Falling endlessly through the eternal oblivion of the void, Sunset Shimmer was lost to the world. She had fainted some time ago from the never-ending torment of emotions that were running through her. The things Valkorion was telling her, as well as the lessons from Satele Shan, played back in her head. Both had compelling points to their lessons, though Valkorion’s were more morbid. Everything was just way too much for her to handle. All she wanted was get out of this internal prison and regain control of herself before she became a true monster.
Suddenly, Sunset didn’t feel the sensation of falling any longer. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Once again, she stood on a rocky cliff in the void looking over a crumbling Dromund Kaas. Sunset slowly walked to the edge of the cliff, looking over the Imperial capital.
“Is this—” Sunset began.
“Dromund Kaas.”
The voice made Sunset snap her head to the left where she noticed another figure standing beside her. It was a man, who reminded her of Palpatine, with a very wrinkled old face and wearing old dark Sith robes. His eyes were a very intense orange-gold and he had this incredible aura of evil.
“Once I clung to this plant like a parasite, desperately clinging onto life. And then… this planet became my life.”
Sunset slowly backed away from the figure, as he turned to face her.
“This just gets worse and worse by the minute,” Sunset said worriedly. “Who are you supposed to be?”
“I believe you became acquainted with my ‘better’ form, now it’s time for you to see what I once was,” The man responded. “After abandoning my past, I took the name of Valkorion as a symbol of a new beginning. Here I was known as Vitiate, or as the Sith remembered me as… Emperor.”
“Are all Sith old and wrinkled?” Sunset asked.
Vitiate glared at the girl with a stare that could make a manticore drop dead. Sunset quickly shut herself up.
“I told you that you required a different point of view,” Vitiate spoke, gesturing to himself. “Here it is.”
Sunset instantly grabbed the lightsaber Master Satele had given her and ignited it, aiming at the former Emperor.
“I’ve had enough of you for one lifetime!” Sunset said determined. “I’ve been learning more from Master Satele than I ever did walking with you.”
Hearing the name of the former Jedi Master, Vitiate released an evil laugh that shook the very foundation upon which they stood. Sunset stumbled as she tried to keep her balance till the quaking ceased.
“Ah yes, Satele Shan,” Vitiate chuckled. “Master of a group of fanatics aiming to change the galaxy with their ‘light side’.”
All of a sudden, the universe went black again and when the picture returned to Sunset’s vision, she took notice of her surroundings. Her and Vitiate stood on the planet of Coruscant as it once stood thousands of years ago. The Jedi temple still stood tall and mighty as the center of the Jedi power in the galaxy. Standing before the Jedi temple, before a large ensemble of Republic troops, stood Master Satele Shan herself as well as a large robust soldier named Jace Malcom and a green-skinned Twi-lek woman named Saresh. Malcom led the Republic’s Havoc Squad mercenary group while Saresh governed the Republic as Supreme Chancellor.
“Behold your precious Republic,” Vitiate gestured. “Nothing more than arrogant fools blindly following corrupt politicians and worthless fanatics.”
Sunset shook her head against the old tyrant.
“You’re wrong!” She argued. “They seek only to bring peace to the galaxy, while Sith only seek to control and destroy.”
Vitiate once again chuckled over the comeback.
“They wish to bring peace to the galaxy, but not themselves,” He pointed out. “Their foolish ways would have abandoned any emotion within you. Love, friendship, brotherhood, it matters not. Hence why so many Jedi often abandon their place and seek freedom amongst the empire.”
Vitiate turned to face Sunset Shimmer who continued to maintain her look of determination.
“You’re so called ‘Master’ would cage your emotions and keep you in a leash like a mongrel pup,” He told her. “The Jedi would have you forget your friends and all those you love.”
For a moment, Sunset’s determined look faltered as she turned back to the frozen image of the Republic. Surely what Vitiate was saying couldn’t possibly be true. The Jedi are pure and kind, surely they would never expect her to abandon her friends and loved ones.
Would they?
“No…” Sunset shook her head. “You’re just trying to get me to doubt myself. The Jedi Knights are the heroes… you’re just the villains. What would Sith know about friendship and love?”
Vitiate chuckled in amusement as his eyes never leave Sunset’s side.
“You and the Jedi are so much alike in some way,” Vitiate spoke. “You choose to see the world as black and white, what’s wrong and what’s right. All that peace and justice across the universe, and all in the name of self-defense. Yes, that makes the Jedi Knights so great. But as you can see… Sith are not as different as you think.”
“What’re you talking about?” Sunset frowned.
“The Sith are merely fellow travelers down a twisted path…” Vitiate explained. “You think you know ‘everything’ about the Sith because of what Satele told you, just as the Jedi think they know ‘you’. But there are always two sides to every story: You deem the Sith’s actions evil, while your acts are praised as act of heroism. While we are proclaimed ‘heroes’ for our deeds, while we look to the Jedi Order as no more evil than us. The fact is: The world is gray and colorless, of compromise… and disappointment.”
“You’ve killed millions of lives!!!” Sunset argued. “You conquer cities; plunge civilizations to a lifetime of fear!”
“Only because they gave us no choice! The Sith want things too: To claim what’s rightfully ours, equal rights that even the Jedi refuse to touch. We had others we wanted to save so badly we’d do ‘anything’ to ensure their safety. We too sought to improve relations between races, to teach responsibility, and give a voice to the voiceless. And to get what we want, certain paths had to be crossed and those who get in our way leave us no choice but to fight them. True, our actions are an unfortunate circumstance… but we ‘do’ have a choice.”
Vitiate proceeds to step away and motion himself in the dark passage of time.
“Where’re you going now?!” Sunset called out.
“If it’s answers you truly want, I give you two choices,” Vitiate instructed. “You can follow me and understand more about the Sith than not even your ‘masters’ are willing to acknowledge. Or… you can stay in the darkness, remain in denial to the truth, and fail to realize that the world is more ‘gray’ than anyone can ever tell you. Just remember… you ‘do’ have a choice…”
Sunset stood in her spot watching Vitiate fade away into the passage of the time they stand. She took some time to think about everything. They both make very strong arguments. Satele, Vitiate… they both have their own views as far as where they stand between Jedi and Sith. But it’s as if suddenly it’s not making any sense to her. What’s considered heroic is evil to others… what’s evil is deemed acts of heroism? As if it wasn’t enough trying to decide what path she wanted to take after high school, now she’s stuck choosing between what it means to be a Jedi and what it means to be a Sith.
“Suddenly my world no longer makes sense…” Sunset sighed, following Vitiate.
<>
Pilots, gunners, and R2 units scurried about the main hangar deck. Luke, pulling on his heavy-weather jacket, headed toward a row of armored speeders. He stopped at the rear of the Millennium Falcon, where Han and Chewie were trying to repair the right lifter with even more haste than before.
“Chewie, take care of yourself, okay?” Luke spoke.
As Luke patted Chewie along the arm, Chewie put his arms around Luke and gave him a tight hug. Fluttershy smiled toward the pair as she leaned near the ship. Han was discussing the lifter with Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
“There’s got be a reason for why the ship’s acting up,” Rainbow spoke.
“I reckon I’ll find out on the other end,” Applejack pondered. “I’ll go check.
“Hi, Kid,” Han greeted Luke. “You all right?”
“Yeah,” Luke nodded.
“Hey kid, you be careful out there all right?” Rainbow advised.
“You, too,” Luke smiled.
Luke waved to his friend and walked on. After a few stops, he looked back. Han glanced up and the two exchanged a silent communication, each wishing the other safety, happiness—many things, all difficult to verbalize.
<>
Alarms blared throughout the hidden Rebel base. In the control room, a controller urgently gestured for General Rieekan and Storm Shield to check a computer scan.
“General, there’s a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace in sector four,” The Controller informed.
“It won’t be long before they touch the surface,” Storm observed. “We don’t have much time.”
“Reroute all power to the energy shield,” Rieekan instructed. “We’ve got to hold them till all transports are away. Prepare for ground assault.”
Rieekan exited hurriedly, while Storm kept watched over the scanners praying to Celestia they can pull this off.
<>
The dark cubicle was illuminated by a single shaft of light which fell on the brooding Dark Lord as he sat on a raised meditation cube. General Veer entered the room and approached the silent, unmoving Vader. Although seemingly very sure of himself, Veers was still not bold enough to interrupt the meditating lord. The younger general stood quietly at attention until the evil presence spoke.
“What is it, General?” Vader questioned.
“My lord, the fleet has moved out of light-speed,” Veers informed. “Com-Scan has detected an energy field protecting an area around the sixth planet of the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment.”
“The Rebels are alerted to our presence,” Vader spoke angrily. “Admiral Ozzel came out of light-speed too close to the system.”
“He felt ‘surprise’ was wiser…”
“He is as clumsy as he is stupid. General, prepare your troops for a surface attack.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Veers turned smartly and left as Vader activated a large viewscreen showing the bridge of his mighty ship. Admiral Ozzel appeared on the viewscreen, standing slightly in front of Captain Piett.
“Lord Vader, the fleet has moved out of light-speed,” Ozzel informed. “And we’re preparing to… AAAGH!!!”
Suddenly, Ozzel’s words are stopped when he felt a constriction along his throat. As if something was forcibly tightening around his vocal cords, as Vader kept a hand raised and applied the ‘force choke’ upon the Admiral.
“You have failed me for the last time, Admiral,” Vader declared. “Captain Piett!”
Piett stepped forward, as the admiral moved away, slightly confused, grasping his throat as it began to constrict painfully.
“Yes, my lord,” Piett stood at attention.
“Make ready to land out troops beyond the energy shield and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets out of that system,” Vader instructed. “You are in command now, ‘Admiral’ Piett.”
“Thank you, Lord Vader,” Piett nodded.
Piett’s pleasure about his unexpected promotion was not without an unmixed emotion. He glanced warily at the struggling Admiral Ozzel who, with a final choke, stumbled and fell in a lifeless heap before him.
<>
With a sense of urgency, Leia quickly briefed a group of pilots gathered in the center of the hangar.
“All troop carriers will assemble at the north entrance,” Leia instructed. “The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they’re loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you’ll have to stay very close to your transports.”
“Two fighters against a Star Destroyer?” Hobbie questioned.
“The ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure that any enemy ships will be out of our flight path,” Leia assured. “When you’ve gotten past the energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?”
“Right/Okay,” The Pilots answered, in unison.
“Good luck!”
“Okay, everyone to your stations!” Derlin ordered. “Let’s go!”
And just like that, the pilots hurried away.
<>
Rebel troops carried heavy bazooka-type weapons and positioned them along the snow trench. Men hurriedly responded to their officers’ yelled orders and braced themselves against the rhythmic gusts of bitter-cold wind. Other troops load power packs into a gun turret, swinging its guns into position.
Near the base power generators, troops rushed to set up their heavy battle equipment. Buzzing loudly, the generators send along, sparking fingers of energy into the bitter Hoth wind.
<>
The line of Rebel controllers was tense, as are Princess Leia, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and General Rieekan, who are trying very hard not to show any fear.
“Their primary target will be the power generators,” Twilight informed. “As long as we can draw the empire out of their range, we should have enough power to keep the base intact.”
“Prepare to open the shield!” Rieekan called out.
<>
The Rebel transport and two escort fighters began their departure from the ice planet.
<>
A huge Imperial Star Destroyer rested against a sea of stars, far above the white surface of the planet Hoth.
An Imperial controller approached his commander.
“Sir, Rebel ships are coming into our sector,” The controller informed.
“Good,” The Captain nodded. “Our first catch of the day.”
<>
“Stand by ion control… Fire!” A Woman Controller commanded.
The giant ball-shaped ion cannon rotated into position and blasted two red energy beams skyward.
The Rebel transport and its escort raced away from the white planet, closely followed by the two red energy beams. As the Rebel transport raced toward the waiting Imperial Star Destroyer, it was overtaken by the two scarlet energy bolts. The Imperial Star Destroyer was hit in the conning toward by the powerful bolts, which set up fiery explosions on its metal hull. The big Star Destroyer veered, spinning wildly out of control. As the Imperial ship drifted into deep space, the Rebel transport raced away to safety.
<>
Pilots, gunners, and troopers hurry to their stations and their vehicles.
“The first transport is away,” The announcer declared, over the loudspeaker.
“WAHOOO!!!” Pinkie cheered.
Everyone’s cheers over the announcement echoed through the hangar. Luke turned and walked on, heading toward his snow-speeder. His gunner, Dack, a fresh-faced, eager kid, was glad to see him as they climbed in.
“Feeling all right, sir?” Dack asked.
“Just like new, Dack,” Luke answered, strapping in. “How about you?”
“Right now I feel like I could take on the whole Empire myself.”
“I know what you mean.”
<>
A thin horizon cut across the bleak landscape. Small dot-size objects began to appear on the horizon, moving in the direction of the Rebel base.
A Rebel officer lifted a pair of electro-binoculars to his eyes. Through the lens, he spotted a very close view of a giant Imperial snow walker. He adjusted the view which then zoomed back to reveal three more of the ominous battle machines. Small flashes of yellow fire bellowed from the guns of the lumbering snow walkers.
The officer lowered his binoculars as the regular rhythmic pounding began to make the ground vibrate. The pounding grew louder, accompanied by a high-pitched, metallic rattling. The offer spoke into his commlink.
“Echo Station Three-T-Eight.”
<>
Pilots and gunners raced to their waiting snowspeeders. Ice and snow began falling from the walls of the corridor, shaken by the pounding Imperial snow walker as they drew ever nearer.
“We have spotted Imperial walkers!” The Trench Officer announced, over commlink.
“Imperial walkers on the north ridge!” The controller responded.
<>
The Rebel troops aimed their weapons at the horizon, as explosions erupted all around them. They are nervous, gripping onto their weapons tightly both from the cold and of fear. Behind the troops, a dozen snow-speeders raced through the sky.
“Echo station Five-Seven,” Luke spoke, into commlink. “We’re on our way.”
The fleet of snow-speeders raced above the ice field at full throttle. They accelerate away from the base and head toward the distant walkers.
“All right, boys,” Luke informed. “Keep tight not.”
“Luke, I have no approach vector,” Dack informed. “I’m not set.”
“Steady, Dack. Attack pattern delta. Go now!”
The cannons mounted on the walker head fired at the speeders. Other walked loomed in the background. Two speeders race away past two of the enormous walkers and bank to the right.
“All right, I’m coming in!” Luke spoke.
He turned his speeder and headed directly at one of the walkers, flying toward its towering legs. The horizon twisted as the speeder banked between the legs.
“Hobbie, you still with me?” Luke asked, into commlink.
Two speeders race directly at the head of a walker, then split and flew past it. Three other walkers march onward, firing all cannons.
Rebel troops fired on the approaching walkers, as the snow and ice exploded all around them.
A speeder banked through and away from the legs of a walker. Two other speeders pass the first speeder from the opposite direction. Other Rebel craft race just above the icy plain. A giant walker head swiveled and fired, striking a snow-speeder and sending it crashing in a ball of flames.
<>
General Veers and two walker pilots keep a careful eye on the racing Rebel snow-speeders as they maneuver their lumbering war machine forward.
<>
Luke’s speeder banks in from the side of Veers’ walker and heads straight for its viewport, blasting away. An explosion hit the walker window, but dissipated, doing no harm. The speeder roared up and over the impregnable war machine. Luke looked back at the walker as it grew smaller in the distance.
“That armor’s too strong for blasters,” Luke informed.
On the horizon, another walked moved past Luke’s cockpit window, twisting out of sight as Luke banked and started another run.
“Rogue Group, use your harpoons and two cables,” Luke ordered, through commlink. “Go for the legs. It might be our only chance of stopping them. All right, stand by, Dack.”
Dack himself was at the gunner’s controls.
“Luke, we’ve got a malfunction in fire control,” Dack warned. “I’ll have to cut in the auxiliary.”
“Just hang. Hang on, Dack. Get ready to fire that tow cable.”
Barely keeping his seat in the tumbling ship, Dack struggled to set his harpoon gun. Luke swung his speeder around and headed toward an oncoming walker. Laser bolts and flak filled the air, creating a deadly obstacle course for the tiny craft.
Rogue Leader and another snow-speeder fly in tight formation toward the walker as explosions burst all around them.
After sustaining a heavy volley of fire, Luke turned around to see if Dack is all right.
“Dack? Dack!”
But Dack was lost. Blood streamed down his forehead, which rested on his smoldering controls. Out the back window, an Imperial walker receded in the distance.
Rebel troops fired the dish-like ray gun while explosions erupted around them. Two walkers lumbered toward the Rebel base, as a speeder between them exploded in a ball of flames. The dish-like ray gun was struck by a laser bolt and instantly exploded.
Through the cockpit window, Veers and his pilot could see the Rebel power generators in the distance. A hologram of Darth Vader appeared on a control panel screen.
“Yes, Lord Vader,” Veers informed. “I’ve reached the main power generator. The shield will be down in moments. You may start your landing.”
<>
“Rogue Three,” Luke called, into commlink.
“Copy, Rogue Leader,” Wedge answered.
“Wedge, I’ve lost my gunner. You’ll have to make this shot. I’ll cover for you. Set your harpoon. Follow me on the next pass.”
“Coming around, Rogue Leader.”
“Steady, Rogue Two.”
Wedge’s speeder raced through the legs of one of the monstrous walkers.
“Activate harpoon!” Wedge commanded his gunner.
Wedge’s gunner reached for a firing switch to activate the harpoon. The harpoon flashed out and sped toward the receding legs of the walker. The harpoon hurtled toward the walker, in an instant it embedded in one of the walker’s legs.
“Good shot, Janson,” Wedge called out.
The speeder Rogue Three raced around one of the giant walker’s feet, trailing the cable behind it. Continuing around the back foot, Rogue Three then circled the walker around the tail end. Wedge checked his controls and banked around the front of the walker.
“One more pass,” Wedge urged.
“Coming around,” Janson observed. “Once more…”
The speeder swept left to right in front of the giant legs, towing the cable behind it.
“Once more…” Janson urged.
Wedge swung the speeder between the legs of the giant walker.
“Cable out! Let her go!”
“Detach cable!” Wedge shouted.
The cable release on the back of the speeder snapped loose and the cable dropped away.
“Cable detached,” Janson confirmed.
The speeder zoomed away into the distance. The tangled legs of the enormous war machine attempted a step, but as they do the giant Imperial walker toppled. It teetered for a moment, then crashed onto the icy ground, sending snow and metal pieces flying.
The troops in the trenches cheered at the sight of the crashing walker. An officer gave the signal to his men and Rebel troops charged the fallen war machine.
“Come on!” The trench officer shouted.
The troops rushed toward the downed walker, followed by two Rebel speeders flying overhead. Just as they reach the walker, it exploded, the impact throwing some of the men onto the frozen ground.
Wedge let out a triumphant yell, banking his speeder away from the fallen walker.
“Whoo-ha!” Wedge yelled. “That got him!”
“I see it, Wedge,” Luke confirmed, through commlink. “Good work.”
<>
Large chunks of ice tumbled into the command center, as Leia and General Rieekan monitor computer screens.
“I don’t think we can protect two transports at a time,” Rieekan spoke worried.
“It’s risky, but we can’t hold out much longer,” Leia spoke. “We have no choice.”
“Launch patrols,” Rieekan ordered through commlink.
Princess Leia turned toward Storm Shield and Twilight Sparkle.
“You two, evacuate the remaining ground staff,” Leia ordered.
“Already on it!” Storm saluted.
The two raced off to rejoin the others deep in the base. Muffled distant explosions create widening cracks in the ice roof of the hangar. Trying to ignore the noise and falling bits of snow, Han worked on one of the Falcon’s lifters while Chewie worked on one of the wings. Noticing Chewie attached the wrong part, Han grew impatient.
“No, no! No!” Han shouted. “This one goes there, that one goes there. Right?”
Twilight and Storm arrive at the other area of the hangar, where 3PO watched R2 rise into Luke’s X-wing fighter.
“R2, you take good care of Master Luke now, understand?” 3PO asked. “And… do take good care of yourself. Oh, dear, oh dear.”
“Don’t worry 3PO, it’s all part of the plan,” Twilight assured. “R2 will look after Luke just fine. Not to mention he’ll have Rainbow Dash out there too. Nothing gets by her.”
Rainbow leaned against the X-wing with a cocky smirk on her face.
“Well… yeah!” She nodded. “I’m just that awesome!”
“The rest of us should find some cover,” Rarity suggested. “I pray to Celestia we will come out of this in one piece.”
“Now that’s my kind of plan,” Fluttershy sighed.
Suddenly, Storm felt a sensation come over him. He held his now aching head and leaned forward a bit. Twilight noticed his change in demeanor and came to his side to check on him.
“Storm, what’s wrong?” She asked worriedly.
Storm recovered from his headache and looked towards the entrance to the base.
“Something really bad is coming,” He warned.
Pinkie then began to shake uncontrollably as her Pinkie Sense started going haywire.
“H-H-H-H-e-e-e-e-e’s r-r-r-r-right about t-t-t-that!” She agreed uncontrollably.
“Now what?!” Spike groaned.
Storm immediately reached behind him and grabbed his saber pike, which he quickly ignited. The girls and Spike stood beside him as they looked out to see a Sith spacecraft come flying out from over the Imperial Walkers and shoot down a squadron of Rebel troops. The craft came down just outside the now unguarded base and the rear hatch opened. From the hatch emerged a quadruple lightsaber wielding General Grievous, the Dazzling Inquisitors, and Darth Seraphina, now with her new apprentice Demitria. The Sith women all ignited their own lightsabers as Seraphina led the approach.
“KILL THEM ALL!!!”