//------------------------------//
// 3: Fall of Canterlot: Lord of the Sith VS Princess of the Sun 
// Story: Star Wars: Twilight of the Force 
// by Equestrian Defender 
//------------------------------//

On the one side was the High Princess Celestia Solaris Cosmos, the Last of the Alicorns and the immortal ruler of the Kingdom of Equestria. She was clad in golden plate armor over white chainmail, magically enchanted to be light as a feather and not impede her movements, as well as be strong enough to withstand the bite force of a fully-grown adult dragon. Folded against her back at the moment were two large bird-like wings, covered in pure white feathers which transitioned to gold at the tips. In her hands was her sword, the Starsaber; a golden three foot long blade with a white hilt and cross-guard, with a pommel shaped like the sun. A weapon that, while having not been drawn in three hundred years, still seemed to glow with the power of the sun.

On the other side was Darth Vader, a dark lord of the Sith, and the right hand of the Emperor. Unlike Celestia, his jet black armor was in many ways part of him. The armor contained many life support systems that he needed to stay alive since that fateful night on Mustafar, where he lost his remaining three limbs and was burned so badly he wasn't able to breath for long periods of time without the respirator in his mask. The armor itself was made to be strong enough to tank blaster bolts, and resist the blades of a lightsaber. Speaking of which, in his right hand was his lightsaber: a silver and black hilt which when ignited unleashed a three foot long blade of blood red energy. A weapon that had faithfully served him in the five years since the Empire rose from the ashes of the Republic, and had slain many a Jedi.

Both of them stood still, eyes locked on each other's (well, Darth Vader's eye lenses at least) their weapons held at the ready, waiting for whoever would make the first move.

This went on for roughly a second before Celestia disappeared in a flash of golden light, surprising Vader. So, this is what they meant by magic. I'd almost be impressed...

He immediately whirled around, bringing his lightsaber up to block an overhead slash from Celestia's sword. ...if her strategy wasn't so transparent. 

To his surprise though, his lightsaber did not cut through her sword as it should have. In fact, the metal didn't even start to glow orange from the heat of his lightsaber blade. Considering the blade of a lightsaber was basically pure energy, it should have cut through the metal sword like a knife through warm butter. He made a mental note to find out what her sword was made of when this was over.[1]

Speaking of which, Darth Vader decided to end the blade lock by pushing back and attacking with several quick and powerful blows. Forced on the defensive, Celestia blocked, parried, and deflected each of his attacks with seemingly little effort; occasionally switching from holding her blade with both hands to only using her left hand. After her last parry Vader raised his blade to strike her overhead, but Celestia wisely spun to the right, narrowly avoiding the blade as it cut through the floor. She immediately backed up, putting some distance between the two of them while still keeping her sword ready, as did Vader. "Your skills with that sword are impressive," he admitted. "But you focus on your defense to a ridiculous degree."

It was true. While it wasn't obvious at first, Celestia's sword techniques had an uncanny resemblance to Form III, Soresu.[2] Soresu users focused almost exclusively on defense while committing all of their mental resources to analyzing every move their enemy/enemies made and looking for weaknesses to exploit, whether they come from physical exhaustion or mental frustration. 

It wasn't a bad Form in theory, but it had a fairly obvious weak point. 

Focusing entirely on defense left very little room for going on the offensive, and unless they had the necessary training the Soresu users ran the risk of fatiguing themselves before their opponent did. And while this Princess seemed to have had some of the necessary training, the few beads of sweat appearing on her forehead showed that she was either very out of practice or she lacked the necessary stamina. Or both. 

This is why Darth Vader, even back in the days when he was known as Anakin Skywalker, preferred using the Djem So variant of Form V.[3] All of the defensive capabilities of Soresu, but balanced with much more offensive capabilities. 

Plus with the state his body was in he couldn't exactly use the much faster and acrobatic Form IV, Ataru.[4]

Celestia replied "Forgive me for deciding to take it slow, Darth. But if you want me to get on with it, I shall gladly do so."

She quickly sheathed her sword, confusing Vader, until her hands were surrounded in a golden glow. She threw her hands out, unleashing a large wave of golden light. The wave slammed into the Sith Lord before he could react in time, knocking him across the room and into the far wall, slamming into it hard enough to jar his entire body down to his bones and make him drop his lightsaber. Fortunately the wave seemed to be made of concussive energy, so his armor wasn't damaged.

Taking advantage of this Celestia shot forward like a bullet, her blade poised to run through Vader's chest, intent on ending this fight before it went any further. 

Sadly it was not to be as Vader threw his own hand forward and Celestia stopped in mid air, feeling like she had just slammed into a solid wall. Unable to move while she was in midair, she could only watch as he climbed back to his feet, grabbing his lightsaber with the Force and reigniting it. He looked at her and said "Not a bad trick. But ultimately wasted."

He then began to close his hand, and Celestia suddenly felt like an icy cold noose was closing around her neck, making it very hard to breathe. Her hands shot to her throat, but found there was nothing there. Realizing it was something akin to her people's magic, she instead summoned her magic in one hand and created a golden sphere roughly the size of a basketball and shot it at Darth Vader like a cannonball. Forced to choose between Force Choking her or being hit by that attack, he wisely released her and focused his power into defending himself from the attack.

Much like with Celestia, the sphere struck what appeared to be an invisible wall, though the moment it touched it exploded in a bright flash. Landing on the ground and massaging her throat, Princess Celestia coughed and said "What kind of dark magic was that?"

"It's not magic."

To Celestia's surprise, the dark lord was standing there, having sustained no major injuries. Hell, his armor wasn't even scratched. 

While she couldn't see it, she imagined Darth Vader was smiling behind his mask. "Your magic may be strong, but it pales in comparison to the power of the Dark Side of the Force."

Before Celestia could try attacking again, Vader's hand shot out. Only instead of choking her, she was flung across the room, feeling like she got hit full force by a freight train. Before she hit the wall she flared out her wings, putting the brakes on and stopping her flight. Once she landed on the ground she glared at Darth Vader. "Is that the best you got? A telekinetic push? Because if it is, this 'Dark Side of the Force' isn't really that impressive."

"Then allow me to show you it's true power."

Behind Darth Vader two of the marble pillars began to shake, cracks forming at the top and bottom before they shot forward at her like they had been launched out out of cannons. Celestia immediately dodged the first one, which continued going past her and smashed right through the wall and out into the rear courtyard. With the second pillar she reached out and grabbed it with her magic, surrounding it in a golden glow. She then sent it right back at Vader while simultaneously making it spin.

To her shock though, the Sith Lord caught the spinning pillar with the Force, bringing it to a stop right in front of him. He then clenched his hand into a fist, and the pillar cracked and shattered into multiple pieces; some the size of small pebbles and a few the size of boulders. He then sent the shattered pillar pieces back at Celestia. Instead of catching them this time, Celestia focused her magic into her body, her purple eyes glowing as time seemed to slow down for her. She then proceeded to dodge every single piece of the marble pillar, not being touched even by the pebbles.

Unfortunately, the moment Celestia cut off the magic she was pushing into her body, the aftereffects started to kick in. Pushing her body past it limits with magic tended to take its toll on her once she ended the spell, especially considering this was the first time in over five hundred years she'd had to use it.

Fortunately the toll wasn't too bad just yet, so Celestia was more than able to draw her sword to block Darth Vader's overhead swing, managing to hold him back despite his immense strength. "An impressive display. But you're still no match for me."

Celestia grit her teeth, before breaking the blade lock and attempted to strike Vader three times. Sadly Vader blocked each strike effortlessly, almost lazily. 

Then she overextended on her fourth strike which Vader capitalized on, bringing his lightsaber down on her arm on one of the gaps between plates at her elbow, the lightsaber cutting through the magically enhanced white chain mail like it was paper.

And with one swift motion, he cut off Celestia's left hand, eliciting a scream of pain from her as her severed hand fell to the ground, still holding her sword.

Before Vader could strike again, Celestia teleported again to the other side of the room, sheathing her sword and clutching her cauterized stump. "AHHHH! FUCK!"

"It's pointless to resist," Darth Vader said. "Submit, and perhaps the Emperor will be merciful on you and your kingdom."

Celestia growled, rising to her feet as a golden glow surrounded her left arm. 

And to Vader's amazement the light around her arm traveled down to her stump, before transforming into a flesh and blood hand, good as new (minus the gauntlet, bracer, and the chain mail.) He felt slightly jealous of her power, especially considering his own artificial limbs. 

Celestia flexed the fingers of her new hand before shooting Vader the mother of all death glares. "If I haven't made it clear by now, Darth Vader, the only way you're getting this kingdom is over my dead body."

"You're merely delaying the inevitable. If the power you've shown me is all you have, you won't be able to continue this for much longer."

To his shock, Celestia smiled. "Well then, I think it's time I tell you the truth."

"Truth?"

"I was still holding back with those previous attacks. And for the record..."

She held her right hand out, glowing with magic. The Starsaber glowed before flying off the ground and spinning towards her, which she caught without any issue. Starsaber began to glow like... well, a star, as Celestia raised it above her head and golden fire appeared and coated the blade.

"I am not left-handed."

Before Vader could question what she meant she launched herself at him, almost faster than he could react. Fortunately he did, but her strike was so strong that he felt it. Along with that the sensors in his suit was telling him the sword she was holding was now as hot as a small star. Hot enough that it could cut through his armor with little issue if she managed to land a hit. As it was whenever she let the blade get close to the ground he could see the marble start to turn molten, merely a few steps away from becoming lava. 

He attempted to push her back, but she broke it first and launched into a series of rapid attacks. He found himself surprised at the sudden speed, strength and ferocity of her attacks. She was holding back all this power the whole time? She either worries she might destroy her kingdom if she unleashes her full power, or she's scared of it. Either way- He blocked another strike, getting into another blade lock, already feeling the heat through his armor. -I'll need to end this quickly.

He used a Force Push to knock her back and off balance, then rushed forward to strike her with his saber. But before he could close the distance she spread her wings and flew up towards the ceiling, far out of reach. 

From where she hovered in the air, she looked less like a princess and more like an angel. 

A vengeful warrior angel with a flaming sword and glowing eyes.

She threw her free hand up, focusing her magic above it and creating a golden sphere roughly five times larger than the first one she had. 

That's when Darth Vader felt it.

The Force within Princess Celestia was reaching out skyward towards the planet's sun. Once it made contact, the sun's energy fed into her own, supercharging the Force within her. Her eyes became glowing fields of white, and her armor began to glow a brilliant gold. Darth Vader could only look in disbelief at what he was witnessing. She... SHE CAN DRAW POWER FROM THE SUN!!!! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!?!? WHO OR WHAT IS THIS WOMAN?!?!?!

And then she fed some of that energy into her golden sphere, and it began to grow. It grew so big that it completely disintegrated the glass ceiling above them, as well as parts of the walls. Darth Vader could feel the heat coming from it from where he stood, as if she had created a miniature sun right right in front of him. 

Once it had reached its full size, she launched the attack right at him.

The moment it got within five feet of him, he threw his hand forward, mustering as much of the Force as he could into a powerful Force Push.

Their attacks collided, the Dark Side of the Force clashing against Celestia's own Light-empowered magic. The two forces smashed into each other with all of their might, sending shockwaves that cracked the floor and walls of the throne room. Darth Vader and Celestia put everything they had into their respective attacks, desperately trying to overpower the other.

Eventually the two attacks of equal power exploded with the force of a massive bomb, enveloping the entire area in a blinding light.





If one were to be standing outside of Canterlot Castle, they would see a large pillar of pure golden light erupt from the throne room and the area around it, completely destroying almost half of the castle. The pillar stretched up into the sky, obliterating every cloud in its way and vaporizing any random bird that had the misfortune to be flying in the area.

It last for a single second before it went out, as if it were a candle's flame blown out by the wind.





Princess Celestia greedily took in as many deep breaths as she could as she lay on the floor, not affected by the heat emanating off of the red hot marble tiles beneath her. The sweat that was running from her brow in small rivers was not from heat exhaustion, but magical exhaustion. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised about this. Even if I hadn't been out of practice for over three hundred years, I still burned through a lot of magic during this fight. Several magic attacks, an enhancement spell, having to regenerate the lower section of my left arm, going all out against this guy with my sword while enhancing my body again. She winced as she felt feeling return to her body again, though mostly the only feeling she felt was pain. And of course I tapped into the sun to bolster my magic, which in itself is a double-edged sword since it ends up leaving me completely drained.

It was sadly true. While her ability to tap into the sun to enhance her magic could grant her near god-like magical power, once she stopped tapping into it the drawback would leave her twice as exhausted.[5]

At the very least, I hope the other guy's as wrecked as I am, she mentally mused.



SSSHHH HOHHHHHHH...[6]

Her eyes widened as she looked to where he had been standing. "No," she whispered.

SSSHHH HOHHHHHHH...

Somehow, someway, Darth Vader was still alive. Granted, he had taken some damage. His cape was all but burned to ashes, the control panel on his chest (while still functioning, evident by his breathing) had been signed and charred, and parts of his armor on his hands had been burned away, revealing that the lower parts of his arms were completely mechanical.

But the worst damage was to his mask and helmet.

The helmet had been completely destroyed, the pieces lying behind the Sith and melting into black puddles. The mask had instead been shattered; the only part of it left was his respirator, but the lenses and the forehead covering were completely gone.

As he rose shakily to his feet he looked at Celestia; and she could see nothing but pure, unadulterated fury in his glowing yellow eyes. 

Celestia struggled to her feet, barely able to stand as she gripped the Starsaber. "How? How are you still standing?"

Darth Vader didn't reply, instead choosing to walk towards her, igniting his blood red saber. Before she knew it he was upon her, and she struggled to raise her sword in time to block the blow. But she did so-

-and the strength of Darth Vader's swing knocked the sword out of her hands, sending it flying out of the remains of the Throne Room.

Before Celestia could react; before she could run, fly, or try to muster up the magic to perform one last Teleportation spell (not that she'd have been able to get far, considering she barely had a drop of magic left in her) he grabbed her by the throat with his free hand, choking her as he lifted her off the ground. She tried to flap her wings to break free, but in her state she wasn't able to so much as lift them up an inch. 

As such, all she could do was stare into the Sith Lord's glowing yellow eyes as he growled "This pitiful resistance of yours ENDS NOW!"

And with those words uttered, he raised Celestia up as high as he could, before slamming her against the hot floor with a powerful SLAM!!!!! that cracked the marble tiles around them in a perfect spider web pattern.

Celestia, unable to breathe and unable to take the newest stabs of pain going through her body, felt her mind shut down as she drifted into unconsciousness. 

Sensing she was still alive, Darth Vader released his grip on her neck. After all, they needed her alive. For now.

"L-lord Vader?"

He turned to see two of the Stormtroopers that had come with him standing there, their armor lightly singed but still intact. "Report."

One of them replied "T-the castle, or what's left of it, is secure. Most of the squad's alive, but two of them got hit by that... whatever the hell it was she did."

"Did you capture any members of the nobility?"

"Yes sir. We're holding them down in the courtyard. Reinforcements have arrived and are processing them as we speak."

He motioned to Celestia and said "Restrain her and bring her with us. We'll need to see what the Emperor wants done with her."

They both nodded, pulling out binders and moving to place them around her wrists and ankles. The other Stormtrooper, out of concern, asked "Lord Vader? Do you require medical attention?"

Vader didn't turn to face him. Instead he replied "I'm fine."

If the trooper didn't believe that, he didn't show it.



It was a grim day for all. Equestria had fallen, with the shadow of the Galactic Empire rising to block out the light of the Sun.

And yet the worst was still to come...




-To Be Continued-