//------------------------------// // On the Run // Story: Cinematic Adventures: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strike Back // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// Vader’s Imperial Star Destroyer moved through space, guarded by its convoy of TIE fighters. Darth Vader himself stood in the back control area of his ship’s bridge with a motley group of men and creatures. Darth Seraphina walked into the area with Grievous, the Dazzlings, and Demitria in tow. Admiral Piett and two controllers stood at the front of the bridge and watched the group with score. “Bounty hunters,” Piett muttered. “We don’t need that scum.” “Yes, sir,” The First Controller agreed. “Those Rebels won’t escape us.” “Sir, we have a priority signal from the Star Destroyer Avenger,” The Second Controller interrupted. “Right,” Piett replied. The group standing before Vader were a bizarre array of galactic fortune hunters. There was Bossk, a slimy, tentacled monster with two huge, bloodshot eyes in a soft baggy face; Zuckuss and Dengar, two battle-scarred, mangy human types; IG-88, a battered, tarnished chrome war droid; and Boba Fett, a man in a weapon-covered armored space suit. “… There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millenium Falcon,” Vader instructed. “You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive. No disintegrations.” “As you wish,” Boba Fett spoke. At that moment, Admiral Piett approached Vader in a rush of excitement. “Lord Vader! My lord, we have them.” <> The Millennium Falcon sped through deep space, closely followed by a firing Imperial Star Destroyer. A large asteroid about the same size as the Falcon tumbled rapidly toward the starship. The tiny Falcon banked to avoid the giant asteroid as smaller rocks pelted its surface. The small craft roared under the asteroid which exploded harmlessly on the hull of the vast Star Destroyer. The ship shuddered as flak exploded near the cockpit window. 3PO checked a tracking scope on the side control panel, while Leia watched tensely out the window. Galen Marek stood close by the droid, watching the scope. “Oh, thank goodness we’re coming out of the asteroid field,” 3PO sighed with relief. “I wouldn’t be too excited,” Marek warned, looking out intensely. “Out of the frying pan, into the fire…” Chewie barked excitedly as the rain of asteroids began to subside. A bolt from the Star Destroyer set up a fiery explosion on the back side of the Falcon, causing it to lurch to one side. Marek barely held on trying to keep his balance. The Falcon itself was struck hard by another bolt from the Star Destroyer which created a huge explosion near the cockpit of the smaller ship. The Falcon tilted steeply, before righting itself in position. Marek climbed his way into the cockpit just as Han corrected the angle of his ship. “At this rate, we can safely say the Empire are not interested in taking prisoners,” Marek confirmed. “No… you think?” Leia muttered. “Let’s get out of here,” Han declared. “Ready for light-speed?” Marek quickly grabbed onto something, preparing for full speed. “One… two… three!” Han counted. Han pulled back on the hyperspace throttle and—nothing happened. Flak bursts continued to rock the ship. “It’s not fair!” Han panicked frantically. Chewie, very angry, started to growl and bark at his friend and captain. Again, Han desperately pulled back on the throttle. “Why aren’t we jumping to light speed?” Marek called out. “The transfer circuits aren’t working,” Han observed. “It’s not my fault!” “Oh great!” Marek muttered. Chewie put his head into his hands, whining. “No light-speed?” Leia asked, half-expecting. “It’s not my fault,” Han repeated. “Sir, we just lost the main rear deflector shield,” 3PO reported. “One more direct hit on the back quarter and we’re done for.” Han paused for a moment, made his decision, and pulled back on a lever. “Turn her around,” Han ordered. Chewie barked in puzzlement. “I said turn her around! I’m going to put all power in the front shield.” “You’re going to attack them?!” Leia asked, in shock. “But that’s an Imperial Star Destroyer!” Marek pointed out. “We can’t possibly fight something that big.” “I must agree with Master Marek,” 3PO agreed. “The odds of surviving a direct assault on an Imperial Star Destroyer…” “Shut up!” Leia shouted, frustrated. “You’re crazy, all of you!” Marek shouted, holding on. “Better know what you’re doing, ‘Captain’.” “Yeah… me too,” Han replied. The Falcon banked, making a steep, twisting turn. In the next moment, it raced toward the Star Destroyer, looking very small against the massive surface of the Imperial ship. As it moved across the surface of the Star Destroyer, the Falcon bobbed and weaved to avoid the numerous flak bursts. The tiny Falcon hurdled directly for the Avenger’s bridge. The Imperials stationed there are stunned to see the small spaceship racing low across the hull, heading directly at the huge windows of the bridge area. Alarms go off everywhere. The Destroyer’s commander, Captain Needa, can scarcely believe his eyes. “They’re moving to attack position!” Needa shouted. “Shields up!” Needa and his men ducked as the Falcon neared the bridge window. At the last minute, the Falcon veered off and out of sight… and all was quiet. “Track them,” Needa ordered. “They may come around for another pass.” “Captain Needa, the ship no longer appears on our scopes,” The Tracking Officer reported. “They can’t have disappeared. No ship that small has a cloaking device.” “Well, there’s no trace of them, sir.” “Captain, Lord Vader demands an update on the pursuit,” The Communications Officer reported. “Get a shuttle ready,” Neeta drew a breath. “I shall assume full responsibility for losing them and apologize to Lord Vader. Meanwhile, continue to scan the area.” “Yes, Captain Needa,” The Communications Officer sighed. <> The Jedi training taking place in the swamps of Dagobah were intensifying more and more by the minute. After Luke’s altercation with the dark side in the pit of the swamp, he wasn’t entirely sure what to think anymore. Seeing his face in Vader’s helmet made him wonder just how corrupting the dark side could really be. Could he end up just like Vader? Course none of the girls, not even Spike, had it better when their turn came to enter the tree. Most of their trips related to their insecurities, but others… well, they’d rather not talk about it In any case, neither one had any time to think about it as one by one the group were still in the midst of their training. Cal was currently training Applejack and Rainbow in the art of lightsaber combat, allowing them to use one of his lightsabers to practice with. At the moment, he was in the midst of a sparring contest with Rainbow Dash who held her own against the Jedi. “In order to become an expert at wielding a lightsaber, you must first cast aside any and all emotions and focus on what you are called to do,” Cal instructed. “Now I’m coming at you with everything I’ve got; I want you to focus solely on me.” “Gotcha!” Rainbow nodded. Rainbow gripped the hilt of the lightsaber in her hand tightly, as Cal came charging at her. Thinking fast, Rainbow leapt over his head in a flip and came down from behind him with a swing of the saber. Cal quickly clashed with Rainbow as the two went back and forth. Eventually, Rainbow noticed an opportunity when she leapt over Cal again, kicking his legs out from under him and he fell on his back with Rainbow aiming the saber right at him. She looked down at Cal with a smug look on her face. “And that’s why I’m totally awesome!” She bragged. Cal gave a little smirk and nod of his head. “I must admit, you’re pretty impressive,” He complimented. “Except the fact you’ve sacrificed your footing for a quick takedown.” Rainbow cocked her eyebrow curiously before a loose patch of ground gave way beneath her and she yelled out as she fell into the slimy swamp water. Applejack burst out laughing from the sidelines as Rainbow dragged herself from the marsh and Cal got back to his feet. Rainbow sighed to herself, now covered in swamp water and muck. “Rule number one: Always mind your surroundings,” Cal instructed. “Gee… thanks!” Rainbow grumbled. “Next!” <> A bit further away, Ahsoka taught Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie how to use the force to manipulate objects. She demonstrated by picking up a series of boulders and moved them near effortless from one location to another. When it came time for them to try, Fluttershy was first to go. Fluttershy looked hard toward the smaller rock, trying to think and make the rock move. After nearly ten minutes, however, it just wasn’t working. All at once, Fluttershy felt it was time to give in. “It’s no use!” Fluttershy sighed, defeated. “I can’t move it. I don’t even know why I try. This whole time I’ve been here, all I’ve done is run and hide. I can’t fight; I can’t shoot a blaster. I can’t seem to do anything right!” Pinkie noticed the sad look on Fluttershy’s face and went to comfort her somber friend. “Aww come now Fluttershy, let’s turn that frown upside down,” Pinkie spoke positively. “You’ll get the hang of it eventually. So what if you don’t get it on the first try?” “She’s absolutely right Fluttershy,” Ahsoka nodded. “You are after all still just a Padawan. Even I myself found it hard to even move so much as an inch in the beginning. It took me years before I was able to master my skill and even still I feel I have much to learn.” Fluttershy just slumped down onto a fallen tree with a look of uncertainty. “I just don’t think I’m…” “That’s your problem right there,” Ahsoka interrupted. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked curiously. Ahsoka came up alongside her and took a seat next to Fluttershy. “You’re thinking far too much,” Ahsoka explained. “When it comes to the force, it’s not a matter of intelligence as much as it is just to reach out and feel it.” “But I thought the Jedi don’t use emotions.” “It’s not about feeling ‘emotions’, it’s about feeling ‘the force’ around you. One day, you’ll understand. But for now… ‘try’ again.” “Yes Master Ahsoka…” Fluttershy nodded. <> Meanwhile, Storm helped Twilight and Rarity learn the art of meditation which for the Jedi is one of the most powerful tools. Even Spike himself tried getting into it, assuming the same position as the girls. “Now focus on my voice, feel the Force to unlock your potential,” Storm instructed, eyes shut. “Take everything that troubles you into one big cloud… let it all float away. Let the Force relax you; free to do anything you wish.” “Spoken like Somnambula,” Twilight sighed. “Well I did learn from among the best,” Storm replied. “Took all I learned and added a few liberties during my time here…” “It’s nice that you’re having me included in your sessions,” Spike sighed. “But I don’t know how this is going to help me. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m no bipedal warrior like my friends. I’m lucky enough just to tag along even without my own abilities.” “All creatures in the known universe are able to use the Force here my friend,” Storm replied. “Back home, you were a mighty dragon but here… you must find a means to apply a magic far greater beyond your understanding. Reach for the magic hidden deep from within, and you too will unlock your potential.” “Stormy’s right darling,” Rarity replied. “We’re all learning to adapt here just as well. I’m most certain you’ll get the hang of it.” “Thanks Rarity…” Spike smiled, taking deep breaths. “Let’s just hope Luke’s having a better time than we are.” Meanwhile, Luke was upside down showing enormous strain. He stood on his hands, with Yoda perched on his feet. Opposite Luke and Yoda are two rocks the size of bowling balls. Luke stared at the rocks, concentrating hard. One of the rocks lifted from the ground, floating up to rest on the other. “Use the Force…” Yoda instructed. “Yes…” Yoda tapped Luke’s leg. Quickly, Luke lifted one hand from the ground. His body wavered, but he maintained his balance. R2, standing nearby, whistled and beeped frantically. “Now… the stone,” Yoda continued. “Feel it.” Luke concentrated on trying to lift the top rock. It rose a few feet, shaking under the strain. But distracted by R2’s frantic beeping, Luke lost his balance and finally collapsed. Yoda jumped clear. “Concentrate!” Yoda shouted. Annoyed at the disturbance, Luke turned over toward R2, who rocked urgently back and forth in front of him. His actions drew the attention of the others. “What in tarnation’s wrong with R2?” Applejack asked. R2 waddled closer to Luke, chirping wildly, then scooted over the edge of the swamp. Catching on, Luke and the group rushed toward the water’s edge. The X-wing fighter has sunk, and only the tip of its nose showed above the lake’s surface. “Luke!!! Your ship!” Fluttershy cried out. “Oh no!” Luke moaned. “We’ll never get it out now.” Yoda stomped his foot in irritation. “So certain are you. Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?” “He does have a point Luke,” Storm spoke up. “You tend to quit rather quickly.” Luke looked uncertainly out at the ship. “Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different.” “No! No different!” Yoda reprimanded. “Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned. “All right,” Luke focused, quietly. “I’ll give it a try.” “No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.” “True Jedi Knights never ‘try’ anything,” Cal translated. “We just ‘do it’.” Luke closed his eyes, concentrating on thinking the ship out. Slowly, the X-wing’s nose began to rise above the water. The group looked on anxiously, watching it hover for a moment… and then it slid back, disappearing once again. “Luke…” Twilight whined. “I can’t!” Luke panted heavily. “It’s too big.” “Size matters not,” Yoda shook. “Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hm? Mmm.” “I don’t feel comfortable doing that,” Spike shook his head. “And well you should not,” Yoda continued. “For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we…” Yoda pinched Luke’s shoulder during his talk. “… not this crude matter,” Yoda explained, with a sweeping gesture. “You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you… me… the tree… the rock… everywhere! Yes, even between the land and the ship.” “The Force is much like the Magic in Equestria,” Storm added. “There is an energy source that exists all around us. There’s a sixth sense within us that is able to touch this power, to control it through the will of our own mind. The only way you can assure that you can apply this power is to cast all doubt aside, reach out, and trust in its power.” “You guys want the impossible,” Luke sighed, discouraged. Quietly Yoda turned toward the X-wing fighter. With his eyes closed and his head bowed, he rose his arm and pointed at the ship. Soon, the fighter rose above the water and moved forward as R2 beeped in terror and scooted away. The rest of the group stared in awe, even Twilight Sparkle was impressed. The entire X-wing moved majestically, surely, toward the show. Yoda stood on a tree root and guided the fighter carefully toward the beach. Luke stared in astonishment as the fighter settled down onto the shore. He walked toward Yoda. “I don’t… I don’t believe it,” Luke spoke, in shock. “That is why you fail,” Yoda pointed out. Luke shook his head, bewildered. Ahsoka folded her arms with amusement. “Rule number two,” Ahsoka added. “Never… question… Master Yoda.” “Ever…” Storm concluded. <> The fleet around Vader’s Star Destroyer now included Needa’s Star Destroyer, the Avenger. “Apology accepted, Captain Needa,” Vader spoke. Clutching desperately at his throat, Captain Needa slumped down, then fell over on his back, at Darth Vader’s feet. Two stormtroopers picked up the lifeless body and carried it quickly away as Admiral Piette and two of his captains hurried up toward the Dark Lord. “Lord Vader, our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing,” Piette reported. “If the Millennium Falcon went into light-speed, it’ll be on the other side of the galaxy by now.” “Alert all commands,” Vader ordered. “Calculate every possibly destination along their last known trajectory.” “Yes, my lord. We’ll find them.” “Don’t fail me again, Admiral.” Vader left as the admiral turned to an aid, a little more uneasy than when he arrived. “Alert all commands,” Piett ordered. “Deploy the fleet.” <> Vader’s ship moved away, flanked by its fleet of smaller ships. The Avenger glided off into space in the opposite direction. No one on that ship or on Vader’s were aware that, clinging to the side of the Avenger, is the pirate ship, the Millennium Falcon. “Captain Solo, this time you have gone too far,” 3PO objected. “Quiet…” Marek muttered. “No, I will not be quiet, Master Marek. Why doesn’t anyone listen to me?” “Pretty hard not to…” “The fleet is beginning to break up,” Han informed Chewie. “Go back and stand by the manual release for the landing claw.” Chewie barked, struggling from his seat, and climbed out of the cabin. “I really don’t see how that is going to help,” 3PO continued. “Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances. The Empire may be gracious enough…” Leia reached over and shut off 3PO, mid-sentence. “Thank you,” Han sighed with relief. “What did you have in mind for your next move?” Leia asked. “If they follow standard Imperial procedure,” Marek explained. “They’ll dump their garbage before jumping to light-speed. I’ll admit Han… you’re a lot smarter than I thought.” “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Han replied. “Now… we just float away.” “With the rest of the garbage,” Leia spoke. “Then what?” “Then we’ve got to find a safe port somewhere around here. Got any ideas?” “No. Where are we?” “The Anoat system.” “Anoat System,” Leia pondered. “There’s not much there.” “No. Well, wait. This is interesting. Lando.” Han pointed to a computer map-screen on the control panel. Leia slipped out of her chair and moved next to the handsome pilot. Small light points representing several systems flashed by on the computer screen. “Lando system?” Leia asked. “Lando’s not a system, he’s a man,” Han corrected. “Lando Calrissian. He’s a card player, gambler, scoundrel. You’d like him.” “Thanks.” “Bespin. It’s pretty far, but I think we can make it.” “A mining colony?” Leia read the computer. “Yeah, a Tibanna gas mine,” Han clarified. “Lando conned somebody out of it. We go back a long way, Lando and me.” “And you’re sure he can be trusted?” Marek asked. “No,” Han replied. “But he has no love for the Empire, I can tell you that.” “Duly noted,” Marek turned away. Chewie barked over the intercom. Han quickly changed his readouts and stretched to look out the cockpit window. “Here we go, Chewie,” Han spoke through intercom. “Stand by. Detach!” Han leaned back in his chair and gave Leia an invisible smile. She thought for a moment, shook her head; a grin crept across her face, and she gave him a quick kiss. “You do have your moments,” Leia replied. “Not many, but you have them.” Galen Marek uttered not a retort as he stared toward the cockpit window into the vastness of space. As the Avenger Star Destroyer moved slowly into space, the hatch on its underbelly opened, sending a trail of junk behind it. Hidden among the refuse, the Falcon tumbled away. In the next moment, the Avenger roared off into hyperspace. The Falcon’s engines are ignited, and it raced off into the distance. Amidst the slowly drifting junk, Boba Fett’s ship appeared and moved after the Falcon. <> In the clearing behind Yoda’s house, Luke stood upside-down, but his face showed less strain and more concentration than before. Yoda sat on the ground below the young warrior. On the other side of the clearing, two equipment cases slowly rose into the air. Nearby R2 watched, humming to himself, when suddenly he too rose into the air. His little legs kicked desperately, and his head turned frantically, looking for help. “Concentrate… feel the Force flow,” Yoda instructed. “Yes. Good. Calm, yes. Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future… the past. Old friends long gone.” All of a sudden, Luke became distressed. “Han! Leia!” Luke shouted. The two packing boxes and R2 fell to the ground with a crash, then Luke himself tumbled over. “Hmm…” Yoda shook his head. “Control, control. You must learn control.” “What did you see Luke?” Fluttershy asked, sympathetically. “I saw… I saw a city in the clouds,” Luke answered. “A city in the clouds?” Rainbow thought. “Reminds me of home.” “Mmm… friends you have there,” Yoda presumed. “They were in pain,” Luke spoke. “You saw the future didn’t you Luke?” Storm surmised. “That is one of a Jedi’s abilities, to see a possible scenario of events yet to come.” “Future? Will they die?” Luke asked worriedly. Yoda closed his eyes and lowered his head. “Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.” “I’ve got to go to them.” “Decide you must how to serve them best,” Yoda warned. “If you leave now, help them you could. But you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered.” Yoda’s words stopped Luke cold. Gloom shrouded him as he nodded his head sadly. To which Twilight shook her head and kept a determined look on her face. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing!” Twilight insisted. “If they’re truly held captive, then we need to go save them. Not to mention if the Empire’s there, we could also possibly find Sunset.” ”I am afraid the situation is far more different than you believe Twilight Sparkle.” The sudden voice made everyone freeze and look around for the source. They all turned to a faint light slowly approaching them and when it dissipated, there before them stood the ghostly figure of a Jedi woman in ancient robes staring directly at them. This was none other than former Grandmaster of the Jedi Order herself, Satele Shan. *Deploy Satele Shan poster here* Unlike the girls and little Spike, Storm wasn’t shocked by the presence of the deceased Jedi Master. Rather he, Cal, and Ahsoka stepped forward and bended to one knee in her presence. Satele merely chuckled at the display. ”There is no need for such formalities my students,” Satele assured them. All three simply nodded as they rose back to their feet. “Apologizes Grandmaster,” Storm apologized. “It’s just that it’s not very often we stand in the presence of greatness.” Once again, Satele just chuckled. ”You place far too much glory upon me dearest Storm Shield.” When the moment of shock eventually passed, the girls finally found their voices and decided to speak up. “What the hay is going on here?” Rainbow asked shocked. “Girls, and Spike, allow me to introduce you all to Satele Shan,” Storm introduced. “The Jedi Order’s Grandmaster who served during the Cold and Galactic War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. A true legend amongst the Jedi Order.” “And you must be the famous Equestrian Heroes,” Satele observed. “Just as ‘you’ are the one they call… Twilight Sparkle.” “How do you know my name?” Twilight Sparkle asked curiously. “We have been watching your progress for quite some time, from the day you came to this galaxy. And we know you merely seek the training believing it will help to recover your lost friend. But it is only fair to warn you, that is but a small fraction of what is truly at stake.” “We? Who’s ‘we’?” Spike asked. “Are we meeting more Jedi?” “Not exactly…” The group turned to the side and they all gasped in shock. But none more shocked than Storm Shield. Slowly approaching from the distant, were two spirits much like Satele… except ‘slightly’ more sinister. The first was a masked human, so it seemed, with a hood over his head and nearly every square portion of the body covered in metallic armor. A truly intimidating sight before the group. The one beside him was a female Togruta with white marks around the eyes and head of her orange-yellow skin with blue-and-white head tails. Snapping back to reality, Storm Shield reached for his pike till Satele raised her arm. “That won’t be necessary Storm Shield,” Satele Shan advised. “There’s no point.” “What are they doing here?!” Storm asked, glaring. “You and I both know what they’re capable of!” “Whoa! Where’s the fire Storm?” Rainbow asked. “You know those two?” “More than just know them,” Storm spoke. “Darth Marr and Ashara Zavros… they’re Sith Lords!” “SITH LORDS?!?!?!” The group shouted. “Oh no… we’ve been discovered!” Fluttershy whimpered. “I would not be so quick to make assumptions Miss Fluttershy,” Ashara replied calmly. “If we wanted to inform of your presence with the Empire, we’d have done so by now,” Darth Marr. “On the other hand, we know that is not what Sunset Shimmer would want.” The very mention of Sunset Shimmer instantly drew their attention, though they remained cautious about the pair. “What about Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight asked, suspicious. “Marek insisted that Sunset Shimmer was gone…” “Ah yes, the one they call ‘Starkiller’, Vader’s new apprentice,” Darth Marr nodded. “Contrary to your popular belief, princess, the boy is only… ‘half’ right.” “If recovering Sunset Shimmer is what you want, you’ll need everything we know in order to win,” Ashara added. “And just what makes you think we’d be so quick to trust the Sith?” Rarity questioned. “No disrespect Lady Satele, but in case you forgot… the Sith have been out to kill us!” “I am well aware of the severity of your situation Rarity,” Satele replied calmly. “But it may surprise you all that the Jedi & Sith, as different as we are, share at least one thing in common. In our own way, we do everything within our power to achieve our definition of ‘peace’.” “Master Yoda, aren’t you going to say anything?” Luke asked. “Waiting, I am,” Master Yoda replied. “See you do next, I must.” “Supposin’ yer right, and I ain’t sayin’ yer not,” Applejack began. “Wut are ya’ sayin’?” “There are moments Jedi and Sith strive for, when the hope of victory becomes real,” Satele began. “When we can see peace on the horizon.” “The Sith are not so much the enemy… only life,” Darth Marr added. “Death is our solace.” “And less you forget Master Storm, I too was a Jedi Padawan and I still know the ways,” Ashara reminded. “Passion, peace. Strength, knowledge. Power, serenity. Victory, harmony. Freedom…” “The force,” Storm finished. “I remember it… still does not mean I approved you leaving the Order.” “I’m afraid there’s time not to reflect on past actions,” Satele spoke. “Even now, the Emperor grows stronger day by day with every corner of the galaxy under his control. And the only way to ensure absolute victory, is to defeat the Emperor himself.” “But first… we must take you to a place that holds all the tools you’ll need to start off,” Darth Marr concluded. “Tools?” Twilight questioned. <> Satele, Marr, and Ashara led Storm, Spike, and the girls to the ancient forge hidden deep within the wilds of Dagobah. After thousands of years, the forge had since turned to ruins and was over-growing with foliage and fauna. Yet as they grew nearer to the ancient structure, they could feel the strong presence of the force all around them. Climbing the crumbling steps carefully to the top of the forge, the entire group looked toward the swamp. “Why is it you brought us here exactly?” Twilight questioned. “In order to bring an end to the empire once and for all, you must first forge your own lightsabers,” Satele explained. Just the idea of creating their own lightsabers was more than enough to raise Rainbow and Pinkie’s excitement. “We get to make our own lightsabers?!” Pinkie squealed. “That is so awesome!” Rainbow cheered. “Contain yourself!” Marr ordered. “Forging these ancient weapons is no game. You must call upon the force itself to construct them for the ancient metals in this hallowed ground. Then when you face the empire, they won’t be ready for it.” “As much as I hate agreeing with a Sith, Lord Marr is correct,” Storm admitted. “Once you forge your own Lightsabers, they become part of your very souls. But in order for them to be part of you, you six need to focus.” “So how do we start?” Applejack asked. “You must kneel before the forge,” Ashara explained. “Use the force to draw the weapon parts from the ruin and put them together to form the saber hilts. Only then, will you earn your sabers.” The girls turned toward one another and nodded in unison. “For Sunset,” Twilight declared. “For Sunset,” The girls answered. Forming a circle together, they all sat cross-legged in the midst of the ruins. Closing their eyes and calming their faces, the girls focused on drawing the force while Storm and Spike watched from the sides. Then, before their very eyes they could see the magic at work. Soon, metal parts slowly rose through the ruins and drew themselves toward the group. Parts clicked together to form a unique set of handles based on the girls’ desires. The spirits and the men watched as the building process took place, hilts forming just inches from the girls faces. In addition to the parts for the hilt alone, crystals emerged from the walls and slowly inserted themselves into their lightsaber hilts. By the time the girls opened their eyes, soon as the process was complete, they looked upon their completed sabers. One by one, they grabbed their individual weapons in their hands and ignited them simultaneously. “Ooh… yeah…” Rainbow Dash smiled. <> The powerful pirate starship blasted through space as it headed toward the soft pink planet of Bespin. Down along the gaseous planet, the ship banked around huge billowing clouds that formed a canyon. And dead head, the ship hurdled toward the system’s Cloud City. Suddenly, two twin-pod cloud cars appeared and moved toward the Falcon. The cloud cars drew alongside the starship. One of the cloud cars opened fire on the Falcon, its flak rocking the ship. Chewie barked his concern, while Marek looked on intensely gripping his saber tightly. “No, I don’t have a landing permit,” Han spoke, through transmitter. “I’m trying to reach Lando Calrissian.” More flak bursts outside the cockpit window and rattled the ship’s interior. Leia looked worried. “Whoa! Wait a minute!” Han shouted. “Let me explain.” “You will not deviate from your present course,” The intercom spoke. “Rather touchy, aren’t they?” 3PO observed. “I thought you knew this person,” Leia pointed out. Even Chewie barked and growled at his boss. “Well, that was a long time ago,” Han told Chewie. “I’m sure he’s forgotten about that.” “Forgotten… what?” Marek asked curiously. “It’s a long, long story kid…” Han answered. “Permission granted to land on Platform Three-two-seven,” The Intercom spoke. “Thank you,” Han replied. Angry, Han snapped off the intercom. Marek and Chewie looked at Han, while the latter grunted. Han turned to the worried princess and her droid. “There’s nothing to worry about,” Han assured. “We go way back, Lando and me.” “Who’s worried?” Leia replied, unconvinced. “Suddenly, I’d rather take my chances with the Empire,” Marek muttered.