The Jedi Prince II: Trials of the Force

Two days went by since Cody passed his trial of forgiveness and destroyed the Alicorn Amulet. He, Twilight, Sunset, and their friends were now boarding the Stinger Mantis on the outskirts of Ponyville.

“So where are we off to?” Pinkie asked.

“Umbara. We’ve been sent to acquire Umbaran weapons leftover from the battle there during the Clone War,” Cody replied.

“Remind us again about Umbara?” Rainbow asked.

“It is a shadowy world in a part of the galaxy known as the Expansion Region between the Inner Rim and the Mid Rim,” Cody replied, “Soon after I pass my trial of anger, I’ll finally become a Jedi Knight.”

“Our friends and I will be there for you when that day comes,” Twilight said as they shared a quick kiss.

It was then that Harmony Squad boarded the ship. Just after they boarded, Rex, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo snuck onboard hidden from sight.

“What are we doing here?” Scootaloo asked.

“Think of this as a chance to see if we can get our cutie marks in space exploration or piloting,” Rex replied, “Besides, I want to show you the wider galaxy.”

“Cool,” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said in unison.

Once the hatch was closed, the Mantis took off from the surface and jumped to hyperspace. Once at Umbara, Twilight turned on the cloaking device so the Empire’s Star Destroyers couldn’t detect them. It was then that they landed near a familiar old airbase.

As Harmony Squad exited the ship to start their salvaging operation, Rex and the other CMCs exited behind them stealthily.

“Whoa, this place is dark,” Sweetie Belle said.

“It’s always dark here on Umbara. This is because of the thick and cloudy atmosphere, according to my dad and Uncle Dagger,” Rex replied.

The four of them walked away from the ship as they went to check out the planet.

“What’s with all this wreckage?” Apple Bloom asked.

“There was a battle here during the Clone War. My dad, Uncle Dagger, and the whole 113th Clone Battalion were among the Republic invasion force,” Rex replied.

As he and his girlfriends kept walking towards the airbase, Rex noticed the vines of a vixus.

“Girls, watch your step,” Rex said.

“What’s wrong?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Those vines are actually the tentacles of a dangerous creature, please don’t touch them,” Rex replied.

“Understood,” Scootaloo said.

Just then, Rex noticed a lightsaber on the ground. Upon picking it up, he turned it on, revealing a green blade.

“Girls, I found a lightsaber,” Rex said.

“Who do you think it belonged to?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“It belonged to a Jedi called Pong Krell. According to my dad, he fell to the dark side in the hopes of joining the Sith,” Rex replied.

The four of them kept moving until they reached the old airbase. There, they noticed Cody and the rest of Harmony Squad salvaging every piece of equipment they could. The four kids checked out the base and found four Umbaran starfighters still intact.

“Here’s our chance to try getting cutie marks in piloting,” Rex said.

The four kids entered the fighters as they activated the cockpits by touching random controls.

“Whoa!” they all exclaimed.

“How do you work this thing?” Scootaloo asked.

“I think they’re touch sensitive. Just level your hands,” Rex replied.

“Understood,” Apple Bloom said.

They leveled their hands as the bubble cockpits linked with the chassis’ and activated the whole fighters.

“Everyone, keep your arms steady and speed up,” Rex said.

“We got it,” Sweetie Belle replied.

They took off from the base and sped up. On the ground, Cody and the rest of Harmony Squad were still salvaging Umbaran weapons. Just then, they noticed four starfighters taking off.

“What’s goin’ on?” Applejack asked.

“Who’s flying those fighters?” Rainbow added.

Cody took out his macrobinobulars and noticed Rex and his girlfriends flying them, “That’s Rex and the other CMCs!” he said.

“What are your brother and our sisters doing here?” Rarity asked.

“They must’ve snuck onboard the Mantis and we didn't even notice,” Cody replied.

Meanwhile, Rex and his girlfriends were trying out the Umbaran fighters as they flew over the forest.

“Wow! I’m flying! Really flying!” Scootaloo said.

“Good for you, Scoots,” Rex replied.

“I think we’re gettin’ the hang of these,” Apple Bloom said.

“This reminds me of whenever we were playing ‘Starfighter Pilot’, only this is real,” Sweetie Belle added.

It wasn’t long before they were quickly spotted by a patrol of five TIE fighters.

“We’ve got company, and I don’t mean the good kind,” Sweetie Belle said.

“TIE fighters. Be ready on the weapon systems,” Rex replied.

Just then, the TIE fighters began firing at them.

“Take evasive action!” Rex said.

“We can’t shake ‘em!” Apple Bloom replied.

Luckily, Rex was able to force his pursuer to overshoot. He then rotated his fighter, hoping to score a hit.

“Now how do I fire the cannon?” Rex asked himself as he tried touching the controls.

He accidentally fired a missile, causing the TIE to dodge. It was then that he made the necessary hand gesture to fire the cannon. The TIE fighter dodged his shots. The TIE pilot tried firing at Rex, but the ray shield protected him. He then turned the tables and chased the TIE. Rex stayed on the enemy fighter until he got a clear shot and fired. With a few shots, the TIE fighter was shot down. He then went to help his girlfriends.

“Girls, you must open one of your hands to fire the cannon and hold out your hand to fire the missiles,” Rex said.

“Understood,” Scootaloo replied as she got behind the fighter chasing Sweetie Belle.

She then opened fire and shot down the TIE.

“Thanks, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Sure,” Scootaloo replied.

It wasn’t long before they all chose their targets and opened fire. Once all the TIEs were shot down, Rex and his girlfriends kept on flying.

“Where did those TIE fighters come from, anyway?” Apple Bloom asked.

“There must be an Imperial base nearby. We need to head back to Cody’s position before more of them show up,” Rex replied.

The four kids turned around and tried to backtrack. They kept flying until they saw the old Umbaran airbase. They immediately saw Imperial walkers and stormtroopers at Cody’s position and rushed to help.

They opened fire on the walkers and hit them on their necks, successfully knocking them out. The kids landed their fighters and rushed over to Cody and the others. Several stormtroopers fired at them only for Rex to deflect their shots with his newly acquired lightsaber. He also cut down any in his path.

“Rex! You’re safe!” Cody said as the two brothers shared a hug.

“Cody, we’re sorry we stowed away,” Rex replied on behalf of himself and his girlfriends.

“You kids took a big risk, but we’re just glad you’re safe. That’s what matters most,” Cody said.

The other CMCs also hugged their sisters and role model. Rex helped his brother and the others finish off the remaining stormtroopers.

“Where did you get that lightsaber? That belonged to Pong Krell during the Clone War,” Cody asked.

“Just outside the airbase. I reckon it’s mine now,” Rex replied.

“We’re gonna need help from the other rebels to recover all this equipment. Let’s go,” Cody said.

Everyone returned to the Mantis with all the equipment they could find and anything else they could salvage.