered down, worried about being shot in the head.

The Lurmen rolled out from their hiding spot, with an assortment of rope in his hand. He rolled right past the guards without them catching him, until he rolled across from them with his rope. Before they could act, the Pantoran recruit and Tazza got a few more shots in, finally nailing the remaining guards.

"Alright, guards are down, come on, let's move it!"

Quickly, the group got up, chasing after the Zabrak who had taken charge. Tazza was about to join them, until she saw Flurry was still cowering.

"Hey, Flurry, it's okay. They're down," the young Mikkian smiled.

Flurry raised her head. "O-Oh. Sorry, I uh... well..."

"First time training?"

Flurry said nothing, just letting her sinking shoulders and shameful face say it all. The Mikkian just gave the new recruit/possible friend a quick hug and patted her back.

"We're all new. It's okay. Now come on, let's disarm a bomb!" Tazza said with a skip in her step.

"You make that sound way more fun than it actually is!" Flurry pointed out, running after her.

Now with the guards on the outside taken care of, the two teams met up in front of the frigate, ready to continue.

"This is command speaking," the technician replied. "We have just received new orders; the bomb has been activated. It will detonate in three minutes. It should be inside the main cockpit of the ship; find it, and disarm it."

One by one, everyone quickly ran inside the ship via loading ramp. Inside, they could see a massive hangar, filled to the brink with various soldiers dressed in armor, worn particularly for testing in these situations. And there was so many of them, it was hard to narrow down the exact number.

"Come on guys, we can take them out!" Gyaos shouted. "Fire!"

Everyone on the Blue Team opened fire on the soldiers, trying to blast them. The Red Team on the other hand, took their chance with the soldiers being occupied and ran for the doors to disable the bomb. Flurry however, kept herself hidden behind cover as everyone else got up to shoot.

"What are you waiting for, come on kid!" The Klatoonian recruit yelled, urging with his free hand. "Get up, take a shot!"

Flurry didn't want to. But she realized within those passing seconds if she was going to help these Rebels and take a stand against the Empire, she'd need to 'grow a pair' as she heard many young adults on Tatooine shout at her, and fight. She quickly stood up, holding her blaster with both hands, ready.

She took a few shots, getting the attention of one particular soldier in front of her, but she didn't hit him. She managed to hit the wall behind him, which only scorched the paneling. She shot and missed again, hitting the side of a piece of cargo. And one of the soldiers managed to stun her shoulder, making her scream in pain. She was thankful the blasts weren't real, but it still hurt a lot.

"Blue Team! We have a problem! There's a second bomb activated, it's in the room with you! The soldier on the catwalk!"

Flurry and some of the recruits looked up, seeing a soldier above getting closer to a control panel dangling from the ceiling with a massive red button intended to rig the bomb.

"There! Shoot the target, they'll hit the bomb in 10 seconds!"

"AHH!" Flurry yelped, trying to move her arms up, but with one shoulder in pain, it made her grip on her blaster more difficult than before. She aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger. The blast over the target's head, hitting the ceiling. She shot again, it went on the right side, pouncing on the wall. And when she shot again, it only scraped a chip off the target she was supposed to hit, still not hitting it. Her arms kept shaking, and the yelling weren't helping either.

Without another warning, a red ominous light flashed in the room, making an alarm sound.

"Oh no! What did I do!?"

And with the imitations of a tremoring explosion mixed in with a sound effect blaring over the speakers, the simulation had deactivated. All natural lights were restored, and Spitfire was seen walking into hangar of the faux ship with a datapad in hand.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm," Spitfire shook her head. "Very reckless move, tsk, tsk, tsk." She tapped a few buttons on her datapad. "By not stopping the target, you just killed the hostages, yourselves, and your team outside."

"We only lost because someone couldn't keep her arms still," the Zabrak sneered.

"Hey, you try hitting a target while you lose all feeling in one of your arms!" Flurry argued, furling her eyebrows.

"Hate to be that way, but when you're in a crisis, you're going to have to learn to adapt to the situation!" Gyaos barked back.

"Hey, enough!" Tazza snapped, stepping in between them. "Flurry is new to this, Gyaos. Don't go barking your head off at her. Yes, she needs to learn how to practice some more, but she's not the first person who screwed up."

The Zabrak got up in her face with a heavy sneer. "Don't you dare remind me..."

"Hey, I got a better idea," Spitfire interrupted, towering over the two recruits. "How about you two knuckleheads break it up, or I'm going to assign you both to sanitation, in the men's, womens', and genderless showers... and you'll especially be sanitizing the refreshers."

That threat was enough to lock them both up, and break off their dispute in complete silence. A brief buzzer noise went off around the training simulation, confusing some of the newer recruits.

"Alright everyone, that's an hour and a half off for lunch. Meet me back at the classroom by then and we'll commence with the last training regiment for the day."

Elsewhere on the base, Rainbow, Applejack, Lyra, and Bon Bon followed Sunset Shimmer to another facility to do some training of their own. Within their ten minute walk, Sunset took them through more parts of Yavin IV's base; passing through more of the quarters and technicians rooms, getting a quick gander at a bar, and even a look at their medical facilities.

Soon the five of them went inside a training course. It was set up much wider than the course that Flurry was finishing on, with a lot more open space to run around. And judging by the barriers that were set up, and the snipers that were sitting on the edges of the course walls, they could immediately guess where this was going.

"I know it's been years since any of you have had to fight, which is why I wanted you all together for this training exercise."

"Come on, Sunset. We still work out, we're not out of shape," Rainbow cockily said, folding her arms.

"We're not in our mid-twenties anymore, Rainbow. Times have changed, enemies have changed, everything has," Sunset shook her head. "I've been dealing with the Empire for over fifteen years; in that time, I've had to get stronger, faster, smarter than we were before. I don't know how rigged the Clone Wars were, but I remember how much misery we were in when the floor got pulled from under our feet. I don't want that to happen again."

Pressing a button on her wrist, she saw a door had opened up for her. She gave the group of four a brief nod, and walked through that open door, closing it behind her. As they waited, Lyra adjusted her armor, making sure it was fitting and not chafing her in places. And luckily the helmet made it clear for her to see, and didn't strain her vision.

"Nice helmet, Lyra," Applejack compilmented.

"Thank you," Lyra smiled underneath. "Bonnie made it for me for my birthday a few years back. A lot more comfortable than I imagined. Certainly more than that prototype she got from... someone I cannot name," she said, not wanting to trigger any anger from her wife.

"I'm hoping some day maybe I might get a chance to make one for Flurry," Bon Bon added.

Sunset quickly appeared from a viewing tower, just above where the training course was. Standing next to her was a young woman in her early thirties, with tan skin and shortened blond hair. She wore a professional officer's outfit, but a small patch with an insignia of two uppercase Beshs were visible.

"Omega, set the course for variable THX-1158," Sunset ordered.

"Yes General," the woman nodded, pressing the controls.

Several small turrets lifted from out of the ground, and on metallic surfaces, aimed at the four adults. Immediately, the turrets opened fire on the four of them, shooting stun rounds towards them. Quickly the group ran forward, trying to get away from the turret fire. The blaster shots were dangerously close to them, almost hitting them just by mere seconds.

Quickly reaching for her side, Bon Bon pulled out her WESTAR-35 blasters and fired a stun shot back, hitting one of the turrets. Lyra also pulled out a pair of similar blasters, trying to shoot at the various targets that shot above them. Applejack and Rainbow wanted to shoot back, but they were more focused on trying not to get hit.

"Don't you two have blasters!?" Lyra asked.

"Run and gun? Are you nuts!?" Applejack yelled.

Lyra and Bon Bon then saw a set of turrets on their right side, and started to shoot back towards them.

"What is the point of this exercise again!?"

"I don't know, Sunset never said what it is!"

Sunset then pressed a button from the control tower. "Jet Fire, Jet Storm, give them a little more challenge."

Flying from a balcony space were two figures; dressed in Imperial jet trooper armor. However, they were completely removed of all dark purple paint, instead covered in bright white paint like the original clone troopers, with the exceptions of the personalized colorful streaks across the armor.

"Oh come on!" Rainbow pouted.

The jetpack flyers fired their weapons at the group, forcing them to split off into two different directions. They were still running forward, but now they no longer stayed as one group. Hiding behind some cinderblocks for cover, Rainbow and Applejack scrambled for their blasters to hit the jet troopers. The two moisture farmers fired multiple shots at the troopers, but none of their marks hit them. They were so off-guard and startled they weren't even paying attention or calming down to try and shoot; this wasn't the charging forward Midnight troopers on Tatooine.

Eventually, Applejack managed to hit a shot on one of the flyer's shoulders, which had a bright blue glow like an alert signal. The flyer stopped shooting, and flew back to the area where they emerged from. Eventually, Lyra managed to strike a shot on the chest plate of the other flyer, and so they went back as well.

Turrets still fired upon the women, forcing them to keep on running. They looked up ahead, noticing a staff with a red glow attached.

"Wait! I get it now! It's capture the flag; or staff, whatever it is! The clones did this exact exercise!" Lyra realized. "Avoid the targets and stick together!"

Not arguing amongst themselves, the four adults agreed and converged back together as a group. Up ahead, there was more troopers shooting at them, trying to take them out. Rainbow shot the first guard, preventing him from shooting Bon Bon. Bon Bon then shot a second guard who nearly took them out via sniper rifle. Lyra got a lucky shot with her blaster, taking out a small target that deactivated a turret. And Applejack, with a swift kick, slammed her foot into another energy port, breaking the energy to another turret.

With no more enemies firing upon them, they ran up the steep hill structure and grabbed the staff. The red light turned green, and the entire system chimed with a victorious tune.

"Aright!"

"Whoohoo!" Lyra cheered.

The married couple looked to their left, seeing Rainbow Dash and Applejack, clenching their knees, trying not to fall or pass out from how far they ran. Lyra and Bon Bon however were still standing upwards, although they were panting just as much from the amount of running and agility they had to exercise.

"I don't think I had a workout like that in a while," Applejack panted.

Rainbow tried to pat her friend's shoulders, but her hand missed.

"I... knew we still had it! Still in shape... aaaahhh..." and Rainbow collapsed onto the ground. "Kill me."

Applejack looked at Bon Bon and Lyra, who were both visibly panting and trying to catch their breath, although not as out of shape as they were.

"How come you two aren't keelin' over?" Applejack asked, raising a brow.

"I've worked with my wife for sixteen years as a bounty hunter. We've had to deal with everything from low-time crooks to thugs wanted by the Hutt families. That kind of job requires you to be in peak shape," Lyra said, still trying to catch her breath.

"We work out," Bon Bon just shrugged casually.

"Not just on the job, I know you and I do a little bit of working out in the bedroom," Lyra said with a cheeky grin.

"Oh you are so naughty," Bon Bon elbowed with a sly grin.

This only made Lyra giggle like an immature child some more. The doors at the end of the course opened up, with Sunset walking through holding a datapad in her hand.

"So uh... how did we do?" Applejack asked, afraid to know the answer.

"You did okay," Sunset said, rather bluntly.

"What!?" Rainbow and Applejack said in unison.

"That's impossible, we're Jedi! We're better than this!" Rainbow protested. "I can't be out of shape! I don't have any flab, I'm not gaining weight! I mean I'm not as ripped as I was before, and yeah I get more tired than usual but... oh no..." Rainbow whimpered. "I'M OLD!!!" The veteran wailed hysterically.

"You're forty-three years old," Applejack deadpanned. "We are not that old."

"And I'm forty-two," Sunset pointed out. "Look, so you guys have been a bit out of shape, it happens. Just based on what happened here, I can tell you haven't forgotten everything, and you still know how to use a blaster. We just need to train you all to make sure your physical strength is back up again."

Rainbow stopped with the melodrama, but she was still pouting.

"Come on, you girls did fine. It means that you're not weak, and you can still get back into shape like before. Come on, I'll go take you to do to try another exercise," Sunset ordered, getting the group to follow her.

"Can't we take a break first?"

"We will. After we do this next exercise," Sunset reinforced.

"Awww..." Rainbow pouted some more.

Later that evening, after some lunch and break time, Flurry and the other recruits were hailed over to come back where Spitfire had ordered, and were now gathered together as they followed her to a new training arena.

"Welcome new recruits to the last training regiment of the night! After this regiment, you all are off duty for the rest of the evening. But today; you're going to learn about hand-to-hand combat," Spitfire grinned.

Up ahead was a training ring where two heavy Rebels were fighting; a Mimbanese and a Trandoshan, both of them using boxing gloves to fight one another. The Trandoshan's punches were hard, but the Mimbanese threw a much harder hit. And with one final blow, the Trandoshan went down with the sound of a buzzer. Moments afterwards, the Mimbanese walked forward to offer a hand, which the Trandoshan accepted as he was assisted to stand back up. The two of them gave a simple fist bump, and went their own ways.

"The Midnight troopers you will no doubt face will use simple blasters to try and shoot you; many of which have little to no training because conscription soldiers are cheap, and most of which don't get any real training aside from the highly elite Death Troopers," Spitfire announced. "But every once in a while, you'll face one or two opponents who will decide to be a bit more physical with you than you will expect. It's important to understand how to fight hand to hand combat as well as using weapons; if you should enter a situation without a blaster by your side, it is important to know how to stand on your own two feet. But we have one rule inside this ground; we do not fight to the death!"

Everyone looked at one another as she gave her instructions.

"If your opponent does not get up after ten seconds, you are victorious. But when you fight; you will fight to the best of your abilities. Raw strength only; no underhanded play. If I see any of you try some underhanded tactics... well, I hate to imagine what will come after. Understood?"

"YES MA'AM!" Everyone shouted.

"Excellent," the coach grinned. "See I knew you recruits could. Now, who will be brave enough to step up to the ring?"

Almost immediately everyone except Flurry took a step back. It only took her seconds to catch on, and seeing she had to step up made her shrink.

"Thanks guys. Really loving the camaraderie here," Flurry deadpanned as she took two steps forward.

"The new girl huh? That's bold of you. And because I'm in a good mood; I'm going to offer you a chance to pick your opponent; either one of our recruits... or one of our professionals."

"Umm--"

"--Too slow. Gamera!" Spitfire hollered.

The Trandoshan that was seen fighting in the ring earlier stepped out from the corner he was at, drinking a quick cup of water.

"Yesss?"

"I know you were just fighting earlier, but would you be okay with helping me train our new recruit here?"

The Trandoshan gurgled with a set of scary eyes that looked at Flurry. "I'd be happy to lend a hand."

Moments later, both Flurry and the Trandoshan man were in the ring. Flurry had to strip from her dusty Tatooine clothes into a pair of spandex shorts and a tank top. The only protection she was given was a mouth guard so her teeth wouldn't be broken, and a set of boxing gloves. Otherwise, she was still vulnerable to attack.

The Trandoshan stretched his arms and applied the boxing gloves to his hands as he got ready.

"Okay, first round! Flurry versus Gamera! Begin!"

Flurry felt squeamish as she tried to take a stand, moving a few feet forward to get ready for the fight. She held her fists up a little bit, but they were shaking visibly.

"Tighten your armssss," Gamera suggested as he got into the proper boxing pose. "You don't want your punchesss to be loosssse."

Flurry, still in the fighting stance did just that. She kept her arms by her sides, tightening them as the Trandoshan boxer suggested.

"Now throw the first punch," the lizard insisted.

"What!?" Flurry squeaked.

"Punch me, go to town!" Gamera offered, opening his arms up as if he was inviting her to just assault him.

There are only so many ways this can go wrong.

With a gulp, Flurry took a few steps forward, still making her feet shimmying on the ground to not freeze in place. She threw a punch, hitting him in the chest, but with no affect. She punched him twice, this time using both fists, but nothing happened. Even going for three, it didn't do anything.

The Trandoshan stretched his head, moving it from side to side as he got into the fighting stance again.

"Some of your opponents will be easy to knock down. Otherssss... not so much," Gamera instructed, throwing a punch at Flurry. Flurry got hit in the stomach, making her yelp from the pain. She clutched her stomach, but she didn't fall down. The boxer looked at the teen, clicking and snarling. "One punch and you're not down... good. I like fighting newbies who don't go down so easily."

He punched her again, and she nearly dropped to her knees. The gloves were soft and didn't hurt as much as a real Trandoshan's fist would have, but she felt the raw strength from the warrior.

"Kid, try to block. Stop me from punching you," Gamera ordered.

Flurry, still trying not to drop, slowly moved back up and tightened her fists again. "H-How?" She groaned.

"If I throw a punch at you again, raise your fists to block my punch. Stop me from hitting you," Gamera said, still moving in place. He punched her in the shoulder this time, making her yelp. Flurry took another punch to that should again, and just when the Trandoshan was about to go for a third time, Flurry moved her fist up to block the punch. Gamera gave her a rather scary grin. "You're learning kid."

Uh oh.

The Trandoshan punched her back, hitting her in the stomach.

"AGH!"

"But the one thing you shouldn't do, is let yourself be open to attack."

He punched her again, hitting her in the shoulder.

"OW!!"

"And never, never let your guard down," this time his glove slammed into Flurry's face. The glove was soft, but his punch was hard. And with the final punch, Flurry Heart collapsed to the ground. She felt the wind knocked out of her system as she tried to get up, but she couldn't. She could see in front of her, but she felt as if she couldn't talk. The Pantoran recruit slammed the ring ground in front of her, yelling at her to get up. But she didn't. She could feel her lungs trying to collapse, preventing her from talking or trying to make any coherent words.

Her hand tried to push against the ground to lift herself, but she couldn't bring herself up. Ringing in her ears didn't help much either.

"... Three! Two! One!"

The buzzer went off.

"Gamera wins again! You're dead, newbie!" Spitfire declared. "Better luck next time."

Flurry slowly pulled herself on her back, trying to look up. All she saw was the massive light that hung above the ring. And eventually the Trandoshan appeared before her eyes, kneeing down a little and observing her wounds.

"Think you can get up?" Gamera questioned.

"I..." Flurry wheezed, trying to speak. "I..."

"Hang on kid. I'll give you a hand," Gamera said. He offered a hand to the poor girl who slowly accepted it. She pulled her hand and helped her stand up, and kept her from falling over again. "I recommend going to the infirmary."

Flurry wheezed some more, trying to breathe. "Why didn't you just finish me!?"

"You would be an easy kill. But then again, I'm not a bad guy," the Trandoshan hissed. "Come. We better make sure you don't have any broken bones."

The Trandoshan helped Flurry walk out of the ring and led her to the hallway to take her to the infirmary. The others however had their attention drawn back to the coach.

"Okay, enough staring folks. Now, who's up next?"

Flurry laid on one of the medical beds, her left eye wincing at the light as the medical droid analyzed her. She felt pain every time she tried to move, that only made her more resistant to wanting to cooperate. Moments later, IG-11 marched into the room, standing next to her bed.

"Owww..." Flurry whimpered, trying to move her pained muscles away from the medical droid's cold hand. Even him trying to touch the blackened parts of her eye hurt like the dickens.

"Sir, I'm in the middle of helping a patient," the medic said to the assassin unit.

"I am this child's nurse droid. I must require you remand her to my custody," Eleven replied.

"Sir, I assure you she will be alright, I'm finishing patching her wounds," the medic argued.

"Very well. But if you harm this child, I will have no choice but to dismantle you."

Not taking his threats seriously in the slightest, the medical droid continued to patch Flurry's wounds without further interruption. Luckily IG-11's presence didn't hinder the progress of his work.

"You have some mild bruises, and your eye has been blackened. I recommend keeping ice on your wound, until the pain has been removed," the droid instructed. The doctor then looked at IG-11's scopes. "Does my work exceed your expectations?"

"It is acceptable," Eleven confirmed.

"I will allow you two to be alone," the doctor nodded, walking off to take care of another patient.

IG-11 paced closer to Flurry, scopes looking down at her. His left hand extended out, opening a palm. Flurry slowly grasped his palm, and the nurse droid's fingers gracefully held her hand. Despite cold steel, they weren't sharp that it would hurt to hold.

"Your mothers have been notified. I will stay with you to make sure you are safe."

And in no time at all, the married couple were in the medical bay, booking it.

"Oh Sweet Solaris!!" Lyra panicked. "Flurry, are you okay!?"

"Sweetie, are you alright?" Bon Bon stammered.

"Flurry Heart will be fine," the medical droid answered, walking back towards the two parents. "Her injuries are not critical. All she requires is some ice, and bandages over her eye. She'll regain her other eye's sight within a few days." The medical droid reached for a drawer, applying a single bandage over Flurry's hurting eye after applying some materials to help it heal faster. One-eyed Flurry looked back to her moms, tired, hurt, and upset.

"Baby, does anything else hurt? Can you move your legs, is anything broke--"

"--Mama," Flurry said, interrupting her. "I'm fine. I promise, I'm okay."

"How did you get hurt?"

"I got my butt kicked trying to learn how to box," Flurry deadpanned, not even trying to hide it. "And also I can't shoot for bantha droppings!" She jumped out of the bed, her boots hitting the floor.

"Wait, kiddo, stop. Look, training isn't easy, so--" Bon Bon was about to say.

"--So I'm going to get my butt kicked, I know! But I cost my team that I was supposed to be working with a chance of doing well, which means if you put me out there, I'll most likely get people killed! I can't even stand against a muscle-bound Trandoshan! Just leave me alone..."

Pouting, the one-eyed girl left the medical ward, leaving the two parents alone with IG-11.

--

Flurry sat by herself on the loading ramp of the Sweetie Drop, eating a dinner she cooked for herself. Her parents didn't bother her, knowing she needed some time to calm down before she was ready to speak to them again. They leaned against a side of a wall, watching over her to make sure she was still okay while everyone else worked.

Eventually a small personnel carrier passed them by, stopping beside them. Getting off the carrier was Silverstream, Gallus, and Ocellus who had been helping elsewhere. One of them was about to say something--

"Just leave her alone right now, guys," Lyra suggested. "She's not exactly in a talking mood."

"Did she spar with Gamera?" Silverstream tilted her head, with one ear flopping to the side.

"If by Gamera, you mean a hulking Trandoshan, then yes," Bon Bon confirmed.

"Eh, no one ever beats Gamera," Gallus shrugged. "Not even the other Trandoshans around here. Evenly matched."

"I guess her first day of training didn't go well today?" Ocelllus asked, her wings buzzing a little bit.

"No, it did not. I wasn't there, but from what I heard... it didn't go well," Lyra shook her head, sighing. "Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe we shouldn't have come here..."

"Now, hang on," Bon Bon interrupted. "Look, I was hesitant to the idea of signing up to join some Rebellion and fighting in a war again, but what else were we going to do? Tatooine doesn't exactly have much in terms of positive growth for a young girl," she said, looking back at Flurry. Now she was seen petting the top of Cheep, and giving him a brief hug for some comfort. "Especially for a girl who doesn't have any real friends. Well, had."

"She can't be that bad, can she?" Gallus asked.

"I don't know, I wasn't there. I just hope tomorrow goes easier," Lyra prayed.

Coruscant

The aftermath of the escape from a few days before was now being cleaned up. And keeping a watchful eye from afar was the one man who led them all. He stood, looking out the massive window of the former Chancellor's office, now referred to as the Emperor's office. The man that stood wore traditional Chancellor robes (still desiring to clutch onto a small shred of the past), with pearly white skin and gray hair. He held a small glass cup of Gruvian Tovash, an alcoholic drink, and was taking several sips as he tried to adjust to the news.

Groups of insurgents breaking into the archives; stealing valuable plans to help defend the galaxy? But the recent plans, he approved them. And they couldn't have a weakness, if that's what those insurgents were looking for. There's no way they could find one.

Just then, he heard a chiming coming from his desk; a hologram transmission was coming in. Taking another sip, he walked over and sat in his chair, pulling forward to look. A projection of the dark lady herself; Midnight herself known. The Emperor looked at her a bit stiffly, but his dead-eyed, blank face did not change.

"Midnight. What do you have to report?"

"The small group of rebels have escaped with the TIE Defender plans. A futile effort, considering Thrawn's specific designs, but I believed it was best to inform."

The Emperor's expression hadn't changed, and he just took another sip of his drink. "I see. Well, have you had anything else to report?"

"No. Although, Captain Phasma has informed me that Jedi are slowly coming out of hiding. I thought they had all been perished, but it would seems as if not all of the remnants have been deceased. Have you sent out any teams to search for the names I provided?"

The Emperor leaned back in his chair slightly, making it creak. "I've been waiting for reports; there haven't been any sightings of these three Jedi. If they even are alive--"

"--If those two survived, then so did the others," Midnight said, stern but calmly. "You know how they can be, Blueblood."

"Yes... yes I do," he said, voice gone sullen. "But I believe I have something you will find much more interesting. Imperial spies have informed me they've found a massive collection of Storm Army remnants on Cato Neimodia. And according to all the data, this means only one hideout will remain."

"Excellent. I'll inform the Death Watch to meet up with the Colonial Company to take care of them," Lady Midnight replied.

"I still question this tactic; why wipe them out? Why not simply capture them, imagine how strong the battle droids would be on our side?"

"Because there are only so many of them left; and in the end, their dwindling numbers cannot be replaced. But the Midnight Trooper Corp... we can recruit endless troopers at our disposal. I'll inform you of our progress. And let me know if any of our forces find those Jedi... I want them alive."

No other words were exchanged, and so she turned off the hologram projection, leaving the Emperor alone in his office again. He took his drink, hand now shaking as he drank it. But as he took the last sip, he didn't set it down on the desk. But his hand unknowingly drifted away from the desk, almost lowering the cup in his lap. His heart started to pound, and he could hear ringing in his ears. Moments of his life started to flash before his eyes, moving all very quickly. He remembered the day of the great Purge, all of the noises echoing in his head--

CRACK.

The cup in his hand had been shattered into bits of glass, his hand putting too much pressure. His hand started to bleed from the cut, and the sound finally made him snap out of his state. No one around had seen him make the glass break, mainly because no one was in his office. Not changing his expression aside from mild shock, he reached for his desk and applied some bandages around his hand after removing the glass shards.

"I'm fine!" He said, to an empty room. He didn't know why he had expected someone to answer, he did like his isolation. But at the same time, he missed the days of nice, invigorating debates with fellow Senate members. And now, he was all alone.

The Siege of Cato Neimoidia

Author's Note

And so our story continues... and with some fun references. :3

Thanks again to Scholarly Cimmerian for proof-reading and grammar checking.

The Siege of Cato Neimoidia

Cato Neimoidia

Cato Neimodia was the site of many battles during the Clone Wars, most notable for the vast amount of 'Bridge Cities'. The planet was also the supposed grave of a Jedi Master who had been executed during the Great Jedi Purge, but no body had been found or recovered to prove that fact. The planet was a very wealthy world, belonging to the Neimodians, and the world was also the base of operations for the Trade Federation who served in the Clone Wars. But with the war over, they were disbanded from the Storm Empire once they had been declared destroyed.

But there's one thing that Cato Neimoidia didn't do, one particular order they didn't obey; all droid units were to shut down at once. The planet had played its part for the war, and the people played their role. But they had no idea of the true implications that the Empire had planned for their victory. And so, ignoring their word, they ignored the shutdown command and kept all of their soldier units online on their homeworld for defense purposes.

Several heavy footsteps marched through the capital of the planet. Echoing throughout, the sounds of their feet gave hope to the Neimodians who were residing in the city. As they took shelter in their homes for what was to come; a massive ensemble of commando, B1, and B2 battle droids marched towards the front of the city where the entrance was. Their numbers fortified the gate, standing in defensive positions. The inclusion of the droidekas and octuptarra droids towering over the soldiers gave the citizens a little more hope that they would be safe, knowing how strong these forces were.

Several J1 proton cannons stood in positions with Neimodian soldiers sitting in the seats. Assault tanks stood behind the rows as well, ready to provide heavy support behind the front lines. In addition, forces began to roll across the bridge that led to the city to provide more support, standing in place. Hailfire droids laid across the bridge, with more assortments of tanks, and both classes of Spider droids.

Dwarf spider droids marched across with crab droids, and even Retail Caucus droids to create a fortified front. And when they were all in position, all of them stood about face, aiming their weapons forward and above them, waiting for the enemy to arrive. In the middle of the bridge stood a T-series tactical droid, holding a hologram beside a few magnaguards.

“All soldiers are in position; we are ready for the attack.”

"Excellent commander. Stay in position until you see them coming; we must make our stand today, we've been pushed for far too long," the governor on the other end reported. "I've already been trying to issue evacuation shuttles to the city, but our signals are being scrambled. Keep them distracted until the shuttles arrive; we must contact the Rebellion at once. They are our only hope!"

"Understood."

In the city, the governor named Tantus stood in his office, gazing out the window overlooking the civilians. Battle droids were carefully trying to escort people inside their homes, telling them to seek shelter below their homes where they would safe in the possibility of bombing attacks. He wasn't about to have any of their safeties be at risk.

One of the commando droids in his office walked over to him, blazed in bright blue paint.

"Sir, I recommend we depart at once for your safety," he ushered.

"I will not leave my people," Tantus refuted. "If and when they come, we will face them together. Viceroy Gunray has made our people look like cowards; I am not going to cower."

"Understood sir. But I am not sure how strong our forces are," the droid asked, concerned.

"We'll make our stand. We must hold them off as long as we can, until those shuttles arrive. And if they don't come... then I will happily die alongside my people, fighting for what I believe in," Tantus sighed heavily. "Just make sure my children have taken shelter with everyone else."

"Roger roger," the commando replied.

Back on the front lines, the droids continued to stand and keep their positions ready. There wasn't anything to be seen quite yet, but everyone had been informed about the Empire about to come to their system for an impending invasion; something they weren't going to take standing down.

Across the bridge, several more soldiers and droids took positions behind additional coverage with barriers for support. One of the battle droids pulled out a pair of binocs and put them over his eyes, trying to peak beyond the horizon to see if they had arrived. A massive tremor shook the ground as he started to peak, and what was on the binocs scanners made it clear.

Walkers, roughly the same height as the octuptarra droids, were marching towards the gates. Heavy footsteps shook the ground, and when the B1 unit looked up, he could see a machine that looked far more deadly than the old Republic AT-TEs. Much more bulkier and taller in size.

"Uh-oh. Sir, there are several Imperial walkers approaching us," the B1 reported.

"Fire at the walkers. I want to see how much firepower we may need to take it down," the captain ordered.

“Open fire!” A B1 commander ordered.

The assault tanks and octuptarra droids raised their cannons and fired at the direction of the Imperial walkers, massive laser-blasts echoing across the bridge and the valley the city resided in. With impeccable distance, the laser rounds did hit the walker; one on the head-cabin, and another hitting the hump of the vehicle.

But the walker wasn't affected. Despite the distance from where it was walking, it wasn't affected in the slightest. No damage, no hindering of the path; absolutely nothing stopped it. Then, more of their units started to fire; every single octuptarra droid and assault tank fired all at once, trying to bring as much heavy fire onto the weapon. So much noise echoed in the skies, and even soldiers on the ground were screaming at the top of their lungs, insisting they fire more and more. One of them was shaking with anger and fear, blending together as he kept screaming at his soldiers, and his coms for them to keep going.

"More... MORE. MORE! MORE!!!!"

And upon silent orders; the proton cannons raised their legs, and fired from across the bridge towards the walker, adding an additional set of hailfire to the amount of shots the walker was taking.

What felt like minutes passing soon ended, with a bunch of smoke and dust clouding the Imperial walker from all their blasts. But as everyone waited momentarily, hoping their shots did the deed... a pair of heavy laser rounds fired from the mist down at the bridge. The blast hit one of the groups; destroying two of the assault tanks and taking some battle droids with them in the process.

"Uh-oh..." two B1 units murmured.

Coming out of the mist to join the fight was a set of AT-STs, smaller walkers with two legs instead of four; and much faster. They marched in front of the AT-AT, and were going down the path that led to the bridge. In addition, a few Imperial troop transports raced behind them.

"Fire at will," the tactical droid ordered.

The barrage turned their weapons towards the AT-STs, and fired at will. The assault tanks made the legs of the smaller walkers trip a bit, but it didn't take them down right away. That was, until the octuptarra droids rotated their heads and fired down at the entrance. One of them was obliterated upon impact, but it didn't stop the others from proceeding forward. More blasts went down towards them, taking some more in the process.

The troop transports fired at them, but their shots were relatively smaller than the ones from the AT-AT. Naturally, the Hailfire droids and crab droids shot at the transports to stop them. One of the transports managed to get hit enough that the engine exploded, forcing the vehicle to stop moving and engulfing it in flames, killing the troopers who were riding inside. Another troop transport was racing towards them, but before the hailfire droids could finish them, the transport halted in its tracks.

The doors opened, and a series of Midnight troopers, along with soldiers in pure black sleek armor classed as the Death troopers, started to charge. They fired their blasters at the battle droids and Neimodian soldiers, and so the two forces began to fight back. The masses of B1 units fought, but a good portion of them were easily shot down. That is, until some got a lucky shot in here and there.

The commando units leapt above them, charging towards the Midnight troopers without fear. The troopers managed to hit two of the commandos, but one of the commandos came swinging at them with a sharp cold sword. One of the troopers was slashed, and killed on the spot. But before the commando could hit another, multiple shots to the back took it down. The remaining commando units that charged continued to shoot, but they were quickly taken care of by the group of Death troopers.

Another transport rolled across the bridge, and so troops accompanied the remaining numbers from the second one. More Midnight troopers following after the Death troopers as they ran across the bridge. More B1s and B2s fired, forcing the troopers behind the elite squadron to try and take cover. The Death troopers speed outmatched the slowness of the battle droids, which gave them a bigger advantage as they shot a few of them down.

That is, until the bigger guns emerged; droidekas. They swarmed more of their soldiers, creating a line to try and prevent them from passing. All at once, they shot at the troopers, slowly walking forward to try and box them in. The Death troopers however were prepared for this situation. One of them ran from a piece of cover, tossing a small grenade to slide underneath their bubble shield. When the grenade detonated, another trooper stood up and hit the droideka when the bubble opened up for a brief second. Hit from the shot, the lead droideka finally shut down after being destroyed.

Two more droidekas were left vulnerable, leaving the entire squadron of Death troopers to wipe the two to the ground. Eventually some more forces from behind started to move forward; a dwarf spider droid who massacred a few of the Midnight troopers that were getting closer. And right above, one of the octuptarra droids focused on the Death troopers and fired a powerful blast towards them.

The Death troopers scattered, but the explosion took the lives of three members of the group. And the droid was about to fire some more, until some small blasts to the dome got its attention. Turning its scope around, the droid saw a few jumptroopers flying towards it. The octuptarra ready to shoot at them, firing a blast at them but unfortunately missing.

One of the troopers fired a shot towards the octuptarra's droid eye, that is until it turned around to use one of its other functioning receptors. Another sharp blast came from the droid's turret, reducing a trooper to charred rubble and ash. But as it got ready to shoot another trooper down--

KABLAM!

A rocket from afar struck the lower torso of the droid, forcing it to lose balance and drop to its knees. The weight of its dome head tipped to the side, falling straight off the bridge where it crashed to the ground, far from the city.

"Nice shot, captain," an admiral complimented from a nearby ship.

But the battle was far from over. To make matters worse, several TIE fighters emerged from the skies, accompanied by ships that didn't look Imperial; stylistically and aesthetically. Ships with dagger-like wings that twirled around the cockpit like a drill whenever they made the slightest turn or movement, painted black and bright green with streaks of lightning on each.

"Send in the flyers!" The tactical droid ordered before a Death Trooper shot the droid in the head, destroying him instantly. But with the last order sent out, flyers started to emerge from underneath the bridge; Vulture droids, Tri-fighters, even Gunships were among the ensemble of fighters as they raced towards the charging Empire. The hordes of ships flew together in formation, armed and ready. And just up in front of them were several racing TIE fighters who were also prepared to fight. Taking evasive action, the Storm Army fighters scattered as the TIEs tried to break through them.

Two of the Vulture units spun around, pursuing a trio of TIEs, firing several rockets towards their target. One of the rockets hit the ship on the left, killing the pilot immediately. Another one flew right past the middle TIE, and was blown up by a blast from a TIE Interceptor that soared right past them. The last two rockets flew in front of the remaining two TIEs and collided together; but no dust flew back. Instead, several metallic balls flew right back onto the two ships; each one of them transforming into smaller droids; buzz droids.

Maniacally, the swarms of buzz droids got to work, ripping apart pieces of the fighters. Panels torn open, wiring cut, even one of them cutting into the glass cockpit. The pilots inside the fighters tried to spin around to get them off, but with no avail. And before they knew it, their engines were slowly dying and they began to spiral out of control. One of them died crashing into a mountain, and another just went straight down to the grounds of the planet, going far from the cities.

The Tri-fighters spun past the bridge and raced towards the AT-AT. The walker didn't fire right away since the fighters swooped right over it, but when they made another turn, the walker arched its back legs in a way to make it look to the skies with a better sight. The walker fired several shots at the air, taking out two of the Tri-fighters in the process, but the last one managed to fire missiles towards the legs. Not that it did it any good, since an incoming Interceptor just shot down the other fighter.

The TIEs were taking down more of the flyers one by one, and only a few of them went down. Soon, the last lines of flyers were coming; five gunships. Two of the leading ships released an arsenal of missiles towards the charging TIEs, blowing them up on impact. They were about to spin around and charge at the AT-AT, under orders to fire all their rockets towards the massive target, when suddenly, a harsh green laser shredded the main engine of one of the gunships, sending it spinning out of control and exploding.

Slicing through the clouds were three Kom'rk-class Gauntlet fighters, streamlined in pure black, with green bolts. They charged at the gunships, firing several of their lasers at them. Immediately, the remaining four gunships split off from the attack. One of the Gauntlets turned to pursue two of the gunships, another went after the remaining flyers that were picking off their TIEs, and the last one turned towards the attacks on the bridge.

The two gunships in pursuit were trying to evade the laser-fire, but it was a fruitless effort. Both of them were shot at, and the main engines of both ships burst into flames before crashing into the abyss. The last two turned towards the Gauntlet, releasing all of their missiles in an attempt to take it down. But the Gauntlet's wings just spun around, avoiding being hit by the rockets. And when they were in clear view, the ship opened fire and destroyed the last of the Storm Army gunships, letting them crash.

The second Gauntlet focused on pursuing the last assortments of Vultures and Tri-fighters. While the ship did take a few shots, they were mainly minimal. Just a few scratches on the plating, but nothing critical. The last two Vultures were obliterated from the skies, letting their parts rain down over the bridge. And the last Tri-fighter that came around deployed rockets to try and bring the Gauntlet down, but they weren't strong enough. The Gauntlet raced towards the Tri-fighter and shot it down, sending it hurling towards the J-1 proton cannons. The remaining tanks exploded from the crash, killing any nearby battle droids and soldiers.

The last few lines of defense stood up straight, and continued to fight. The last few tanks, hailfire droids, and the last octuptarra droid opened fire, trying to bring down as many as they could. If this was their last stand, they would bring as many down as they could. But alas, their stand wouldn't last. The third Gauntlet hovered above the AT-AT, lowering an entire line of seats for soldiers to sit in. In those seats were Mandalorians, blazed in black and bright green, matching the colors of the Gauntlets. They flew out of the seats and towards the enemy, ready to fight.

All at once, they fired small rockets and grenades and whatever heavy weapons they had in their arsenal of weapons at the last line of defense. And the last octuptarra droid destroyed, the lines were broken. Mandalorian forces and the Midnight troopers broke through, making it into the village to commence with the siege.

The AT-AT fired across the bridge towards the main capital; hitting the main building. The blasts sent tremors to everyone and everything in the building, destroying walls, furniture, and who knows what else. The ceilings inside caved in from the impact. Luckily, the Governor had gotten outside as fast as he could before he could have been killed from the blast. But outside was much worse than within; as he looked around, all he could hear was the ringing in his ears. Explosions, screaming, laserblasts storming all around him. He was horrified to see what was becoming of his people. All this slaughter and carnage around him just made him feel hopeless. He remembered the days when the Republic launched raids on their homeworld, but it never became this bleak during the Clone Wars.

All the battle droids, the last ensemble of defenses the capital had were completely eviscerated. They laid about in pieces, on fire, smoldering from the attacks. Only a few bodies of those purple soldiers were about, they didn’t stand a chance. Not even the heavy duty droids could hold out against them. With the blaster in his hand, he realized he only had one choice. Either run like the coward their former representative was… or die fighting.

Hiking his boots, he threw off his royal coat to take a weight off his shoulders. With a brave face, he began to pick up his feet and run. His run became faster and faster as he started to shoot at the troopers. He shot one in the head, and took out another in the chest. He ran past some of the troopers, dodging the blasts as best as he could. Looking around, he saw a rotary cannon on the ground. With a spark in his eyes, he picked up the blaster and planted his feet firmly in the ground. He held the rotary cannon and fired off the laser rounds with fury of an untamed beast. He yelled as the lasers shot more Midnight Troopers, sending them falling and flying into the air from the wild strikes.

“For the Confederacy!”

The troopers saw him and began to close in on him, trying to fire back at him but failing. He shot more and more with all the lasers left in the cannon until the cannon finally ran out of ammunition. With the weapon no longer firing and just whirring around. But that didn't stop him. He saw an incoming Mandalorian and threw the weapon at their body, knocking them down from how heavy the gun was. Nearby was a rifle, and so he picked it up and stood by next to some commando units, continuing the fight.

More Mandalorians continued to swarm the air, flying straight for them. Three of the commandos were taken out, but two of the Mandalorians flying towards them were finished. The last one came down to face Tantus personally, forcing him to fight. With a swift kick, he hit the soldier in the stomach and kicked the helmet off the trooper's head, revealing a very angry man who flashed his grit teeth. But with another punch, the man went down.

The governor saw more troopers coming, but he did not stop. He wasn't going to back down--

"DAD!!!"

That voice sent shivers down the governor's spine. And when he turned around, what he saw frightened him more than anything he had seen today; his own two children, forced out by the Midnight troopers, blasters pointed at their heads. He stopped trying to look for a way to fight, he immediately dropped the weapon, knowing he wasn't going to win if it meant keeping his children safe.

Two of the Mandalorians rocketed down, pointing their weapons at the governor. None of them made an effort or chose to try and put him in cuffs, they had him where they wanted. And his face said it all; he surrendered. A third Mandalorian came down, this time with much more stylized paint on their armor. A female by the lenses on the helmet, with golden lightning bolts streaked on both sides of the head, and on the chest plating. To make it worse, there was a blackened mark that only meant one thing...

"Death Watch," Tantus sneered.

“Governor Tantus,” the Mandalorian greeted with an arrogant voice. “I must admit you were smart to fortify your city; and using outdated droids. Cute.”

The governor glared at her, quietly snarling.

“You really don’t seem to grasp the concept of senseless violence. There’s no need for your people to suffer like this,” she said with a faux sense of sincerity.

“You are the ones who make the galaxy suffer,” Tantus sneered. “You talk peace, and yet your actions bring undesired pain.”

Her hand stroked his face, making him growl some more. “It’s all for a worthy cause. After all, the Empire brings order and prosperity to the galaxy. Unlike the Republic… your people took issue with the Republic, did they not?”

“We may not have liked them, but my people never asked to be senselessly attacked for unjust reasons,” he argued.

His eyes soon set on some of his town’s people, seeing the poor citizens being forced out of their homes with hands behind their heads. They were pleading and begging to be left alone, but they just received more beatings and assault by the troopers.

“Bugs. That’s what you are,” the Mandalorian leader glared under her helmet. “Now I want you to answer a question for me; the kingdom you all pledged allegiance to, their forces are slowly dwindling… and now we’ve learned there’s only one more holdout in existence that harbors these outdated battle droids. So if you want your people to live, you’re going to tell me. Where is the last Storm Army holdout?”

Tantus looked at his left, seeing more of his people being hurt. Make matters worse, he saw two adults younger than him; his son and daughter being dragged out and held at gunpoint.

“Daddy, please don’t tell him!” The daughter shouted.

“Get out of there!” The son pleaded.

Tantus looked at his children in horror, and then back at the Mandalorian. He knew in most of these situations that the ones who had the guns never kept their word. His children were going to be shot, and he couldn’t stop them.

“It won’t matter if I speak. Because you will just strike the rest of my village and my family. I won’t tell you anything, but I warn you. If you strike me down, others will stand against you,” Tantus glared.

The Mandalorian was quiet, processing his words.

“Well, let’s test that theory,” she said, rather ominously. She faced some of the troopers. “Captain, these people have little grubs… line them all up.”

“Wait, no!” Tantus begged. His arms were grabbed by two troopers and forced him to stand and watch as the Midnight troopers gathered many eggs lining them up together in the middle of the town. The people were crying and begging them to stop, to not do what they were about to do, but the Imperial forces kept them all back.

Flametroopers lined up in positions and pulled the triggers on their weapons, sending enormous blazes of fire towards the eggs. Everyone screamed and cried in a large overwhelming volume that shattered the ears of the unhelmeted heads around them.

The Mandalorian grabbed his face and grit her teeth under the mask. “The suffering can stop… if you just tell me where the holdout is. Now.”

Tantus still said nothing, trying to fight the urge to scream in rage, knowing he’d be shot the moment he didn’t give her what she wanted. But he still didn’t talk.

“I think we better pull out the big guns,” she said, looking to the two guards. The Mandalorians standing by pulled out a blaster and without hesitation, blasted a shot into the daughter’s heart, making her gasp and shout. And with her let go, the daughter dropped to the ground. The Mandalorian commander’s head slowly turned to Tantus. “You have one more chance.”

He growled at her, but looked at his son with one more face. A single tear could be seen going down his face as he looked at him.

“Kyoto… if you ever survive this; tell your mother I love her.”

His finger clicked a button unseen connected to a wiring setup on his hand. Several beeping noises started to emit around him, and the commander understood immediately what was about to happen. Jumping out of the way just in time, a massive explosion sent tremors to everyone in the entire city. The citizens looked in terror to see the explosion, thinking someone else had come to strike. But when the smoke cleared, nothing was visibly left to the eye.

All that was found when the smoke cleared was a hat on the ground, left behind by the former governor. The Mandalorian walked back over and picked up the hat, growling softly. “You just had to make things difficult…”

Her head looked at the son who was terrified beyond belief; was he next? Were they going to shoot him next?

“Take the son to the brig. He can pay his sentence by helping us with that new project Thrawn had commissioned, along with his mother,” she said.

Following orders, the two guards grabbed the son by his arms and took him away, leaving the scene. With a heavy sigh of annoyance, she pulled out her com device and activated a hologram.

“VZ-86, come in. Are you there?” She asked.

A Midnight trooper captain came into view as she flipped on the hologram.

“I’m here. What’s going on?”

“The governor took his own life. Please tell me you found anything in the governor’s archives,” the commander asked, praying they’d get some actual results.

“Negative. All transmissions and planetary information have been wiped from all the computers,” the captain replied. “If there is another holdout out there, we’re not going to find it here.”

“Ugh… understood. Finish your sweep then go join the rest of the troopers. We’ll finish making an example of the city down here before we join you.”

“Do you really think there’s any more Storm Army holdouts out there? The Empire’s wiped them out, there can’t be anymore,” VZ-86 asked.

“There’s always more remaining, captain. It won’t matter if it’s erased from the archives or not, we will find that last holdout… and when we do, the last of the Storm Army, these dead-named Separatists, and the Confederacy of Independent Systems will finally collapse… for good.”

On Yavin IV, a new day had come. People were up and at 'em for another day of work, another day of trying to undermine the government. Flurry Heart's eye was still patched up, per doctor's orders, and her mood only dwindled. The only thing she was expecting to happen today was another round of her screwing up a simulation, and getting beaten up by another hulked-up boxer who had more muscle than her.

In the mess hall, she sat by herself, still not feeling like talking to anyone after her failures from the day before. She weakly pecked at her food with her fork, not feeling very hungry. Her eye looked up, seeing some familiar faces come over to sit with her; Sandbar and the rest of Team Six.

"Hey, mind if we sit with you?" Sandbar asked.

"Sure," Flurry said, not caring.

"Still upset about getting your butt kicked?" Smolder asked.

"No, I'm upset because Lando had an affair in last week's episode of Catching Up With The Calrissians," Flurry deadpanned.

Everyone blinked awkwardly.

"... Does Lando do radio shows that we don't know about?" Silverstream asked, tilting her head.

"Friend upset. Yona don't want friend upset," the Yakyakiee said, as she sat down. She yanked Flurry and gave her a big hug.

"DAH!"

"Yona hug friend to make it better!"

"Ack! I appreciate the thought!" Flurry hacked. "You're! Choking! Me!" Yona let go of the poor girl to let her breathe, thankfully not causing her any choking problems. She sat down beside her while the others sat in empty seats at the table, giving her company. "I appreciate the hug, but I'm not sure how well that will help me in being a good fighter. I bombed."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Sandbar asked.

"I can't aim to save my life, I got my butt kicked by a Trandoshan, and I can only half see you guys," Flurry deadpanned.

"Nobody ever beats Gamera," Gallus said, shrugging and shaking his head. "But you're not just gonna quit because of one bad day of practice are you?"

"I wanted to die."

"Flurry, look," Gallus said, with a few hand gestures to say 'look, listen to me'. "It's your first day. The first day of anything is never good. Do you think any of us did great on our first days?"

"N-No?"

"Exactly," Gallus said, folding his arms.

"Some better than others," Smolder said with a sly smirk.

"Smolder not helping," Yona glared.

"Look, Flurry. The point is you're going to screw up. Don't expect to be perfect. I remember when I first started to train for the Rebellion, ooh boy..." Gallus said, with some embarrassment in his tone and face. "I was... understandably called names."

"Names?"

"Oh yeah. Let's just say some people weren't happy that 'Greedy Griffon' here kept failing on some of the courses," Gallus admitted.

"Or the 'gender confused' changeling kept changing her looks whenever attending a seminar," Ocellus meekly added.

"But there were two ways I could take it. I could either throw a giant pity party for myself, and quit because it was too hard; or, I could practice to stop screwing up, and get better at the job I came here to do."

Flurry's one eye blinked. "So basically, don't let everyone push you down, just use that to motivate you and keep on pushing forward."

"Basically," Gallus nodded, albeit unsure.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I think I have an idea what your next training section is going to be," Ocellus interjected. "We've all taken Spitfire's courses before. If I remember, I think you'll be doing a test."

"Test? Greaaat. And I didn't even know you were supposed to study," Flurry sank her face into the table.

"Not that kind of test. It's sort of... well, I think Spitfire explains it better than I can. But it's much more calm than the other ones!"

"I hope so," Flurry moped.

Awkward silence filled the breakfast table, until Sandbar interrupted clearing his throat. "So, um, Ocellus. What are you up to later today?"

"Oh! I was going to do some more studying and then maybe see if there are any shifts I need to take care of. Mammoth Squadron is supposed to be coming back later today, I think they mentioned their ship needs some repairs," Ocellus chirped. "And uh... well, Flurry if you want, maybe.. we could help train you?"

"Us?" Smolder asked.

"Being a trainer for the new trainee! That could be exciting," Silverstream squeed, tapping her claws together.

"But we're not teachers. We're just fighters," Gallus pointed out.

"Team Six may be fighters, but fighters have experience!' Yona countered, tapping her cloven-like hands together. "Friends been through a lot together, and maybe friends can teach that to Flurry."

Flurry wasn't so sure. But considering how well yesterday had gone, the idea of training with her new friends sounded much more better to her.

"Well, okay. I guess for the sake of argument, if I were to train with you guys... what kind of stuff would you have me do?" Flurry asked, putting her hands under her chin, thinking.

"Well, we--"

"All new recruits, please report to the training room. All new recruits, please report to the training room."

Flurry sighed as she pushed her tray away. She got back up, adjusting her arm braces to make sure she'd still be protected, and walked out of the booth. "I'll see you guys later; I'll let you know how it goes."

And just like, the six of them were left in silence. For about two seconds.

"You know she put us on the spot when she asked about how we would train her, right?" Gallus said.

"Yes," everyone agreed.

Just like the day before, Spitfire did a quick head-count to make sure she had everyone, and brought the trainees to a new area for their next test. This time, the trainees were standing in front of a massive gallery displaying a city-like environment, with a blaster rack on the wall on their left.

“Alright newbies! This next test is going to be a little different. On your various missions, you will need to properly determine who is an Imperial and who is innocent. The Empire has enlisted/forced thousands if not millions of people under their rule, so you will need to determine who is the most suspicious. Using the blasters I have laid down on the table, I want you to open fire on the targets in front of you that you deem suspicious,” the instructor said.

Flurry shivered a little, seeing that icy glare from his face.

“And I want you all to get this through your heads. Being a Rebel doesn’t automatically mean running into the field, shooting up a storm and killing everyone in front of you. You need to play the battlefield smart; with strategic thinking and efficiency. Now show me what you got.”

Spitfire stood behind a booth that protected her, but also so she could watch them and make sure they were all moving. The alarm went off, giving the trainees the okay. Everyone grabbed a blaster, with Flurry being the last one to go. Everyone stepped into positions and watched as multiple cutouts started to slide back and forth all around. With the cutouts came a few blasts from mounted guns who started to fire at them.

Taking positions, everyone ducked for cover from the blasts as the shots kept on coming. Flurry panicked for a second, but eventually threw herself behind a crate while several blasts flew over her head. Waiting for the coast to be clear, she slowly raised herself up and held up her gun, looking at the targets presented in front of her. Everyone else was looking, and rightfully shot at the Midnight trooper cutouts. But occasionally there were a few non-humanoid looking species that appeared in view; all of which were species that had considerable reputations for either being the worst or the scariest.

Everyone shot at different targets, and even a few of them shot at some of the scary cutouts. Flurry however did not shoot. Her eyes were moving all over, trying to find the target, it had to have been here somewhere. Who was she even supposed to aim her blaster at? But when she looked forward, she saw one target in particular that made her face light up with a realization. Not hesitating, she raised her blaster up, she held it with both hands and pulled the trigger, finally letting off a single blast.

Once everyone had run out of ammunition, the lights turned back on. The instructor walked through the doors, and everyone lowered their weapons once they saw his presence.

“Alright, lemme take a look here…” Spitfire said, stepping forward and examining everyone’s progress. “Darren, good eye on the sniper all the way on the balcony ledge... Tazza, nice work taking out the turret ports... and Loxal, nice eye on the sniper on the top of the roof," Spitfire examined. Then her eyes set on another target, knowing who shot it from the surveilance footage. "Gyaos, why did you shoot the Trandoshan?”

The Zabrak girl shrunk a little. “Well… I mean, he, um… it’s a Trandoshan, isn’t it?”

“You attended the seminar run by SR, right?”

“Well, yes—”

“—I thought it was confirmed that not all Trandoshans are as bad as the galaxy makes them out to be?” She said, putting her hands on her hips.

The Zabrak wasn't sure how to respond. “Um, well, uh—”

“—You know, as shocking as this is, not everyone who’s from a certain planet is bad. And I shouldn’t feel the need to say this, but we have a captain who’s a Trandoshan man,” Spitfire warned with a serious face. She leaned into Gyaos’ face, not changing her stone-cold expression “Perhaps any grievances you have with his kind could be taken up with him? I’d think he’d love to hear how you feel about his species.”

Now Gyaos realized she had landed in hot water with the instructor. And all she could imagine was the looks from everyone glaring at her, making her feel even more humilated. “I… I-“

“—I’ve heard enough,” Spitfire said, making her shrink in shame. “The rest of you look pretty good, but I must remind you not to waste your shots. Every blast you make is precious…” the instructor turned her gaze at the nervous Equestrian girl. And then her gaze looked over at her only shot; a target displaying a human woman in uniform with a single blast to the chest. Spitfire quietly observed the target again, thinking with intrigue and curiosity. “Flurry Heart. May I ask why you felt this woman deserved to die?”

Trying to block out all anxiety and fear, Flurry cleared her throat and spoke. “Well, she seemed like the only one who was a threat.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?” The instructor asked, putting her hands on her hips. The other trainees were now curious as well. Out of all of the targets available, it was the woman in the fancy dress who seemed the most suspicious?

“Well, first I was going to shoot the Quarren standing on the balcony on the right,” Flurry pointed. “Until I saw he had a wine bottle in his hand, and I realized he was just drinking. He probably had a long night, could be good, bad, whatever it may be, he felt the need to drink, there’s no crime there.”

The instructor nodded silently as Flurry continued.

“And then I saw the Zygerrian man on the ground snarling, but then I saw he had his pockets opened up. The guy’s probably looking for something important, maybe cash, identification, there’s nothing wrong there. And then I saw the Trandoshan on the left with his tongue sticking out…” She said, pointing to the Trandoshan target on the left of the shooting gallery. “I noticed he had a fork and plate in his hand. He’s not snarling, he’s hungry. He probably is about to enjoy a delectable meal; how would I feel if I was enjoying a family dinner and then someone came in and started blasting at me for enjoying some Nuna legs?”

Everyone just stared at Flurry with confusion. Where was she going with this?

“And then I saw the woman in uniform. I thought maybe you know, angry looking human, perfect uniform that isn’t dirty or ruffled, has an expression like everything around her disgusts her, stick up her butt, holding that metal leash…”

Flurry pointed, leading up to another figure; a Twi’lek in a metal bikini and chains, with a gag wrapped around her mouth looking scared beyond all belief. “…connected to the slave girl in skimpy clothes. Twi’leks are the most common form of slaves and if you’re doing business with some crime lord or mob boss, they would make a perfect payment right up there with spice and credits. That woman in the dress is about to trade an innocent woman’s life for something that’s probably what the Empire wants, and she has no shame in how she’s going to get it. If you ask me, she's up to something suspicious and needs to be taken care of.”

The instructor all the while had a small but genuine smirk on his face. Not bad kid. Not bad at all.

“… Or do I owe her an apology?” She asked with an unamused tone.

Spitfire stopped momentarily and left the room with his holopad in hand. All the while the other trainees looked at Flurry with some confused and questioning faces. Everyone was too flabbergasted by what was going on. They didn’t know whether to be impressed, confused, or outright smug about the fact she could have possibly failed.

“… So, uh… you all had great shots by the way,” Flurry tittered, shrinking. “I um... I guess you all shot with blasters before? I’ve only shot womp rats, and that’s only because they keep eating out of the trashcans.” She put her blaster back on the rack where she had grabbed it before, carefully stepping away in awkwardness.

"..."

"..."

"Soooo are we done?" Flurry asked.

"Yes, you're done newbie! You're free to go now!" Spitfire yelled from the hallway, almost making Flurry yelp from how unexpected it was.

"Were you standing there the whole time?" Flurry yelled out.

"Yes I was, newbie!"

“Look, I’ve been training recruits for over five years now, and I gotta give it to you two straight,” Spitfire said, putting her glasses down on the desk and scrunching her face. She looked at the two people in her office and gave them a straight face. “Your kid is gonna die.”

Lyra and Bon Bon threw their heads back in the chairs, Bon Bon groaning the most.

“Okay, how?”

“Well, let’s look at the math,” she said, pulling out her datapad. “You put her in a combat situation, she panics and hides behind cover the whole time and doesn’t calm herself down enough to think before she shoots things. Her aiming is so bad she makes the battle droids of the Storm Army look like excellent marksmen. And while she didn't go down from a single punch, she still didn't stand long enough against the required time against Gamera. I'm afraid she's dead weight.”

“Wha—ju—how? I don’t understand,” Lyra questioned. “I’ve been training her to learn to fight, she—”

“May I see your weapon?” Spitfire asked.

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m asking if I can look at your weapon?” Spitfire asked again.

“Sure, I guess…” Lyra hesitated, giving her lightsaber to the instructor. Spitfire felt the blade in her hand, analyzing it. And finding the switch, she flicked the button, igniting the blade in the office. “Mmm. You’re a Jedi, aren’t you? You trained your kid to use a lightsaber?”

“Yes, I have,” Lyra replied. “Well, have been. She’s still rusty, but I know she’s getting better.”

Spitfire was quiet. Then she turned her attention to Bon Bon. “And you’re a Mandalorian, right? You taught her how to use a blaster?”

“A few times, yes,” Bon Bon answered.

“I see… has your daughter been in any real combat-related situation?”

“’Well, there was a few incidents in the Clone Wars, but that was when she was a baby,” Lyra replied.

“You two have been living on Tatooine for how long?”

“Over fifteen years, at least,” Bon Bon answered.

“I see. Look, you want my advice? Leave her here, and you two can go off on whatever missions General Shimmer has assigned. You two might be fine, but your kid is not ready. If she goes out into a combat situation, she’s going to be dead, or stuck in a complete body cast, sipping food through a straw,” Spitfire said, giving it to them straight.

Bon Bon and Lyra looked at each other, disappointingly and stood up. The two gave silent nods to the instructor, getting ready to walk out of her office—

“—I do want to compliment your kid on this though.”

The two parents looked at her with heavy glares. Just based on that tone, it sounded like she was going to give their daughter a backhanded compliment.

“While I don’t think she’s going to be combat ready, it’s clear you two are good parents.”

“And how is that?” Bon Bon asked, ready to hear more negative answers.

“She may have flunked the obstacle courses, but she’s the only one who passed the judgement test,” she said with a genuine smile.

“I don’t understand,” Lyra puzzled.

“The recruits need to understand the difference between someone who looks like a threat, and someone who actually is a threat. The recruits did okay getting the obvious targets; but she found the threat that I keep hoping they'll notice. I've taught classes on Yavin IV for over seven years, and I've only seen twenty-five students pass it. She passed that test. That to me, says there is still hope for her. If she can figure out the difference between suspicious and innocent, then she can learn how to battle.”

After the end of another long day, Sunset Shimmer walked towards the one area on the base she always went to if she wasn't super tired; a lounge. As part of the installation, Sunset Shimmer made suggestions they install and develop areas on the base for some R&R, to make sure workers, and their soldiers for that matter, could have the breaks they needed to keep them from going insane.

Some areas were still in current development, but the main area that most liked to go to aside from the lakes, the creeks, or their own quarters, was this lounge. Just like the rest of the temples on the base, the interior was outlined with solid rock and metal together. Some small neon lights were up on the ceilings to keep the place well lit, and there was an Ithorian bartender working to serve the drinks and snacks requested by the patrons.

Sunset walked in, receiving a few waves from some of her co-workers. Many of them were sitting in chairs around coffee tables, chatting amongst themselves, enjoying a few much needed laughs. And so the general parked herself at an open space, sitting in a chair with three other spaces open for anyone else to join her.

"Hey Jho!" Sunset hollered. "Can you bring over a blue milk?"

"Coming right up!" The Ithorian hollered, speaking with the translator near his airholes.

As she waited, she looked around at the establishment. Blue neon light was on the shelfing for all the drinks they had to offer; everything from alcohol to non-alcooholic beverages if there were underage visitors within the lounge. A small jukebox over in the corner played some music to give some more ambience to the inside of the bar. Eventually a waitress droid rolled on by with her drink, allowing her to pick it up from the tray.

She took a sip of her drink, enjoying a nice cool refreshing flavor of milk. She contemplated looking for company until--

"General Shimmer."

Sunset's attention was drawn to the woman who called to her in a soft-spoken tone. Approaching her in a white deck officer's outfit was a captain; a Chiss woman with flowing dark blue hair, and ruby red eyes. She was holding a cup of steaming coffee from the look of it.

"Captain Fontaine," Sunset smiled.

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

"I'd love it. I'd appreciate the company," Sunset nodded. "I was hoping two of our new recruits would come find me, but I'm not sure how interested they would be."

The captain sat down in the chair across from her, setting her cup on the coffee table. "Based on the adventures you have shared, I don't think those friends of yours would miss a chance to socialize with you again."

"Yeah, but now I'm wondering if I gave them the right directions," Sunset worried as she looked behind her, thinking the two of them would be coming through the doors. "Well, anyways. Glad to see you made it back, I thought you were out on a mission?"

"My crew and I succeeded in our mission. The food supply run to Batuu was a success; now we have more food to our storage, along with assortments of drinks disguised as droid poppers. After we finished, we came back here, confirmed our reports, and now I am here," the woman nodded, looking outside the window to the sunset in the distance. "This here is my favorite place on this planet. Good food, pleasing view..." she looked at Sunset with a cute smirk. "Particularly now, I might add."

Sunset giggled. "Look, Fontaine, I know we're off-duty and all, but I told you before, I'm not interested in dating. I don't have time for it now."

"Understood. But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," Fontaine replied, putting an end to her little flirtatious move. "So, General. I heard tale of some more recruits other than Jedi being a part of our little alliance. Another former Jedi, and a Mandalorian. Am I correct?"

"Yes, that's them," Sunset confirmed. "Them, their daughter, and an entire family of droids."

"I saw their droids a few times when I was on my way over here. I must admit, I am fascinated by their little family. How they managed to get an IG unit, a tactical droid, and many others as a part of their crew is... amazing."

The doors to the lounge opened up, and soon enough, Rainbow Dash and Applejack finally found where Sunset was. The two of them waved to her, and Sunset smiled, waving back to them. But as they were about to sit, the two of them froze when they looked before them. Standing and talking to one of the patrons was someone... in clone commando armor. Rainbow and Applejack simultaneously swore they heard a high pitched ringing in their ears as their hearts were pounding against their chests. They tried to calm down and not freak out, steadily breathing when they looked--

"Hey!"

The two of them snapped out of their frozen states, seeing their friend in front of them.

"It's okay," Sunset reassured. "Shi?"

The commando turned around, diverting their attention. Just like the clone commandos of before, the visor in the helmet was lit up with a bright blue. This commando was blazed with purple and blue streaks going across the upper left side of the commando's torso and helmet. But when they removed the helmet, the sight gave a bit of mild relief to the two former Jedi. The person who wore the helmet wasn't a clone, but instead, a Falleen man's face was revealed, with a metal piece attached above his left eye.

"I don't think I've met these two," the commando replied.

"Shi, this is Applejack and Rainbow Dash. They're two old friends of mine, from the Jedi Order."

"You mean... more Jedi still live?" the commando asked, looking back and forth between the two Jedi and his general. Sunset nodded, and the commando gave a smile and small bow of his head. "It's a honor to meet you two."

"Heh, it's nothin' really," Applejack rubbed the back of his head.

"And this is Shi; he's a member of Mammoth Squadron," Sunset introduced. "They earned the title after they managed to save me and some of my allies using the commando armor that you see in front of you."

"I hope I didn't scare you two; I heard about what happened in the Purge," the Falleen man said with a frown. "I'm so sorry you had to go through it."

"Its okay, its not your fault it happened," Applejack shrugged off. "So uh... see you around?"

The commando nodded and looked to the general, silently asking if he could go back to his business. Sunset gave him a quiet response, allowing the man to continue to speak to his friend. Rainbow and Applejack sat in the other two chairs in the space where Sunset and Fontaine were sitting, finally getting a chance to breathe.

"Sorry about that Sunset. I guess we haven't really moved on," Rainbow said, rubbing her prosthetic arm.

"I get that. And believe me, I was hesitant about them using assets from the Clone Wars, but when you're building from the ground up, you need whatever you can get your hands on. And they made that armor work, so I allowed it," Sunset explained.

"Pardon the interruption, but it is a pleasure to meet you both," Fontaine interrupted.

The two new recruits turned their heads, acknowledging the Chiss captain that sat in the chair across from Sunset.

"Oh, sorry about that," Rainbow apologized. "We didn't see you there."

"How do you miss someone wearing a bright white uniform sitting there?" Sunset asked, raising a brow. "Anyways, Fontaine, this is Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, this is Captain Fontaine. Leading officer of Corvette crew; Burning Phoenix."

"Pleasure to meet you both. I was beginning to wonder when I would meet more survivors of the Jedi Order," the Chiss captain greeted. "Oh, by the way, General. I heard about our crews from the Coruscant mission; I hope they're okay."

Sunset sighed. "Yeah. I hope so too. Were there any friends of yours on that mission?"

"No. Although I know Officer Mint was among that crew," the captain answered.

"Mint?" Applejack asked, curious.

Rainbow interrupted with a drooping jaw of realization. "No. No way. Is that... is she...?"

"Mystery Mint, yes, it's her," Sunset confirmed, rubbing her face with contemplation and worry. "She survived the Jedi Purge, and she's been helping the Rebel Alliance for seven years. And apparently she had been reportedly captured along with the remaining crew on the Coruscant mission. Who knows where she even is at this point..." her arms collapsed in her chair as she threw her head back in frustration.

"I am positive she is okay. She cannot be easily broken," Fontaine answered, rather matter-of-factly while taking a sip of her drink.

"Is anyone else in the Rebellion a Jedi? Anyone we might know, or would have known?" Applejack asked.

"Not really. Those who were Jedi that found us, they're gone," Sunset said, sadly. "Kanan Jarrus is gone. Ahsoka Tano, MIA. All that's left of us is just Lyra, Mint, you two, and me. I don't know if Pinkie or Rarity or Fluttershy are okay. I still wanna call them but... what if they're... you know."

"You won't know unless you try, General," Fontaine interrupted, standing up. "Send a signal to them. Maybe they still live, and you just don't know it." She took one last sip of her cup and set it on the counter so the bartender could receive it. "I must be heading back to my last shift for the day. Have a good rest of your evening, General." With that said, the Chiss woman left the three Jedi alone to have each other's company.

"Sooo... she seems nice," Applejack answered, rather uncomfortably.

"She is. A bit strange, but she's a good captain," Sunset responded. "Anyways..."

"How often do you come here, anyway?" Rainbow questioned.

"Not often. Only come here whenever I've got a lot on my mind and I just need to think. Not that you girls are interfering with that, it's just something I like to do," Sunset reassured. She took another sip of her drink. "Sometimes I swear this war is killing me. But that's the price I pay for taking a stand."

"Hey, what you're doing is a good thing, Sunset. Without people like you, I'm not sure if there would even be a Rebellion to make a stand," Applejack reassured.

Sunset sighed as she looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set on Yavin IV, signalling for another end of a busy day. "I hope so, Applejack. I really hope so..."

A New Strategy

On An Isolated Moon In The Outer Rim…

It was a dark and cold night on the outpost. Work was done for the day, and everyone was fast asleep… at least, they were supposed to be. A wide array of cabins, boxed in by a massive laser gate surrounded was being kept under watch. A Midnight trooper marched outside the camp with a massiff walking ahead. The animal’s eyes peered around as it tried to sniff for any one who was outside the fence when they shouldn’t have been.

Not finding anyone in sight, the massiff and the Midnight watchman kept moving on their shift, patrolling outside the prison camp to keep an eye out. Without seeing, one of the people trapped inside the imprisonment was making their move. A black boot emerged from the shadows of one of the cabins.

A woman in her early 40s peered from the side of the metallic barracks, one of her eyes blackened and bruised. Her baby blue skinned face covered in scars and recent cuts from the torture she had to endure. Her black, white, and gold jumpsuit that she frequently wore was now tearing with holes that exposed her skin underneath, and her purple hair was now tattered and disheveled from sweat and exhaustion.

She watched as one of the Midnight troopers walked past the gate, leading their massiff around to sniff out anyone who was outside when they shouldn’t have been. Taking her chance, she quickly skipped over to one of the gate barriers, slamming her back against the pole. She waited, watching as the guard stopped momentarily, thinking they heard a sound. She stayed as quiet as she could, watching the guard stand there for a second, then kept walking on their path like normal.

Taking her chance, she opened up one of the zipper pockets on her jumpsuit, pulling out a small reflector piece. She gripped it carefully, pushing it towards one of the laser bars. The laser’s coil started to sizzle as it hit the beam, and so it started to deflect against itself, facing up as the figure adjusted the beam’s setting.

Checking behind her again, the guard was still patrolling and didn’t notice her handiwork. Once she had adjusted the beam enough, she got on her stomach and carefully crawled across the ground, sliding underneath the gate without being hurt in the process. Now that she was out in the open, she quickly darted across the path and threw her back against a piece of cargo, hidden from any watchful eyes.

She waited some more, seeing another Midnight trooper just a couple of clicks ahead of her. The woman stayed hidden some more, covering herself in the shadows as the troopers went along their business. Now that the coast was clear, she looked at the camp again and made a hand gesture to a few eyes in the camp’s shadows, urging them to come hither.

Five figures slowly emerged from the dark; a Lurmen, a gray Wookiee, a Togruta, a Mikkian, and a Patrollian. The group looked at their comrade who had stayed hidden thus far, and watched as her hand gestured for them to come forward. All at once, they dashed across their massive entrapment and lined up against the laser gated walls, not touching the beams out of safety, and trying to hide.

First was the Wookiee who kept his gurgling noises down as he crawled underneath the open line, thankfully not singeing his fur in the process. The Mikkian was encouraged to move next, but didn’t, out of fear of her floating tentrils possibly touching. The Togruta reached for her pocket, offering her a set of bands to tie her tendrils down. The Mikkian gave a resounding nod as the Togruta worked on her tendrils as fast as she could.

In the meantime, the Patrollian made it through next, dashing across the path and joining the woman and the Wookiee in the shadows. The Lurmen crawled next, then rolled across the path and hid with the others. And finally, the Mikkian was able to crawl across and make it to the other side without difficulty. Last of them all was the Togruta, who was ready to crawl until the woman raised her hand, telling her to not move.

All of them turned their heads, seeing the guard pacing back to the same area he had paced before, on their left. The Togruta hid against the metal beam, and the others threw their backs against the cargo boxes to stay hidden. The woman kept her eyes peered to the guard, seeing him check the same spot again briefly, and then proceed to go back on the path they had walked before. They still had time before he would make the loop and come back their direction.

The jumpsuited Equestrian looked at the Togruta some more, waving her hand to come towards them. Taking her chance, the Togruta woman crawled underneath the open fence and leapt across the path, scrawling to pull her feet out of the moonlight and into the shadows with the other escapees.

"Okay, what do we do now?", the Patrollian man asked.

"We need to stay hidden in the shadows. Stay out of the spotlights, we'll sneak behind the crates and boxes. We'll take one of the landspeeders, get far away from them as best as we can. Just one signal should be enough to help us. I hope," the woman said, keeping her group together.

They crept out from their cover, checking for any signs of passing guards or lights. Especially for any probe droids that were on patrol, they knew plenty of those would have been employed to do any monitoring. When the coast was clear, they quickly dashed out and hid behind cover again. The second guard was making his next turn, and passed by their covering spot, luckily he wasn't the one who had a massiff.

As the group got ready to move again, they froze when they heard the sounds of whirring machines. The group almost had a heart attack, luckily the sound was just a door moving from the inside of the base, nothing to worry about. They got ready to creep again--

Grrrrrrrr...

A massiff had smelled their scent. Their eyes lingered to their left where they had escaped from. One of them peaked, seeing one massiff sniffing the ground that they ran on. But then, they heard the sounds of barking. Not from the one they saw, but one that was halfway across the camp, on their other side. The animal had seen them, with a bit of a light shining on them when they peaked out, and started to charge.

"You gotta be--everyone run!"

No other options, everyone ran from their hiding spot and joined Mint as they booked it. The other massiff that was sniffing soon saw them, and chased them, barking its head off. And unfortunately, that was the moment when other night watchmen were alerted, as a Death Watch guard from a tower quickly whipped out a sniper rifle, firing a shot straight into the Togruta woman's back, ending her life quickly.

Mint and the others were horrified, but they couldn't stop. They had to run now! The sniper kept firing, trying to shoot at them, but luckily this time the group were able to evade the shots. Sadly, their plan to escape had been cut short. The two massiffs were blocking both paths, and the two guards also prevented them from leaving. They had one way to escape, but that too was cut off. A Death Watch soldier slowly marched out, eyeing the prisoners who were now terrified. Mint on the other hand, was glaring intensely, trying to save face.

"What are they doing outside of their pen?"

"They almost escaped but we got them," one of the troopers replied.

"And what makes you so sure they won't escape again? It won't matter how many pockets you empty, or how many resources they find, they will always find a way. Hope, isn't it?" The Mandalorian asked, looking at Mint. "But I think I have a suitable punishment lined up... kill them."

The four remaining prisoners were panicking, whimpering in fear.

"If you want someone to kill, kill me!" Mystery Mint demanded. "But leave them alone, they aren't the ones who came up with this plan. I did."

"Oh, did you now? Well in that case... kill two of them, and put the other two back in their cage," the Mandalorian concluded.

That order sent chills down Mystery Mint's spine. "No... no, please, leave---"

The Mandalorian didn't care. He grabbed her by the neck and forced her away from her group. Mint tried to fight, but it was useless, she had been broken and beaten so much that it hurt trying to fight back. He held her in place, standing there, and keeping a blaster pointed at the back of her head, forcing her to watch what was next to come. Two cries of absolute horror shrilled in the night sky, and Mystery Mint's pleading face went ignored. She watched as two of the prisoners, the Mikkian and the Wookiee, collapsed onto the ground, shot straight through the chests.

The other two prisoners were forced away by the guards, while Mint was forced to walk with the Mandalorian. She knew what was coming next, as the Mandalorian led her to where she was going to be staying for the night. He turned her around, and slapped her in the face. She yelped from the pain, but she couldn’t bring herself to fight back. Her eyes were weary, and she had enough energy siphoned from her that made her unwilling to fight back.

“I’ll teach you to make a fool out of me,” he growled. And with a shove, Mystery Mint fell down and landed smack dab in the middle of the square pit with a thud. She didn’t have the energy to try and pull herself up on her feet to look out, the guard just scoffed and walked away from her, knowing she wouldn’t be getting out of there.

The Mandalorian's attention then diverted to the remaining prisoners who were spared; the Patrollian and the Lurmen who had been tossed back into their prison wall, both cowering as the Death Watch soldier yelled at them. “Now let that be a lesson to the lot of you! No Rebels escape from the servitude of the Empire!” She barked like a drill sergeant. “And if you value your life, stop trying to escape, or you’ll end up like your friends!”

With that final word of the night screamed, she walked away and let the two Rebels stand there in terrified silence.

The next morning came. Needless to say, Mystery Mint was in pain. Forced to sleep on a cold, hard, metallic floor in a pit didn’t do her good, and she was covering up her arms to cover her bare spots that were ripped from her bodysuit. This was her ‘punishment’ for escaping, something she never got used to. But this time, she felt like she really had it coming. She got three innocent Rebels murdered because she was trying to break them free.

She was cold. Hungry. Hurt. She wondered if her fellow Rebels were going to just finish her off instead of the Imperial guards; she did get friends killed. Soon enough one of the Death Watch guards flew down into the pit pointing a weapon at her.

“Get up.”

Eyes still weary, she forced herself to stand, knowing she was just going to get beaten more if she didn’t stand. She looked at the Mandalorian with a sour demeanor but didn’t speak. The floor underneath them started to rise up to allow them to walk towards the camp again. One of the guards by the gate opened up, and Mint shambled towards the camp walls again.

Once she finally crossed inside, the Mandalorian kicked her in the foot, pushing her to get further inside to close the gate behind her. She sneered at the men behind her, and she shambled back to her cabin where she was placed.

Twenty Minutes Later

Somehow against all odds, none of the Rebels had intention of killing her. They weren’t happy that some of their friends were murdered, but they were glad that some of them were spared. And besides; Mint was the closest thing they had to a captain or some leader to follow. The rest of their generals and higher ups in charge had been killed during the Coruscant escape; she was all they had.

And almost immediately, there was a rough sketch made out for another escape attempt; using cargo crates. Some of the Rebels looked at her doubtfully, but agreed to go along regardless.

--

Later that day, after the Rebels had been accounted for and were off to work in their assigned stations (along with the rest of the enslaved Yakyakiees), Mint prepared her next plan. She and a few other Rebels, while the guards had went off on their break, they quickly jumped for the first phase of their plan.

Taking some empty cargo crates, a few Rebels snuck underneath a few of them and covered their bodies in them, acting as the cargo themselves. Tempting fate, some of the Rebels snuck out of the working environment with the crates over them, slipping out into the outside with the open holes in the crates to provide vision. And to keep up the act, they waited for Imperial guards to come by and pass, taking their chance to slip again.

Sadly this plan was shortlived, as some watchful eyes saw random pieces of cargo moving on their own, which got a bunch of men to act on instinct. Their cover was blown, and immediately Mystery Mint was thrown back into her pit of a solitary confinement.

--

The very next day, Mint gathered the Rebels for another escape attempt. With everyone's attention, she pointed to a particular member; a Clawdite. The Clawdite woman looked confused, and worried when she saw just what Mint had planned. But not seeing any other options, she chose to go along with their plan.

The Clawdite sat down on a chair, while some of the other prisoners gathered around her to help get ready for the next attempt. A few other civilians who were bunked in their barracks kept eyes out the windows, making sure the Imperial guards weren't coming to their cabin just yet. Their attention was drawn to the shock collar that was connected to the Clawdite's neck, preventing her from changing form. The prisoners knew they could just simply grab it and rip it off since they weren't wearing any, but the problem came from trying to figure out how to get it off without hurting the woman wearing it.

Just then, the doors opened up, showing some prisoners pushing in carts full of clean laundry. One of them pushed a cart over to where Mint and some of the prisoners near the Clawdite were, putting the fresh clothes on the beds for them. And deep in the cart were several pieces of defunct droids that had been fished out from the smelting lines. Mystery grinned to see the parts, she knew just what to do.

After assembling a small device, she turned it on, ready to give it a test. Two of the prisoners grabbed the sides of the collar, ready to pull it off. Mint gave them the nod, and the prisoners yanked it off as swiftly as possible, thankfuly not hurting the Clawdite in the process. Mint turned on the device, and within seconds, the tracker chip that was in the collar started to blink again. No one would be checking them now.

Now that the shape-shifter was free, she stood back up, feeling the small teeth marks around her neck, left behind by the tight-fitting metal. She looked at the device blinking again, not wanting to get near it ever again. But she had to focus, it was time to enact the plan. Mint extended a holo picture, showing an image of an Imperial officer. The Clawdite took one look at it, and closed her eyes. Her entire physical body began to change, and she no longer resembled the woman before; now she looked full blown human, with brown skin and dark black hair. Even her clothes changed to resemble the Imperial she took on.

Taking her chance, she opened the doors and left the barracks, hoping the disguise would work to enact the rest of the plan. She looked at a nearby Imperial guard, and simply gave a nod to see if it would work. The guard just nodded back, allowing her to try and keep going. The paddocks opened up, with a small group of armed Death Watch soldiers who walked through behind an Imperial commander. The Clawdite's heart start racing, this wasn't in the plan! They weren't supposed to be here yet, they got a good handle on their schedule, didn't they?

They walked right into Mint's barracks, and the Clawdite's eyes closed, bracing for whatever violent outrage was about to take place. She heard a blaster go off several times, accompanied by some shocked gasps from a few prisoners who were outside. Seconds later, one of the Death Watch members was seen walking out, dragging Mint's beat up body yet again to throw her into the solitary confinement. The changeling wanted to do something, but what?

"Excuse me," one of the Death Watch members interrupted.

The Clawdite turned her head to the Death Watch soldier.

"Commander?"

The Clawdite checked her ranking patch, recognizing the rank saying 'commander'.

"Yes, trooper?" The Clawdite said, trying to stay in character.

"It's almost time for lunch, may I request we end our shift early?" The Mandalorian requested.

"O-Oh. Yes, permission is granted. You have any soldiers to take over?"

"Yes ma'am," he replied.

"Okay. You all may take your lunch break. And I would also request you take a shower," the Clawdite said, following them as she walked out of the paddock.

"Understood ma'am. Thank you, commander," he said.

The Clawdite couldn't believe this. They actually think she's a commander? Well, maybe this might be useful after all. I don't know how long it'll work, but if I can get something done out here while Mystery's in solitary confinement, I might be able to get them out.

Yavin IV

Lyra, Bon Bon, Rainbow, Applejack, and Flurry were all gathered near the ramp of the Sweetie Drop wearing pajamas. A few lawn chairs were set up next to the ramp for Applejack and Rainbow Dash to sit in, while others sat on the ramp. Lyra was reading through a newspaper, a subscription the family was still receiving even after the Empire’s takeover.

“Oh, hey, check this out. Newest issue from Gabby Gums; Physics professor calls Doctor Whooves idiot, proclaims self much smarter,” Lyra read, getting a few snickers from Bon Bon and Flurry.

“I don’t care what anyone says, when they’re not being a detriment to themselves, they’re funny,” Applejack giggled.

“Hey, how’s your eye doing, kid?” Rainbow asked. “Didn’t want to pry, but, well…”

“Still healing,” Flurry sighed, rubbing her hand over the bandage.

“Hey, kiddo, your eye will get better in a few days, you just need to let it heal,” Lyra said, patting her shoulder.

“Yeah, well how is that going to help me get better at fighting? I already flunked,” the teenager scowled, folding her arms.

“Spitfire said yesterday you did great, Flurry,” Bon Bon said, passing the newspaper to Applejack.

“… wait, I was actually right?” Flurry questioned with a wide eye. “I thought she was going to yell at me and say I was wrong.”

“No, she said you passed that test you did,” Bon Bon replied. “Buuuut she did say you weren’t exactly… ready to go out into the field.”

“That’s what I thought,” Flurry sulked, folding her arms. “Maybe this was a mistake. You didn’t see the other recruits, they didn’t screw up so hard like me. How can I catch up with them? I got my butt kicked by a Trandoshan, I got everyone staring at me weirdly during the test from yesterday, and I cost everyone a victory that would have gotten us all killed if it was real.”

Lyra’s hopeful smile frowned. There was no way she was putting her daughter back in that kind of training, it wasn’t working. But if she wasn’t going to train there, then how could she get her battle-ready, at least strong enough so she could defend herself? How could she help her, or deal with the weird smell coming from the ship’s kitchen-wait.

Lyra’s nose twitched and she sniffed the air. “Hey, what’s that smell?”

“Oh, I hope none of you mind, but I’m using your oven to bake,” Rainbow asked, taking the newspaper that Applejack had handed to her. Nonchalantly, the former moisture farmer flipped the paper over to another section of columns.

“What are you baking?”

“I’m making blueberry muffins,” Rainbow answered, not batting an eye.

“Smells like they’re done,” Bon Bon sniffed.

“No they’re not, the timer didn’t go off.”

“Yes, but Rainbow—”

Rainbow lowered the newspaper with a prideful demeanor. “Bon Bon, I’ve incinerated entire armies, I think I can handle an oven.”

That comment did not help calm Bon Bon’s nerves.

“Well, look kiddo, so you did bad—”

“—Mom,” Flurry interrupted. “If you’re going to tell me that everyone does bad on their first day, or that I shouldn’t give up after just one bad day… then don’t,” the young girl sighed.

Lyra was stumped. There had to be some way she could motivate her daughter to get back up, but how?

Flurry sniffed the air again, nose wrinkling up from the powerful smell coming from inside the ship. “Um, Rainbow. I really think you should check on the muffins right now.”

Rainbow let the newspaper droop, still looking confident. “The box said fifteen minutes, you don’t argue with the box.”

“Yes, yes you do. Rainbow, if you turned the dial on maximum power, it’s going to catch on fire,” Flurry warned.

The timer dinged inside of the ship, letting the rainbow-haired woman set the newspaper down. “Okay, now they’re done.” She ran inside the ship to take care of the muffins, leaving everyone else by themselves.

“Okay, Flurry,” Bon Bon said, taking the initiative to step in. “If you don’t want to go through any more training under Spitfire’s command, then fine. But that doesn’t mean you’re just going to sit here and sulk all day, you understand?”

Flurry’s one eye looked back to her mama, giving her an understanding nod.

“I’ll talk to those new friends of yours, maybe until we figure out how to get you strong enough, you do shifts with them just so you stay occupied? Fair enough?”

Flurry had no reason to argue, it sounded like a fair trade to her. Working with her new friends was way better than being beaten up again. “That sounds fair to me.”

“Lyra, thoughts?” Bon Bon asked.

Lyra thought for a second, but the small smile on her face told her wife it all.

“Okay, then it’s settled. We’ll check in with your friends, see if there’s something you can do, and I am going to rant and rave at Rainbow Dash for destroying my oven,” Bon Bon finished nonchalantly.

Applejack scoffed at the other mom’s response. “Look, I know Rainbow Dash, she's not gonna destroy your oven. I kept an eye on her every time she tried to cook, nothin’ went wrong.”

“Yeaaaah about that…” Lyra interjected. “I lived with you girls at the Jedi Temple. Yes, she didn’t destroy anything when she wasn’t alone… but really think about that.”

Applejack didn’t understand.

“I mean… reaaallly think about that.”

“… Okay, did you bump your head against a crate of cider or somethin’?”

Lyra facepalmed. “Applejack! Do you not understand the concept of don’t leave Rainbow Dash alone by herself in the kitchen?”

“Well, I…” Applejack paused. Within seconds, she swore she heard glass shattering. And coming from inside the ship was a high-powered smoke detector that echoed outside of the ship onto the hangar bay.

“… Uh oh.”

Smoke began to billow out of the ship, giving the family members brief scares. And speak of the devil, Rainbow Dash ran down the ramp, face covered in black ash (most likely from something blowing up), still looking confident.

“Okay, they're done, they're just going to be a little burnt!”

Bon Bon grit her teeth and pulled out her blaster. “That it! That’s it!” She ran right inside the ship. “Get back here!”

“Bon Bon, wait!”

“YOU SET MY OVEN ON FIRE!”

“I can fix it!”

“No, I can fix it… WITH ME KICKING YOUR BLUE BUTT OUT OF MY HOUSE!!”

After settling her dispute with Rainbow over the destroyed oven, Flurry met up with one of the Team Six members for some work. Starting with Ocellus, she followed her to the droid workshop; assigned to simple repair and patch jobs. Nothing too cryptic, but nothing too easy either.

Flurry adjusted the bolts on the foot, securing the armored plating into place. And another bit of loose wiring was patched back into the port it needed to be connected to.

“Okay, your foot should be back to working normal,” Flurry said to the droid, sitting on the examination table. “Now we just need to fix the pieces on your chest, and you should be good to go.”

The droid in question had a protocol-droid torso, but her legs and arms were of a different design overall; looking much more like they were built for more advanced missions. It wore a bit of a poncho top that was resting on her left shoulder, the face was black with two golden eyes that glowed, and it wore a metallic visor in the shape of a hat.

“Must we pry at my torso?” the droid questioned. “I do not trust strangers to pry at my body.”

Ocellus’s wings buzzed. “It’ll be okay, Allie. I trust her. She’s great with repairs.”

“Ohhh… okay,” the droid bemoaned.

Flurry pried the chest-plate open, exposing the inner wiring and circuitry. She could see the spot where the blaster bolt had gone through, black scorch marks visible with a few electric sparks fizzing.

“I think I see the damage. You’re lucky, if it was just a few more centimeters to the right, it would have hit your main processing unit,” Flurry observed. “Ocellus, do you think you can apply the macro-resistor?”

“I think so,” Ocellus nodded. She grabbed a small pair of pliers and pulled the macro-resistor out of the spare parts bin. Flurry, using another set of pliers, pulled the fried resistor out without difficulty. And so, keeping it carefully clutched in her fingers, Ocellus pushed in the new resistor. Reaching for a soldering gun, Flurry connected the resistor to the rest of the circuits, patching it.

Now that they were fixed, Flurry put the panel back on the droid’s chest, sealing it. “Okay, um… Allie, is it? You should be repaired now.”

The droid turned its head towards the young teenager. With a small gesture of the hands, tipping the metallic hat with a small nod. “I thank you for your help.”

Backing away, Ocellus and Flurry allowed ‘Allie’ to jump off the examination table. Next to come was another protocol droid in needing of repairs, and so the two quickly got to work. None of them noticed Lyra walking past the place, and her stopping briefly to look inside. She watched Flurry and Ocellus working together without difficulty, and Flurry didn't look stressed out. Sure, dealing with droids was natural stuff to her since her mama was a droidsmith, but still. Working with Ocellus and she didn't have difficulty?

--

Later on, Flurry went over to assist Sandbar and Yona. Together, the three of them were unloading pieces of delivered mail in a small mailroom. While there was a handful of various employees and refugees living among them, Yavin IV had become more like home away from home, and the inclusion of a mailroom was something Sunset had suggested. Using private channels the Empire couldn't identify, their co-workers could pick up pieces of mail and packages from friends, relatives, and whatnot without worry or difficulty.

The regular mailman was off-duty today, so Sandbar and Yona, and the volunteering Flurry were taking over for the shift. Soon enough, someone came up to the front desk. A Nautolan woman with purple skin, wearing a black sleeveless jacket with patches.

"Saba!" Yona squeaked in delight.

The young woman smiled back. "Good to see you, Yona. How you've been holding up?"

"Yona doing well!" The Yakyakiee smiled. "How can Yona assist?"

"I was informed I have some mail today?" Saba said, holding a small slip that informed her.

"I'll go get it. Flurry! We have a package for Saba Tudari!"

"Got it!" Flurry answered. She reached up on a shelf, grabbing the package and placed it on the counter for the woman to pick up. Just like that, the Nautolan signed a form to keep the record of her pickup, and she took her mail with her. It wasn't long before another Rebel came up to the desk; a Gungan with an officer's jacket.

"Hello Wuvo," Sandbar waved, pushing another piece of mail into a shelf for pickup.

"Tis good to see yousa doen well today, Sandbar," the Gungan man responded. "Me have some mail to picken tup, do yousa have it?"

"You got it," Sandbar nodded. "Flurry! We need the letters for Wuvo Loo."

"Coming!"

Flurry didn't take long, putting the piece of mail on the countertop. Like before, the Gungan signed the form and was able to pick up his mail freely. And another man came forward; this time an Ithorian with a translator.

"Makk! It's good to see you!" Yona smiled.

"It's good--stccckk-rrrrr-aaaaa--"

Yona frowned. "Makk, is something wrong with your translator?"

The Ithorian sighed in annoyance, eyes trying to look behind at it's neck but failing. Yona placed a sign saying she'd be back later and walked out of the mail room with Sandbar to see the man.

"Oh dear. Is it broken again?" Sandbar asked.

"Rrrrggg rrrrrrr," the Ithorian grumbled. He hated it when this happened. Just then, Flurry came around the corner, curious about the issue.

"What's going on?"

"His translator broke again," Sandbar rubbed his head.

"Want me to fix it?" Flurry offered.

The Ithorian looked terrified at that suggestion, putting his hands up to protest. He did not want anybody going near his neck to fix the translator.

"Wait, Makk! It's okay, Flurry's a friend. She can fix it... you can fix it, right?" Sandbar asked, wanting reassurance.

"Yes, I can. They're not hard to understand, I know I can fix it. Please, sir? I promise I will be gentle," Flurry pleaded.

The Ithorian didn't want to, but he needed to be clear if he was going to get his mail. There weren't that many people around here that understood Ithorian dialect, and trying to communicate on paper would take too long. Sighing in defeat, he lowered himself onto a bench so Flurry could work.

Flurry carefully opened a panel on the top of the translator to take a look. She looked closely at the wiring, making sure nothing was out of place. But she did quickly find the issue; just some pieces of the insides not connected properly. Reaching for small tool she kept in her pocket for emergencies, she screwed in the pieces that were loose to prevent them from falling out again, and keeping the wiring in place.

She set the panel back down, and backed away.

"Okay, try now.

"... Testing. Testing. Not dead, not... you fixed it," the Ithorian said with wide eyes. "H-How? How did you fix that?"

"It was just a simple fix," Flurry shrugged off. "I don't know who you go see to get that repaired, but the last guy who looked at it didn't double check to make sure some of the bolts were locked in tight. So hopefully now you won't have that issue anymore."

"I... we... thank you, young one," the Ithorian said, graciously, nodding his head. "I don't know how to repay you."

"Don't," Flurry said, keeping a hand up. "I'm just here to help, and I'm glad I could fix it. Anyways, um... mail?"

"Wh... oh, right! I was alerted you have some mail for me? It should be under the name Makk Toogan."

And just like that, Flurry, Sandbar, and Yona were back on schedule. The man got his mail without difficulty, and they kept moving right along. Just like before, Lyra passed by to make sure Flurry was adjusted to whatever shift she volunteered for, and she could see her daughter was fine. And seeing her work with them without difficulty also put a smile on her face.

Hmm. She did solid at the workshop, and she's doing fine here... maybe, just maybe...

--

It was close to lunch time as Flurry joined up with Gallus for her next volunteering assignment. This time, her assignment was taking her and Gallus to a hangar bay area, on one of the upper levels of the main temple.

"So what are we working on?" Flurry asked, eager to get started.

"You'll see, just wait," Gallus said, wanting her to see for herself. They made a turn around a corner, and saw the ship in question. A fighter with faded blue paint, along with a scratched out Republic logo on the side of the engines.

"What kind of ship is this?" Flurry asked. "It looks like a Y-Wing."

"It is," Gallus confirmed. "It's a BTL-B class. These were used by clone troopers back in the Clone Wars. Apparently it was just sitting in some parking garage on Batuu. Owner basically gave it away, he didn't want to be caught with any Clone Wars junk. But as you can see--" he lightly tapped the side of the left engine. "--it needs fixing." This was emphasized by the metal plating that just peeled off the hull of the ship. "We just need to patch what we can during our shift. Underside."

Two small creepers were rolled out from the side for them to lay on. Flurry just naturally laid her back down on her board, but didn't roll under the ship until she remembered something.

"Wait, Gallus, you have wings. How are you going to--"

Gallus eased down on all fours and was about to lay on his back, until his wings just folded to his sides wrapping around himself like a blanket, but leaving his arms exposed. And without difficulty, he used his talons to push himself underneath the part of the ship that needed repairs.

"--I stand corrected," Flurry said, rolling underneath to where Gallus was. A small light was set up to shine at the area they needed to work on, so they weren't lost as to where they needed to work. "How long have you worked on ships?"

"A long time. Maybe five, ten? I don't know," Gallus shrugged off. "I learned to do this stuff in the Imperial Navy."

Flurry's eyes blanked. "You worked with the Empire?"

"Not for long. I tried to apply for their royal guards, but they wouldn't let me because... because. So I had to work in engineering; only because I needed money and food. But I couldn't stand their policies," Gallus scoffed, reaching for the toolbox with his tail. "No loud music. No snacking on duty. No pouncing the staff members."

Flurry snickered at that last remark. "I see."

"Hand me the hydrospanner," Gallus asked. Flurry reached for the tool in the box, handing it to Gallus. "Thank you."

Flurry grabbed one of the pliers and began to untwist one of the bolts that held a power-unit to the engine piece; luckily there was no power connected so chances of her getting herself killed were less than likely. Besides, she still had her arm-guards on to protect her, and goggles on her head.

"Hey where'd you get the arm-guards anyway? Those don't look Imperial," Gallus asked as he pushed in another loose part.

"My mother found them. She said they belonged to some clone trooper who had died a long time ago, but she didn't say the name. She just thought they would be good for protection, and honestly, I kinda love them," she said as she looked down at her arms, seeing the clone trooper armor covering her from wrist to shoulder. "The shoulder pieces were customized by Mama, but I was thinking about giving them a new paint; white's kind of bland."

"Makes sense," Gallus nodded. "Hand me the wrench?"

Flurry reached for the wrench, passing it to her friend's claw.

Together, Flurry and Gallus continued to work without difficulty, only a few hiccups here and there, but nothing worth getting upset about. The underside of the ship was getting the repairs it needs, and they were making good time. Just then, a small buzzer noise went off on Gallus's wrist, signalling a small alert system.

"What's that?" Flurry asked.

"Break time," Gallus grinned, rolling out from the underside of the ship. "Come on, let's go get lunch."

That idea instantly made Flurry perk up. "Oooh..."

And just like that, Flurry and Gallus had vanished from the hangar bay to go to the mess hall for a much needed lunch.

After lunch, Flurry dashed across the base to a pathway that led to a group of workers by a nearby stream. A Felucian man was awaiting near a personnel carrier turned cart for his last assistant; this being the girl with the eyepatch wearing the Clone Wars arm guards.

"Sorry I'm late!" Flurry apologized as she slowed down.

"You're right on time kid," the man nodded. "You volunteered for the haul?"

"Yeah, that's me," Flurry confirmed. "You are Murr-Nonk?"

"Yep," the Felucian farmer nodded. "Alright, here's what you're gonna do. Silverstream's finishing her swim, so she'll be back up. You two just need to help load up the carrier so I can take the fish over to the freezer unit. I'm the only one on duty, the others are trying to hunt for bigger fish right now."

And speaking of, Silverstream waddled out of the river like a cute little sea animal, showing her wings and legs had now vanished; now she was crawling up with a massive tail, and flippers instead of claws. But then, the gem around her neck began to glow, and with a quick flash of light, she was back to the normal form Flurry had met.

"Flurry, you made it!" Silverstream squeed.

Flurry was too busy blanking out to pay attention to her friend's comment. "Um... how did you...?"

"Ohhh, that? It's an Arisian thing," Silverstream shrugged off. "See this gem?" she said, lifting up the piece around her neck. "It helps us transform to adapt to the water."

"... huh," Flurry said, not sure how to follow that question.

Either way, she stood by as some aquatic Rebels started to climb out of the stream with nets of fish. The people were general species that Flurry recognized; Mon Calamari, Karkarodon, Quarren, Patrollian, Selkath, Nautolan, to name a few.

"Hey Silver," the dark orange Quarren asked. "Who's your new friend?"

"Krask, this is Flurry," Silverstream introduced. "She saved me on Tatooine!"

The Quarren chuckled. "Did she now?" He looked over to Flurry and offered a hand to express greetings. Flurry, politely shook his hand with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, young lady."

"Nice to meet you too," Flurry greeted back.

One by one, Flurry and Silverstream began to grab several carts that were filled with the fish that the fishermen had captured and load them onto the carrier. They were very heavy, but it didn't stop Flurry, this was just another day for her. She wasn't a fan of the smell though.

Eventually the last of the crates were loaded up into the personnel carrier, and the Felucian farmer climbed in to haul them to the kitchen. He gave a single wave to the group, and drove off, leaving Flurry and the others alone again.

--

Still questioning why she was needed when the job could have been finished with just that group, Flurry was called over to her last shift for the day. She was brought over to another hangar, where Smolder was standing and waiting for her. Her assignment was essentially helping out and fueling up the spare containers they had around so the bigger ships could take on more fuel if they ran out. Just like the fish job with Silverstream, it wasn't too arduous but not easy either.

And nearby, Lyra was watching Flurry continue to work without difficulty. Bon Bon eventually turned around the corner, and gave her wife a surprise kiss on her cheek. "Are you going to continue to stalk Flurry without her knowing?"

"I'm just checking on her, that's all," Lyra protested.

"Just like that time you walked into her room without knocking and--"

"--Okay, okay, I'll admit, I'm a bit protective," the ex-Jedi groaned. She folded her arms as she saw Smolder and Flurry continuing to fill up the fuel tanks. "But after today, I'm not sure I had any reason to worry. All the jobs she had working with those Team Six members, she didn't have any difficulty."

"Well it's not like it's hard to make sure people get their mail or fix a droid," Bon Bon pointed out, wrapping an arm around her side.

"Maybe not, but I noticed she seems to handle these jobs much easier when she's around them, or at least talking to them. It's almost like..." and Lyra froze. At that moment, she squeed with a big smile. "Hon, I think we just figured out how we can help train Flurry."

Author's Note

Once again, I am moving a bit slow, but I'm still getting stuff made. I hope either way, you guys are enjoying the story, and are eager to see more. ^^

Real Training

"What do you mean you know how we can train her?" Bon Bon called, sitting in bed.

It was time to be heading to bed, but Lyra was still finishing getting ready in the bathroom. Flurry had already gone to sleep, and the droids had powered down for the night. Standing in the mirror, brushing her teeth wearing a long night shirt, she listened as her wife yelled from the other room.

"Spitfire just said she would get killed if we did, and Flurry doesn't want to do the same thing again!"

"I'm not saying we are doing the same thing!" Lyra protested.

"Then what are we doing?"

"Teaching her to learn how to fight!" Lyra snapped, spitting the excess toothpaste into the sink before washing her face.

"What do you think you've been doing for the last fifteen years with her?"

Lyra emerged from the bathroom, and pulled herself under the blankets beside her wife. Bon Bon too, was wearing a long baggy shirt.

"I just... I want her to be safe. Bringing my kid into the fight isn't something I want to do, but I also didn't want to be fighting in a war I didn't intend to be a part of," Lyra sighed, throwing her head back against her pillow. "Better she be prepared for a situation and know what to do than not know and panic."

Bon Bon moved closer to her wife, giving her a peck on her cheek. "I know hon. But I just don't want her getting hurt."

"Neither do I," Lyra agreed, kissing her back. "But I think we can at least prepare her to defend herself."

"And that hasn't been what we were doing for the past--"

"--you know what I mean," Lyra interrupted, knowing what she was going to say. She pulled herself up, not ready to lay down and go to sleep just yet. "I just... I want her to be okay."

"I do too, but I'm not entirely sure about the idea of sending her off to war," Bon Bon worried. "This isn't the Clone Wars, she's not been indoctrinated into the Jedi Order like you once were."

Lyra gave her wife a harsh glare. "I joined the Order willingly, and I left the Order willingly."

"I'm just saying..." Bon Bon said, raising her hands up. "But at the very least, if we're going on any kind of missions, we should at least be with her."

"Of course," Lyra agreed. "But it doesn't mean we can't help her. And if you don't mind, I'd like to explain just how we can help her."

"Go on..." Bon Bon said, hesitantly.

"Flurry may not have done well in the training sessions before; but it's not helped by the fact she stresses out very quickly, and she when she gets stressed, she doesn't think. This only happened during the last test, when she didn't need to be running anywhere."

"Okay, I'm still not understanding..."

"I'm getting there, I promise," Lyra reassured. "But throughout her shifts today, I noticed with each one she has done, she not only has gotten each of her jobs done efficiently, but she also seems much happier when she works with people she knows. Team Six might be the key to helping her train and get better."

"Yes, and they could also very well be a detriment, if she relies on them too much," Bon Bon argued.

"Only if we let that be the case. I say we ask for their help, and if they can help us, we might be able to help her get into the adequate shape she needs to be given the okay for missions. Fair enough?"

"Well..." Bon Bon began to drone, getting an adorable pout from her wife. That was enough to give her a teasing smirk and kiss her on the cheek. "Okay. Let's see what we can do."

"Eeee," Lyra adorably squeaked. "I know she'll be great. I just know it."

Bon Bon reached over and flipped the switch on the wall, turning out the lights for the night. Her wife scooched herself closer, and Bon Bon wrapped her arms around her stomach, spooning her and nuzzling her as they slept together in a warm, sweet embrace.

The next morning, Lyra and Bon Bon met up with Team Six down by the main tarmac, near one of the main hangar bays on the base. Mounted on a peat of grass was a massive pole that wasn't used for anything, but just above it, everyone saw their eyes locked onto something tied to the top of it.

"Soooo... what are we doing, exactly?" Silverstream rubbed the back of her head.

"We're going to help Flurry train to become a better Rebel. The only way she'll be given approval is if she can meet up to the required standards to pass. And after seeing her work with you guys yesterday, I have reason to believe that she works better with people she's gotten to know more and can mutally trust."

"Buuuut we only met her a few days ago," Gallus pointed out, folding his arms.

"Yona doesn't even know much about Flurry Heart," Yona added.

"Not yet at least," Bon Bon corrected. "But you six are the first real friends Flurry has had, and I think she needs it. Lyra and I, we... well we've kinda spent most of our lives hiding from people, worried someone evil was just going to take her away. But since she's met you guys, I've seen her be more productive and helpful than she has been when she was training by herself."

"Positive reinforcements?" Silverstream asked. "Or, wait. No, is that the right word?"

"I call it motivators," Lyra reaffirmed. "Now where is she, she's supposed to be here?"

Just then, Flurry came running out of the hangar and down ot the main ground where the group was.

"Ahhh! Sorry! Sorry I'm late, I was trying to find the elevators, all the rooms look the same!" Flurry apologized. She clutched her knees, trying not to hyperventilate. "I accidentally walked in on some couple who really wanted to be alone."

"Ooof," everyone hissed.

"And I accidentally walked back into the medical ward. Some Twi'lek woman's apparently pregnant?"

"Oh yeah. Hera's due any day now," Ocellus explained. "Oh I can't wait to see the baby, they're going to look so cute!"

"Maybe," Gallus rolled his eyes playfully.

"It's fine, Flurry. The reason we called you down here is because we've found a way to help you train without being screamed at by Spitfire or other newbies," Bon Bon explained.

"Oh. Really?" Flurry beamed. "How?"

"Look up," Bon Bon pointed up at the beam.

Flurry looked up. Her eyes squinted, but she couldn't see. But then when the light hit it just right--

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Flurry's voice shrieked across the entire outside of the base. Team Six covered their ears from how loud she yelled, they weren't expecting that reaction from her. "I... wh... you... wh... okay, that does it!"

Flurry jumped up, clutching onto the pole, but immediately fell off. She jumped again, and tried to climb up some more, and she fell back again.

"Why did you have me put that plushie up there, again?" Smolder whispered.

"Motivation," Bon Bon nonchalantly answered. "And it's clearly doing the trick," as she watched Flurry attempt to climb up the pole again, this time getting a few inches farther than before... only for her to fall back down and land on her back. "Well, it was working."

Flurry tried to climb up again, and slammed back on the ground.

And again.

And again.

And again.

"Okay, this isn't working, maybe we should try something else..." Lyra sighed, rubbing her face.

"If you're going to stay in shape and help fight alongside us against the Empire, we need you to go through the same regiments that we all use," Smolder instructed.

Flurry stood, arms behind her back like she was giving respect, keeping her posture straight and eyes focused on Smolder, wearing a coach's uniform; complete with a cap and whistle around her neck.

"We know you're trying to learn, and you're just a kid--"

"--I'm 17, I'm not--"

"--but we're not taking it easy on you!" Smolder snapped, pointing at her. "You will not face just us, but other members on this planet. Stronger. Faster. You will need to be ready for anything that may come your way; Midnight Troopers will not play nice! And if you so much as falter, or not know when to show mercy," she zipped right into her face, smoke coming out of her snout. "YOU'LL BE DEAD!"

--

The first exercise Flurry was demanded to do was a simple running exercise. Well, simple at first. She had to run with Team Six throughout the woods holding a metal beam behind their necks and over their shoulders, with heavy materials weighing on both sides to balance. Unfortunately, even with using her own physical means and not through the Force, she had extreme difficulty trying to carry the heavy weights. Smolder and the others managed to get far ahead, and she was still barely keeping balance way behind them. She quickly fell over, dropping the weights over her head, grunting in pain. Smolder and the rest of Team Six could only shake their heads in disappointment.

Later, Flurry was pressed with another possible strength exercise; simple arm-wrestling. She had her hand wrapped around Gallus's claw (which dug into her skin very painfully) but she was ready. Sandbar gave it the okay, and the two of them tried to pin the other down. Flurry got an easy push on Gallus... for about two seconds. The Griffon quickly overtook the match and pinned Flurry's wrist down. They arm-wrestled again and again, for about fifteen more times and she lost every single one of them.

On a firing range, where a group of Rebels dressed in clone commando armor were training, they were standing in position to fire shots across an empty field from a few towers. Flurry's objective was to run across the field and avoid their targets, grab the flag, and run back. She ran as fast as she could, and the commandos fired down at her. Luckily the shots were set to stun, so she wouldn't seriously be injured. But Flurry, just like before, was facing difficulty. Unable to anticipate their shots, she kept panicking and moving side to side in a serpentine-like pattern, before her legs got zapped with the stun and she got taken out.

The very next week, Flurry was tasked with running across an obstacle set over a river that connected to another set of barracks. Her only means of getting there was a set of rocks and wooden planks that were meant for walking, which was adjacent to the much more safer bridge. Floating above the waters were Silverstream, along with aquatic co-workers, who had volunteered to help out with this test. All Flurry had to do was run across without slipping or falling, and avoid being shot at or punched.

Taking that first step, she carefully leapt to a rock, and then to another plank. But all the while, she was trying to wonder where Silverstream and the others would be when they attacked.

"Get outta there, Equestrian!" Some Rebel yelled from the bridge.

"Go back to Tatooine!"

"BOO, YOU STINK!"

Added recently to the test were some more volunteers whose only job was to literally heckle her and distract her. And unfortunately, she was quickly distracted, not seeing the Mon Calamari jump up and across the walking path and throw a fish at her. Flurry yelped from the attack, but she tried to keep going, only for Silverstream to leap up and jump across her, and nearly slapped her in the face with her tail-fins which had once become her legs.

One more distraction provided by the hecklers, and a Nautolan who leapt up and fired a small rock with a slingshot was enough, as Flurry fell over into the river.

"Ooooh!" The Rebels from the bridge winced.

"You think she's dead?"

And Flurry was lifted up out of the water, thanks to the Nautolan and Mon Calamari helping her. Both of them sharing empathetic frowns as Flurry hacked and coughed, having never fallen into a river or stream like this before.

All the while, Sunset, Bon Bon, and Lyra watched from afar. Sunset shook her head disapprovingly, knowing Flurry and her parents weren't going to be happy with what she had to say.

--

At a firing range, Flurry held a DH-17 blaster in her hands, ready to practice on the firing range. Several projections and cardboard cutouts were displayed for her and other recruits to practice on. Sandbar and Ocellus showed Flurry how to hold one properly, and both took the time to show her the quick safety tips so she didn't get herself killed operating that kind of weapon.

Flurry fired off one shot, which went straight past the cutout she was supposed to hit. Both Ocellus and Sandbar understood and were calm, knowing she hadn't had to do this for real in a while, but their confidence continued to dwindle when they saw her shots. She managed to fire everywhere, except for the cutouts or the projections. She held the gun right, but they noticed she kept shaking when she held it. The weapon wasn't heavy, but they could tell right away her anxiety was getting the better of her.

--

The final straw kicked in on the next day. Flurry had one simple task; stay alive in the boxing ring with Yona for over three minutes. It only took a minute for Flurry to get her butt kicked, and Yona's strength overtook her. She tried to get back up, but Yona kept preventing that, and she was being the most gentle and easiest as she ever was.

But by the time the day had ended, Sunset had to make a decision. She knew she wasn't going to like it, nor would her parents, but she had no choice. She confronted the family face to face, and let them know that Flurry wasn't going to be able to participate or help on any missions. She wasn't progressing any further than before, and she didn't want to hurt the kid. Flurry said nothing, but instead just walked away without even so much as a comforting hug or discussion from her moms.

--

Flurry didn't sleep. She couldn't. Sunset was right, she wasn't going to be up to speed at this rate. But she couldn't stop, she didn't want to stop. Flurry wanted to help, she wanted to do good around here, she wasn't going to sit around and do nothing. The teen pulled herself out of the hammock, and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the time on the wall; roughly 5:00 in the morning; way too early for her to get out of bed.

Flurry didn't care. Pulling herself out of bed, she slipped her boots on and put on a fresh tank top. She grabbed her left arm guard, placing it back on her bare skin. Her forearm, upper arm, and shoulder were now covered in the clone trooper armor again, and she had grabbed her goggles. She crept out of the Sweetie Drop, and made her way back down on the tarmac. It was still early hours of the morning, the only staffers around were people working the night shift.

She walked back to where the pole stood, standing high above the ground with her plushie still tied to the top. The crack of dawn was half an hour away from coming to the horizon. She jumped onto the pole and tried to climb up, but she fell back down again. She grunted from the pain, but she pulled herself back up. Flurry slowly looked down at her fingerless gloved hands, seeing the scuff marks from all of the rigorous training she had done over the past few days. They clenched into fists with determination as she turned her eyes back on the pole.

I can't give up. If they can do it, so can I.

She jumped up again, this time clutching both her hands and her boots to grab on. To her surprise, she didn't fall back down this time. Finally getting the idea, she moved a hand up, clutching the pole to pull herself up, and then moved one of her feet up in sync. Then the right hand and boot, and so on after the other. She grunted as she felt herself almost about to lose control, but she didn't stop. She kept a steel grip, no matter how much sweat was running down her head.

As time went on, the sun began to rise, casting it's light over the base. It was time for the day-time staff to get up and get ready for another day of work. Engineering staff began to move their way outside to get back to work on their shifts, completely oblivious to the teenager climbing up the pole she had constantly fallen from. However, someone did notice her going up. One of the crewmen stopped moving to their station, eyes glued to see how far the young girl had gone.

"Huh. Look," the man pointed. "The kid's finally doing it."

Another technician saw, standing beside him to look. "She's actually doing it..."

Flurry kept climbing, and she didn't stop. She was getting closer and closer to her plushie, she almost had it! Just a few more inches and she could grab it!

Lyra and Bon Bon were seen running out of the hangar, worried sick about where Flurry had gone. They got up, awake for the day, but found their daughter no longer in her hammock bed. Then they saw the massive crowd of engineers and staffers surrounding a pole and looking up. Both of them looked up, and they couldn't believe their eyes. Flurry Heart was found... sitting on top of the pole, with her plushie clutched in arms, raising a fist in the air for victory.

"She did it... she actually did it," Lyra gasped with excitement. "SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I knew she could do it!"

Bon Bon's reaction was much more subdued, but she didn't hide her smile. "I'm proud of you, kiddo."

As the next few weeks continued to pass, Flurry Heart's training continued like before, and she started to get better with each course she did. While she wasn't ultimately as strong as her mothers, General Shimmer, or some of the other more hardened and tough Rebels on base, she was at least getting it to the requirement for field work.

During a running exercise, she learned to find the proper balance with the two heavy sacks of metal on the beam carried over her shoulders. She didn't beat Smolder, or Gallus, or even Yona, but she did keep up decently a few inches behind them, and stayed next to Sandbar and Ocellus during the run. And while she didn't win the race, she did not fall on her face once during the entire exercise, and didn't keel over once she crossed the finish line this time.

At the firing range, Flurry's focus continued to get better. While she continued to use the WESTAR-35 makes, she did practice with some other different types. E-11s, the kind that were used by the Midnight troopers. DC-15s, both regular carbine and rifle (both of which were types her mothers had in their arsenal), even ELG-3A types, supplied by refugees from Naboo. She tried to use the DC-17ms, but those were a bit more heavy for her control. Sunset however did take notice her grip was stronger with smaller blaster types.

During the boxing with Gallus, she kept herself moving as she worked to take all of Gallus's punches. Flurry got hit hard a few times, but she got some blows back on Gallus, real hard ones. By the end of the fight, Gallus was nearing close to falling over, but hadn't. Flurry hadn't been able to finish him thanks to the match being over, but it was clear to the others that she was getting better.

Weight lifting with Yona and Sandbar improved, as she finally got enough strength to lift heavier weights than before. Just like before, it wasn't anything past the more experienced rebels, but it was enough to get her approval. More running, combat practice, boxing, climbing, dodging incoming fire, the teenager was improving on all fronts. Sunset took notice during these training sessions, and it was enough to get a small but sincere smile on her face.

Looks like you'll be joining us after all.

--

Sunset paced back and forth in front of Flurry Heart, who stood at ease. She kept her eyes forward, awaiting Sunset's instructions.

"I didn't think you'd improve, but I have to say, the past several weeks I've noticed you've made incredible improvements since you've first began. But there leaves one final test; and it's not a fighting. This test requires your intelligence, your thoughts, and your moral alignment," Sunset instructed. "I have five questions. I want to hear your answers to these possible scenarios. If you pass; you'll be approved for missions. If not... well, I think we know."

Flurry felt sweat running down her head, but she did not want to break face. She had to keep her head in the game, no more distractions, no more looking everywhere at once; she had to focus.

"First question; you see a Midnight trooper coming onto your position, what to do you?"

"Quietly take him out," Flurry answered.

"And if this trooper has a hostage, what do you do?"

"Don't fire; look for a possible way to save the innocent before making a move, and keep them out of harms way."

"Good," Sunset replied. "Next question; the Empire doesn't allow aliens who aren't us or human into their services, give me a reason for why this is."

"The most basic answer is they believe in being superior and on top and keeping peace by forcing people by gunpoint, but economically, they don't want to pay extra costs to create a ton of armor just to accommodate every species different sizes and builds," Flurry answered.

"Good answer, and you thought creatively," Sunset pointed. "If there's a stranger trying to speak to you, and you can see they have a weapon. Do you speak to them, or keep moving about your business and avoid them as best you can?"

"Unless they give a secret phrase that only Rebels know, do not provide eye contact, they are not worth your time," Flurry answered.

"Next question. If at first a plan doesn't succeed, do you give up?"

"No ma'am. If your plan doesn't work the first time, you either try it again, or you look for another alternative that can still get the job done with minimal damage and death," Flurry said, still trying to keep it together.

"Now it comes down to the very last question; questions only people like you and I can answer... when is the appropriate time to break out into a choreographed musical number?"

Flurry heard glass shatter. "I... um... uhh... u... I don't know!"

And almost immediately Sunset stopped giving her the serious look and held back a chuckle, grinning at her. "That was a silly question, I know you don't know it. I never prepared you for it. But the rest of the criteria... Flurry Heart. I think after hearing your answers, accompanied by your physical improvement... you are hereby approved to go on field work."

Flurry gasped, cupping her mouth in excitement. "I can...?"

"Yes. You can come with us on missions to help save the galaxy."

"EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Flurry ran out of the room and into the outside tarmac, screaming and cheering her head off like a little kid. "I'm going to be a Rebel! I am finally going to be a Rebel! Whooohooo!!!!!"

Sunset chuckled in the doorway, watching her run around with excitement. Indeed, she was ready. And Sunset could only hope she would be prepared for the real thing when the time came...

Several days had passed. Mystery Mint however wasn’t trying to plot another escape attempt; instead, she sat on the roof of the cabin she had residence in, watching as the slaves were working on their last shift of the night, just some time before the dawn of the morning. She wasn’t interested in trying to find a way to escape. And after the last few attempts had gotten her more injuries, and more Rebels hurt… it finally sank in. Every attempt she had made had only made things worse, and not better.

Mystery Mint’s eye still hadn’t gotten better from the blackening, and her jumpsuit had more ripped holes that it was teetering on the edge of it just being a few more snags from ripping it entirely off her body like an exotic Twi’lek dancer at some adults only club. The bare skin that was visible was now covered in more bruises and scars, and her other eye that hadn’t been blackened looked weary and tired. She hadn’t slept in days, not helped by being caught during the escape attempts that had only made the guards more encouraged to beat her.

It hurt just trying to move some of her muscles, and because of the Empire’s mindset, there was no doctors or infirmary for her to go to, and they barely had much in terms of medical staffing in their prison camp. Despite a few bandages over her body, it didn’t matter. She wasn’t getting anyone out of this camp. It didn’t matter how many skilled Rebels she gathered for her plans, they weren’t getting them anywhere except right back where they had started.

She slowly lowered her head into her arms as she hugged her knees, trying to breathe carefully without choking or loosing any breath she could inhale or exhale.

She had given up.

Just then, she heard a noise coming from behind her. One of the others that shared the cabin with her; a Lurmen, climbed up and using his hands, clambered over to her, sitting beside her.

“Mystery. Aren’t we going to plan another attempt?”

“… No. We’re not. We’re done,” Mystery said, rather lowly.

The Lurmen raised a brow. “Okay, not sure I’m understanding this strategy, are we being watched…?”

“No. We’re done. I’m done trying to form escape attempts,” Mint said, starting to get a little tired with speaking about their plans. “Let’s face it. There’s not enough of us; we have no weapons, these Imperial rankweed suckers keep us malnourished and thirsty to the point where we can barely think, and all I’ve done is get us into more trouble. Only one person escaped in the thirty days I have been here, and who knows where she is. I’m a plague to you guys.”

The Lurmen hopped around her, moving himself to squat in front of her to look up at her face.

“If you were a plague; the others would have ignored you, and just let you die. We may not be going anywhere, but every attempt we make, we learn more and more about our environment and alternative venues for plans,” the Lurmen said, trying to find a place to speak and make his voice heard.

“Kilo Da, I’m done,” Mystery raised her voice. She looked at him, both eyes cross. “Innocent people have died more and more because of me. They killed half of my group on my first attempt just to punish me for even considering to escape. Everyone in the camp is scared because they’re going to just silence their voices no matter what jargon the Empire speaks about making things better! At this point Kilo Da…” her voice started to shake. “The rest of you would be alive if I had just died on the spot…”

Kilo Da wanted to say something to make her feel better, but he felt any attempt he would was only going to make things worse. But he didn't go away. Instead, he sat down next to her, and scooched closer to her so she could have something to hug if she needed.

Just off in the distance, the sun was casting its light over the horizon. It was almost the early hours of dawn, ready for a new day. The ocean waters beyond their eyes were reflecting the sun's golden yellow light, signalling for another beautiful looking sky.

"I know you've lost hope. But you shouldn't. Someone will come to help us. Maybe it isn't right away..." the Lurmen looked across the camp, gazing at the sun rising in the distance. His paw slowly intermingled with Mystery's hand, who softly accepted his small bit of comfort and company. "But someone will come. I know it."

The Plan

The very next day, after lunch, Sunset gathered Team Six, the Heartstrings family, Rainbow, and Applejack together in a briefing room for them to talk. A massive holoprojector sat in the middle of the room, while technicians sat at desks looking at star charts to monitor any activity within the planet’s sector.

“First of all, I would like to say congratulations to Flurry Heart for her successful training. I was honestly thinking she should just stay out of this, but because she successfully completed her training, she’s on board to join us,” Sunset announced. “Now, is everyone here?”

“I sure hope so, because we can’t cram any more people around this table,” Bon Bon said, trying to adjust herself so Cheep could peak at the projection.

“Spike, pull it up!”

Spike accessed the astromech port, and turned on the holoprojector, and presented the blueprints.

“What you’re looking at is the schematics for a new type of TIE fighter; the TIE Defender. According to the design, this thing is going to be equipped with heavy cannons, stronger shields, and functional hyperdrives. The TIEs we face on a daily basis are short-ranged, but if they get the chance to do any of these?”

“You’d no longer need to waste resources on Star Destroyers, when just one of these things can do the job for who knows how many fleets,” Spike sumized.

Rainbow and Applejack gave cocky smirks.

“Puh-lease. This little thing? We got shot at by TIEs just leaving Tatooine, they didn’t do a thing. How can this be any better?”

“Okay, let me give you this scenario," Sunset said, rather nonchalantly. "Say there’s a fleet. You have plenty of strong cruisers, enough to take down a Star Destroyer, push any TIEs out of the way… but then you have a single starfighter that maneuvers everything you throw at it. Faster than any of the fighters you have at your disposal, and none of the shots you do land on it do a thing. Suddenly this thing starts taking out your primary defenses, all the while you’re panicking and trying to take it down with everything you got, but by the time you decide to go for your heavier defenses, you’ll have lost more than half your fleet’s chance of survival, because it took out all of your weaknesses.”

Rainbow and Applejack immediately stopped acting cocky and looked at each other with concern.

“Heh, I guess it is better,” Rainbow tittered, rubbing the back of her head.

“Anyways. Apparently, this project was commissioned by Grand Admiral Thrawn, under heavy security. The factory’s located on an island, located here,” Sunset continued, as Spike loaded another projection. “Scarif.”

“Of course they take the nice planets…” Bon Bon pouted.

“Ocean world, with plenty of beaches and crystal waters as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately, the planet is the perfect site for the Defender factory. Slave camps, barracks, enough landing pads to take a few Gozanti-class ships, shuttles, and various other craft.”

“So I guess what’s our plan then?” Lyra asked.

“I had a few ideas in mind to accommodate for all of us together, and make sure we cover all our bases. Sandbar and Ocellus, you two will pass as Imperials. We’ve stolen uniforms from them, we can dress them up to make sure you can slip by. Yona and Silverstream will act as prisoners so we have an excuse to sneak inside. Once they’re in, they can provide us an eye on what else is inside so we can take care of any guards or security measures,” Sunset instructed. “This layout is recent, so we have a good idea where all the doors and entrances are.”

“But how are we going to free the prisoners? They’re bound to have captives, if we’re sneaking these two in as slaves,” Rainbow asked.

“That’s where we will come in. With Sandbar and Ocellus inside, they can let us in through an alternate entrance here,” she pointed to a door on an opposite of the main entrance. “The three of us aren’t as young as we used to, we need to be more stealthy this time. Okay?”

Rainbow and Applejack pouted. They didn’t like the fact Sunset was basically reminding them of how long ago their prime was, but they had no other choice.

“But wait, how are we going to sneak in? According to this layout, they have a security office,” Flurry pointed out. “You’re going to be seen before you even get in.”

“That’s where the Heartstring family comes in,” Sunset said, looking at family of droids that were next to Lyra and Bon Bon. “Spike, R2, Cheep, and G-G can sneak in as courier droids. Their commando droids can infiltrate in crates that we cover up to look like they’re fuel, this way they can get inside. Once they’re in the security office, they can take out the guards and provide eyes above to help us.”

“Bwoop boop?”

Sunset leaned forward, seeing G-G trying to lift himself up to see. “What was that, G-G?”

“Bwoop boop. Brrt beep bwoop bop,” G-G questioned.

“We’ll get all four of you dressed to look the part. Buuut…” Sunset thought, looking at G-G some more. “I think you might be able to lead the droids in.”

“How so?” Bon Bon inquired.

“The Imperial droids are strictly black or gray, with gold or bronze plates. G-G is the closest one to looking Imperial, he’s the ticket to getting access to the security office,” Sunset explained. “Once you get them in, you and the others infiltrate as patrol units to look for any other security detail that could impede our progress.”

“What about K2 or Eleven?” Lyra asked.

“I’m not sure how well we can smuggle your tactical droid in. Buuuuut, I think I have an idea. Using the schematics, he could provide us with instructions for all avenues and paths to make sure we can complete our mission. Think you can do that?”

“Affirmative, general,” K2 affirmed.

“And I don’t think it will, but if it does… how good is IG-11 when it comes to fighting?”

“Are you kidding? IG-11 is a walking tank,” Lyra smirked, patting his shoulder. “It’s almost impossible to shoot him down, unless you’re a sharpshooter.”

“Well if all goes horribly wrong… Eleven. I want you to march into the base, start a riot,” Sunset instructed.

“I can provide distraction in probability of our mission’s failure,” IG-11 understood, twisting his twig arm up to make a salute motion.

“Lyra, Bon Bon, as much as I don’t want to say, you two might need to get an armor change. You two might need Midnight trooper armor, or you can sneak in with us. We’ll need to see what troopers they have at this site,” Sunset explained.

“W-Wait, what about me? Or them?” Flurry asked, pointing to Gallus and Smolder.

“… I completely forgot to account for you three,” Sunset facepalmed. “I’m sorry guys, I didn’t think… okay, what can we do…”

"What if we disguised as bounty hunters? You know, we wear armor, act all nasty and mean, like we're in for the money for bringing in a haul?" Smolder offered, moving her thumb and finger in a greedy motion.

"That's... actually not a bad idea. But we might not be able to get you two inside," Sunset thought.

"If you guys get caught or start a riot that brings their attention, we can still join in on the fight," Gallus suggested, raising his left claw.

"Maybe... just maybe... But still, we're going to need to find a way to get Flurry inside," Sunset puzzled. "We don't have many uniforms to blend in..." Sunset tried to think some more, until she looked again at the armor that was covering Flurry's left arm. "Say, Flurry? Out of curiosity, where did you get that armor?"

"Oh this?" Flurry gestured, moving her armor-clad arm around. "Oh it was a gift from Mama. She said if I ever went outside, I should have it for protection."

"I mean, where specifically did you get it?"

"What? I've always had pieces on me," Bon Bon said. All eyes looked at her, and without hesitation, she gave the most blunt, deadpan response. "I stole it off a skeleton of a clone trooper."

"... Super," Rainbow said, uncomfortably.

"I do have more pieces though," Bon Bon said, giving a bit of a smug grin. "Not much, but I did get pieces from a standard Phase II; leftover from a 501st, an 187th, and even some pieces from some Twilight's old clone battalion--"

"--Wait, wait, wait, hold on a second. You have armor from her battalion? The 467th?" Sunset asked, wanting to confirm her words.

"... Yeaaaahhhh?"

"... Bon Bon, you magnificent Mandalorian, I love you so much right now!" Sunset said with an excited grin.

In the Sweetie Drop, the adults opened up a closet in the workshop, showing some various pieces of armor scrounged over from the Clone Wars. None of them were really complete, just an assortment of pieces here and there. The helmets were sitting on top of hooks, mounted like trophies.

"Twilight's old battalion was very heavy on purple colors," Sunset said, pulling off the helmet that had excessive purple coloring. "I fought with them a long time ago, and I kinda dread seeing what became of them after the war. But this might be our best chance to help sneak Flurry in." She kept flipping the helmet around, seeing all the scuff marks and faded paint.

"But we don't have any helmets, won't they get upset if she walks in with armor that's no longer in production?"

"Maybe. But considering how many times we've delayed them from scheduling, I think we can play off outdated armor as a minor inconvenience; nobody got her the proper armor, so she was forced to wear something outdated," Sunset imagined.

The general set the helmet down on another box, deciding to look around the Mandalorian's little workshop. She eyed the droid parts and pieces in crates, especially those that were scattered on the floor. Tools neatly displayed on a wall to be used, and there was even some unfinished looking works in progress sitting on a table in another corner.

"When Lyra said you were a droidsmith, she wasn’t kidding,” she said, admiring the collection of parts and pieces. She picked up a head of an old B1 battle droid, admiring the custom paintjob applied to the head.

“I don't mean to brag, but I'm what you call a maestro in this kind of business. Although I think Babu Frik has me beat, his workshop is way bigger than mine," Bon Bon replied.

"How did you two even meet, anyway?"

"Long story, Sunset. It takes about eight chapters to tell that story right," Lyra brushed aside. "But I think you lucked out. Besides, our wedding was a bit crazy."

"Crazy?" Sunset asked, raising a brow with a bit of a smirk.

"People beating each other up, blowing stuff up, Hondo dancing on the tables and singing really loud..." Lyra said, shrugging off rather casually. "He was drunk at the time."

"But it was still nice, all things considered," Bon Bon pointed out.

"Still though, I meant what I said when we met last month. I'm glad you were able to find someone," Sunset smiled.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Lyra asked, dusting off more pieces of armor.

"Nah. I tried, but... I dunno. I wasn't really in a good place to start dating," Sunset said, leaning against a wall. "After we went into hiding, R2 and I were just trying to find a way to make ends meet on Ord Mantell. I didn't like any of the guys or girls I met there, none of them were people I could trust with my life."

Lyra frowned and looked up at Sunset. "Oh. I'm so sorry."

"Being a stranger in unfamiliar territory comes with rules. Don't ever look out for someone, trust only yourself," Sunset sighed, leaning her head back. She gazed up at the ceiling, staring off into space. "For the longest time, I really did wonder about what it'd be like to go out and explore; meet people, maybe settle down, start a family. But after the Empire rose up... I didn't have time for it anymore."

Bon Bon set down a shoulder piece on a table, spraying it clean so she could polish it. "What about now? I mean, you've got time off in the Rebellion, don't you? Everyone needs R&R now and then."

"Yeah, but I don't know. I came up with a company policy to not date anyone if it interferes with your work. And don't get me wrong, I've met people here who are perfectly capable of dating without it interfering with their life. Somehow they've got more balance than me," Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. "But I realized that I'm just not ready. Probably never will until this war is over."

Bon Bon set the spray tool down, walking over to the spacing out General. She gave her a soft pat on her shoulder, smiling warmly to her. "The war will be over. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not the next month. But it will end, one way or another."

The loud clattering of pieces grabbed the two adults attention, as they looked at Lyra who was pushing parts onto a work table.

"Good news and bad news," Lyra said, dropping the pile of random armor pieces on the table before them. "Good news, we have enough pieces that we can make Smolder and Gallus into makeshift bounty hunters, and we can make Flurry a possible trooper. Bad news is; there's only a few pieces that are purple. And we don't have any fresh paint buckets."

"I can handle that. We have an artist on base who could take care of that job for you," Sunset reassured. "Come on, I can take you to her. Grab the pieces you can, I'll call someone to pull up a cart for you to haul them on."

The group walked out of the ship and back on the ground again, staff members nearby still working at their assigned posts. Spike and R2-D2 were standing by, waiting for them, and next to them was an engineer who pushed a cart out for them to use.

"Thanks Bryal," Sunset acknowledged, letting the man get back to his post.

Lyra and Bon Bon walked back down, but stopped when they noticed Sunset's attention was gazing up at their ship. Something that made Lyra and Bon Bon start to sweat.

“Say Bon Bon; is that nose art?”

Lyra and Bon Bon gulped, walking over to the side to gaze at what she was referring to. Sunset saw what looked like nose art plastered on the side of the ship, but with some serious smudges and fades to the artwork.

“Oh… that. Yeah, um… I really rather not talk about that," Bon Bon blushed.

“I know it's scratched out, but is that… a Twi’lek in a bikini holding a Mandalorian helmet by her side?” Sunset asked, tilting her head. Both Spike and R2 tilted as well, trying to look at the pose.

“… Yes,” Bon Bon admitted.

“My follow up question, why does the picture look like it had been recently scrubbed and scratched with a pick-ax?”

“I had a bit of a panic attack after orientation and since that picture wasn’t exactly ‘safe’ for work, I tried to scrub it off… shouldn’t have used permanent paint,” Bon Bon blushed under the helmet. “I was going to use Lyra as my model, but she suggested I use a Twi’lek to draw less attention to her while we were on the run… heh.”

Sunset looked at Bon Bon with a cheeky little smirk. “You sly dog,” she joked. “I didn’t know you could be so oh, what’s the word…”

“Pervy?” Spike suggested.

“Bwoop boop?” R2 bluntly replied.

“I was going to say ‘imaginative’,” Sunset teased.

“General, I’m asking you kindly, please shut up,” Bon Bon insisted, gritting her teeth.

“Bon Bon, it’s okay,” Sunset reassured, patting her shoulder. “Look, you don’t have to erase the nose art. Even though you tried to get rid of it,” she looked back, “I can see you got the mostly explicit features removed, so why not just give her a new design?”

“So not a metal bikini?” Bon Bon asked.

“Wha-no!” Sunset stammered. “Look, if you want to keep the nose art, I won’t hold it against you. Some of the boys and girls have some, how do we say, ‘inspirational’ posters in their barracks, I am not one to judge. Heck, I’ll admit, I had one for a while in the Clone Wars. But I’m just asking, just put some clothes on the design, that’s all.”

“… can I keep the sexy pose she’s got?”

“That’s fine,” Sunset shrugged off, gesturing to the astromechs to follow her to the inside of the ship. “Just put some clothes on her.”

“… aww,” Bon Bon pouted, hiking up her boots and following the rest of the crew inside her house.

Sometime later in the afternoon, the astromech units, Rainbow Dash, and Bon Bon all met up over in a workshop near one of the many hangar bays. Gallus was sitting inside, fixing a piece of machinery that had fallen apart and needed repair.

“Before we go to Scarif, we need to take care of some things. First thing's first, we're going to equip you all with some upgrades for this mission,” Sunset stated. And she had to admit, she found it adorable when all four of the astromechs started wiggling around in excitement. “Okay, okay, calm down guys. One at a time.”

“Uh, Sunset? Why am I here for this again?” Rainbow asked.

And without warning, the bolts that connected her forearm to her elbow disconnected as if they had magically fallen apart. And Gallus came in on one swoop and ran back to his workstation.

"Gallus! I needed that!" Rainbow pouted, getting ready to charge at her.

"You're getting an upgrade too, Rainbow," Sunset said, standing in front of her to keep her from attacking.

"My arm is fine, I don't need... did you say upgrades?" Rainbow asked, wanting to know if she heard that right.

"Yes, upgrades. We're going to need all the help we can, and since you're the only one of us with a prostehtic, I think it's only fair we provide more little devices as well as providing you all five fingers on a single hand," Sunset said, rather casually.

"Ooooh. Cool," Rainbow squeaked excitedly.

One Hour Later

Bon Bon had fallen asleep in a chair, while the astromechs temporarily turned themselves off for a while, not wanting to waste their power cells on waiting. Rainbow stood there, tapping her foot impatiently. Her one arm rested on her hip, while Sunset had stepped out to grab more supplies for the next set of upgrades.

“Can I have my arm back?”

"In a minute!" Gallus snapped, getting tired of her repeatedly asking when he was done. "These things can't be done with just a push of a button!" He pushed down the outer shell covering and pressed a single button to lock it in place. "Okay, I'm done."

Now that he finished, he wrapped his claw around the appendage and swooped back over to her, locking it back into the socket on her body.

“I appreciate modifications, but you could have warned me, you... wait.. ” Rainbow moved her prosthetic limb around again. There wasn't a creak, a squeak, or any disturbing noises that'd make her wince. “It feels… normal.” And she wiggled her shoulder around. “Hey, no creaking! This feels like a real arm!”

"I added a bit more bulk to it, make it have a bit more bone to it," Gallus said, as Rainbow kept flexing her arm. "And I was able to make some modifications..."

Rainbow raised her arm up, looking down at her wrist. Her fingers and palm wriggled around like if it was real, and she smiled to see she had a complete set of five fingers and not just three.

“... you now have a built in com-device, tracking screen, and if you press the blue button, it can extend a grappling hook. And I have installed a new function; if you equip your lightsaber into this clamp, it can hold it with a steel grip and swing it around like a rotating fan. It should deflect any blasters that come your way, and slice through most materials as a lightsaber should do.”

“Awesome! Can I hack into things?” Rainbow asked with some joy.

“… Eh, no.”

And she pouted. “Aw man…”

“I'm on a budget here, I'm not a miracle worker!" Gallus protested.

“Yeah… I know.”

"It's great work, Gallus," Sunset complimented. "Now about the droids--"

“—Oh hell no!” Bon Bon shrieked. She got right up in Sunset’s face with an angry look. “I’m all for upgrades, but I do not want my babies experimented on!”

“Bon Bon, we’re just giving them modifications—”

“—Define modifications,” Bon Bon grit her teeth.

“Weapons, we’re giving them weapons,” Sunset explained, holding her hands up.

“I can give them weapons, they’re my family,” The Mandalorian growled.

"You'll need an extra hand in figuring out how to properly place them in without hurting them," Sunset argued. "Gallus is sturdy, I promise you they'll be okay."

"Rrrr.... fine. But I'm keeping an eye. If anything happens to my babies..."

"They'll be okay, I promise," Sunset reassured. She turned her attention to the astromechs. "Are you all ready for upgrades?"

Everyone gave resounding beeps and chirps that sounded like 'yes!' to her, especially added by their once again, excited swiveling and shaking.

"Then let the transformations begin!"

The team gathered outside of the workshop, waiting to see the astromechs who had been upgraded for the mission. Everyone was very eager to see how they'd look, and the time was almost near for them to be done. Just then, the doors opened up, and Sunset Shimmer walked out, wiping grease away from her face. Bon Bon too, and then accompanied by Gallus.

"You guys ready?"

Everyone said yes.

"Roll out, boys!"

One by one, each of the astromechs rolled out to present themselves, even through the sudden smoke that leaked outside. Gallus coughed from the amount that pushed out.

"Okay, we really need to fix that duct."

Each of the astromechs before them, with the exception of G-G, all had new paintjobs. All of them had spray-painted black and gold, with Spike receiving a few purple streaks as opposed to gold. They had to look the part, as well as play the part.

"R2-D2,” Sunset began, seeing the first astromech pull up with a complete mod. “Your rebuilt rocket boosters should give you better aerial mobility, and for longer periods of time.”

Two rocket boosters pulled out from R2’s legs, making him hover in place. His head spun around with joy, added by the excited beeps he was letting out.

“But be advised, the navigation is finely tuned…” Gallus instructed.

Sunset's attention turned to Spike who was rolling up next. “SP-1K, aka Spike.”

Two panels on Spike’s torso opened up, revealing two steel nozzles with multiple holes near the tips.

“These flamethrowers should be very effective against any Midnight troopers who come your way, and they can also provide extra fuel for your rocket booster. But use it wisely; you do not have unlimited fuel.”

“Got it,” Spike nodded, raising a claw up to give a small salute.

Sunset went to the next astromech in line. “CH-33P.”

The C1 unit turned to look at her, curious to know what his new ability was.

"You have a small storage unit in your dome that can release a particularly noxious gas; nothing lethal, but it can leak into anyone wearing a helmet. Use it to knock out any guards or officers if they come your way," Sunset instructed.

"Cheep cheep cheep," Cheep saluted.

“And last of all… RG-G1," Sunset said, looking at the R4 unit.

G-G gave a spitting noise, turning his dome away to not look at her.

"... okay, admittedly we didn't really give you any upgrades," Sunset rubbed the back of her head.

"Bwoopp..." G-G pouted.

"But you are the most important member of this squad, buddy," Sunset took a knee down, pulling his dome around to get him to look at her. "You're the key to helping them get inside, okay? You're a member of this team."

"Bwoop... bwoop boop," G-G said, understanding.

"So, let's see. Astromechs have been upgraded, Rainbow has her arm fixed, weapons are restocked, Flurry's been approved to go, did I miss anything?"

Everyone looked at each other, shrugging.

"Well alright then. If that's the case, then I think we can begin our mission. We leave tomorrow at 0700 sharp. Make sure your weapons are cleaned, fully loaded, and get enough good nights sleep. Until then, you all are dismissed for the day," Sunset ordered.

All said and done, everyone moved together back to the main temple, contemplating going up to the lounge for some much needed R&R. Even the astromechs followed suit as they went their direction. Sunset in the meanwhile, stood there, quietly pondering. She looked at the sun in the distance, looking like it was beginning to set and turn to night. Everyone was ready, but would they be enough to help them? She could only hope that they had enough to do the job, and wouldn't needed to be rescued themselves.

Walking back to her quarters, she removed her jumpsuit and put on a simple tank-top and shorts to detox, and walked over to the terrarium where Ray was sitting. The little gecko was happy to see her, so much that the moment she reached her hand in, he jumped up and climbed up her arm, wiggling its little tail.

"Hey little guy," Sunset cooed, moving her arm around so her pet could stand above her hand. She leaned her hand in close, giving her gecko a cute little nuzzle. "How you've been doing? Keeping yourself busy?"

The gecko gave a cute little shrug, making Sunset giggle. "Yeah, I know bud. I've gotta find something to keep you busy when I'm off on missions. And speaking of which... tomorrow, I've got one a big one," she said, taking a seat at a small desk that was kept clean. "We're rescuing friends and bringing down a factory. This could be the key to finally bringing the Empire down to it's knees!" She said with excitement. But then a depressing thought made her lose her smile. "But then again... it could only just delay them until they find a way to stand back up."

But she hit her fist on the desk. "No. Not happening. I am not going to look at this negatively, we will bring them down. It may not stop them there... but it could be the start. A few critical hits from there... and the Empire will finally take the fall they should have taken a long time ago," Sunset said, now trying to stay determined.

But if I don't come back alive... no. None of that. But just in the very low low low very low chance I do...

She pulled a drawer open, and pulled out a small hologram recorder. She set it in front of her, positioning it so she would be properly captured on the recording. Her hands moved down to her sides, and she reached forward to press the button to turn it on... but she didn't. Her hand trembled at the thought, her heart racing at the prospect of her friends possibly being gone, or no one going to be around to see the message. That small voice in the back of her head was telling her that no one would get her private encryption would ever get over to them, or worse, the people she'd want to call would just be gone.

When she looked at her gecko, she finally got her push. That adorable little smile, accompanied by him nuzzling her hand, trying to push it towards the button was enough. Sunset took a sharp breath and pressed the record button.

"This is Jedi Knight Sunset Shimmer. I know it has been a long time since we've spoken, but we need each other more than ever. I am in charge of a small but strong operation working to stop the injustice the Galactic Empire has been spreading across the galaxy. I don't know if any of you will ever hear this, or if you're even alive... but if you girls are still out there, I need you. I know you must be afraid to come back out to fight, against the empire that defeated us long ago. But you're not alone. No one is ever alone. And if you get this message... come and find us. May the Force be with you."

The sun began to rise early the next morning. Sunset Shimmer met with the adults who were finishing the rest of their coffee outside the Sweetie Drop, trying to wake up.

"Morning Rainbow, Applejack, happy couple," Sunset teased.

"Do we have to leave so early?" Lyra pouted. "I'm not used to getting up at this hour."

Bon Bon patted her shoulder and gave her wife a peck on the cheek. "We'll need to get ourselves a new sleep schedule."

"Yeah..." Lyra sighed, holding her wife's hand.

"Where are the kids? Shouldn't we be going?" Rainbow asked, looking around.

Applejack looked across the hangar, playfully rolling her eyes. "There they are."

In an exaggerated manner, Flurry Heart was seen walking in front of Team Six with the most overconfident smirk on her face, adjusting her clone trooper armor on her arms. Silverstream twirled a long staff, while her wings were spread open behind her like she was ready to fly. Yona adjusted the Yakyakiee sash on her waist, and fixed the bandoliers strapped on her torso. Sandbar took a sip of some soda rather casually. Gallus twirled some knives around in his claws while his paws firmly pressed into the ground. Smolder's nose smoked as she bared the same confident grin as Flurry Heart. Last of all, Ocellus, just normally walked while everyone else acted like they were strutting on a runway.

"How long have you guys been practicing that walk?"

"We did this for about fifteen more times," Ocellus said, rather annoyed.

"What? We're going off on a mission, we've gotta look cool as heck," Smolder beamed, shrugging.

"... I think I like this one," Rainbow smirked, looking at Applejack.

"Ladies, can we get going? We have friends who might not make it to the next day if we're wasting time," Sunset said, a bit annoyed.

Understanding their boss' frustration, everyone cut the dramatics and ran up into the ship without delay. The adults ran up next, and so Sunset was the last one left to go up. Until--

"General!"

Sunset stopped going up the ship, turning around to see someone had called for him. A Lasat man with a distinguishable bo-rifle on his back, alongside a C1 unit; Chopper as she knew him as. She nodded to Bon Bon, telling her not to take off just yet. Stepping down she approached the man with a calm but soft smile.

"Yes Captain Orrelios?"

"We've had to put Hera into the medical ward. The baby isn't due for at least a few days, and I know none of us are in any danger but... would it be alright if Sabine and I stayed with her?"

"Of course, Zeb," Sunset nodded. "Look, she's not fit to go anywhere, it's more than okay if you and Sabine, and Chopper of course, want to take a few days off to keep your friend safe. Just remember; the important thing is to keep her calm."

"Womp womp womp!?" Chopper grunted. "Womp womp womp womp!"

"Yes, I know childbirth is terrifying, but you've gotta be there for her too," Sunset scrunched her face.

"Thank you, General. We appreciate it," the Lasat smiled.

Sunset nodded. "Tell her I give my regards, and hopefully we'll be back in one piece to see the new member of the Ghost crew."

With her last note delivered, she ran up the ship, allowing the two Ghost crew members to leave the hangar to get back to their assigned posts for the day. The hatch closed up on the ship, and the engines began to prime for takeoff.

Lyra and Bon Bon were back in the pilot chairs, while Rainbow and Applejack sat in the chairs behind them. Sunset's only safety was her standing and gripping on a safety bar on the side of Lyra and Bon Bon's chairs. Team Six along with Flurry just sat in the booth back in the living area, or at the computer built into the wall.

Lyra flipped several switches and knobs, making sure everything was set the way they should.

"Coordinates are set and locked on," Lyra notified.

"Hyperdrive engine active," Bon Bon added.

"Air supply on," Sunset checked.

"Engines are 100% operational," IG-11 informed from the coms.

"Let's take off."

The Sweetie Drop began to rise off the hangar and pull out of it's spot. Turning around, the landing gear folded up and the ship flew out of the second hangar on the main temple. Blasting off the for the sky, a Rebel scout from a tower watched as they departed before resuming back to his post.

Now the ship was out in space, Lyra and Bon Bon made the final preparations to make the jump.

"Next stop, Scarif."

Within seconds, the Sweetie Drop punched into hyperspace.

Travel

The Sweetie Drop's course through hyperspace was smooth sailing, at least, in space. No engine failures, malfunctions, or any minor inconveniences were drawing the crew away from their current destination.

While the adults were sitting up in the cockpit, the rest of the much more younger adults, including Flurry, sat around the living area in quietness. Mostly because they weren't really sure what to do with each other. They chose to push off playing a game of Sabacc for much later on, not wanting to just play and then get quickly bored of it. The problem was, they didn't know what really to do in the meantime.

“Ugh, this is so boring!” Gallus threw his head back in his chair. “Can't we just play Sabaac already?"

"We've been out in space for over an hour, I don't think you can get bored that quickly," Silverstream rubbed the top of her feathered mane.

"You know... I think I got an idea," Flurry suggested, sliding out from the booth. "Anyone want to hang in my room?"

Everyone immediately perked up at that suggestion.

"... How have we not seen your room already, you've been living on our base for over... how long now?"

"I'd say a month at this point," Smolder thought.

"Well, come on then!" Flurry gestured. "Eh, just one rule; if you wanna look at something, please ask, do not just start touching things without my permission. I've got some... well, valuables, I'd like to keep safe."

Agreeing to her terms, everyone left the living area to follow Flurry down the hallway. They swung by another curve until they stopped in front of a door, marked with an assortment of posters and advertisements for various products that were free from Imperial control.

The doors slid open, and the group followed Flurry inside.

“So here we are; here’s my room!”

The room was a mixture of clean and messy. Books and toys were neatly arranged on shelves and in drawers, and a small vanity was freshly scrubbed as well. But it wasn’t exactly perfect either; hammock bed not made, some toys were on the floor, a small trashcan overflowing, etc. And while it wasn’t huge, it was spacious enough that the seven of them could hang out inside and not be cramped.

There was a small desk bolted to the wall; with a small holopad for watching old videos, and a tape deck to listen to old holotapes for music to fill the void of silence. A few tools were also seen in a cup, along with a very small droid leg sitting on the desk with some bolts next to it, most likely working on repairs or construction. An open dresser showing various tank tops and shirts, along with a few goggles and hats. Even a rack where her armguards were hanging from were shown, just hanging above her extra boots.

“Dang, your room is nicer than mine,” Smolder complimented.

“Heh, sorry for the mess,” Flurry tittered. “I’m usually cleaner than this.”

“No need to apologize, I’m not perfect either,” Sandbar replied, looking around.

“Oooh, you got a Stormtrooper doll?” Silverstream asked, noting a doll on the shelf. Smolder picked it up, looking at it with curiosity.

“It was a birthday gift from Mom,” Flurry answered, slowly sitting back down in her hammock bed and kicking her boots off. “Apparently those guys were a ‘knockoff’ or something?”

“Oh yeah. The Storm King tried making his own version of the Republic’s clone troopers. Pfft,” Gallus rolled his eyes. “Don’t know how successful that was, but yeah.” The Griffon settled on a small chair, kicking back in it.

Ocellus chose to curl up on a beanbag, pushing it down and trying to make it comfy like a dog or a massiff. But she was more than happy to just sit and hang out for a change.

Smolder’s claws gently picked up another plushie from the shelf, the snail that she remembered Lyra had attached to the top of the pole for her training. Not even a second passed, but she heard the sound of a blaster cocking and Flurry glaring at her with wide eyes and the most pissed off expression.

“Put the plush back, NOW.”

Smolder’s ears drooped and she slowly set the plushie back down on the shelf, raising her hands up to surrender. The rest of the group looked at her with equally scared faces.

“Heh, sorry…” Smolder apologized, “I didn’t, um…”

“Just don’t touch that plush. Ever.”

“I won’t. Now can you please put the blaster down?”

Flurry’s expression didn’t change, but she slowly sighed and put the safety back on her WESTAR-class blaster, placing it back in her holster. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, but I really don’t like it when strangers go touching that.”

“No kidding…” Gallus said, fearfully.

"Reminds me of when I accidentally bumped into Luke's old Skyhopper," Silverstream gulped.

“Is plush valuable?” Yona pondered, sitting on the floor and resting her back against the side of a shelf, oddly finding comfort in a sturdy backrest.

“Not in currency. But to me, it is,” Flurry admitted. “It’s… ugh, I know how embarrassing this is. But I don’t like anyone touching my Whammy. He’s precious to me.”

Smolder had restraint to keep a snicker back at the name, thankfully.

“How come it’s so precious to you?” Ocellus asked, wanting to know a bit more, her little wings buzzing for a second.

“It was the last memory I have to my mom and dad,” Flurry admitted, leaning back in her hammock.

“Wait, mom and dad? I thought you—”

“—I’m adopted,” Flurry deadpanned. “I didn’t tell you guys, because that’s not the kind of information I’d start with for introductions.” She threw her head back on her pillow, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t know who they are, or what happened to them. I only remember small flashes, but that’s it. My moms tell me they don’t know what happened to them, but I know that’s as far as they know. Probably as far as I will ever know at this rate.”

Then she pulled herself back up again to give attention to the rest of her friends. “That plush is the only thing I have to a memory of them. That’s why I went insane when Mom put it at the top of that pole; I don’t want it gone or destroyed.”

“… ohhhh…” everyone said in unison.

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Silverstream said as she wrapped a wing around her shoulder.

“It’s okay. None of you knew,” Flurry reassured.

Some more uncomfortable silence filled the room, no one really sure how to follow a confession like that.

"If no one says it, then Yona will!" Yona stood up. "It does not matter where Flurry comes from," she said, lifting her out of the hammock with her enormous strength. "What matters is what Flurry does in present!"

Flurry blinked a few times. "How strong are you?"

"Eh, Yakyakiees strong people," Yona shrugged, setting Flurry back down in the hammock. And nonchalantly, she curled up back in her spot. "Though Yona wish she was stronger when Empire came down on Yak'y'yag."

That last statement got Flurry's attention as she leaned her head over to the furry friend. "What do you mean by that?"

Yona's ears perked as she sat back down in her spot. "The Empire attacked my home. Burn my villages. Attack my papa. I don't even know if anyone's still alive," she pulled at her face in sorrow. "I don't want to be the last of my species!"

"You're not the last, I'm sure of it," Sandbar said, patting her back and giving her a few scritches.

"Oh... I'm... I'm so sorry, I di--"

"--Flurry not apologize," Yona interrupted. "Flurry didn't know. Flurry did nothing. But Empire... Empire hurt Yona. ... Empire... broke Yona," she whimpered. "Yona almost died... I could have died and it'd just be business to them!"

"W-Well, how did you even get out of there?" Flurry leaning forward.

"Sandbar help Yona escape," she said, nuzzling him affectionately. Flurry restrained herself from going 'aww' at the sight. "Sandbar..." the Yakyakiee looked at the boy, but he just darted his eyes at her and the others, quickly shaking his head no. For what reason, they weren't sure, but Yona continued. "Yona rescued by Sandbar, and we ran for it!"

"How'd you even find her?"

"Uhhhh..." Sandbar droned. "Let's... I'd rather not talk about that, let's just, um. Can we please bounce to someone else?"

"Is it embarassing?" Silverstream questioned.

"No, I just... I don't wanna talk about it."

"So that means you're hiding something juicy," Gallus smirked.

"Gallus..."

"We'll come back to you, but seriously, we've gotta know that one," Gallus said, done with teasing Sandbar for now.

"Maybe I can chip in?" Ocellus asked, her wings buzzing for a second from the thought.

"Sure!"

"Fine by me!"

"Let's hear it!"

The Changeling got up on her hands and knees, and acting much like a dog, moved around on the beanbag to make her seat more comfortable before she could begin telling her story.

"Back on Alveare, which is where I'm from, I was actually pretty happy where I was. I had a good family, I got along with my siblings, we had enough to eat... but then, out of the blue, everything was just... gone," Ocellus frowned. "I was outside with my little brother playing, and I thought I was seeing something bright in the sky. And when my parents finally grabbed us, I remember everything going black. The last thing I heard was explosions and I felt everything shaking around me!"

And the moment she said that, everyone in the room could figure out exactly where she was going. They could quickly determine who she was talking about, but they still chose to be quiet so they could let their friend speak.

"When I came too, my head started spinning and I heard a sharp ringing in my ears. I saw everything shaking around me, and it wasn't until my dad woke me up and told me to run. I didn't understand why, but I ran as fast as I could. I didn't know who did it at first, but all I saw was my home... it was just... gone!"

Silverstream patted her back reassuringly, waiting for her to breathe in and out.

"We ran as fast as we could, and I found my mom and my siblings near a transport ship. We tried to run for it, but then I saw these guys, these soldiers in purple armor try and come after us around the corner. I didn't know what to do, and I panicked! I didn't run to the ship, I could see they were getting close to my family, I thought if I ran I... they'd be safe. I ran as fast as I could, and they kept chasing me. I don't know if it was the stupidity of my choices that saved me, but I dove into the ocean to hide from them.

When I got out of the water, the transport was... gone. I didn't see any sign that it was shot down, but they were just gone! But it didn't matter in the long run; I just had to keep going on my own. I found a ship nearby that I could escape in, and I left Alveare and never returned," Ocellus continued. "I never looked back. My home was gone and I had nowhere left to go."

"Where did you go then?" Flurry pried.

"Bracca," Ocellus said, rather ominously.

"Oh no... I know nothing about that planet, what is that?" Flurry admitted, sinking in her shoulders.

"It's a junk planet. Every piece of old ship, walker, bike, transport, frigate, everything that was used in an old war gets taken there to be broken down, stripped for parts, and made into something new," Ocellus explained. "Scrapper Guild runs the place. After I ran, I basically signed up for a job there to hide; and I worked as a scrapper, breaking down ships from the last war. Venators, Munificents, Lucrehulks, everything. I stayed there to scrap ships for a couple of years... but I escaped."

"Well, how? What'd you do next?"

"Honestly, Flurry, if it's alright with you, could I take a break from that? I'm honestly feeling a little down," Ocellus asked, her ears drooping.

"That's perfectly okay with me," Flurry reassured, empathetically smiling.

"Still brave of you to open up like that, Ocellus," Sandbar added.

"... Actually," Flurry thought, getting an idea and a mischeivous little grin on her face. "You're a Changeling right? Any chance you could... change into something?"

"Sure!" Ocellus squeaked with a smile. One small flash of green light manifested around her as her entire body changed. Instead of the bug girl that was laying in the beanbag, she looked more like a small tooka, with dark purple fur.

"Mew."

"Aww," Flurry gushed. "Kitty!"

The tooka's form changed, turning into a much more bigger size; this time resembling what looked like a very tall pre-teen girl; a Togruta in fact. Red crop-top, boots, skirt with a kama, orange skin, and blue and white montrals.

"Oooh."

"I didn't know you went digging through Ahsoka's scrapbook," Gallus smirked.

"She showed me her old trainee photos," 'Ahsoka' protested. She sounded just like her, it was incredibly uncanny as to how it was possible. Flurry stood up, comparing herself to the Togruta's size. She looked no taller than her, but it was uncanny to see that Ocellus didn't look like herself in the slightest. Her transformation was one-hundred percent flawless. And to have a little amusement, 'Ahsoka' raised her hand up in front of Flurry's face as if she was using the Force.

"You don't need to see my identification... I am not the thing you're looking for..."

Flurry snorted softly. "That's pretty cool."

"How about this?"

Ocellus's form changed, no longer resembling pre-teen Ahsoka Tano... but now she looked like a perfect carbon copy of Flurry Heart. Flurry, the real one, was completely thrown off by her resemblence.

"Oh my goodness... I'm gorgeous!" Flurry realized.

'Flurry' just casually shrugged as she spun around, looking at everyone else in the room.

"Oh, do me! Do me!" Silverstream insisted, pleading like a six-year-old.

Concentrating, Ocellus's form changed instantly. Suddenly, there were two Silverstreams in Flurry's bedroom, wowing the group around them.

"So you could look like anyone and anything?"

"Kind of," 'Silverstream' answered. "I can look like any animals that are small and close to my size, and I can resemble a few adults that are taller than me, but I'm not able to look like, well, anything. Say, Yona," she said, her form changing back into Ocellus. "I have a smaller body mass than Yona, and I can't replicate her structure. I'm also not strong enough."

"Don't say that. Ocellus is strong Changeling," Yona said with pride.

"Heh, thanks. But still, I'm not able to just change on a dime. If you asked me to change into, say, a Dowutin, I'd probably pass out from using so much energy, or I'd die."

"Ahhh, right..." Everyone collectively agreed.

"..."

"..."

"Is there anything else you can change into?" Flurry asked with an ecstatic look on her face.

"So here's something I don't understand," Lyra asked, sitting down in the pilot chair as she sipped her coffee. "The Empire obviously recruits people from across the galaxy, which fair enough, you want to keep your army and your grip on the galaxy wide-spread... but if they're using them to expand their will, what became of the clones?"

"What do you think?" Sunset asked, albeit rather sarcastically. "Cast out, outmoded, thrown away like leftovers. The Empire stopped making them."

"But why? They wiped us out, they took care of the entire galaxy is the span of almost a few days, didn't they?" Applejack asked.

"They got rid of us, that doesn't mean they got automatic control, Applejack," Lyra pointed out, stepping up to stretch her legs. "Besides, to be honest, I really don't care anymore. I lost my battalion a long time ago, long before I met my Bonnie," she said, holding her wife's hand again. "The only thing that mattered to me was her and my adoptive daughter."

The former Council members couldn't argue with that sentiment.

"Still though; I kinda wonder if there are any still out there," Sunset pondered, folding her arms as she leaned against a panel-less wall. "They're bound to be retired by now, but still."

"Well if there are any still left, let's just hope they're retired for good. I'm not sure I could face Hurricane after... that," Rainbow said, her voice almost shaking from the memory of Order 66's activation.

"If it's any consolation, most of the clones we've known are long gone. Captain Dusty," Sunset said, looking at Applejack. "Terminal reported dead." For a brief moment, Applejack had a small window of sadness. "Commander Hurricane, as far as I know, should be dead as well," she said, looking at Rainbow. "And I know Commander Shockwave should be dead too; no way he could still be alive if Captain Phasma's one of the majors in charge," the general finished.

"This does lead to my thought, and feel free to reject this, this is a bit out there..." Bon Bon began with a smile. "What if, and hear me out... we grab scraps of battle droids left over from the Clone Wars, bring them to Yavin IV, fix 'em, and reprogram to be on our side?"

"... Lyra, I know she's your wife, but I'm going to be blunt; are you insane!?" Sunset demanded.

"No, no she's not," Lyra said, defending her wife. "Look, I've lived with her for over eighteen years, she's a maestro at reprogramming. You saw our commando droids, right? Imagine what we could do for an entire legion of them."

"That's the thing, an entire legion? What if they get reprogrammed, or hacked by mistake?" Sunset asked. "It's one thing having a few of them like we saw on your ship, but it's another thing entirely to just bring an entire battalion down on Yavin IV. A lot of people were terrorized by those droids."

"And what about the people within the Confederacy of Independent Systems? Yes, I know the Storm King took over, but a lot of people in his kingdom just wanted independence and those droids did technically do their job," Bon Bon argued. "And yes, I know the kind of horrors they've done to you guys, but they're droids. They do what their told, not all of them have fully functioning brain-stems, they don't get built with the capacity to think on their own, it's not like with Spike, or R2, or Cheep and G-G. Or even IG-11 all the way in the kitchen," Bon Bon gestured to the closed doors in the cockpit.

"... I really want to argue with you, but you're bringing up a few good points, and I'm tired of getting into these kind of debates," Sunset said, admitting defeat. "Tell you what, I'll think about it, maybe I'll pitch it to the Rebel command."

Bon Bon looked at her with an unamused look and raised eyebrow. "By that you mean you're hoping I'll drop the discussion and forget about it."

"... it worked with the six-year-olds," Sunset pouted, getting Bon Bon to giggle. "But okay. I'll give it some thought. If we come across any battle droid remnants, or if you do, feel free to reprogram them or at least free them from whatever restricted programs they run on."

"Great!" Bon Bon squeaked with excitement. Now she knew the chances of finding any battle droid battalions out there were gonna be relatively slim; they were ordered to shut down after the war was over, and she didn't have any known locations for where she could buy one as a complete body, or where any holdouts were. Granted she had spare parts, but she never did have every viable piece to make a complete B1 unit.

"Anyways, how much longer until we get to Scarif?"

"Not too long now, we only have half an hour," Lyra answered, looking at the screen next to her on her right.

Half an hour went by, and so the Sweetie Drop finally pulled out of hyperspace. There ahead was Scarif; a beautiful blue planet with multiple small continents of islands as far as the eye could see. For the crew on board the freighter, they had a bit of luck, seeing there was no Imperial fleets outside, guarding the planet. But Sunset had a bad feeling in the back of her head, wondering if this was too easy for them and if they would be expecting them.

Taking every precaution they could, the ship began to push towards the planet's atmosphere and punch through the clouds above. The clouds whooshed by them as the ship began to lower itself down to the surface, getting a much nicer view than from outside in space. The waters were crystal clear, the beaches were nice and sandy, and there were plenty of palm trees to provide ample shade for vacationers to use to lay outside. Intentionally, the ship was parked on a small island with plenty of trees for cover, and parked behind a mountain so the Imperials wouldn't find them so easily. Sensor masks were activated as an extra precaution, but they were out of sight and detection; for now.

The ramp extended down as everyone slowly began to walk outside to take in the fresh air. Flurry was the first to step off, basking in the beautiful warm glow of Scarif's summer breeze. She loved the smells, the sounds, the sights. It was making every part of her so happy and calm, she couldn't have imagined anything better. And even better; the sands. Digging her hand down to feel the sands, her hands didn't feel burning hot like they would if she was on Tatooine. Cool sands without the feeling of scalding heat made it all the more wonderful.

Sunset looked at Lyra and Bon Bon, an expression clearly asking if this was her first visit to a new world. The two of them subtly nodded, confirming the truth.

"This is... this is so... beautiful!" Flurry squeaked, trying to keep her voice down in case of anyone else that wasn't them would listen. As Team Six took in the marvel of their new surroundings, IG-11 marched down the ramp, holding a few crates in his arms, mounting them down on the ground as seats for the group to use. They would need to cook, and while they had a functioning kitchen, a good ole seasoned campfire never hurt to use either. Besides, they would need space to finish setting up the rest of their equipment and tools for the mission.

At the same time, Flurry immediately threw off her boots and socks, and dug her toes into the sand, feeling how cool it was. She hadn't gone barefoot aside from in her house, and the sensation just made it all the more nicer.

"As much as you would like to go dipping your toes in the waters, I'd recommend doing it later when it starts to get to dusk. We don't need to attract unwanted attention," Sunset advised.

"Yes ma'am," Flurry said, understanding.

"So what do we do now?" Rainbow asked.

"You guys set up camp. The five of us are going to go explore, see what the Imperials are doing currently," Sunset instructed. A new hatch lowered down from the ship, revealing a few speeder-bikes that had been packed into the ship's miniature hangar bay.

"Shouldn't we stay here?"

"Yes. You guys are," Sunset pointed out.

Lyra quickly gave Flurry a brief hug before hopping onto the speeder-bike. Bon Bon got on behind her, holding onto her sides to make sure she didn't go flying off. Sunset took control of the other bike, with Rainbow and Applejack uncomfortably trying to cling on as well.

"Spike and R2 are in charge!" Sunset ordered. "You listen to them, understand?"

They didn't get a chance to argue her orders, Sunset and the other adults had sped off on the bikes across the shallow beaches to go search for the Imperial bases. And once they were gone, Spike and R2-D2 rotated their domes to look at each other, and then spun around to address the rest of the young adults and droids around them.

"Why are they in charge again?" Smolder asked.

Spike's dome slowly rattled as he pushed himself across the sand, glaring up at Smolder. "Because we fought longer, we're older, and we have more experience. Experience outranks everyone. Understood?"

The Draconoid sighed. "Yes sir."

"Bwoop boop. Brrrt beep weep, boop bweep-bop."

"I'll go grab some sticks," Gallus said, answering R2's instructions.

"Yona get rocks!"

"I'll get started on cooking dinner!" Flurry chirped as she ran up the ship.

Without more arguments, everyone quickly got to work. They had a lot to do in order to prepare the campfire dinner for tonight!

Hopeless

Author's Note

Thank god, we're back up. I want to thank Scholars again for proof-reading this, so that we can get back on the road. And as far as a particular song in this sequence goes... I did change it as much as I could to be fitting here.

Hope you all enjoy, and thank you for your patience. :twilightsmile:

Hopeless

Flurry Heart was trying to suppress it, but she was nervous. The plan – which had been to pass her and Sandbar off as newly arrived troops, with Ocellus impersonating the officer accompanying them – had run into an unexpected snag. Bon-Bon and Applejack’s efforts to counterfeit Midnight trooper armor had worked out just fine for Sandbar, and reusing an officer's suit for Ocellus also worked fine, but in crafting the plating for a suit for Flurry? Something had gone awry and the plates had shattered in the “kiln,” as Applejack referred to it.

There was no time to start over fresh, and make a new set of armor from scratch. General Sunset had nearly called for Flurry to sit the mission out over the mishap, but after a lot of back-and-forth (and arguing from the younger Rebels on the team) it had been reluctantly decided to let Flurry go along anyway: Sandbar had said that she could be presented as a trooper candidate, with him playing the role of the actual soldier in the trio.

So far, the plan seemed to be working. The troopers at the front gates had scrutinized Ocellus’ identification, but General Shimmer’s intel had been solid – the codes still checked out.

“You’ll have to wait,” the trooper who had comm’d in the ID code Ocellus had given him said, “ID check is cleared, but no outsiders set foot on base without approval from one of the higher ups.”

“And that,” one of the other guards added, “goes double for you.”

He had directed these words to Smolder and Gallus. Figuring out a plan for the non-human members of the team had been a challenge; Rainbow Dash had come up with the idea of having them pose as bounty hunters, hoping to drop off prisoners with the new “Imperial arrivals.”

Yona, her arms shackled as part of her role as one of these “prisoners,” bared her teeth and growled at the guards. Silverstream, next to her as another fake captive, looked less angry and more intimidated by the sight of the soldiers with blasters in hand. She wasn’t the only one feeling the pressure, Flurry felt, as she tried to push back the knot of anxiety forming in her stomach. What if this didn’t work out, and a fight broke out? What if she had to shoot someone? What if they got inside and it turned out that the Empire was leading them into a trap? Or what if--

“ATTENTION!!”

The earsplitting shout from behind the gate startled everyone. Even the troopers on guard seemed to snap to a new level of focus, as a squad of Midnight troopers arrived on the scene. The squad of soldiers parted, to make way for a trooper whose dark purple armor was marked by cobalt blue pauldrons on his shoulders. Something Sandbar had said earlier ticked in her mind; this was some kind of sergeant in the Empire’s Midnight Corps.

“Trooper!” barked the sergeant, as he stalked forward to the first of the gate guards. “What’s this I hear about new arrivals at my base? Oh! And bounty hunters too?” He added, sarcasm dripping from every word, “It must be my lucky day!”

Flurry gulped and she started to shake. Sandbar just tapped her shoulder, trying to remind her to stay in character and not break the illusion.

“ALRIGHT NOW LISTEN UP YOU MIDNIGHT MAGGOTS! I HAVE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH SHIT GOING WRONG TODAY, SO I’M GOING TO MONITOR THIS ACTIVITY VERY CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE NOTHING GOES WRONG!! GOT IT!?”

“Sir yes sir!” Sandbar, Flurry, and Ocellus all shouted at once.

“GOOD!” He snapped. After a moment passed of him slowly breathing in and out to try and keep some form of professionalism, he looked at the trooper. “Identify yourself.”

“I am SB-666, and with me are troopers FH-32616 and officer OC-32418,” Sandbar said, playing his part. “We have found Rebel insurgents who were going to strike the Emperor’s throne, but we were ordered to bring them here for their sentence.”

The sergeant glared at them with a nasty look in his eye. “I see… and what about these… bounty hunting scum buckets?”

Smolder snarled at him, but didn’t speak up.

“They were the ones who caught them, sir. They won’t leave without payment, and they did do the job for us,” Sandbar continued.

“I don’t even care about that right now, maggot. You!” He looked at Flurry Heart who quivered underneath the Phase II clone trooper helmet that Lyra and Bon Bon tried to mold to look more like the Midnight Troopers. “WHY THE HELL ARE YOU OUT OF UNIFORM!?”

Flurry cleared her throat, trying to speak up. “Sir, I… M-M-My uniform was broken during the pursuit of these prisoners, I-I tried to fix it as best as I could, s-sir—”

“—DO I LOOK LIKE A MO-RON!? YOU ARE OUT OF UNIFORM, AND YOU’RE WEARING A HELMET THAT BELONGS TO A CLONE TROOPER WHO ALL SHOULD BE BURIED IN THE GROUND!! WHEN YOU GET INTO THAT BARRACKS, YOU ARE GOING TO GET A PROPER UNIFORM ON YOUR BODY, THEY ARE NOT EXPENSIVE TO FIND!”

“Y-Yes sir,” Flurry whimpered.

“Um, sir,” one of the guards near the entrance explained. “We still are waiting on spare armor.”

"..Are you kidding me right now," the sergeant muttered, in a dangerously quiet voice, before the shouting resumed in full force. “WHAT KIND OF OPERATION DO THEY THINK WE’RE RUNNING HERE? THOSE TAPE-SWITCHING JACKASSES, HOW THE HELL DO THEY EXPECT ME TO HANDLE THIS WHEN THEY CAN BARELY GET ME DAMN SOLDIERS WORTH KEEPING AROUND!?"

He looked at the prisoners, and then towards the troopers.

“Alright, you troopers can go through. BUT YOU!” He pointed at Flurry. “THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU, YOU BETTER HAVE A PROPER UNIFORM ON, OR I’LL CUT YOUR ASS OFF AND ROAST IT FOR DINNER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME YOU LITTLE MO-RON!?”

“Y-Yes! Yes sir!”

“GOOD! NOW YOU MAGGOTS TAKE THESE DAMN SMELLY BEASTS TO THE REST OF THE PRISONERS IN THE CAMP, AND PLANT YOUR BOOTS IN THE JUMPSUITED JEDI’S ASS! AND DO NOT LET THESE TWO SCUM-BUCKETS INSIDE!”

The ‘troopers’ escorted Yona and Silverstream inside without question, allowing them to infiltrate perfectly. Sadly, Gallus and Smolder weren't allowed in, no thanks to the guards. But the two of them quickly glanced at each other, hearing an order on their coms. And without words, the two of them walked away to try and trick the guards.

“Guess they got the message. Good, makes the payment process shorter,” the sergeant rambled, resuming the scary low tone again. But he resumed to speak loudly when he saw four astromech units start to roll up towards him, hauling a hovering flatbed behind them. “Oh what do we have here. Outdated tin cans WHO ARE SHITTING OIL ALL OVER THE GROUNDS! WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES RUSTBUCKETS!?”

The lead droid, G-G, who looked the most imperial out of all of them, spoke.

“WHY ARE YOU SPEAKING LIKE A REPUBLIC DROID YOU GOLDEN-STREAKED MO-RON!? YOU ARE ADDRESSING A SERGEANT, AND YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS SUCH, OR I WILL WEAR YOUR CONE AS A HAT, IS THAT CLEAR!?”

G-G fixed his stance, tilting his body up a bit to address him like a private.

“That’s better,” he uttered, dangerously low again. "NOW WHAT ARE YOU OIL-DRIPPING TRASHCANS SMUGGLING INTO MY BASE!?"

G-G still followed the plan, acting calm as he tilted his head back and showed a blueprint display of a part they delivered. Not believing them, the sergeant was all set to rant and rave as he walked over to the cargo container to take a look.

“DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BUY THAT BANTHA-SHIT FROM YOU!? YOU FOUR ARE COMPLETE STRANGERS AND WHOEVER PAINTED YOU MUST HAVE DONE IT WITH THEIR HEADS SHOVED UP THEIR ASSES IF YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST CARRY IN—” and when he opened the box, he was speechless. It was a shipment of fuel cells, for the TIE Defenders, or at least, made to look like it. “--… ah… I see. Well, you droids are clear,” he cleared his throat. “NOW DELIVER THAT LOAD, OR I WILL KICK ALL OF THE CLIFFS MYSELF!”

Either way, the astromechs were finally allowed through. G-G led the group down the hall, in search of a security office to oversee all sections of the base. Several troopers, both Death Watch and Midnight alike walked past them, just believing to be another courier service, fooling them. Stopping at an astroech port, G-G accessed the console, searching for any internal signs or routes for them to go.

"Bwoop boop, bowop," G-G whistled to his compatriots.

R2 beeped back, shaking a little with anticipation. G-G checked one last time, head moving side to side to make sure no one else was watching. And with a happy beep, he unplugged from the console to lead the way again. The triage of astromechs rolled down the hallway, passing by some more workers who were standing around, either moving to another workstation, or having idle chit-chat.

"You think this project might get off the ground?" A Midnight trooper asked to a Death Watch soldier.

"Maybe, who knows. I just care about getting paid, I don't care either way. As long as I get paid, I have a roof over my head, and I can feed my family," the Death Watch shrugged. "How's the missus by the way?"

"Doing good, thank you."

G-G cursed internally as he strolled past them. Now it wasn't going to hinder him or his thinking, but he did hate knowing that there were some of these creeps who did have families and lives outside of the Empire.

Coming into another hall, G-G turned his head to his other counterparts giving them a few details on where he was going. And so, the gold-streaked R4 unit strolled off in the center hallway, letting the trio take over from there. Spike accessed the door for the disguised cargo to be pushed through, allowing them open. Inside, there was a small security team monitoring the cameras, who quickly noticed the crates being pushed inside.

"Hey, hey, hey, this isn't an unloading dock! Take it outside!"

Spike snickered a little as he moved away from the door, and backed against the wall. The doors slammed shut, and the trio listened carefully.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

After a moment of silence, Spike opened the door again to check; the officers were down, and the three commando droids were pushing their dead bodies to the side as they took over their seats. Spike, R2, and Cheep rolled inside to stay hidden, locking the doors behind them.

"The security office is under our control, General," the commando droid reported through the coms. "You and the two Jedi can infiltrate without tripping any outside alert systems."

"Excellent," Sunset answered. "Keep your eyes out, we're going to get some suits. If anyone tries to get in, do what you can to defend yourselves and keep the doors sealed."

"Roger roger," the commando replied.

"You're in?" Spike asked.

"Yes sir."

"Great. R2, Cheep, I think we have some searching to do," Spike whispered, leading the way.

The astromechs left the security booth, and moved back down the halls. Spike split off one way, while R2 and Cheep went the other way, to continue their patrol. Now that they were in places to search, the rest of their team could move in to do their parts.

Sandbar's group trudged along another hallway, passing by the troopers and officers without much difficulty or anything hindering their progress. A few stared at Flurry's mismashed armor, but didn't say a word. "Ugh, this thing keeps slipping off, I feel like it's going to drag my pants down," Flurry winced as she tried to keep pushing the armor down on her body. "How do they walk in these?"

"I don't know, how do you wear the shoulder armor?" Sandbar questioned.

"That was modified," Flurry protested. "Shouldn't we be letting the adults in?"

"General Shimmer is nearby the east doors. Make two more turns, left and right, and you will get them inside," one of the commandos said through their com units.

"Thanks guys," Silverstream quietly whispered, obscuring the hidden com on her wrist.

"Don't smile, you're supposed to look sad!" Ocellus shushed.

"Oh, sorry." And immediately Silverstream's small excitement dropped back into a depressing anguish frown.

Following orders, the group of five made their way to the east wing of the base, passing by more officers who were off to do their assignments. Along the way, an Imperial protocol droid stopped in their way, before passively walking by out of fear of Yona and Silverstream.

Footsteps echoed throughout the cold steel floors, with the small accompaniment of chatter from nearby troopers off doing their jobs. There were stares at the two prisoners, but they were kept short, mainly cause of the trio escorting them away.

Finally hitting the east wing, Sandbar used his access card to swipe against the door, letting it open up. Standing outside were Sunset, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, now wearing stolen Imperial officer uniforms. Rainbow Dash had a bit of trouble trying to readjust hers, thanks to the prosthetic limb, so she resorted to straight ripping a sleeve off the uniform just to let her arm come through.

"Great work guys," Sunset whispered as the three Jedi walked in. "Where are you off to now?"

"We need to keep up appearances and get Silver and Yona to the prisoner barracks," Ocellus answered. "But we don't know where that is."

"If you go outside the main doors in the south wing, you should exit outside to the compound area. There are a few tram systems leading to other areas of the facility; including the generators keeping the power running throughout the base, and the fuel refinery," one of the commandos answered.

"Okay, good," Sunset sighed. "Lyra and Bon Bon are at the tarmac looking for a way to dismantle the ships. Hmm..."

"Wait, Sunset, I have an idea," Flurry interrupted. "Um. If you don't mind me pitching," she said, looking down the hallway to make sure no one was spotting them. "If they'll be expecting prisoners, why not have Sandbar take Yona and Silverstream to the camp where they are, while Ocellus and I sneak off to the power generators, leaving you guys to take care of the fuel?"

The three Jedi looked at each other, thinking over this small change in plan.

"I don't see why not," Applejack said, agreeing with the idea.

"Not a bad idea. But stay together, and move fast," Sunset ordered.

"Yes General," Sandbar nodded. "Come on, let's go."

Sandbar led Yona and Silverstream with him as they proceeded to go down a corridor to find their way to the main camp areas. With them gone, Ocellus and Flurry nodded to each other before going off on their own way. Sunset, Rainbow, and Applejack looked at the corridor in front of them. It was out in the open, and knowing the Empire, they would be needed to be checked for identification; and if they had ID'ed Applejack and Rainbow Dash back on Tatooine, they'd be caught in a second.

Seeing another route, Sunset led the two girls up into the ventilation system, crawling on their hands and knees as they proceeded to sneak. Rainbow even closed the hatch behind them just in the nick of time as a trooper passed by that corridor, checking for any weird noises.

RG-G1 strolled through more various sections of the base, most of the environment turning into blurs for him. Every room looked the same, he was thankful to have the commando units instructing him on where to go in some places. Accessing a door, the droid rolled into a red-lit hallway where two Death Watch soldiers stood on guard.

The R4 unit rolled forward and stopped, looking up at them.

"Courier droid? Huh, they never told us about that," one of the soldiers thought.

"They rarely tell us anything," the other soldier snarked before looking at the droid. "Nice streaks droid. Identification?"

G-G flashed a holographic image of the identification code he was supposed to use to sneak around the more restricted areas. The two Death Watch troopers examined the picture, and a few minutes later, the door opened.

"Go on through, just don't interrupt the work flow, some of the guys have lunch in half an hour," the guard said.

"Bwoop boop," G-G acknowledged.

Having access to the facility, the astromech rolled forward and went inside. What he saw made his power core sink. Inside were factory workers, all dressed in orange jumpsuits. Sparks sizzled as machines and parts were assembled, pieces of machinery were loaded and unloaded for inspection. Sweat ran down the heads of the overworked employees, only to keep pushing forward out of fear from the Death Watch soldiers threatening them with the end of a blaster. There were so many prisoners, he couldn’t get an accurate count.

Regardless, he pressed on and went down the middle of the factory where security would walk through to make sure the employees kept up productivity. As instructed, he tilted his head side to side to capture some recordings of what he had seen. His memory circuits did remember some of the files that the Rebels presented, catching a few familiar faces that were working among the others. Most of them were either human, Yakyakiee, or Equestrians. Very small number of other-worldly species here.

But then, out of nowhere he heard something. The sounds of the factory were still clear to his audio receptors, but he swore he heard something that sounded like… singing. He turned his dome around and looked, seeing an Equestrian with dark blue skin and black hair sweating like he was dehydrated and in the sun, forcing himself to turn another bolt with a wrench.

I can't take this kind of pressure
I must confess one more rusty bolt
Would put me down and out

And with his lack of pushing forward, a single Death Watch member shot him straight in the head, right in front of the workers. That only incentivized them to keep on working.

Hopeless

And then someone else started singing; a poor woman with raggedy hair, with gray skin and black stripe patterns on her body.

I just can't, I just can't,
I just can't seem to get started
Don’t have the strength to build these weapons
All my hope’s turned to doubt

Just like the man before, the moment she stopped being productive, she was shot on sight.

Hopeless
And there ain’t nothin’ you can do about it!
Hopeless
Pardon me while I panic!
Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless

“G-G, what’s happening?” Sunset whispered into the com.

“Bwooop…”

Another worker, a man with tan skin and a thick accent started joining the choir.

I come from sweaty Appleloosa
I got my kicks puttin’ fruit on a stick
Every small town from Detrot to Gotto
Macintosh Hills to Phillydelphia
It was a sweet life I had away from the war
Before I got dragged from there to Iago

Shot on sight, and body hit the floor. Until another man started to sing as well, one with a checkered tattoo running down his left eye.

Hopeless

I was gamblin’ in Las Pegasus
I must confess I’m impressed how I did it
I wonder how close that I won
Now I got a hurtin’ sensation
I was prayin’ to God I might have one more chance
Sayin’ goodbye to my girl on Alderaan

The others could hear G-G’s com unit, needless to say they were horrified at what they were hearing. They were Equestrian alright, but the added noise of the blasters and sweatshop conditions were enough to make them all mortified. Sunset’s eyes closed as she tried not to explode, only to feel a small hand reach her fingers; Applejack. Sunset looked back down at Applejack and smiled softly. She was lucky to have her and Rainbow here. Regardless, they had to keep moving….

--

Another woman working the assembly line sang, with a toolbelt attached to her waist and a hard hat on her head.

Once helped a princess with a wedding
Once helped a princess with a wedding
She was so happy, upbeat and dappy
But slain before the rise of the sun

A slender man, so skinny he looked like he was about to die from starvation joined his fellow slaves with the last few ounces of energy left in his body.

I shot a clone on the warzone
Don’t try and fight, it’s quite hard enough
Just living with the things that I’ve done

Hopeless

With another body collapsed, he was dragged off by the coroner of the factory for another body added to the pile.

A woman with a blackened eye and several cuts on her face, was forced to shove several crates onto a loader all the while dealing with the Death Watch guys hovering over her.

Once knew a pilot from Sunset
He was so funny and sweet as honey
Oh Roddie had pushed me to get
Goji, let’s get you some goodies
Goji, let’s get you some goodies
If only I knew where that pilot had gone
I could have said goodbye at dawn

Hopeless

Once she had them loaded up, she slowly climbed out and got back to her work, desperately trying to avoid being shot at like her fellow co-workers.

The last slave to sing was an older gentleman, probably in his late 70s or 80s, with a gray beard and mustache on his face. Heavy, sad, and weary eyes looked around as he looked at where his workstation would lead; a tread that would drop heavy metals into a massive cylinder to forge more metal.

I worked on some preservation
Who would believe they’d disgrace all the men
Who gave up their will to save the day?

Not waiting for the guards to shoot him, the man just up and rolled himself on the tread with an exhausted face, waiting for his fate to arrive.

Once in an Separatist Nation
I trained the kids on the skids where the boss
Was glad til I heard him say…

He didn’t even wait for the slaves to finish, the Death Watch guards said it for him.

“You’re hopeless.”

And so the man was seen falling off the tread and into the hot cylinder, where all people saw was a large splash of liquid metal engulf him, and nothing more. The poor R4 unit who saw it happen, shivered in fear, whimpering from the sight. They had to get these people out of here, they just had to. Realizing that he was about to attract attention, G-G proceeded further through the assembly room to another set of doors, hoping that these people would be freed from their hell.

Checking the coast was clear, the trio of Jedi climbed out of the vents into an clear hallway where no officers were wandering about. Sunset, Rainbow, and Applejack carefully crept down the corridor, now dressed in the officer’s uniforms that were stripped. There were cameras around, but they were trying their damnest not to be seen. Sunset raised her finger to her ear, tapping her com device.

“Boys how are we doing up there?”

“Main security office is still under control,” the commando droid replied. He looked around, watching as the other two commando droids sat at the control chairs. “Closing all channel circuits and rerouting signals to tactical droid's computer.”

“Good,” Sunset replied. “K2, are you in yet?”

The tactical droid sitting back on the Sweetie Drop turned on the computer monitors within his set up station. “I can monitor all visual security systems from the ship. I have spotted multiple Rebellion prisoners in the detainment cells just up ahead.”

“Great work. Thank you K2,” Sunset nodded. “Keep monitoring and contact us for any hostiles.”

“Affirmative.”

With that confirmation settled, the group continued to move forward down the hallway, blending in with the rest of the guards.

“Ugh, jeez, this uniform’s too small,” Applejack grunted, trying to straighten out the pants.

“Look a little tight on you, AJ,” Rainbow smirked.

“Hush you,” Applejack snapped with a whisper.

They stood in the middle of a hallway with another corridor down on their left. Taking the turn to the left, what they saw made them all freeze in place. The doors were right in front of them, but also in the hall was a cage that had been left behind. A few small toys and boxes were near the cage; and standing on all fours in a relaxed demeanor was a massiff, gazing right at them.

The three women didn’t move, but instead froze in place, questioning if this animal was going to attack. Based on the surroundings, it seemed like it was intended for security purposes; and yet it was just standing there menacingly.

“Suddenly I wish we had Fluttershy right now…” Applejack gulped.

“You have the knockout meat sticks, right?” Sunset asked.

“… didn’t you say you’d bring them?” Rainbow asked.

“No, I told you to bring them,” Sunset whisper grunted.

“So none of us brought anything useful for this situation?” Applejack deadpanned.

“No,” the two veterans whisper-yelled.

The animal didn’t move from it’s current position, still standing there. But what concerned them more was what they could only assume was either drool or foam around it’s mouth.

“I’m no animal expert, but usually when massiffs have foam around their mouths, that means… well, you know…?” Rainbow asked.

“Rabid. With rabies. Fantastic…” Sunset cursed herself.

"So, what do we do?" Applejack asked.

"Well I don't want to kill it. I don't think I can live knowing I killed a massiff," Sunset answered. "Assuming it won't react or move... let's just move past it. And if it gets aggressive, let's just try to calm it down with the Force."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash nodded to each other, and slowly took a step forward. And then another. The animal continued to stand there in place, just looking at them viciously, but it didn't attack. The girls braced themselves for the animal to attack, only to watch as the doors behind it opened up, revealing two Midnight troopers who were walking through, and stopped. The two of them looked at the trio, and then at the massiff.

Sunset felt sweat running down her head; she blew it. She screamed inside, knowing she had blown their cover, and there would be no way of slipping past them. No way these troopers would just buy three random officers they never saw before walking about--

"Is Bruiser bothering you?"

--Or not.

Sunset gulped. "B-Bruiser?"

"Yeah, sorry, he's my guard dog," one of the troopers said, walking over to softly pet its head, making him calm down slightly.

"Um... I dunno if you should pet him, he's, uh... he's got a little somethin' around his mouth there..." Applejack gestured.

"What?" The trooper asked before looking down. "Oh geez, I knew this would happen. I'm sorry about that, officer, I meant to take him outside, I know I shouldn't have him inside, but... look, the other officers are telling me I should put him down, I don't want to do that. He's one of our best guard dogs, I can't just put him down, and besides he hasn't done anything wrong," he apologized, almost sounding like he was about to break down if he was told to kill it.

"Trooper, it's okay. Look, we don't know what the others have been saying, but we aren't going to tell you to euthanize this animal. At best, just take him outside so he doesn't cause harm, or take him to see a vet. I mean, do you even know if he's got rabies?"

"What difference does that make?" The second trooper complained. "You're keeping an animal here that can get us all infected."

"He's not infected!"

"Troopers," Sunset sternly, but calmly said, breaking up any fights between them. "I don't want to believe this animal has rabies; for all we know, this animal could have just eaten a bar of soap. Has he been attacked or bitten by any animals in the past few days?"

"No ma'am."

"Has he been routinely vaccinated and cleaned?"

"Yes ma'am, I just got his shots last week, and I cleaned him this... morning," he facepalmed.

The second trooper groaned. "I keep telling you, do not let that animal eat the soap, and you never listen. 'Oh, he won't think it's a chew toy or a bone'," he mocked.

"Just... take him outside, just to be on the safe side. Don't need to send out an alert for quarantine on a case of false alarm, do we?" Sunset asked, playing the part of the officer in charge.

"No ma'am. I'll take him outside," the trooper answered.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse us, we have work to get back to," Sunset said, slipping past the troopers. Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed behind her, leaving the troopers alone to deal with the massiff.

"Nice work," Rainbow winked, once they were alone.

"Eh, it's just simple improvisation," Sunset shrugged.

The commando droids kept monitoring the security systems, making sure their friends were safe. They locked the doors to ensure no one else could get in, but it would only be a matter of time before someone busted through. One of the commandos tapped into another console, checking for any areas to dispatch troopers to throw them away from the crew, or to better yet, help direct their allies to where they need to go.

"The main power generators are not far from the slave camp," one of the commandos reported, speaking into Sandbar's com-link. "Take the main paths to the camp, and you can split a division through the shallow waters to where the generators are stationed."

"Awesome, thanks! Is anyone giving you any problems?"

"Negative. But K2-B4 has dispatched IG-11 to our location--"

BANG BANG BANG.

"Open up! You aren't supposed to have these doors locked!"

"Uhh, what was that?" Sandbar asked.

And at that moment, the door had been blasted open, slamming down right in the security room. A few troopers charged in, and froze when they saw the commando droids had taken their places. The commandos were ready to fight, but the troopers were faster. The first droid went down, flying on his back and onto the ground. The second one leapt from his chair and swatted at one trooper with a blade, knocking him down for the count. But even with the one trooper taken out, the second one fired again, striking a shot in the chest.

The commando's back arched back with extreme agility, almost like he was about to fall down... only for some bizarre sounds to emit from his circuitry and sent his upper torso standing back up straight, and his fingers armed with a blaster. The commando fired back, taking out the second and third trooper in the process.

"Guys, what's going on out there?"

Realizing they were about to get caught, the commando droid pulled out his blaster and fired a shot at the door, making sure to take out another trooper who was coming. But the troopers kept coming, and there were too many for two commandos to handle. The second commando was taken out, and soon enough, the third one was blasted to pieces, destroying him in the process. The Imperial officer who finished off the last droid quickly dashed up to the consoles, gritting his teeth in anger. Who were these droids, why were they here?

But then he saw something on the camera systems; there was a group of officers walking outside of the base, none of which he had ever seen before. Realizing what was happening, he quickly flipped a silent command, then looked to another camera where some troopers who were on standby. The troopers gathered together and ran down the hallway, moving to intercept.

Sunset, Rainbow, and Applejack were now outside, and watched as a few troopers scouted around the shoreline, making tracks on the sands. They were continuing the scouting, and saw a group of Yakyakiees pushing some more cargo onto a hauler to be sent off to it's destination. Once it was loaded, the driver escorted the cargo away while the Yakyakiees got a thank you with the sound of harsh whippings, and brutal force. Sunset grit her teeth in anger as she watched, but didn't express much else. Pushing forward, the trio continued to search for the fuel line.

"Commandos, you there? We need another route to the fuel supply," Rainbow whispered. All she got on the coms were static. "Commandos?"

"Why aren't they responding?" Applejack whispered back.

"You don't think there's a chance they were found, do you?"

"That's exactly what happened, General Shimmer."

A Death Watch trooper landed in front of the trio, flying down with his jetpack. And then another soldier dropped down. And another. And another. And another. Eight Death Watch troopers surrounded the trio, blasters pointed at them to keep them in place.

"... Great," Sunset growled.

"Do we kill them?"

"No. We take them to the main courtyard. The commander will want to see them," the captain ordered. "Tell the others to keep a look out; we have intruders."

Outside in the tarmac area, various workmen and guards walked about as they kept setting the fighters out onto the empty parking spaces. The pilots who flew in the regular TIEs were eager to give the Defenders the tests they wanted, but hadn't gotten the expressed permission yet, inspections were still necessary to ensure they were 100% functional.

Unbeknownst to any of them, Lyra and Bon Bon kept sneaking around, trying to find a way to disable the fighters. Lyra initially wanted to use her lightsaber, but Bon Bon vetoed the idea, knowing her lightsaber would make too much noise and alert the men of their presence. So Bon Bon settled on simply placing small detonators on the edges of the spots where the wings were connected to the joints. The first one had been set and she activated a small timer that would buy her and their friends enough time just in case.

Moving onto the next one, Bon Bon took to moving up on a ladder to climb into one of the Defenders, checking to make sure no one had seen her. With Lyra Force-lifting some objects at a farther direction, it enticed the nearby guards to go investigate in that area and pull them away from their handiwork. Bon Bon climbed into the cockpit and slipped another detonator, this time placing it under the seat. Climbing out, she rejoined Lyra as the two of them took cover behind some crates to make sure no one saw them. When the coast was clear, the duo made their next run to another Defender.

Lyra saw that the next TIE Defender was available to ruin, and so the duo repeated the same process; pull out a ladder, climb into the ship, place a bomb under the seat, rinse and repeat. They repeated this step for two more vessels, and were about to put another on the next one they saw until--

"Watch your kriffing hands, skids."

Lyra and Bon Bon slowly turned around, hearing a blaster cocked. Several of them. Their eyes were locked onto masse of Death Watch soldiers and Midnight Troopers surrounding them. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and they had no where else to run. Not even the sheer strength of the two of them combined would be enough to take them on, especially after they dropped this little bit of info.

"We already got three of your friends. Unless you like to watch them die, you'll surrender now," one of the guards grunted, shoving the blaster at Bon Bon's chestplate.

Grunting softly, Bon Bon slowly raised her arms up to surrender, and so did Lyra. The two adults kept brave faces, but inside, they were hoping the rest of their friends would be okay.

Sunset, Rainbow, and Applejack were forcefully pushed with their hands behind their backs, cuffs ensured to keep them from escaping. They could see a handful of barracks meant for the Midnight troopers and Death Watch collaborators. Entire groups stood in formation outside, showing their numbers to the captured Jedi.

And unfortunately, the trio could also see Lyra and Bon Bon had been placed on their knees, in the same positions they were about to be in. The three of them were forced to get down on their knees, and with weapons pointed at their heads if they dared move.

“Greeeaaat,” Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Of all the things to go wrong, it’s the responsible adults who get caught.”

“Relax. We’ve been captured tons of times,” Rainbow shrugged off. “Your people caught me and Applejack at one point.”

“If you think Death Watch represents my people, you’re dead wrong,” Bon Bon sneered with an icy glare. “Just hope the others are fine…”

A pair of boots landed on the ground in front of them; the commanding officer in charge of the base, or at least, one of them. She slowly lifted her helmet, revealing a light green woman with golden fiery hair, and a lightning streak tattoo running down her face.

“I waited for someone to try and break in here. I just didn’t think it’d be you, General Shimmer,” the commander chuckled. “And what do we have here… Applejack and Rainbow Dash. It’s nice to see you again.”

Riot

Author's Note

I'm sorry this took a while to make; been busy with RL, and I've had a bit of a writing block for this. But I think I've got a plan for the rest of this, which hopefully should come underway. Thank you all for your patience, and hope you enjoy! ^^

Thanks again to Scholars for proofreading!

Riot

“And what do we have here… Applejack and Rainbow Dash. It’s nice to see you again.”

“… Who are you?” Rainbow and Applejack asked.

“Hmm. Maybe not,” Commander Dust shrugged off. “Either way, your attempts to stop production are cute, but sadly, not enough.”

“Why are you even helping them anyway?” Bon Bon questioned, trying to keep her head away from the blaster barrel at her neck.

“Because the Empire offered something more than the Storm Empire could ever offer; real purpose. The Storm Empire and the late Storm King were all just jokes,” Dust scoffed, pacing back and forth in front of them. “And, I’d like to point out—if you think I’m going to just stand here and monologue to buy you all some time, you’re an idiot.”

“Well, worth a shot anyway,” Bon Bon deadpanned.

The commander hit the com device on her wrist. “SC-483, report to the guard staff. We may have to open some new cells for our prisoners; no, wait… yeah, keep them in there. Dispatch some guards at once.” The commander waited, but there wasn’t any reply. “SC-483, come in.”

There was an audible static coming from the com, until someone finally picked up.

“I apologize commander, we had some technical difficulties. The Mandalorian intruder had sent in her droids to take over the office, but they have all been scrapped.”

Lightning smirked at Bon Bon who just kept scowling at her.

“Excellent work. Now, can you handle dispatching guards?”

“I’m sorry commander, we have no guards available.”

Lightning’s smirk faded. “Why? Where are they?”

“I’ve sent them to pursue infiltrators. The five adults are not alone.”

“Of course they aren’t. Hmm... would they be some possible young recruits that the sergeant ranted about being out of uniform and late?” Lightning continued to question with a sinister smirk on her face.

“Affirmative. The troopers are searching for them as we speak.”

"Good. Find them, fast." Lightning shut off the coms. "In the meantime... perhaps we can spend a little time getting to know each other," she said with a sadistic smirk as she showed the blaster on her side.

Unbeknownst to her; she wasn't going to get her chance. R2 watched the situation unfold, hiding behind boxes and with a raised eye from his dome, spying on their movements. Quietly he reported to the others, hoping they would hear him soon...

It didn't take long for Sandbar and the others to recognize they had been spotted. They moved as fast as they could, trying to keep their cover as best as possible, but they had to run on a few occasions. Ocellus and Flurry however had the most trouble; seeing how out of place Flurry was amidst everyone else.

Luckily, the two of them moved just in time for two officers to step off the tram system they had been looking for, and stepped on without difficulty. As Flurry and Ocellus stood in the tram, one more person stepped inside. A dark colored woman with black hair walked in, standing next to Ocellus. The doors closed, leaving the three people inside as the tram took off for another section of the base. Awkward silence filled the room as they stood there, holding onto the safety straps. The only sounds filling the room was the tram riding over the rails to the destination.

Flurry and Ocellus were keeping their absolute best when it came to being quiet to blend in, but Ocellus sensed something was off. There was only two occupants in the room with them; one Imperial astromech who just stood in front of them, and the woman who just joined their tram. However, Ocellus smelled something… wrong. She awkwardly stood a bit closer next to the human woman, keeping her head forward with the same neutral face as hers.

“Officer, I am usually more polite than this, but could you please stand a few inches away? You’re invading my personal space,” the woman asked, rather formally as she looked ahead of her.

“I apologize…” Ocellus leaned forward to read her credentials, “Commander. I smelled something.”

“Oh? Smell what?” The commander asked, still not removing her eyes.

Just then, the tram stopped moving. Everyone almost fell, and the Changeling gazed at the source of the sudden halt. The Imperial behind them had flipped a few switches and dismantled a section of the tram's internal parts to prevent them from moving temporarily. The woman stepped forward, and slowly pulled out her blaster from her pocket, forcing Ocellus and Flurry to quietly prepare to pull out theirs…

Only to immediately be whiplashed as the woman fired a shot straight into the astromech’s dome, executing it on the spot. She whipped it back in her pocket, and turned to look at Ocellus before pointing a blaster up at Flurry.

“Um… why’d you shoot the droid?”

“Ocellus, it's me! I didn't think it'd be hard to recognize me," she said, dropping the stone cold demeanor and looking very chipper.

“Take who, wait, what, what’s happening?” Flurry complained.

The woman in front of them changed her shape, no longer resembling the Imperial, but rather a Clawdite with several cuts and bruises present on her head and face. Ocellus gasped in joy. “Mogwai! It’s you!”

“She’s who now?” Flurry puzzled.

"She's one of us, she's a Rebel! Wait, what are you doing here?"

"Captain Mint had been trying to find ways to get us all out of here, but they didn't work. She got me out though, so I decided to stick around see if there was anything I could do to try and help, or slow down the projects. Not much I could do though," Mogwai sighed.

"Well we came to the rescue, at least, for now. Some of our friends just got caught," Ocellus feared.

"I heard. And I have an idea," the Clawdite proposed. "What's the plan here?"

"Right now; destroy the generators," Ocellus explained. "Why, what do you want to do?"

"If your friends are caught, you're gonna need help getting them free. I did find some information on one of their higher ups, and I think this woman might be your best aid on buying them time."

The Clawdite reached to her side, pulling up a small holodevice. The projection displayed itself for Ocellus and Flurry to see, both of them staring in confusion.

"Okay, are you pulling our legs right now?" Flurry's eyes narrowed.

"I'm serious. This woman is the Fourth Inquisitor, I don't know who she is in relation to the General, but I have a feeling she's someone important to General Shimmer," Mogwai explained.

"How do I know you're serious?" Flurry questioned.

"Flurry, I promise, she's on our side," Ocellus reassured, patting her shoulder. She looked back to her Clawdite ally. "Sorry, she's new. But are you really sure?"

"Yes. And I really recommend we go right now if we're going to save them," Mogwai responded, her skin morphing back into the woman she looked like before.

Flurry was flabbergasted. "You're just going to leave me alone, by myself, to break the generators?"

"Yes," Ocellus nonchantly said, her body slowly morphing into the figure she was studying on the hologram.

"... You realize I have no freaking clue how to set a bomb, right?"

"It isn't that hard," Ocellus reassured. "And we can let Gallus and Smolder know where you are so they can help."

"But Ocellus, I... I've never done something like this! I can't just go out there alone! What if one of those Mandos spot me? Or worse; what if they shoot me down before I get a chance, I... I'm a coward, let's face it," Flurry sighed, plunking herself down on the passenger seat on the tram.

The Changeling stood in front of her, brushing her shoulders to bring her attention back. With a warm smile, Ocellus lifted her friend off the seat and gave her a warm hug of affection. Flurry embraced her back, still shaking at the thought.

"You could have backed out at any time, but you didn't. You could have blown our cover, disobeyed orders, sabotaged us, or not offer us a ride back home... but you didn't," Ocellus informed. "You can do this. I know you can."

Flurry let out a soft sigh under the helmet, looking back with determination. "I'll do it. Just promise me you'll stay safe."

"I promise. Good luck."

Fixing the small damage she had done, Mogwai got the tram back to moving again as it clicked on the rails, moving to the generators. Only a few minutes remained until the tram would arrive, and Flurry was doing what she could to mentally prepare. She took a few deep breaths to calm down, and even pushed down on a few pieces of her armor that were popping out more than they should. She checked her blasters, both of them were clean and ready to go, no overheating. Coms still functioned, she was more than ready to go.

The doors opened, and Flurry could see more beach surrounded by crystal clear waters that surrounded the beach. Stepping out, her boots left prints in the sand as she made her first steps towards the main generators. They weren't that imposing, but Flurry had second thoughts going through her brain again. Covered in armor and various metals, it was extremely well built, clearly made to withstand a lot of punch. The teenager however didn't run back, she knew lives were at stake. She had to keep going.

Pulling out the bomb, she began to type in the controls to turn it online. A few seconds later, the tram that carried the trio began to run backwards, going towards the main island so Ocellus and the Clawdite could carry out their distraction. Ocellus, much like Flurry, mentally prepared herself for their change and plan, and transformed with a flash, hoping she resembled the woman that Mogwai intended for her to look like.

The five adults still remained in the compound, bound by electrocuffs that encouraged them not to struggle and try to escape. Lyra and Bon Bon both stood strong on the outside, but inside, the two were panicking. They had no idea if Flurry Heart was safe, nor could they find out if she was caught. The best they could do was just sit and wait, praying she'd be okay.

"I'm surprised you aren't resisting very much, Mandalorian," Lightning observed, as she paced, waiting for a response from the patrol teams. "I would have thought you would want to charge at me by now, I am desecrating your people, am I not? You may not be saying it, but I can tell the type a mile away."

Bon Bon rolled her eyes, still not saying a word.

"Can't talk, or won't?"

"I've kinda gotten used to being in a situation like this," the Mandalorian shrugged off. "This isn't exactly new ground for me."

"Hmm. Fair enough," Lightning casually shrugged, not seeing any fun in engaging with her anymore. "But what about your wife, she have anything to say? Or are you going to resist as well?"

"Again, used to being caught. Sides, I met my lovely lady in cuffs," Lyra playfully giggled.

"... Okay, I'm not even going to ask you further, you're weird," Lightning shivered.

Sunset just raised a brow as she stayed there on her knees, shifting uncomfortably. Shrugging it off, she lifted herself up briefly to move her legs out and to sit with them crossed, nearly getting the soldier behind her alarmed.

"Relax, I'm just moving my legs around, hard on your knees," Sunset rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me, Commander. But we have a visitor," one of the officers interrupted.

"I don't have time for this right now, you can tell Captain Phasma to wait," Lightning brushed off.

"Our visitor isn't Captain Phasma."

The doors opened up, allowing the newly arrived personnel to show. Stepping forward was Mogwai; staying in Imperial disguise as she approached the compound. She gave a silent nod to the commander who gave a nod back. The Clawdite moved to the side to allow the real visitor to come forward and reveal herself; a woman with dark azure skin and cream-white hair. Dressed in dark robes with Imperial markings on the shoulders. She stood silently, observing everything around her, calculatedly. She got a few guards to give her a salute, a sign of quiet respect.

Sunset, Rainbow, Applejack, Lyra, and Bon Bon all looked back, four of them looked with wide eyes and gaping jaws. They gasped slightly, recognizing the woman who was there. Sunset's breath was shaking, something Rainbow and Applejack picked up on instantly. Bon Bon however, was in the dark, but she didn't speak out of fear of being shot.

“O-Oh. Um, Sister. I didn’t expect you to be here. She was supposed to warn us when she’d be inspecting the facility, right?”

"Um, we just got the message a few minutes ago, Commander. I was trying to tell you, but you threatened to axe my head off if I interrupted," one of the Death Watch soldiers explained.

"... Oh. My mistake then," Lightning corrected herself.

Sunset was confused. She knew the woman in front of her was Trixie, at least what she thought was Trixie. Why was she referred to as ‘Sister’?

"Has she been scanned for any hidden bugs or possible contamination?"

“I believe so. But we checked the scans for security sake, it is her," Mogwai reported, showing the datapad in her hand.

“Oh… well, um, Inquisitor. Fourth Sister, whatever name you want, we are more than halfway ready. We do have some prototypes out on display for you to observe, and my men have just captured these intruders. Jedi, believe it or not. Would you like us to perform a test on a Defender? Or would you like to operate one yourself while we guide you?”

The stranger was continuously quiet, looking at her with a blank neutral expression, watching her calmly, silently. She then took several steps towards the backs of the five prisoners, all of whom turned as best as they could to see who was behind them. Rainbow and Applejack couldn’t believe their eyes, but they didn’t say anything; wondering if the next few words they spoke would get someone shot.

The familiar face slowly looked down at them, completely still. She stared at them, her eyes slowly looking like purple lusterless spheres. Everyone was confused, worried, and a bit uncomfortable as well with how quiet she was behaving. This was extremely unlike her, unless there was the possibility she had been broken or hurt, or maybe she had changed? Maybe she was smarter than she appeared.

“Trixie… is that really you?” Sunset felt her hands shaking in the cuffs, and her breathing was shaky just as much.

“She’s not Trixie anymore, Shimmer. That’s a name long of old. She’s now one of the highest ranking officials of the Galactic Empire," Lightning chimed.

Trixie stared intently at Sunset Shimmer, almost coldly but horrifically. It was like it wasn’t even her anymore. But then, Trixie turned her attention to Lightning Dust, giving her that same cow-eyed blank stare. Awkward silence filled the surrounding area, with Commander Dust coughing for a moment to make some noise, any that she could get to fill the void.

“So… um. Inquisitor, can we um… is there anything you request?”

The overwhelming silence and lack of words from the visitor were now starting to make her feel uncomfortable as well. Something didn’t feel particularly right with her, this wasn’t like the Fourth Sister in the slightest. Bewildered, some of the guarding massiffs near some of the guards perked up, starting to notice something weird, and were pacing back and forth as if they sensed something. A portent. Danger. But yet, it was so odd.

The confirmed Inquisitor remained a statue, as a soft but purring growl emitted from her. But the massiffs soon sensed something wrong, and they began to growl as well. The growling continued to build as the pacing from the massiffs continued. Nervously. Faster, encircling. Hissing and snarls grew, and the lack of response was driving the massiffs into a frenzy.

The Fourth Sister’s fingers twitched and she gazed right at the guard dogs intensely. Those soulless dead eyes weren’t enough to make them whimper or cower, and they just continued to snarl and growl, smelling something wrong.

The desk receptionist on the outpost continued to work as ordered, occasionally helping the troopers locate and find their workstations. She didn’t pay any mind to the sounds of grunting outside, nor the recent calls about Rebels being found; frankly it wasn’t her job to do anything but to sit there and make sure everyone that was a part of their program was signed in.

She soon heard a new sound, marching metal footsteps walking into the room and standing in front of the desk. She was protected by a strong sheet of glass that protected her from possible threat if anyone were to do so, but it wasn’t being fired or shot at by anyone. She looked up briefly, taken aback by the strange assassin droid who just marched inside.

“I have collected more Rebellion fugitives. I was told that your commander was here, where is she?”

“Look, droid, if you got more, I’ll let them know, but I’m going to have to ask you to wait outside with your prisoners,” she shrugged off, realizing this was just plain business.

“Subparagraph eighteen of the Bondsman Guild protocol compels you to immediately produce the rewards.”

“Look you walking stick, I only get an hour a day to use the bathroom and get food, now shut up and wait outside!” She suddenly snapped, standing up from her chair with flared nostrils.

"That does not seem logically possible for any organism to operate."

The nurse droid didn’t move any further, but instead gazed at her. His scopes turned around at both different hallways. They analyzed closely at the environments ahead, using some thermal scanners that were embedded into his scopes. Then, IG-11 looked at the woman at the desk rather ominously.

“I will return.”

Spinning around, IG-11 marched out of the office leaving her confused. This walking stick actually complied and didn’t fight with her? And a non-Imperial droid at that? Huh. What luck. Ignoring the clearly strange activity, she just sat down and pulled up a small holopad, which had multiple articles about current activities going on in the galaxy. Frankly, she only got so much freetime in the Empire, she was going to take advantage of it.

Just then a woman in Midnight trooper armor marched up to the desk. The receptionist didn’t care, and just sat there in her chair, enjoying her article, or at least, what the trooper assumed she was.

“Ahem,” she interrupted.

The receptionist looked up with a disinterested face. “What?”

“I wish to file a complaint.”

“You do realize I’m on my break, and it’s going to be a lot of paperwork?”

The Midnight trooper didn’t budge from where he stood. The receptionist growled as she slapped her holopad down and pulled out a different one that actually had work related information stored.

“Fine. What’s your complaint against?”

“Over the past few weeks, me and some of my troopers have been constantly trying to prevent the Rebel prisoners we have in our concentration camp—”

“—You mean temporary dwellings for reassignment?”

“—It’s a concentration camp, but whatever. We’ve been busting our butts off trying to keep them from escaping, and despite us always succeeding in keeping any from escaping, they keep knocking out at least two to three troopers every time. We could use more men, we’re getting a little short-staffed.”

“—Do I look like a Kaminoan? Look, I’ll put in a work order to call for more conscriptions, but we’ve got bigger problems than having a few short-staffers. Our Mandalorian partners have had to put down over eight people for breaking out into a musical number an hour ago,” the receptionist said, sounding bored with every syllable she uttered.

“Can we at least get some Mandalorians to help us out?”

“You’re a big girl, you can solve the problem yourself,” she snarked.

“You suck as a receptionist, you know that, don’t you,” the Midnight trooper sneered under the helmet as the entrance doors opened again.

“Look, they don’t pay me enough to just sit here and make sure you all are clocked in for your shifts. Just go deal with them…” the receptionist looked up and her pupils shrunk. What she saw next made her stop talking almost entirely. The same figure had walked into her office again, this time holding a bigger blaster than what was seen strapped to his belt.

“I’m not just going to deal with them, we need more men! Why are you just standing there—”

A powerful hand came down and slammed on the trooper’s helmet, thrusting her body down to the ground and slamming. The helmet might have been made for protection, but it didn’t protect the trooper from the massive concussion she received from the metallic fist that came whipping down.

The receptionist pulled herself out of her chair which proved to be a huge mistake, as the assassin droid's skinny arm reached out and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her in the air. She gripped Eleven's fingers trying to pull him off her neck, but his strength was unmatched.

"I am going to rephrase my question. Where are the prisoners being held?"

"Ack! I can't--agh! Tell you! I'll-agh, be shot!"

"That is not a reason to terminate an underpaid employee," Eleven calculated. "Where are the prisoners?"

"Agh! Ack-ack, courtyard! Courtyard! Go--ack! Down the-rrrr--hall! It's a cou--agh! You're choking me!"

IG-11 let go of her, letting her breathe again. She coughed heavily as she tried to get oxygen back down her throat, still in pain from the droid's tight grip.

"Down... down the hall! Take a few lefts!" The receptionist pleaded. "Please don't kill me!"

"I do not have desire to terminate you. You are unarmed. But I recommend you take any personal belongings and depart this base at once. You will not want to stay here when it explodes," Eleven summised as he followed the direction she provided.

"I understand! Thank you!" She shouted as the droid walked past.

Marching down the hallway, IG-11 scoped the surrounding area as he began his walk to the Jedi. His fingers clutched a DC-17 interchangeable blaster in one hand, and a single Westar-35 blaster pistol, both prepped and ready to fire. Two Imperial officers stepped out of one of the doors with their weapons cocked, wondering what all the commotion was, and IG-11 didn’t hesitate to blast them both down, watching them hit the floor.

“Blaster shot! Who was that!?”

Another trooper saw Eleven and fired at him, getting a potshot at his shoulder plate, and the assassin/nurse fired back. He didn’t hit him, but he did notice two more armed guards in the two doors on both sides. He moved to the right, and shot at the Imperial who was going to pull out his blaster, and then shot at the woman on his left who fired a blaster shot to his shoulder.

Two more officers shot at the assassin, almost hitting his central wiring unit. But IG-11 didn’t go down, he turned his attention back to them and fired back. One of them went back into another room for cover, but it didn’t stop the walking tank from coming.

A simple officer sitting at his desk looked up in shock, and this time IG-11 switched his weapon from kill to stun, taking out the officer from the field, and even hitting the second one that appeared from the wall. But when another trooper shot at him, his weapon went from stun to kill and he fired a shot into the trooper’s chest.

He looked up ahead, finding another source of power to disable, and he marched forward, completely unscathed and unmoved by the numerous amount of troopers that were coming his way. His claws snapped at the power box, ripping off the panel.

“Freeze!” Another trooper shouted, pointing a blaster at him.

“Orders, unverified. Please repeat,” Eleven ignored, as he snapped another cable.

“Don’t tamper with those cables, you’ll—”

“—Orders unverified. If you do not repeat your orders, I will have no choice but to self-destruct.”

“Wait, what!?”

IG-11 snapped the last few bits of cable and turned around, looking at the trooper. His chest opened up, showing a small orb that was blinking red.

“Wait, no no no no no, don’t blow up, you’ll take us with them!”

"Repeat designation or be destroyed. Repeat designation or be destroyed," IG-11 repeated this code multiple times as he marched at the trooper, scaring him enough to run back before his bomb exploded. Now that he was gone, he could go back to his mission. Once the doors were finally open, he began to run down the hallway, moving faster to help his friends in need.

“Commander, pardon my judgement…” one of the Death Watch members said, keeping a reign on the massiffs who were still acting antsy around the presence of the Fourth Sister. “… I think something’s wrong with the dogs.”

Sunset was about to speak up, until she saw Trixie’s hands make soft gestures against the side of her body. Hand signals in fact. It wasn’t something she could always read, but she was able to decipher the code being given to her…

Suddenly Trixie’s jaw lowered, but no voice, not hers, came out. A long, deep howl emerged from the back of her throat. A rumbling growl crossed with a high-pitched squeal, it created an ear-splitting combination far too loud for such a small body. All of the Mandalorians were covering their ears, even those who were helmeted, the noise level was too much for them to take. That screech was almost resembling the supposed roars of the mythical Krayt Dragons on Tatooine, at least according to those who told their stories.

Mere moments after this thing that clearly wasn’t Trixie stopped screaming… a series of blasterfire engaged from the opening doors. IG-11 marched outside, firing at the Mandalorians who were cowering from the loud noises. A few of them went down straight away, not fast enough to pull out their blasters, but some of them did start to move once they saw him. ‘Trixie’ stopped roaring, and pulled out a blaster herself, firing at some of the other Death Watch soldiers and taking cover behind some barricades. IG-11, seeing the adults were now away from the troopers, fired single blasts at each of their cuffs, letting them get free again.

Using the Force, Sunset yanked the blasters away from Lightning Dust, giving them back to the rest of the group. Standing next to IG-11, everyone stood together as a hailfire of blaster bolts flew through the air at one another. The Fourth Sister's form vanished into thin air as Ocellus made herself clear, taking cover behind some crates where Sunset was taking cover behind.

"Sorry we didn't warn you, General!" Ocellus cried as a blaster bolt hit the wall in front of them, not hitting their heads. "I was trying to remember the hand signals, but I got them all messed up!"

Sunset didn't answer, but just moved up to fire at another Death Watch trooper. She threw her back down against the crate as she tried to keep herself together, her heart now racing faster than before.

"General, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine! Sorry, that... we'll discuss that later, let's just focus on keeping their cover!"

Ocellus and Sunset moved out of hiding as they stood with the rest of their friends.

"I need my lightsaber!" Applejack yelled.

Speak of the devil; flying by around the corner came R2, Cheep, and Spike who raced into the courtyard. All three of their domes opened a panel, as lightsabers came flying out of them. Sunset grabbed hers first, then Lyra grabbed hers, and soon Applejack and Rainbow Dash got theirs.

Lightning growled with fury. "Kill them all!"

"But commander, shouldn't we--"

"--I don't care what Midnight or any higher up would say, finish them so we can get this nuisance out of the way!" Commander Dust barked, slapping the shoulder in the back of the head.

"Yes commander," he begrudgingly obliged, turning his focus back on the Jedi.

"Sorry we're late!" Spike apologized, moving behind a barricade.

"Just glad you're here now! Come on, let's kick some butt!" Rainbow smirked, swinging her lightsaber around to deflect the many blaster bolts that were coming at her head.

Everyone stood together as one line, trying to maintain each other as they fended off the troopers that were coming in from the shores to help. Regular Midnight troopers, Imperial officers, more Death Watch, and even shoretroopers were coming in to fight.

Lifting a few crates with the Force, Rainbow Dash and Applejack flung them towards a group of shoretroopers, knocking down a few with the heavy weight, but still having a few others who evaded the assault. Sunset Shimmer, preferring to use her blaster over her lightsaber at this moment, whipped it out and fired multiple shots at Lightning Dust who bounced them off with her armor, barely flinching from the fire. This only made the commander fire back at her, forcing Sunset to duck.

Taking a chance to do some damage; Spike communicated with Cheep, and the two began to move past the soldiers so they could attack from behind, not being noticed during the firefight. Bon Bon, twirling her WESTAR-35s around, fired like a gunslinger on Tatooine, hitting the fake Mandalorians from various sides, even from the air despite being grounded. Lyra in turn, stood beside her and helped block some of the blaster shots that were coming at her, allowing her to try and take down as many as possible. Unfortunately, she couldn't evade the blaster bolt to her unprotected thigh.

"OW!"

"Bonnie!" Lyra cried.

"I'm okay, just keep blocking," she winced, trying to keep her balance as best she could, despite the pain.

Whipping past them to another barricade, Spike rolled on the compound ground with his middle wheel, his two back legs flailing behind him as he sprayed fire from his nozzles, burning at least two of the Death Watch soldiers on fire, setting a third Imperial officer on fire as well. All of them tried to run or find a way to get rid of the flames, but it was too late; the heat and pain overwhelming them all, and they collapsed to the ground.

Cheep rolled past another barricade, seeing a small group of Midnight troopers who were huddled close, firing too many shots at Applejack who tried to deflect them. The shots were too much, and the farmer received a painful one to her arm, sending her falling to the ground.

"AJ!"

"Chirp churrrrrrrrp!!!!!"

Cheep opened a panel on his head, releasing a nozzle. Out the nozzle came a lime-green dose of smog that clouded the area he stood in, spraying the Midnight troopers. All of them were coughing up hard from the stench, powerful enough to make them collapse onto the ground and pass out from the fumes. None of them died, as Sunset said before, but they were out for the count.

"R2," Sunset ordered. "Contact G-G, where is he?"

"Bweep boop boop," R2 verbalized.

"Found what!?" Sunset ducked again.

"Bwoop!"

"Okay, hopefully Flurry can get them... wait a minute," Sunset realized. She looked at the Changeling who kept her arms held on the barricade to try and shoot the Midnight troopers. "Did you leave Flurry by herself?"

Ocellus's wings drooped, and her ears flopped. Slowly turning her head, she had a guilty smile on her face as she gazed at the disapproving glare of her commanding officer. "Um... y-yeah, about that...??"

Bon Bon threw her back against the barricade on the other side of Ocellus, trying to take cover with them. Lyra just stood beside them, deflecting the blaster bolts with her lightsaber.

"Where is Flurry, she's supposed to be with you!" Bon Bon asked, ducking her head from another blaster bolt.

"That's what I'm trying to find out. Ocellus, care to answer?"

Ocellus still didn't say anything, her face said it all. But Sunset still wanted to hear it.

"Ocellus?"

"... okay, I left her alone to blow up the generators!"

"You IDIOT!" Bon Bon shrieked.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to save you guys so they can focus on us! I thought me showing up would direct all of their attention to me, and let her do her job!" Ocellus protested, shooting at another trooper and failing.

"Then we better keep them focused so she can finish the job," Lyra affirmed, blocking another bolt. "Eleven, keep going!"

"Yes ma'am!"

The assassin droid spun around like a cog, his upper torso kept spinning around as his arms twisted to fire at different troopers from various vantage points. A few bolts bounced off his body, but nothing critical. Some of his shots hit their targets, some dodged them. He still stood his ground, forcing the troopers to evade his radius of hailfire.

As the battle continued, Lighting Dust stood on a few crates, trying to kill her opposition from a higher point, but with no luck. She got a few potshots at Eleven, and even slashed the side of Spike's dome; but no real damage to any of her enemies. Just then, one of the troopers beside her hit the side of his helmet, overhearing a transmission coming in.

"Commander! There's a child trying to destroy the generators," the trooper reported over the laserfire.

Lightning was about to reply until Ocellus flew above them, and fired at another Death Watch soldier next to her. Looking up, Lightning's eyes locked onto the Changeling that buzzed around them, trying to draw the attention of everyone on the ground.

"Send a soldier to finish her; I'm going to take care of a bug," Lightning relayed.

Jumping up, her jetpack activated as she flew up into the air, pursuing the Changeling that went flying above the factory, trying to draw the attention some more. Whipping around the smokestacks, Ocellus spun around as she made another run towards the troopers on the ground, blasters at the ready.

Her ears twitched as she heard a jetpack flying above, and she spun herself upside down to take a look, nearly yelping as the commander tried to take a swipe at her with a dagger. Ocellus moved out of the way just in time, and the two combatants flew around each other, trying to make an attack on one another but not succeeding.

Hovering on two opposite ends, Lightning and Ocellus glared at each other as if they were two bounty hunters ready for a showdown in a shanty-town on Tatooine. The fight could be seen by anyone outside, and even Flurry got a look at the two colorful specks in the sky, hovering above the compound. The Death Watch commander twirled her daggers around and charged forward, intending to pin the bug down like she would be put on a display board, but the Changeling was more swift, moving out of the way in time.

Ocellus, using her blaster, fired a few shots towards the commander, who had either got out of the firing range, or deflected it with the armor on her wrists. Quickly, the Changeling buzzed as fast as she could, trying to get away from the brawny grips of the commander. Looking back down, Ocellus got an idea--

"AAGHHH!!!"

--for about two seconds. Her entire body, losing control of her flight pattern went spinning out of control as she hurled towards the ground like an X-Wing about to crash into a ship. And with a loud thud, she slammed right into the beach, with Lightning Dust smirking at her fallen prey. And floating down gently like a feather was a small snippet of a wing, in the shape of a triangle coming down and flowing into the waters to be swept away.

Her nosedive wasn't unnoticed however; Sandbar, Silverstream, and Yona all watching as the fight continued. They desperately wanted to go and help her, but a bigger problem was on the horizon as a jetpack trooper was flying towards the dunes where the generators were sitting.

"Gallus, Smolder! You want something to do? Flurry needs help, can you keep any guys with jetpacks off her?" Sandbar asked.

"Are you kidding? About time, I wondered what all the fighting was about!"

"We're on our way!" Smolder promised.

The main power station buzzed, and Flurry looked up with the most determined face. Those massive cells were providing power to all the prisoner’s shackles and gates, she had to get them free. Taking her WESTAR-35 out, she aimed it towards a set of powerboxes that controlled the power. No wasting time dealing with switches, this had to be shut down. Ocellus was counting on her, and so was everyone else.

She pulled the trigger, sending several sparks sizzling up the massive energy plant. Seeing it wasn't enough, she fired it again, and pulled the trigger several times, making the sparks bigger. She slammed the box with her foot for an extra kick, hoping it would add to the damage. Unbeknownst to her, that one shot was starting to have an effect. The lasers on the massive camp that trapped the prisoners was starting to act a little fuzzy, no longer starting to have the strength they once did. The prisoners inside the camp were starting to notice as they looked to one another. Even Yona, Sandbar, and Silverstream were getting an idea. They saw Flurry trying to shoot at the power box nearby, hesitant and afraid of getting massive electroshock from the impact.

Gallus and Smolder watched from above as Flurry kept adding damage to the generators, showing sparks sizzling more and more above, shortening out.

“Keep shooting it! It’s working!” Gallus called.

“You sure Sunset didn’t tell me to simply turn it off!?” Flurry protested.

“If it can be turned off, it can be turned back on! Just keep firing!" Smolder shouted.

“Well… ooookay!” Flurry pulled the trigger again. And again! And again!

Little fires were starting to spread, and energy sizzled and surged throughout the generators, and it was overtaking them. Not enough power could be spread or maintained, and it began to affect the entire base. Trams stopped moving, doors opened everywhere. The gates that held the prisoners were now shutting down, leaving no lasers to hold them in. Sandbar, Silverstream, and Yona all gasped with excitement. The guards who were around turned, wondering what was going on, and were confused when Sandbar decided to throw his helmet down, showing his face to the prisoners.

Noting their work, Flurry, quickly ran far from the generators as possible, and fired off a few more random shots, hoping some more damage would do the case. She kept running across the shallow waters, kicking water up behind her, all in an attempt to keep running. Luckily Smolder and Gallus swooped in to lift her up just in the nick of time, as the generators began to tremor the grounds around them, sending a massive explosion that blew all of them towards the grounds where the prison camp was. The three of them slammed into the sands before rolling across the metal grounds, getting the attention of the others.

Quickly getting up, Flurry turned to see a man towering over her; Death Watch. With a blaster pointed at her, Flurry tittered as she raised her hands to surrender.

“Oh… heh, heh. Sorry, my bad?”

Flurry was grabbed by her armor and thrown like a ragdoll, sending her rolling across the ground and right to where Sandbar’s group was sitting.

“Ow!”

“Flurry!”

The Mandalorian guard growled as he pulled out a blaster, ready to shoot her and her little friends who were huddled around her, trying to keep her safe.

“Bad move, child. You should have stayed away…”

He was ready to shoot her, but he felt someone pat his shoulder. He looked beside him, seeing a smirk coming from a rather buff Zabrak man with bigger horns than most Zabraks would see in their life time. And on his other side was a Devaronian woman, just as much buff as the man.

“I wouldn’t try killing the child if we were you,” the Zabrak said, rather sinisterly.

“Otherwise… he and I are going to need to be a bit rough.”

Not even seconds passed, and the Mandalorian guard was thrown halfway over the slave camp where he slammed right into a pole, face first knocking him. The rest of the prisoners who stepped out of their barracks saw as their bonds began to shut down and fall off their bodies, no longer able to give them paid through electric shocks.

Men, women, enbies, unspecified genders, everyone was getting out of their little huts with excitement and an uproar of delight. Flurry stood back up, with the help of Silverstream and Yona who made sure she could stand without falling over, and they looked at the slave camp. Everyone inside the huts had stepped out, and were standing together as one giant group, ready to fight.

“Are they… they okay?” Flurry asked.

“This little girl right here, and her friends,” the Zabrak man hollered as he joined his fellow prisoners. “They saved us! They set us free!”

Everyone let out a big cheer, making Flurry a bit bashful from their applause.

“You’re alive!”

Gallus and Smolder landed right beside the group moments after Flurry reunited with the other three. The Yakyakiee ripped her fake shackles off and stood before the rounded up prisoners, rallying them with the loudest voice.

“Do Rebels want to escape and save our friends!?” Yona bellowed.

“YEAH!!!!”

“Then Yona say, we go save friends and kick Imperial butt!”

Everybody at once all charged out of the caged entrapment and went straight towards the main building of the base. They had some serious words they wanted to exchange with their ‘bosses’, and they had been waiting a long time to say them…

But before the group could join them, they noticed one particular Rebel was standing near one of the cabins. He waved to them, gesturing them to come over. Curiously they ran back inside, and could see why he didn’t leave. The beaten, bruised, and hurt woman that tried so desperately to help them escape was laying on the ground, severely injured. It didn’t look like she could take much more abuse.

“No… Mint…” Ocellus whimpered. She quickly rushed over, picking up her arm. Her little hand felt her wrist for a second, and then she sighed with relief. “She’s still alive,” she noted, and then noticed her chest was still going up and down, showing signs of breathing.

“She’s hurt badly,” the Lurmen said as he stayed close by. “I won’t abandon her.”

The woman slowly looked at her friend, almost sound like it was hurting just trying to breath. “P-Please… go… g-go…”

“No. I’m not leaving without you,” he said, insistent. “But I can’t carry her out on my own.”

“I can help get her to safety, I can at least find a safe place to move her,” Silverstream said. “The rest of you guys should go join the fight, I’ll be there shortly!”

With a team effort, Gallus and Silverstream carefully picked up Mystery Mint, moving out of the cabin. The Arisian picked up the woman with her arms and began to fly up into the air to take flight. Now that Mint was safely moved, the rest of the group ran out of the enclosure and went to go join the rest of their fellow Rebels who were going to begin a riot.

Final Battle

Author's Note

One down... one more to go. We're in the homestretch!

Thanks again to Scholarly Cimmerian for proof-reading and helping script some pieces.

Final Battle

Thanks to Flurry's efforts of destroying the generators, it sent a ripple effect throughout the factory and the rest of the base. All throughout the factory, all throughout the outpost, the electric cuffs, braces, shackles started to deactivate. They unlocked on every prisoner and slave, whining down as they powered off. The workers in the factory soon realized this, and one by one, their faces started to brighten. For the first time in a long time they felt something other than worry and pain.

“Hey, hey, what’s going on here?” One of the Death Watch guards yelled, seeing some of them stopping production. “Get back to work!” He looked at one of the prisoners, a female Rodian with a chipped ear who stood there, taking their situation in. “Are you deaf? I said get back to work!”

The guard was about to swing at his back until the Rodian turned around and gripped the metal baton with her hand, giving an angry glare to the wretched Mando. The Rodian slowly stood up, and when the Mando tried to hit his finger on the shock device, nothing happened. No pain was showing, nothing was affecting the prisoner.

And then he noticed two others standing right beside him; the Wookiee and Equestrian man assigned to that workstation joining his side. Both of them towered over the Mandalorian, snarling in anger. Before he could take his chance, the Wookiee grabbed him by the arms and slammed him against a wall, bellowing out his anger on him.

"Wait, wait no please! DON'T! STOP, IT REALLY HURTS, AGHHHH!!!"

The Rodian and the Equestrian both looked away, cringing and shivering at the disgusting noises that followed after, not wanting to see the graphic violence behind them. They did see one arm fall on the ground behind them, and they could only imagine where the other one was, not that they wanted to know.

Another Death Watch guard tried to attack a poor woman and Yakyakiee, but this time, G-G was the one who intervened. Raising a blaster cannon from his dome, he fired a shot at his head, killing him at once. This didn't go unnoticed as some more guards fired upon the gold streaked R4 unit, forcing him to hike his wheels up and run as fast as he could out the open doors. And unfortunately, even when he did, there were multiple officers and guards who noticed, immediately opening fire upon the dark-colored droid.

G-G zigzagged back and forth, desperately trying to avoid being shot, but there were too many of them, and unfortunately, the one path he could run to, the guards blocked off. He was forced to a halt, with two of them aiming their blasters at him. However, it did not stop him for long, as the cannon above his head aimed at them and fired quickly, spinning around and taking out the two of them. Getting the courage, he turned around, and charged at a few guards that were trying to electrocute Yakyakiees that were forced to haul out some engine parts, but failing.

"BWEEEEP!!!!"

The cries of his binary beep alerted them, and watched as a speeding R4 unit raced towards them. G-G continued to shoot at them, hitting a few blanks on the hollow engine. But the distraction was perfect for two of the Yakyakiees to yank the guards and slam them into the ground with their raging strength.

"Yaks no longer abused! Now Yaks return the favor!" One of them bellowed, slamming his chest as he jumped up and down, sending soft tremors on the ground.

More of the Yakyakiees began to fight back, slamming guards, officers, and troopers into the ground. A few of them destroyed their helmets from how hard they punched, others were killed just from their punches. And a few of the Yakyakiees got the idea to take weapons from the downed troopers, and turn them around on the officers. Another one, getting an idea, took a Z-9 rotary cannon from its mounted stand and began to fire, its barrels spinning around.

G-G spun around as he bumped himself into another trooper, pushing him to another angry Yakyakiee who slammed his head into his helmet.

"Astromech droid help Yakyakiees!" One of them called, raising a fist to gather the others around. Eventually all the prisoners from the factories gathered as well, hearing the call from the bigger friends.

"Bwoop boop!" G-G waved, looking at them excitedly. "Bweoop boop, brrrt brrrt brrrt bop."

"Help your friends?" One of them asked, wanting confirmation.

"Boop!"

"How can we help, astromech friend?" One of the Yakyakiees asked.

"Whoohoo!!!!" Flurry Heart whooped and hollered on the back of Yona. The Yakyakiee was running on all fours, with an army of angry prisoners behind her; all of them at charging at full tilt. Above, Gallus held onto Sandbar while Smolder flew right beside them, the group ready to mow down the Death Watch and Imperials that lay ahead.

"Run them over! Tear them apart! Show these terrorists what happen when you burn friends homes!" Yona shouted.

"Look out, we got shoretroopers coming up!" One of the prisoners pointed.

A platoon of shoretroopers were running across the shallow waters, blasters aimed right at them as they opened fire. A few of the running prisoners unfortunately bit the dust, but the majority of them weren't taken down so easily. Yona's horns headbutted into the armors of a few leading the attack, paving a way for the rest of their friends to come through. Others fought with their fists and feet, taking their weapons once the troopers had lost control of their weapons.

"I've never felt so alive!" One of the prisoners yelled, punching out one of the shoretroopers with an ecstatic grin.

"Come on everyone, we must help our friends!" Yona rallied, urging everyone to just trample and move on.

The rest of the courtyard continued its chaos with multiple forces moving in to try and apprehend the Jedi, but with no luck. Death Watch came flying above in the air, on the ground, and moving right alongisde the Midnight Trooper Corp, and various other forces and platoons in the area. They were everywhere, completely boxing in the Jedi, and the droids.

Cheep and Spike kept lifting themselves from their barricades, trying to get whatever shots they could from the little pistols they could clutch, but not much luck came with their targets. Cheep did take out a few officers through the legs, but they kept moving so it was hard to lock on target. IG-11 continued to swing around, unloading all of his tricks and spins on the troopers, but even he was starting to reach his limit. The continuous firing of his blasters were making them heat up, and there was only so many people he could hit. A few of them were even hitting him back, three bolts hitting his shoulder and his chest. One more shot did the trick that sent him falling to the ground, back laying against a piece of cargo.

Bon Bon used her gauntlets to block the metal dagger that Commander Dust attempted to use on her; the metal protecting her skin. Lightning Dust's anger kept growing with every swing, infuriated with how quickly this Mandalorian and her Jedi friends managed to get help.

"Commander, we have a problem! The prisoners--"

"--Not right now!" Lightning yelled into her coms, swiping from the bottom left side of Bon Bon's vision and failing.

"But Commander, they're--oh god! They're breaking in, they're YEGAH-AGHH!!!!"

The transmission cut off, but Lightning was too busy.

"You're not going to live long, slowpoke," Lightning cackled as she made a slash against Bon Bon's armor again, hitting a small fraction of skin through the cut cloth. "Getting old, are we?"

"I'm not old... I prefer the term experienced!" Bon Bon performed a round-house kick to Lightning Dust's chest, kicking her away briefly. She returned back to a fighting stance, ready as the commander came at her again, this time using her jetpack to jump up and try and kick the Mandalorian back, using both of her feet with a harder punch. Bon Bon nearly lost balance, and when she was open to strike, the Death Watch leader slashed her again, and sent Bon Bon flying back as she landed on her back, grunting from the pain. Her hand reached for her cut sides, seeing the metal above her wrist painted with blood. Nothing too serious to keep her from fighting, but it hurt badly.

Taking a chance to bring her down, Lighting Dust was ready to curb-stomp the Mandalorian into the ground. What she didn't realize was someone was flying straight at her. From behind, and swatting at her with an electro-baton, a buzzing noise flew over her head as her body was hit with a pulsating shock of electricity as she fell to the ground. The commander was hurt, but not for long. Getting back up, a powerful force lifted her off the ground without any physical hold.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing!?"

Looking to where the source was, Bon Bon watched as Lyra kept the fake Mandalorian in the air, trying to restrain her momentarily. Her efforts were cut short as multiple troopers saw her, and opened fire on her, forcing her to let go. Losing temporary balance, it gave Bon Bon a chance to come back around. This time however, she decided upon an easier way to temporarily take her out; aiming a blaster at the commander and firing a stun shot at her body, finally subduing the leader of the outpost.

"That's not going to keep her for long, will it?" Lyra asked, deflecting another blaster bolt to her face.

"I bought us a couple of minutes, if she gets back up, stun her again. She's too dangerous on the field," Bon Bon called back. Zipping around, the Mandalorian mama watched as Lightning's extra attacker came back around, landing on her feet. However, the bounty hunter noticed something that made her concerned.

"Your wing... are you okay?"

Ocellus looked behind herself, raising her wing that had a very sizable snip cut out.

"I mean it hurts, but I can still fly," Ocellus reassured her.

Just then, everyone stopped as they heard a massive amount of tremors and rumbling shake the ground. It wasn't enough to make anyone fall or the crates to fall off their stacks, but everyone was feeling the shake. Across the shallow waters were a stampeding army of prisoners from the slave camp, led by Yona running on all fours. Flurry held onto the armor straps on Yona's back as she ran, with the teenager firing a blaster in the air like a cowgirl, whoopin' and hollering like a child getting to play a rangler for the first time.

"Let's kick some, Yona!" Flurry cheered as the Yakyakiee made another jump across the waters, moving to the sandy beaches again. Everyone bellowed as they started to fire their weapons at their former captors, taking a stand for the torture and abuse they were forced to take.

A Trandoshan and a Wookiee slammed themselves into a trooper, even batting the blaster out of his hands. The Trandoshan gripped the soldier tightly as the Wookiee took his anger out on his armor. Another Lurmen, riding on the back of a Twi'lek woman, fired at some officers who were ready to shoot the poor woman in the back, and so he quickly moved, blasting him in the arm to subdue him for the count. A Zabrak man, grinded his legs against the ground as he made a running charge to a woman he saw; a woman who abused him and battered him to no end. He looked like he was about to tackle her, but instead lowered his head, and rammed his horns into her stomach, puncturing her skin and making her cry out in pain. He backed away after he saw he made a perfect wound; not enough to kill her, but enough to get the signal across.

One of the prisoners was even an RA-7 droid of all beings, with cloth fashioned around their hips to form a sarong-type skirt and even wrapped around the chest. They held a large backpack, and hands gripped onto a Z9-rotary cannon, finger locked onto the trigger as they fired at a barrage of shoretroopers coming in from a nearby tidal creek.

Gallus and Silverstream swooped above, moving to take on a flying Death Watch soldier from above, keeping his focus locked onto them so he didn't see who came next. Soon as his attention was off, Smolder came soaring at ramming speed, breathing fire as she let out a burst of flame onto him, sending him out of control as he slammed into the ground, reduced to a burning body.

Flurry Heart dodged most of the incoming soldiers, taking cover behind some boxes. Thinking carefully, she aimed her blaster to focus on the legs. With a few shots, she missed a few of them as they ran, but after calming herself down; she pulled the trigger and got a shot, making a trooper fall over and smack down on the ground. The unexpected trip sent another trooper falling on top of him, but the others went around them, simply passing it off as defective troopers being clumsy.

As her eye focused on another trooper, she saw a new sight that made her put her weapon away; an angry horde of Yakyakiees charging with some more freed prisoners riding their backs. Smiling proud, she watched as the Yakyakiees stampeded over another platoon of shoretroopers, coming in to help attack.

Some Death Watch members stood their ground and kept fighting, even swinging lassos at some of the running Yakyakiees, tripping them as they fell. However the armed soldiers were apprehended by more of the slavers who fought back, pushing them down after they tried to trip their friends.

Sunset Shimmer kept deflecting the blasts from many of the Midnight troopers as they surrounded her, and Rainbow Dash. Applejack managed to get back up, although it was hard for her to contribute to the fight as her shoulder was in massive pain. Which was why Rainbow and Sunset stood on two sides of her, trying to keep her protected.

"Looks like we got some help after all," Applejack noticed with a grin. "I haven't seen that many Yakyakiees rounded up like the cattle on a drive."

"Never change, AJ," Sunset joked as she kept her eyes on another trooper.

G-G, swooping around the battlezone, moved himself behind a barricade for cover, where some mre of the slaves were taking cover. A few of them were concerned, up until he raised a small blaster cannon above his head, and started to fire at the more brutal troopers who were trying to beat up a poor slave who had fallen over. One of them in particular turned around to look at the group of slaves hiding behind the barricades.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? NONE OF YOU MAGGOTS COULD EVEN TAKE CARE OF THESE LITTLE JACKASSES BEHIND THE BRICKS!!? MO-RONS!!!!! WHEN I'M FINISHED WITH THEM, I'M HAVING EACH OF YOUR ASSES FOR DINNER--"

RG-G1 did not hesitate to shoot that sergeant in the head with his cannon, giggling mischievously from the shot.

As the fighting continued, Flurry looked around her. All of these troopers were completely focused on fighting her friends, her parents, and the slaves. It seemed like almost all of them were here, just trying to focus on them. Could it be...?

Pulling out a pair of binocs, she looked across the shores, seeing the massive fuel refinery; the primary source that gave any of the TIE Defenders power. But as she looked around the area (hidden in a bush), she didn't see any guards or sentries keeping an eye on the place. If that fuel refinery was what the Defenders needed to get off the ground; then it had to go.

Moving out of the bush, she ran over to a nearby spot where a few speeder bikes were parked. Not looking back, she stepped onto the speeder bike and raced off across the shoreline, heading straight for the refinery. Unbeknownst to her, a knocked out Mandalorian slowly pulled herself up, growling as she saw their one major asset about to be in danger...

Flurry stepped off the bike, seeing the massive fuel lines in front of her. But how was she going to take them out? The bike couldn't blast them all apart. There weren't any walkers around, at least, none she could grab in a few minutes and take back. How could she take them out? Grenades probably wouldn't do the trick, she needed something heavier.

Looking around, she tried to find something, anything she could do to rupture them. Maybe use her lightsaber and cut into one? Possibly, but what if it exploded upon contact? The heat from her weapon could do more damage to her than it, no sense risking that. Maybe slicing the supports holding the massive fuel structures up? No, it could possibly break and roll, right into her, and she wouldn't escape.

Unfortunately her train of thought was delayed with the sounds of rockets flying above. Quickly, she got back up and turned around, heart pounding against her chest when she saw the Death Watch leader there in front of her. She removed her helmet, letting it drop on the ground next to her as she faced her. That wicked look in her eye said it all.

“I’ve had to kill a lot of insurgents in the past few weeks,” she said, rather callously as she put a toothpick in her mouth. “Now, I really don’t want to kill a kid, but you’re making it a bit more desirable right now,” she said with a sadistic smile. “I’ll do it if I have to. Surrender now, and I leave you unharmed.”

Flurry tried to stay calm and not hyperventilate. She kept her breathing steady, but her heart was still racing.

“I’m no Jedi, but I can tell you’re pissing your pants just being in front of me, huh?” The Death Watch leader snarked with a malicious grin. “Now are you going to drop your weapon, or am I going to have to hack you to pieces?”

Flurry didn’t know what to do. No one was out there with her, and no one could help her right now. Looking at Lightning Dust, she quickly drew her weapon and fired a few shots at her, which deflected off the beskar plated armor.

“Wrong move kid. And you know what? I was hoping you’d make it,” Lightning said, reaching for her side. She pulled out a blade, and ignited it. A crackling blade of blood-red plasma erupted from the emitter of the lightsaber with a hiss of energy; to Flurry's surprise, two other, smaller plasma blades, also extended from vents on the side of the saber's emitter. “This lightsaber once belonged to a Sith cultist. And now I finally have a chance to use it.”

Flurry gulped. “That lightsaber looks a little dangerous, looks like a little kid made it…”

“This lightsaber belonged to a Sith who tried to form an Imperialistic movement a long time ago, much like ours. Unfortunately, his reign was short-lived… but the Empire is stronger. Which means, this lightsaber belongs to the might of someone as equally strong. Perhaps you might be the first person to die by its blade?”

Flurry realized she had to make a stand, and it had to be now. Reaching for her side, she pulled out her lightsaber and ignited it; letting the green light reflect in her eyes. The Death Watch commander couldn’t help but snicker.

“You say my blade looks childish? Yours looks nothing more than a pile of junk.”

"At least I made mine," Flurry snarked back, standing in a defensive position. "You just stole yours."

"You're full of it, kid. You're not a Jedi," Lightning twirled her blade around. She raised her blade up to try and strike Flurry from the middle, which Flurry blocked right away. Lightning then moved her blade to attack from the side, but Flurry blocked as well. Soon, both of them were clashing their sabers intensely, the blades bouncing off each other as they fought.

The Death Watch leader however, had more advantages in their duel. Using her rocket boots she leaped up into the air, and landed back down, trying to strike from above. Flurry jumped out of the way, but had to roll across the ground quickly to avoid a secondary attack from the commander. The commander ignited a flamethrower, trying to set Flurry on fire but failed to do so. Unbeknownst to her, she had an idea. Waiting for her to strike again, Flurry ducked out of the way as the flames barely scorched the outside metal protecting one of the fuel cannisters. The commander however caught on, and reduced her flame spewing, switching to a more advanced weapon; whistling birds.

Small little metal darts came flying out, charging at Flurry who moved out the way while deflecting another one of them to avoid being hit.

"For someone training to be a Jedi, you sure are a coward. Most people would actually try to defend themselves against my weapons," Lightning snarked, slashing the ground as she paced herself going to the teen.

Flurry gripped her saber tight as she moved into a different defensive position, trying a different strategy to face her opponent. Lightning attacked again, forcing Flurry to block and use all of her strength to push the commander back. However, the older woman was stronger as she forced the teen back, spinning her weapon around to use the smaller plasma blades to try and burn Flurry's skin. She pressed herself harder, trying to get the blade further and further against the girl.

Thinking quickly, Flurry used one of her legs and kicked Lightning Dust's leg out of nowhere, getting her to lose her balance temporarily so she could move away and get some space to try and stand. Lightning growled even more as she raised her saber up to strike down, only to stop as a blaster shot from the side hit her shoulder, and then her arm, getting her to drop her weapon. Both Lightning Dust and Flurry looked at the sources; Team Six.

Gallus held a DC-17 blaster rifle, aimed at Lightning Dust. The others were gathered around to help fight, ready to help bring the terrorist leader away. Following their plan, Silverstream and Ocellus launched themselves into the air, getting the commander to follow. Silverstream whipped out her blaster pistols, and Ocellus loaded hers as well, both shooting at the commander who was racing towards them. Ocellus zipped away to avoid getting another section of her wings clipped, and Silverstream swooped away as well. The Arisian flew around like a fighter, swooping and whipping around the refinery to keep the commander's attention on her so the others could form the rest of their plan.

Lightning Dust kept firing at her, until one of her shots hit Silverstream's wing, a nasty shot that sent her spinning out of control. Silverstream kept whipping around out of control but she wasn't worry when she pushed herself to aim at the water. Her entire body flashed before their eyes, turning into an aquatic form as she splashed into the seas, plenty of room to escape. Seeing she was out of the game, Lightning Dust turned back at the others, not seeing the Draconoid charging at her.

The scaled Rebel pounced on her, sending her straight back down to the ground, even clawing at her helmet. Her nails dug into the metal, scraping the paintjob and even going so far as to use her fist to try and punch the helmet, denting part of it. Her fist did smash the visor, cracking part of it to see the inside a bit and the deathly stare of the woman underneath. Nearly losing balance, Lightning pushed the Draconoid off her body, but not out for the count. The Draconoid landed on her feet, hands ready to slice or clutch for a claw attack. But it was clear the helmet was beyond repair; there were too many dents, and the visor cracks were starting to fall and break, leaving it useless. Enraged, the commander pulled it off her head and slammed it on the ground, breaking more of it in the process.

Turning around, the commander watched as Yona charged at her on all fours with intent to ram her horns into her, with Sandbar riding on her back like a cowboy, blaster in the air and aimed at her as he opened fire. Lightning Dust jumped up with her jetpack, avoiding being ran over by the hulking Yakyakiee, and swiftly activated one of her gizmos; a wire cable that wrapped around Yona's legs, tangling them up and sending her rolling out of control and crashing into the sandy dunes. Sandbar got off just in time, but couldn't run over to help, as the commander jumped in the way.

Gallus and Ocellus moved to help Yona, while Sandbar moved around in a standoff, waiting for the Death Watch commander to make her move. She ran closer and went to throw a punch, but Sandbar evaded it by moving himself back. She swiped from the right, and he dodged it as well. She even pulled out a blaster and tried to shoot at him, but Sandbar evaded being shot at, aside from a scrape to his suit. Even when she fired again, he simply ducked down and rose back up, firing back at her, hitting a shot on her chest armor.

"You used to be Imperial, didn't you?" Lightning remarked, recognizing the skills he displayed. "I haven't seen anyone on your side show those kind of moves in a while."

She charged again, swinging her leg up to kick the blaster out of his hand before grabbing him and sending a series of punches to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. Sandbar tried to get back up, but couldn't as she dropped him to the ground, with the former Imperial trying to get himself back together. She readied her blaster to finish him, until a burst of heat came flying at her from the side, coming from Smolder. She breathed some more flames, trying to inflict some of her attack, but she just deflected it with her force-shields.

A blaster bolt hit her jetpack, forcing her to drop it entirely, a critical cell destroyed from the shot. Growling, Lightning Dust turned to focus on Gallus, charging at him. The Griffon fired more shots, most of which were deflected by her armor, before she jumped up to tackle him to the ground. Gallus lost grip of his rifle, but it didn't matter, he could take her. Gallus spun himself around so he would be on top, pinning her down with his claws and his pawed feet. She tried to push off, getting some movement despite Gallus's best efforts.

The Griffon pecked at her face, giving her a nasty cut on her cheek. Raging mad, she screamed as she bashed her head in against the Griffon's skill, a massive headbutt that got him to let go, dropping off in pain. Yona's restraints were finally free, and she came charging in again, but Lightning Dust was ready for her, punching her face as she tried to attack, sending her crashing into the ground again.

Ocellus and Flurry tried to think of what to do to help, watching the commander reach for her lightsaber as she walked towards Yona. Smolder came back to fight, along with Silverstream, but Lightning Dust moved faster than they could, blasting at Smolder's shoulder, sending her divebombing on the ground, and scaring Silverstream away with her flame attacks. Grabbing her lightsaber, the commander ignited its blood red blade, walking towards the Draconoid.

"I was considering turning your Yakyakiee friend into some fresh cuts... but I think your wings will suffice for a victory. She pinned her foot down on her back, with the Draconoid struggling to get away, but the pain and weight of her boot was hurting her too much to move.

"Agh, stop! You're... breaking... my back!" Smolder cried.

At first Flurry didn't know what to do. But when she saw how close she was to getting ready to cut her wings, she didn't hesitate. She ran at Lightning Dust, adrenaline and anger mixing to make her more determined than ever, and she activated her lightsaber; not saying or screaming as she ran.

Just as the leader of the Death Watch got ready to make the strike to permanently render Smolder flightless forever, a powerful strike slashed against her skin. The arm holding her lightsaber suddenly dropped to the ground, making the commander scream at the top of her lungs in agony. Her foot let go of Smolder, giving her a chance to stand back up and turn around. Flurry Heart stood there, shaking as she realized what she had done; seeing the steam coming from the fresh cut arm of Lightning Dust.

The commander screamed some more until she dropped to the ground, falling unconscious from the overwhelming pain. Her screaming went on for a few more seconds until she finally stopped, dropping to a dead silence. The others gathered around, slowly recuperating from the attack.

"I... I-Is... I-Is she dead?" Flurry asked.

Gallus kept his claws on her as he leaned his head down to listen. "Nah, she's still breathing, she's fine."

Flurry shakily clutched her chest, feeling her heart pounding more than ever. Ringing hit her ears as she tried to keep it together, her friends voices echoing around her. It felt like her senses were starting to drown out everything from the stress and panic, she couldn't smell, taste, or even hear anything. It felt like an eternity as she stood there, paralyzed with fear.

"... urry? ... Flurry! Flurry, you okay?"

The ringing suddenly faded, and the world came back into focus, as Flurry Heart jolted to realize that Gallus had his hands on her shoulders. The young Griffon was facing her dead on, and he looked gravely concerned. The other young Rebels were gathered around her, though trying hard not to crowd in; even as much as Silverstream looked like she wanted nothing more than to rush in and give her a big hug.

“What?” Flurry repeated. Her mouth felt oddly dry, and it was hard to get even the simple question out. She wondered, numbly, what had happened to the lightsaber in her hand.

It was the wrong thing to think about, as, all too sharply, the memory came screaming back to her: Lightning Dust, about to break Smolder’s back; the plasma blade in her hand; not thinking, but taking the swing; hearing the hiss of plasma, the sizzle of burning flesh and bone, the other woman’s scream, and oh gods, the smell—

"I... I... I almost killed her... I nearly killed someone..." Flurry trembled.

"She's a terrorist, I don't think anyone's going to miss her!" Smolder argued.

"It's not that simple, Smolder," Ocellus intervened. "I think I have a good idea why she's so shaken up," she frowned, looking at her scared state.

"S-She nearly... and I... oh no..." Flurry felt her back slam against the wall of the massive fuel hold, her hands cupping her face as she tried not to break down. She was still breathing heavily, but her friends waited quietly before they said anything.

"Flurry?" Sandbar questioned. "You've... never really been in any real combat, haven't you?"

Ashamed, worried, and scared, she shook her head to answer him.

"I know this is really hard, and it won't get any easier but... this is unfortunately what happens when you're in war," Sandbar started. "The way you're shaking right now; that's exactly how I felt when I made my first kill."

"Yona had to fight Midnight troopers back home. Troopers nearly kill my papa, and Yona... Yona impaled one by accident," the Yakyakiee admitted, her hoofed hands clapping together softly.

"I went berserk on my first employer; a-after he ordered me to make a nuclear device," Gallus added, sadly looking down.

"I set a lot of invaders on fire when they were burning down my home," Ocellus meekly continued, her little wings fluttering at the thought.

"I couldn't control myself when an Imperial tried to attack my brother. I flew into a rage and... I pecked him to death," Silverstream whimpered.

And last of all, Smolder chipped in. "My horde and I, we... we burned a lot of really bad people who were set on skinning us."

Flurry wasn't sure what to really say. They were right, but she couldn't think of anything to argue against them, or what to really say. She still found herself conflicted, even as she looked, checking to make sure the commander hadn't moved an inch.

"We've all had to do horrible things that we aren't proud of," Gallus continued on. "And I know it may not look like it; but we don't like it when we have to be extreme to stop anyone, it's not who we are. But sometimes, there's only so many times you can give someone mercy before they... need to be put down."

Flurry's eyes didn't move from Lightning Dust. "I know it's not smart. But I really don't want to kill her."

"You don't. You stopped her," Silverstream reassured. "You don't have to do anything more than that. Well, except for making sure she can't go anywhere."

"I... I never hurt anyone in my life. I shouldn't be questioning this right now, but... what am I doing?"

"Flurry, listen to me," Smolder gripped her shoulders, getting the teen to look the Draconoid dead in the eye. "You didn't kill her. You stopped her before she could kill me. You saved my life. You saved me, and didn't kill her. I won't lie and say that will happen again, but you did save me today, and I think you should be proud of that."

Still receiving no reaction, the Draconoid pulled Flurry in for a much needed hug, hoping that would do the trick. Flurry slowly embraced her back, feeling slightly better, but not much.

"It'll be okay. I promise," Smolder said, rubbing her back.

"I hate to breakup the sincerity, but we have a mission to finish?" Sandbar interrupted.

Flurry and Smolder broke from the hug, and Flurry looked back at her friends, dropping the fear. She couldn't be scared now, they had a job to do. But how? Any of her attempts to destroy the fuel would only get themselves killed in the process, and suicide runs were not an option right now. She looked to her friends who were struggling to come up with an idea, and Flurry gazed past two of the fuel towers, seeing the tarmac beyond; a few ships parked on there, with no one near the platform... no one near the platform?

The teen got an idea. Racing past Team Six, she jumped onto one of the speeder bikes that were parked nearby, revving the engine.

"Uhhh mind telling us your plan!?" Smolder protested.

"Get out of the fuel lines. When I'm ready, I need one of you to grab me from the air!" Flurry said.

"What!?"

"I'm taking one of their ships; we can't let any more get made! Just promise me you'll catch me," Flurry pleaded.

It took a few moments, but the idea soon registered to all of them.

"Ohhhhh...."

"But what if there are flyers in the air with you?"

"I'll do what I can. Can you guys make sure there aren't any more unarmed prisoners in the way first?"

"I think your droid might have taken care of that already," Smolder pointed.

"Um, what do we do with her?" Silverstream asked, looking at Lightning Dust who was temporarily knocked out.

"I say leave her," Yona growled.

"I have a better idea," Flurry pitched.

Lightning Dust's body dragged across the ground as they walked to a section of the beach, far from the refinery. And so they cuffed her remaining arm to a pole, ensuring she wouldn't be leaving so easily.

"There, now she can't do any damage," Sandbar brushed his hands clean of any sand.

"So, what now?" Ocellus asked.

Everyone looked back at the compound, and then back at Flurry who had raced over to the tarmac where the TIE Defender lot was. Silverstream and Gallus nodded, both taking off to race towards the teen's direction, as part of her plan. The others simply shrugged, racing after them to help. Sure not all of them could fly, but if she needed help, they were going to help in any way they could.

Bike parked to the side, Flurry climbed up a ladder that was hanging off to one of the Defender ships. Turning around one last time, she looked to see the hordes just beyond the tarmac fighting at the main compound, blaster fires flashing and small sparks lighting up like fireworks. She took a deep breath, knowing full and well what she was about to do. Climbing into the hatch, she placed herself inside the TIE fighter seat. She took a moment to get acclimated to her new surrounding, doing a quick study of the controls. Pulling the hatch down, she moved her legs into the pedals and strapped herself in. By her side was a spare pilot helmet which she placed on her head, making sure she had some protection.

She flipped the toggles and switches, bringing the fighter to life as it hummed with power. Gripping the controls, she slowly pulled them back, trying to lift the fighter up nice and gently. The Defender slowly lifted from the ground, softly bumping into the step ladder in the process. Trying to get used to the controls, Flurry accidentally veered forward, slamming into another Defender, pushing it off its parked position. Carefully, she pulled the ship up, slowly rising up from the tarmac to have enough space between the ground and the other ships.

"Okay, let's see, blasters aren't too different, let's hope they can't defend themselves right now," Flurry worried. Her thumbs slid over the triggers, and with a brave face, she pulled them. Twin blaster bolts fired straight at the TIE Defender on the ground, penetrating it's armor and scratching one of its wings. Grinning, she pulled the trigger again and again, until the TIE Defender in front of her was completely in pieces, wings dismantled and engines on fire from the destruction.

Her destruction didn't go unnoticed, as a few troopers watched as the Defender was swiveling around the tarmac, destroying more of the prototypes they had laid out on the ground. But they couldn't react to move, because the Rebel slaves that were retaliating got sucker punches in.

Two more Defenders were blown up from the destruction, leaving only four more remaining. Flurry didn't hesitate to fire upon the others, setting them ablaze. All of them exploded gloriously, making a few prisoners beyond the tarmac cheer as they watched the war machines they were forced to build were being burned before they could make their mark.

"Whoohoo!" Flurry cheered inside the cockpit. "The Defenders are gone, guys. Should I take out the refinery now?"

"Not yet. We gotta make sure we can still leave when this is over," Gallus said in her coms. "I can check in with everyone, but I suggest nuking the main factory floor, and or possibly the ground defenses."

"Ohhh okay, I think I see where you're going with this. Okay, I'll do a little more damage before moving to the refinery."

Pressing down, the Defender soared off across the air around them. A few more troopers and slaves noticed the Defender, but couldn't look for long, knowing a fight down on the ground was more important. But her presence didn't go unoticed; Lyra's head suddenly going up as she gazed intently at the Defender, feeling as if her daughter was... in the ship!?

Flying lower to the ground, Flurry opened fire on the few turrets she could see, obliterating them before they had a chance to activate and focus on her. There weren't that many, only a few that she could see; but they had to be taken out, especially if they were going to leave Scarif when this was all over. The first turret was gone, and not too long, the second one was gone. Three more were found on her radar screen, forcing her to turn around to go after them.

Realizing the tide was turning against them, some Imperials and Death Watch soldiers outside of the base started to make a run towards the ships still intact on the platforms. The Gauntlets began to hum to life, while a Gozanti-class freighter lifted itself off the ground. One of the Gauntlets, still not locked into flight mode, kept a ramp extended as it moved towards Commander Dust's position.

One of their soldiers was helping free the commander from the pole she was cuffed to, helping her stand on her feet. Although she was still in pain, she didn't focus on the fact her arm was gone; rather wanting to see the status of the situation. As she was lifted onto the ramp of the hovering Gauntlet, Lightning turned around to watch as their last Defender was being used to spin around the base, taking out the defenses. Turrets being blown up, ground cannons being obliterated; the Death Watch were losing their base very rapidly.

"No... she's destroying everything. Turn the Gauntlet around, take that brat down!"

"Commander," one of the soldiers said, grabbing her by the shoulders. "We've lost. If we fight back, then we die." Just then, the ramp underneath her closed, getting her inside the ship completely intact.

"I'm not going to be a coward, I can't let the Empire's most valuable project go to waste!"

She struggled to fight back, but the pain in her lost limb made it hard for her to push away, especially after she had been kicked and attacked by Team Six.

"Not to call you a coward, Commander, but sometimes cowards do survive," another subordinate said, finally getting her to stop fighting back.

Lightning Dust watched from the cockpit as the teen continued to fly around the base, now opening fire upon the factory building, lasers destroying the property where it stood. Hunks of metal and parts broke off like petals on a flower. That child brought an entire factory down to it's knees. That Rebel brat... all of those Rebels were responsible for destroying the factory. If Admiral Thrawn had found out, no, he wouldn't. Lightning was going to make sure he never would.

"This isn't over... some day, I will end that brat. I don't care if it means I have to die as well, I will choke the life out of that kid," Lightning growled ferociously.

Only four ships had left the tarmac; three Death Watch Gauntlets, and one single Gozanti-class ship containing the remaining Imperials who had ran away, knowing they had lost the fight. Once all four ships were off the ground and far away from the Defender, they all jumped into hyperspace together, leaving to fight another day.

Sunset and the Rebels watched as the Imperials jumped out of the atmosphere, fleeing the planet.

"Commander Dust has vacated the planet's atmosphere," IG-11 reported, scopes watching the skies.

"We won?" Rainbow asked.

"I think so!" Sunset squeaked. "Flurry, just blow up the fuel lines and we can go home!"

"Roger that, General!" Flurry euphorically called!

The TIE Defender spun itself around, rockets bursting with flame as Flurry drove straight for the fuel lines. One last thing to blow up, and she would be done. As the ship hurled itself to the fuel lines, Flurry pulled the trigger, firing multiple blasts towards the lines. Upon contact, the lasers began to blow up the fuel, bursting with flame as each one of them set off an explosion that was bigger than the other, sending a mushroom-cloud of fire in the air.

Unfortunately, the Defender was near inches from the explosion, sending it hurling in the air as the explosion impacted it. Multiple alarms and red lights flashed in the cockpit, telling Flurry that she was in immediate danger of being killed, not that she really needed to be told. Quickly thinking, she grabbed her lightsaber and sliced part of the top open, sending it flying away as the ship began to crash. She unbuckled herself, and jumped up, escaping the fighter as it spun out of control. Soon as she was out, she began falling... and screaming.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Flailing out of control, Flurry was about to plunge right into the seas; worse, the shallow waters. The waters would not break her fall, and she was afraid of it. But as she screamed, she was suddenly grabbed mid-air by something in flight. She screamed for a few more seconds before she realized that she wasn't falling anymore. She looked down, seeing her arms clutched by pink-bluish fur and claws. And looking up she saw the adorable smile from Silverstream.

"Hi!"

Flurry giggled as she looked back at her friend. But Silverstream stopped mid-flight as she looked back, watching the explosion finally calm down from it's bursts, now one giant flame of ash that billowed into the air. The tremors shook the ground, making everyone almost fall. Both girls couldn't help but just watch as the refinery was completely reduced to nothing but parts and ashes.

The last of the Imperials were rounded up, hands in the air to surrender; the Rebels and the prisoners had won this battle. And all the while, no one could help but gaze back at the massive explosion beyond the compound. It was hard to miss the sounds nor the sight of a massive flaming cloud billow up to the air, along with the crashing of the last Defender prototype. Everyone just looked in awe, taking in the destruction of the Imperial property. The Rebels had no issue seeing Imperial machines get blown up; but the Imps? Some quietly seethed, some growled, and others wanted to speak up.

"You... idiots... do you have any idea what you've done?" One of the officers glared. "You just destroyed all of our hard work!"

One of the prisoners, a Twi'lek woman slowly looked at the woman who had the audacity to accuse them, her eye twitching.

"You lost all right to accuse us of wrong doing, especially after everything you did," the woman growled. "You enslaved my people."

"You burned my farms," another prisoner spoke up.

"Beaten my son to death."

"Jailed my spouse for speaking out against your bullshit."

Everyone started throwing the accusations back at the Imperials, making them feeling smaller than ever. Not because of any self-realization, but they could tell they weren't going to win anything by speaking, or fighting til the end. Stepping through the crowds was Sunset Shimmer, holding onto her shoulder from the laser bolt wound. She looked at them, glaring intensely, enough to get them to back down and stop talking.

"In another world, I would have given the okay for all of them to beat you all up right here and now," Sunset panted, trying to catch her breath. "And if anyone else was in charge, I'm sure they would just order your execution. But I'm bigger than that. Until any of you decide to give us anything useful... I'm afraid you're coming with us."

One by one, each of the remaining staff was given a pair of cuffs, ensuring they couldn't leave. One by one, they started to make their way towards the Gozanti-class cruisers for takeoff (no other ships available to take since they couldn't fit everyone on the Sweetie Drop), and the freed slaves helped each other walk towards the ships as well. Sunset sat on a crate as one of the prisoners, a medic, worked on patching Applejack's shoulder from the blaster bolt wound.

"Thanks for coming to save us," the medic said softly.

"All in a day's work, sir," Applejack humbly smiled. "Just happy we came here in the nick of time."

Sunset silently watched as the rest of the prisoners reunited with each other, happy to be freed from the torture; the pain, and the malnourishment. Everyone was feasting on the food that the base had been hoarding away from them, which none of them hesitated to chow down on; they were hungry as all get out.

And over at a nearby corner, Flurry Heart was walking back with the rest of Team Six to catch up with the others. Some of the prisoners looked back, recognizing the little girl that had been seen jumping out of the Defender.

"Hey, that's the kid!"

"That's her?"

"She blew up their ships!"

"How old is that kid!?"

Flurry awkwardly smiled as a few of the allies looked at her and her friends.

"Heh, heh... i-it was nothing, really," Flurry rubbed the back of her head.

"Kid, you helped save us," one of them grinned. "That's not nothing."

"And cause of you, the Empire's not going to have any major projects off the ground for a while," another person added.

"Come on guys, let's give her some space, she almost died several times today," Smolder said, getting everyone to back away, politely but sternly.

Pushing through the crowd, Flurry could see where her moms were. The moment the two of them saw her, they dropped their conversation and immediately rushed over to check on their child.

"Oh my god, sweetheart are you okay?" Lyra worried. "Are you hurt?"

"No, mom, I'm okay," Flurry reassured.

Both moms gave their daughter a needed hug, something Flurry didn't hesitate to give back, embracing them both.

"I'm so proud of you, kiddo," Bon Bon softly smiled, pushing a loose strand of hair out of her daughter's eyes. "You did amazing today."

"If I can be honest, I was really scared. I thought I was going to die out there," Flurry admitted.

"Now you know how your mother and I felt every day," Lyra said with some sass.

"... oh sweet Solaris..." Flurry cursed.

"Don't worry kiddo, you'll get used to it," Bon Bon reassured, patting her on the shoulder. "And you six? Great job today."

"Thanks for watching out for her," Lyra complimented.

"We're her friends. Friends stick together!" Yona smiled adorably as she lifted Flurry up so she could sit on her shoulders.

Sunset smiled as she watched Flurry surrounded by her new friends. Aside from the fear and danger from flying a fighter, she still made it out okay. And best of all; thanks to her newfound friends, she managed to live and they saved the day. The cute little blushes and giggling from the teen reminded her of a time when a particular friend she had way back would act whenever they had any big adventures.

"She really is like her auntie," Sunset softly said, folding her arms as she leaned against a pole. "You did good kid."

Her train of thought was interrupted by the walking of a Lurmen, standing before her. Looking down, Sunset gave him her undivided attention.

"General, I really think we should head back to base. It's Mint, she's in desperate need of medical attention, now," the man requested, almost begging.

Sunset's eyes bulged. "Shoot! Oh, okay, gather your men into the cruiser, we're gonna leave in a few. "Everyone! Grab whatever supplies and materials that you still have here, and make your way to the Gozanti cruiser. We're going home."

No one groaned, but immediately started to move their way down to the platform where the ship was parked. After everything they went through, they were completely on board with just going home.

Everyone's supplies were loaded into the ships, ready to leave. All hatches sealed, all engines prepped, and so the Gozanti-class cruiser raised itself up from the ground, primed and ready. It took off into the atmosphere, helmed by a slave who had plenty of pilot experience over the past couple of years. The rest of the slaves took shelter among the halls, or quarters, wherever they could get comfortable. The rest of the Imperials that had been captured, were taken down into holding cells on the cruisers, where they quietly seethed at their losses.

On the Sweetie Drop, Flurry sat with her friends, enjoying a small celebration with blue milk and cookies as Lyra and Bon Bon sat in the cockpit, the biggest grins on their faces. They couldn't remember the last time they felt so good in battle before. Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash couldn't help but look forward with warm expressions, confident, brave, and proud of themselves for surviving, and winning their first battle back as fighting Jedi.

Both ships gave each other the signal, and with a single hyperspace jump, they vacated Scarif's atmosphere, leaving the site desolate as it should always have been.

My Past Is Not Today/Ending

Lightning flashed inside Darth Midnight’s throne room. The true ruler of the Galactic Empire stood, gazing outside at the barren lands that covered the planet her fortress resided. Her breathing through the filters in her helmet, the steady hiss of air, was eerily audible as always, even in the open expanse of the throne room. Within her room were two Midnight Sovereign guards standing by the door, and a Grand Admiral who looked incredibly furious. This Grand Admiral had dark blue skin and red eyes, joining the ruler of the Empire as they gazed beyond the landscapes.

Just then, the doors opened. They heard footsteps coming forward, and then suddenly stop. Slowly turning around, the two of them faced the arriving guest; Commander Lightning Dust. Her head was now unhelmeted (not having enough time to get it back or get a replacement one), and her sliced arm now had an artificial replacement, visible to everyone who walked past her.

“Darth Midnight, we…," she stopped and nearly froze. She recognized that Chiss anywhere that stood next to her. "A-Admiral Thrawn. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, too,” Commander Dust spoke, taken by surprise. She slowly clutched her new artificial replacement, fearing what the admiral would say. He was one of the most influential authority figures in the entire Galactic Empire, and knowing what she failed to protect? She could only imagine what he was going to say.

Not waiting anymore, the Chiss admiral spoke. “You lost the factory. And yet you ordered your Death Watch troopers to hold a parade for your victory on Cato Neimodia. Explain yourself,” turning around to give her an ice-cold stare.

“It’s a celebration for our victory. Cato Neimodia belongs to the Empire now, and we’ve wiped out their entire battle droid forces. If there’s one more holdout left, then it means we are closer to erasing the entire army of CIS from existence for good.”

“But you failed to report to Lord Midnight that the Rebel forces have successfully destroyed my entire project, wasting my time, my efforts, and my resources,” Thrawn hissed.

Darth Midnight’s hand went up, as if to tell Thrawn to stay silent for a moment. She turned around and faced Commander Dust, glaring under her helmet.

"In any case, it is true then. The Rebels have shown that they are more than a thorn in our side. They have become an outright threat to the Empire." Midnight summised. “Rest assured, Admiral, despite the commander’s… unfortunate luck, we still have prototypes saved. I imagined an event like this would happen, so I came prepared.”

“Sooo we can still make more of those ships, can’t we?”

“No, we cannot,” Thrawn hissed. “The original blueprints, my blueprints, were stolen by that astromech that neither Captain Phasma, nor the Inquisitors could capture on their own. Which means my entire project has been compromised.”

Darth Midnight looked at the Grand Admiral. “I understand your frustration, Grand Admiral. Rest assured, I will handle this matter myself, and you will be compensated for her… mistake.”

Thrawn nodded and slowly stepped down the stairs, getting closer to the now scared commander. But before, he gave her one last more harsh stare, enough to make her tremble in fear.

“You may have succeeded with Cato Neimodia… but you’ve cost the Empire millions, destroyed any chances for my project to succeed, crippled more than half of my fleet, and gave the Rebels a victory that my project would have squandered. I hope you know where you stand now, because the victories the rebels will gain in the next few months… it will be because of you, Commander.”

And just like that, Thrawn left the throne room to let the dark lady of the Sith to take care of the rest of their business

“Mistress, I swear—”

“—Silence.”

The commander shut up at once. She also felt a powerful force lock her arms and legs down, as if she couldn’t move from her current position. She didn’t see Midnight’s hands go up as she had heard before, but she was visibly shaking as the leader marched down the steps towards her.

“If you were any other officer, I would have finished this matter in seconds. But I know your skills are valuable, and so are your Death Watch. I want to know who won. Who was in charge of this operation that destroyed the Defender project?”

The invisible force suddenly released its grip, and Lightning could feel her arms and legs again. She reached to her side, and removed the items she'd brought with her from her belt.

“Before I came here, I asked for the archives to look into old Republic files, and I discovered something rather interesting about the ones responsible…”

She led her to the projection table on the right side of the room, inserting a datachip into the projector. The first images that loaded was Sunset Shimmer in a running pose, captured by the security footage from the battle.

“Sunset Shimmer, naturally,” Commander Dust nodded. “But I also discovered she has some new friends.”

“Did she bring any astromechs with her?”

“… Well, yes, but, I don’t see how that’s important—”

Darth Midnight said nothing but gave her an icy-glare like Thrawn did, which the commander quickly understood. “I’ll load up that image.”

She projected another image, more recordings from the battle. Spike and the other three astromechs trying their best to participate in the fight, shown by the little claws extended in fighting poses from both C1 units. “I cross-referenced the droids just in case, and not only is SP-1K there, but apparently astromechs from the old Republic were present during the fight.”

Datapictures showing the three other profiles flickered before Midnight as she stood there, taking notice of them.

“The droids may seem like tools to you, Commander. But astromechs are far more reliable than you give them credit,” Midnight replied. “Hmm… CH-33P and RG-G1. Reported destroyed during the Ryloth campaign, and the Siege of Malastare. And R2-D2; he served with Skywalker. Naturally, he would still be online all these years.”

“This group did have commando droids, but they were quickly destroyed, Mistress,” Commander Dust continued. “Most of them were just made out of junk and spare parts, but the assassin droid on the other hand…”

Another holographic photo was displayed, showing IG-11 standing side by side with a Rodian and an Ithorian rebel, trying to aid in their escape.

“What about people? Were there any other people among the group?”

A projection of Lyra, Bon Bon, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash was shown in the next photograph. Bon Bon was flying with her jetpack holding her blasters up, caught firing mid-flight. Lyra swung her lightsaber around to deflect the blaster shots from a nearby Death Watch soldier, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash were seen using DC-15 blasters as they stood with the group.

“Jedi by the look of them,” the Commander commented.

“More Jedi, it would seem,” Darth Midnight noted. “Yet I sense there’s something else you’re not telling me…”

“Well… um… the one who managed to destroy it all, she… she’s just some brat, a brat who took my arm! But, but--" she caught herself, trying to keep her cool in front of her boss. "--she isn’t important. Could have finished that kid off if the stupid—”

“—If this ‘brat’, was able to destroy an entire station, and subdue you in the process, then she’s worth looking into. Ignoring your pride that you put before security, who is this child?”

The last image was put on display. Flurry Heart standing in a fighting pose with her lightsaber, completely free of the makeshift Midnight armor, looking determined to fight. Midnight focused on her, almost as if she was studying her.

“No kriffing clue. I never got her name, and the chain-code they provided was fake.”

“Interesting… Pure-born Equestrian. Strong with the Force, I take it?"

"She's got something, but it isn't strong," Lightning protested. "Little brat was scared to fight me like a real warrior."

"She's a Padawan learner," Midnight corrected, sternly but softly. "Strong with the Force, but much to learn. Yet something about her seems... familiar somehow," she thought, looking at the surveillance footage of Flurry rushing in and slicing off Lightning's limb, much to the latter's dismay.

"Who cares who she is!?" Lightning blurted. "She nearly killed me!"

"And yet she didn't," Midnight corrected, standing taller than her again as she addressed the commander. "Still though, this is something I will need to look into personally. I expect this child will show up once again in any future battles or assaults; I may need to dispatch some spies or informants to look out for her. In the meantime; we're going to have to keep ahead of schedule on the main project. Thrawn's may have failed, but I won't be making the same mistake."

A holographic display of the bigger project unveiled itself to both her and Commander Dust, who looked at it with intrigue.

"You sure this will work?"

"It's purpose is strictly to strike fear; that is all. Alterations to the design were made in favor by all members of the ISB; a matter I have no control in. Til it's completed; we will continue to do what we can to ensure the galaxy's protected," Midnight swished her cape around as she walked back up the steps to her main throne, looking out the window, lightning flashing again.

"One day, little Padawan... one day, our paths will cross...."

Yavin IV

It felt strange to suddenly have peace on the home base. People still went around to do their jobs, but there wasn't any rush, panics, or sense of urgency. Flurry Heart and her friends finally could calm down from all the excitement back on Scarif. The teen sat on the ramp of the Sweetie Drop, watching the scene before her. Many of the freed prisoners and captives were getting the medical attention they needed, and she could see some of them embracing some of the Rebels on the base. She recognized some from appearance, but not many.

The muscular Devaronian woman that helped save Flurry from being shot at the camp barracks was looking around for someone, anyone in particular. Her face lit up when she ran towards a regular human man with tan skin, embracing him closely, and the both of them giggling and laughing as they held each other. She kissed him on the lips, and he kissed her back, both embracing one another. A Pantoran man who pushed from the crowd was found embracing his partner, a Gran man with a missing left eye who gave him a loving embrace as well, happy to see he made it home safely.

Flurry smiled more when she saw a woman holding a little boy, her son, embracing him closely, even amidst all the tears of joy. This woman made it home alive, and she got to see her child again. Sunset climbed down the ramp of the Sweetie Drop, and sat down next to Flurry, watching as the freed allies embraced their friends, family, or received medical treatment that was necessary.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Sunset said, patting Flurry’s good shoulder. "Even after everything they've gone through... we still got them home safely."

“Yeah… it is,” Flurry said, softly. “You think they’ll be okay?”

“For now. We’ll still need to find a safe place to relocate the Yakyakiees, but that’s something we can discuss with them,” Sunset replied.

“How’s that Jedi woman that you got from the camp?” Flurry asked, looking back at her new boss.

“Maybe I should let her tell you,” Sunset said with a smile. “Follow me.”

--

Flurry followed Sunset back to the infirmary, going to a bed on a far side that had a more seriously injured patient; Mystery Mint. No longer dressed in her jumpsuit, she now had a hospital gown like everyone else, covered underneath a blanket for warmth. Bandages had been applied to her face, all over her arms, trying to cover every single cut, wound, and any other injury that had occurred. Her blackened eye was still weak, and she could barely see out of it, but she could see clearly with her other eye. On her bedside was a Lurmen; her friend, Kilo Da, from the camp.

“Hey, Mystery,” Sunset greeted, warmly as she walked to her bed. “How are you doing?”

The woman leaned her head to the side, weakly smiled. “Never better.”

“The doctor said she needs to stay in bed for maybe a week or two. She’s really hurt bad,” Kilo explained. “But I’m happy she’s still alive. She’s the only one that kept most of us alive in that camp.”

Mystery’s smile washed away, turning back to a frown. “I just wish I could have kept everyone alive.”

“You did what you could,” the Lurmen replied, holding her hand, and letting her fingers intertwine with his.

“You’ll be okay now,” Sunset reassured. “We were able to save everyone else, and they’re back with their families. And we’ll be making sure the Yakyakiees get sanctuary.”

Mystery slowly turned her head, looking at Flurry. Her clean eye squinted, trying to see who she was looking at.

“I… don’t think I know you. You a newbie?”

“She is,” Sunset nodded. “This is Flurry Heart.”

“Nice to meet you,” Flurry greeted.

“Nice to meet you too, kid,” Mystery said, trying to adjust herself on her pillow. “So… where are her parents?”

“Right here,” Lyra announced, walking to the room with her wife. She and Bon Bon held each other’s hands as they looked at the injured girl. “Hey Mystery. Long time no see.”

“… Okay, I can’t tell if it’s the pain relievers in my body, but I swear Lyra is still alive,” Mint’s eye squinted.

“No, she’s alive, she’s right here,” Sunset confirmed. “Also she’s married.”

“And the lucky girl is…” she leaned her head a little bit. “… just… some girl.”

Bon Bon playfully rolled her eyes at her response. “Mandalorian girl, by the way. Glad to see you’ve got a sense of humor.”

“What’s left of it anyways,” Mint shrugged off, letting her free hand lay limp. "Are... there any others still alive?"

"You bet there are. Buuuuut I think right now you should probably get some rest," Sunset softly smiled. "You've suffered enough."

"Sunset, no," Mystery weakly argued. "I can still fight, I just need--"

"--that's an order," Sunset sassed with a smirk. "Until you're completely healed, both physically and mentally, you're staying on base. Understood?"

The captain groaned as she let her hand lay limp again. "Yes ma'am."

"Come on girls, let's give her some space," Sunset urged, getting everyone to follow her out of the room.

Back outside; Flurry Heart and her friends sat on a few cargo crates, sharing a few celebratory drinks in honor of their victory. Even the adults joined them to participate. The adults had a few beverages like some wine (they were off duty for the rest of the evening), while the younger members settled for either soda or milk. Although Lyra and Bon Bon made a surprise of homemade milkshakes to properly celebrate.

"Well ladies, and gentlemen of course... I propose a toast; to a toast to Imperial destruction, and a successful mission."

"Here, here!"

Everyone gave a quick sip of their drinks, feeling much more replenished and alive after a long day.

"So... what happens now?" Flurry asked, wiping some whipped cream off her nose.

"We keep up the fight," Gallus clenched his fist with pride. "They got the message; we're not screwing around anymore."

"Friends done letting worlds be burned and exploited for power," Yona slammed her foot. "Rebels fight!"

"Dang straight," Applejack hollered. "I know I'm all in."

"So am I," Rainbow Dash agreed, flexing her prosthetic fingers. "How you feeling, kid? I know this is your first fight and all, but are you still up for it?"

Lyra and Bon Bon's attention turned to Flurry, and so did all eyes. The teen took another sip of her milkshake and looked at them all, with a small but sincere face.

"After today? I want to stay and help fight. We can't just go back wasting away on Tatooine. I still wanna fight for something worth fighting for. ... If my moms are okay with it," she sheepishly sat back down.

Now everyone looked at the married couple.

"I think it's safe to say we're not going anywhere," Bon Bon agreed. "I think I'm done chasing small fry, I want to take more risks again like I used to."

"Same here," Lyra gave her wife a peck on the cheek.

"Well then, I guess we can officially say, welcome to the Rebellion!" Ocellus raised her cup.

--

Sunset was planning to join her friends celebration later. Right now, she had to do a mandatory check in with the higher ups. Admiral Raddus, General Dodonna, and Captain Sentry were gathered around the table, and next to Sunset were both Spike and R2-D2, giving them the reports on the full mission.

"So... it's really gone? They can't make any more?" Flash asked, still having a hard time believing it.

Sunset nodded. "Mmmhmm. And you can thank our new recruit Flurry Heart for being the one who finished off production, using one of their own ships."

"That little girl did that?"

"Well, okay she did have help from Team Six, but yeah. She stopped them."

For the first time in a long while, Dodonna had the biggest smile on his face. "If this is true... then the Rebellion can finally have a chance to make things right. Without those fighters, they're stuck on the same ground as we are. Sunset, you and your crew have given the Rebellion the hope we've needed."

"Are you sure?" Sunset asked, rather unsure.

"We've run in circles over and over with them, and we haven't made any real progress. Now that a major defensive project is out of the way, we'll have a chance to keep pushing back stronger than ever now that they can't wipe us out so easily," Admiral Raddus countered. "Some of our allies heard the news when you brought back the freed prisoners and Yakyakiees. Apparently we're steadily growing in popularity to some people."

Spike's dome slowly turned to lock onto all three personnel. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Flash said with a grin. "We've picked up calls from several Rebel cells that want to come over to join us; they finally believe in us."

"And we've also made contact with a few Equestrians on New Las Pegasus that want to offer some resources to us in exchange for joining our side," Dodonna added.

Sunset took a moment to let this sink in. Her face slowly went from neutral to softly smiling, to the biggest grin she had in a long while.

"... I'm gonna need a moment, I'll be right back," she said, barely containing the squeeing in her voice. R2-D2 and Spike followed suit, assuming the meeting was over, heading to join the others for celebration.

Flash could only chuckle at the sight. "I haven't seen her this excited in a long time. I missed hearing her act like that."

"She's honestly adorable when she's happy," Admiral Raddus smiled.

Taking her excitement outside of the main temple, Sunset watched as the sun began to set on another beautiful evening. For the first time in what felt like years, she began to feel warm inside. Content. Proud. For years she and her fellow Rebels had struggled to try and rise up and then fell after being found, the cycle just continuing over and over. But today, they did it. They finally put the Empire in their place. They finally showed their greatest threat they weren’t a joke, they weren’t screwing around anymore.

Begun, the Civil War was. And they were going to fight til their end. And with the rising sounds of music filling the air, Sunset began to sing as she stood atop the temple that homed many of their allies.

Power
Was all I desired
But all that grew inside me
Was the darkness I acquired

When I began to fall
And I lost the path ahead
That’s when their friendship found me
And it lifted me instead

Sliding down the temple with a steel grip and jumping onto the platform below, she stood proud with a beaming smile.

Like a phoenix burning bright in the sky

She watched as a fiery comet flew across the skies above them, shining just as bright as herself.

I'll show the Jedi have not died with me
You can't deny

A few figures moved out of the shadows on the platform, joining her to look at the sun setting in the distance. Captain Syndulla carrying her baby, Chopper, Zeb, and Sabine all joining together to watch together with proud smiles. Somehow the spirits and joy of Equestrians singing reached them and made them feel that particular joy just like Sunset was.

I may not know what the future holds
But hear me when I say
That the my past does not define me
Cause my past is not today

Finally, safely back on the tarmac of the temple, she paced through the grounds as memories started to resurface in her head.

The day she chose to abandon her former Master and try to seek power for herself. The day she was first battled with the Jedi Six….

Ambition
Is what I believed
Would be the only way to set me free

… the day she was welcomed among them to be given a chance to be a part of them. The day she and Master Twilight fought in the arena on Geonosis, and the arrival of their greatest allies and threats coming to help them. The day she had to face down against Darth Midnight to avenge those who were lost in the Purge.

But when it disappeared
And I found myself alone

The day she was called to rise back up to fight again. The day she reunited with Spike and Captain Sentry. And many other memories that she never forgot to this very day….

And as she kept walking, she turned around and found a wide masse of Rebel allies who looked at her with proud smiles, knowing what she and her team had accomplished today. She even got a genuine smile from an old smuggler and his Wookiee ally over by the Corellian freighter, even if it was as simple as a smirk and salute to her.

That's when you came and got me

And as the sight of her old friends rushed up to join her to watch the sun set in the distance. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Spike, R2-D2 all rushed up to join her. Even the Heartstrings and their family were encouraged to join them as they looked at the sun setting in the distance.

Rainbow and Applejack both embraced her friend whose eyes were tearing up with joy; she had never been so damn happy!

And felt like I was home

Her energy started to elevate more and more as she felt herself running on the tarmac, even tossing her jacket in the air, not caring about where it could possibly float off.

Like a phoenix burning bright in the sky
I’ll show there's another side to me
You can't deny
I may not know what our future holds
But hear me when I say
That my past does not define me
Cause my past is not today

And so for one more time, the rest of her friends stood with her to join her as they watched the sun slowly turn to dusk.

Like a phoenix burning bright in the sky
We’ll show there's another side to us
You can't deny

Across the galaxy, a pair of metallic red eyes stared out of a sun setting in the distance in an old outpost, sitting on a throne with clicking fingers on his throne…

I may not know what our future holds
But hear me when I say

And on another system, a woman with eyes facing opposite directions stood with a handful of men by her side, watching the sun set on their world as well, taking in the beauty of the sight before them.

As for Sunset and her friends, they could only gaze at the beauty of the sunset across the skies. Their adventure, and the Civil War had only just begun, and they would do everything they could to win, with the light on their side... and the Force surrounding them all.

That our past does not define us
Cause our past is not today

Cause our past is not today!

The End

STARRING

REBECCA SHOICHET
Sunset Shimmer

ANGELA BASSETT
Midnight Sparkle

TABITHA ST. GERMAIN
Flurry Heart

ASHLEIGH BALL
Lyra Heartstrings
Applejack
Rainbow Dash

ANDREA LIBMAN
Bon Bon

CATHY WESLUCK
SP-1K "Spike"

VINCENT TONG
Sandbar
Captain Flash Sentry
Emperor Blueblood

GAVIN LANGELO
Gallus

DEVYN DALTON
Ocellus

KATRINA SALISBURY
Yona

LAUREN JACKSON
Silverstream

SHANNON-CHAN KENT
Smolder

BRITT IRVIN
Lightning Dust

GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE
Captain Phasma

KATHLEEN BARR
Fourth Sister

KELLY SHERIDAN
Second Sister

DEE BRADLEY BAKER
Clone Troopers
Rebel Officers

MATTHEW WOOD
Battle Droids

TAIKA WAITITI
IG-11

DAVE FILONI
CH-33P "Cheep"
C1-10P "Chopper"

ASHLEY ECKSTEIN
K2-B4

UZO ADUBA
Mystery Mint

MICHAEL BELL
General Dodonna

STEPHEN STANTON
Admiral Raddus

ANTHONY DANIELS
C-3PO

ALAN TUDYK
K-2SO

VANESSA MARSHALL
Hera Syndulla
Midnight Troopers

TIYA SIRCAR
Sabine Wren

STEVE BLUM
Zeb Orellios
Midnight Troopers

Author's Note

Thank you again to Scholary-Cimmerian for proof-editing and also helping me write this story!

Let it be known that this isn't the end; there is more story to come for this universe, we ain't ending it here. But I hope you enjoyed reading this one, and have a good rest of your day/evening! ^^

A Long Time Ago/Prologue

Stars twinkled above the night sky above the orange desert turned blue. On nights like this, they were usually the times when the change of weather would turn from hot to cold. This planet with two suns always made the weather hot, but only when the suns went down did they have nice refreshing coolness.

A single ship was flying down to the surface below, looking for a place to park themselves for good. The family on board has been traveling for years, hopping from planet to planet to try and find themselves a home. Any home would have been okay. As long as they could get far away from what they were trying to evade.

Several weeks had passed since they left the last planet they visited, Glee Anselm, and they were trying to find any place they could to call home. And now their chance had finally come.

The rooms on board the ship were mostly pretty messy. The hallways were clean, and so was the cockpit. But most of the rooms, including the kitchen and bedroom were messy. Mainly because of the parts and supplies they hauled. They had yet to get work on the storage room of the freighter.

Inside the bedroom with the twin-sized bed, there was the whimpering and crying sounds coming from someone within the crib. The doors slid open, revealing the shadow of a twenty-something year old woman. She heard the whimpering sounds and she walked over to answer the cries. Her arms slowly reached inside, slowly picking up the baby to hold her in her arms.

"Shh... shhh... it's okay," the woman whispered. "I got you. I got you... it's okay."

Another figure emerged in the doorway. A woman with metal armor on her body, leaning against the side of the door and watching her partner take care of the infant in her arms. This baby was upset now, but she would feel happy again. They would be there for her all the way, especially for when she gets older...

--

Over the next 17 years, the two women helped raise the little baby so she could be strong and healthy. Of course, it wasn't without its challenges. Many nights with the baby crying, either needing to be changed, or scared, or hungry, or who knows. The two mothers bounced between duties of watching over the baby and making sure it wasn't hurt or scared in any shape or way.

But as time progressed, the baby started to grow, just like with her parents. The infant was waddling on her own legs perfectly fine, even under the little robes that one of the mothers had made for her. She figured out how to walk to one spot and the other without too much trouble, which made both her mothers proud. Their little bundle of joy was starting to learn on her own. And from an earlier time, the parents had learned this baby had powers.

A five-year-old girl was now able to perfectly talk, walk, and move all on her own without any struggles or extra help. That didn't stop her from needing to learn or understand the world around her, but she was more than capable of getting on her own two legs. And even though the big droids on their ship were odd in appearance, colors, and speaking, she wasn't afraid of them. They were family to her, and these droids were there to help the little girl when the parents were not around. These bots even helped out when reading a bedtime story for the little girl.

While Tatooine was a big dustball of a planet, with the harsh heat and billions of questionable characters, the parents ensured as Flurry got older, they'd tell her about every possible ounce of danger that could exist. Thankfully, she didn't leave anywhere without a droid as a bit of an aid, mainly for defense if she couldn't defend herself. And as she grew, she displayed more caution and self-awareness as she hit her teens, which was both a blessing and a curse. Mainly a curse for the parents if they tried to inflict any punishment for their daughter if she did something that was not right.

Regardless, they still loved her. And they were going to keep her safe and help her live on her own the best they could. They promised they would...

--

Finally after a long journey, the ship parked within an open piece of a hollowed out cavern of a canyon, big enough to park their ship. And as luck would have it, there was a path that could get off the canyon wall if anyone was on a speeder-bike or ship or whatever.

The hatch opened up, and the two mothers stepped out. The woman in robes holding the baby close while her armored partner stood by her side. The two of them looked at the other side of the canyon wall, seeing some adobe homes with a few lights on here and there. Perfect spot to hide, and potentially make some new friends.

And if there were kind individuals here, it would be a great place to raise their baby. Even more so, they would be safe from the dangers that lurked over their shoulders. Far from the threats outside of the galaxy. And as the two parents looked at the night skies, the armored woman moved in to hug her wife and give her a peck on her cheek as the two stared at the stars together.

"Lyra. We're home."

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away...

Episode IV

RISE OF THE REBELLION

War rages across the galaxy! Since the end of the long and arduous CLONE WARS, a new menace has taken over the Galactic Senate in the form of the EMPIRE. Their goal; to bring order and perfection to a chaotic law-breaking galaxy by inflicting their will on every citizen in the Outer Rim.

Hoping to turn the tables on the malevolent Empire, a Rebel alliance formed by General SUNSET SHIMMER has risen to fight back against the Empire to bring freedom and justice for all.

On the Imperial controlled world of Coruscant, we find a group of Rebels sneaking into enemy territory, to discover what this evil force has planned for the galaxy...

Coruscant

The city-covered planet of Coruscant was well known throughout the galaxy, mainly as the heart and capital of the galaxy, featuring a diverse mix of citizens and culture. Skyscrapers towered in the skies, filled with streams of speeder-filled air traffic, and inner levels that stretch far below the world’s surface. Coruscant was also the home of the main government for the Galactic Republic and was the site of numerous historic events during the Clone Wars. Alas, those days were now over. Nowadays, it was the Galactic Empire that ruled with an iron fist, claiming to unite and bind the galaxy together for peace.

Some citizens were open to it, claiming that their control was a lot stronger and safer than the Republic. However, some individuals felt otherwise. Some colorful characters believed that the Empire was impeding on their rights, imposing their will, taking away their freedoms that they enjoyed. Some tried to stand against them, most ending with them being imprisoned for 'treason'. Not everyone was taken away for treason though; some received far worse punishments, almost close to death itself. But some found a way to escape their fate, either through escape or other nefarious means.

Underneath the Galactic Senate building, a small strike force was walking around the archival walls, looking for an archival room. The Empire had something planned, and they needed to find it now. Twelve hours ago they had received a tip from someone within' the Senate (with no idea who it was) about a new weapon being built by the Empire with funds from the Senate. Now they just needed to find the plans and get them out of there, fast.

A set of doors opened up, showing a few soldiers in casual clothes, worn to blend in with the citizens on Coruscant. Better to look like everyone else than to stick out like a sore thumb. The group made it around the corner, seeing another locked door. On the other side was a massive vault-like room. A giant array of files, plans, blueprints, many various documents all throughout the inside.

"Here it is. SP-1K, can you access it?" the commander asked.

A small purple C1 unit astromech with green paneling and two eyes, rolled up to the terminal. "I told you, you can just call me Spike, no need for the capital letters or numbers." A small hand extended out as he accessed the module. The hand swiveled around until the door finally opened up. "We're in."

The rebel team dashed inside and started flipping through the computers, looking for the data. It had to be here somewhere, it just had to be. Finally, after a stressful search, a blueprint plan finally came up on screen.

"Found it! This is just what we need," one of the rebels replied, inserting a disc into the drive to download.

"We have to hurry, the Empire will soon find us," one of the rebels pleaded.

"Almost got it... almost..."

The final pieces of data made it inside the disc, and he pulled it out from the main computer. "Okay, I have it! Come on, we better get out!" The group of rebels set out on the run, immediately booking it away from the information center. And they made extra sure not to stumble and fall. "Captain Syndulla, we have the plans, we're on our way back to you!" The rebel soldier shouted.

"Only one problem with that," said the voice from their coms.

"What's that?"

"The Empire knows we're here! Do you have the plans?"

"Blast it! We're gonna try and make our run! Come on everyone, double time! Spike? Spike!"

"Right here!"

"Dah, good. Okay buddy, we got the plans, get the doors ready--"

And the entire room was almost pitch black as the power shut down. There was an alarm system going off, thanks to the blaring, but it wasn't loud enough to hurt their ears.

"... before something like that happens," the rebel sarcastically remarked.

"They must have found us. Spike, get power back to the doors, we need to leave now!"

The C1 unit nodded, twisting his little claw to access the doors. No power could easily be fixed, all Spike would have to do is find the power source and activate it again. But the rebels standing around anxiously didn't help matters either. Until they heard the sound of something that made their hearts sink.

In the darkness, just up ahead, they heard the sound of a door sliding open. The rebel troopers stood together in attack positions, ready to open fire if a potential threat came running their way. Sweat ran down their heads, and their arms were shaking as they tried not to panic or freak out. Whoever opened that door was near, they knew that. But who was coming to greet them?

But then another sound erupted, making all of them feel like their hearts were about to explode. The sounds of heavy breathing... artificial breathing. Artificial breathing focused through filters, echoing throughout the hallway. And the next noise that followed was a sharp mechanical snap-hiss as all eyes saw a bloodshine-red plasma blade shine forth in the dark.

"It's her! She's real!"

"OPEN FIRE!"

Everyone without question opened fire on the dark figure within the halls. However, the figure did not seem to be fazed by their shots or attacks. Her red humming lightsaber swung back and forth, deflecting the blasts from their guns, sending them hitting the other walls and creating bright short sparks. She wasn't struggling, nor falling to their attacks.

Two of the blasts deflected at two of the soldiers, killing them instantly. Another one was yanked by some unknown force and shanked right through the deadly weapon, and just flung to the side like a piece of trash. Everyone kept trying to back away, but it was no use. She was going to hack through them all. One of the rebels was tossed ot the ceiling, and slammed right down, killing him instantly. Three of them had their guns yanked from their hands, and the dark lord slashed their bodies immediately, hearing them scream in terror.

Just then, the C1 unit finally got the doors to open up, but it was too late. She was getting closer. And so, the man holding the data disc turned towards him with tons of sweat and anxiety streaming down his face. He could feel her getting closer, and time was of the essence! It was now or never!

“Spike, listen to me. Take this information, get it to Hera, fast! Now go!”

Whimpering in fear, Spike did just that, taking the disc in his tiny claw. He folded his claw back up with the disc, and immediately made a run for it, speeding down the corridor to try and run back outside to where he needed to be. And just like that, the last rebel remaining was staring face to face with the demon in charge of this hell known as the Empire.

The rebel didn't have long to react, and by the time he started to, it was too late. There was a hot sting as the burning blade slashing across his body, and he dropped to the floor, now dead like the rest of his comrades.

--

Outside was an entirely different story. While most of the civilians who lived there tried to stay out of any battle or attack zones and just go about their business, it was made hard with the massive firefight taking place outside of a few buildings. Several innocents were caught in the fray, and while the Rebels did help get them to escape, they were still having troubles of their own; the Midnight troopers. The main fighting force of the Empire, soldiers in dark purple and black armor.

Swarms of the Midnight troopers were around the base the Rebels were trying to infiltrate, and now they were having one heck of a time trying to finish them all off. The Rebels did get hit a few times, but trying to keep them all down was the real issue. Many of them had trained a long time for battle, and they weren’t so easy to defeat. One of the Rebels, a woman in a dark fuschia colored Mandalorian helmet, holding two blasters fired nonstop towards the enemy in front of her. She was accompanied by several people, with various species and races. Regardless of that fact, they all shared one goal; to fight and win this war.

“They’re breaking through the front lines!”

One of the rebels, a pilot with an orange jumpsuit and simple blaster kept firing as well, but also trying to keep in touch with the com on his ear.

“I’ve lost contact with the infiltration team!”

A Lasat with a heavy gun spun around with a worrisome face. “There’s too many of them!” He spun back around and shot some more heavy shots, ducking an explosion that barely missed him. Someone else came running through the field, a lime-green Twi’lek with a single blaster fired at multiple troopers who were running. She kept shooting with everything she got, not holding back.

“Where is Spike!?”

The screeching of an astromech droid pierced their ears, racing into the courtyard, stammering and shaking with anticipation. “I’m back, I’m here!”

“Do you have the intel?”

“I got it!”

“Okay, we have what we need, everyone, we must—”

“Hera! Get down, incoming!”

Spike and the Twi’lek looked back to the fight, recognizing the soldier who was arriving in the battle. A woman with bulky but gleaming silver armor all over her body, inspired by the Clone troopers and Storm troopers from many decades ago, and with a black pauldron on her shoulder. She was the captain leading this assault.

“Converge on the Rebels. We must not let anyone escape!”

“Everybody, fall back!” Hera hollered.

The Rebels started to make a run for it, quickly fleeing the battle to retreat. All they had to do was make it out in one piece and they’d be home free, or so they thought. Even as they ran, the Midnight troopers took out many more of their soldiers on the run. Running took the Rebels straight to a massive platform where a number of shuttles and spacecraft where waiting for them to take, including a single escape pod.

“The Rebels are evacuating the outposts on Dantooine and Florrum. We must reach the others on Yavin IV,” Hera declared. “Everyone, get to your shuttles, now!”

The Midnight troopers kept coming, shooting more Rebels as they tried to flee. More of their numbers dropped, and they were now steadily dwindling to almost nothing. One of the shuttles started to take off, but a single rocket shot its engines and it came back to the ground, spinning out of control until it was away from the platform and exploded upon crashing to the ground.

Spike, finally catching up with them approached Hera. “What do I do?”

“Spike, you must take the escape pod. We'll keep them occupied, but you need to keep those plans safe. You'll need to stop here,” Hera said, pulling up a hologram. “Tatooine. You will go there to Mos Eisley, we’ll have Rebels there to meet you. Find them, and they will take you back to Yavin IV. Now go! Sunset Shimmer is counting on you!”

“I won’t let you down!”

Spike gave one small salute and made a run for the long distance pod, thankfully avoiding more of the laserfire that was coming his way. His legs rolled into the pod and he closed the hatch behind him, watching as more of his allies fall, making him whimper in fear. But he couldn’t look back anymore, he had to run, now.

The engines of the pod activated, and he took off for the skies, watching only the chaos that occurred below. Hera and her crew managed to escape the fight and run up the hatch into their homeship, the Ghost, with another C1 unit waiting for them.

“Womp womp womp?”

“Sorry Chopper, Spike’s on his own. We have to keep their attention on us! Prep the engines!”

The hatch closed as soon as all of the crew made it on board, and it began to take off from the platform. The Midnight troopers opened fire on the Ghost, but their shots were ineffective against the shields. Soon the ship blasted away from the battle as it took off for the atmosphere, with two more shuttles loaded with Rebels racing after it. Sadly, another rocket launched, and so another shuttle went down. Now only the Ghost and the last shuttle were far from the dark purple troopers, escaping their wrath and fire.

Realizing that they could no longer get another shot, the silver-helmeted captain raised up her fist, getting them to stop firing and lower their weapons. She looked at their ships escaping the atmosphere, and then down to the ground, gazing at the dead bodies of every Rebel they had killed.

“How many of those ships escaped?”

“Only two ships and an escape pod, Captain Phasma. The others have been completely destroyed.”

The captain did her best to hold back her anger and not take it out on her troopers, not wanting to waste them as her Lord so mercilessly did. “Contact Lord Midnight. We must track down those ships and get back the plans.”

You could find many planets to take a stop at throughout the galaxy.

You could go to the Outer Rim territories, with a variety of places to take a stop at, like the peaceful Twi'leks of Ryloth, or the pacifist ruled Mandalore. Though there were a few planets within the Outer Rim that most knew to avoid. Like the hot and boiling Mustafar which was nothing but an entire volcanic rock. Or Geonosis, home to the Geonosian bugs who played a hand in the Clone Wars, aiding the long deceased Storm Army.

But one planet that many liked to come to was Tatooine; a harsh desert world orbiting twin suns in the galaxy’s Outer Rim. The place was lawless, ruled by powerful Hutt gangsters who you did not want to mess with. Many of the settlers made a living on moisture farms, while spaceport cities such as Mos Eisley served as home base for many notorious smugglers, criminals, and other rogues who had bounties placed on them. Tatooine’s many dangers included sandstorms, bands of savage Tusken Raiders, even the deadly Sarlacc Pits. The planet was also known for its dangerous Podraces, rampant gambling, and legalized slavery.

Outside of Mos Eisley, and far into the desert, there was an inhabited canyon by the name of Beggar's. Many adobe made houses were built into the canyon walls, supported by the strong mountain walls and awnings constructed out of strong and sturdy material. Sitting on the middle of the canyon walls, joined by many other adobe houses, was a parked freighter ship, sitting inside a small hollow cavern. Covered in a few awnings, and with some clothes hanging out to dry on some clotheslines.

One of the occupant of this formerly proud freighter was a teenage girl, rolling around in her hammock shaped bed. Her eyes opened when her ears heard the sounds of her alarm clock ringing, and so she forced herself to get herself moving. She pressed the button for the alarm and rolled out of the hammock bed, stretching. Her bare feet slapped on the floor as she adjusted her t-shirt and shorts, waking herself up.

"Good morning Sweetie Drop!"

Her bare feet slid across the floor right in front of her dresser, and pulled out her mirror, eyes widening to see her purple and blue hair sticking up as a giant poofy mess. Shrugging, she walked straight to the vac-tubes to use the bathroom, and came back out again. Just as she was about to get herself dressed, her stomach growled with hunger.

She dashed out of her room and into the kitchen, greeting the two parents there with a smile. Already, her mouth watered with the delicious smell of space waffles made with some of the finest ingredients here on Tatooine. The first parent was a green-skinned woman, wearing a tan tank top and work-pants, with her hair tied up in a pony-tail. The ring on her hand visibly shined as she turned to greet her daughter with a smile.

"Good morning Flurry."

"Morning Mom," she said, giving her a side-hug, and getting a peck on her cheek.

"Morning kiddo," said the other mother. She was a pale yellow skin, blue eyes, and with two-toned dark blue and pink hair. She was dressed in a special set of armor; Mandalorian armor, more specifically, and sitting by her feet was a dark blue helmet that matched the rest of her suit, still intact with the graphics of her partner's tattoo and of her own.

"Morning Mama," Flurry greeted, giving her other mom a morning hug and kiss.

"Sleep okay?"

"Mmmhmm," Flurry nodded, still trying to adjust her hair from sticking all over the place. She then took note of another figure entering the kitchen. "Morning Eleven."

An assassin droid, an IG unit to be more precise, walked into the kitchen. This assassin droid had been reprogrammed and rebuilt a long time ago by the Mandalorian parent, repurposed to be a helpful ally to the family, as well as a nurse and bodyguard for their daughter who had yet to master fighting.

"Good morning, Flurry," IG-11 greeted, receiving a hug from the seventeen-year-old. His bony arms moved around and patted her back, greeting her with that same friendly form of appreciation that most people used. "I trust you slept well?"

"I did, thank you. Are you doing okay, Eleven? Nothing is damaged?"

"The Tusken Raiders from the outside settlement did not damage my central wiring," IG-11 replied.

"Glad to hear, Eleven," Lyra frowned, patting his shoulder. "I'm just glad that you're okay."

"So am I," IG-11 replied.

Once breakfast was made, Lyra walked over to the table and set down a plate of waffles for everyone to grab. Soon everyone dug in, and Flurry was very audibly enjoying the delicious waffles.

"Mmm, thanks for the waffles, Mom," Flurry grinned, nibbling on her breakfast.

"No problem kiddo," Lyra chuckled, enjoying her meal as well.

"So are there any bounties you're collecting today?"

"Yeah. A few more claim jumpers, tax frauds, things like that. Nothing that exciting I'm afraid," Bon Bon said, taking another sip of her coffee. "Although... I did have my eye on a possible target that could bring in some extra cash."

"Who?"

"Some bounty hunter that didn't pay up front when needed. And it turns out the almighty Jabba the Hutt wants them in for a substantial reward," Bon Bon said, displaying a hologram of the fugitive in question; a Nitko with a jagged scar running down his face.

"Okay, no, no, absolutely not. I do not want to get mixed in with the Hutts," Lyra said sternly. "Not to mention, I'm technically a fugitive?"

"Lyra, in case you forgot, we're all fugitives. Besides, I've done business with Jabba in the past, once you get past the stench, the miserable slaves, and the dead bodies underneath your feet, he's actually a reasonable man," Bon Bon said, sipping her coffee. "I know you don't want to do business with him, but we could use some extra money."

Lyra couldn't argue with that. They were getting by fine with the money they had, but the family did have some plans for the future they wanted to do, and they needed more cash just to get the ship moving.

"... Okay, maybe I'll consider it. But changing topics, Flurry, I take it you're excited to see the Boonta Eve race later today?" Lyra asked.

"Mmmhmm!" Flurry squeaked excitedly. "I've been waiting for months, and now it's finally here! I'm so excited, I could just die!"

Her parents just rolled their eyes playfully, chuckling as they got the rest of their breakfast.

"I can go see it right, can I?" Flurry begged. "I'll bring IG-11 with me as always, please?"

"Yes, you can go."

Flurry squeed with joy as she was about to get up--

"After..."

And she whimpered.

"After you clean your room and we have another session of training."

Their daughter naturally pouted. "Aw, Mom..."

"Flurry..." Lyra said sternly.

"... I'll get it clean in a few minutes," Flurry said, racing off in a puff of smoke.

--

Flurry stood on top of the cliff area, above Beggar's canyon, standing with her mother, IG-11, and a handful of other droids. Most of them were repurposed commando droids, dating back to the Clone Wars. But regardless, all of them were there to help teach her. Flurry's mothers knew that their daughter had the Force; an ancient mystical power used only by Jedi, warriors of peace from a long time ago. Lyra herself was also a Jedi, and so she decided as Flurry was getting older, to help teach her to understand the ways of the Force and to teach her how to properly use them.

Today's lesson was rather simple; blocking with a lightsaber. She gripped the lightsaber hanging off to her side (made out of spare parts laying around on the ship) and gripped it tightly. She ignited the blade, flashing a bright green glow in the light. Legs standing straight in a fighting stance, shoulders relaxed, and arms bent with both hands holding the weapon.

"Good. You remembered the stance. Now, I'm going to have the droids fire on you one at a time. Every time one fires, I want you to deflect the blast towards the few metal cans I have mounted on the post right here," Lyra gestured to the post.

Flurry gulped. "But that's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible if you don't try. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything," Lyra winked. "Now, are you ready?"

The daughter breathed in and out, keeping herself ready. She could do this, she knew she could.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Lyra looked to each commando droid, and gave them the signal. "Fire at will."

"Roger roger."

The first one fired, and Flurry moved her blade down to bounce the blast. The blast barely touched the tin can, not even scratching the surface. The second one fired, and Flurry blocked again, only for the blast to go right past the can. She threw her head back in frustration, but she still moved back into the stance to try again.

The third commando droid fired, and Flurry, locking onto the beam, moved just in time and deflected it towards a can, finally knocking it off the stand.

"There you go," Lyra smiled. "See? You can do it. Now, we have one more exercise I want you to try."

"What's that?"

"Cheep, G-G, bring 'em out!" Lyra called.

Two astromech units rolled out; a C1 unit with gray and yellow highlights, and an R4 unit with black and gray colors with gold yellow streaks running up the torso and across the dome straight to his back. Both of them were pushing some metal crates out across the sands, moving them into a few positions in front of her. From what Flurry could see, they were both filled with several droid parts and empty cartons, but what she had to do with them was what concerned her.

"I want you to try and lift these two boxes," Lyra instructed.

Flurry gulped. "I don't know, I'm not sure if I can..."

"You held back a charging bounty hunter from killing your mama when you were a baby," Lyra put on her hands on her hips, smirking.

"And I keep telling you, I don't remember that! How could I have even done that?" Flurry whined.

"I'm saying you can do it. Just give it a try."

"Well... alright," Flurry said, putting her lightsaber away.

Flurry stood in a well balanced pose, making sure her feet were locked into the ground. Slowly her arms went up, focusing on the two boxes in front of her. She looked at them, and narrowed her gaze as she opened up her palms. The boxes shook and rattled, the Force starting to connect with them. The two astromechs that had pulled them out slowly backed away to avoid possibly getting hit just as a precaution.

Lyra watched carefully, making sure she wasn't hurting herself. Her golden eyes looked down at the boxes, and she noticed they were slowly moving away from the ground and into the air. Not by a lot, but it was progress!

"Almost, there you go... you can do it..."

The boxes kept vibrating as she tried to pick them up, and Lyra could see her visibly straining a little as she tried to raise them higher.

"I.. ah... I can't do it..."

"Yes you can, keep going! You can do it!"

Flurry, not wanting to give up so easily, pushed forward and tried harder until the two boxes were finally up at a reasonable hovering height.

"Yes, yes, yes! You did it! I knew you could do it!"

And she immediately lost control and let the boxes drop and bounce on the ground. Luckily none of the contents spilled out, but she was visibly exasperated as she finally got them down.

"I don't understand how you're able to do this," Flurry said, almost whining.

"Mastering the Force takes a lifetime of dedication and training, Flurry. I know it wasn't easy, but trust me, it will get easier, if and only if you practice some more," Lyra said, pulling her daughter in for another hug.

After the 'training' area was cleaned up, Flurry walked down with the assassin droid all the way down to the bottom of the canyon where the landspeeder was parked. Lyra and Bon Bon walked down with them, intending to have a few quick words before they went off for the day.

"Okay, so there is a chance this bounty hunter we're gonna chase will take a bit of time. We found out he likes to rest over at some economically depressed town far from Mos Eisley. But it should be a simple job of capturing him, bringing him in, and getting our payment," Bon Bon stated. "Simple as that. Flurry, Eleven is in charge. You will do as he says, understand?"

Flurry nodded. "Yes Mama."

"Good. Now don't forget your backpack," Bon Bon said, giving her a backpack with a scratched up Republic logo on it. And within the backpack were a few essentials; some tools, extra com devices, ammunition, batteries, water, and a few other necessities.

"And I'm giving you some change so if you wanna purchase a snack or two, you may," Lyra said, opening up Flurry's palm and giving her a few credits.

"Thank you, Mom," Flurry grinned.

"And you remember our rule--"

"--Do not talk to strangers, especially if they are carrying guns out in the open," Flurry repeated with a bit of deadpan in her voice.

"And you know which particular strangers to stray away from?" Lyra asked some more, wanting to see how much her daughter had paid attention.

"Stay away from Bossk, Greedo, Dengar, 4-LOM, Zuckess, IG-88, or Boba Fett," Flurry answered.

Lyra and Bon Bon smiled. She did remember after all.

"Good," Lyra gave her a peck on her cheek, and Bon Bon gave her a peck on her forehead. "Now you two have fun, okay?"

"Eleven, you're positive all of your systems are functional? No required repairs?" Bon Bon asked quickly.

"Negative," IG-11 answered, marching towards the speeder.

"Well have fun you two!"

"We will!" Flurry waved as she got into the shot-gun seat.

IG-11 pulled himself into the driver's seat and his claws gripped onto the steering controls. The engines of the speeder let out a powerful roar, and so the two took off into the canyon to get to the Boonta Eve Classic. A burst of wind brushed past Lyra and Bon Bon as the speeder took off, but thankfully no dust had hit their faces or their eyes.

"You think they'll be okay?" Lyra asked, a little concerned.

"I'm sure they'll be okay. Besides, everyone knows you don't mess with an IG unit," Bon Bon replied, giving her wife a peck on her cheek. "Now come on, let's go get our bounty."

The couple marched back up the steep hills back to their ship house, and back on the very top of the canyon to get a good view of the desert from high above. Before marching towards their vehicles Lyra looked beyond the canyons again, gazing off at the barren wasteland once again. But she soon turned around and climbed onto the bike that was parked next to the Mandalorian. Looking behind her, she placed her mask/helmet on her head to hide her face and gave a nod to her wife. And looking behind her, she could see a small droid with multiple tiny legs climb into the seat behind her. A buzz droid, to be exact. It looked at Lyra for a second, and then transformed into a small ball, hiding within it's shell and magnetizing itself to the bike. The Mandalorian had a bunch of little droids on her ship, which made simple missions and daily life better.

And so, once the party had been collected, the couple raced off on their bikes out into the desert to begin their mission...

Day was soon turning to night. The skies were still bright and red, but already the twin suns were beginning to set. For one half of the planet, it was going to be time to get themselves ready for some much needed sleep. Others, it would only be the right time to perform whatever job or mission was required to work during that setting.

Unbeknownst to most of the civilians of this hellhole of a planet, a long-distance escape pod appeared out of hyperspace and was now plummeting towards Tatooine. The pod's thrusters burst with flames as it roared down to the surface, past Beggar's Canyon and into the vast open desert. And with a powerful thud, the pod went sliding across the barren lands, leaving a trail right behind it. Soon it began to slow down, and the pod finally stopped power-sliding into the ground, slamming into some rocks. A powerful thud finally made the pod stop in its crash, and the hatch opened up. The C1 unit flopped out of the pod, slamming into the sandy ground.

"Ow."

Using his little arms, Spike pulled himself back up, shaking a bit to get the sand off his face. "Well, at least I made it. Hopefully Hera and the others will be okay. Hmm.. now where am I?"

Spike's dome spun around, surveying his surroundings. Nothing but long stretches of open desert as far as the eye could see. Thinking of other options, the small dish on top of his dome started to spin around, scanning for any possible settlements or towns, anywhere he could go.

"Okay, multiple bio-signatures to the north. Guess I'm going that way."

His third leg extended out, and so he started to roll away from the escape pod into the open desert, tracking the signal. Hopefully if he continued that way, he would find something out there. At least someone who could lend him a hand...

Flurry and IG-11 sped through the desert, on their way home. And in addition to heading on home, Flurry was granted permit to drive the speeder with IG-11 sitting next to her.

"Do you think that referee was still mad at me?" Flurry asked with a bashful expression.

"Why do you ask?" IG-11 inquired.

"Well, you saw, I stretched my legs, I wasn't trying to trip him," Flurry frowned. "I didn't mean for him to lose his popcorn bucket."

"You explained as best as you could. Some people are understanding, some not so much. It isn't something you can help," 11 said. His scopes then turned to the direction in front of him. "Flurry you should slow down."

"Why? There isn't anything out here."

"Flurry, slow down. I am detecting a droid signal in front of us."

"Eleven, I'm sure--"

"Look out!"

Flurry slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. What they saw in their way was slammed against the front of the speeder and went bouncing across the ground like a beach ball. Panicked, Flurry jumped out of her speeder and ran towards what she hit, praying that whoever it was wasn't hurt.

But when she got closer, she was confused. A track of three lines were connected to what she hit, and when she got closer, she saw a small bit of shine reflect in her eyes. Upon further inspection, she soon saw what she had hit.

"Oh no. Blast it, I hit an astromech!" Flurry panicked, cupping her mouth in horror. "Eleven! Bring the speeder around, he could be hurt!"

Spike tried to bring himself back up, but he couldn't. He was slammed so hard that he was on the verge of shutting down, until all power systems deactivated and he shut himself down...

Author's Note

And so our story begins! I hope ya'll enjoyed it, and stay tuned for the next chapter!

Night Confessions

Author's Note

We are finally back in business folks! Thanks again to Scholars for grammar checking everything, and so we are back on the adventure!

Night Confessions

After an hour or two of driving across the shallow tides, the adults found a hiding spot nearby an empty cave, hidden away from the rest of the base. Once they had carefully hidden the bikes, the five of them started to climb up a mountain to oversee the base.

A few rocks crumbled beneath their boots as they climbed, but thankfully not enough to cause an avalanche or set off possible auditory noises. Crawling on their stomachs, the five of them held on to a ledge of the mountain, now getting a full view of the entire outpost. Surrounded by a few palm trees, criss-crossed by shallow tidal creeks, and a tram system that went to various small beaches in the surrounding area. A tarmac large enough to hold several Mandalorian Gauntlet starfighters, a few TIEs of various classes, a shuttle, and at least three Gozanti-class carriers.

Using binocs, the group looked around on the base. Lyra's eyes spotted a series of generators, large enough that they could be used to deactivate the power. Applejack found the concentration camp, seeing a few hurt Rebels and civilians inside, trying to provide each other what little comfort they could in their enclosure. Rainbow Dash sighted a massive caged fuel foundry, enough to power several squadrons of this new ship. Sunset turned her attention to factory, seeing only a few sights available to the outside eye; workers pushing out forged parts and pieces for nearby assembly.

Bon Bon, last of all looked at the tarmac. She did see the usual Midnight troopers and officers as they unloaded some more prisoners, but then she saw something else that caught her eye. Emerging from the shuttle was a Mandalorian in light green and black paint. And another. And another. A group of Mandalorians with the exact same paintjob, and judging by the Imperial markings on their shoulders, she could tell right away these weren’t friendly.

“Oh no,” Bon Bon moaned. “Mandalorians.”

“That’s bad, isn’t it?” Rainbow asked.

“Not Mandalore. Death Watch,” Sunset corrected.

Bon Bon went quiet. Her helmet slowly moved to look at Sunset. “D… Death Watch?”

“Yeah. Terrorists, basically. Well, I don't think I'd need to say it, you're Mandalorian, you know this stuff already,” Sunset said, not paying attention to her as she looked below.

Bon Bon drew to a deafening silence. She laid there, not saying anything else but instead, just glaring at the Mandalorians below.

“So I guess they’re working for the Empire now too," Applejack grit her teeth. "Wait... what's goin' on down there?'

Just then, the doors to the inside of the factory opened up. The next sight they saw only made them shed a gasp; Yakyakiees and Wookiees yanked out in chains and forced to drag something out of the hangar; a three-winged TIE fighter, mounted on a stand, similar to the design they saw on the blueprints.

Bon Bon still showed no reaction, at least, nothing physical. She was still dangerously quiet underneath her helmet.

A real Mandalorian would never, ever force people to do such a thing.

And then they watched as one of the Yakyakiees tried to fight their chains, only to get shot in the forehead by one of the Mandos.

"Well this complicates things. I thought Midnight troopers would be bad enough. Now we have them to worry about as well... great," Sunset grimaced.

"Wait, we can still do this. So what if we've got them to deal with, they're no different. We just need to plan around them," Rainbow corrected.

Sunset smiled. "You know what? You're right. So what, we can plan around this--"

"--I need to take them out."

Everyone turned their attention to Bon Bon.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I need to take them out. Now," Bon Bon whispered, rather dangerously.

"Geez, no need to be so mad," Rainbow protested. "Seriously, what's going on with you?"

Lyra facepalmed when Rainbow asked. "You just had to go there..."

"How about we don't give away our position and instead focus on finding a way in?" Applejack proposed, ceasing Bon Bon's hostility for a brief moment of time. "Look, they've got armor, maybe we can wear their suits to blend in. We've already got disguises for Team Six and Flurry, maybe we should be stealthy as well."

"I agree. But you're not going to get me to wear their armor," Bon Bon sneered. "I'm not going to disgrace my family by wearing the armor of a terrorist unit."

"Okay seriously, what's got you so riled up?" Rainbow demanded.

"Rainbow."

Bon Bon sighed, rubbing her face underneath her helmet. But she looked to the veteran, still not removing her helmet to show her face.

"Your suggestion is a great idea; honestly, I think you girls should do it, you'll be safer that way. But I need to make this clear to you. If you need someone to blend in with them, I can't. What they did to me... you don't know what it's like. Nor have you lived to see the kind of horrors they inflicted. I still remember trying not to cry or scream into my papa's arms as he kept us hidden behind behind some rubble, and I watched as they put a blaster bolt into an innocent man's head. And you know what happened a few days after we tried to make our case to the Duchess? They attacked again. And this time... they killed my mom. They made it clear if we ever tried to bring up attention to their attacks again, he would force me to watch them kill my dad, and then put my brains into the kriffing ground. Since Mandalore was going to be of no help, my dad and I moved far away just so we wouldn't have to deal with that pain again. What they did to me is personal, Rainbow. They took enough from me. You have nothing to lose by wearing their armor. I do."

The cliff ledge was now quiet as the rest of the veterans took in Bon Bon's story. Sunset truthfully wasn't surprised, she had heard countless tales from innocents over the past decade and a half, of people who suffered under various forms of terrorism and horror that weren't the Empire. She knew how to be helpful, or semi-supportive most of the time. But right now, she had no idea how to ease Bon Bon. Heck, she was afraid to speak up, getting tired of being on the receiving ends of so many critiques and comments for how she lived.

"... Are you serious right now?" Sunset whisper-yelled.

That is until this very moment.

"Excuse me?"

"No no no, you don't get to do this right now," Sunset said, putting her foot down, metaphorically speaking. "Look, I've had to put up with your criticisms, your comments, and you know what, I'm going to say something. We need you right now, and I'm sorry that happened to you Bon Bon. But that happened nearly forty years ago. I know something like that isn't easy to move past, I know. There are a lot of things I'm still trying to find a way to move on from."

Bon Bon didn't give Sunset her attention, but just kept her eyes averted from her. She didn't like being yelled at, but she couldn't deny Sunset was right.

"And if you don't want to blend in like them, fine. But we're not just going to go executing them with a sniper-blaster with the chances of being caught. There are lives at stake, Bon Bon. We work to make sure everyone escapes alive; sure, we don't always succeed, and we end up losing friends and family along the way, but it's the rules. My rule especially. I'm not going to just immediately take risks, like the one you were just about to consider doing."

Sunset sighed for a moment, cupping her face as she tried to bring her thoughts together.

"I know it's a lot. But we can do this. If you keep yourself together, I promise you we'll make sure Death Watch is taken down for good. So no other man, woman, or child gets hurt like your family was. Especially for the sake of your current wife and daughter," Sunset emphasized.

The Mandalorian Rebel went silent once more. She was at a loss for words, and she couldn't argue. Sunset was right.

"Ahem," Lyra cleared her throat. "How about this. Per Applejack's idea, maybe you can sneak in as Death Watch members. Although I'd recommend taking an officer's uniform just in case, probably something of a high rank. While you guys infiltrate the inside, Bonnie and I can work outside and sneak on the tarmac. If they've pulled out some of those Defenders for testing, or preparation to be loaded for battle, maybe we can disarm and dismantle them so they don't have a chance to take off. Fair enough?"

Everyone looked at each other, giving the idea some thought.

"Seems solid to me," Sunset agreed.

"I'm in," Rainbow added.

"Better than nothin'," Applejack also agreed.

"What about you, hon?"

Bon Bon sighed underneath the helmet. "I don't like it... but their lives mean more than revenge. I'm in."

"Great! Now come on, we better get back to camp," Lyra suggested.

Carefully, one by one, they worked their way back down from the ledge to get back to the cave where their bikes were parked. Bon Bon however was the last of them to move, staying close behind to Sunset. She had a little bit of guilt washing over, and she couldn't stay silent anymore.

"Oh, um, Sunset?"

"Yeah?" Sunset asked, sliding down while keeping a steady hand on the mountain to grip the wall just in case.

"I'm sorry for all the snark."

"Bon Bon, I get it. I'm not happy, but I get it," Sunset reassured.

"No, not that. I mean about... well, everything else."

"What do you mean?" Sunset pressed, looking at her inquisitively.

"The remarks towards the Jedi, the Republic, every remark I said to you. I'm not sorry for what I think, but I am sorry for being rude and unnecessarily mean to you. You didn't deserve that, and I know you're trying to fix everything that was started. I'm sorry."

The general smiled softly, patting the Mandalorian ally's shoulder.

"You're a good woman, Bon Bon. You know that?"

"No. Because I'm not," Bon Bon said, rather unemotionally.

"Well, I think you are," Sunset said softly. "Come on, let's get back to camp, hopefully no one set off anything to lure them to where we are."

Back at the campsite, dinner was nearly ready. Flurry, with some help from Silverstream were nearly finished cooking over the small but humble fire that was set up at the site. While most of the food was made in the kitchen, they chose to finish the rest outside, mainly due to complaints from how the smell was making them go crazy. Mainly for how delicious it smelled.

Around the site were the rest of the Heartstrings family; the commando units, K2-B4, Bee the buzz droid, and various other units which were turned online for security. If one of them went down, the group would know about it before there was a chance for someone to get shot. The astromechs sat around the campfire, constantly swiveling their heads around to look as well.

Soon enough, the food was ready, and so Flurry began to pass around plates to everyone, as well as utensils. Food was passed around, and so everyone sat down on a piece of crate or a lawn chair, or whatever furniture was set out to use as a seat.

"This smells great you two," Sandbar complimented.

"Thanks!" Flurry acknowledged, taking a bite of her food. "Mmm... that's the stuff."

"I... sorta helped... she did most of the cooking, honestly I had a hard time finding everything. Mandalorians organize things weirdly," Silverstream's ears flopped.

"No different than anyone else," Flurry shrugged. "Is any of that too spicy for you guys?"

"Nah, it's good. I like the hot stuff," Smolder agreed, taking a big bite before hacking her lungs out. "Ack! Holy--what is that?"

"It's tiingilar, it's a Mandalorian dish. Meats, vegetables, spices. Figured I'd make something that'd give all of us a bit of the basic food groups," Flurry said.

"So not beans, bacon, whiskey, and lard then," Gallus asked, awkwardly.

"... Not exactly a combination I would go for, but yeah, not that," Flurry responded.

The fire continued to sizzle nice and hot in the pit in front of them, keeping the extra food hot if anyone wanted to grab more. All the while, some more idle chit-chat occurred as they ate.

“So,” Smolder asked, out of the blue, “What’s your story?”

Sandbar, realizing that she was addressing him and not one of the others, looked taken aback. “Me?” he asked blankly.

“Yeah, you,” the Draconoid answered; the word “idiot” unspoken but plainly felt. “What’s your reason for being part of this rebellion? What’d the Empire do to you?”

“…Oh,” the green-haired boy turned a downcast look to his plate; the young rebels having been taking lunch before Smolder had asked her question. “Right. Y-yeah, what the Empire did to me…”

Ocellus and Silverstream exchanged looks of concern. Smolder was more bemused, and a little exasperated. Yona, for her part, reached over and gave Sandbar a reassuring (if strong) pat on the back. Gallus rolled his eyes and spoke up.

“C’mon, don’t keep us in suspense here, Sandy,” the former street kid said. “If it’s too much to talk about, then just say so!”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Sandbar relented, setting his plate down on his lap, “I was just really surprised, that’s all. I don’t really like to think about some of it too much.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s all right,” Ocellus offered with a sympathetic, wistful smile. “Believe me, I get not wanting to talk about where you came from or what was in your past.”

Sandbar gave her a reassuring smile. “That’s okay,” he said. “We’re all in this together, right? I think you guys deserve to know.”

“Yes!” Yona clapped him on the back again. “Friends share things, yes? This is what Yona hear from Jedi, anyway!”

“Heh. Right,” Smolder shrugged, settling in for what she hoped was a good story. “Alright Sandbar, what’s your big story for us then?”

The young Rebels listened, with varying expressions of interest, as Sandbar cast his memory back, and began to talk.

“Well, I was born on Tion, in the Outer Rim. It’s a water planet, used to be part of the Storm Empire back in the Clone Wars. But I came after that, I was born a few years before Blueblood came to power… my birthday was right around Empire Day actually. “My family was a regular one. Mom, Dad, me, and later a baby sister. We had a house along the beach, and I practically grew up on the water. We weren’t poor, but we sure weren’t, like, rich either… we made ends meet by fishing, mostly, sometimes catching turtles too.”

Sandbar paused in his telling. He sighed, took a breath as though he were about to make a great plunge, and then continued.

“The thing you guys need to know is that, growing up, the Empire weren’t the bad guys to me. Mom and Dad didn’t talk about the Clone Wars, or what things had been like under the Storm Army, or how much better it was there than to live under the Republic… heck, Dad sometimes said that the Galactic Empire was better!” Guilt twisted across the young man’s face as he went on:

“I didn’t have a reason to want to fight the Empire growing up. I didn’t have my people nearly wiped out by their troopers. Or have to flee my home because of them.” He looked apologetically to Ocellus and Silverstream, both of whom had gone quiet at what he had just said. Even Gallus looked more serious now, less aloof as he listened to the green-haired boy’s story.

"So, what happened?” Flurry Heart asked, gently.

“Yeah,” Smolder added. “What made you join the Rebellion then?”

Sandbar didn’t answer her at first. He looked over to Yona, as if asking her permission. When the large fur-covered girl nodded, he looked back to the others and said quickly, as if telling it fast would make it go over better:

“I didn’t join the Rebellion until after I left the Empire!”

For a moment there was a stunned silence in the wake of this. Even Cheep and G-G slowly rotated their domes back around to gaze at Sandbar, while Spike and R2 just continued to look around, not shocked to hear this news. Finally, though, Gallus spoke up in disbelief.

"You, were an Imp?” the street boy exclaimed.

“A what?” Silverstream looked between him and Sandbar in mixed confusion and worry.

Smolder brusquely answered her, “An Imp, short for Imperial, Silver. He’s saying that Beach Boy here was an Imperial.” Sandbar winced, a nervous smile playing across his face at how everyone was reacting to this news.

“I never would have guessed…” Ocellus frowned. “You just don’t seem like the type of person to be a Midnight trooper.”

“Yeah, you’re way too short for one!” Smolder added sarcastically.

Sandbar flushed with embarrassment, looking down at his plate. Flurry felt a pang of empathy for the boy, and so did Yona clearly, as she put a reassuring arm around his shoulders.

“It’s okay,” the Yakyakiee declared, “Yona know that Sandbar not bad person. Sandbar good friend of Yona’s!”

“Thanks, Yona,” Sandbar said quietly, though a small, grateful smile could be seen playing at his lips. Another silence, this one more peaceful than the earlier one, fell over the table, as the various young rebels digested this big news about the boy they’d thought was the most, quote-unquote normal of them.

“Why’d you leave the Empire?” Flurry Heart spoke up, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

“Yeah? And why’d you join them anyway?” Silverstream chimed in.

“Were you in the Imperial Army or Navy?” Ocellus piped up.

“You ever shoot anyone?”

“Or blow something up?”

Sandbar groaned and slumped back in his seat. “You’re gonna make me tell the whole story, aren’t you?” he asked with a deadpan look.

“Yes!!” Silverstream leapt up in excitement for the story she wanted to hear. “…Please?” she added a moment later, with a guilty giggle.

“Okay, okay…” Sandbar managed a little chuckle. “I’ll tell you guys how it all happened…” And, settling down, the green-haired boy began to tell the full story. “I was seventeen when I first enlisted. There was an Imperial Academy recruiting drive on Tion, and I thought it seemed like a good way to get out and see the rest of the galaxy. Well, I got accepted, and did a year at the Academy as a cadet.”

Sandbar cast his memory back, recalling that time in his life. Himself, a young boy just entering adolescence, in the simple white-and-gray uniform of an Imperial cadet… running drills with the other boys in the squad, having to traverse the academy’s mechanical obstacle course that the instructor dubbed “The Well”… hearing, again and again, the demand for absolute loyalty to the Empire and its cause of bringing order to the galaxy…

“I did well enough in that first year, that I got noticed,” Sandbar continued. “One of the officers offered me a chance to enlist in a special program with the Imperial Army. It was part of an order given by Blueblood himself, meant to expand the ranks of the Midnight Trooper Corps. If you made it through…” he gave an awkward smile, “Well, you would be part of the Empire’s elite fighting force.”

A hush had fallen over the table at these words. The color had left Ocellus’ face, her earlier words rushing back to her all at once. Even Smolder looked a bit taken off guard by the thought, “You mean you were… a kid Midnight trooper?”

Sandbar nodded glumly. “Trooper designate SBR-32418,” he rattled off, “That was my old, label, I guess, when I signed up. They’re not really big on individual names in the Corps.”

“Jeez…” Gallus made a face. “You actually signed up for that?”

“I’m not proud of it,” the other boy snapped at first, before calming down somewhat. “It was just… something that felt expected of me, I guess. I could have gone onto the normal Army track, I could have even gone back home, but I didn’t…” he scratched the back of his head, abashed as he added, “I was just scared to back out, I guess.”

Silverstream gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s okay,” she said softly, “I think we all know what it’s like to be scared…” she gave a bit of a warning look to Gallus and Smolder, both of whom reluctantly nodded along with her. Sandbar, heartened a little by the support, continued his tale:

“Anyway, I joined with the other trooper candidates, and we were packed up and shipped out to begin training in earnest. I was able to keep up with them, but as training went on, I... I dunno. They just told me to shoot anything that was a considered a threat, and said to never ask questions. My friend, she... she did ask why I hesitated, but she never reported me for it. I tried to keep up, but I just didn't have it in me to follow through on everything. And then everything changed on one night... the night I met Yona..."

Sandbar stood where he was ordered to stand, and awaited further instructions. The Imperial officer eventually came by, a tall regal woman who looked almost unhuman from how pale and skinny she was. Her eyebrows looked permanently furled as if she always looked mad.

“Trooper SBR-32418,” the commanding officer spoke. “… Stand straight.”

Sandbar straightened his posture.

“I have been reading your progress reports, and frankly I am very disappointed in you,” the officer said.

Sandbar shrunk. “Why?”

“Because you cannot follow a simple order. I know these orders may seem harsh, but they exist for a reason,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “We are effective at what we do if you work with your fellow soldiers and do what you are told. Good soldiers follow orders.”

Sandbar wanted to snark back at her, but knowing the last time someone did, he wasn’t about to repeat that mistake. He kept his eyes averted as the officer towered over him.

“I know you are a good soldier, SBR-32418. You along with VZ-86, HD-86, and HK-84 are some of the finest soldiers I have taught at this academy. But you are slugging behind, and we don’t want that to happen, do we?”

Sandbar sighed. “N-No, ma’am.”

“Exactly,” she said, keeping a rather calm, albeit somewhat pleasant demeanor. “Which is why I am proposing one small test. If you can go through with orders, I will put in good word to the other officers that you are not as, well, defective as they think you are. We certainly don’t want to go through any reconditioning, do we?”

Sandbar did not want that at all. He remembered the screams of agony from the early hours of the night, being told it was the ‘reconditioning’. He never saw what happened during those sessions, but he did not want to be submitted to that.

“No ma’am,” Sandbar meekly said.

“Good. Now, let us begin this test.”

Sandbar’s eyes bulged. “I’m sorry, what!? But ma’am, I don’t know what to do, I haven’t practiced or anything.”

“Calm yourself, trooper. This test is a simple one, it does not require you to use any of those braincells. Not that you should be using them,” the commanding officer said, rather condescendingly. She hit her com device. “This is LRC-43. Bring up the test.”

“Copy that LRC-43.”

Sandbar and the commanding officer waited, and eventually, something happened. The ground underneath them started to rattle and shake, and a hatch on the metallic grounding opened up. Something was being lifted from underneath the ground, and brought up to the surface. First sight they saw was a pair of horns, and some fur. When the lift finally was all the way up, they got a better look.

Chained to the lift with no chance of escaping, was a brown, furry, Yakyakiee. She looked mortified when she saw what was ahead of her, and she knew what this was for. She tried to break free from her bonds, but she couldn’t. They were too strong, made to hold down particular muscle-bound prisoners.

“I… w… who is she?” Sandbar asked, flabbergasted.

The commanding officer pulled out a datapad. “Prisoner 56-832. Arrested for a charge of treason and assault.”

“On what grounds?” Sandbar pressed further. “Why was she arrested for treason?”

“That information is of need to know, and frankly, you aren’t of need to know, SBR-32418,” the officer sneered.

“But wh—”

“—I don’t want to hear another word about it. Arm your blaster, and execute this terrorist,” she ordered.

“What did she do!?” Sandbar barked.

The commanding officer held back a growl, but didn’t change her posture. “Fine. But after I give you my answer, you’re going to finish her,” she said, clearing her throat. “She was arrested under a charge of treason and assault after the Empire came down to visit one of their villages. They didn’t even bother to speak to us, they just opened fire and assaulted us. We only wanted to protect them, and these… these… savages, just… killed innocent men,” she said, almost choking.

Sandbar honestly wasn’t buying this woman’s faux sadness, he never saw her express anything aside from pride and anger. And indeed, she was clearly lying through her teeth about being sad when she corrected her emotions without issue.

“She doesn’t understand,” she said, looking forward. The Yakyakiee sneered at her as the officer’s saddened face turned slowly into a pompous smirk. “She and her savage kind claimed they wanted freedom, nothing to do with us. You see SBR-32418, everyone says they want freedom and free will… but what they really want is order. They may not entirely on board with some of our tactics now, but they’ll learn to open us with welcome arms soon enough. We only care about protecting their interests.”

Sandbar could not believe what he was hearing. This commanding officer’s words sounded true, but her tone, her fake expressions and the looks of fear on that poor ‘savage’ in front of him spoke otherwise. He was starting to have second thoughts about what he was doing; was he about to execute a terrorist as his commanding officer described, or was he about to kill an innocent girl who didn’t do anything to warrant this?

“Now. Execute her.”

Sandbar heard her command. And in the Empire, good soldiers followed orders, as he heard beaten into his head time and time again. Cocking his blaster, he held it tight and focused on the Yakyakiee. He was set to blast, but his hands were shaking. He couldn’t think straight, and he almost didn’t want to shoot. The innocent eyes of that poor Yakyakiee that pleaded for mercy without speaking (and she wasn’t even muzzled), combined with that pompous officer…

“I said, execute her.”

Sandbar still didn’t do it. He couldn’t. He couldn’t do it. This was wrong! With a heavy sigh, he lowered his arms and let the blaster pointer face the ground. The commanding officer let out a derisive sigh.

“What a shame. And I thought you had potential. But I suppose seventy-two hours in reconditioning will help you clear your head,” she said, pulling out her own blaster and aiming at the prisoner. “As for you, savage. There won’t be a next time when we come across your people. They may have defeated us once before, but they won’t next time,” she grit her teeth. Her dastardly sneer turned into a sinister grin. “And as a show of our good faith, I will personally throw your skull—”

BAM!

The Yakyakiee’s eyes closed shut, waiting for death’s cold embrace to take her. But she didn’t feel anything. She didn’t feel any shots to her heart or anywhere else on her body. Slowly she opened her eyes, noticing no visible blaster marks on her fur. And when she looked forward, she heard the commanding officer gasping for air as she clutched her chest. No more words exchanged as the officer fell and dropped dead. And turning her head, she saw the source; the trooper who hesitated to fire, holding a blaster that was now steaming at the barrel. He didn’t look so scared to shoot this time, instead, he looked rather determined as he held that blaster, staring down at his former commanding officer.

Then he looked at the prisoner. She looked completely stunned, seeing him just turn on the officer and not shoot her. He risked saving her. But why?

Sandbar put his blaster back by his side, and slowly approached the prisoner. She didn’t know what he was going to do, and even slided her hooves around in a defensive position, at least, as defensive as she could. Sandbar kept his hands up to show he was unarmed, and not going to hurt her. He reached for one of the chains, getting a bit of a growl from the prisoner.

“It’s okay,” Sandbar reassured, keeping a hand up. “I’m going to help you, I promise. I just need you to hold still, I’m going to try and get these chains off.”

Sandbar pulled out his blaster and fired several blaster bolts into the main panel that kept the prisoner chained. Once it was shot, the metallic locks unlocked themselves, allowing the Yakyakiee’s limbs free. Seeing that she could move again, she slowly stepped off the lift. When she stood up, Sandbar felt like she was going to break him right there and then. She didn’t look so big from the distance, but now? She wasn’t as big as the officer, but she was relatively beefy.

“Look, I don’t know if we can get you back to your village, but I can get us out of here,” Sandbar said, carefully moving forward and looking her in the eyes. “I can take you away from her. Would you like that?”

“Imperial… help me,” the Yakyakiee finally spoke, still stunned. “You.. help Yona?”

“Yona… is that your name?” Sandbar asked, wanting confirmation.

“Yes. Imperial help Yona? Why?”

Sandbar gave her one determined look that said it all. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

"After that... we ran. We ran as fast as we could, and I did not dare look back. I decided from that day on, I didn't want to do more of the Empire's dirty work if this was their methods of 'protecting'," Sandbar seethed, still feeling a bit guilty from the memory.

"Sandbar no beat up," Yona said, patting shoulder. "Sandbar not Imperial scuzz anymore. Sandbar now friend!"

"If the Yakyakiee that you were forced to execute is telling you to stop beating yourself up..."

"Then I should stop. I know," Sandbar said, setting his clean bowl down.

Soon enough, the engines of speeder bikes rumbled in the forests as they pulled up to the lowered lift system that was set on the Sweetie Drop. Once the bikes were parked, the five adults got off and walked towards the little campfire where the others were sitting.

"Good news and bad news folks," Sunset announced. "Good news is, nothing has changed in the base that would hinder our plans. The bad news is... they have Mandalorians."

Everyone pulled up in the chairs and seats with the rest of the team to join them for dinner. Luckily there was still more tiingular for everyone to enjoy, which the adults soon got.

"Ooof," some of the Rebels hissed.

"They're not Mandalorian. Real Mandalorians don't do what they did. Death Watch are imposters," Bon Bon seethed, taking her helmet off and happily accepting the bowl of food from her daughter.

"Whatever they are, they can't stop us," Smolder beamed with pride.

"Don't underestimate them. They do not screw around, they mean business," Lyra pointed.

"Sooo... on a scale of one to ten, how bad are they compared to the Empire?"

"Does it matter? They're Imperial aligned, they're still bad," Rainbow shrugged. "Either way,, we've got this."

"Don't jinx us, Rainbow. You say we've got this, and then by morning, something bad will have happened to make the plan fall apart," Bon Bon pointed.

"Enough," Sunset said, breaking up the unnecessary debate. "Look, we're back, let's just get our dinner and do one more security check for the night. We start the mission in the morning, I want us all to get plenty of rest if we're going to do this right."

"As long as no important staff member is here, I'm sure we'll be fine," Smolder shrugged. "... Thrawn's not here, is he?"

"No, not that we saw. If he is, that might put a little more difficulty, but if he's not, then we just keep going."

"Sunset, we did stuff like this in the Clone Wars. The Empire's no different than those infernal battle droids or Stormtroopers. How difficult could it really be?" Applejack smirked, pridefully.

Sunset wanted to snark back and be brutally honest with her, but held herself back. Truthfully, she hoped it really would just be another adventure, and pray nothing would go sideways once the plan would start...

The end of the night shift was coming for some of the Death Watch and Imperial staff, just in time for the night-watchmen to come and take over. One of the Imperial officers was almost ready to clock out for the night, but she decided to take a stop towards one of the main offices. Inside, the woman in charge was sitting at her desk, scrolling through various documents on a tablet device. Still adorned in her Mandalorian armor, she paid no mind to the officer who walked in.

"Commander."

"Officer," the commanding Death Watch leader addressed, still not looking. "How may I help?"

"I'm filing a report for Grand Admiral Sloane to let her know about our progress, she wants to deliver it to the ISB so they can hear our progress," the officer said.

"I see... well, you can tell Sloane we're not having any problems. Any prisoners that try to escape their sentence or make things more difficult for us are punished either through death, or more intense labor," the commander smirked under her helmet.

"Understood," she said, typing it down on her datapad. "Only one prisoner escaped so far--"

"--I think you can omit that detail," the commander snarled. "We'll find her and she'll be terminated, just like any others."

"... Very well," the officer brushed aside, ignoring the snide from their boss. "Should I let her know that our operation is just continuing as scheduled then?"

The commander lifted her helmet up, letting it sit on the desk with a soft thud. Her golden eyes flashed as she stared back at the officer, small but masochistic grin present.

"Yes."

"Very well, Lightning Dust. May you have a good rest of your night then," the officer waved, taking her absence.

With the commander alone, she looked outside her window to see the quiet sight of the prisoner's camp. No one was running out again for once. It was completely vacant of anyone on the outside, just the way Lightning liked it. And with no one knowing where they were, who was going to stop them now?