//------------------------------// // Han Solo and Chewbacca // Story: Cinematic Adventures: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// An Imperial Star Destroyer headed toward the evil planet-like battle station the ‘Death Star’. Eight Imperial senators and generals sit around a black conference table. Imperial stormtroopers stand guard around the room. Speaking before the group was Commander Tagge, a young, slimy-looking general. “Until this battle station is fully operational we are vulnerable,” Tagge informed. “The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They’re more dangerous than you realize.” The bitter Admiral Motti twisted nervously in his chair. “Dangerous to your Starfleet, Commander,” Motti pointed out. “Not to this battle station!” “The Rebellion will continue to gain a support in the Imperial Senate as long as…” All heads suddenly turned as Commander Tagge’s speech is cut short and the Grand Moff Tarkin, governor of the Imperial outland regions, entered. Following behind is his powerful ally, the Sith Lord, Darth Vader. All of the generals stand and bow before the thin, evil-looking governor as he takes his place at the head of the table. The Dark Lord stood closely behind him. “The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us,” Tarken announced. “I’ve just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.” “That’s impossible!” Tagge spoke, in shock. “How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?” “The regional governors now have direct control over territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.” “And what of the Rebellion? If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it.” “The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands,” Vader assured. “Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they’ve obtained,” Motti spoke. “This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it!” “Don’t be too proud of this technical terror you’ve constructed,” Vader advised. “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.” “Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given your clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels’ hidden fort…” All of a sudden, it all happened so fast. Lord Vader approached the man and lifted his hand slightly. All at once Motti felt his throat tighten, choking him, and he found himself clutching the collar of his uniform gasping for breath as his faced turned blue under Vader’s spell. “I find your lack of faith disturbing,” Vader spoke simply. “Enough of this!” Tarken ordered. “Vader, release him!” “As you wish.” On command Vader released his force-like power over Motti and the man dropped to the desk, slowly recovering from that painful experience. “This bickering is pointless,” Tarken continued. “Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke.” <> Meanwhile, along the wastelands of Tatooine, the two speeders stop before what remained of the huge Jawas’ Sandcrawler. The Mane Six, Spike, Storm, Luke, and Ben walked amongst the smoldering rubble and scattered bodies. Spike used his newfound senses as a dog, sniffing the grounds to uncover any scent that could give away what happened. “How dreadful!” Rarity gasped, disgusted. “Ah’m feelin’ the same way as you, Rarity,” Applejack nodded. “Who could’ve done all this?” Fluttershy asked, looking around. “It might’ve been the Sand People we encountered a while ago,” Twilight assumed. “I think you’re right, Twilight,” Luke agreed. “It looks like Sand People did this, all right. Look, here are Gaffi sticks, Bantha tracks. It’s just… I never heard of them hitting anything this big before.” Scanning the grounds, Pinkie Pie comes upon the tracks supposedly from the Banthas. “Oooh… look at the size of these feet!” Pinkie admired. “Looks can be deceiving,” Storm spoke. “I’ve got a gut feeling this is not the work of Sand People.” In the midst of all the contemplating, Ben crouched along the sand studying the tracks. “They didn’t,” Ben spoke. “But we are meant to think they did. These tracks are side by side. Sand People always ride single file to hide their numbers.” “These are the same Jawas that sold us R2 and 3PO!” Luke realized. “And these blast points, too accurate for Sandpeople,” Ben added. “Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise.” “Stormtroopers?” Spike questioned. “Infantry soldiers of the Galactic Empire,” Storm clarified. “They’ve been serving the Empire since its inception at the end of the Clone Wars.” “Why would Imperial troops want to slaughter Jawas?” Luke asked. “They wouldn’t waste their firepower on Jawas… unless they were looking for something.” Luke and Storm turned back toward the speeders, where R2 and 3PO inspect the dead Jawas. It wasn’t long till they both put two-and-two together, their eyes turning toward one another. Curious Rainbow Dash approached Luke. “Luke, something wrong?” Rainbow asked. “I’m not sure, Rainbow Dash,” Luke admitted. “But there’s something I’ve been thinking.” “Wut do ya mean, sugar cube?” Applejack asked, approaching. “Well… if they traced the robots here, they may have learned who they sold them to. And that would lead them… home!” Reaching a sudden horrible realization, Luke raced for his speeder. “Wait, Luke!” Ben called out. “It’s too dangerous!” “Luke, wait for me!” Twilight shouted, following Luke. “I’m coming too!” “Come on, girls!” Storm called out. “We better follow them quickly!” As Storm and the others prepared their speeder, Luke and Twilight hopped into the formers and raced off. Storm’s speeder followed Luke’s, thereby leaving Ben and the two robots alone with the smoldering Sandcrawler. <> For some time, Luke raced across the wasteland in his battered Landspeeder with Twilight sitting anxiously beside him. Not far behind, Storm’s speeder followed their friends’ while the group sat inside hoping and praying they could reach the Lars Homestead soon. A look of heavy concentration remained locked upon Storm’s face, as he looked out toward the horizon as if he knows something was bound to happen. Eventually, the speeders arrive at the homestead… only to find it burning severely. Storm’s speeder pulled to a stop, the hatch slowly opened, and the group piled out of the vehicle one at a time. They looked around at the horrifying sight before their eyes. “Wut happened here?” Applejack asked, stunned. “Exactly what I was afraid of,” Storm spoke. Luke jumped out of his own speeder, while Twilight climbed out the other side. She looked on as Luke raced toward the smoking holes once his home. As the group observed, debris was scattered everywhere as if a great battle had taken place in their absence. “Uncle Owen!” Luke called out. “Aunt Beru! Uncle Owen!” Luke stumbled about in a daze, searching desperately for any sign of his aunt and uncle. When all of a sudden, he came upon a horrifying sight: All that remained of his family, now only smoldering corpses. Luke stood stunned, unable to speak of the horror he sees before him. Hate soon replaced fear, as if a new resolve washed over him. Twilight raced toward Luke, not knowing what happened. “Luke! What’s going on?” Twilight called out. “Where’s your—” Twilight stopped when her eyes spotted Owen and Beru’s burning skeletons. A gasp released from her lips, as her eyes widened while she clutched her mouth with her hands. She slowly turned toward Luke, who only looked toward the ground with a sigh. Twilight gazed toward him sadly as the rest of their friends approached. “Twilight…?” Fluttershy spoke worriedly. “Luke…?” Twilight silently turned toward the rest of her friends, including Spike and Storm Shield. The group could feel the sadness welling up within her. As for Luke, when he faced his friends, they could see the slight trace of fear amidst his anger. “We were too late…” Rainbow Dash sighed. Storm looked on silently, before turning his gaze back up toward the sky. Looking past the clouds hanging over the tragic landscape, it’s as if he were trying to concentrate and determine if the ones responsible for this terrible tragedy are looming above them somewhere… somehow… <> Elsewhere, within the Detention Corridor of the Death Star, two stormtroopers open an electronic cell door. Doing so allowed several Imperial guards to enter. The cell’s single occupant, Princess Leia, glared toward them with defiance. But that face slowly gave way to fear as a giant black torture robot entered, followed by none other than Darth Vader. “And, now Your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base,” Darth Vader spoke. The torture robot gave off a steady beeping sound, as it slowly approached Princess Leia. The robot extended one of its mechanical arms, bearing a large hypodermic needle. Without question, the needles were filled with a means to force the truth out of Leia and all she could do was watch while the rest of the Imperial Guard stood at attention. The door slid shut, leaving the long cell block hallway appearing rather peaceful. Even as other guards walked passed, they could scarcely hear the muffled screams of the Rebel princess herself. Unbeknownst to her, the ‘worst’ was still to come… <> Back on Tatooine, a large bonfire of Jawa bodies blazed in front of the Sandcrawler. Ben Kenobi and the robots were nearly finished burning the remains of the dead by the time the two speeders returned. Luke left his speeder, while the others emerged from Storm’s. As Ben walked over to them, he could see the look of gloom on their faces knowing that they had bear witness to a horrible tragedy… one he knew they’d take very hard. “There’s nothing you all could have done had you been there,” Ben Kenobi spoke. “You’d have been killed, too, and the droids would be in the hands of the Empire.” “But I don’t understand,” Twilight spoke softly. “Those people would never antagonize anyone; why would the Empire kill Luke’s family? Or any of those creatures?” “The Empire aims to keep galaxy under control through chaos and fear,” Storm explained. “If they sought the plans hidden within R2, they must’ve assumed they were ‘traitors’ to the Empire. More likely they were sending a message against those thinking to take part in the fight.” “Those horrible monsters…” Rainbow grunted, gritting her teeth. “If I ever see those gun wielding bums, I’m gonna give ‘em the ole’ one-two!” “It’d be wise not to do anythin’ rash,” Applejack advised. “We ain’t in Equestria no more.” “And unless they have no idea about our arrival, the Empire may be looking for us too,” Rarity guessed. “Poor Sunset… they must already have her just like that Princess…” Fluttershy spoke fearfully. “And this galaxy is so big, they can be anywhere. Oh Luke, what’re we going to do?” Luke had been quiet up until their arrival back to the Sandcrawler. And now… the young man turned to Ben with a newfound resolve. “I want to come with you to Alderaan. There’s nothing here for me now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.” “So do we,” Twilight stepped forward. “If it’s the only way to save Sunset Shimmer and put a stop to the Empire, we’d like to be able to use the force to our advantage.” “We do?” Spike asked. Twilight quickly nudged Spike’s shoulder. “Uh, I mean… certainly, we’d be glad to!” Storm and Ben looked toward each other before turning back to the group. “It’s going to be very dangerous from here on out,” Storm warned. “And I admit there’s only so much about being a Jedi that I know… but we’ll do whatever we can to teach you along the way.” And with that settled, they beckoned the group into their speeders as they made to leave the remains of the Sandcrawler, and much of what they’ve seen of Tatooine as far behind them as possible. <> A short while later, the landspeeders carrying Storm and his friends in one, with Luke, R2, 3PO, and Ben in the other, zoomed across the desert wastelands. The speeders come to a stop by a bluff overlooking the spaceport: Mos Eisley. A haphazard array of low, grey, concrete structures and semi-domes. A harsh gale blew across the stark canyon floor. Luke adjusted his goggles and walked to the edge of the craggy bluff where Ben stood. “Mos Eisley Spaceport,” Ben spoke. “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.” “Well that’s just peachy,” Rainbow remarked. “We’re on the run from an evil empire, looking for help in a hive of scum and villainy, and in the middle of a desert… any pony having Klugetown flashbacks?” “Yep!” The girls and Spike answered, in unison. “Ooh! Maybe we’ll meet another dashing, but morally ambiguous, rogue!” Pinkie guessed. “With a hidden heart of gold, who becomes one of our bestest friends, and returns to help us fight the bad guys!” “Yeah… I wouldn’t bet on that, Pinkie,” Twilight disagreed. “Mos Eisley has tons of rogues for sure, but most of them aren’t friendly,” Storm added. “If they don’t pick your pockets or steal your mode of transportation, they’ll likely kill us on sight if they want to. My advice: Stay close together as possible, don’t stray, and we’ll be just fine.” The Equestrians looked toward Luke, who gave them a determined smile. If Luke Skywalker also knows what they are getting into and how dangerous Mos Eisley is, at least he’s going in ready to take the chance. All they can do was hope that they don’t attract ‘unwanted’ attention. <> Cruising along the streets of Mos Eisley, the speeders zoom along the crowded streets. All of a sudden, Luke’s speeder comes to a halt before several combat-hardened stormtroopers. The Equestrians silently watch from their own speeder, doing well to keep their presence scarce, while these troopers examined the two robots occupying Luke’s speeder. One of the troopers approached Luke for questioning. “How long have you had these droids?” “About three or four seasons,” Luke answered. “They’re for sale if you want them,” Ben added. “Let me see your identification,” The trooper demanded. The Equestrians looked at each other nervously, before turning back to Luke, who fumbles to find his ID. All but Storm of course, he turned towards Ben Kenobi, as he faced the trooper. “You don’t need to see his identification,” Ben spoke, in a very controlled voice. “We don’t need to see his identification,” The trooper spoke. “Huh?” Twilight uttered. “These are not the droids you’re looking for,” Ben continued. “These are not the droids we’re looking for,” The trooper repeated. “He can go about his business…” “You can go about your business.” “Move along,” Ben told Luke. “Move along…” The trooper gestured, swaying his arm. “Move along.” Luke’s speeder zooms about with Storm’s following close behind. Some of the girls turned back toward the trooper as he and his comrade continue about their business. How that old man persuaded them to let them by so easily is a mystery even for them. Yet when Twilight turned toward Storm, she can judge by the gleam in his eyes that he knows something. Then again, like Ben he’s supposed to be a Jedi… which leads to more questions. <> Later, as they pass a large assortment of aliens and man, the speeders pulled up before a rundown blockhouse cantina, just along the outskirts of the spaceport. Various forms of unusual transport, including several strange beasts of burden, are parked just outside the bar. A Jawa rushed up and fondled the speeder. “I can’t abide these Jawas,” 3PO complained. “Disgusting creatures.” As the group emerged from their own speeders, Luke tried to shoe the Jawa away. “Go on, go on!” Luke shouted. “I can’t understand how we got by those troopers. I thought we were dead.” “Yeah… that’s one of the coolest tricks I’ve ever seen,” Rainbow added. “How’d you do that old man?” “The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded,” Ben answered. “Really?” Pinkie nodded. “Hmm…” Pinkie turned toward the front of the screen and waved a hoof. “You will like, review, and get this story ‘Featured’…” Pinkie spoke, in a controlled voice. “What’re you doin’?” Applejack questioned. “Putting that Force ability to the test!” Pinkie answered. “Maybe I’m using the wrong hoof.” “Pinkie Pie, the Force is more than just waving your arms and saying the words,” Storm explained. “Anyone interested in learning about it, provided they are willing to take the time to learn, you’ll find the force to be as powerful an ally as all of magic itself.” “Do you really think we’re going to find a pilot here that’ll take us to Alderaan?” Luke asked Ben. “Well, most of the best freighter pilots can be found here,” Ben answered. “Only watch your step. This place can be a little rough.” “Let those bums try and make their move,” Rainbow Dash replied confidently. “I’m ready for anything!” “The sooner we find our pilot the sooner we can get off this planet,” Twilight spoke. “Come along, guys.” The group make their way through the entrance to the Cantina, hoping that they won’t have too much trouble finding a pilot. <> Inside the Cantina, our young adventures and the mechanical servants follow Ben Kenobi into the smoke-filled cantina. The murky, moldy den filled with a startling array of weird, exotic alien creatures and monsters looming along the long, metallic bar. At first, most of the girls were utterly horrified. One-eyed, thousand-eyed, slimy, furry, scaly, tentacled, and clawed creatures huddled over drinks. All the girls were intimidated… save for one. Twilight looked around and performed a double take when she saw Pinkie Pie standing in front of the stage, grooving out to the jazz music playing in the background. A few of the girls shook their heads knowing this was exactly what Pinkie Pie would do in this scenario. Ben moved along to an empty spot at the bar near a group of repulsive, but human scum. The rest followed the old man, when a huge and scary looking Bartender stopped them. “Hey! We don’t serve their kind here!” Luke, still recovering from the shock of seeing so many outlandish creatures, at first didn’t catch the bartender’s drift. The rest of the girls looked around, wondering who the man was talking to. “What?” Luke asked. “I beg your pardon?!” Rarity added. “Your droids!” The Bartender pointed out. “They’ll have to wait outside; we don’t want them here.” Luke looked around for old Ben, finding him too busy talking to one of the Galactic pirates. The rest noticed several of the gruesome creatures along the bar, giving the outsides a very unfriendly glare. “Oh yeah… this is definitely like Klugetown all right,” Rainbow confirmed. “Listen, why don’t you wait out by the speeders?” Luke suggested to 3PO. “We don’t want any trouble.” “I heartily agree with you sir,” 3PO nodded. “Me and Fluttershy will wait outside with them,” Rarity volunteered. “Thanks a lot Rarity,” Luke nodded. “Uh, we will?” Fluttershy asked nervously Rarity didn’t hear Fluttershy’s objection, as she leaned down and picked up Spike into her arms. “You best come along too Spikey,” Rarity suggested. “This is no place for precious little guys like you.” “No complaints here,” Spike replied. Rarity, with Spike in hand, lead Fluttershy out of the cantina as 3PO and his stubby partner follow close behind. Fortunately for the others, most of the creatures at the bar did not give them any trouble and the majority were back to their drinks. In the meantime, Ben stood next to an eight-foot-tall savage-looking creature resembling a huge grey bushbaby monkey with fierce baboon-like fangs. This was a creature known as Chewbacca, his large blue eyes dominate a fur-covered face and soften his otherwise awesome appearance. Over his matted, furry body he wore two chrome bandoliers, and little else. A two-hundred-year-old Wookie, approximately, and quite a sight to behold. Ben spoke to the Wookiee, pointing to Luke several times during his conversation and the huge creature suddenly let out a horrifying laugh. Luke, along with A.J. and Rainbow Dash, stepped up to the bar and ordered a few drinks to blend in while the rest scouted around the cantina. To say they were disconcerted was an understatement, most of them pretending not to hear the conversation between ben and the giant Wookiee. Luke was especially terrified but tried not to show it. He quietly sipped his drink, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked over the crowd for a more sympathetic ear or whatever. A large, multiple-eyed creature suddenly gave Luke a rough shove drawing Rainbow’s attention. “Negola dewaghi wooldugger?!?” The creature spoke, in his native tongue. “What the hay is his problem?!” Rainbow frowned. “Pay ‘em no mind Rainbow,” Applejack advised. “He’s obviously drunk…” Luke tried to ignore the creature, turning back on his drink. Just then a short, grubby Human and an even smaller rodent-like beast joined the belligerent monstrosity. “He doesn’t like you,” The alien spoke. “I’m sorry,” Luke apologized. “Don’t apologize Luke,” Rainbow retorted. “You’re not in the wrong here.” “I don’t like you either,” The man spat. “We don’t know you and you don’t even know us!” The big creature, growing agitated, yelled some unintelligible gibberish toward the now nervous, young adventurer and his friends. “It doesn’t matter, you best watch yourselves!” The man said. “We’re wanted men. I have the death sentence in twelve systems.” “Likely story,” Applejack nodded. “We’ll be careful then,” Luke added. “You’ll be dead!” The man threatened. “You punaks wanna go?!” Rainbow stood up. “Why don’t we settle this right now?!” The rodent released a loud grunt, sending everything and everyone at the bar moving away. Luke tried to remain cool, but that alone wasn’t easy. His three adversaries ready their weapons, while his two allies took a fighting stance. Just then, Old Ben moved in behind the trio. “These little ones are not worth the effort…” Ben reassured. “Come on Obi-Wan, we can take ‘em!” Rainbow insisted. Obi-Wan merely turned toward Rainbow, retaining his tone. “Not necessary Rainbow…” He replied, before facing the aliens. “Now let me get you something.” A powerful blow from the unpleasant creature sent the young would-be Jedi sailing across the room. He and the girls crashed through tables and broke a large jug filled with a foul-looking liquid. With a blood curdling shriek, the monster drew a wicked chrome laser pistol from his belt and leveled it at old Ben. “No blasters!” The bartender panicked. “No blasters!” Before the others could rush to help, with astounding agility, old Ben’s laser sword sparked to life and in a flash an arm lied on the floor. The rodent was cut in two, the giant multiple-eyed creature laid doubled, cut from chin to groin. Ben carefully and precisely turned off his laser sword and replaced it on his utility belt. Luke and the girls, shaking and totally amazed at the old man’s abilities, stared with wide eyes. The entire fight lasted only a few seconds. “That was so awesome!” Rainbow spoke, in awe. “He certainly can handle himself,” Applejack agreed. The cantina goes back to normal, although was given a respectable amount of room at the bar. Twilight and the others help their friends to their feet, as Luke rubbed his bruised head. “You alright Luke?” Twilight asked. “I’m okay…” Luke answered. The old man approached the group, pointing toward the Wookiee. “This is Chewbacca,” Ben introduced. “He’s first-mate on a ship that might suit our needs.” They look toward Chewbacca, who slowly approached the group. They stared in awe as the beast towered over them, eyeing them silently as if studying this group. “Sup!” Rainbow greeted. <> Outside the Cantina, the rest of the group were waiting for their friends. 3PO paced in front of the cantina, as R2 carried an electronic conversation with another little red Astro-droid. Rarity applies some suntan lotion along her arms and around her neck, while Fluttershy sits beside Spike who takes a snooze along her lap. Just then, Spike’s nose starts to twitch and sniff, as the little guy slowly opens his eyes. A creature emerges from the cantina and Spike sniffed in his direction… and his eyes went wide. “Guys!” Spike barked. The group faced Spike’s direction, and the girls silently gasped. Before their eyes, the creature from the cantina approached two stormtroopers patrolling the street. “I don’t like the look of this,” 3PO spoke. “Should we get back inside and warn the others?” Fluttershy asked Rarity. “No, that won’t do,” Rarity shook. “If they see us going inside, we risk our friends being captured. But don’t worry… I have an idea!” <> In the meantime, Pinkie Pie’s head bopped to the beat from the strange creatures playing exotic big band music with their odd-looking instruments. Luke, still giddy, downed a fresh drink as and the rest followed Ben and Chewbacca to a booth where the creature’s captain sat. A tough, roguish star-pilot about thirty years old. A mercenary on a starship: Simple, sentimental, and cocksure. “Han Solo,” The man introduced himself. “I’m captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me you’re looking for passage to the Alderaan system.” “Yes indeed,” Ben nodded. “If it’s a fast ship.” “A fast ship!? You never heard of the Millennium Falcon?” “Should I have?” “It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.” Rainbow Dash folded her arms to her chest seeing this is the man’s stupid attempt to impress them with ‘obvious’ misinformation. “I’ve outran Imperial Starships, not the local bulk-cruisers, mind you,” Han continued. “I’m talking about the big Corellian ships now. She’s fast enough for you, old man.” “Ooh… fascinating!” Pinkie smiled. “Yeah… I’m sure I can pull off this Kessel Run faster than that!” Rainbow bragged. “Rainbow, now’s not the time fur boastin’,” Applejack advised. “Wait!” Twilight interrupted, blinking. “Isn’t a parsec a unit of distance, not time?” “Up-bup-bup! Don’t go Twilight on us now, Twilight,” Rainbow smirked. “You really think you can do better kid?” Han asked Rainbow. “I can perform a Sonic Rainboom! Faster than the speed of sound!” “The Falcon can go faster than the speed of light.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes turn to pinpricks, her jaw completely dropped to the ground in shock. Pinkie Pie turned toward her friend, waving a single hand in front of her face. But Rainbow doesn’t speak, barely makes a sound. “I think you broke her, Mr. Solo sir,” Pinkie observed. “So, what’s the cargo?” Han asked, ignoring Pinkie. “Only passengers,” Obi Wan informed. “Myself, the boys, seven girls, a dog, two droids, and no questions asked.” “And before you ask, our other friends are just waiting outside the cantina,” Storm added. “What is it?” Han asked curiously. “Some kind of local trouble?” “Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any ‘Imperial’ entanglements.” “Well, that’s the trick, isn’t it? And it’s going to cost you something extra.” “How much?” Twilight asked nervously. “Ten thousand in advance,” Han answered. “Uh… that’s in yen right?” Pinkie asked. Han Solo shook his head, even Chewbacca did the same. The kids’ eyes went wide, but none more so than Luke Skywalker. “Ten thousand?” Luke gasped. “We could almost buy our own ship for that!” “That there’s high-way robbery!” Applejack added. “But who’s going to fly it, kids! You?” Han asked, sarcastically. “You bet we could pretty boy!” Rainbow snapped. “Heck, our friend Luke here’s not such a bad pilot… probably not as good as me, but that’s beside the point!” “Yeah, we don’t have to sit here and listen…” Luke spoke, ready to leave. “We haven’t that much with us,” Ben interjected. “But we could pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan.” “Seventeen, huh?” Han replied, interested. The pilot ponders the offer for a few moments, as the group keeps their fingers crossed hoping the man sitting before them will agree to it. “Okay, you guys got yourself a ship,” Han agreed. “We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. Docking bay Ninety-Four.” “Ninety-Four,” Ben repeated. Just then, Han’s head turned to the side. “Looks like somebody’s beginning to take an interest in your handiwork.” The group turned around only to see four Imperial stormtroopers examining the dead bodies and asking the bartenders some questions. Much to their chagrin, the bartender points to the booth. “All right, we’ll check it out,” The trooper spoke. The stormtroopers look over at the booth… but the majority of the group already left. The bartender shrugged his shoulders in puzzlement, as he wiped the counter of any spilled beverages. That left Han and Chewbacca sitting there letting it sink in that they hit the biggest payload of their lives. “Seventeen thousand!” Han smiled. “Those guys must really be desperate. This could really save my neck. Get back to the ship and get her ready.” Chewbacca gave the gesture meaning ‘Understood’ and proceeded to leave for the docking bay, as Han could scarcely believe their fortunes were turning around. <> Out on the streets… “SEVENTEEN THOUSAND!!!” Twilight shouted. “Shh!! Wake the whole neighborhood why don’t you!” Rainbow hissed. “This is not the best time or place to freak out. “This is the perfect time to freak out! How in Equestria are we ever going to make that much money?” “We’ll have to sell the speeders,” Ben answered. “Hmm… well mine’s still in good shape even after all these years,” Storm sighed. “I’m sure she can still make quite a bargain.” “Oh Stormy, I hate for you to have to part with your vehicle,” Pinkie whimpered. “Ah, it’s fine! I can always come back here and buy it back soon as we deal with this Imperial business.” “Not me… I’m never coming back to this planet again,” Luke replied. As the group started to figure this out, a thought suddenly comes upon Twilight Sparkle, who casted her head around. “Where’s Spike and the others?” Twilight asked. <> Back in the Cantina, Han was just about ready to leave. Suddenly, a slimy, green-faced alien with a short trunk-nose, poked a gun in his side. “Going somewhere, Solo?” The creature spoke, in a foreign tongue. “Yes, Greedo,” Han nodded. “As a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss. Tell Jabba that I’ve got his money.” Han sat down, as the alien ‘Greedo’ sat across from him holding the gun on him. “It’s too late,” Greedo spoke. “You should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba’s put a price on your head, so large that every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I’m lucky I found you first.” “Yeah, but this time I got the money,” Han insisted. “If you give it to me, I might forget I found you.” “I don’t have it with me. Tell Jabba…” “Jabba’s through with you. He has no time for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser.” “Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?” Han Solo slowly reached for his gun beneath the table. “You can tell that to Jabba,” Greedo offered. “He may only take your ship.” “Over my dead body,” Han responded. “That’s the idea. I’ve been looking forward to killing you for a long time.” “Yes, I’ll bet you have.” Suddenly, the slimy alien disappeared in a blinding flash of light. Han pulled his smoking gun beneath the table, as the other patrons looked on in bemused amazement. Han picked himself up and started out of the cantina, flipping the bartender some coins as he leaves. “Sorry about the mess,” Han replied. <> Back on the planet of Dromund Kaas, the three sisters found themselves crossing a dark corrider leading to who really knows where. After defeating the Terentarek in the Dark Council’s chambers, a strange light beckoned them down the desolate path. As they walked, they kept a close, vigilante eye for any other traps lurking in the dark. No doubt the Dark Council would not just leave important treasures lying around without some form of protection. Eventually, a light at the end of the tunnel greeted them as they walked through the stone archway. When they came out the other side, a very interesting sight greeted them. There they stood in the entrance of a huge dark chamber, with gigantic statues lining the hall. At the end stood a statue that stood above them all, showcasing a figure with no face but clearly holding some form of great power and influence. “Where the hell have we just walked into?” The Fifth Sister asked. Though it could not be seen under her visor, The Third Sister grinned malevolently. “The Dark Temple,” She replied. “Where the Sith Emperor of the Old Republic built his base of power.” “Where exactly are we going to find this artifact?” The Fourth Sister asked. “This temple’s massive; I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” “Follow the voices…” This answer confused the other two Inquisitors, but they quickly abandoned the feeling when they began to hear more whispers like they heard from the Citadel. Following the voices, the three sisters walked through the multiple corridors and pathways of the temple until their path took them up a gigantic winding staircase. Reaching the top, they walked again through another corridor until coming to another chamber. There was not much difference than the other except for the evil looking throne sitting atop the staircase formation at the end of the room. “Behold…” The Third Sister grinned. “The throne of the Sith Emperor.” Leading the way, the Third Sister beckoned the two others toward the end of the room and right toward the dark throne. To their astonishment, floating mid-air on the seat, was the very object they sought: An ancient Sith holocron of incredible power. Ever so slowly, the Third Sister approached the throne and reached out for the holocron. The moment her fingers scraped the ancient metal, the temple immediately began to shake. Tremors so powerful, the temple itself started to collapse all around them. “RUN!!!” The Third Sister yelled. In a blink of an eye, the three sisters scrambled as fast as they could toward the temple exit. They dodged tons of falling debris as the chamber fell apart. Just as they were about to make it, a giant pile of rocks and boulders fell right in front of it. “Great, now what?!” The Fourth Sister yelled. “We must combine our powers in the force to move the obstruction,” The Third Sister instructed. “Will it truly work?” The Fifth Sister asked. “Let the Force do your bidding and it will not fail.” Standing side by side, the three inquisitors raised their arms and channeled focused their attention on the force. This power caused the massive blockade to lift effortlessly into the air and the inquisitors threw it off to the side. They began to race down the path back to the Dark Council chambers. They did not stop, however, as everything around them continued to collapse. Eventually they were able to make it back to the entrance of the Citadel as their Stormtrooper brigade came running out as well. “My lady, the city’s collapsing around us!” The Captain yelled. “We must leave Kaas City now!” “I am well aware of this Captain!” The Third Sister yelled back. “Everyone return to the shuttle immediately!” As the city fell to ruin around them, both troopers and inquisitors raced back to the imperial shuttle and quickly climbed through the back. The minute everywhere were aboard, the pilot quickly lifted the shuttle off the ground and flew back into orbit. As the shuttle left the vicinity, the Third Sister looked out toward all of Kaas City crumbling to the ground. The Sith’s old capital was no reduced to nothing more than ruins. She, however, grinned in victory as she held the holocron close to her and the shuttle flew back into Wild Space. Their mission had been a success and now the galaxy would soon belong to them…