Coruscant. A planet in the far reaches of the Core World, a planet that was nothing but an entire city. If you were to enter the planet's atmosphere, you could just see cities stretching across the entire planet. Some would wonder if there was even any nature or water surrounding the planet to begin with! Well if there was, you wouldn't be seeing it upon entering the planet's atmosphere.
Many ships from all over the galaxy came and went. Some were for politicians working at the Senate who would come to discuss issues occurring over on their worlds, some were just looking for vacation spots, others wanted to move to find work or just an easier place. This planet was also a good place to go to if you wanted to find a bounty hunter to do a hit job for you, or recover stolen property or goods; as long as you had enough credits to pay them.
A cruiser jumping from hyperspace drove down to the planet's atmosphere, pushing past several clouds until they reached the planet's surface. It soared over the city until it found a place to park and land. Landing gear unfolded and steam hissed from the ship's exhaust vents onto the ground.
A platform extended from underneath, and several figures began to walk out. The first one was a Jedi master with sand blue and purple robes, and a lightsaber hanging by her belt. Her hair was tied up in a bun, her skin was purple with some magenta streaks in her lavender hair, and she had a pair of special glasses resting on her nose; her name was Jedi Master Twilight Sparkle. Behind her was a few clone troopers with purple paint on their armors, and the main leader of this group had the most paint of all; with an additional pauldron and antenna sticking out of the side of his helmet.
Two more passengers were left to come. One was a purple and green astromech droid who went by the ID of SP-1K, or Spike to put it simply. And the last passenger was a girl with a gray robe with some orange padding on the sides of her shoudlers, showing graphics of a shimmering sun. She had dark blue pants with black heeled boots, orange skin, hair that was red and yellow as a fiery sun, and two turquoise eyes that brought out the innocence on her face.
Though this Jedi was mostly deep in thought. Her eyes looked at the ground as her feet moved heel to toe, heel to toe. And her mind was slowly moving back to a darker time... a time she hadn't forgotten...
"... Sunset? Sunset?"
The Padawan shook her head violently as she snapped out of her thoughts. And she looked at the Jedi master.
"We're just going to talk to some of the ambassadors, we should be done in say, oh, maybe an hour, two hours at the most. You're welcome to just go around and explore if you want," Twilight smiled. "But contact me if you need to."
"Oh, um, thank you. If you don't mind, I was just going to go get food."
"Go right ahead," Twilight smiled before walking into temple. "I'll let you know when we're done here so we can get going."
Sunset nodded before hopping into the speeder bike. Gripping the handlebars of the speeder, she took off in a flash like a Podracer finally activating. She raced into one of the air lanes, soon joining the rest of the speeders. The sounds of the speeder engines whirred and whooshed in her ears, but at the very least there wasn't anyone screaming their head off at her. Enough to suddenly be lost in her thoughts...
"You need to focus..." Lord Shadow hissed.
"I am trying," Sunset snarked back. She tried to put all of her focus on raising the pillars, but she couldn't. She just wasn't ready to to lift them!
"Trying is not good enough! You need to focus, close your thoughts, and focus!"
Sunset tried again, and again, and again. But the pillars could barely be raised, she barely had any training or success in keeping them up. She tried to clear her mind, forget everything and just focus, but the thought of Tempest lashing out at her or screaming at her for failing terrified her to the core. She began shaking, and she lost all control. The pillars dropped back down with a thud that echoed throughout the court yard.
Sunset nearly dropped to her hands and knees, trying not to fall apart. But she suddenly felt her entire body lock up as she raised in the air by a threatening power. Looking down, she saw Tempest using the Force on her, raising her body in the air.
"Do you think I brought you here so you could repeat more failures?" Tempest hissed. "I kept you here because I know there is potential in you, potential to take power. I spared you..."
And she dropped her to the ground, letting her body fall with a thud. Sunset pulled herself up, and she heard Tempest walk past her with intimidation.
"Do not make me regret sparing you."
Tempest was out of the courtyard, and Sunset's fist hit the ground in anger, fear, and sadness. Why wasn't she as strong? How? She had to become stronger, they needed her! Well, she didn't feel like she was needed. If anything, she was starting to feel more like a nuisance to them than anything else. And they never once made her feel like she was worthy!
Well maybe she didn't need to stay... maybe she could get power on her own. Maybe, just maybe...
Sunset finally snapped out of it when she heard the sound of someone's speeder honking at her. She quickly paid notice and moved before she could have hit them.
"Jedi poo-doo!" The Dug snarked, watching her speed away.
"Sorry!"
Sunset put her focus back on the airway in front of her and pulled her speeder over in a parking space. Stepping out she walked over to the place she just had to stop by; Dexter's Diner. The place was one of the most popular hot spots in Courscant, run by one of the greatest chefs in the galaxy; Dexter. You had a problem, he was the guy who had advice and helpful tips for you. And not only was there a great guy to give advice, but there was also great food as well! Everything was properly cooked, prepared, hot and ready as they should have been for every customer.
She looked around for a little bit, and looked up at the skies. She watched as more people on speeders just drove by in their lane ways, going about their businesses, their daily lives. When her stomach finally grumbled, she walked through the front door and got the attention of one of the waitstaff. The main waitress droid who saw her, rolled up on her one wheel and called out to the kitchen.
"Someone to see ya, honey! Jedi by the looks of her."
The alien working behind the bar peered through the pickup counter with a big grin on his face. Dressed in the chef clothes of course (as shown by his dirty shirt) but this alien had four huge arms, strong enough to handle the cooking all on his own. And some facial hair was visible over his lips.
"Sunset Shimmer!"
Sunset smiled. "Hi Dex."
"Take a seat, I'll be right with ya!"
Sunset nodded before moving to take a seat somewhere near a window.
"You want a cup of Jawa Juice?"
"Oh, yes, thank you," Sunset called. And around the corner came the four-armed alien himself, Dexter. The main chef and owner of the diner.
"Hey old buddy!"
Sunset smiled and she gave the head chef a big hug, while he hugged her back, with only two of the arms while using the other two to make sure he kept his shirt tucked in. Sunset soon sat down and Dexter slid into the seat across from her.
"So my friend, what can I do for ye?"
"Well, we're actually taking a rest stop, I guess... I guess I needed someone to talk to," Sunset admitted. "Y-You don't mind, do you?"
"Ohh not at all my friend," Dexter smiled. "So what's troublin' ya?"
"Well... I don't know if I told you or not but... I'm now starting training with the Jedi under Master Sparkle."
"So you aren't working with any of those Storm Army boys anymore, are you?"
"N-No..."
"Oh congratulations!" Dexter chuckled, before shaking her hand. "I knew you would turn yourself around and join their side, I just knew it."
"Heh, thanks," Sunset blushed. "So, I am starting my training, but... part of me still wonders if I did the right thing."
"Well why do you think that?"
"When I was training under Tempest, I... I don't know. I always felt as if what we were doing wasn't right. Like this whole war, storming planets, killing and taking people's homes away, it... it just didn't... feel right."
Dexter made a few clicking noises. "I always knew those Stormies weren't good. Though the Trade Federation is a little... questionable."
"I've met some of the people who are under the Trade Federation's protection. A lot of them were nice, but they seem to be on the same page as some of those Alliance representatives; they just want this war ended as soon as possible."
Dex rubbed at his chin. "Well we all do, Sunset. We all do."
Soon an order of Bantha Steak came to their table which made Sunset's mouth water. Nothing like a piece of hot fresh steak whiffing into the air, with a side of scrambled eggs, and of course, the Jawa Juice. Fresh milk from the farms of Naboo would come later.
"Mm, thanks for the food Dex, I really needed this," she said, cutting into some of the steak.
"Oh, it's no problem. You're one of my best customers," he chuckled.
And eventually the waitress droid came back around and gave Sunset her drink, and swiveled off elsewhere.
"Listen, you made the right choice. You just need to take some time and adjust to these new and strange people. It's not going to be easy, but you must put your past life as a Sith behind you. You're in a better place now. You want to change, don't you?"
"I do, I do!"
Dex smiled. "Then I know everything will turn okay."
The Padawan took one sip of her milk, until she heard a soft beeping sound. Sunset looked down at her wrist-com, which began beeping a few times. Her eyes widened and she struggled to climb out of her seat. She had to go, now. Well, not so soon since she unintentionally bumped into another patron who nearly spilled her food.
"Ooh, ow!" Sunset grunted.
The patron who bumped into her yelled at her in Huttese, which only made Sunset upset.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there!"
And she still yelled at Sunset, until someone in a hood stepped in between, pushing the patron back.
"Hey, back off. She said she was sorry, she didn't know you were coming. I wouldn't say any more if I were you," the hooded figure said with a raspy tone.
The patron eventually backed off, and Sunset rubbed her head. "Thanks."
The hooded figure just lightly patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it." And then walked away from her, casually.
Sunset shook her head and sighed. "I gotta get going. Thanks for the food, Dex, and thanks for listening. Oh, before I forget," she reached into her pockets and planted a few gold credits on the table to pay.
"No problem, Sunset. Have a good day!" He waved just as Sunset walked out of the diner.
As she walked out of the diner, she didn't even realize that two faces had been watching her leave... smirking menacingly as she departed...
The Padawan hopped onto the speeder, turning it back on. Gripping the handlebars and making the engine roar, she pulled back out onto the busy roads again, driving back to the launch pads...
A dark storm clouded the air. Bolts of lightning flashed, with the claps of thunder echoed in the sky. Sunset Shimmer stood in the hangar of the Jedi temple, where the rest of the starfighters and speeders were undergoing repairs. And the only people inside this particular hangar was herself... and Master Twilight Sparkle. Sunset had been sneering and glaring with harsh red in her eyes.
"Sunset, listen to me. This is not the way. You don't have to be like them, I know there is good in you!" Twilight pleaded. "You're not like the Sith!"
Sunset's eyes glowed, ominously. "The Sith are NOTHING to me! Well... they will be when I'm through with them." She used the Force and pulled out her lightsaber which went straight into her palm. The blade ignited, glowing blood red.
"I won't fight you Sunset!"
"Then I will!"
She sprung into the air like a frog and raised her blade up. She was about to slash when suddenly another blade blocked her attack. Turning her head, she saw it came from another Jedi master, with cyan skin and rainbow hair, and a pair of goggles resting on her head.
"I'm not going to stand by while you throw your chance away!"
Sunset tried to swing again, but she swung her lightsaber the other way, revealing her weapon was double-bladed. Rats.
But she also found soon enough she wasn't alone. Two more Jedi masters appeared out of nowhere, one of them in some bright colors who made her lightsaber float and spin around, who looked just as happy as her pink bouncy hair, while the other held her lightsaber with a steel grip, but her hair? Her hair looked stunning, all woven together in an indigo/blue color. The last two Jedi masters to emerge had lightsabers glowing too. One was a girl with tan-yellow skin and light pink hair, and the other was a pale/orange skinned girl with freckles, green gloves, and a lightsaber that looked like it had an option to be a standard blaster.
"We're not going to let you do this Sunset," Master Applejack said, flipping her lightsaber on and holding it with both hands.
"You're making a mistake, darling," Rarity added, standing in a fighting pose.
And everyone had their lightsabers turned on; including, last of all, Twilight Sparkle. She didn't want to resolve this situation with fighting, but she had no choice. But maybe there was a way she could stop her without having to hurt her...
With her lightsaber gripped, she stood in a fighting stance. That only made Sunset even more angry.
"I'll fight you all!" Sunset screamed, her eyes turning more and more red.
At once, all six Jedi masters charged, and Sunset charged at them...
Sunset drew out of her thoughts just in time, she nearly rammed into the back of another speeder. And just up ahead, she saw the launch pad where Master Twilight and the clones were, just about to board. She sped up on the bike, until eventually she finally
"So, Twilight. Where are we going now? Naboo? Tatooine? Equestria?" Sunset asked.
Twilight giggled as she put her hologram projector away. "We're stopping at Felucia. Some of the Horn Company's troops have taken heavy losses, and we need to take the survivors to the medical station right away. After we're done there, we'll head to Christophsis and help the rest of the Mane Council with the Storm Armies trying to gain control of the main cities."
"Wow. Sounds like a lot," Sunset stated.
"It is. But we can do it. And this can be a perfect chance for you to try and be more acquainted with the Alliance!"
"I hope so..."
Twilight giggled. "I know so. Oooh, maybe I should introduce you to General Tano! She'd be a great friend!"
"I... don't know who she is," Sunset said, putting a finger down.
"Don't worry, I'll introduce you!"
The clone troopers followed soon, and the hatch began to close behind them. The ship's engines began to rumble and shake, and so they pulled up into the hull. The thrusters ignited, and soon the ship began to embark into the air. And just like that, it was out of the clouds and into the atmosphere...
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of cloaked figures watched them depart, both of them smiling underneath with sinister laughs.
"Contact our boys. Once they've picked up their precious troops, we strike."
"Ohhh this is going to be fun..."