//------------------------------// // Discovery on Dagobah // Story: Star Wars: Discovery on Dagobah // by Creative_Spark //------------------------------// Part 1 Exile Jedi Master Yoda seated himself in one of the Polis Massan escape pods, and began to configure the navicomputer. The children of Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, were now being taken into hiding, and Yoda was going into exile. "Master Yoda?" a voice said from outside of the pod. Yoda looked up from the navicomputer to find Senator Bail Organa standing at the entrance, holding his newly adopted daughter, Leia. "Something you need is there, Senator?" the old Jedi asked. "Yes, where will you go, the Empire will surely be searching the Galaxy for you and Master Kenobi." Senator Organa said. "Where I go no one must know, even my trusted allies, sorry I am Senator." Yoda replied somberly. Senator Organa nodded his understanding, "But what if the Galaxy needs the Jedi once more?" he asked trying to look for a positive. Yoda smiled at this, "Hope I do that soon the day will come, but until then wait I will." he said. Again the Senator Nodded, "Then farewell Master Yoda, I hope to see you again someday, may the Force be with you." he said before stepping back from the entrance. "May the Force be with you." Yoda said in return, before closing the pod's entry door. Yoda locked in the coordinates for the planet Dagobah, the pod was ejected from it's dock and began it's course for Dagobah. *** Part 2 The Guardian's Tale As the escape pod landed and the hatch opened, Yoda got a sense of the planet, it felt cold, dark, and threatening. Yoda descended the ramp, and decided that he should investigate the planet further. Trekking through the swampy terrain, Yoda noted the immense diversity of lifeforms that inhabited this world, taking care to avoid the more dangerous ones. He walked on until he found a small cavern, it felt darker than most areas of the planet, he looked around the surrounding area and saw many stone bricks scattered at the base of the cavern. "Not as abandoned as first I thought is this planet." Yoda said, inspecting the bricks. Yoda looked back at the entrance of the cave, "Hmm, In I must go." he said. As Yoda got closer to the cave he felt another presence. He turned around calmly to find a tall figure standing on four legs. It was white with long, tri-colored flowing hair, adorned in golden jewelry, and bore wings on it's back and a horn on it's head. It was surrounded by an almost otherworldly glow. "Greetings, I am the guardian of this world, I am known as Celestia." It said in a soft, feminine voice. "Hmm, stranger, and more amazing this world becomes to me each moment." Yoda said. "May I ask your name, and what purpose you have for being here?" Celestia asked. "Yoda my name is. In exile I am. A perfect place to hide your planet is." Yoda responded. Celestia nodded, "I see. This planet is more dangerous than you think. It has been corrupted, and stained with the blood of evil ones and innocents alike." She said. "If mind you do not, like to know what happened I would." Yoda said. "Very well." Celestia said. Yoda sat down on a log, and waited for Celestia to tell her story. "Thousands of years ago, this planet was home to many vibrant, thriving societies, but now it is what you see here. It all started with the assassination of my beloved student, and dear friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Her death caused an uproar, my people blamed the other races of this world, but each denied their involvement. Distrust fueled the ordeal, and then the assassination of another came, Princess Cadence. Her death caused her grief-stricken husband to take his own life. War came to the great civilizations, and the world began to fall apart, My sister and I were helpless in the midst of this chaos. Dark entities thought to be sealed away once again took shape, creating more destruction. Eventually my sister and I had no choice, the fighting would never stop and we knew it, but until then we had never thought to resort to what we did. We generated our combined energy to form a massive dispersal across the entire planet that would eradicate all life, including our own, but something went wrong. We lost control, and were spared the death and destruction. The power of the blast drained so much of our energy that would never be able to perform it again. We are forced to live the rest of our lives with the knowledge of what we had done. Time eventually took it's toll on my sister, she went insane twisted by her dark inner-self. She's more monster now than anything else. Do you know our pain now? We created a hell for ourselves, although I suppose we deserve it." Celestia ended her story. Yoda nodded, "A sorrowful tale you have, but correct you are, deserve this you did." he said flatly. Celestia hung her head in shame and guilt, "I never wanted it end the way it did." she said. "Always, can another way be found." Yoda said. "May I ask one thing of you?" Celestia asked. "Ask you may." Yoda replied. "My sister and I cannot take our own lives, or each others. I need you to cleanse my sister of her darkness." Celestia said. "Do this I can, but how I must know." Yoda said. "You must pierce her heart with this blade, it is the only way." Celestia said, producing a golden dagger with a handle made of solid pearl. Yoda took the dagger and a sheath for it appeared. "Know her whereabouts do you?" Yoda asked. "She lives in that cave. Be careful, she is unstable, and can be very dangerous." Celestia said. Yoda nodded and began his descent into the dark cave. *** Part 3 Into the Cave Yoda entered the cave, Celestia watching him. The inside was damp, cold, and musty. The darkness made the cave appear to go on forever. Yoda carefully observed his surroundings as he walked, not wanting to make any encounters with one of the animals that might be lurking in the dark. Eventually Yoda stopped as he became aware of strange blue light. Yoda rounded a bend in the cave following the direction of the light. What Yoda saw as he completed the bend looked like two beings had been sown together to form a monster, and it radiated evil and darkness, but also a sense of loneliness and despair. "Wh-who's there?" it asked timidly with a soft, quivering, female voice. "Fear me you should not, a friend come to help you I am." Yoda said. "He lies, he was sent by your sister." the creature said, this time with a menacing voice. "But maybe he can help me." the softer voice said. "Help you I can, yes." Yoda said "I don't need your help, I want to get off of this slimy mud-hole." the menacing voice said. "Your name may I ask?" Yoda inquired, not addressing the previous statement. "M-my name is Luna." the soft voice said. "I am Nightmare Moon." The menacing voice said. "Did my sister ask you to find me?" Luna asked. "She did." Yoda replied. Nightmare Moon snarled, "I won't let you near me, servant of Celestia." she said. "Be still!" Luna yelled at her other half. "Sent to purge you of your darker half I have been." Yoda said. "Yes, I see you carry her blade." Luna said. "The blade?!" Nightmare moon shrieked. "Yes, I shall finally be rid of you this day." Luna said. "No, I won't let you! I'll kill you!" Nightmare moon screamed, lunging both her and Luna at the Jedi, but they fell short of him. "No, I won't let you harm another!" Luna said. Yoda watched as the two beings of one body fought for control, until they stopped. "Quickly! I can't hold her like this for long." Luna said Yoda took the dagger Celestia Had given him. Using the Force, Yoda hurled the dagger's blade into the chest of Luna and Nightmare Moon. Luna emitted a small gasp, but Nightmare Moon shrieked in pain. Yoda watched as Nightmare Moon's features oozed off Luna's body in the form of an inky black substance that continued to move. Luna took the blade from her chest, and thrust it down into what remained of Nightmare Moon. The black mass writhed, then fell still. The oily mass flattened, and disappeared along with the golden dagger.  Luna fell to her front knees, then she fell to her side.  "Over soon the pain will be." Yoda said.  "I know. My sister will be waiting for you to return, take this." Luna said, producing another dagger similar to Celestia's. Yoda took the Dagger. A moment later, Luna's body began to glow, and her body turned into a dark blue energy, but she retained her shape.  Luna's new form stood up, and began to fade, "Thank you." she said before her body completely disappeared in the shadows. Yoda watched as Luna's form faded into shadow. *** Part 4 End of the Suffering Yoda emerged from the cave, no longer carrying Celestia's dagger, but Luna's now hung on his belt. "It is done then." Celestia said. "Yes." Yoda replied. "Then now it is my turn, I am ready." Celesta said. "Do this I will, but pain it will cause me." Yoda said. "Please, you would be doing me a favor, I have lived too long." Celestia said. Yoda nodded, taking Luna's dagger out and using the force, he sent the blade into her heart. Celestia didn't make a sound as the blade pierced her, but like Luna she now appeared as a mass of golden energy that took the shape of her previous form. Then, as if a gust of wind blew by, her form disappeared in a swirling motion. Yoda, feeling the immense emotional weight of the situation, want back to the escape pod to think about this new development and meditate. There was much to be done in preparation for the future.