//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16: Infiltrating the Fortress 
// Story: Star Wars: The Great War 
// by ShootingStar25 
//------------------------------//

In space, there was a ship called the Buccaneer Blaze traveling. The pilot of the ship was on board, but she was currently occupied with something that needed her attention.



"I love this song," said Rainbow as she turned the volume up on her ship's radio as she began to air guitar.

With the song reaching the end, the chromatic pilot would have continued rocking out if her ship didn't receive an incoming message.

"Huh? Who the hell is trying to contact me while I'm busy with important stuff?!" groaned the girl as she shut the radio off and answered the message.

"Hey, Crash!" said the person as their image appeared.

"I hate that name," muttered the girl to herself, "What do you want, Spitfire?"

"I got a job you might like," said the girl as it got Rainbow's attention.

"Keep talking," said Rainbow as she now leaned back and put her feet up.

"So, some of the stuff that I ordered has been, for lack of a better term, taken by some of my rivals. So, I need someone brave enough to fetch my shipment for me," stated Spitfire.

"Tempting, why me?"

"Crash, need I remind who has been giving you jobs at the guild?" stated Spitfire, "The way I see it, it's time you pay me back. I've allowed you first dibs on secret missions, so it's only right that you say thanks to me by doing something I need."

"I ain't nobody's messenger girl," stated Rainbow.

"Such a shame, you were good business. Guess I'll have to turn to someone else who I can trust and pay well," stated Spitfire as she smirked.

"Meet you in five minutes," said Rainbow as she shut off the transmission. She then typed in the coordinates as her ship now entered hyperspace.

The pilot had arrived at the merchant's guild as she entered the place. Inside were tons of people, some talking, others drinking. But they were all here for a reason. Rainbow had caught some glances of the nearby partons as they saw the girl and recognized her. Some gave praises as they heard of all of the girl's adventures and missions she had done that she was sort of a legend around these parts.

Rainbow approached the bar as the waitress saw her sit down.

"Well, Crash. Should I open up the tab?" asked the waitress.

"Not today, Fleetfoot. I'm here for Spitfire," said Rainbow as the girl slid a glass of cider, and she caught it with one hand. "Is she in the back?"

"Ah, she's got you on a special mission then. I'll go get her," smiled Fleetfoot as she left to get her boss.

It wasn't too long as Rainbow stirred her drink and took a sip. At that moment, there was the girl who contacted her earlier. She wasn't alone as next to her was a boy who was the girl's partner.

"Crash, so good you could come," said Spitfire.

"Well, you know money talks. So let's get down to business,"

"Follow us," said Spitfire.

She then began to lead her partner and Rainbow to a secluded part of her guild. She informed Thunderlane and Misty Fly that she was going to be busy and asked not to be disturbed. They nodded as they went back to running the guild and to make sure no one interrupted her secret meeting. The trio now arrived at a table as Fleetfoot brought them some cider as she left her friends to discuss matters.

"So, tell who I got to steal from?" asked Rainbow.

"Simmer down, Crash," stated Spitfire as she poured herself a shot of cider, "That's the good shit."

"This only makes us some decent profits," said Soarin as he took a shot of cider.

"Look, just tell me the details of this mission," stated Rainbow as she was getting a bit impatient.

"Alright then. I need someone to take back what's rightfully mine. If you can fetch me my stuff, I'll give you half of it," said Spitfire.

"Deadass?"

"Deadass," said Soarin, "Even half of the shipment will make us tons of credits. So it's only fair as payment that we give you half of it as a reward."

"This seems too good to be true," said the chromatic girl.

"Look, Rainbow. We admire your skills when it comes to completing the missions and requests at our guild. Hell, you're the reason why we got so much business here. So, consider yourself lucky that we're giving you another special mission." said Soarin.

"Fine then," said the girl as she downed her shot of cider in one gulp and landed it with a thud, "Give me the details."

Spitfire and Soarin then began to inform their friend of the situation. They told her how the ship that was carrying their shipment had been ambushed by some smugglers. They sent out a transmission to them saying that they required a handsome ransom in exchange for the stolen stuff. After both replied saying they wouldn't do it, the smugglers said that they would keep the stuff for themselves. So it came to the pair that they didn't want anybody else to make money off of their stuff and elected that they take it back. However, they needed to keep the business running of their guild that they couldn't get it themselves. This is where Soarin came up with the idea to contact Rainbow.

"This reward better be worth it,"

"Believe me, it will be," said Spitfire.

"And we'll even throw in a free round of cider," said Soarin trying to entice the girl even more.

"You sly son of a bitch," said Rainbow as she hated how Soarin used her one weakness to get her to be on board. "Fine, I'll get your stuff back. But... I'm gonna help."




On Coruscant, two Jedi were at the entrance of the Jedi Temple as they had finished wrapping up their sparring match.

"Not bad, Storm. Keep up and you might actually beat me," snickered Anakin as he was with his pal.

"Beat you? What do you call the other 157 times that I was the one standing over you?" asked Storm to his pal.

"I let you win those so you wouldn't feel as bad." said the boy.

"Ain't that a load of shit," remarked Storm with a smug smile at Anakin's reason for losing. "So, you're going to hang out with Padme?"

"Yup, meeting for lunch. Then spending the rest of the day with her and then a romantic dinner." smiled the boy as he thought of his wife, "You ever think you might find someone?"

"Anakin... we're Jedi. We're not supposed to fall in love. Look, I said from the moment I found out about your relationship with Padme, that I wasn't gonna tell anyone. But also that I support you guys. I get why you fell in love, why you would disobey the Jedi Code. And I'm happy for you, bud. But... I can't go against the Code. Luna would be furious if she found out."

"You think that?" asked Anakin.

"You don't understand. But when I started my training as her Padawan. She told me over and over, the rules and conducts of the Jedi Code. She made it clear that if I was to break a single one of them, she would be furious. I'm not opposed to loving someone, but I can't disobey my master's wishes. Not after she took me in and trained me. Luna is a well-respected and high member of the Jedi Council along with Celestia, Obi-wan, and Master Windu."

"I understand, just know... it's not a bad thing. Sometimes loving someone is a good thing."

"So are the consequences of being in love," replied Storm to Anakin. "Besides, I think it's best you know. When we rescued Padme from the Malevolence, Twilight got suspicious, and she confronted me on how I knew Padme personally. Thought I give you a heads up, I fear she might figure it out. As much as she annoys me from time to time, she's smart. And she's bound to put the pieces together sooner or later."

"You got nothing to worry bud. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention, though," said Anakin as he now left and waved goodbye to his friend.

Storm watched his pal until he disappeared down the stairs as he now turned around. He entered back inside of the temple and was making his way to the training grounds. Just as he opened the door, there stood Twilight.

"Storm."

"Sparky."

Both teens stopped in their tracks. Both looked at each other with serious expressions on their faces. Neither Jedi took their eyes off of the other as they watched the other as if seeing what they might do. After a few moments of silence, Storm now began to walk.

"What's your secret?! What are you hiding?!" shouted Twilight as it got her partner to stop in his tracks.

"What the hell is yours?" countered the boy as he looked at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," stated Twilight crossing her arms and standing her ground.

"Same thing," replied Storm as he now began to walk.

"Tell me, why did you ask that I stay onboard the cruiser while you went with your boys to rescue the Senator? What aren't you telling me?! Answer me, damn it!!!" yelled the girl as she was getting furious.

Storm stopped in his tracks as he clenched his fist. He now turned around as he began to walk towards the girl. Twilight held her ground as her partner approached her. She was taking a few steps back as she soon felt her back against the wall. Storm put his arm out next to Twilight to keep her from escaping as both teens looked at each other. The girl held her expression as it was the same one that the boy in front of her had.

"Why are you uncomfortable with me calling you a princess?" 

"I said, don't ever say that word again!!"

"Why?! Same reason why I asked you were playing with your hair?" said Storm as Twilight let out a small gasp, "Didn't think I forgot? I may be a boy, but I noticed how you looked away when I approached you about the subject. Same thing when I called you a princess when it was no more than just a comment."

Twilight turned her head to the side as she rubbed her arms.

"To think that Celestia's star pupil is hiding something? She isn't the great star student she claims to be. Cause she's got a secret. Does Celestia know? Or are you hiding it from her as well?"

"What about your master?!" countered Twilight.

"I would rather die, than ever let Luna know," responded Storm. "So tell me, princess? Who are you? What are you not telling?" he said while grabbing her chin to look directly at her eyes. He soon let go as Twilight kept the stare.

"I... got nothing to hide," responded Twilight.

Storm then removed his arm from the wall. He then turned to walk away. He did stop for a brief second as he glanced back at Twilight before he left for the training ground. The girl was left clutching her arm with her head down. She couldn't help but let a few tears roll down her face as she fell to her knees. She pulled them into her chest as she leaned against the wall. All she could think of was what she was hiding.

Remember your promise.

"My promise?" said Twilight as those words echoed and haunted her every day.

For the next few hours, Storm was in the training ground. He did give a few pointers to some of the younglings and other Padawans as they appreciated the boy helping them. During this time, he was informed by Luna that she was taking Sark and the men on a mission. He told her that he would be fine by himself as the four of them left. It was slowly starting to become evening as the sun was setting. He had finished as the sweat was shown on his body as he wiped his forehead. He was by the entrance of the temple when he heard something. He looked above as the sight of a familiar ship appeared and landed in front of him. The ramp then extend as the person walking down was someone he hadn't seen in quite some time.

"Hey, Jedi."

"Captain."

The boy now walked as he approached the chromatic girl.

"What are you doing here?" asked Storm.

"Let's say that I'm on a mission. But... I need help." said Rainbow as she quietly said that last part as she hated admitting it.

"You need help?" chuckled Storm.

"Don't say it out loud!" said the girl. "Look, are you gonna lend me a hand or not?"

Before Storm could answer...

"Where do you think you're going?!" shouted Twilight. The girl had wanted to do some star gazing for the night. She had come out of the Jedi Temple when she saw Storm taking with Rainbow.

"Don't you got a book to make out with, Sparky? Or a report that you got to write to kiss Celestia's ass?" 

"Don't speak about my master like that!" shouted Twilight as she approached the duo. 

"Uh, Storm? Who's the girl?" asked Rainbow.

"She's nobody, just my partner."

"Nobody!!" shouted Twilight.

"Partner? I thought you told me Jedi couldn't love som..."

"OH HELL NO!!!" shouted Twilight and Storm in unison.

"As I would ever choose her/him!!" said the two over each other's voice as they pointed.

"Okay then?" said Rainbow with a hesitant tone. "So, you coming along?"

"Anything to get away from the nerd!"

"Don't call me that!!" shouted Twilight as Storm now walked up the ramp. "Storm, get back here! I'm talking to you!" said the girl as she was walking up the ramp as well as Rainbow just shrugged her shoulders.

"You can't just go on any mission without consulting your Master?" said Twilight as she followed her partner to the center of the ship as he sat down.

"Luna's on a mission and left me in charge. Besides, I don't give a shit on what she says about this," said Storm as he crossed his arms with a sly smile.

"Well, I'm telling Master Celestia," said Twilight as she turned to leave.

"You do that, ass kisser. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised cause you practically tell her everything. Look at me, Miss Perfect Student." mocked Storm.

"No, I don't!" said Twilight, "God, I hate you."

"But you're stuck with me," smiled Storm.

"I'm leaving," said the girl.

"Good luck, 'cause we're already in space," said Rainbow.

"What?!" said Twilight. She looked at the bridge and to her surprise, they had left the planet's orbit. Twilight was shocked as it was only a few minutes since she was talking with Storm and that she got on without realizing it.

"Hold on!" said Rainbow as she put the hyperdrive, and the ship zoomed away.

Twilight was still standing when she felt the ship suddenly jerk as the girl fell into Storm's lap as the boy held the girl in his arms. 

"Get your own seat, Sparky," said Storm as he tossed the girl on the floor.

"I'm gonna deal with you when we get back," said Twilight as she began to rub her butt while glaring at her partner.




The ship was traveling through hyperspace as the ship hummed gently. Rainbow was at the control panel as she was doing some final calculations. Storm was in the lounge area doing some maintenance on his lightsaber. Twilight emerged from the back as she saw her partner and glared at him. 

"I honestly can't believe him. Wait till I tell Celestia and Luna about this." said the girl as she now leaned against the panel with her arms crossed.

"What's your deal with the guy?" asked Rainbow.

"He's always on my mind. And I can't get rid of him no matter what," said Twilight as she was looking at the boy. "By the way, I never introduced myself. I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"Rainbow Dash," said the girl shaking her hand, "So what's your relationship with the guy?"

"There's no relationship between the two of us. He's nothing more than my partner,"

"Partner?"

"Our masters put us together to help improve our training."

"Oh, so you're a Jedi also. What's your rank?"

"Jedi Knight. How do you know that Jedi have different ranks?" asked Twilight.

"He told me when we went on our first mission together," said Dash, "So, what's a girl like you doing as a Jedi?"

"It's... well... I have a reason."

"Alright, I understand if you don't want to talk about it," said Rainbow as she began to turn some more dials.

"It's not that I don't, it's just... I don't want to tell him," said Twilight, "Look, I'm sorry that I came aboard your ship. If you want, you can just drop me off at the next planet, and I'll find my way home."

"Yeah, no can do, nerd."

"Don't call me that. I despise that word."

"Alright, egghead."

"Nevermind, nerd is fine," said Twilight as she couldn't believe that there was a word she hated being called even more than 'nerd'. "Just don't tell him that word, he'll make more fun of me."

"I got your back," smiled Rainbow.

"Thanks," smiled Twilight.

"So how much longer?" asked Storm as he approached the girls.

"Ship has to calculate the location of where the merchant ship was ambushed." Rainbow then pushed a button on the ship's panel as the map came up, and it showed a planet. "This where they fled to, the planet Natura."

"By my observations, it's seemed to be mostly grasslands," said Twilight due to the amount of green that covered the planet.

"Well, we still got a ways to go. I'll tell you guys about the mission once we get some rest," said the pilot.

"Sounds good to me," said Storm as he turned to leave through the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Twilight.

"To get away from you, Sparky."

"You can't just walk around someone's ship without their permission!" said Twilight as Storm was long gone as he passed through the door.

"Why am I stuck with him?" stated Twilight as she began to pull at her hair. 

"Well, I'm hitting the hay," said Rainbow as she put the ship on autopilot and began to make her way through the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Twilight.

"Duh, I'm tired."

"What about the ship?" 

"The ship's on autopilot. Plus if there's anything dangerous, the ship sends a loud alarm throughout the vessel. Now come on," gestured Rainbow as Twilight followed the girl through the door.

"Pick whichever room you want," said Rainbow as she led Twilight to the middle of her ship as it appeared much bigger on the inside.

Turns out she was right as there were 7 more rooms on the ship, each with a bed. Rainbow then disappeared into hers as it slid open for her as she pushed a button and closed behind her. Twilight now began to examine the rooms as she was figuring out which one to take. She then looked at the room where Storm was in as he left the door opened. He was sitting on the floor, meditating. 

"I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me." 

Storm then took a deep breath as he concentrated his mind. Twilight made her way into the room undetected by the boy. She then got in a kneeling position in front of him and closed her eyes as she did the same. She then began to speak the saying with her partner.

"There is no emotion,..." started Storm.

"there is peace." finished Twilight.

"There is no ignorance,...

"there is knowledge."

"There is no passion,..."

"there is serenity."

"There is no chaos,...

"there is harmony."

"There is no death,..."

"there is the Force."

Both teens took one final breathe as they opened their eyes and finished their ritual.

"What do you want?" asked Storm as he shifted to a sitting position.

"Can... you just tell me? What's your secret?" asked Twilight as she did the same and looked at her partner. She did want to know what he was hiding.

"Can you tell me why you're offended when I call you princess, or why you're always playing with your hair when you're alone?" asked Storm.

"I... have my reasons," said Twilight looking away.

"Well, so do I, but I ain't telling what they are," said Storm. "Now, unless you want a good night kiss, mind leaving so that I can get some rest?"

"Very well, I'll see you in the morning," said Twilight as she left through the door as it closed behind her. She decided to pick the room next to Storm as she entered.

"What a nerd," said the boy as he soon turned in for the night.




After a well-deserved rest, the trio was getting ready. Well, most of them. Twilight was fast asleep, but she was tossing and turning. Sweat rolled down her face as her mind. The Force was now taking an effect on the girl as she was letting out some screams.

"I promise. I promise I promise!!" shouted Twilight. She was reliving a memory from her past. "It's my duty. I swear!"

"Twilight! Twilight!" shouted a voice.

Twilight now shot up as she was sweating hard. She clutched her head with her hands as she was trying to drown out the Force and what visions it showed her. It was all too much as she could feel her mind breaking. The girl was in so much pain that she didn't realize the person who called out to her was in her room. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Twilight, snap out of it!" shouted Storm.

"Storm?" said the girl as she now looked to her side and saw the boy kneeling in front of her bed. "Is that you?"

"You're having a nightmare. You woke me up," said the boy. Before he could say anything else, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. "Sparky, I said no hu..."

Storm didn't finish that sentence as he heard some sniffles. He looked down to see Twilight crying, he could feel the wetness of her tears as they soaked into his clothes. Her hair was all a mess from the nightmares she dreamed about. Twilight was muttering some words as she tighten her embrace around Storm as if she was afraid that by letting go, the nightmare might come back. Storm raised his arm as he looked to wrap it around the girl but then put it back down as he just stood there, waiting for Twilight to calm down.

It took a while, but Twilight was able to release all the tears she had. The pair made it to the bridge as they saw Rainbow at the control panel.

"What took you two so long?" asked Rainbow.

"You don't want to know," said Storm as he cast a glance at Twilight as he took a seat next to Rainbow, "So, what are the details of this mission, Dash?"

"Believe it or not, this is a favor that I'm doing for a friend. She promised me that not only would I get a free round of cider, but that if recover the stuff that was stolen from her, we keep half of it."

"We're Jedi. We're not bounty hunters!" said Twilight.

"So what are we dealing with?" said Storm as he ignored Twilight's statement.

"So here's the planet, Natura. As the egghead pointed out yesterday, it's nothing but grasslands. However, it's home to some cities scattered all over the place. But the most populated is right here, a vastly metropolitan city." said Rainbow pointed at the map and zooming in.

"Where we're going is here," she touched another part of the planet as it displayed a castle, "Spitfire gave me the details of where the merchant ship was ambushed. The smugglers have taken the stuff and are using this old abandoned castle as their base of operations."

"You have schematics?" asked Twilight.

"Yeah, that... let's say that I didn't have enough money to afford. But she was able to hook me up with something. Here," said Rainbow tossing a device at Storm who looked at it. "She says we if we can get to the main computer room and download the schematics, we should be able to find out where they hid the loot. But that's the trick, getting inside the castle is easier said than done."

"Let me guess, too many guards?" asked Storm.

"Not really, the castle has a lot of traps that were used whenever it was being invaded. The smugglers knew about it and have rewired everything. So if we get past the guards, we'll have to navigate our way to the main control room to just even get a map of the place. And then we don't know what to expect when it comes to rescuing the stolen goods."

"So we're going in blind? I like a challenge," smiled Storm.

The ship now exited out of hyperspace as they were now facing the planet Natura. Rainbow began her descent into the planet's orbit as they entered its atmosphere. True to its name, it was filled with nothing but green. There were some animals they passed by as soon made their way towards their destination. They landed in a nearby forest as the ship was now in park mode.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Twilight.

"I ain't got one."

"What?!" shouted the lavender girl.

"I don't think shit though, I'm more of an action-type person," said Rainbow smiling sheepishly while fidgeting her fingers.

"Then how were you planning to get inside the heavily fortified castle?!" asked Twilight.

"Why do you think I asked Storm to help?"

"Alright, Sparky. If you're so concerned, why do you come up with a plan?"

"Sparky?" said Rainbow.

"It's his stupid nickname he calls me," said Twilight as she crossed her arms.

"It's easier than saying Sparkle," countered Storm as he glared at his partner.

"Look, if we're gonna do this, then we need to come up with a plan. First off, how far away are we from the castle?" asked Twilight.




The place where our heroes were looking was far enough to avoid being seen by anybody from the huge city that was miles away. It was a huge castle that had walls made of concrete and stood at 10 feet tall. So climbing it would be a rather impossible task. The front gate was positioned with guards who were on an hourly rotation. Two gatekeepers stood at the entrance with two more on the castle walls above seeing any danger that might approach. A small moat surrounded the castle to add an extra layer of security. Inside the castle, there was a huge courtyard. Crawling with more guards and a few Separatist droids that the smugglers managed to pay for.

However, just like Rainbow's ship, the inside of the castle was much bigger than it looked. There were nearby stables and sentry guns that were positioned and armed at all times. Several of the guards now entered through a door in the middle as they began to head off in different directions. One turned right as they headed towards the dining area of the place. The other kept going straight as he was heading to the center of the place where some computer screens were on the wall as cameras had been installed to survey the entire place. Cameras in the dungeons, where the owner of the merchant ship was being held, the training grounds, the library, the torture room, the armory. 

All in all, this was a place that was heavily fortified. The trio was on a cliff overlooking the castle through binoculars.

"You call that shit a castle? That's more like a fortress!" said Storm to Rainbow as he took off his binoculars to address the girl.

"Hey, I didn't say what we were expecting. Alright," said Rainbow as she and Storm got up.

"First thing if you want to infiltrate a place is to do recon," said Twilight as this was the first step in her plan.

"So what's the plan, Sparky?"

"Based on the overlay, the only way to go in or out is through the front gate."

"So, what? You want to walk up there and ring the doorbell?" asked Rainbow.

"Funny, but no. See while it may seem that there's only one way in. Understand that castles tend to have hidden passages scattered all about the structure. In the event, that the person needs to make a quick getaway." said Twilight.

"So there's another entrance?" said Storm.

"Preciously, but I can't be sure. So that's our next objective. We need to get inside and find out what it looks like on the inside. That way, the person can let the others in."

"Then tell us, how do we get in?" asked Rainbow.

Twilight put her hand to her chin as she was thinking of her plan to get inside undetected.

One of the guards standing at the gate was keeping a stern look. He and his comrade were just about to switch when a noise caught their attention.

"What was that noise?" asked the guard.

"Ah, it was nothing. Forget about it," said guard #2.

"What if it's someone trying to break in?"

"Look, if you want to investigate it, go right ahead. I ain't leaving my post when we're about to be relieved," said guard #2 as he didn't want to bother with something that might not turn out to be anything.

The guard then began to leave as he left his comrade in search of the noise he heard. He followed the nearby noise as he was being taken to the castle's side. He had his gun aimed in case of any wild animals or someone was nearby. The sound he heard occurred again as he kept on walking. As he got closer and closer, the sound was getting louder and louder as he took a step. He then heard it one final time as he turned his blaster. The weapon was pointed at a small bird who made a peaceful chirp sound as it was bathing in the nearby moat.

"Stupid piece of shit," said the guard as he fired his blaster as it hit the water around the bird which was enough to scare it off. "Get the hell out of here!" shouted the man to the bird as he watched it fly away.

What he failed to realize was the nearby shrubbery, that grew alongside the castle walls. Inside one of the bushes was Storm. He then came out of it slowly as he approached the taller guard. With a chop block and quick cover over the man's mouth to avoid calling for help, he dragged him into the bushes. After several moments, the guard was knocked unconscious as Storm released his grip. He then began the next part of Twilight's plan.

After a few minutes, he was now standing there wearing the uniform of the guard he took out. He made sure to hide his lightsaber and put the sleeves over his communicator to avoid any of the others seeing it. Just as he put the last bit of his disguise on, the other guard came looking for him.

"There you are, did you find what you were so scared of?" asked the man.

Storm cleared his throat as he spoke.

"Nothing but a little bird. Don't worry, I got rid of it," said the boy as he turned around wielding the blaster in his hand.

"Told you, there was nothing to worry about. Now let's go, I'm hungry as hell!" said the guard as he and Storm began to make their way to the castle gate. 

The next rotation of guards relieved the two of their duty as the gate raised and allowed them to enter. Twilight and Rainbow watched the gate close behind Storm through their binoculars as they gave a thumbs up. They now began to move on to the next part of her plan as they headed closer to the castle and awaited the boy's signal.

Once he was inside, Storm now got a good look at the interior as he was shocked. Everywhere you turned, you would see some sort of blaster every five seconds. He then began to follow the guard he was with as they entered through the main door and headed inside. From there, tons more guards and battle droids were walking about.

"Come on, I want to get the good shit before it's all taken," said the guard to Storm as he turned to the corridor that would lead to the dinner area.

"I... just remember, I need to report to the library."

"What for?" asked the guard.

"I was tasked with... organizing... the history section. Says it that there's a book that might lead to something that could be useful for us," said Storm.

"Good luck with that," scoffed the guard as he left the boy.

Storm now began to walk down the middle corridor as he passed some more security. He soon opened a door as he peaked in before closing it. 

"Where is he? You'd think he's been discovered?" asked Rainbow as she and Twilight were in some bushes along the castle walls keeping out of sight.

"Patience, Rainbow. Storm will contact us when he's in the clear."

As if on cue, the girl's comlinks went off.

"Girls, come in, can you hear me?" asked Storm as his voice was muffled.

"Signal's weak from the inside, but we can hear you. What's up? Where are you?" asked Twilight.

"I'm in some sort of broom closet. I'll tell you this right now, this castle is way bigger on the inside. I have a nearby map, and from what I'm seeing, there are three levels to his place." said the boy.

"Three levels?! You were right, this is more of a fortress than a castle," stated Dash.

"Have you found another way for us to get in?" asked Twilight.

"I'm not seeing anything. Seems the only way in is through the front gate."

"Then we're stuck. He's in there with tons of security, and we're out here with no way to get inside," said Dash.

"Storm, are you sure there's no other way to get in? Like some secret passage or maybe a trap door?" asked Twilight as she was worried about her plan.

"I'm telling you, Sparky! I ain't seeing shit!... Wait, I hear something," Storm then put his hand over his comlink as he pressed his ear to the door. He opened it slightly for him to see as there were two droids as they stopped to chat.

"Did you hear about 134?" asked one of the droids.

"No, what happened?" asked the second droid.

"Poor guy managed to get his rebigulator demagnetized," said the first droid.

"Oooh, man. That's gotta hurt." 

"Yeah, I try to stay away from metal... that's not me, I mean."

"You should transfer to the bakery. Nothing but wood and bread in there," said the second droid as the two now left.

"Bakery? Inside of a castle?" said Rainbow over the commlink.

"No, that's it! Storm is the bakery located on the map that you see."

"Yup, it's on the first floor. And based on where I am, it's near the kitchen area." said the boy.

"Then head over to the bakery. Cause if I'm right, then there has to be a storage area where they keep all their ingredients. Maybe there's a way for us to enter through there." said Twilight.

"Copy that, I'm on my way." said the boy as he now left through the door. 

After a few turns and misdirections, Storm had arrived at his destination. 

"Alright, I'm at the place, Sparky. And it smells good," said the boy as his nose detected the smells, "What you in the mood for? Croissants, cinnamon buns, or some biscuits?"

"Maybe you should give the jokes a rest and find a way for us to get in?!" stated Twilight with a stern tone.

"Fine, see I bring you any donuts," replied Storm as he entered inside slowly. 

He noticed one of the guards had been operating the bakery as they were heading over to a nearby cellar. He opened it and descend as the boy quietly follow. Once the person was at the bottom of the stairs, he turned on a light as it lit up the entire room. Storm quickly slid behind the stairs and some barrels as he watched the guard grab a bag of yeast and then head back up.

"Sparky, I'm in the cellar."

"Good, if it's like all other cellars, then there should be a hatch. Do you see it?" asked Twilight.

The Jedi Knight scanned the room hoping to see it. He soon found it on the far side of the room as he approached it. He then opened it up as down below him were Rainbow and Twilight. While he was making his way to the cellar, the girls were looking around the castle walls hoping to find the door that would connect the two. It took a while, but after causing a brick to fall out of place, they began to look for where the bricks weren't held together with cement. They soon revealed a door as they opened it and ventured inside the long path. The girls found the hatch above as Storm had opened it.

"You're right it smells good," said Rainbow as she was pulled up by Storm.

"Told you," smiled Storm as he closed the hatch after Twilight.

"We're in. Do you have the map?" asked Twilight.

Storm pulled it out and placed it on a barrel as all three looked at it.

"So we're here in the bakery. And the main control room is directly above us. We can get there if we use the stairs. But there's no telling how much security we're going to run in." said Storm.

"Not to mention, if we're spotted, every single guard will be on high alert. So let's not draw attention just quite yet," said Twilight. She did cast a glance at Rainbow.

"Why are you looking at me?!" said the girl as she felt personally attacked by Twilight.

After some quick scanning, the trio was now making their way toward the control room as they hoped they could hack into the system to get the location of the goods that were stolen. To their surprise, they not only dodged the cameras but when they got to the door of the office, there was nobody inside.

"Okay, this is weird, aren't there supposed to be at least some guards?" asked Rainbow as she had her blaster in hand.

"Don't let your guard down," said Storm as he had his lightsaber activated.

"Hello, Mr. Computer. My name is Twilight Sparkle," said Twilight as she cracked her knuckles and sat at the terminal. "Let's see just how good their security is. Oh, you guys forgot the latest kernel patch, tsk-tsk," said Twilight as her fingers were going at high speeds as she was having an easy time hacking the servers. "Not even a password, you boys need to upgrade." The screen then gave the girl what she wanted as she connected the device to the keyboard as it was downloading the data. Once it was finished, Twilight then pulled the device out as Storm and Rainbow all gathered around it. The hologram outlay of the place was shown as three blinking dots.

"Seems the goods are scattered all over the castle," said Rainbow.

"The dungeon, the library, and the tower at the top," said Twilight.

"No offense, but trying to get them one by one is gonna take forever."

"Storm's right, I guess... we're gonna need to split up if we're gonna recover those supplies."

"Well, the dungeon is located below us, the library is on the second floor above us, and the tower is on the third floor at the top. So, who gets what?" asked Rainbow as on the map all three dots beeped.




All around, guards roamed about with some droid providing backup. Rainbow was currently crawling on the walkways above trying to make as little noise as possible. After splitting, she had managed to find the stairs that led to the third floor. But she quickly had to climb a column to avoid being detected by ground forces as she had to crawl slowly to not let the enemy know she was here. She soon got to the end of the walkway as there was a door with two droids standing guard. It didn't take long as she shot them in the head, and down they fell.

Rainbow then grabbed an item on the side of one of the droids as she swiped it into the scanner on the door, and it opened up. She then entered as inside were some crates that were sealed tight. They had labels on them that said: Authorized personnel only. Rainbow then noticed a button on the wall as she pushed it. The floor trap that the crates were on now fell through as they were sliding down a pipe.

"Transported goods secure. Awaiting in the loading dock for finalization," said the button.

"Well, mine's done. Time to find the other and locate where the crates are," said Rainbow as she began to find the Jedi while sneaking around and taking out any enemies she came across.

Twilight was on the second floor of the massive castle. Seems she had elected herself to go for the shipment located in the library. Storm just rolled his eyes at how the girl just couldn't keep herself away from any sort of library. Twilight's path was a bit different, seems the guards and the droids all had the same mindset that the shipment located in the library was the one that didn't need much protection.

The Jedi was slipping in through corners and small spaces as she avoided the guards who were constantly doing rotations in the hallways. Not to mention the traps that were located in this area as she was able to slip past them. She then made it down a hallway as she saw the library just down a flight of stairs.

"Is the library a safe place to hold the goods?"

"You bucket head, that's the reason. Whoever looks in the library expecting to find a secret?" said the droid as his companion saw the point being made. "Besides, the library is stupid and boring."

"What did you say?!" shouted Twilight.

"What was that?" asked the first droid. 

They both looked up as they saw Twilight in the air coming down with her lightsaber in hand. It took but two seconds before the girl slashed the droids in half as she had a furious look on her face.

"How dare you speak that way about libraries!" said Twilight as she hated anybody who badmouthed a library. 

She then searched the droid's bodies as she found the keycard. She then swiped it into the scanner, but it didn't open just yet. There was also a computer panel as it seemed it needed a login.

"This is too easy, I can do this with my eyes closed," said Twilight. She then did just that as her fingers kept hacking away at the login as she soon gained access and opened her eyes.

The girl now entered and upon entry, she had her eyes go widen. All around her were tons and tons of literature. It made her feel like she was in her personal heaven. All of these books, all of these pages, begging, calling to her, saying that they wanted to be read.

"So... many... books, I can't..." Twilight was now hyperventilating as she was trying to catch her breath. "Must... read... everything."

"Sparky, I don't need to hear you having an orgasm," said Storm as he wanted to contact his partner at the time she entered.

"Shut up, that's not what I'm doing!" said Twilight as she felt embarrassed by the comment, especially knowing Storm had listened as it got her to turn red.

"Next time you have a private session with yourself, make sure that you're alone. I don't want to hear you making love to books," said Storm.

"I hate you!" said Twilight as she turned off her comlink to avoid any more embarrassing comments from the boy. "Why is he always in my head?" groaned the girl as she thought of her partner.

Twilight then began to search for where the goods would be. Though for her, that proved to be somewhat difficult as she was so tempted to sit down and read. She did manage to find something when she pulled a book that acted as a trigger mechanism. The shelf behind her now began to rotate as the girl saw it open. She then descended into the tunnel as she could see the light at the end. She got there and it was a small room that housed the next set of stolen goods.

"Item secured, now to locate the button," said Twilight. She then saw it on the wall as she pressed it. The same thing that occurred with Rainbow happened as the crates fell down the shoot and into a slide as it closed the door.

"Transported goods secure. Awaiting in the loading dock for finalization."

"All done," said the girl with a smile. "Storm, how's your end coming?"

"Almost made it to the dungeon."

Twilight then heard a noise as she raced back through the tunnel as the door was creaking open. She grabbed her lightsaber and turned it on as she prepared to defend herself. The door slightly open and then a familiar strand of rainbow hair was shown as it got her to relax.

"Found you, Twilight." said Rainbow as she went looking for the others, "Did you locate your shipment?"

"Just finished, it's already being sent to the loading dock."

"Nice, what about Storm?"

"He's about to make it down there, we should get going," said Twilight as the two now left the library.

Two shipments were down, and only one remained. And the last location was located at the lower levels of the castle. And since it was located in the dungeon, it was expected to be the most heavily guarded. And to Storm's instinct, he was right. It had the most traps as the boy had to use his Jedi acrobats to be able to get past them. The entrance to the dungeon was crawling with battle droids all having their fingers on the trigger. No way stealth was an option, and it was one that the boy liked.

"Been itchin' to get in on some action," said Storm as he wasted no time in turning his lightsaber on as a yellow blade came out.

"Blast him!" shouted the droids as they aimed their guns at the Jedi who was racing forward while deflecting the shots. He closed in the gap as he slashed at the droids and their weapons.

He then thrust his hand at the door as it came off and hit several other droids on the other side as they collided against the wall. The Jedi then entered as more shots were being fired. Storm had no problem deflecting the shots as he slashed and hacked away at the droids. He took out the wave of droids as there was one more wave charging at the boy as he rushed in. He did some flips as he landed and spun his blade around him deflecting shots from all angles, once he saw his opening, he thrust his hand out as some of the droids collided with the wall. It didn't take long after that as he managed to get rid of the remaining forces.

Once Storm cut the last enemy into pieces, he now began to walk through the pathway. He passed several cages and prisons as he could see old bones that used to belong to other people that were captured. He walked past some cobwebs as he was following the map that he had in his hands. He was trying to find where the last shipment was located as he soon came to a different holding cell. It looked to be a sort of container that one would hold something either dangerous or of value. Storm put his hand to the door as he was using the Force to see if there were any traps inside. To his surprise, his brain was telling him something else.

He then pushed the button on the panel as the door raised. Smoke came out as it surrounded his feet as the boy entered. It was dark as he couldn't see anything, just as he was about to pull out his lightsaber to produce some light. He felt something wrap around his neck.

"What the hell?!" said the boy as he felt himself being choked out.

Storm felt something on his back as he backed up into the wall hoping to get what it was off. But the thing had an impressive grip as with the collision into the wall, it still had him trapped. He then rolled onto the ground as he was still trapped, but he managed to loosen the hold a bit as he slipped out. He then turned around as he was met with a punch to his face while it was slightly dark. With him being hit, it meant that the thing that jumped him had hands, so he wasn't facing some sort of evil creation, but rather a prisoner.

The shadow then continued to fight as Storm could only see their outline as he engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the darkness. Punches were being traded while dodging as both were trying to gain the upper hand. Storm did a quick sweep in the dark as he managed to trip whoever he was fighting. They fell hard and the boy now got on top of them as they rolled around. He soon found himself on the bottom as the shadow was on top of him and looked to bring its fist down to which he caught it and then pulled in as he slid out of the way. He then got to his feet but was met with an arm drag by the shadow. He recovered quickly as he dodged a punch that was but seconds from connecting as he hit the arm and then appeared behind the person as he was now applying his own sleeper hold.

"I'm not here to fight, I just want..."

BOING!

A strange sound was heard. For Storm, he was shocked as his hand felt something. It was soft and round. The best way to describe it was it felt like he was touching a melon. That momentary distraction allowed the shadow he had in a hold to now fling him forward as he went crashing into nearby barrels as they broke apart. The boy sat up as he rubbed his head when suddenly the lights came on in the room.

"What's going on in here?" asked Twilight as she appeared in the doorway.

"Pervert! Think yer slyer than a rattlesnake in the grass! I'll show you for pullin' a fast one in the dark!" said the person as the voice was rather feminine and had a southern twang to it.

Storm now looked at who said that as he saw who the shadow was. It belonged to a girl who had moderate sap green and hair that was pale, light grayish olive. She wore brilliant gamboge shorts and vest with a white short shirt underneath, brown cowboy boots, and a stetson hat on top of her head. While he was shocked to find out that he'd been fighting a girl, she was anything but pleased at what Storm did to her.

"Any last words before ah pound you in the ground for touchin' me?!" said the girl.

"Applejack?" said Twilight.

"Huh, who's askin'?" said the country gal as she looked up, and her eyes widen at what she saw.

The blonde girl looked at the entrance of the door and gasped. To think not only was she seeing someone she hadn't seen in a long time but that she was standing right in front of her.

"Aj, is that you?"

"Twilight? I don't believe it, I haven't seen you since we were little," smiled the girl at seeing one of her friends from when they were children.

"You know this cowgirl?" asked Storm as he got up.

"Yeah, I do. It's a long story," said Twilight.