Sitting with his hands cuffed in the cell Alex sighed as he looked up having been stripped of his belt and his blaster. Leaving the stormtrooper in his armor, his captors believed that he could do much without his equipment. However, the native ponies didn't realize how when they removed his plastoid armor possessed items that could help him escape.

He considered pulling out his helmet's comm receiver to use as a lock pick but didn't want to damage his helmet even if the commlink wouldn't work without another signal he had to think of something else.

One guard stood by his cell but the ponies had left his gear on a table just outside his cell across the room near the door to the small holding area. Honestly, he didn't think Twilight's Castle had a prison in the first place, but then again the show didn't show off the entire castle room for room so there was that.

He considered knocking the guard out grabbing him from behind the bars and putting him into a hold, the chain on his cuffs was long enough for him to do so. Along with the fact this Guard didn't have the common knowledge to not stand with your back BEHIND the prisoner you're guarding.

Alex considered that choice since he was completely attacked in the open after Rainbow Dash assaulted him in public, he stunned her in self-defense along with breaking the Cabbage merchant's cart. He didn't know how the court system worked here, but knowing how the ponies were and how childish they could be, something told him if there was a trial for him it wouldn't end well for him.

While his mind wondered his thoughts turned returned to the courts back on earth.

The layout of the castle wasn't one he was familiar with but seeing how his hands were tied, literally in this case. He had no choice but to go down this route. It was either this or wait for his unfair trial and be turned to stone or be banished to the moon or whatever punishment they see fit.

Standing up he slowly made his way to the front of his cell careful not to rattle the chain on his cuffs, his hands moved slowly almost reaching out of the cell until the door to the room opened causing him to back away. The sound of heels clicking caused Alex and the guard to turn to see who it was, it took him a second to recognize the pony.

Her broken horn and scared face gave her away if her purple coat and dark pink mane didn't tell him who she was. Stopping at the front of the cell she turned to the guard and tilted her neck to the right, basically telling the guard to leave them.

Alex watched the guard leave as his helmet matched his expression underneath, he looked to Tempest who stared him down arms crossed under her breasts.

"Well," Tempest's voice echoed through the dead silence as to tell him they were both alone in the room. "When I was told a trooper of the storm king's army was captured causing a scene in the shopping district I thought Twilight was messing with me,"

She gave a relaxed look as she leaned back with a smile.

"I'm glad to see that she was," She smiled shaking her head. "You no stormtrooper of the Storm King,"

Alex tilts his head from side to side.

"Well your half right," Alex states causing Tempest to look at the white armor man with a confused expression.

"How so?"

"I am a stormtrooper but I don't know of any Stormking," The trooper states while getting Tempest's attention, as her relaxed poster turns to that of curiosity.

"Mind explaining to me what you mean buddy?"

"I don't serve any Storm King," This caused Tempest to chuckle.

"Well yeah. He's dead but... some remnants of his army are still around but last time I checked they were still in the storm lands and were more like a group of unoriginized raiders," Tempest explains as she leans in to look at Alex more curiously. "You got a name pal?"

"TK-777," Alex said giving his identification number.

"And your friends call you lucky I guess?" Alex nodded much to Tempest's surprise. "Well not the weirdest name I heard but something tells me that's not your real name. So come on pal why not give a mare your name?"

Alex looks at her, she looks different than she did in the movie save for the fact she is a humanoid, she looks more relaxed and has a welcoming nature to her. The trooper didn't say a word causing the former commander to sigh slightly as she placed her hands on her hips fustraded.

From all the guards he had seen in his short escort to the cell, none of them had the same look that Tempest had. She was an actual soldier unlike them, having many years of experience, and was right now most likely trying to interrogate him for information.

Tempest was most likely using a common form of interrogation to make him feel relaxed enough to open up to her but Alex wasn't falling for it. He didn't didn't know where he stood with the ponies here and didn't know what Tempest was planning if she was for that manner.

"How about I tell you mine and then you tell me yours?" She asked before introducing herself. "My name is Tempest Shadow what is your name Lucky?"

His mind raced with imperial counter interrogation tactics telling her only to give him his identification number. The silence grew until Tempest gave a groan while throwing her hands out.

"You know I'm trying to help you right?" Tempest asked while Alex remained silent. "Fine. Alright 'Lucky' do you know why you here?"

"No,"

"Well, what do you think you're here for?"

"Self-defense," Alex said causing Tempest to shake her head from side to side as if to agree with him.

"Yeah I can see that but you're here for assault, disturbing the peace, destruction of property, and conspiracy to murder," Tempest responded causing Alex to give a low chuckle and not believing what he just was told. "Look Lucky. I want to help you but you'll need to talk to me. If you do we can come to find out this is one huge misunderstanding and I'm sure you'll be on your way before you know it. Sure the ponies here can be a bit... 'overdramatic' but If you help me help you we can get through this,"

Alex turned away from her as he sat in silence causing Tempest to sigh.

"Since you don't wanna talk now I'll come back later and hopefully by then you understand the weight of this," Tempest just like Alex had predicted turned to leave causing the pony to return while shooting him a nasty glare.

'Sorry Tempest but I'm sticking with my plan,'

Returning to the bars while the guard had his back to him, TK-777 placed the guard into a choke hold and pulled the pony into the bars. The pony gasped struggling against his grasp while the guard's wings flapped at his armored chest plate but after a few seconds, the guard blacked out in his grasp from the lack of oxygen. Letting the guard go Alex took the guard's keys while the guard rested on the ground knocked out.

Freeing himself from the cuffs and the cell, Alex got his belt and blaster back while turning to the guard.

'I wonder,' Taking the guard's helmet Alex raised the gold helmet to the device Cordelia gave him and in a flash of light the gold helmet was gone. After activating the PRD he turned to the holo-device on his wrist looking at the value of the gold armor, seeing the resell value Alex whistled.

'Solar guard gold helmet quite the pretty penny for a helmet made from pure gold,'

Alex then quickly stripped the guard of his gold armor leaving him in his underclothes. Storing the gold armor bits into the PRD, the stormtrooper released the guard of his bits Alex then locked the guard in his cell. The guard would surely be compensated for this but after the time he spent and the treatment, the stormtrooper thought it would be fair for his compassion.

After placing the PRD away Alex walked over to the door to the cells, peeking through the keyhole he flinched at the sight of the many guards lining the hallway. Holding his helmet's chin in thought knowing that if he went out guns blazing he could be easily restrained by magic and be back in a cell before he knew it.

Grunting he turned back to the holding area, seeing a barred window the stormtrooper climbed up a dusty wooden crate to look through the window. Out the small barred window, he could see a good portion of Ponyville including the train station.

Seeing a way out of this crazy town, he turned back to the prison cells and reached into his belt pockets.
'There should be- AH-HA! There you are, my little friend. Now let's see. That's not that far of a drop if I use my grappling line I could rappel my way down but this will cause a fair amount of noise,'

Looking to the door to the room Alex sighed.

'But it's either going loud inside... or outside,'

He quickly moved off the crates before pushing them to the door barricading it with all the items he could find in the holding area. After which he set the thermal detonator on the window's wall before acting the explosive, as it clicked to life TK-777 ran for cover as the detonator timer quickly clicked down to zero.

(Friendship counsel chamber, Five minutes ago)

"He's not apart of the Storm Remnant," Tempest explained to Twilight and the elements before her.

"How can you be sure darling? He told Sweetie and Applebloom he was a 'stormtrooper' or whatever that means. What else would he be a part of?" Rarity asked to which Tempest groaned at her words.

"Rarity by that logic that could mean the weather team would be a part of the storm remnant because they make storms," Tempest explained causing Rartiy to huff. "Also I can tell he's nowhere near a part of the Storm Remnant because he doesn't possess any of the Storm King's markings on his armor AND the fact the Storm King hated white armor and thought black armor was more scary,"

"Storm Remnant or not he attack me! I still feel numb from that magical ring he shot at me!" Rainbow Dash barked, causing Tempest to give her a 'Are you serious' look.

"Rainbow you attack him first. He had every right to defend himself! From what the Sprout Green said about him. The guy was there shopping and minding his business," Tempest said bringing up the cabbage merchant's statement. "Also you may need to find a lawyer he might be pressing charges against you,"

"WHAT?! BUT IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" Rainbow Dash shouted causing Applejack to grab her friend.

"Simmer down sugar cube," Apple pulled her friend down as she spoke up. "Now besides the fact this 'lucky' fella may or may not have attacked Rainbow. He didn't harm my sister or any of the crusaders. From what my little sister tells me the guy was lost in the Everfree,"

"Sweetie Belle did tell me something similar," Rarity agreed with the element of honesty.

"U-um Mr. Squirl told me that some white armored stranger was taking a nap in the Everfree so maybe he was lost in the forest? Maybe he did get lost and this whole thing is just another 'Zecora' thing," Fluttershy pointed out causing the elements to think for a moment.

While her friends began to agree that maybe imprisoning the 'Stormtrooper' wasn't the right course of action and freeing him would be the right thing to do, Twilight gritted her teeth knowing if word got out that within her first week of becoming queen of Equestria. She had falsely imprisoned someone because of their differences she would be called a hippo-cite for sure!

Who knows the backlash this action would cause to the world leaders, all eyes had been on her since she was given the throne to all of Equestria.

This was bad, real bad.

She needed to figure out something and fast.

That was when the entire room shook as the sound of a loud explosion echoed through the castle halls. Confusion and panic set in before Twilight and the rest of her friends looked to the map table and saw the image of the castle of friendship smoking from the northside.

"Oh no," Tempest realized where that was before the elements and bolted off down the hallway.

Which caused the elements to follow suit, for the realization of what had happened had hit them.

The prisoner had escaped.

(ponyville train station)

Cloaked in a stolen robe, Alex looked up at the castle of Friendship while in line at the train station. His heart was racing under his chest plate at the rush he just experienced, he surprised himself with how fast he moved after the explosion. Adrenaline was a helluva driving force for the human body, tightening the cloth that was around his helmet he took a step forward to the ticket booth.

"Welcome to the Equestria's friendship express where would you like us to take you today?" The ticket clerk asked with a smile, although he could tell the pony was a little frightened by his appearance.

"I would like a one-way ticket to the Crystal Empire," Alex answered from behind his cloaked form.

The pony behind the booth turned to some paperwork and nodded.

"Well let's see here. We have two scheduled for tomorrow one at 10:30 am and another one at 6:30 pm will you be taking first class or economy?" The pony asked to which the stormtrooper shook his head.

"Do you have one scheduled for today?" Alex asked to which the pony turned back to the paper next to her.

"Well yes but we only have one seat available for royal first class but it's quite expensive and I don't think-"

"When does it leave?" Alex asked.

"In fifteen minutes but sir I don't think you can afford this it is quite expensive," The pony said with a smile that made the human roll his eyes.

"Money is no object. Please it's a family emergency," The trooper lied causing the pony to turn to the price and sigh.

"Eight hundred bits for a royal first class one-way trip ticket to the Crystal Empire," The trooper felt his heart hop into his throat.

Seeing the smoking castle in the glass's reflection he nodded, Reaching for the PRD under the cloak until he threw the amount needed onto the deck chut causing the Pony clerk to go wide eye at the bites before her.

"Well?" Alex asked while the Clerk nodded handing him the ticket which he took and went in the direction of the ticket.

'Damn good thing I sold that armor... eight hundred bits for a train ticket? This so better be worth every gold piece,'

Hearing the train at the area the ticket was assigned to the trooper ran up waving to the conductor who was about to close the train's door.

"Hold up!"

Running to the open door, Alex ran to the conductor, and after handing his ticket, the old pony the ticket then eyed his appearance almost baffled by the owner of the ticket. Seeing this the trooper groaned as the more time he wasted here in the open the more likely he would be discovered.

"It was the only ticket they had. I have a family emergency up north," The conductor looked at him as he punched the ticket and handed it back.

"If you don't mind me asking son what kind of emergency?" The conductor asked.

"My dad is sick. I dropped everything when I got word," The trooper lied causing the old pony to look at him giving a smile.

"Heh. If only most kids were like you," The conductor's words confused Alex at the comment, he would have asked why but seeing how he was trying to lay low not engaging with the conductor might be the best opinion for right now.

Although he didn't want to be a dick.

(Castle of Friendship)

"So tell me something Tempest," Twilight asked seeing the gaping hold in the holding area of the castle. "If this 'Lucky' had nothing to worry about then why did he run?"

Tempest looks at Twilight for a second before giving a guess.

"Perhaps he was aware that ponies can be a bit xenophobic and decided not to take his chances with us," Tempest answered while crossing her arms. "Honestly I can't blame him from my experience,"

"Really? Then how come he stripped the guard of his armor?!" Twilight asked pointing to the guard who was being tended to.

"A disguse? He could have easily put it on and switched it for the armor he was wearing and blended into the crowd with it," Tempest subjected not knowing the real reason the prisoner took the armor.

"How do you know that's what he did?"

"It's what I do," Tempest answered honestly although unaware of the real factor of why he took the armor.

Twilight huffed at her answer while storming off to the entrance past her friends as Rainbow Dash huffed.

"He better run otherwise I'll pound that white armored butt next time I see him!" Rainbow Dash commented causing Tempest to growl.

"By the goddess! Rainbow seriously?" Tempest cried out causing the daredevil to look at her. "You do realize this is your fault right? If you hadn't been so quick to assume he was some spy or something this would have happened! Along with that why would a spy wear bright armor in the middle of the day time?!"

"Well- I- Maybe- Um... I don't know," Rainbow Dash scratched her head. "He did stand out,"

"That proves my point!" Tempest exclaimed her head turning to the hole as she looked out of it. "But I hope he doesn't hold any grudges,"

While looking through the hole Tempest noticed something that caught her eye, over the years away from pony civilization she picked up on a few things. Sometimes she couldn't help herself but keep up with the habits of her past, such habits allowed her to see things most ponies didn't.

Such as why he blew out the hole to this side rather than the west side of the holding cells.

"Something wrong Tempest?" Applejack commented on the dark pony's head tilt.

"Nothing wrong just thinking about something," Tempest answered as she turned to leave the scene leaving the remaining elements to wonder what she was thinking about.

(Friendship Express)

Alex took a breath under his helmet his hand on the door to his room.

'Well, time to see how much an eight hundred-bit cabin looks like,'

Pushing the door open Alex froze slightly at the sight of the luxury room before him, from a very expensive-looking bed to a mini-bar along with other items that would cost an arm and a leg back on earth.

'All this for an 18-hour train ride? I would say this is too rich for my blood but might as well spoil myself,' TK-777 grinned behind his helmet as he locked the cabin door behind him.

Taking off the large robe from his armor and the cloth wrapped around his helmet which made him look like the worst Star Wars character. Alex wasn't much of a drink but after the day he had today, a drink was just what the medical droid had ordered.

Looking at the expensive drinks behind the bar he decided to go with something small, a hard cider. If he had anything else like Vodka or Whiskey he wouldn't properly enjoy the luxury of the eight hundred bits he had to spend to quickly escape ponyville.

"My my quite the expense you paid for all this," The familiar voice of Cordelia, followed by of the shop notification on his head's up display.

Turning around to see the merchant standing behind the bar her clawed fingers tapping on the table while watching him get a drink.

"Cordelia," Upon saying her name the mask 'smiled' while she playfully looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I was going to see if I could help you escape that cell but seeing how you did that already I decided to come for something else," Cordelia answered her white hair dangling from under her hood.

"What may that be?" Alex asked.

"Before I answer that. Let me ask you a question," Cordelia leaned in. "Why the Crystal Empire?"

"It's outside of Equestria territory. Meaning it'll be outside of Equestria law,"

"But aren't the rulers related to Princess Twilight?" Cordelia asked leaning her back on the bar with her pack at her feet.

"I am aware of this however if I remain unnoticed and stay out of trouble I won't have to worry about Equestria," Alex responded. "That and if I accidentally say 'long live the empire' I might be written off as some crystal empire patriot or something,"

"What will you do when you get there? If you don't mind me asking," The Merchant asked yet another question.

"I'll do what most Stormtroopers did after the battle of Endor. Become a bounty hunter or become some hired help," Alex responded.

"Ohhhh! In that case, I have plenty of equipment for you to buy!" Cordelia stated while glee holding her hands together. "Starting off, the item I wanted to bring to your attention before,"

TK-777 popped his drink open his attention on Cordelia.

"Cool your jets Cordelia. I haven't seen how much I had after selling that armor," Alex explained while lowering his arm showing off the hologram.

"Ahh yes the full set of decent condition solar royal guard gold plate armor," Cordelia smiled pulling out the same helmet he had taken from the guard an hour ago from her pack.

Surprise to see the helmet again TK-777 took a few seconds to figure out how she got it.

"Right. Um... let's see how much- HOLY MOTHER MOONS!" If he had been drinking the cider he would have spat it out. "11,200 bits? But it's gold and the jewels and stuff,"

Cordelia nodded.

"Well, it would have been worth more if you had it stripped to it's basic part and had the gold melted down for resale. That and the fact that gold is more available here than on earth not to mention the American dollar system," Cordelia explained. "That and you took out 800 bites for the ticket,"

"Wait- How much was the armor worth before I removed the 800," Alex asked to which Cordelia hummed in thought while playing with the helmet spinning it around her hand.

"Well besides the 55 bits in that bag you took... around 11,945 bits," Cordelia stated. "Don't think about that much hun you still got a fair bit of coin out of it. That and you haven't seen how much it's worth in credits,"

Seeing that she was correct TK-777 tapped the conversion tap on his holographic screen to see the value of his account hand jumped in value.

"56,000!" TK-777 coughed seeing how much he had to spend in the store. "That's a lot of money,"

"Now then since you know your budget how about I show you what I'm offering you for your trip to the Crystal Empire,"

Chuckling Alex looked over at her.

"What you got,"

"Well... since it's extremely cold up there in the empire how about I introduce you to swap out that standard kit for something that you are familiar with," Cordelia pointed out as his holographic display revealed Cold Assault trooper kit. "I'll give it to you for 5,000 credits and you wouldn't need to worry about your current armor it'll be stored for safekeeping until you need to swap kits out again. What do you say? I'll even throw in a few thermal detonators for 500 extra to replace the one you used to free yourself?"

Cordelia asked her masked face smiling at Alex's frowning faceplate while he and the merchant bargained.

Author's Note

I was thinking of splitting this but seeing how short the escape and the merchant scene would be by themselves I decided to put in in one chapter.

Holy crap another long ass chapter!

4k+ words!

Well, now Alex 'one the run' so to speak even though he didn't do anything wrong beside defending himself. What else?

Right!

Next chapter might not be as long (honestly don't know) but there will be a big fight next chapter followed by a battle.

The life of a isekai/displace MC, one thing after another! XD

See you in the next one.