In a galaxy far, far away, war rages on as the Old Republic and the New Sith Empire fight for galactic dominance. In the midst of a battle, Republic and Sith ships end up in strange kingdom on a strange planet. Its name: Equestria.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
Two thousand years before Rebel Alliance and the Empire, war spread across the galaxy. The Old Republic and the Jedi fight against the New Sith Empire expanding in the Outer Rim. However, the war is only a stalemate with no end in sight. In the midst a battle, members of both sides disappear from Known Space.
Meanwhile, in the newly formed land of Equestria, the ponies find strange ships appear above their skies…
Disclaimer: Anything related with Star Wars (including the SW Legend continuity that this fic's based on) belongs to Disney, and MLP:FIM is the idea of Hasbro and Lauren Faust! Only exceptions to that are the OCs.
Special thanks to Fantasia Archsage for pre-reading this. I really appreciate the help. Thanks!
12/20/2015: Updated an edited version of the prologue and chapter 1. I hope you like them.
The New Sith Wars engulf the galaxy in flame and destruction. The New Sith Empire, led by Darth Ruin,
continues to expand throughout the Outer Rim forcing the Galactic Republic into the Core Worlds.
With the help of the Jedi Order, the Republic fights back against the Sith threat. However, the Jedi’s
interference only brings the war to a stalemate as the two forces vie for territory from each other.
Not too far from the world of Botha’wui, a fleet of Republic ships have been stationed there to defend
against the Sith. The suddenly arrival of the Sith fleet throws the two forces to battle one another for control
of the planet…
Ren Incerto stood at the bridge of the Republic warship Enlightenment, his blue eyes staring out at space. The stars glittered in the dark void that was almost mesmerizing. It had been such a long time since he had a view of space, not since he had been promoted to Jedi Master.
Jedi Master, Ren repeated as he unclasped his hands from behind his back. He ran one of them through his black hair, almost unsure of his position. The rank of Jedi Master was not easy to attain, especially when one such as him managed to keep up with his peers. Then again, the rank wasn’t easily given, not after his mission… after he met her.
A smile of nostalgia spread on his dark face. It had been many years since he last saw her, but he still remembered her face vividly…
A hand brushed against the armored pad on Ren’s left shoulder. “Master?” a voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Turning around, Ren saw a young Zabrak, barely a woman, beside him. While the technicians and soldiers aboard respectively wore red uniforms and white armor, this one wore a long cloak around her, similarly designed to Ren’s own brown Jedi robe. The cloak itself did not hide the tattoos lining her concern face and the horns slightly poking from her brown hair.
“Yes Elara?” Ren asked his Padawan.
Elara stared with her green eyes. “Master, General Dodonna has reported Sith ships have dropped out of hyperspace. He’s engaging them right now and asking for assistance.”
The Jedi Master almost sighed, wishing he would just watch the stars a little while longer. Nonetheless, he told Elara, “Order all troops to ready their stations. We’re heading for battle.”
As Elara left, Ren turned back around to face the window, his eyes no longer on the field of stars, but on the Republic warships in the foreground, along with battle cruisers of the New Sith Empire. In the back of his mind, Ren swore he felt a familiar presence in the heat of the battle.
He shook the thought away and stared ahead. The floor shook ever so slightly as the Enlightenment began to move and head towards the familiar shapes of warships exchanging fire.
To say the battle looked like a mess was an understatement. Other Republic warships–Hammerhead and Thranta-class–were spread wide and thin across the starry plain, engaging the sickle-shaped Scimitar-class vessels of the Sith fleet. Colorful lights filled blackened spaces in between as ships and starfighter were shot down in the chaotic haze.
Another battle in the long war against the Sith.
Upon entering the fray, the Enlightenment shook from laser fire. Keeping his balance, Ren turned to the inner workings of the bridge and called out, “Elara, what’s our status?”
“Shields are holding, master,” his Padawan reported from her station, her eyes never leaving her computer terminal. “Our pilots have yet to man their starfighters, but our cannons are active.”
The Jedi Master returned to the window and saw the Sith battle cruiser in front of him. Against Ren’s hopes, the element of surprise wore off rather quickly, and the Enlightenment was being bombarded by the Sith lasers. “All forward batteries return fire!” Ren ordered. “Have our starfighters ready for deployment!”
Murmurs spread across the bridge as the Jedi Master’s orders were carried out and it was not long afterwards that the Enlightment’s cannons fired. It became an exchange of lasers between the Enlightenment and the Sith battle cruiser. Ren hoped that he would fight off this enemy and get to the next ship.
Then Elara’s voice rang out once again. “Master, another Sith cruiser is approaching us! It’s the Ragnos’ Scepter!”
With wide eyes, Ren looked at his Padawan. “Are you sure about that?”
Elara nodded and he turned back to the back to see the said ship closing in…
The Sith warship, the Ziost Frost, shook again from laser fire, making Sith General Eliza Jade almost lose her footing. Her hair ruffled around in the air with her cape, and she shuffled her black boots to keep herself standing, despite the weight of her Sith armor bearing down on her.
Standing upright, Eliza whirled pale face around. “Status report, now!” she shouted over the sound of battle.
Among the gray-clad Sith officers at the computers, a man reported from his station, “Primary batteries are at full power and shields are holding, my lady! However, one of the secondary batteries has been damaged!”
“Have the engineers fix it! I’m not going to lose this ship!” Eliza ordered.
Then, another Sith soldier, one donned in full black armor, reported, “My lady, a Republic warship has joined the battle! Hammerhead-class and has yet to deploy its starfighters!”
Eliza almost snarled, turning to the battle before her. There was one Republic warship standing out from the constant laser fire between the other vessels. Just like the soldier reported, it was a Hammerhead-class warship and it was closing in on the Ziost Frost.
Eliza’s sickly yellow eyes stared at it, surprised at its sudden appearance. But there was something as well. She swore she could sense something familiar on aboard. A presence she had not felt in years.
“My lady, your orders?” the same soldier asked, catching the Sith general’s attention.
After a moment, Eliza ordered, “Have all guns to focus on that ship! We need to hold it off as long as possible!”
The crew of the Ziost Frost carried out her orders, and Eliza turned back to the battle before her. Yet that same presence she felt before continued to nip at the back of her mind.
“My lady, the Ragnos’ Scepter is closing in!” announced another Sith officer.
Just as she heard, Eliza saw the Ragnos’ Scepter, the flagship of the Sith fleet, approaching. She was surprised to see it all and even more surprised to see smoking rising from its battered hull. “What is Balor doing?” Eliza muttered to herself. “He’s supposed to be leading the Sith into battle!”
Just then, yet another officer called from his post, “My lady, we’re detecting a strange anomaly from Lord Balor’s ship!”
“Can you detect what it is?” she inquired.
“Yes my lady, I…” the officer’s eyes widen at the new information on his computer terminal. “My lady, Lord Balor’s ship is trying to jump into hyperspace!”
That was unexpected. Traveling into hyperspace in the middle of a battle was one thing, but doing so with fault engines could bring… unexpected results.
Eliza’s temper flared as she roared to her crew, “Just what is that fool thinking?! Get us away from here, now!”
Her orders came a little too late. Everyone on board saw the familiar blue lane of hyperspace appeared and the Ragnos’ Scepter flew into it. However, the hyperspace lane remained, and the Ziost Frost and the Republic war vessel were being pulled towards it.
“Son of a hutt,” she cursed as the hyperspace portal swallowed her ship whole.
The golden eyes of a pony snapped open as she shot up from her bed. The mare took in deep breaths of air to calm herself and she felt relaxed in moments. Still, a shiver ran down the mare’s white coat as she wondered what was going on.
“Are you alright?” she heard the deep voice.
Pushing aside her golden, flowing mane, the mare turned to the stallion beside her. He was an alicorn, just like her, with wings and a horn, but he had a dark coat, and his mane was a deep purple. “I’m fine,” the mare breathed. “I just need relax a little.”
As he sat up, the stallion’s purple eyes stared at her. “You sensed something, haven’t you?”
“I have,” she nodded. “There was a strange surge of energy in the barrier. It was like a mixture of emotions. Something has arrived… something powerful.”
Her tone made the stallion uneasy as he asked, “Do you know what it is? Could it be Cerberus?”
The mare shook her head. “I don’t think so. Cerberus is still in Tartarus. Whatever this is, it felt like it doesn’t belong here.”
The stallion silently pondered what about his bedmate said. “I will have our guards to locate the source of this disturbance tomorrow morning,” he finally spoke. “It shouldn’t clash with our upcoming meeting.”
The mare gazed at him curiously. “Meeting? You mean with those ambassadors from Equestria, right?”
“Our new neighbors, yes,” the stallion yawned as he lied back on the bed. “They’ll be here in a few days. Hopefully we can figure this disturbance out before they arrive.”
She lied next to him. “Will our daughter be safe?”
“She has dozens of guards watching over her. She’ll fine,” the stallion assured the mare, hugging her with a dark wing. “And when we find this disturbance, we’ll be ready for it. Don’t worry.”
“I know, dear. I’m just worried that’s all,” the mare nuzzled him.
The stallion smiled and closed his eyes, the mare following suit. As the two drifted off to sleep, the mare’s mind was on the disturbance she felt, as well as a certain little filly sleeping in a nearby chamber.
Hearing her name, the young Padawan stirred from unconsciousness. She raised her head from her computer terminal and opened her eyes to see her master’s concerned face. “Master? What’s going on? Where are–ow!” Elara began quickly, but a headache stopped her.
“Glad to know you’re alright,” Ren smiled as he stood.
Rubbing her aching head, Elara asked, “How long was I out?”
“I don’t know. I got up not too long ago,” he turned to the bridge, “and it seems things aren’t that well.”
Elara looked at the bridge of the Enlightenment and found out what her master meant. Many officers were sprawled all over the floor, while the technicians were working on the now damaged computers. To the young Padawan, the crew looked like they had gone through hell and back.
“Just what happened here?” Elara gazed at the bridge. “I remember the Ragnos’ Scepter going into hyperspace and then…”
“… we were pulled into the hyperspace lane,” Ren finished.
She looked at him. “So where did we end up, then?”
Her master did not answer that question. Instead, he left the computer terminal and headed down the walkway with a curious Elara following him. When the two Jedi approached the window, Elara’s eyes widen at what she saw. “What the…”
Outside of the Enlightment lied not the darkness of space, but the whiteness of moonlight surrounded by a night sky. There were white cloud hanging about, and down far below were blue oceans and green landmasses that reminded Elara of other worlds like, like Alderaan or Dantooine.
But where ever they were, this certainly was not Bothawui.
“Master, where are we? What is this planet?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Ren answered.
Elara turned to her mentor, incredulous. “What do you mean ‘you don’t know?’”
“I mean I don’t know,” he stated calmly without looking away. “According to our technicians, this planet, this system, isn’t even in the star charts.”
While Elara reeled in her thoughts, Ren noticed a figure approaching them. Striding down the walkway of the bridge was a dark-skinned woman, donning the red uniform of a Republic officer. “General Incerto,” she greeted, stepping beside the Jedi Master.
“Captain Leth,” Ren returned, “anything to report on the ship?”
The captain hesitated and slightly fiddled with the cap on her brown hair bun. “Well general, it does not look that well. The ship is fine, save for a few bruises, but there’s the problem of our… displacement. We’re having trouble pinpointing our location, but we know we’re no longer is within the Mid or Outer Rims. We could be in Wild Space, for all we know.”
Elara thought about that for a moment. Alright, they were no longer in the Outer Rim, but perhaps it was not too bad. “Can we return to Known Space?” she spoke up, her voice holding a sliver of hope.
The captain shook her head. “Not without the right calculations. That may take time, since the position of the stars here are different. And then, there are the starboard engines we need to worry about…”
The Padawan drowned out the rest of the conversation, frowning at this development. Just great. Here they were, stuck in an unknown sector of space with no way of returning. As if that was not bad enough, there was that Sith ship across from them–wait, what?
Elara’s eyes widen again this time seeing a Sith battlecruiser. It was a distance away from the Enlightenment as it remained hovering in the strange planet’s sky. “Master,” Elara said, catching the attention of the other two, “is that the Ragnos’ Scepter?”
It was the captain, not Ren, who answered, “We’ve already scanned it. Its identification tag doesn’t match the Ragnos’ Scepter.”
“It must have been the other Sith ship that was sucked into the hyperspace lane,” Elara thought aloud. “Has it done anything?”
“No, nothing yet. It’s just floating there. Lucky for us, the Ragnos’ Scepter is nowhere in sight. It’s either destroyed or far away from us.”
“Maybe, captain,” Ren spoke warily, his eyes on the Sith battlecruiser. Again, the Jedi Master felt something from the vessel. There was that presence, the same one he felt near Bothawui. He hadn’t felt it since…
“So master,” Elara’s voice caught Ren’s attention, “what do we do?”
He pondered for a minute before turning to the captain. “Have you scanned the planet below?”
She nodded. “We did. The planet appears to be breathable. We were getting some strange readings from down there. Our sensors could be a little haywire from our sudden jump, though.”
Slowly, the gears in Ren’s mind started turning, and he gave his orders. “Alright, let’s give the crew some rest. Everyone has to be ready in case of another battle.”
“And the planet, sir?”
“I want to take a look at this place. Prep a shuttle and an away team,” Ren answered, glancing at Elara. “My Padawan will come with me.”
Elara blinked. “Master, are you sure about that? You’ll need someone to command the Enlightenment.”
“Our captain’s more than capable,” he assured. “Besides, do you want to be stuck on a ship with nothing to do except stand around and give orders?”
Knowing her master was right, she said in a defeated tone, “No, master.”
Ren turned back to the captain. “When you get communications back up, try contacting the Sith warship. They’re stuck too, so I don’t think they’ll try anything yet.”
It was the captain’s turn to look surprised. “Uh, yes sir…” When Ren turned to leave, the captain called out,
“General, if I do manage to contact the Sith, what should I do?”
“Keep in contact with me and let me know what’s happening!” Ren answered as he led Elara down the walkway.
“But what should I say to the Sith?”
“That’s up to you, captain!”
The captain would have asked again if the doors did not close behind the two Jedi. She glanced around, finding herself alone on a damaged bridge with all eyes on her.
From the window, Councilor Clover of Equestria, or Clover the Clever, watched the night sky with unease. Hours ago, she had been studying the stars and weather patterns, checking on the progress of the working unicorns and pegasi.
That changed when Clover had spotted something in the sky. Somethings, to be precise, outlined by the sliver of moonlight; one, thin and with a giant hammer, and the other was shaped like a hook. They hung in the sky and were partially hid in the shadow of night clouds. Where they came from, nopony knew, and it only gave Clover a sense of curiosity and fear just by looking at them.
“Has anything changed?” inquired a tired voice.
Clover turned to see stallion closing the chamber's doors behind him. “They’re still up there, Hurricane,” Clover answered.
Hurricane, former Commander of the Pegasi Tribe and now member of the First Council of Equestria, gave an irritated sigh as his hooves left heavy trots on the chamber’s floor. “And there’s nothing? They haven’t even moved?”
Clover regarded her fellow councilor with a pensive look. “We should be grateful, Hurricane, they’re not attacking.”
“If there was an attack, at least we would know what’s going on,” a huff left him before he went up beside Clover and glanced out of the window. “All of this waiting makes me uneasy.”
Clover didn't argue with that. She had her own concerns about these things, whatever they were, and simply waiting left the Unicorn a little antsy. Besides, it was pointless to argue with a veteran who slightly towered her. With little sleep, Hurricane’s neck, wings, and shoulders sulked as if heavy weights dragged them down, and the stallion without his armor left him naked, figuratively and literally.
Finally, Clover asked, “Anything from our scouts?”
“Nothing,” Hurricane blew his dark, disheveled mane out of his tired eyes. “Whatever those things are, they’re too far up for anypony to reach.”
“I didn’t think they would.” Clover wrapped her white cloak close, protecting her pink coat from the chilly air. “I’m surprised Master Starswirl isn’t here. He might have an answer to this.”
“Where is that old pinhead anyway? He would be jumping out of his ugly hat by now.” Hurricane glanced around while Clover silently frowned at the Pegasus.
A light rap of hooves ran from outside. “Maybe that’s him,” Clover thought aloud.
The two mares turned to the closed doors, waiting for them to be open. The trots grew louder until they finally came to a stop. Then, then door was pulled from outside…
… only to stop in its frame.
“Uh, hello?” a chirpy voice called from the other side. “Anypony in?!”
An annoyed Hurricane groaned. “Clover, please…”
Sighing, Clover tossed blonde strands aside and powered her horn with a similarly colored magical aura, which also surrounded the door handles. When the door swung inward, a yellow and brown form fell flat on the floor with a plop. A yellow hat tilted forward atop a puffy head of red, showing the other two ponies its pudding-like top, and its owner, an Earth Pony with a magenta coat, lied there in front at the door.
“Puddinghead, are you alright?” Clover asked, somewhat tempted to trot over.
The hat rose to show a goofy grin from Equestria’s third Councilor. “I’m fine! Just a little wobbly, that’s all,” she replied.
“Maybe you wouldn’t be if you pushed instead of pulled,” Hurricane shot at her.
Puddinghead let out an hmph as she stood on her magenta-colored legs. “Well, somepony’s cranky.”
“Puddinghead,” Clover cut in quickly, “has something happened? Has Master Starswirl said anything?”
“Right!” Puddinghead pushed up her head her hat. “He says not to worry. There doesn’t seem to be any danger yet.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“Not yet. He says he’ll be in his lab, looking for any magical disturbance,” she continued with her hooves patting down her yellow ruff and blouse.
“Aaand?” Hurricane pressed.
After patting down her brown skirt, Puddinghead looked up. “Aaand that’s it.”
Again, the lone stallion groaned. Clover regarded Hurricane with a patient look. “Starswirl’s doing his best, Hurricane.”
“Doesn’t change the fact he’s such a recluse,” he muttered.
“Actually, he's very outgoing for a pinhead–oops!" Puddinghead’s gray eyes widen, and she covered her hooves over her mouth. “Sorry Clover! I forgot we're not supposed to use that word.”
“I don't see the big deal. It’s just a bunch of words,” Hurricane said. “It’s no different than calling Earth ponies dirt-diggers.”
“Or feather brains for Pegasi!” Puddinghead chirped in, only realize her mistake. “Oops! I did it again!”
While Hurricane forced himself to not glare, Clover forced herself a smile. “It’s alright,” she said. “Just be careful in the future. More importantly, we need to think how we’re going to deal with this.”
Puddinghead, tapping a hoof on her muzzle, suggested, “How about we send a message?”
Hurricane replied with half-lidded eyes of exasperation. “And how do you propose we do that?”
“Easy. We just write in the ground saying not to attack us, or we’re peaceful.”
“They’re too far up in the sky for any Pegasi to reach them. How can they read a single word of Equish?” Hurricane deadpanned.
“… We could write in big letters.”
As the two argued, Clover mentally sighed. ‘You’ve dealt with this for five years, Clover. Just hold it together,’ she told herself, then aloud to the others:
“Councilors, can we please focus?”
Turning from Puddinghead, Hurricane said, “Alright, what do you suggest we do?”
“Well… I…” Clover began, but her voice and mind came up on a blank. With strange things in the sky, what could she say? What could she do to calm the two ponies down?
After a moment, a yawn forced itself out of Clover’s throat. “Maybe,” she began tiredly, “we should just get some sleep. We can talk about this tomorrow.”
“Best idea I’ve heard,” and Hurricane turned for the door in his slouching manner. “Wake me up when something interesting happens.”
“Don’t sleep too long,” Puddinghead interjected, hopping alongside him, “This might be a milestone in the history of Equestria!”
“Oh, be quiet!”
The Unicorn stared at the departing Earth Pony and Pegasus. “How Smart Cookie and Pansy handled them is beyond me,” Clover mumbled before she followed them out.
Unbeknownst to the trio, a small dot left one of the strange figures in the sky, passing over the white face of the moon and traveling down to the forest beyond the capital’s barrier…
“Sir, we’re getting a signal!” an officer exclaimed, using one good arm to work one of the Ziost Frost’s working terminals. “It’s a Republic shuttle from the planet!”
Sergeant Rendar, towering over the officer, stared down. “Are you sure?” he asked with his deep voice. “It might be faulty sensors.”
The officer, almost frightened by the Sith soldier’s black heavy armor and superior height, replied, “N-no, sir, I’m sure. Our long-ranged sensors are knocked out for now, but our short-ranged sensors just picked a shuttle.”
“Very well,” Rendar said. “I’ll report it to the general.”
“Um, sir,” the officer paled a little, “perhaps, the general should have her space. She’s not in a good mood.”
She rarely was, but Rendar kept that to himself as he held his helmet under his arm and turned to leave. He barely made a few steps when a small, thin man–an officer, as determined by his gray uniform–strode up to Rendar. “Sergeant, is something the matter?” he spoke with a posh tone and regarded Rendar with a nod.
“Commander Needa,” Rendar nodded back, trying to be polite. “I have some news for the general.”
“Best if you tell me, sergeant,” Needa said, glancing over to the general. “She seems to be preoccupied.”
Rendar’s eyes trailed down he walked the long and slightly dent gray floor of the Ziost Frost’s bridge. The small, yet intimidating, form of General Jade glued her eyes to the window and wrapped a red strand of hair around her finger. No doubt, she was forming a plan of some sort.
Rendar, slightly defeated, looked back at Needa. “Well, we just received a report about a Republic shuttle heading for the planet’s surface.”
Needa seemed surprised. “Not their ship, just a shuttle? I thought the Republic would come here, if they wanted to talk about terms.”
Rendar pointed out, “They haven’t offered any terms yet, commander. They can’t with the comm down.”
“And they don’t trust us,” cut in a clearly ticked voice of a woman, “just as you apparently don’t trust me to handle this, commander.”
The two men almost jumped and turned around to see Eliza cutting in between the two. Eyes glaring at him, Needa’s trembling hand tugged at his collar, and he stammered whilst he collected himself. “W-well, considering our situation, I-I thought it would be better if I… I mean if you…”
Eliza raised a hand. The commander fell silent immediately, and Eliza turned to Rendar with a less piercing gaze. “Sergeant, your thoughts?”
Rendar looked at Eliza, through his black bangs. “Well, general, the planet would serve as neutral ground, if there were any talks, and it’s possible the shuttle’s departure could be a call… or a trap,” he said, somewhat hesitantly at the end.
The general pondered for a moment, then she said, “Sergeant, prepare a crew. I want to see this for myself.”
“General,” Needa interjected with some courage, “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. Many of our soldiers are still in the med bay and…”
“Some are good to come along,” Eliza retorted sharply. “Anyway, I’ll be leading the mission, so you don’t need to worry.”
“… Yes, general,” the commander said, defeated.
“Then, get a team in the hangar by one hour, commander,” and Eliza turned and left with her cape flowing behind her.
Once General Jade was out the door, Needa allowed himself a sigh and adjusted his officer’s cap. “I’m not sure how we’ll survive this,” he said, more to himself.
“Everything will be fine, commander,” Rendar assured, though his stoic expression did not change. “It won’t be long until we return home.”
Rendar was given a snort. “If only. The ship is in worse shape than you think. Just look,” and Needa gestured to some of the ruined terminals.
The sergeant didn’t need to look. Unlike the other terminals that had been ruined by the sudden hyperspace jump, these ones were crushed to pieces. As for who did it, Rendar remembered a Sith general thrashing away, redirecting her anger for another’s mistake.
“I’m going to kill that son of a Hutt!” she had yelled before crushing at the terminals.
The memory caused Rendar’s hand on his helm to tremble a little. He was used to seeing angry Sith, and General Jade always had a temper, but seeing her like that was… surprising, to say the least. No one was in her wrath, since the medics the medics to some of the injured.
“We just have to trust the general. She has never steered us wrong before,” Rendar managed to say, then saluted. “By your leave, commander.”
“Yes, sergeant,” Needa said quietly, his voice distant.
Lowering his hand, Rendar turned around to leave. He stopped and took a short glance to the silent commander. When Needa looked away, his face showed concern. It was a look Rendar had seen before, and it now made the sergeant wonder about his own words. There was nothing to be done. Only hope for the best.
Rendar turned back to his path and strode out of the bridge, leaving the commander alone in his silence.
They were still up there. The two objects floated in front of the moon with no worry of wind or weather directing them away from their position. It was unthinkable, unnatural even, to be remaining in the sky without being subjected to the laws of nature. Whatever they were, they certainly were not dragons. Not even they were as huge as the behemoths floating above.
“Councilor? Councilor?”
Councilor Pansy turned from the sky to the stallion beside her. It was an Earth Pony–with no wings that Pansy possessed nor a Unicorn’s horn–as grey as his armor. “Yes, corporal?” Pansy asked with a voice as soft as her face.
The steady, unusually high-pitched, tone answered her. “You’ve been staring at that for a while now, councilor.”
Stars, that was long. “I see,” Pansy removed her hoof from the battlement to the wooden plank. “I guess I let my mind wander a little longer than I thought, huh?”
A concerned look grew under the corporal’s helm. “Councilor, you need to be careful, especially with those things up there. Nopony else’s around to look out for you.”
“I will fine,” she assured, then paused. “If it helps, you could go back to sleep.”
“I could,” Pansy’s guard said with a slight smirk, “but the captain wouldn’t be happy if he found you by yourself.”
“And I can’t leave you alone,” were the unspoken words.
Cheerful as the corporal tried to be, Pansy’s yellow muzzle sunk into a frown. She didn’t say anything at first, keeping her thoughts to herself. It took Pansy some more time before she voiced them: “Are you scared, Herp?”
The familiarity took the stallion by surprise. Still, he replied softly for nopony else to hear other than Pansy: “Yes, I am,” Herp’s yellow eyes rose up. “I’m no Pegasi or Unicorn, but seeing those things, it’s… unsettling. It’s some kind of bad omen.”
To that, Pansy sighed inwardly. It was the same thing she heard throughout the fort. Everypony was scared, she included, and nothing seemed to ease their minds. “Sorry to bother you with this,” Pansy said.
Herp sighed, this one of slight annoyance. “You need to stop apologizing,” he said. “It doesn’t help a councilor of Equestria. The problem’s up there, not down here.”
The words brought a small surge of confidence, and a smile finally spread on Pansy’s yellow muzzle. “I guess not.” Pansy rested her head on the corporal’s shoulder. “Thanks, Herp.”
Herp’s muzzle went from grey to red. “Y-your welcome, Councilor,” Herp muttered, feeling the orange lop of mane and her scent brushing on his face. He wanted stay like this for a little while longer and enjoy it…
“Corporal Hooves,” a deep baritone spoke.
Herp snapped his back straight to attention, the warmness gone and the cool air was back. He whirled around with Pansy to see another Pegasus in shimmering silver armor and a pair of wings keeping him hovering nearby the battlement. Wary eyes watched the Pegasus land and furled his red wings against his side.
Golden eyes focused on Herp. “Weren’t you supposed to be at the south wall?” the Pegasus inquired, rather authoritatively.
“Y-you’re right! I’ll head over there, sir!” And with a salute, Herp rushed for the stairs.
Just as Herp left the battlements, Pansy frowned to the Pegasus. “Captain Red Fire,” she told him, “the corporal had my permission to remain at my side. He was there as my guard.”
“And a shoulder to lean on?” the captain retorted.
She returned it with narrowed eyes. “That’s private.”
The golden eyes flinched a little, and Red Fire relaxed his posture. “I apologize. I meant no disrespect, Councilor,” he humbly bowed his helmet.
Pansy mimicked the captain’s tone. “I understand. Any word from the capital?”
“None, as usual,” Red Fire responded as he trotted to the edge. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a telescope. “Commander Hurricane’s must be busy with whatever the rest of the council keeps throwing on him… no offense.”
“Hurricane’s no longer a commander,” she reminded him with pained patience.
“I guess,” Red Fire’s voice trailed while he looked through the telescope.
Pansy found it harder to withhold her tongue, wanting to give the captain a couple more words of warning. She held back, knowing that she was far from the capital. A councilor of Equestria Pansy was, but Red Fire was in charge of the fort. She was just a guest.
“How is everypony?” Pansy asked to keep herself busy.
“Busy.” Red Fire studied the terrain through his telescope. “All of the guards are still at their posts now, and the scouts are resting after their mission. I don’t know how long it will be before we need… Wait, what’s that?”
Pansy’s ear flickered up on the sudden change in tone. “What is it?”
Red Fire handed the telescope to her. Staring through lens, Pansy saw it. A long white nose stuck out in front, and a pair of wings stuck out of the back, sloping downwards. The wings did not flap, yet it somehow flew through the air, soaring above a canopy of trees.
“Do you see it?” she heard Red Fire.
“I do. It’s flying over for the Everfree Forest,” Pansy remarked.
“Guards, gather the scouts to the courtyard!” Red Fire shouted over the battlement’s edge, while she put the telescope down and walked away. “Where you are going Councilor?”
“Getting my armor, captain,” Pansy responded without looking away.
“Councilor, you’re hardly …” the captain began, but Pansy cut him off.
“…the right pony for this?” She turned to face him. “Whatever that thing is, you will need a pony who knows how to talk with it. As a Councilor of Equestria, I am the only one in this entire fort who can do that.”
Red Fire stared at Pansy for a long moment. “Very well,” he conceded.
Pansy nodded, and, with a flap of her wings, she flew over the battlements, diving down to the courtyard as the fortress went on high alert.
Ren did his best to keep a firm footing, feeling the shuttle jostle while it descended through the tree tops. The others tried to keep still as well, either sitting down or holding onto the handles above their heads. They all radiated off with unease and anxiety, which was no surprise to the Jedi Master. He hid his own feelings to not worry his soldiers and Padawan.
The thrusters wheezed and the legs creaked open from the outside before they touched ground. When the shuttle jostled upon landing, a wave brushed up against Ren’s mind, taking him by surprise.
Now, Ren let his unease show.
Elara’s voice spoke off to the side. “Master, did you…”
“Yes,” Ren nodded without looking at her to see her expression or know her thoughts. He had felt it in the sky, but so close to the ground, it was stronger than ever. For Elara, who was not attuned like he was, to feel it meant this presence, whatever its source, was far stronger than he anticipated.
“Pilot,” Ren called to the front, “did you notice anything?”
At the cockpit ahead, the pilot studied his controls. “There was a structure nearby. Rather primitive,” he remarked. “Seemed like some kind of outpost.”
“Master,” Elara called to her master once again, “maybe that’s what we sensed.”
Ren did not reply to that, his mind quickly switching back and forth. This was not what he had intended. He had not known about this fortress, or the source of the presence. Still, nothing was attacking nor was there anything else, so maybe he still could…
“General, detecting several lifeforms approaching. They’re airborne,” came from the pilot.
Ren withheld a sigh. He would have to delay his meeting, after all. “Open the door, pilot. Everyone stays here… including you.” Ren ordered, turning to his pupil.
He felt the denial before it showed up on Elara’s face. “But master, you might need help,” she said. “Who knows what might be out there?!”
“That’s why you’re staying here,” Ren reasoned, just as the door opened. A flood of cool air entered and dim moonlight grazed his face. “I need someone to guard the shuttle in case we need to leave… and in case I don’t come back.”
This time, there was no retort or argument from Elara. Ren turned around and stepped out of the shuttle. His feet touched grassy ground and dirt, and he went on his way, not noticing Elara’s silent stare at his back.
This forest was certainly... something. Ren could not find the right word to describe it whilst he carefully marched on the dirt. In the time since he left his men and Padawan, Ren felt the ebb and flow of the Force echoed with every step he took. It permeated the air all around him and it came off of the various flora all around, so much it could have almost deafened anyone. Ren had felt similar, but nothing quite as potent as he felt right now.
Coming to a stop, Ren stretched out with the Force. Immediately, he caught onto the presences from before, the ones detected by the shuttle's machinery. They were up there, high above, but not too high for him to feel several minds. One mind stood out from the rest of the groggy and irritated, yet tempered, bunch. Curious, Ren creaked his head upwards.
Lo and behold, there they were, flying over the tree tops and their stretched wings flapping in the night sky. Ren quieted his mind and extended his touch to his auspicious target. He could feel the edges of the strange conscious, picking on some sounds and even an image of a fort. Steeling himself, Ren prepared to connect him mind with the other.
That was when he heard a slight growl from behind.
Turbulence shook the Sith shuttle and everyone inside its dimly lit hull. As it did, Eliza held onto her seat and held in an irritated grumble. It did not go unnoticed for Rendar, who had his helmet in his lap, asked, "General, are you alright?"
Eliza glanced down to him and the ebon-armored soldiers lined up against the hull. "It's nothing sergeant," she said, more for everyone to hear than just Rendar.
Everyone went back to checking their rifles and power packs, wondering over the "nothing." But it was just "nothing," Eliza knew. What she felt was not motion sickness, but the Force. It was all over. Wild and untamed. There was no polarization of either the Dark or the Light Side, but a mixture.
“How long will it be before we hit ground?” Eliza called out.
“Fifteen standard minutes, my lord,” a distant voice spoke from the pilot’s chair, much to Eliza’s disappointment. “We’re coming up on the surface. It appears to be some kind of forest. I’ll look for a clearing to land and… wait…”
Her eyes darted to the cockpit’s threshold. “What is it this time?”
The pilot spoke with a sudden uncertainty. “There’s something on the radar. It’s not a fighter or a ship. It might be some bird or something–”
THUMP!
A loud bang interrupted the pilot. The few Sith helmets rolled onto the floor when the entire team, including Eliza, went on their feet. “Did something hit us?” Rendar called out. “Pilot?!”
“The signal’s gone off the radar, sir!”
While her crew prepped their blasters, Eliza closed her eyes and stretched out with the Force. A moment later, she opened her eyes. “Something’s out there. It’s closing in.”
THUMP!
“There it is again!” yelled another soldier among the frantic group.
“Calm down!” Rendar bellowed.
Eliza glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source. The presence she felt was strong and nearby. Right, left, up, down–it buzzed around like a speeder. It was fast, very fast. Eventually, it would have to stop. Maybe in a few minutes…
“Uh, general? You should come see this.”
Or right now.
Entering the cockpit, Eliza stood behind the pilot’s chair. “Well,” she asked, “what is it?”
“Well, um…” the pilot hesitated to find the right words, his pale face filled with surprise at what he stared at. Turning, Eliza’s own face matched the pilot’s.
Something hovered outside the viewport. A creature of sorts in front with four limbs and blue fur. Certainly not dumb beast because Eliza saw armor gleaming in the moonlight. Eliza also noticed another detail.
Wings. It had a pair of wings, one sticking out each side and flapping away.
A tongue stuck out mockingly before its owner left in a blur, buzzing around the shuttle once again. “Lower the ramp. I’ll take care of this,” Eliza ordered.
“Uh, y-yes,” and the stammering pilot reached for the control switch.
The Sith soldiers curiously watched their general walk for the far end of the shuttle. “My lord, will you need help?” Rendar inquired.
“Only when I fall off, sergeant,” Eliza smirked before the landing ramp opened with a slow creak.
Wind rushed into the hull and blew back Eliza’s long cape and red hair. Her armored boots carefully clanked down the ramp. Stopping mid-way, she gripped onto an extended pole with her left hand and looked around.
A yellow trail blazed past, and Eliza’s eyes trailed after. Its source no longer circled around the shuttle and flew through air with ease. It stopped every few moments to give a face under its helm; a raspberry here, an evil eye there. All of them mere child’s play, and not worth Eliza's time to grab her lightsaber. Instead, Eliza stood firmly and waited.
Eventually, the creature stopped buzzing around and focused on Eliza, its face flickering with confusion and curiosity. Then, annoyance and anger flooded its gaze, and Eliza smirked inwardly. Her mere presence, her stance was a challenge to its ‘might,’ one that it would not ignore.
The creature dived in, just as Eliza expected, nose first to tackle her. She calmly stretched out with her right hand and with the Force. She yanked her target towards her, and its face fell into the Sith Lord’s free hand with a muffled yelp.
The ramp closed behind Eliza, and she strode into the hull, the creature kicking out its limbs in a vain attempt to escape. The Sith soldiers moved aside for their general, whose free hand grabbed the helmet’s crest.
The helmet tossed aside with an audible clunk, a pair of ears stuck out of a lush mane. The legs, armed with hooves, failed to free itself from the ebon gauntlet grasping the blue muzzle, and the face, though resembling an equine, twisted like an angry human.
Eliza stared at its cerulean eyes, dumbfounded. This was what attacked her shuttle? An equine barely half her size and weight? Sure, it was putting up a fight, and she noted its armor gave it away as some kind of soldier, but what was its reason to attack? What did it have to gain?
“My lord, what…” one soldier said only to stop and watch with the others when Eliza rested a finger on the equine’s furry temple.
The rest of its body slightly froze and its eyes widen. Eliza closed her own and began probing with the Force. Neighs and whinnies met her, and she faced them with slight unease. “What are you?” she spoke clearly, imposing the question into the equine’s mind with the Force.
The equine spoke in a muffled, yet masculine voice. The sounds shifted until a word came into her mind: 'Pony.'
Eliza pursed her lips, but continued sifting through the equine’s mental cacophony for the language centers. The pony’s voice came through again, only from its mind into Eliza’s.
‘Metal beast… Warning… Councilors...’
Finally, Eliza released her grip. The primitive armor clanked when the equine, a male, thudded on the floor. Once boastful, the cerulean eyes fearfully stared up at Elize, who gave him an indifferent gaze. The equine would speak but its "words" were an incoherent jumble, nothing to reply to, so Eliza did not. She had enough information. She knew what to do.
"Pilot, set a new course! We have some friends to meet!" Eliza ordered to the pilot, then to Rendar, "Sergeant, secure the prisoner, and make sure he remains unharmed."
The command was carried out, and the Sith soldiers surrounded the equine, who watched Eliza retreat into the cockpit.
With a flap of her wings, Pansy did her best to keep up. Flying was natural to her, but it was hard to fly at the same pace with the Pegasi of Storm Squadron. The said Pegasi who surround her, normally among the best flyers, did their own to keep in pace with the Councilor.
"Councilor, you must head back. We can take it from here!" she heard.
Pansy turned to Red Fire, who insisted to fly at her side. She could see the wind blowing in his impassive face. “No,” Pansy insisted. "I'll be fine!"
If the captain had anything to say, it was cut off when one of the flyers announced, “Captain, there’s something up ahead!”
The two of them turned, Pansy holding up a hoof to protect her eyes from the wind. The tree tops of the infamous Everfree Forest passed beneath them, as did several clearings. One clearing lied ahead, and looking down, Pansy saw there was something in it, a little brown blob running forward. It stopped in place, and Pansy swore she saw a pair of eyes staring up at her.
'Come down.'
Pansy blinked. What was that? It was certainly a voice, clear and masculine, and no louder than a whisper. However, the voice rang in her head, not in her ears. Was she going crazy?
'Come down,' the voice entered her mind once more. It was peaceful and calm, and it sounded more like an invitation than a command.
Again, Pansy blinked, this time to the obscured figure down below. Her mind connected the pieces, and soon, she turned to her side. "Captain! We have to go down there!"
"What?" Confusion flashed across Red Fire's muzzle. "Whatever for?!"
"I think whatever's down there is related to what we saw earlier!"
"How do you know that?!"
"A gut feeling!"
The answer did not seem to do much for Red Fire, but Pansy was relieved when he called out to his squadron, "Flyers! Land at once! Surround the area, and be ready for any hostilities!"
As Storm Squadron's Pegasi began to dive down, Pansy hoped it would not come to that. She flew in sync with the others, slowly descending to the Everfree Forest. They past the canopy and in no short time, they already touched the ground. Red Fire was the first to land, Pansy second, and the rest followed after.
Upon landing, Pansy trotted past Red Fire and approached the figure with a smile. "Greetings," Pansy said, "I am Councilor Pansy of Equestria, and I greet you to..."
The words died when Pansy realized whom she was looking at. There was a large cloak draped around a tall body, but instead of a calm gaze, Pansy found herself staring into a pair of eyes as wide as hers and horns atop of a tattooed face that scrunched up into shock.
The moment the Republic shuttle descended down to land, Elara wanted to get off and explore was what out there. She wanted to know the reason why the Force was so strong on this world, and she was even more anxious to leave with her master and face any danger. Her master, ever the worrier as she thought he would be, ordered her to stay.
Elara would have if she actually listened to him. After her master was out of sight, Elara left the shuttle. What her master did not know would not hurt him. That was what she told herself and her men whom she ordered to stay behind.
Her plans to follow, sadly, took a back turn when Elara found herself lost in a forest and her master beyond her reach. Which was why she was taken aback upon seeing a bunch of equine, with wings no less, landing right in front of her.
Their breast plates and war helms gave that sense to Elara, whose unease equaled the emotions she felt through the Force. Yet, she did not sense any hostility. They would not attack, unless if she did first, and vice versa, so, they stood there for many moment, staring at each other.
At last, the first equine to step forward, a female with its petite form and soft feature, managed to blink its wide eyes. The gaped mouth moved to speak. The only thing Elara could was nothing more than snorts and grumbles. "What?" was her response.
The equine mimicked Elara's reaction with a whinny of confusion. Elara glanced around, meeting more bewildered looks glancing at her. "Look, I'm lost," she said, with some hope of understanding these beings. "Maybe you could help me, and I'll..."
Elara stopped. Something was off, she could feel it in the Force, and it was coming closer. Quickly, she turned around to meet it.
A loud roar echoed, from neither equine nor her own, and Elara nearly yelped. Wind and stench breezed over her tunic and through her cloak, and she just gaped at what she saw, unaware of the fearful looks from the others.
The creature hunched over on its furry paws, its fangs baring, its nostrils flared, and its mane wild like a Cathar's. The reptilian wings fluttered on its back and... and was that a scorpion's tail? Whatever kind of Sith spawn this creature was, Elara's hand went for one of the hilts on her belt, ready to fend it off.
Then, the creature lowered its back, and a familiar robed figure riding atop it. Elara stopped herself from pressing the stud on the hilt and said, "Master?"
Ren slid off the creature's back and gave a small smile. "Elara! Good thing I found you!"
"Uh, master..." Elara's unsteady glare focused at her master's side.
"Don't worry, Elara. She won't do any harm." Ren patted a hand on the creature, to which he said, "Go."
The creature huffed, turned around, and carried its massive body back into the forest's darkness. Ren walked forwards, stopping short of Elara. "Nice to see you're making friends," he spoke, nodding his head to the equines.
Only then did Elara take time to notice those with her. The equines, some of them stalwart soldiers, had expression of disbelief at the Jedi Master. While Elara herself could barely believe what happened, she was just glad to be safe and alive.
Elara looked back at him. "Master, I-"
"We'll talk about it later. For now, we need to move before anything else happens."
Ren noticed Elara flinch from his slight stern tone before she moved aside. Ren noted it and stepped forward to the equines, looking down at one specific female from the group. "I wondered when you would get my message," he said kindly.
Elara was taken aback by that. "Wait, you called them here?"
"I called them," yet the answer left the Padawan more confused than satisfied. Did he know about her disobedience the entire time? Was this whole encounter meant to be a test?
Elara's left boggled, she just stared at her master, who knelt before the female equine. He put a hand on his clothed chest and enunciated, "Ren... Ren."
The equine in the spotlight hesitated for a second. She copied the same action and returned, "Pansy."
Smart Cookie could not sleep. It was hard to, after all that happened. Traveling the edge of the Everfree Forest was the quickest and safest route to their destination, supposedly anyway. That seemed to change when the two shadowy figures appeared in the sky, looming over like some predator. Rubbing tired blue eyes, Smart Cookie tried to lie back down on her make-shift bed.
It was short-lived, as the Earth Pony sat up, hearing shouts from outside. One hoof threw off the covers off her cream-colored fur and the other reached around before grabbing her familiar hat, and she left her tent.
The flap fell behind, and Smart Cookie a group of guards moved about and circled around something. Finding her voice, Smart Cookie said, “What is going on here?”
One of the two guards at her tent, an Earth Pony, said, “The last of our scouts has just returned, councilor. He says he has found something. "
It took a moment for the words to reach Smart Cookie’s addled brain, and she could only wonder. Then, a voice, posh with the tone of authority, cut through her addled brain. “Oh, put it on right!”
Smart Cookie saw Platinum, named after her coat’s color, coming out of the only other tent in the camp. Her servant moved with her, finding it hard to fix the Unicorn’s cape and crown as Platinum moved and demanded, “Smart Cookie, what is going on here?!”
“Our scout just came back. He might’ve found something,” she replied, rubbing her tired eyes.
“A flyer out here? We must question him and–do be careful!” Platinum said, cutting herself short to chastise the servant fastening the purple cape.
Sarcasm clear on her face, Smart Cookie turned from the poor Unicorn to her fellow Councilor of Equestria. "Maybe you should sit this out. After all, you seem to be busy."
Just as the servant adjusted the crown, Platinum let out a huff. “I am more than capable to handle such an endeavor, Smart Cookie. And I must look the part while doing so, shan’t I?” she said, brushing her mane’s purple curls off her shoulder with a hoof.
Snorted, Smart Cookie followed Platinum. The crowd made way, and the two councilors saw a Pegasus with grey armor in the center. His blue muzzle sputtered as he bowed, “C-Councilor!”
Platinum composed herself and greeted the messenger, "Greetings flyer. We have heard you have discovered something of great interest."
“Y-yes, I’m Private Lightning Dash, ma’am.” Raising his head, the Pegasus hesitated. "As for what I found… well, um..."
"Well, speak up! We've woke up at this hour. What have you found?"
Smart Cookie curiously studied the stallion, whose eyes darted back and forth. Such a reaction was not normal, and Smart Cookie knew a stallion of the Equestrian Guard was not easily frightened. So, what was scared this one so much?
"Councilors, there's something coming out of the forest! It’s–AH!"
As Smart Cookie and Platinum turned, they ducked their heads. The pony who shouted was suddenly flung from group, straight over everypony and crashed on the other side of the camp. All eyes whirled to the source, its form hidden in the bordering trees and bushes of the Everfree Forest, and all were shocked to see what came out of its shadows.
It strode into the open on its two legs, bringing forth a figure that was akin to a mare’s. The form-fitting ebon armor covered its almost petite body from top to bottom, save for a furless fair face and a fiery red mane that flourished as the dark cape.
Four guards closest to the strange female approached with raised shields and pointed spears. “Stay back!” one of them warned.
Turning, the creature raised one of it strange paws and gestured to the guard. Something grabbed the pony and yanked him off to the side. The others stood gaping, enough for the stranger to wave its other forelimb, and the one hit the other three, knocking all three guards aside.
Smart Cookie gawked at what she witnessed. Was that magic? There was no colorful aura, no horn, or anything to suggest it was. The creature just motioned with its ‘paws,’ and the guards were tossed around like rag dolls!
Clearly, Smart cookie was not the only one, but out of the silent envoy, only Platinum’s voiced her thoughts. “What is the meaning of this?!” Her glare focused on the new Pegasus, who cowered on the ground. “Explain yourself, flyer!”
Hooves on his head, the pony cried out, “I’m sorry, councilor! I was on my way when I bumped into them! They forced me to take them to you! I had no choice!”
Them? Smart Cookie would have questioned the private, if Platinum had not shouted, “Guards, surround it!”
The guards snapped out of their daze and followed their councilor’s orders. They surrounded the female in a ring, but Smart Cookie warned, “Platinum, be careful. We don’t know how powerful this creature is!”
“Don’t fret, Smart Cookie. I shall deal with this nuisance! If this creature is looking for a fight, then I shall be happy to oblige!” Platinum declared, lighting her horn and face with determination.
Yet the words did not unease Smart Cookie’s worries as she looked to the strange female. Though the ponies kept their formation, she kept her stance and studied the group before her. Then, Smart Cookie saw her raise a paw, except there was no invisible force yanking at the guards.
Red flashes surged from the shadows of the Everfree Forest and struck at the guards’ hooves. Dirt exploded, and the ponies forming their ring coughed it up. For those fortunately far away, they watched the smoke clear away to reveal more two-legged figures coming out of the forest.
They all wore similar ebon armor, completed with helmets and faceplates shaped like skeletons of some kind of creature. With long rod-like objects in their grasps, they marched closer, and the ponies break their ring formation and backed away. The armored monsters came to a stop, right behind the still two-legged, red-maned female.
The air fell eerily silent, and the light around Platinum’s horn faded away. "Well…" she cleared her throat and gave a sheepish smile, "…perhaps we should do things more diplomatically."
The female did not answer Platinum’s defeated look. Her two legs walked a couple of peace towards the councilors. Pointing a digit of her paw at them, the female moved thin lips, and a voice, strong as it was demeaning, commanded, “Come.”
The two targets gave each other hesitant glances. Then, they trotted up to the presumable leader of the two-legs slowly, catching the uncertain eyes of their guards.
Smart Cookie creaked up her neck, and meeting the other party’s stare, she shivered. Dark pupils rested in the center of yellow and red irises that screamed of a hellish existence. They were so unnatural that Smart Cookie almost did not notice the female’s mouth move again. “Name?” she said.
“I…” Smart Cookie began, but stopped. For some reason, she felt compounded to tell her. She tried to resist the urge but failed. “I’m Smart Cookie, and this here is Platinum. We are members of the council of Equestria.”
To Smart Cookie’s displeasure, the female stared down for another moment. At last, she gestured one of her strange limbs. “We must talk,” she said.
The two councilors share another glance. Both of them knew there was no point in arguing, so Smart Cookie gestured a hoof. “This way,” she offered, and she and Platinum led their new ‘guest’ to the camp.
Rendar flexed his finger, careful to not pull the trigger, as he pointed his blaster rifle. The strange equines, all in primitive armor and ranging from those with horns, wings, or neither, stood before sergeant and his men, eying them with suspicion as he did with them. For how long, he was no sure. It had felt like hours since then, but maybe it was his anxiety getting to him.
Every now and again, Rendar would glance over to General Jade and the only two equines who stood out from the rest. The three of them sat together, talking, he supposed. What about, he had no idea.
When he glanced over one more time, Rendar saw Jade finally approaching towards him. The ponies quickly backed away, some with fear in their eyes, while Eliza’s eyes were dead set on the sergeant. “Call the shuttle,” she immediately ordered.
“General?” said a surprised Rendar.
“Our friends here have been snooping around,” Eliza explained, “Turns out, they’ve noticed another ‘metal’ beast flying around and landing somewhere in this forest.”
Rendar caught on quickly. “The Republic?”
Eliza nodded, and Rendar’s hand grabbed the bulky commlink on his belt. “Pilot,” he ordered, “bring the shuttle around.”
When Rendar returned his commlink to his belt, Jade added, “Once more thing. We’ll be having these two coming with us.”
At that, Rendar looked past his general’s shoulder. The two ponies, whom Eliza talked to, trailed behind her, their widen eyes gazing at Rendar’s skull-shaped faceplate. Already, the sergeant had a good idea what was going on. “Hostages, general?”
“For a lack of a better term, yes,” Eliza admitted,
A feeling sunk to his stomach, and though he wore a helmet, Rendar tried to keep a still face to hide any doubts. If the general noticed, she did not bother with them. “See if you can spare a helmet for them,” Eliza said, “we can’t have them unwell from motion sickness.”
“But what if they don’t agree?” Rendar wondered aloud.
A loud groan echoed and the wind picked all around him. The sergeant glanced up, as did his men, to see the dull grey form of the Sith shuttle hover over the tree tops, the thrusters roaring under the inverted wings. The shuttle descended, followed by the lowering ramp, and Rendar turned back around to the jaw-dropping expressions of the ponies.
Ah, he realized and chastised himself for it. These were a primitive race, which had no experience with anything like the Sith. Of course, they would be in awe of such advanced technology and perhaps, if told to, follow the orders of those who possessed it.
Wordlessly, Rendar followed General Jade up the ramp. Soon, he heard the hooves of two new passengers cautiously follow them up the ramp.
“How much longer are you going to sit there?”
The white alicorn did not answer the question. She sat on the balcony, eyes closed as they had been for the past ten or so minutes. Her soft breaths dissipated into the cool breeze that ruffled her long mane slightly. The physical world around her seemed so distant, as she looked past her ponies, past the homes that lied below, and even past the furthest of her kindgom’s borders. She could feel them, even now, but it was just a glimpse, just barely touching the surface of whatever they were…
“Aura?”
Giving in, she opened her eyes and the physical world returned to her. Aura looked over her shoulder to her darker husband at the doorway. “I’m fine,” she told him.
The concerned look on the ebon-like muzzle did not change. “Aura, please come inside.”
“I said I’m fine, Lumen.”
“Aura,” her husband persisted, “staying outside like this won’t do you any good. You have to rest. At least eat something.”
“I can’t,” she admitted, staring up at the two unmovable figures in the sky. “How can I when we have that to worry about?”
The question was not spoken out of anger or frustration, but the fear in Aura’s tone was obvious. Lumen trotted up beside his wife and looked upon her. The hours after detecting that strange presence gave Aura the rest she needed, but it did not hide her worry.
Lumen looked to the sky and said assuredly, “It shouldn’t be anything to worry about. I bet this is just one of Starswirl’s experiments gone wrong.”
Aura shot a glance to him, her golden eyes sparked with worry. “Aren’t you afraid?”
To that, he chuckled, “Honestly, I’m terrified.”
“And yet, you’re laughing.” She could only sigh. “I sometimes why I married you.”
“Because you’re attracted to my eccentric charm,” was the reply, complete with a goofy grin.
Her spirits lifted, if only slightly, Aura smiled before closing her eyes once more. “I can still feel them,” she said. “There are two forces at work. One light and one dark. But they’re beyond my reach. I can’t pinpoint where they are.”
“The guards reported they didn’t see anything within our borders,” her husband said nonchalantly.
“No. It’s not here,” Aura told him. “I think they might be in Equestria.”
Now, Lumen’s face grew pensive, gears turning and plans formulating in his head. Aura recognized it, and immediately said, “No.”
Lumen turned to his wife, whose eyes were open and on him. “I didn’t say anything.”
“But you were thinking it,” she retorted Lumen’s oh-so innocent statement.
Lumen had to hold in his own sigh. “Aura, don’t worry. I won’t do anything rash.”
“You won’t do anything! Not without my help.”
“I’m afraid I have to this time. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, and somepony needs to look out for our kingdom in the meantime. Besides,” he gently rubbed a hoof on his wife’s large belly, “I don’t think the baby will like all the fuss.” For a long moment, Aura glared at her husband. Then, her glare slowly softened, until she told him, “Come back when there’s trouble, alright?”
“Understood,” Lumen said with a playful salute.
Aura just smiled as she watched her husband phased down into the floor of the balcony, spiriting himself away. Alone, she stared out into the distance. Not at the shadowy forms above, but at the walls that surrounded her domain. There, the soft fuzz of first light came over the horizon, shining softly on the pearly mountains of Dream Valley and on Aura's worries.
