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Of War and Friendship

by DocDelray

Chapter 29: The devil's due

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For over a century the nation of Equestria had enjoyed unparalleled peace and prosperity. It was a golden age under the banner of the keeper of the sun, Princess Celestia, a seemingly endless reign of peace. The city of Canterlot had been a symbol of this great era for hundreds of years. An untouchable metropolis of alabaster and gold shining high above the nation glittering in the sunlight the Princess moved across the sky.

Throughout this time Equestria’s enemies had lusted for their prosperity, bringing war to the doorstep of this nation. Few could ever stand up to the might of the Equestrians, their magical expertise, unparalleled industry and unwavering pride made them a force to be reckoned with. There had been the scant few whom, through acts of duplicity and subterfuge, had for a brief time nearly taken the reins of power only to be thrown down. It would take an invading force from far beyond the borders of not only Equestria but the star system to take the city and hold it.

Deathwatch had done what so many before them had failed to do. They had captured the capital city of Equestria, they had taken the celestial princesses captive and in the course of six hours of fighting had seemingly broken their spirits. With their superior weapons, technology and ruthless tactics it appeared as though this golden age would burn away. But now like all those that came before them, their grip on all that they had gained was quickly slipping away from them. With the help of the Mandalorian Neo Protectors, all that Deathwatch had accomplished was falling apart.

In the streets, hundreds of ponies charged bravely through the hail of blaster fire with renewed vigor and courage whilst Torb continued to rally their efforts. Deep within the sewers, Zex’s medical expertise was pushed to the limit as he directed the makeshift triage unit. High above the planet, Mand’alor Fett and a portion of her personal fleet tore into the Deathwatch ships in an effort to route them from system. Throughout the city, true Mandalorians and Equestrians fought side by side against the invaders, slowly regaining ground inch by inch. But all of this may as well have been taking place in a wholly other solar system as far as Kad, Twilight and Teth were concerned. At this time, the only thing that mattered in the galaxy was this moment.

Twilight’s eyes zeroed in on Teth. She could feel her anger boiling over inside of her chest and lapping at her mind. Her thoughts raced as she turned over every spell in her expansive repertoire for something to make this monster suffer for everything he had done. It was then that she noticed the forms beside the throne. Chained to the floor on either side was what her eyes and mind told her were Princesses Luna and Celestia, but something didn’t seem right about them.

Their normally long, flowing manes and tails of rainbow and deep night sky had changed and become more corporeal. If not for the armor she had been gifted by Skirata and his crew, she would not have recognized Luna, her mane and tail having reverted to the soft sky blue she had seen after the defeat of Nightmare Moon, while her mentor and beloved teacher’s now resembled the long flowing pink strands she had seen in many of the ancient texts. Twilight could see the pained expression in their eyes as their bodies lulled against their restraints.

Teth only took an ever-growing delight in the young mare’s growing ire, “I tried to warn you Twilight Sparkle, if you continued to push against me I would find another way to hurt you.”

She ground her teeth as she drug her hoof against the ground in a challenging fashion, “Teth!”

Before she could charge in her path was blocked by a heated blade of golden energy, “Hold Cadet,” Kad commanded as he kept his gaze fixed on their target, “He wants ya mad an’ stupid, keep that head cold.”

“Oh yes, listen to the “Good Captain,” little Twilight,” Teth chided her teasingly as he ran a hand through Luna’s mane. The Princess recoiling in disgust at the human’s touch as she glared up at him, “After all, you’re too far out of your league here.”

It was the last straw, and the young mare had heard enough out of this man and wouldn’t put up with it anymore. The glow around her horn grew to a blinding luminescence as she focused everything she had into a single application of magical energy. Letting out an angry shout, she let loose a beam of bright violet energy from her horn that tore across the expanse of the throne room, aimed straight at Teth.

Rising from his seat, the Deathwatch Sith held his hand in the path of the beam as he reached out with his own application of the Force. Pain shot through his arm and tore into his shoulder as the blast connected with him, but his mind remained iron-clad and focused. A devious sneer plastered on his face as took hold of the energy and began collecting it into the palm of his hand. Through the Force, he began to twist the energy and its properties until its purple hue shifted into a dark, menacing blue. He could feel the shock radiating off the young Twilight from across the room, “I told you little girl, you are out of your LEAGUE!”

A jovial laugh could be heard over the sound of crackling electricity that sprang forth from Teth’s palm. Tendrils of dark blue energy that leapt about the room, smashing through everything they touched with unrelenting force. Twilight watched in frightened awe as pillars of stone were ripped apart by this tidal wave about to crash down upon her. Shutting her eyes tightly, she braced herself for what she assumed would be a very painful death. A death that never came.

In her confusion, she opened her eyes to find Kad standing in the way, his blade crackling against the ripping, tearing sparks of energy. With a pained snarl the Mandalorian Knight let out a loud shout as he pushed against this incarnation of the Dark Side with his own pull on the Force. Focusing against the onslaught, he managed to shunt the wave away from them, crashing into the adjacent wall in a roiling mess. Upon impact, the stone surface was decimated under the flood of raw power. She felt the blast wave ripple through her body as the wall was vaporized, exposing the throne room to the world outside. Dust and debris filled the air as seconds dragged into eternity before being sucked out of the sizable hole in the side of the castle.

Twilight’s gaze remained riveted on Kad’s form. His shoulders slumped in a tired manner as they began to rise and fall with each heavy breath. The sounds of laughter drew her attention past her protector to the man high upon the dais. Beads of sweat had begun to form along Teth’s brow as he continued to find entertainment in this whole exchange. She could feel her drive and desire to see this man pay quickly rekindled at the sound of his hateful laughter.

“I am impressed, Twilight Sparkle,” He stated as his hands began a teasingly slow clap, “I judged you all wrong, you have such raw power, such untapped potential. With the right training you could become a Sith of unimaginable power! Join me-”

His monologue stopped short as a chunk of debris struck him upside the head. The sudden blow caused him to topple backwards onto the throne in stunned silence. Equally shocked by the sudden interruption, Twilight quickly looked back to Kad to find his arm still extended from the surprise throw.

“You talk too damn much Teth,” Kad proudly teased him as he leveled his saber on the enemy commander, “Now, hows ‘bout you order your boys outside to surrender peaceful like, an’ we’ll only beat ya half way to death.”

Wiping a bit of blood from his brow, Teth narrowed his eyes on Kad, “Even if I did fear your wrath, Skirata, I am no longer in command here. My superior, Admiral Yen Hrask and a portion of his personal fleet entered the system early this morning with fresh troops and warships. I have been relieved of command and given one task: kill you.”

Behind his visor, Kad smirked from ear to ear at these words, “Fine by me, been hopin’ to kill you all week.”

Teth stared the pair down a moment before slipping his helmet on, “If this suicidal path is what you seek,” The bright purple light of his saber filled the air around him as he gave the pair a formal salute with the weapon, “Then I shall accommodate you.”

Kad ventured a glance from the corner of his visor to the mare at his back, “You ready for this, Cadet?”

Twilight’s horn began to shine a dangerous violet as she trotted up beside him. A wry grin slid across her muzzle as she locked her visor with his, “I have your back, Captain.”

“How touching,” Teth mocked as he began a slow decent from the dais, “But if you two are finished, I would very much like to kill you both and reunite with my sons.” His stroll continued until he stood at the center of the throne room, awaiting their approach.


The world was a foggy haze yet again. Arkanna was starting to get really tired of always ending up like this. He couldn’t see, but he could still feel.

The cool breeze brushing over the sweat of his forehead sent a comforting chill through his body, this had to mean he wasn’t wearing his helmet. The warmth of the sun tickled his face as the gentle wind passed over him; his mind immediately guessed it was shade from a tree. Then there was the less than pleasant pain that danced through his body, no doubt damage from the fall. But how did he survive the drop? There was something else he felt, something cold brushing along his forehead.

With no shortage of will, Arkanna’s eyes began to flutter open. The bright afternoon sun obscured his view of the world. He could make out a form before him silhouetted by the rays of light, through it he could make out teasing glimpses of gold, orange and pink. The soft tinkle of his savior’s voice checking to see if he was alright told him exactly who he had to thank.

Fluttershy watched curiously as the human began to stir after running a damp cloth over his forehead. She let out a sigh of relief as his eyes opened, “Oh thank goodness, you’ve been out for a while Arkanna, how are feel-“

Without warning, his hand reached out and cupped her unscathed cheek. Her heart began to slam itself into her chest wall as blood poured into her cheeks forcing them to take on a deep crimson shade. She found herself fixated on his smile as her lungs desperately fought to find air.

“A guy could really get used to seeing that face when he wakes up.” Arkanna stated in a soft tone and warm smile.

Fluttershy fought and struggled to reply to this flirtatious praise but could only manage a few nervous squeaks. Finally she managed to find the force of will to speak, “I… I’m glad you’re okay… I was worried you might be seriously injured…” She managed to stutter out as she found herself unconsciously leaning herself into his touch.

Arkanna finally took note of the soft spoken Pegasus’ own injuries, “You look like you took quite a beating, mesh’la…”

“Oh, uh, a small mishap during landing…” She reassured him with a weak smile.

The young warrior took a moment turn this over in his head, “So I guess I owe you my life. Thank you, Fluttershy, but what about the Staff Sergeant?”

“He’s still out cold, I’m afraid.” She said, drooping her head low in shame.

“Might be his leg, the cybernetics are linked to his nervous system. Damn Sith lightshow probably did a number on him worse than me.” The young Private mused out loud. Something suddenly dawned on him, “Wait, the Captain!”

Trying to rise only rewarded him a blinding flash of pain that forced him back against the tree. Fluttershy quickly moved to his side, placing a hoof on his shoulder to keep him still, “Please, you’re too injured from the crash,”

“But the Captain and the others, they don’t know Teth is a Sith…” He grunted out through the pain, “We have to warn them before they walk into a tra-“ Before he could finish his protest, the side of the castle in the distance exploded outwards, “Ya know what, never mind. I think he figured it out himself.”


On an unseen signal, Kad rushed forward towards Teth. Over his shoulder, Twilight let fly another blast of magical energy that burned a path towards the offending human. Behind his visor, Teth smirked slyly at their coordinated efforts. With a swift motion, his blade connected with the energy blast to send it flying off in another direction before quickly moving to block and counter Kad’s own attack.

Their blades locked, sending sparks of energy as the energy weapons hissed and squealed under the pressure from either side. The pair pushed forwards into one another trying to force an opening between each other. Time came to a crawl as Kad reached out through the force to grasp something behind his back. Teth had sensed the subtle ripple and quickly pushed himself away as a smaller shoto saber flew to Kad’s outstretched hand and ignited. The green blade barely scored a shallow hit across one of the plates protecting Teth’s gut, leaving a glowing gash in the metal before it quickly cooled into a black cut.

Kad gave him no moment for rest as he quickly pressed his attack, the pair of blades cutting and slicing through the air. Each blow was aimed for some vital spot on Teth’s body and came in rapid succession as he forced him backwards. Likewise, Teth’s own swift motions met and forced away each blow blinding speed, but this did little to prevent him from being forced to back up.

A bright purple flash over his shoulder drew a tentative glance away from the onslaught of energy blades to catch sight of his secondary opponent. Twilight blinked herself into existence some feet behind Teth, her horn still burning a bright violet as she let lose a blast. Grunting in annoyance, Teth maneuvered himself to deflect Kad’s latest assault while reaching out with his free hand to take hold of Twilight’s latest attempt on his life.

Once again he took hold of the young mare’s influence on the Force by way of his own, grasping it tightly and reshaping it to suit his needs and will. His new weapon in hand, Teth took a more offensive approach to dealing with Kad. His more refined style allowed him to slip his weapon between Kad’s two and with a quick flick of his wrist his blade bounced between them both, forcing an opening. The way now clear, Teth slammed the roiling orb of dark blue energy in his palm into Kad’s chest.

He could feel the burning energy wave pass through his protective shell of Mandalorian Iron and rip into his body. With a pained shout, Kad found himself knocked off his feet and sent sliding across the smooth stone floor until a small pile of debris stopped his journey.

The main threat pushed away for the time being, Teth’s attention quickly shifted to Twilight. Reaching out with the Force, he grasped the Unicorn by her neck and lifted her high into the air. Twilight’s limbs fumbled uselessly to fight off the invisible grip she felt pressing into her airway.

Recovering from the assault, Kad forced himself back up in time to see his companion being strangled high above the ground. But most importantly, Teth had his back to him. The plates on his wrists shifted to bring the blasters mounted in his gauntlets to bear, and with no hesitation or ceremony, Kad let fly a rapid assault of energy bolts into the back of his enemy.

The blaster-resistant materials of Teth’s armor easily absorbed the small arms fire as it pelted his body and forced him to stumble to his knee. His concentration broken, Twilight found herself tumbling through the air until she landed in a heap upon the dais. Before Teth’s attention could return to Kad, a clack against his boot drew his attention to small fragmentation device that had just landed beside him. Cursing loudly, Teth pulled upon the force to distance himself from the grenade with no small help from his jet pack as well. With a loud pop, a sizable piece of the floor had been torn apart.

Coming to a stop Teth turned his angered attention back to Epsilon Captain who was now back on his feet and in a readied stance, “Grenades and blasters, really?!”

“What, you forget you were fightin’ a Mandalorian?” Kad chided him before darting forward to close the gap.

Twilight forced herself to come to, the plates of her armored shell clacking together as she stirred. Her neck felt as though it had been stuck in a vice as her head continued to spin. Finally finding the strength to rise to her hooves she took note of where she was. Her eyes darted between the two Princesses restrained to the floor. Her attention then touched on Kad and Teth who were busy exchanging blows and counter blows. An idea formed in her mind, bringing with it a spark of hope and a bright shine to her horn.

Teth sensed Twilight’s ripple through the Force as he suddenly realized she was beside his prized captives. With a swift counter blow, he created yet another opening in Kad’s assault and placed another powerful burst through the Force into his chest, hurtling him back several feet into the wall behind him. Drawing upon the Force, he moved to retake the dais.

The chains around both Luna and Celestia began to glow a soft violet before the light intensified. With a swift magical wrench, the metallic bonds were torn asunder under her ethereal strength. She took a quarter of a second to admire her work before focusing on the collars around their necks. Twilight had little opportunity to do so as yet another invisible grasp took her around the back leg and yanked her violently backwards.

With a loud thud, Twilight found herself tumbling across the floor. Her protective shell scraped along the ground until she came to an inevitable stop on the other side of the room. Shaking her head clear, she found herself staring up into the deathly glare of Teth’s visor. Twilight barely had enough energy to rise to her hooves ready to continue the fight when a white hot, burning pain shot from her shoulder throughout her entire body. The sounds of sparking energy filled her ears and sent a cold chill down her spine despite the intense heat radiating through her body and uncomfortably close to her face. The smell of burnt metal mingled with that of fur and flesh as they assaulted her nostrils. Her entire form was stiff as she bit down hard against her own teeth, fighting the urge to scream. Reluctantly, her eyes shifted to behold the violet glow of Teth’s weapon plunged into her shoulder. Slowly, she ripped her eyes away from it to stare up at the Deathwatch Commander.

Sneering behind his mask, Teth gave his weapon a subtle twist and began to angle it downward at a torturously slow pace. He enjoyed the sight of tears beginning to roll down her face from behind her makeshift visor. Slowly she moved with his weapon till she was on her knees before him, “I am growing very tired of you Ms Sparkle.” He snarled out before giving the blade another twist to force out a muffled gasp of pain, “I think it’s high time I killed you.”

Her mind fought and struggled against the unbearable pain that ripped her apart from the inside. She had to fight to find footing within her own mind as images and moments of past triumphs, losses and the regrets of paths never treaded threatened to overwhelm her. Finally something shattered through it all to bring order to her mind once again, “TWILIGHT!” Princess Celestia’s voice cut through the madness and the pain to restore her faculties.

Twilight’s horn flashed a bright purple before she blinked out of existence once again, leaving Teth to glare at empty air. Following her path through the Force, he found the mare laid out upon the ground gasping in shallow draws of air. Standing between him and his prey though, was Kad Skirata.

In a burst of speed, Kad pressed another attack into Teth’s defenses. The pair continued exchanging blow after blow as the fight moved towards the shattered opening of the throne room. As their fight progressed, Kad reminded him that this was no exchange with a Jedi as a swift kick connected with his cod piece. Teth stumbled back with a painful grunt before lashing out against Skirata with a blow that was quickly locked with the Knight’s saber.

This gave Teth the opening he needed. With a twist of his wrist, his weapon sliced into the blaster mounted on Kad’s right arm. The blade continued its circular motion, aiming to lop off his hand at the wrist. Kad could see this gruesome attack coming and with some inner reluctance, let go of his saber as he backed away from the assault. With a swift motion through the Force, Kad’s lost weapon was sent hurtling over the ledge into the forest far below the mountain. Left with only his shorter shoto in hand, Kad fell back into a defensive position.

With renewed confidence, Teth proceeded to press his attack once again, his blade’s swift strikes slamming into the small light saber that fought hard to keep him at bay. The crackle of energy filled the air as Kad found himself fighting to keep his footing. A jab from Teth’s weapon nicked his thigh, sending a burst of pain through his leg. As his body stumbled to one knee, Kad found himself fending off several random blows, several managing to bite into his lightly protected arms and side. The wasp-like stings tore at him until finally he found an opening of his own.

Digging deep into his resolve, Kad sprang forward through the brief opening Teth had made, swinging his short saber in an upwards arch. Teth cursed his own over confidence as he stepped back to avoid the full-on assault, though the weapon scored a biting cut that tore across his chest plate and his helmet. Teth leapt back to retreat from the attack, through his armor he could feel the flesh smoke and smolder from the intense heat. His visor was cracked and charred, making the helm more of a hindrance than a valued piece of protection. Yanking the now-useless armor piece from his head, he let it fall to his side as he narrowed his gaze on Kad.


From their position far below, Arkanna could make out the familiar flashes of energy that danced about the edge of the castle’s newly opened balcony. The warrior tried to bring himself up, but found an impassable wall of pain between him and his goal as well as Fluttershy’s own insistence that he stop trying to strain his body so soon. He ground his teeth as he tried to find a way to rejoin the battle overhead.

“Please, Arakanna, you’re in no condition to fight…“ She weakly protested as she fought to keep him from standing and hurting himself again.

“I can’t just sit here like this, though!” Was the young Private’s retort as his mind hunted for a way he could help his comrades. His gaze then settled on the weapon beside Kell, “Fluttershy, I’ve got an idea.”


Far above the planet, the battle to control the system itself raged on as capital ships continued to duke it out back and forth. Between the explosions of massive guns, and missiles streaking through the empty black, star fighter pilots fought a pitched battle to maintain the edge of fighter superiority. Neither side showed any sign of stopping, but in the end the numbers spoke louder than the tenacity.

The Neo Protector forces outnumber the Deathwatch two to one, a sharp difference that after several hours of fighting had changed very little. Fett was never a fan of wars of attrition, but if this was the way Hrask wanted it, she would oblige him. The bridge of her dreadnaught shook under the payload of another volley striking their shields.

“Would someone tell that idiot Armand to stop show boating and move his squadron out of the path of our main guns!?” Fett bellowed her orders over the chaos of battle, “And tell Cousland to get his frigates into a firing line with the destroyers.”

Mand’alor, we have incoming hyperspace signals!” A member of the deck crew cried out to her.

In the blink of an eye, a force of fifty or more ships of the same makes and models as those under Fett’s command appeared in the system. As they dropped out of hyperspace, the larger carrier vessels began launching their fighter wings as they moved to join the Protector’s assault.

From the bridge of his ship, Hrask watched with quiet frustration as his far smaller fleet was now dwarfed by this massive show of arms. There was a moment of frightened silence that gripped the bridge crew before one lone officer broke it, “Sir, your orders?”

“All ships, we’re leaving this star system, now!” Hrask ordered with finality, “Tell the ground teams to escape the city as quickly as possible, there is nothing we can do for them!”

“What about Commander Teth, sir?”

That name sent a tinge of anger through his spine, “Leave the idiot to his fate.”


Twilight sluggishly pulled herself up off the ground. Her foreleg felt as though it was about to fall off as it demanded and protested that she remain on the ground. With much effort, she pulled herself into a sitting position upon her haunches. Her eyes stung with sweat and tears as she strained to keep them open and seek out the man responsible for her current condition. Eventually she found him facing down Kad upon the ruined ledge of the castle.

It was in this moment that both Kad and Teth chose to abandon their honed training and skills. The pair simply began raining blows upon each other in rage-filled swings that crashed into one another. Blade met blade over and over again, sending sparks of energy through the air as each man fought to gain the upper hand in this exchange.

Teth’s blade finally found the opening it needed as he scored a deep slash across Kad’s chest, forcing him backwards. The beskar armor soaked up the blow as it was meant to, but beyond the metal plates and underlay he could still feel his skin burn from the powerful heat. With a malicious grin, streams of blue energy leapt from the tips of Teth’s fingers and slammed into Kad’s body, toppling him into a pile of debris on the edge of the gap.

Twilight could see the opening she needed. Her will took hold of her body and began forcing herself to trot forward through the bite in her shoulder as she limped along. Her head lowered to level her head with Teth as she started to pick up speed. Her wound screamed at her with every step despite her best efforts to ignore the pain.

Teth took a great deal of satisfaction in watching the Knight at his feet writhe in agony under his assault. Regaining his composure, the Deathwatch Commander placed a foot on the mostly beaten Protector’s chest, “Don’t worry about your little friend, I’ll be sure to kill her as soon as I’m done with you!”

Teth’s blade rose high into the air, ready to plunge into one of the gaps in Kad’s armor. As the blade fell, something struck the Commander’s hand. A bolt of red energy from far below in the forest connected with his hand, the high-caliber blaster bolt designed for penetrating most kinds of armor easily passed through the material of the glove. It tore through flesh and bone, striking the saber in his hands and causing a small explosion. Stumbling backwards in pain and disbelief, Teth stared in shock and horror at the bloody mess that had been his hand.


Far below and within the forest, Arkanna stared through the rifle’s scope. Smoke wafted up from the muzzle as Fluttershy acted as his makeshift tripod. A proud, satisfied smirk was on the young man’s face as he took in the result of his squeeze of the trigger.

“Nice shot…” Fluttershy meekly praised him.

“Not really,” Arkanna answered back with a bemused grin, “Was aiming for his head.”


Teth’s anger became an unchained storm within the force as he let himself become lost in the rage of battle. This too was short lived as a new sensation assaulted his nerve endings. It is well known that before they were a tool of magic, the horn of a Unicorn was just as much a weapon. As Teth ventured a look, he found that one long, pointed spiral of bone belonging to a particular mare was now jammed firmly into his side.

Through her visor and the sting of Teth’s own blood now rolling down her face, Twilight glared up at him in furious anger and defiance. With a quick tug, she yanked the horn from his side. Using the momentum from this action she made an about-face; rearing up on her only good foreleg, she shouted out, thrusting her hind legs in a hard, swift buck. The hooves slammed into Teth’s side, launching him over the edge of the drop. The pain shooting through her spine and forelegs, however, forced her to fall forward in a heap.

Teth could do little else beyond hurtle towards the jagged ground below. His only remaining good hand fumbled to get his jetpack to work, only to hear the sputter and sparks as it failed to activate. Several blaster holes in the jetpack’s casing showed signs of energy weapon damage. Kad’s attack had scored an important hit, after all. As the ground quickly approached, he brought his arms up to stop the fall on instinct before hitting the mountain side in a sudden loss of velocity.

Kad looked out over the edge at the smear that used to Davian Teth before crawling his way over to the exhausted mare across from him. Reaching her side, Kad pulled off his helmet and pulled himself into a sitting position.

Twilight began to feel all the exhaustion from the days of constant fighting finally crash in on her. All the magical energy she had forced through her body was taking its toll, and now she had a hole burnt into her shoulder. Weakly, she pulled herself up and leaned against the Mandalorian’s form, staring out the gaping hole in the side of the castle, “Did we do it? Did we finally win?” The words flowed forth with a touch more desperation than she would have liked.

Kad placed a sluggish hand atop her head and ruffled her mane, “Yeah… We did it kiddo… We did it.” His eyes shifted to the tired creature leaning into him, “So, feel better now that he’s dead?”

Through the haze, it was hard to settle on the emotions coursing through her now, “No… I don’t know yet…”

Kad smiled softly as he draped an arm around his comrade, “Good. Welcome to the Mandalorians.”

Next Chapter: A brave new world Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes
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