The Jedi knight nodded his head serenely as the ensign finished his synopsis of the past few hours events. They both walked together for a few moments, the young officer hurrying alongside the calmly sauntering Jedi, looking up every few seconds to judge the older man’s reaction. “Interesting indeed.” Uldir broke the silence as they turned around a corner. “It seems our little stroll around the galactic block has taken a rather melodramatic turn. Wouldn’t you agree, Ensign Ulgo?” He turned to offer the younger man a warm smile.
The officer frowned slightly, confused by the personable nature of the Jedi beside him. Weren’t the Jedi supposed to be stoic and solemn? He hesitated slightly in his response “I... I don’t believe myself fit to comment on such matters, sir.” He smiled inwardly at himself, satisfied with his diplomatic response.
Almost as if reading his mind, the older man gave Ulgo a knowing smirk, before stopping at a junction. “It is okay - I know that many among the Republic’s defenders are uncomfortable around Force-users. I shall not burden you with my presence any longer. I know my way to the bridge, and I would take a few moments to collect my thoughts as I make my way there, if it is all the same to you.” Uldir offered him a warm smile and a small bow, turning to head in the opposite direction the Ensign had intended to go. Ulgo barely had time to voice a polite complaint before the Jedi was out of earshot.
Uldir walked along the corridors of the ship at a brisk, flowing pace. This was not the most direct route to the bridge of the ship, he knew, but it was still a way to get there. He did indeed desire a few moments to gather his thoughts on this most recent turn of events, and truth be told, he was glad to be rid of the green ensign. As accustomed as he was to being hemmed and hawed at by those that thought a wrong word would unleash a torrent of pain and lightsaber slashes at them, he still preferred the company of more seasoned veterans, who knew enough about Jedi to say what they meant and mean what they said.
As thoughts mulled themselves over in his head, calculating how far this might cut into his plans for rebuilding Coruscant, and wondering how he might aid in the repairs, a slight ripple ran through the back of his mind. It was tiny, miniscule, barely noticable, but he still felt it. He knew exactly what it was, too. He stopped mid-stride in the middle of the corridor and smiled. He looked over his shoulder, and called out for anyone to hear “I know you’re there.” A few midshipmen paused in their travels through the ship to give him a confused passing glance, before deciding it must be some mystical Jedi ritual, and continued on, doing their best not to stare.
From behind a bulkhead several meters to his rear, came an amused chuckle. “You always know. How do you always know?” Out from the shadows emerged a slim female figure. She was dressed in traditional brown robes, modified to remove the sleeves, allowing her limber arms to move freely. Short blonde hair adorned her head, complementing the acute, serious frame of her face, giving her an overall military look. Her eyes and expression, however, displayed a playfulness completely at odds with her look. She walked confidently up, and took up pace beside the man as he continued his walk. “Not even the Masters at the temple can find me all the time, at least not when I’m being extra careful.”
The man looked up and to the side, raising his nose haughtily, as if to take on the air of a mystic, his voice suddenly becoming overdramatically drawn out and solemn “The Force creates..... many bonds... between a Padawan and her master.....”
The girl beside him looked unamused, offering up an unbelieving smirk “Oh really? Then how come you can find even the Council members when they do suppression exercises?”
Uldir grinned down at her, completely breaking his previous character “Who is to say they were not all at some point my Padawan, dear Jem?”
Jem simply shook her head and chuckled “Sometimes, I can’t tell if you’re joking, telling the truth, or telling the truth so badly as to sound like you’re joking. Which is it this time?” She grins at him mischievously “You’re certainly old enough to have had a few of them as Padawan.”
The older Jedi feigned hurt and indignantly stroked his beard “We of such esteemed reverence prefer the term ‘distinguished’ rather than old.” He offered her a calmer smile as they turned a corner “I am simply better at sensing things than most others in the Order. You could call it my special gift. My old master found it most frustrating when he tried to demonstrate Force-suppression to me, and I never once lost track of him.” They shared a short chuckle together at the thought, and assumed a contemplative silence for a few moments as they saw the entrance to the bridge up ahead.
Minutes of silence passed with nothing but footsteps as they approached the bridge. They both stopped before the door, looking at it as if contemplating whether or not to enter. The silence was broken as Jem spoke up “I had a dream last night. It was... odd.... very vivid.” She looked up to her master as if that were a question that needed an answer.
Uldir nodded, his eyes still locked onto the entrance to the bridge. “A vision in the Force. I had one as well. “ His eyes darted down to her “What did the Force show you?”
She frowned for a few moments, collecting her memory into words. “I... I landed in a giant pool. It was weird. It was as if the very water was at peace with the Force in a way no other place could be. The water would not move, no matter how fast I ran through it. I ran until I found a tree... And in that tree, I found....” She looked up at him with confusion “I believe I peered into the Force itself. But... I can’t remember what it looked like. What does it mean, master?”
He smiled softly at her and nodded “We had the same vision then. I do not yet know what it means. But I am sure that it has something to do with our current predicament. Only time and the Force can reveal these things to us.” WIth that he put on a more confident smile to present to the captain and opened the door to the bridge.
The doors to the throne room glowed a deep magenta for a few moments before being flung open. Within the heart of Canterlot Castle, Twilight and her friends had just arrived at the Princess’ summons. The six colorful ponies trotted into the empty hall as Celestia and Luna looked up from their conversation, hoofsteps echoing off the rafters. The two alicorns rose from their cushions at the foot of the dais to head to meet their subjects. Each in turn seemed to be having her own reaction to the situation. Twilight walked straight ahead, her eyes set to meet another test from her mentor. Rainbow Dash seemed pleasantly agitated, eager to beat whatever challenge the Princesses had in store for them. Pinkie Pie, as she was wont to do, simply bounced along merrily, either oblivious to or unphased by the threats implied by their summons. Fluttershy seemed a bit of a miserable mess, trudging along reluctantly to help her friends. Applejack, as always, displayed confidence and stubborn resolve to complete whatever task they were about to be handed. Rarity, for her part, trotted in with head held high, determined to grant the whole affair the air of dignity and grace it deserved. Celestia smiled weakly to herself as she watched her dearest subjects answer her call. They did not yet know the terror they might soon face, yet still she had to admire their courage in answering so swiftly to such an ominous summons.
“My little ponies.... I am relieved to see you here safely and quickly. Time is an unknown factor in these recent developments, so it shall be treated as a precious commodity.” She addressed them immediately as they all reached one another in the center of the room. Twilight halted before her sovereign, slightly thrown off by the Princess’s abrupt tone.
“We came as soon as we received your letter, Princess. As always, we’re ready to help in any way we can.” Her voice was filled with the confidence Celestia had heard so many times before. It was the confidence of a student ready to pass her next test. Celestia silently wished this were only yet another test. Twilight spoke again as the rest of them gathered around to be briefed “What has happened, and how can we help?”
Celestia looked them over for a few moments, taking each of them in individually, acknowledging to herself that each displayed her courage in her own way.She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, locking this moment away, forever in her heart. If at the end of all of this they should die, she would let nopony forget their courage. Her eyes opened once more, the fierce gaze of a battle-hardened commander looking out from beneath her brow. It was a look she had not worn in many years.
“A threat from long ago has re-emerged. We do not yet know where the enemy is, or when they may strike.... but you girls are our best, and perhaps only defense against a threat of this nature. Our armies are being raised as we speak, and criers sent to every town for new recruits, but armies are slow to grow. Until then - and perhaps even afterwards, you six are our only hope.” Celestia observed them all as she spoke. Pinkie’s smile never faltered. Twilight slowly formed a frown, but the resolution and confidence did not leave her eyes. Fluttershy cowered down closer to the ground, but made no move to leave. Rainbow gulped, a small shiver of trepidation running down her withers, but retained the same eager ferocity in her eyes. Rarity nodded in a serious manner, stoically keeping her gaze ahead. Applejack showed no sign of fear, an iron resolve showing in her eyes. Celestia nodded in approval at their composure.
“Back when Equestria was young, and ponykind had just barely taken its first steps into life, the world was governed by forces far more powerful than Luna or me.” As she spoke, Celestia’s horn glowed with a soft white aura. From beside the dais of the throne, she grabbed a small crystal in her magic. It levitated over to the group, and was guided onto the floor between them. It was a small thing, light green in color, roughly cut, its surface dull and faded.
Luna stepped forward from her silence as her sister continued to concentrate her magic upon the crystal. “Just as I and my sister are the night and day of Equestria today, so too were our predecessors. But next to them, we are but foals. And once, in our time, we were foals - in the truest sense of the word. Our fillyhood was spent under the care of these ancient powers, and it was they who graced us with the gift of magic, to create night and day.”
The crystal under Celestia’s magical influence began to glow from within, a gentle green light forming within it. Luna continued “Under their benevolence and power, ponies were given shape and life, and blessed with the gifts of magic and harmony.” Her voice seemed to falter for a moment as her eyes cast downward. She looked to her sister for a moment, watching her power the crystal, before turning back to her explanation. “It was during this halcyon dawn of Equestria, that we were confronted by this vilest force, and nearly extinguished before we had even begun.’ She closed her eyes and bent her head towards the crystal, her magic joining that of her sisters.
The crystal changed colors to a deeper shade of green, becoming more and more luminous as it did so. After a few seconds of this, a shape formed in the air above the crystal. Floating above the shard stood the image of a creature unlike any the ponies had seen before. It stood upright on its hind two limbs, much like diamond dogs often did, however that was where the similarities to anything they had seen before ended. The creature stood much straighter than any diamond dog the girls had ever seen, as if it knew of no other way of standing. Its skin was a leathery mass of splotches and wrinkles, whites across its front fading into darker shades of brown across its sides. A plain, nondescript tunic covered its front. Hooked claw-like hands rested at its side, three digits curling in to form a hand. The truly striking feature of it was its head. The head was an oblong vaguely pointed dome standing upon a stocky neck. Its eyes, instead of being inset within the skull, stood out from near the base of the head on short stalks, the beady masses peering out from the sides of the head. A flat snout-less mouth and subtle nostrils set flush against the shape of the skull completed the bizarre image before the bemused ponies.
Celestia spoke as her magic faded from the crystal, the image now persistent without her input. “This is a Rakata. They hail from a world far away from Equestria. You see, nearly every star you see in the night sky above you, is a world in its own right.” Luna applied her magic once again to the crystal, and the grotesque image of the Rakata was replaced by a kaleidoscope of stars, the image of Luna’s serene night. “Every star in the sky is a sun, just like the one I raise every day, and around almost every sun is a world much like Equestria. And on many of those worlds... are races of beings that live and breathe just as we do.”
All of the ponies before them looked on with ever-intensifying looks of shock and confusion. Celestia had to pause for a moment, realizing that this information must be world-shattering to those who had lived their whole lives without ever seeing the planet from up above. The pause lingered for quite some time as Celestia waited for somepony to incorporate or question this information. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up, incredulity in her voice
“Wait just a minute here. You’re saying that Equestria is - I mean, that the stars are... That there are other Equestrias? Like, whole other worlds like Equestria?” The question came tumbling out of her awkwardly, attempting to make sense of this revelation.
Rarity was next to speak up, interjecting before Celestia could form a response. “This is all a bit much to take in, Your Highness. I do hope you’ll forgive our ignorance of the matter, but I don’t think we quite comprehend this new.... ‘idea’, or its relevance to your urgent mission.” The doubt in her voice was layered in between thick sheets of tact and grace as she looked skeptically at the starry sky floating before her.
Pinkie chimed in with her own quizzical insight “So, Equestria is facing its greatest threat ever, that it faced once before, when you two were just itty bitty tiny-corns and had super-duper humungo-corns to protect you, from weird looking Rakamawhatsit’s that live in the sky, but only when Luna is awake, and there are other Equestrias with other ponies?” During the course of her confusing ramble, her head managed to twist itself until it was upside down in an exaggeration of an inquisitive head-tilt, each syllable turning it just a little bit further past the point where any other pony would be in pain.
“I.... I think I understand.” Came the first expression of comprehension, from Twilight. She turned to the other ponies to explain. “Astronomers have known for quite a long while that the stars are, in fact, other suns like our own. And, we’ve known about other planets - worlds, that is - for a while. You all know Scuttle Mud the Wanderer, and Flitterfall the Dancer, right?” All of the other ponies nodded in unison.
“That was always mah favorite story as a filly. Ah used to ask Granny Smith to tell it every night. Scuttle Mud, and Flitterfall, the only two stars in the sky who could break free from the constellations, and roam the sky - forever in love, forever seeking each other, only destined to meet every century or so.” Applejack coughed, wiping the misty look from her face, hoping to distract everypony from her obvious obsession with the old romantic fable. “Yeah, uhhh, that story, yeah, we all know it.” She adopted a straight face as she turned back to Twilight, waiting for an explanation.
Rarity chuckled to herself, and Rainbow grinned knowingly in the background, as Twilight continued her explanation.”Yes, well, the two stars in the night sky that we call Scuttle Mud and Flitterfall are actually other planets, just like Equestria. They share the same sun as we do, so they're close enough that we see them almost like stars. But ancient Equestrian astronomers were able to work out that they share the same spatial relationship with the sun that we do.” At her friends confused looks, she continued to translate herself “That is, well, that they circle the sun in the same way the sun circles us. So.... well, if there are other suns so far away that they look like stars, and other planets close enough that they too look like stars, well... err... couldn't there be planets around all the other stars as well? And, well, if Equestria has life, couldn’t those other planets as well?” She turned to Celestia, a questioning look silently asking if she was correct in her explanation.
Celestia nodded “That is indeed correct, Twilight. These other worlds, around other stars, all seen by us as the stars in the night sky, contain nearly infinite varieties of life.”
The other ponies began to nod their heads in understanding, the novel idea slowly taking root and getting its bearings in their minds. “That’s... amazing. Umm, I mean, it’s just a really big thing to, you know... know.” Fluttershy cooed softly from the back, her voice becoming softer the moment she realized she was speaking.
Luna stepped forward and applied her magic to the crystal, the image switching back to the bizarre image of the Rakata being they had been shown earlier. “It is from among these other worlds that the Rakata come. We know that not all beings from beyond Equestria are evil.... but we do know that, without a doubt, the Rakata are evil.” Her voice was momentarily filled with a tone of venom that the six ponies had never heard from either of their Princesses before. It lasted only momentarily as she went on “It was the Rakata who, long ago, came from the stars and attempted to destroy Equestria as they had destroyed so many other worlds before. They wanted to turn Equestria into part of their Infinite Empire.”
Celestia walked slowly around the crystal, moving slowly towards the other ponies. Her voice rang with conviction and righteous anger as she described them further. “They wield powerful, incredibly dark, hate-fueled magic. known as the Force. They used this Force to nearly obliterate every living thing on Equestria.” Her voice faltered, and her eyes dropped to the floor, as painful memories flooded her mind. She took a deep breath to compose herself, and if the ponies before her did not know any better, they might say that she choked down a small sob before continuing, her voice now quiet and desperate. “We sacrificed much... so very much to drive them away....” Her eyes glistened at the ground, unfocusing as her voice drifted away.
Luna interjected to allow her sister a moment to compose herself, pulling the ponies attention away from Celestia’s silent sorrow. “We have recently felt a disturbing presence - A presence we have not felt since the time of the Rakata. We know, beyond all shadow of doubt that this is the same presence the Rakata brought with them. However, this feeling is, as of yet, the only clue we have to go on. We do not know when, or even where they will appear. But we are certain that they shall.”
Celestia stepped forward, the sorrow now hidden from her face, composure restored. “Until we know more, or until the Infinite Empire and the Rakata show themselves, we must be on high alert.” Her horn glowed softly as a jeweled box levitated from behind her, floating to the floor before them. The lid opened to reveal six pieces of elaborately detailed jewelry. Five necklaces and a tiara rested within, all moulded from fine gold, and inset with jewels crafted in the colors and shapes of each of their cutie marks. “You are to keep the Elements of Harmony with you at all times until we know more. Your power over the Elements is likely the only power in Equestria that can stand up to such evil.” Her magic enveloped each of the Elements in turn, levitating the precious items out of the box, each one moving towards its appropriate bearer. Each caught her Element in her hooves, nodding in agreement.
The box floated away, as did the crystal, The royal sisters stepped forward, moving a little closer to their subjects. What they did next shocked the six ponies. Celestia stood in front of Twilight and bent forward. She leaned in and wrapped her neck around that of her student. Twilight stood in surprise, unable to respond for a long moment. Even in her years as Celestia’s personal apprentice, she had never been afforded such intimate affection. She quickly relaxed, though, accepting the hug from her mentor. She leaned right back, nuzzling into Celestia’s mane. Luna was next to act, moving to embrace Pinkie Pie. Without missing a beat, the pink mare returned the dark princess’s hug, snuggling affectionately into her mane. After a long moment, Celestia released her student, turning to Fluttershy. She gave the gentle yellow pegasus a smile and leaned in, Fluttershy seemed to want to resist at first, her shyness evident, but very quickly returned the embrace. Luna next moved to Rarity, leaning in to wrap necks with the glamorous unicorn. Rarity gladly accepted the hug, cuddling back to her sovereign with a smile. Celestia finally went to Applejack, pulling the orange mare close. Applejack seemed happy to reciprocate, immediately returning with a friendly nuzzle. Luna pulled back from Rarity, and turned at last to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow raised a hoof apprehensively at first, but seeing the warmly expectant looks of every other pony in the room, she relented, and allowed the princess to hug her. Though she would never admit it, near the end, she even leaned into Luna’s embrace, gently cuddling back.
“Go now... Return to Ponyville, and remain vigilant. Do not live in fear, but be prepared for anything. You six have done so much for Equestria... You will always have our gratitude, and you will always have our love. Remember that.” Celestia smiled at the six ponies before her. The love and friendship between them was all that stood between Equestria and darkness. This thought, instead of filling her with fear, bolstered her confidence. She felt better than she had in many hours. If their bonds were the the mettle of Equestria that would be tested in the coming storm, then she was in good hooves.
The doors to the bridge of the Bondar Thane slid open to allow the two Jedi entrance. Captain Telsh turned around, his attention diverted from the lieutenant in front of him, and offered the two a respectful nod. He let out a blustery sigh, his mustache twitching slightly as his breath rustled it. “Well, old friend, we seem to be in yet another pickle. I had said that a Hammerhead was a bit overkill for this mission, but I was apparently wrong.”
Uldir chuckled and nodded his head at the captains words “Yes, yes, I know. But as I have said before, the Council makes these requests for a reason. Not always a reason they know, but always for a reason. We have apparently found the reason. I assume repairs are underway?”
Telsh nodded and turned back to his lieutenant “Vesh here was just updating me as to our status.”
Vesh turned to the Jedi and gave a polite smile before brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. “Yes sir. As I was just about to say, initial reports indicate that hyperdrive will be down for quite a while. All three redundant navigational banks are offline. The data required for a navigational solution is still there, thank goodness, but the internal data relays are suffering various states of signal-solution degradation. The spatial matrix-translation subprocessors simply can’t... err....” She coughed softly as she realized that she was offering far more information than was necessary, and delving into explanations that would only interest the mechanical technicians. “Suffice it to say, we are not going anywhere any time soon.”
Jem frowned at the explanation and spoke up “So wait, all that’s damaged are the nav computers? The hyperdrive itself isn’t kaput? Can’t we just, you know, wing it? Make our best guess and jump?”
The captain turned to her and shook his head sternly “Absolutely not. Hyperspace navigation is nothing like piloting a shuttle or a fighter. At the speeds you’re going, the only way to make sure you don’t end up inside of a sun, or worse, is to have every course carefully laid out beforehand. There can be no guesswork. Either we get those nav computers back, or we hope we have enough resources aboard to start a colony down there until help arrives.” He nodded his head towards the planet on the view screen.
Uldir looked up at the planet, and frowned slightly. There was something familiar about the blue and green sphere before him. He turned to the captain “Have we sent any probes down? Do we have any information on this planet or its inhabitants?”
The captain turned to him and raised his brows in mild shock at the question. “Well, yes, ofcourse. We sent down a stealthed probe and captured some video for our biologists to study while we were camped out here. Why?”
Uldir nodded his head towards the viewscreen “I would very much like to see these videos. Play one on the screen for me, if you would.” The captain frowned at the odd request, but complied. He gave the order to a nearby ensign, who pulled up the appropriate information onto the viewscreen.
The solitary image of the gentle planet surrounded by night was replaced by an incredibly brightly colored landscape. The standard Republic timestamps and watermarks appeared in the top right corner of the video as the probe droid made its way through what appeared to be a slightly dense temperate forest. After a solid two minutes of the probe scanning and recording various trees and foliage, it broke out onto a flat grassy plain, with scattered trees and hills in the background. What drew the eye, however, was the large group of very obviously manufactured structures that rested at the center of the plain. Thatch roofs and wooden structures were clearly visible, and very clearly in an intelligent pattern, The silent probe swiftly made its way towards the structures. As it approached, it was interrupted by its discovery of three colorful lifeforms, seemingly playing about in the shade of a nearby tree. It stopped to examine them. Each one shared a similar body structure - a small stout trunk, supported by four hoofed legs, with a slightly elongated head on top. Each had a differently colored coat of fur, and a distinct mane running down its neck, which shared colors with its tail. One was white, with a curly mane of purple and pink. Another had a dark orange coat, and a straight, purple mane and tail. The third was yellow, her mane and tail a brilliant red, with a large pink bow of fabric emerging from the back of her head, apparently keeping her mane tidily together. Uldir frowned at the image “These are.... ponies.” He stated plainly.
Jem looked up at her master in confusion “Ponies? What do you mean?” She looked back to the screen, attempting to understand his meaning.
Uldir nodded and signaled at the ensign to pause the video recording. The screen paused at a pleasant image of the yellow and orange ones playfully wrestling, while the white one sat by and watched. “Horses - they are equine pack animals used on many colonies as a form of transport and labor until a sufficient technological base is established. And ponies are, well, essentially very small horses. A lot of the more primitive worlds have them domesticated and use them extensively for many purposed. These creatures here very closely resemble ponies found on other worlds. This is interesting.... continue. Is there audio?” He asks the ensign controlling the playback. The ensign nodded and the video resumed, this time with sound. Uldir looked up to observe the native species.
The orange and yellow one continued their play fight while the white one to the side apparently offered commentary. Its mouth moved, producing a strange language in a high pitched voice, very similar that of a human. As the orange one managed to pin the yellow one down, he raised his brows with surprise, as he heard what was unmistakably laughter. If he had had his eyes closed, he would not be able to tell the little pony’s laugh from that of a human child. As he processed this odd similarity, he noticed something else. As the orange one spoke to the yellow one in the same strange language, a pair of wings fluttered at its back. He frowned slightly, looking to its two companions. The white one that he could see, did not have wings on its back. However, upon closer inspection, he did notice a small spiraling horn, which emerged from the creatures forehead. The white one gave another uncannily human laugh and then did something very unexpected. It tilted its head towards the orange one, who was a meter or two away, and the tip of its horn let out a few sparks. The sparks flew from its horn towards the orange one, apparently causing enough of a jolt to allow the yellow one to push it off. The yellow one got to its feet and joined in the conversation with its own eerily familiar voice. A cursory examination revealed that this one had neither horn nor wings.
A voice to his side broke his concentration. “It sounds like they are speaking Basic.” Jem piped up beside him, observing the language. Uldir frowned in concentration as he listened to them conversing among themselves.
“You are right... If I listen carefully, I can just barely make out a few roots which I could swear evolved from Basic. These.... ponies.... are speaking some sort of derivative of Galactic Basic. This gets more and more interesting.” He reached a hand up to stroke his beard, his eyes locked onto the three creatures continuing their play, the orange and white ones now apparently wrestling while the yellow one spectated. Several moments passed like this in meditative silence, before he turned to Jem. “Padawan, close your eyes. Concentrate upon the planet before us. Reach out and tell me what you feel.”
The young woman frowned slightly in confusion, but did as she was told. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply and steadily, reaching out as she achieved a meditative state. The planet was there before her. It bristled with life, and she could feel pleasant vibrations of light and harmony coming from it. Her consciousness delved deeper into it. Her soul’s eye plunged into the heart of the planet. It felt like dipping herself into cool still water... She gasped, her eyes opening with realization “This place! It feels just like the vision!”
Uldir smiled and nodded at that, reaching out to pat his padawan approvingly on the head. “Good girl, you sense it as well. This makes our next course of action obvious.”
Captain Telsh, who had been up to that point content to watch the Jedi mess around with their Force mysticism, spoke up, wanting to be kept in the loop as to what exactly was going on aboard his ship. “And so then, what exactly is that going to be?”
Uldir chuckled and looked to the captain “Ready us a shuttle. We are, of course, going to go and talk to these ponies.”