//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: The Death Star Fires // Story: Equestria Wars Episode III: Rise of the Equestrian Empire // by sonicdash123 //------------------------------// The Rebel strike team was led out of the bunker by their captors. The surrounding area, which had previously been deserted, was now full of droids, Changelings, and AATs. As the droids marched, a whistle was heard from the undergrowth. Cadence popped her head out of the bush and waved at the Changelings and droids. The Changelings then followed her deep in the swamp and found her and Fluttershy hiding behind a tree. "Freeze," one of the Changelings said. "Don't move." "We surrender," Cadence said. As a Changeling was about to take them prisoner, a band of Ewoks dropped from the trees and clobbered them. An Ewok blew his horn in the trees to sound the attack. A huge group of Ewoks popped out of the bushes and started firing their arrows at the droids and Changelings. Twilight and the group broke away from the squall and darted back to the door. Rainbow frantically punched the code but the door did not open. "The code must've changed," Applejack said. "Move. I'll try to hot wire this thing." "We'll cover you," Twilight said as she fired at the droids heading their way. Cadence and Fluttershy have been hiding behind a log as the battle raged around them. "We need to help the others," Cadence said. "You go," Fluttershy said as she followed the Ewoks. "I'll help the Ewoks with the fight." "Be careful then." Cadence ran to the direction of the bunker as the battle raged on. STAPs darted around, firing at the fuzzy creatures, only to be stopped by boulders dropped from the trees above. The Ewoks readied the catapult and fired at the AAT as it moved past them. When it was hit by boulders, the top gun of the tank turned and fired its main gun. The battle raged on as the tide has started to turn. --------------------- The freighter and other fighters weaved back and forth around the Star Destroyers as they try to draw away the fire from the pursuing droid star fighters. "Watch yourself, Soarin," Spitfire said in her comlink. "Three above." "Black 3, Black 5, pull in" Soarin ordered. "Got it," Black 3 said as he was being chased by droid tri fighters. "Three of them are coming in, twenty eight degrees." "Cut to the right. I'll take the leader." He avoided a droid starfighter and let it crash on the hull of the Star Destroyer. "They're heading for the Super Star Destroyer." Spitfire steered the freighter through a complete flip as her crew fired at the pursuing fighters. "Only the fighters are attacking," Spitfire muttered to herself. "I wonder what those destroyers are waiting for." The fleet of Providence destroyers waited silently some distance from the battle as the droid control ship rested in the center. The admiral stood at the ship's huge window with a fleet commander. "We're in attack position, sir," a droid pilot reported. "Hold here," the admiral said. "We're not going to attack? Why?" "I have orders from the queen herself. She has special plans for them. It is the only way to prevent them from escaping." --------------------- Chrysalis, Sombra, and Charming Thunder watched as the battle raged on. "As you can see, Charming Thunder," the queen said. "Your friends have failed because you are now about to witness the firepower of this operational battle station." She picked up a comlink as she said, "Fire at will, commander." Charming Thunder's mouth opened in shock giant dish on the completed side of the Death Star began to glow. A powerful beam shot out toward the aerial battle, vaporizing a Star Destroyer. --------------------- The freighter was buffeted by flak from the destroyer's explosion. As Spitfire struggled with the controls, the co pilot motioned out the window toward the half-completed battle station. Spitfire's eyes went wide in panic as she grabbed her comlink. "That blast came from the Death Star. That thing is operational. Octavia, did you see that." "We saw it," her voice replied in panic. "All craft, prepare to retreat." “You won't get another chance at this, Admiral,” Spitfire's voice came over. "We have no choice, Spitfire. Our ships cannot repel the firepower of that magnitude." "Twilight will have that shield down. We need to buy them more time." --------------------- Cadence stumbled to the door as Applejack tried to hot wire the door. Pinkie tried to use her blaster to open the door but it deflected back through her mane. Her mane began to smoke as Shining Armor said, "Thats not going to work. Let Applejack do her job." Ewoks flew out of the trees as the tanks opened fire. The Ewoks dropped rocks as they flew on their gliders. --------------------- The Death Star fired again at another Star Destroyer as two Providence destroyers flew towards the fleet. "Yes. I said closer," Spitfire ordered. "Move in as close as you can and engage those cruisers at point blank range." "But at that close range, we won't last long against those Providence destroyers," Octavia warned. “We'll last longer than we will against that Death Star, and we might just take a few of them with us.” The Star Destroyers moved closer to the Providence destroyers firing rapidly at the massive black ships. Tiny fighters zipped around, blasting away as they weaved back and forth. The TIE Hunters used its proton torpedos to fire at the bridge and the destroyer started to crash down to the ground. A squadron of TIE Interceptors was covered with buzz droids as the controls of the interceptor flew towards to the hull of the Providence destroyer and crashes on its hull.