Battle With The Imperial Navy
Chapter 20
"The Empire's warships were some of the most frightening sights I ever laid eyes on. Bristling with weapons, enshrouded in an envelop of shielding and armor, and possessing crews that numbered in the tens of thousands, we had been running from them since we first broke atmosphere on Endor. But to face them in battle? Even Princess Celestia confided in me how much she had feared the day we would be forced to engage the might of the Empire's navy.”
-Twilight Sparkle, On Extra-Galactic Voyages, p. 385
Junas guided the small vessel under the sea, following the two starfighters in front of him. Without their ion drives glowing, it was difficult to see where they were headed, but after a few minutes he saw tiny glowing dots arranged in a rectangle. As the ship approached the dots, it became apparent that it was some sort of enormous underwater docking port.
He maneuvered the shuttle through the sea, watching the doors get impossibly big, then suddenly they split apart to reveal a massive undersea complex. As they moved through the electrostatic field which was keeping the water out, the ponies gasped in awe at what the complex contained. Several kilometer-long ancient capital ships were parked in the cavern, with work crews scurrying around them like ants on a watermelon. Between the ships were a large number of fighters and small craft, of all manner of size and type. Work lights and welding torches sparkled as they passed, seemingly with a magical glow. They watched out the cockpit viewports as the fighters guided them through the maze of machinery and starships toward a small patch of barren duracrete near the back of the complex.
Junas had noticed a peculiar blue glow around his ship the moment it entered port, concluding that it was some kind of containment field. Guess they don’t completely trust me yet. He wasn’t about to complain about finally arriving at a Rebel base, however. He had been away from the Alliance for far too long, and it was nice to be in a place he could call home.
As the ship touched down and the metal feet of the landing gear made contact with the deck, the two fighters flew back to their landing zones. The boarding ramp of the Starhound clacked against the metal floor of the hangar, and soon the ponies began disembarking the ship, starting with Rainbow Dash.
Before she had gotten ten inches away from the bottom of the ramp, she and the other ponies heard something that sent a pulse of happiness coursing through their bodies.
“Girls!”
They looked up toward the familiar voice and saw Rarity on a catwalk above their ship.
“Rarity!” they shouted in unison.
The white unicorn shot toward a small lift in the middle of the gantry, and before it even made contact with the ground she leaped off and ran toward the group, embracing all of them in a hug.
All, that is, except for Rainbow Dash, who hung back in shame.
Rarity released her grip on the other ponies and walked timidly toward the blue pegasus. “Rainbow?”
Dash pawed nervously at the deck. “Yeah?”
Without saying a word and before her friend could react, Rarity wrapped her forelegs around Dash’s neck, squeezing tightly. The pegasus was surprised by the sudden emotion, then smiled and immediately returned the hug. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I shouldn’t have said the things I said to you.”
The white unicorn looked at her friend with teary eyes. “I forgive you, Rainbow Dash.”
Before any more could be said, an alert klaxon rang through the hangar, accompanying flashing red warning lights. The ponies looked up as many of the workmen raced toward the ships and any doors they happened to be standing near. “What’s going on?” asked Fluttershy.
A passing technician said, “There’s an enemy contact coming in.”
When Junas heard that, he grabbed the sleeve of the tech to stop him. “Take us to the command center! Now!”
“I can take you there,” said Rarity, then the ponies all followed her toward a turbolift alcove on the wall.
-----
The group burst into the control room just as the communications system was being activated.
“This is the Imperial Star Destroyer Inflexible. We are currently in orbit above your world with our weapons pointed at several key islands. We have reason to believe that a group of equinoid aliens which the Emperor desires greatly is being held by members of the Rebel Alliance.”
Applejack and Fluttershy looked at each other worriedly as Twilight listened to the rest of the message.
“If they are not brought to us via shuttle within the next two hours, we will bombard every island on that miserable world into a lake of molten rock every hour, on the hour, until the entire world is consumed. We will start the clock as soon as this message ends.”
An audible click was heard as the Imperials signed off, then the whole room started to murmur. Captain Sardis held up his hands. “Settle down, people. Settle down.”
He turned and looked at the group of ponies. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to place you in custody until I can determine that this isn’t some kind of Imperial trick.”
“What?!” shouted Junas. “We’ve been chased by the Empire for over a month! We’re lucky that we were able to escape with our lives!”
“And yet you have no evidence to back up such a claim. Our computers have gone through your ship’s log. It’s been sitting on Nar Shaddaa for five years.”
“What about us?” asked Twilight. “We’re obviously not from your galaxy.”
“You showed up here and the Empire came in right behind you. You might be a bunch of brainwashed spies who have been given a drive to find hidden Rebel bases, or you could be innocent. In any case, I’m not going to release you until I’m reasonably sure you’re not Imperials.”
“What?!” Twilight couldn’t believe the paranoia of these people.
He gestured to a pair of guards, who walked up to them and motioned with blasters toward the door. “Please understand,” he said with a hint of regret, “I am only thinking of the safety of my base.”
-----
A light blue glow emitting from the force field at the entrance to the cell cast a depressing color on the ponies, but Twilight was at least grateful that this time they weren’t being forced to build some Imperial base. That thought didn’t stop Rainbow Dash from zooming around the cell and trying to fly through the force field.
“Gah!” she exclaimed at her latest attempt at forcing her way through the field. “We’re never gonna get back home!”
“Easy there, pardner,” said Applejack as she laid on the cot. “We cain’t do anythin’ about our predicament, so why don’cha jes’ sit a spell?”
“Why?” asked Rainbow as she rubbed her head, “So I can be comfortable while I wait for that guy to finally figure out that we’re innocent?”
“That’d be the general idea, yes. And at least then you’d stop tryin’ ta bust through that there field with yer head.”
As Rainbow sank to the floor and crossed her forelegs, Twilight looked up at Junas. “He will eventually discover that we’re telling the truth, right?”
“I’m sure he will eventually,” said Junas as he leaned back against the wall, his arms folded behind his head.
“Whatever the case may be, Twilight,” said Celestia, “We’re finally at a Rebel installation and almost in a position to rescue my sister and your baby dragon.”
“Yeah, but there’s a bigger issue than that.” Junas sat up as the unicorn and the princess listened closer. “I was originally sent to Endor because it was a possible location for the Emperor’s new Death Star.”
“They’re building another one?” asked Twilight, a slight trickle of dread invading her tone.
“Yes, even more powerful than the first one. This one won’t have the exhaust port weakness, and once it’s completed it will spell doom for the Alliance.”
He shook his head. “But there’s nothing I can do about it now. The guard won’t listen to us, and until the captain decides we’re not a threat, we’re stuck here.”
His words hung in the air for a short while as the ponies contemplated the implications of what he was saying. If the Empire was allowed to complete this new Death Star, then they would have an invulnerable weapon which could roam about the galaxy at will, destroying any planets that dared defy the Empire and plunging the galaxy into a state of perpetual fear.
Finally Twilight spoke. “Well regardless of what the Empire is building or doing, we’ve got to find a way to rescue Princess Luna and Spike. The fate of Equestria depends on it.”
-----
Captain Sardis’ disposition was one of a mouse caught in a trap. He knew the ships in the small fleet he oversaw alongside Admiral Garna were no match for an Imperial battle fleet. The enormous freighters whose captains pledged themselves to helping the Alliance were a fine gesture, but he knew that the firepower a single Star Destroyer carried would be enough to wipe out his fleet.
And the Empire had brought in three of them, plus a few minor support vessels that seemed to be window dressing compared to the mile-long behemoths that made up the bulk of the squadron.
But he had a responsibility to ensure that the people under his command were not killed by Imperial forces, and that meant they needed to evacuate the base and meet up with the main fleet.
“Sir, they’re forming a blockade around the planet.”
Sardis walked over to the scanner technician and watched with dismay as the Star Destroyers spread out into an orbit which would keep them pinned down while he and his fleet tried to escape.
Nevertheless, his first priority was evacuation.
“Get everyone to the ships. We’re evacuating this base. And make sure the ponies are on my dreadnaught. I want to keep them handy in case they happen to be telling the truth.”
“Yes, sir.”
The communications officer activated the main intercom and began informing the base personnel of the captain’s intention to leave, and Sardis began planning the route that would take them past the Imperial forces and hopefully toward a hyperspace route to the standard meeting place.
-----
Minutes felt like hours in the confined space of the detention cell that held the ponies captive. And for somepony like Rainbow Dash, places that were this boring were a worse prison than anything the Empire was capable of constructing.
“Oh man,” she said with extreme agitation, “If I don’t get out of this cell soon, I’m gonna start climbin’ the walls!”
They all ignored her, which only served to provoke more complaining. “Don’t you guys understand? I gotta stretch my wings! I’m no good cooped up in a place like this!”
“Rainbow Dash, give it a rest,” said Applejack with annoyance. “We all hate bein’ cooped up in here, but there ain’t nothin’ we can do about it, so ya might as well sit down and stop bein’ such a loud-mouth.”
The blue pony plopped down on the deck with her forelegs crossed, then stuck out her tongue at Applejack and blew a raspberry.
The orange work pony ignored her friend, then asked Junas something that had been bugging her. “Hey Junas, Ah heard that Imperial on the radio talkin’ ‘bout bombarding this place. What the hay was he talkin’ about?”
“Well,” he began, “That’s the standard Imperial procedure for rebellious worlds. They park in orbit and begin firing on the planet. The weapons on a Star Destroyer are powerful enough that within hours they can completely level a planet’s surface, turning it into a radioactive wasteland.”
Applejack let out a low whistle. “Ah sure hope it don’t come ta that.”
“Me, too,” he replied softly.
Suddenly the force field in the entrance to their cell was turned off. The ponies stood up in confusion and alarm, and then a guard stepped from behind the archway and beckoned them. “Come on. We’re evacuating the base. You are to be transferred immediately to one of the escape ships.”
Anxious to get out of the cell, they quickly began following the guard as another armed man stepped up behind them to cover the rear.
-----
The enormous doors to the hangar slowly opened up and spilled brilliant white light into the dark water surrounding the portal. Before they were even fully retracted, ships began pouring out of the hangar: first the starfighter screen, then the patrol boats that could fit in the narrow opening, and finally, once the doors were completely open, the enormous bulk freighters and warships began to float out of the aperture and into the murky water beyond.
Soon they broke the surface, sending enormous sprays of water into the air as the fleet shot up out of the depths and into the atmosphere beyond.
On the bridge of the old Dreadnaught-class vessel which served as their command ship, Captain Sardis paced. He knew this ragtag fleet of civilian ships and ancient military tubs was no match for the awesome power of a mighty Imperial Star Destroyer, but he had no choice except to run the blockade and hope that most of the fleet survived.
Suddenly an alarm sounded on the board to his left. He strode over to the control panel as the operator looked up at him in alarm. “Sir, they’ve got an Interdictor cruiser. She’s got her gravity well projectors warmed up and they’re keeping us in the system.”
Sardis internally cursed, but he kept his composure. “Charge up the main batteries. We’ve got to provide cover for the freighters until they can make it through the blockade.”
The gunner nodded, but as he flipped the switches that activated the laser capacitors, Sardis knew that it would be of little use. Dreadnaughts were fine ships in their day, but against a Star Destroyer they might as well be flying a T-16 Skyhopper.
Nevertheless, he had sworn an oath to protect those in his fleet, especially the civilian pilots, and he would do just that.
Or die trying.
-----
Aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Inflexible, her captain smiled smugly. He was in charge of a powerful warship, more than capable of destroying the approaching Rebel fleet, and he knew that there was little chance that they would make it past his ship. They likely had aliens aboard those ships, which meant that they would have a natural handicap against his superior human-only crew.
Unfortunately, it also meant that he would need to carefully disable their ships before they made it to a hyperpoint, a decidedly tedious task that he personally found beneath him. But he knew his orders, which stated in no uncertain terms that the ponies were to be captured alive. Their intelligence pointed directly at this planet being the location to which the ponies had fled, intelligence that had been gathered from a rather reluctant Comm-Scan operator on Nar Shaddaa. It was a pity that he didn’t survive his interrogation.
No matter, he thought. I will capture these pesky animals and present them to the Emperor personally. I might even get a commendation from the Emperor himself!
His smile widened.
“Captain, the Rebel ships are coming into our sector! Prosecutor and Admonisher are altering their orbits and should be here to reinforce our position in thirty seconds!”
“Good,” he replied. “Destroy the starfighters, but disable the transports. I want those fugitives alive.”
The Weapons Control Officer nodded and then relayed his command to the gunnery bridge, and the captain clasped his hands behind his back. This was going to be as easy as shooting flop-fish in a barrel.
-----
“I’m hit!”
The Y-Wing which was making an attack run on the Interdictor took several direct hits on the engines from an escorting Assassin-class corvette. Its systems failed, and the misfiring propulsion system sent the fighter careening straight into the powerful shields of the Imperial cruiser.
As the fighter-bomber’s debris cooled and spread in the vacuum, its place was taken by a cloud of TIE Fighters and Assault Gunboats which were spewing out of the Star Destroyer and its Escort Carrier and heading toward the Rebel fleet.
The Imperial starfighters spread out into attack elements, drawing the fighters away from their charges so the gunners on board the Star Destroyer could have a clear shot at the freighters.
The powerful weapons on the Imperial battle cruiser tracked several targets at once, first blasting an old CR-90 corvette, then a System Patrol Craft which was trying to make an attack run on the Imperial escorts. The gunners of the Imperial warships were the best in the fleet, but they were having a hard time disabling the Rebel ships. Without a huge number of ion cannons and with the Rebels staying mostly below the upper plane of the Imperial Star Destroyers in order to avoid the massive heavy ion cannons, the gunners were forced to carefully aim the light guns at the freighters and warships in order to knock out their engines without also detonating their reactors. But despite their disadvantage, the Imperials were still scoring hits on the Rebel capital ships, blasting their propulsion systems to atoms.
Aboard the Dreadnaught, Sardis was watching a tactical readout. Fighter after fighter made a run against the Interdictor, each one blinking out like a candle as they tried to get past the ships serving as anti-starfighter platforms. He maintained a stoic attitude. Those pilots knew the risks when they joined the Alliance, and their sacrifice was buying valuable time to get the smaller vessels into hyperspace.
But he knew that that time was still borrowed. The Interdictor was going to keep them all here in the meat grinder as the Star Destroyers pounded their meager fleet to dust.
It was only a matter of time.
He wracked his brain trying to think of a way out of this battle. He had sworn to Mon Mothma herself that he would keep these people safe to the best of his abilities, but that wouldn’t matter if he lost everyone to the Empire, either through turbolaser blasts or interrogation droids.
The aging captain looked at every course of action, eliminating one after another as either ineffective or suicide.
Suddenly a thought occurred to him. He had heard that the ponies in the brig had attacked and defeated a force of Imperial troops on Endor, yet they had had no weapons on them at the time, which meant that they somehow were able to defeat them using their innate abilities. And according to what his scouts had told him about the white one, they were capable of doing magic with their horns.
“Lieutenant, bring those ponies to the bridge immediately.”
The young blonde man standing watch at the blast door saluted, then smartly turned on his heels and ran down the corridor to the turbolift.
-----
Vibrations from stray weapon hits made their way into the brig, sending Fluttershy scurrying under the bed.
“Sounds like the Imps are really trying to keep you guys here,” said Junas with a hint of bitterness.
Suddenly a breathless young officer with corn blonde hair burst into the control room of the brig and talked with the officer in charge. In moments, the force field lowered and the blonde man jogged to their cell. “Come on,” he said, waving them toward the turbolift. “Captain Sardis wants you on the bridge!”
Twilight and Junas looked at each other as Pinkie and Applejack shrugged, then all eight of them followed the young man toward the turbolift. As they galloped across the security foyer, he looked at the small alcove with worry. “I hope we can get all of you in here.”
-----
The turbolift doors hadn’t completely opened before the ponies burst from the small lift car. Rubbing her head, Rainbow Dash looked up at the young officer. “Ya couldn’t have found a bigger elevator?”
He looked at her apologetically as they raced down the short passageway to the bridge and saw the same thing everyone in the control room was looking at: an enormous skirmish between Rebel and Imperial forces, and the Rebels were losing.
Badly.
The small herd of ponies moved toward the captain as he ordered his crewmen about, with the lieutenant in front of them and leading the way. “Sir, the prisoners are on the bridge.”
Sardis turned around and stared at them with a hard expression. “I have little time. We need to get through this fleet, but three ImpStar Deuces are blocking our path. I have heard about your abilities, and I need to know if you can take one of them out.”
The small aliens looked at each other nervously. Finally Celestia spoke up. “We are not warlike by nature, captain.”
“I’m not asking you,” he said with a tone that carried over his seriousness. “I’m telling you. If you have the power to destroy one of their ships, then we stand a chance of forcing them to back off. Blasting one of the ImpStars should send the message that we will not hesitate to blow up the entire fleet if it means our survival.”
Twilight shook her head. “Sir, we can’t be asked to take out their entire fleet! We’re not killers!”
“That wasn’t your attitude on Endor,” he countered.
“That was different—”
“It’s no different,” he snapped impatiently. “That was a wartime condition, as it this, and if you care about your own survival you will destroy one of the Star Destroyers. Now.”
Grimly scowling, he turned his back on them, returning to his command. “I don’t have time to wait,” he said. “If you don’t agree, I’ll put you back in the cell and try to fight my way through this blockade.”
As they considered his words, he glanced back at the ponies. “Please help us. You’re our only hope.”
A moment of silence, pricked by the occasional laser bolt impact, passed between them. Finally Celestia spoke. “We are not weapons for you to order around, captain. However, I see your point. I agree to combine my magic with that of my student, Twilight Sparkle, and attempt to destroy one of their ships. As a show of force. But I can’t promise that I or my student will comply if asked to do it again.”
He nodded. “Get to the hangar bay and put on oxygen masks. We will open a small hole in the shield and maglock for you to fire through, though you must be quick. Vacuum is still dangerous even if you’re wearing a mask, and you’ll only have so long before the air completely evacuates.”
The great alicorn bowed, then led her student toward the turbolift, with the Lieutenant escorting them. Rainbow Dash watched them walk out. “Hey Twilight,” she blurted. The purple unicorn paused and looked over to her friend. “Good luck.”
-----
Clouds of glowing plasma and shimmering debris lit up the hangar in intermittent flashes of destruction, with the turbolift alcove illuminated by a particularly close blast as the lift opened up and admitted Celestia and Twilight. They were followed by a technician who had a small box in his hand.
Standing near the hangar aperture, the two ponies stood by as the tech opened the box, revealing humanoid oxygen masks. He reached to hand them to the two equines, but they telekinetically maneuvered them out of the box and onto their faces before he could grasp them. “These are designed for humans, but they should still fit over your muzzles. There is a two-way radio in each mask. The captain will give you the signal to fire.”
They nodded, then returned their gaze toward the battle in front of them as the technician buckled their safety harnesses to eye bolts inset into the deck, then he made his way toward the turbolift.
The door hissed closed, and then the ponies were completely alone, the cavernous hangar feeling eerily empty.
Teacher and student stood at the aperture, calmly watching the brutal carnage taking place outside the invisible barrier in front of them, the white light of the magnetic field generator casting a sterile glow on the scene. All other illumination was extinguished in an effort to direct as much energy to the guns as possible, leaving them in virtual blackness.
Blasts of energy and flashes of destruction bloomed before them in an eerie silence which contrasted with the devastation of the scene before them. Celestia’s magenta eyes gazed stoically at the battle, seeming to take it all in with a serenity only made possible from millennia of rule. Twilight for her part was handling the situation with a concerned expression on her face, but privately she was wrestling with her own sense of self-doubt. It was said that the problem with the world was that ignorant ponies were full of certainty while the intelligent ones were full of doubt, and that expression couldn’t have been more true in the case of Twilight. What if she and Celestia weren’t capable of generating enough magical potential to penetrate the shields and hull of that Destroyer? What if in opening the shields they unwittingly opened themselves up to the destructive energies being hurled about outside? What if something unforeseen occurred and the plan backfired?
As the seconds ticked by, Twilight watched the stars shift as the dreadnaught maneuvered to point the hangar bay toward the lead Star Destroyer. She swallowed in nervousness, a drop of sweat dripping down and stinging her eye. In her ear she heard the comlink crackle to life.
“Unicorns,” said Sardis, “you have thirty seconds to prepare. We will then open the hangar shield, after which you will have approximately 45 seconds before the air in the hangar completely evacuates.” His voice lowered to a grave timbre. “You two have only one shot at this. If you cannot destroy the Star Destroyer, we will be forced to engage them directly, and I don’t have to tell you that a run against three Star Destroyers of that size is sheer suicide.”
“We understand, sir,” replied Twilight.
“Good luck.”
With that, the comlink went dead, returning them to a world of silence.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Celestia and Twilight waited for the bridge crew to reorient the shields and open a hole in them.
Finally, the comlink sputtered to life again. “Ponies, prepare for shield drop.”
Twilight braced herself against the coming rush of atmosphere.
“Three . . . two . . . one . . . drop.”
Instantly the serene hangar bay transformed into a hurricane as a hole opened in the invisible force field before them. Air rushed past at incredible speed as the near-absolute vacuum pulled on it, the roar threatening to deafen the alicorn and her student.
Struggling to open her eyes, Twilight saw that the ship had stopped turning, and before them was the gargantuan, wedge-shaped Imperial Star Destroyer they were sent to destroy.
She was hesitant. Thousands of people crewed those vessels, and despite their status as enemies, the violet unicorn still felt extremely guilty about the task that was set before them. But she knew that this show of force was the only option besides confronting the Empire directly, and for all her wisdom and intelligence she could find no alternative to obliterating the massive man-o-war to force the Empire to withdraw.
She looked up at Celestia, who glanced down on her student. “Are you ready, Twilight?”
She nodded.
Immediately both unicorns started charging a spell. It was not an especially difficult one, just a burst of raw magical energy, magnified to the limits of their ability to control. Soon the charges had built up to their fullest potential in the form of blindingly bright spheres of energy that clung to the tips of their horns. The light from their magical energies lit up the hangar like the surface of the sun, leaving no corner in shadow.
Just when Twilight thought she could bear the heat from her charging spell no longer, Celestia uttered a single command: “Fire.”
The spheres of light on their horn tips seemed to compress for a moment, then suddenly the magic lashed out, twin bright beams of purple and gold energy violently ripping through space at incredible speed toward the Imperial Star Destroyer.
Within seconds the beams impacted the Destroyer’s shields, and for just a moment it seemed as though the invisible energy barriers would hold.
The magic of their beams played on the hull, causing ripples of energy to cascade over the surface of the shield. A bead of sweat trickled down Twilight’s brow as she watched the spectacle, fearing that they would fail and the Empire would come back with a vengeance.
Then suddenly the shield collapsed.
The destructive potential of the magical energy was unleashed directly upon the hull, ripping through the neutronium-impregnated armor plating and underlying structure as though it were constructed from tissue paper. The energies ricocheted throughout the interior, carving it up like a roast turkey, and soon found their way into the vast chamber in which the gargantuan starship’s main reactor core resided.
The armor surrounding the ship’s main power supply buckled, and the energy of a thousand suns was suddenly released, blowing through the remainder of the ship in a titanic blast which ripped the behemoth to a thousand glittering pieces, the resulting shrapnel consuming the starfighter screen and several small corvettes in escort formation.
The battlefield suddenly went silent in an instant as pilots and soldiers on both sides of the war paused in awe and terror at the sight of one of the Empire’s premier warships being utterly obliterated in an instant by the ponies.
As the light from their blast died down and the hangar took on the former darkened atmosphere, Twilight and Celestia breathed a tremendous sigh of relief, saddened that they had once again been forced to use their powers to kill, but relieved that their task was done.
Now it was time to see if their attack had the intended effect.
-----
On the bridge of the dreadnaught, Captain Sardis was staring at the viewport with a slack jaw. He had just seen something he would have thought impossible: an Imperial-class Star Destroyer blown apart in a single blast. Clearly these ponies were a force to be reckoned with.
As he composed himself, he heard the door to the turbolift open. He glanced behind him to see Twilight and Celestia walking calmly toward him, their horns slightly darkened from the blast they unleashed on the Star Destroyer. Their pony friends, who had been sitting in the corner of the bridge, watched their ruler and their friend walk by.
“Captain,” said Celestia serenely, “my I speak with the captains of the remaining Star Destroyers?”
He nodded, then gestured to his communications officer. The Sullustan at the controls of the communications board flipped several switches and then punched a frequency into the computer. “You’re on.”
Celestia quickly put on her best regal posture, then spoke. “Captains of the Imperial battle fleet, I am Princess Celestia of the planet Equi and the sovereign country of Equestria, home of the species known as Little Ponies. Several of us were transported to your universe through a magical accident. When we arrived in your galaxy, we were enslaved and treated as though we were inferior. You can see from the destruction we are capable of that we are not.”
She paused to let her words sink in, then continued.
“You all have a choice. Either stay and risk the further destruction of your fleet, or else flee and live. I would think carefully before testing us any further. We are powerful, and we will destroy you.”
She nodded at the communications officer, who cut the transmission, and then all the people on the bridge waited tensely as the Imperial captains processed the message that Celestia had transmitted.
For an eternity, they watched as the two remaining Imperial-class Star Destroyers sat in space, with their escorts sitting alongside them like a pair of wolves and their pups.
Twilight held her breath.
Finally, after an agonizing wait, the bridge crew watched in disbelief as the two monstrous Star Destroyers rotated, then their engines flared as they escaped into hyperspace. The tenders and corvettes that had accompanied them collected the remaining TIE Fighters, then jumped as well.
After the last starship jumped to hyperspace, the bridge crew all cheered, the relief from the battle’s conclusion suddenly being released. Rainbow Dash swooped up and clasped her forelegs around Twilight. “Twilight, that was truly awesome!”
“You were fantastic, darling!” exclaimed Rarity.
“That was super-cool! Didja see that big ship blow up! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it! I mean, maybe once when—”
“Pinkie!” they all shouted in unison.
“Sorry,” she said with a sheepish smile.
Captain Sardis walked over to Princess Celestia, a huge smile on his rough, scarred face. “You two did good. All enemy ships have retreated and we’re free to join up with the Rebel fleet.”
“I’m thankful that we weren’t required to use our powers like that again,” replied Celestia in her usual serene voice.
“So am I,” he said. Then as he turned back to his bridge crew, who were sitting or standing at their stations and watching him with ecstatic grins, he gave the command. “All craft, prepare to jump into hyperspace on my mark.”
As he waited for the other ships to signal their readiness, the ponies all fell into a warm embrace, with Junas and Celestia watching.
“It really makes it all worth it to see friends reunited,” said the human. “I don’t always get to see my own friends return from their missions, but as long as I remember what it is I’m fighting for, it’s worth all the heartache.”
“Yes,” agreed Celestia. “I do not approve of utilizing deadly force and don’t enjoy killing Imperials, but I do think that what your Rebellion is doing is the right thing. I had my doubts about you and this universe, but I think that as long as love and friendship still exist within it, it is most definitely worth saving.”
He smiled at her, then looked at the ponies, who were standing on the bridge, talking to one another.
Without knowing how he knew, he got the feeling that they would eventually triumph over the Empire, and what’s more, they would rescue Princess Luna and Spike from the clutches of Emperor Palpatine.
Then suddenly the captain gave the order, and soon the ship was enveloped in the blue blanket of hyperspace.
-----
Captain Harkess of the Imperial Star Destroyer Prosecutor was sweating bullets as his ship dropped out of hyperspace.
He had been given explicit instructions by Darth Vader personally to oversee the capture of the ponies, and he had failed in his mission. He knew that when the dark lord was on a personal vendetta mistakes had a zero-tolerance policy, and now that the ship had moved out of lightspeed and was able to open communications, he had to make an official report directly to him. But perhaps he would catch Lord Vader in a good mood.
That is, if he ever had one.
He walked along the catwalk that oversaw the two crew pits on the bridge of his ship and headed back toward the holographic communications console. As if he had been waiting for the officer to begin his report, the shimmering image of Darth Vader faded into view right when he stepped in front of the control panel.
“L-lord Vader!”
The ghostly image seemed to stare directly into his soul. “I trust that you have had enough time to fulfill your mission.”
He nervously tugged at his uniform’s collar. “My lord, I’m afraid that the equines were able to destroy one of our Star Destroyers instantaneously, and in the interests of protecting my crew and the crews of all the other ships in the squadron, I elected to flee the area and regroup.”
No sound was made as the dark lord processed what he had just heard. Then suddenly an invisible hand closed around the captain’s neck. He fought to breathe, and as the last vestiges of his life faded from his body, he heard Vader promoting his subordinate to the position of captain.
-----
Somewhere in the Wild Space region of the galaxy, near a peculiar double-pulsar, a Rebel fleet floated lazily through space. If one had not known they were Rebels, one might have assumed that they were a floating museum of old and outdated starship designs, with patched-together starfighters patrolling the space between them like decrepit moths amongst a flock of elderly eagles.
The serenity was broken as the Bestinian Rebel cell burst from hyperspace, causing a momentary panic, but the Alliance leaders onboard the flagship, Home One, knew better than to simply destroy a target indiscriminately.
After much finagling, Junas was able to convince Captain Sardis to allow him to fly a shuttle with the ponies to the flagship, and as soon as he docked he was greeted by a throng of people wanting to meet the ponies, who were surprised by Rainbow Dash swooping through the hatch of the shuttle and flying into the air.
“Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight with a hint of irritation, “quit showing off!”
The blue pegasus flew down and landed next to the unicorn, a wry smile on her face. “Aw, c’mon, egghead. These people have never seen a pegasus before, and wouldn’t you know it, the very first one they happen to meet is the most awesomest pegasus pony in Equestria.”
Twilight rolled her eyes at that irritating nickname.
“Yeah,” said Applejack. “Too bad it wasn’t the humblest pegasus pony in Equestria.”
The blue pegasus rolled her eyes at Applejack as Pinkie Pie popped out of the hatch and started going from alien to alien. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! You guys must be the Rebels! OOohh! I’ve heard so much about you! Do you guys like parties?” The breathless introduction left many of the crew of the flagship a bit dazzled.
Fluttershy and Rarity were the next to arrive, followed by Junas and Princess Celestia. As they all reached the bottom of the boarding ramp, they were greeted by the sight of a Mon Calamari standing in front of them, his walleyed gaze fixed on the group of ponies. Twilight wasn’t familiar with Rebel rank insignia, but judging by the way he carried himself he was someone of extreme importance. He walked up to Celestia and held out a flipper.
“Welcome to the Alliance flagship, Home One. I am Admiral Ackbar, and I must say, your reputation is quite remarkable. The ability of a single individual to destroy an entire Star Destroyer in one blast is something I haven’t seen or heard the likes of in all my days.”
Celestia bowed, then held out a hoof, which the admiral took and gently kissed. “I thank you sincerely for giving us sanctuary.”
He returned her bow, and then turned to Junas. “And you must be the human scout who rescued these ponies from the Empire.”
The man shrugged sheepishly. “Sir, I was just doing what any good Rebel would do.”
“As well you should have,” replied the admiral with a grin. “You’re a great example of bravery and selflessness.”
“Thank you sir,” said Junas. “There is something I need to discuss with you immediately.”
The admiral cocked his head slightly. “And what might that be?”
“It’s in regard to the new Death Star.”
Instantly the hangar dropped to a deathly silence at the mention of the Empire’s new superweapon.
“I was sent as an advanced scouting force to find the location of the battle station. Well, it so happens that it sits in orbit above the sanctuary moon of Endor. It was still under construction a month ago when we escaped the Empire.”
The Rebels began looking at one another nervously, with Ackbar nodding in understanding. “Then we must prepare a strike immediately.” He leaned closer and put a flipper on Junas and Celestia’s shoulders. “But first, I think you two need to get some well-deserved rest from your travels.”
The ponies all smiled gratefully, then followed one of the protocol droids toward their new accommodations aboard the Mon Calamari cruiser.
-----
Many thousands of lightyears away, another sort of meeting was taking place.
Light shone through an enormous spider-web window into the dark chamber that was the Emperor’s throne room aboard the Death Star. Attending Star Destroyers were patrolling nearby, and intermittently a flight of TIE Fighters would swoop past the window, tirelessly patrolling the space around the tower upon which the throne room was built. Their small size seemed to be mere window dressing for the hundreds of turbolaser towers that peppered the hull of the Death Star around the throne room, each one capable of tracking even starfighters with ease. But their destructive potential was insignificant compared to the true power which the being in the room wielded.
Sitting in his chair, Palpatine watched out the window, grinning wickedly at all he had built and the thought that soon he would have the Rebel Alliance right where he wanted it. The cogs he had set in place were in motion, turning ever so slowly and aligning themselves, and once everything was in place he would release the catch, trapping the Rebels like the insignificant rodents they were. He had foreseen this apex of destiny since before he was even a senator for Naboo, and would see this plan through to the end, for once the opposition to his rule was eradicated, he would be the sole wielder of power in the galaxy. As he reveled in euphoria, he suddenly felt a presence in the room, besides that of his guards.
“Rise, my friend,” he said without turning to see Vader kneeling before him. The Dark Lord of the Sith rose from his knee and stood before the throne. The old man sitting in the throne looked a thousand years old to Vader, but he knew that this was merely his physical form, and that the man inside was just as potent now as he was in the days before the rise of the Empire.
“My master,” he began, “I have just received word that the equine creatures have escaped us. I have dealt with the failure of my men personally, but we must resume our search for them.”
The man in the throne spoke. “I sense that you have more pressing concerns about this battle, Lord Vader.”
“Yes, my master,” replied the dark lord. “I have personally examined the flight recorder data from the battle, and it seems that the equines were able to completely destroy one of the Star Destroyers sent to capture them.”
“Excellent,” said Palpatine with relish. “They are far more powerful than even I had anticipated.”
Vader hesitantly replied, “Will this not be a danger to us, my master?”
The black throne rotated, causing Vader to straighten up instinctively, and Palpatine looked at him with an expression that Vader was unable to read. “Do you doubt my power?”
“No, my master.”
“Then your concern is unfounded, my friend,” said Palpatine with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “These creatures will no doubt prove instrumental in the destruction of the Rebel Alliance.”
He rotated his chair back to face the window. “From my own interrogation of that tiny dragon, I have found that these ponies have capabilities that will be useful to me. The earth-ponies are capable of controlling life, the pegasi capable of controlling weather, and most interestingly the unicorns are capable of controlling magical forces. And what’s more, they are capable of doing this naturally, from birth.”
Vader was beginning to see what his master was planning.
“We will use the cloning technology found on Kamino as well as Spaarti cloning cylinders to create the most formidable army the galaxy has ever seen.”
A pause.
“But we must not fail to capture them, my apprentice. They are more dangerous than even the son of Skywalker.”
“Yes, my master.”
“Do not be concerned,” said Palpatine. “Soon the Rebellion will be crushed, young Skywalker will be one of us, and I will have a fighting force that will rival even the Sith armies of old. Go out to the command ship and await my orders.”
“Yes, my master.” Vader bowed, then turned and headed toward the door. He was concerned about whether his master was able to do all of this. Any being capable of generating enough raw energy to destroy an Imperial Star Destroyer was a force to be reckoned with.
But then again, Palpatine did manage to not only usurp the Chancellorship, but create his own galaxy-spanning Empire in the process. And that was nothing compared to the fact that he had personally dispatched four of the greatest Jedi who ever lived when they tried to arrest him for treason against the Republic, his blade felling them as easily as if they were mere padawans.
Vader smiled under his mask, the scarred tissue around his mouth protesting. He knew how great and powerful his master was.
And he knew he would not fail.
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AWSOME CHAPTER! I loving the Emperor's plan! Will we now get to see some of the mane (See what I did there) Star Wars heroes now like Luke and Leia since everything is coming to a head.
2814052 Thanks!
Yeah, you're going to see some of the heroes of the Rebellion in the next few chapters. Not just Luke, Han, Chewie, Leia, Artoo and Threepio, either.
2822943 lol when i saw "artoo and threepio" i just stared and thought who the fuck are they for about a minute before facepalming at my stupidity
2822943 AWSOME!:
Also although I don't know how it would work but you could probably think of something. Is there as small chance we might see a certain blue skinned alien with red eyes black greasy hair wearing a white Grand Admiral's uniform by the name of Thrawn make an appearance.
2830204
2833575 Unfortunately Thrawn is still in hiding at this point in the Star Wars timeline. He doesn't surface until way after the Battle of Endor. But I have one or two other EU characters I'm including, such as a certain CorSec pilot with a green X-Wing and R2 unit.
EDIT: maybe not. I just remembered that he's not a part of the New Republic for quite a while after the end of RotJ, either.
One way or another, I'll be including some cool EU characters, providing they fit within the established timeline.
2835251 Awesome!
Part of me can't wait for the final confrontation with the Emperor, for some reason I want Twilight to have interaction with the Emperor's Royal Guards just because of Shining Armor being a captain of Celestia's royal guard. Oh that's makes me wonder who would win in a fight Celestia's Guard of Palpatine's Guards. (Either way I'm rooting for the red guards. GO EMPIRE!)
I never thought I'd see the day where Iwould be reading fanfictions at 5:00 am about an Evil Galactic Emperor with magic powers planning to create an army of Ponies from My Little Pony
It's a trap
Are you fucking serious? This is literally prioritising one nation of ponies over the lives of trillions of other people and planets.
He did not order you or treat you like weapons at all.
Then you can die knowing you chose to let your subjects be killed because of your ego. You must be so proud of yourself. These people are dying to protect everyone in the fleet, including you and your subjects, and you would deny them the help they need to not only survive but to ensure your survival, too? Then you are not worth their sacrifice and they should not waste their time and resources helping you once you ask for their help returning home.
As for what Celestia said about not approving of deadly force, if she won't when it is needed, then she does not deserve to survive and has betrayed her subjects through inaction. I don't think Celestia knows that the Imperial forces are primarily clone stormtroopers and army conscripts recruited at gunpoint. Part of the reason aliens donkt hold the Empire's actions against humanity is, in my opinion, partly due to them watching their human neightbors be forcibly "recruited" by clone troopers.