Magic and the Force
Chapter 22
“The ponies of Equestria are unique in that they each have a special connection to the world through magic, and of the three pony races I believe it's fair to say that none of them can use magic like the unicorns can. Pegasi and Earth Ponies alike have their own brand of magic, but unicorns are unique in that they can directly control it. However, I never imagined that magic itself was but a part of an even broader and deeper ether that connects all of space and time. This ether is known to the Jedi simply as the Force.”
-Twilight Sparkle, On Extra-Galactic Voyages, p. 773
Thunder rolled as lightning periodically illuminated the black night sky on Dagobah. The swampy, marshy world was not a popular destination; most crews which landed there were usually eaten by the local wildlife. But on this particular night a small ship was parked on a rare patch of solid ground which the pilot was fortunate enough to find. This ship, a T-65 X-wing fighter, belonged to Luke Skywalker, hero of the Rebellion and Jedi Knight, and at the moment R2-D2 was sitting beneath the wing, doing maintenance on the craft and mumbling to himself.
The droid was performing basic diagnostics on the forward landing gear, and was having a hard time concentrating on his work. He wanted to know what was going on in the small hut which was not ten meters from where the X-wing was parked. He tried to use his sensorscope to see into the window, but his master, Luke, was not in a position that would allow R2's sensor to detect him.
If he had, he might have seen Luke sitting next to a small bed, no longer than a meter in length, a pensive, worried look on his face. The concern came from the sight of the small creature before him.
Yoda, the ancient Jedi Master, one of the founding members and survivors of the Jedi Council, was slowly shuffling toward a fire pit in the middle of his small hut. The glow of the fire washed over the old master's face, highlighting the wrinkles and paleness of his green skin. Most concerning to Luke was the lack of energy, as though the life were draining from him. “That face you make,” said Yoda without turning around, “Look I so old to young eyes?”
“No,” Luke quickly interjected. He wasn't going to insult his master by commenting on his looks, nor was he going to succumb to a shallow mindset. He was a Jedi, so he was above such things as that. “Of course not.”
“I do,” replied Yoda, a suppressed cough interrupting him. “Yes I do.”
Luke hung his head momentarily.
“Sick have I become,” continued Yoda. “Old and weak.” There was a hint of regret in the old master's voice, which Luke clearly heard. There was once power in this being, great power that was capable of directly challenging the Emperor himself if he so chose. Now that power, that life, was fleeing, and both of them knew it.
“When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not! Hmm?” The comment elicited a small grin from Luke, but the coughing fit that followed it reminded him how grave the situation truly was for his teacher. “Twilight is upon me,” said the creature as Luke helped him get into his bed, “and soon light must fall. That is the way of things . . . the way of the Force.”
The truth of those words hit Luke like a sledgehammer. Yoda was going to die. As he had intoned, it was a natural part of all living things, but that made the simple fact of his master's mortality no less painful to bear. “But I need your help. I've come back to complete the training.”
“No more training do you require,” replied Yoda. “Already know you that what you need.”
Luke's breath left him. “Then I am a Jedi.”
“Oh!” said Yoda, his voice giving way to another coughing fit. “Not yet. One thing remains . . . Vader. You must confront Vader. Then – only then – a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will.”
With that, Yoda rolled over and pulled his bedclothes closer to his body. But Luke still had something he wished to ask. “Master Yoda,” he began, almost afraid to say what was on his mind. “Is Darth Vader my father?”
The old master didn't answer immediately. “Rest I need. Yes. Rest.”
Luke could tell that he was hiding something.“Yoda, I must know.”
An eternity went by without a word being uttered, but finally Yoda spoke: “Your father he is.”
Lightning seemed to course through Luke as the shock of the confirmation hit him fully. He had hoped it was all a lie, a horrible untruth that Vader was using to tear him apart. How could he be the son of such a monster as Darth Vader?
“Told you did he?”
Luke nodded gravely. “Yes.”
The tiny green master closed his eyes. “Unexpected this is. And unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate that I know the truth?” asked Luke bitterly.
“No,” replied Yoda as he rolled over to face his apprentice. “Unfortunate that you rushed to face him. That incomplete was your training. That not ready for the burden were you.”
“I'm sorry,” said Luke.
“Remember: a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. And beware . . . anger, fear aggression. The Dark Side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Luke . . . do not . . .”
Luke leaned closer.
“Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor . . . or suffer your father's fate you will. Luke, when gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be. Luke, sense the other presences in the Force, do you?”
This question was a surprise to the Jedi student. He had felt the eight ripples in the Force many weeks before, during his training period. He hadn't mentioned it, because he felt that Yoda would have brought it up were it important. “Yes, master.”
“Important to the fate of the galaxy are they. Also important . . . your family is. Strong in the Force it is. Pass on . . . what you have learned. Luke . . .” The pain of death was becoming unbearable to the ancient Jedi.
“There is . . . another . . . Skywalker . . .”
With that last breath, Yoda faltered, then his spirit left him. The man at his side felt a giant weight fall on his shoulders at that moment. He had been given a great command, to restore the glory of the Jedi. As the thought of this responsibility hit him with full force, he saw Yoda's body fade from sight, becoming one with the Force.
As he walked through the marsh and passed under the wing of his starfighter, he saw the light from the fireplace in Yoda's hut fade, seeming to symbolize the passing of one of the galaxy's last great lights from this existence. Luke bent down next to R2. He felt as though he were cast into an ocean, adrift with no rudder or sail. “I can't do it, Artoo,” he said with melancholy. The small machine emitted an inquisitive note. “I can't go on alone.”
“Yoda will always be with you.”
Luke turned in the direction of the voice. “Obi-Wan.”
An apparition floated through the mists, and coalesced into the spirit of his first master. It walked, ghostlike, toward a small clearing and stood, expectantly. Luke cast his memory back many years ago, when he first learned of the Force from the old man in the desert of his home planet. Obi-Wan Kenobi had taught him about this energy field which was created by all living things, then revealed to him that his father, who had been dead since he was a small child, was killed by one of the greatest villains in the galaxy: Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. Luke's blood had boiled and his hatred for the Sith Lord grew until he had confronted him at Cloud City. A furious lightsaber battle had ensued, resulting in Luke losing his right hand and learning a terrible truth: that Darth Vader was really his father.
It had to be a lie, and Luke assumed as much, but Yoda had just confirmed that Vader had been telling the truth. And now, he was standing in front of the spirit of the man who had told him that Vader had killed his father.
“Why didn't you tell me?” he demanded as he stepped under the laser cannons and walked toward the ghost. “You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.”
“Your father was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force,” replied Obi-Wan. “He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed.”
Kenobi paused. “So what I told you was true. From a certain point of view.”
“A certain point of view?” repeated Luke incredulously.
“Luke,” said Obi-Wan with the exasperation only a teacher can properly express, “you're going to find that many of the truths that we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. Anakin was a good friend.”
The old master smiled as he remembered happier times. “When I first knew him, your father was already a great pilot, but I was amazed at how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda.” A hint of regret slipped into his voice. “I was wrong.”
“There is still good in him,” insisted Luke.
“He's more machine now than man,” replied Obi-Wan bitterly. “Twisted and evil.”
The young student shook his head. “I can't do it, Ben.”
“You cannot escape your destiny. You must face Darth Vader again.”
“I can't kill my own father.”
Obi-Wan breathed in and let it out slowly and sadly. “Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope.”
“What about the presences in the Force? I felt that one of them will prove important soon.”
“They are not meant to be here, Luke. Their presence here will not affect what is to come. Only you can do that.”
Luke nodded, then another thought occurred to him. “Yoda spoke of another.”
“The other he spoke of is your twin sister.”
“But I have no sister.”
Obi-Wan nodded thoughtfully. “To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous.”
The young student of the Force suddenly realized exactly who his master was talking about. The answer was so obvious. He had felt her presence many times, and the familiarity with her had always confused him because he never considered kinship to be the reason. But now it was all so clear.
“Leia,” he said. “Leia is my sister!”
“Your insight serves you well,” replied Obi-Wan, then he leaned in. “Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor.”
-----
Leia Organa, former princess of Alderaan, stood watching two of the ponies competing with one another in the gym. As she watched, she marveled at how such tiny creatures could survive so long on their own against the tyranny of the Empire. Their story had touched her, because it reminded her of so many she had heard as a leader of the Rebel Alliance. The Mon Calamari, the Wookies, the Aqualish . . . they all had similar tales of Imperial authorities swooping in and enslaving them, then escaping to join the Alliance's fight for freedom.
But these ponies were different. They came from another galaxy entirely, and there was something about them that intrigued her. They weren't like any alien she'd ever come across before. Their kinship was unshakeable, and from what she'd understood after talking with their leader, this was something which permeated their entire society. Yes, some species like the Camaas were naturally peaceful and detested violence, but the ponies seemed to behave more like humans in their way of thinking, and this made their connection that much more impressive.
As she leaned against the wall, her arms crossed against her tan tunic and her brown hair braided and pinned into a bun, she noticed a presence to her right. She turned and looked at the man who had walked up next to her. “They're really something, aren't they Captain Antilles?”
The black-haired Corellian, Wedge Antilles, nodded. “I'd heard about them through several channels. I still can't believe they survived five weeks against the Empire.”
“Neither can I. But I'm glad they were able to make it to Bestine.”
Wedge rubbed his chin. “I kind of wish I'd gotten to the blue one before Crynyd. I've heard she is as good as Luke.”
Leia smiled at him, then went back to watching the two ponies, marveling that they had kept up their workout this long. They had been doing pushups for several minutes, and she would have thought they would have stopped by now. But they kept at it, the orange one keeping count.
“Eighty-nine . . . Ninety . . . Ninety-one . . .”
Their counting continued, the strain evident on their faces and in Applejack's tense speech.
“Ninety-three . . . ninety-four . . . ninety-five . . .”
The counting slowed, but the two ponies kept at it.
“Ninety-seven . . . ninety-eight . . . ninety-nine . . . one hundred!”
As soon as the syllable left her lips, Rainbow Dash shot into the air. “I won!”
“No,” retorted Applejack. “We tied!”
“What?!” Dash swooped down and got in her friend's face. “How do you figure?”
“Because we finished at the same time and both made it through the whole set!”
Rainbow opened her mouth to rebut, but then she realized Applejack was right. “Okay. Next time, I bet I'll beat you by ten.”
The orange work-pony smiled. “You're on, Dash.”
As they turned to leave, they were met by the sight of a large group of men and aliens in orange flight uniforms. The insignia on their flight helmets told her it was the entirety of Red Squadron. “Uh, howdy,” said Applejack as she smiled sheepishly. “Been watchin' us for a while?”
Wedge nodded. “Just wanted to get a good look at the new arrivals. It's not every day we get to see beings from other galaxies.”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash, looking at Applejack with a wry expression. “They needed to see my awesomeness in person.”
“We both made it through the set, Rainbow.”
Blowing a raspberry, Rainbow flew up into the spacious gym and started doing aerial flips and somersaults, then landed in front of Red Squadron, bowing before the applause she generated. “I wasn't talking about pushups, Applejack.”
Her auburn friend rolled her eyes, accepting Dash's narcissism in stride.
“Well,” replied Wedge, “if you two are nearly done with your competition, we've got a briefing to attend in fifteen minutes. I'd suggest arriving early. The admiral likes punctuality.”
The two ponies perked up, then trotted off to the shower to get cleaned up before attending the briefing for a mission which would decide the fate of the galaxy.
-----
An excited buzz hummed in the air as the senior staff on board Home One gathered in the war room where the mission briefing would be presented. All present knew how important this mission was, and the tension was palpable, but those who believed in it knew that the Force was on their side, and those who didn't still had plenty of confidence in the abilities of the pilots, gunners, and soldiers who had gathered here.
The drone quickly fell to a whisper as the regal Princess Celestia entered the room, followed by Twilight and her friends. They watched as she walked around the large holoprojector sitting in the middle of the room and stood in front of the lowest bench, her head held high. Twilight and her friends took seats next to her, and the lavender student knew this was the beginning of the end for their adventure in this galaxy. She looked up at her teacher. The outward facade of stoicism was convincing everyone else, but Twilight had known Celestia long enough to detect a hint of determination and anger. She had been tortured, chased, shot at, and belittled by the Empire.
And they had taken her sister. She was not going to sit idly by while others fought this battle.
In her own head, Celestia's thoughts were dark. Normally she was content to let Twilight and her companions handle problems such as the Changeling incursion and the battle against Discord, because she knew that they could handle it and it would cause them to grow as individuals and their relationship to strengthen.
But this was personal.
She was going to make them pay for what they had done, to herself, her sister, her subjects, and the people of this galaxy.
The white alicorn turned and looked at the six ponies. She saw the scars on Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She detected the anxiety on Twilight's face, the trepidation in Fluttershy, the anxiety in Rarity. The exception was Pinkie Pie, who was her usual optimistic self.
With a half smile, she turned back to look at her young student. “No matter what happens, Twilight, I hope you know how proud I am of you.”
The purple unicorn smiled back up at her. “Thank you, Princess Celestia.”
“Well, look at you! A general, huh?”
They turned to look at the man who had said it: Han Solo. He was tall and handsome as humans went, and he was addressing a dark-skinned human.
“Someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the Battle of Taanab,” said the other. Lando Calrissian, another smuggler like Han, had been content to run Cloud City, a mining facility. But the Empire had betrayed him, and he was here to get some payback. And a little notoriety couldn't hurt, either.
“Well don't look at me, pal, I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were looking for somebody to lead this crazy attack.”
“I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it.”
Putting on a big, cocky grin, Han said, “Well who says they didn't? But I ain't crazy. You're the respectful one, remember?”
Lando matched his beam as the chime sounded to begin the briefing. All fell silent as the lights dimmed and one of the great leaders of the Rebel Alliance, Mon Mothma, stepped forward. “The Emperor has made a critical error.," she said. "The time for our attack has come. The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station.”
As she spoke, a holographic projection of a green planet appeared in the middle of the room, around which a small red globe orbited: the Death Star. Twilight gasped as she recognized Endor, the place she'd fled so long ago.
“We also know that the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial fleet spread throughout the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But most important of all . . .” A grave tone slipped into her voice. “We've learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of this Death Star. Many Bothans died to bring us this information.”
She glanced behind her. “Admiral Ackbar, please.”
The aged, battle-hardened veteran stepped forward. “You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest moon of Endor," he wheezed. "Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield which is generated from the nearby forest moon of Endor.”
He indicated to the holographic projection, and a yellow field of energy enveloped the red holographic Death Star.
“The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted. Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor.”
The crimson hologram flared to brilliance, then vanished. “General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack.”
“Good luck,” said Han to his friend. Lando looked at him incredulously, marvelling at the Corellian's apparent selflessness. “You're gonna need it," added Han under his breath.
Ackbar turned back and gestured toward a bearded man behind him. “General Madine"
The middle-aged officer transposed himself with Ackbar, an air of authority permeating his every move. “We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator.”
“Oh my,” said Fluttershy. “That sounds very dangerous!”
“I wonder who they found to pull that off?” wondered Leia aloud.
“General Solo,” said Madine, “is your strike team assembled?”
Leia looked at Han in surprise; he would be leading the team? He quickly turned and looked at the officer. “Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle.”
Chewbacca, who had been sitting next to him, growled and shook his hairy arm at Han. “It's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't want to speak for you.”
The Wookie barked and bellowed in response, giving Han a determined grin. The Corellian returned it, then glanced back at Madine. “That's one.”
“General,” said Leia, “count me in.”
“I'm with you too!”
At the sound of Luke Skywalker's voice, all his friends turned and grinned at him. Bounding down the steps leading from the corridor at the top of the auditorium, he met Leia with a warm embrace. Her eyes met his, and there was something strange in them, like she was staring into the eyes of someone who had heard she had died and was resurrected. “What is it?”
“Ask me again sometime,” he said.
Leia's head was flooded with questions, and she wanted to demand that he answer, but something told her the answer to that simple question was much more complex and personal than he would want answered in a public place.
“Luke!” shouted Han, interrupting Leia's thoughts.
“Hi, Han. Chewie.” Luke's greeting went past Leia's ears, her mind on the secret he had brought back from wherever he'd been. As she contemplated why he seemed so different, Luke's attention turned toward the presence in the Force that he'd felt for some time. He inched toward the group of ponies, his heart racing. These alien beings were glowing with such brightness that his mind was reeling. He had never felt such light, even from Obi-Wan or Yoda. He vowed to speak with them as soon as he was done talking with his friends.
In the mean time, Applejack's ears were tuned to a pair of commanders discussing the up-coming battle. “S'cuse me.”
The two men paused in their conversation.
“Did Ah hear y'all mention mah name?”
The taller of the two frowned. “I don't think so. What's your name?”
“Applejack,” she said with a bow.
“Oh,” said the other officer. “I think you heard me talking about the Ablajeck Sector, which is next to the Moddell sector where the Endor system is located.”
Suddenly Applejack blushed, then trotted over to Rainbow, who was snickering under her breath.
“Don't you say a word, air jockey.”
“I didn't say anything, Ah-blah-jeck.”
Growling in frustration, Applejack trotted out of the briefing room for some air. She passed Pinkie Pie on the way out, who was pawing the deckplate with her hoof, a deeply-set frown on her face. “Pinkie? Y'all right, girl?”
“No, I'm not. That guy over there is just a big meanie-mean-pants!” She pointed a hoof in the direction of Han Solo, who was leaning lazily on the holographic projector and talking to Chewbacca. Before Applejack could ask what Han had said, Pinkie Pie stormed out of the briefing room.
Cocking her hat forward, she marched over to Solo, who looked at her with casual regard. “You got a reason for starin' at me like that?”
“You said somethin' to mah friend, Pinkie Pie. Ah wanna know what it was.”
Uncrossing his legs and folding his arms, Han looked down at Applejack. “You mean that pink pony?” He rolled his eyes. “Look, all I did was tell Chewie here that I thought she was kind of annoying.”
“Well, you hurt her feelin's!”
“Hey, it's not my fault she overheard us talking. Besides, she is annoying.”
Scowling, Applejack trotted away before she said something she would regret. Before she got ten feet from Han, she was stopped by Twilight. “What's wrong, Applejack?”
“That guy over there.” She jerked a hoof in Han's general direction. “He insulted Pinkie Pie, then refused to apologize for it!”
“You know as well as anypony that not everyone is amicable, Applejack. Not even in Equestria.”
“Regardless of what fancy words you want to use,” said Applejack, “he's still a great big –”
“A.J.!”
“Okay, okay.” Sighing, Applejack began moving toward the archway where Pinkie Pie disappeared. “Ah better go see if Ah can find Pinkie.”
Twilight watched her trot out of the briefing room, nearly knocking over a couple of aliens in the process. Breathing a sigh, she shook her head and decided a nice cup of tea would be enough to take her mind off the situation between her friends and their hosts.
“Excuse me.”
She turned to look in the direction of the calming voice that had tickled her ear and saw an average-sized blonde human wearing black and carrying some sort of silver baton on his hip. He extended a hand. “Would you please accompany me to an area where we can discuss something?”
Twilight was about to object and tell him that she needed to meet with Princess Celestia, but something about his voice and mannerisms was inviting. She hesitated, looking up at her mentor.
“It's okay, Twilight," said Princess Celestia. "I'm sure you have some time before we are required to be at the shuttle.”
Nodding in thanks, she turned and followed Luke through the crowd and past her friends. Rarity and Rainbow Dash watched her leave. “Now where it she off to?” asked Rarity
“Probably has to talk about books or something with that weird guy,” mused Rainbow Dash.
-----
Walking into the room, Twilight oddly felt a sense of panic. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she guessed it was because this meeting between herself and this stranger reminded her strongly of times when she visited the principal's office in grade school. Not that she visited that place very often. It was actually the lack of visits which made them stand out, because she had tried so hard to keep out of trouble. The double doors closed behind them as Twilight and the stranger entered the small white room. He walked around the small computer terminal and sat on the chair on the other side, then indicated to the floor next to it. "Please," he said calmly, "sit down."
She walked forward and sat in front of him.
"Perhaps we should introduce ourselves," she said. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, protégé to Princess Celestia."
"I'm Luke Skywalker," he replied in kind, "Jedi Knight."
Twilight nodded. "What is it you wished to speak to me about, Mr. Skywalker?"
"Please, call me Luke."
Again Twilight nodded. "Alright, Luke. And you may call me Twilight."
"Twilight," he repeated. "I am sure you are aware by now that some beings in our galaxy, and many others, possess an ability to manipulate an energy field that surrounds them. This energy field is known as the –"
"The Force," finished Twilight.
"Ah, so you know of it?"
"Yes."
The blonde man nodded. "I suspected as much. You seem to have a very strong aura in the Force. It's like nothing I've ever seen, apart from the masters under which I've learned much, as well as Darth Vader."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure why that would be, Luke. I've never used it to my knowledge. But unicorns like myself are gifted from birth with the ability to use magic. We can manipulate matter, teleport, project shields, and many other things. Equestrian science is still not entirely sure how it works, but it's not limited to unicorns, though they are the most prominent members of our society to use magic. Earth ponies and pegasi have more limited magic, as do many species other than ponies."
"Interesting," Luke intoned. "The Force can take many forms in our galaxy. The witches of Dathomir can manipulate it, but they also refer to it as magic. Other species hold similar views on the Force."
"Are you saying that magic is actually this 'Force'?" asked Twilight incredulously.
"I don't know," admitted Luke. "It might be a holdover from your world, or it may be an as-yet unknown manifestation of the Force."
Twilight nodded thoughtfully. "May I touch my horn to your head? I have a spell that might tell me more about this."
Luke nodded, then Twilight walked around the terminal and gently touched her horn to the human's temple. Immediately upon activating the spell, she was inundated by a magical field of such high power that she almost couldn't bear it. The white energies flowing through this man were opened before her, like a swirling cloud of pure starlight. She wrestled with the ethereal portal she had created in his aura. Fighting to maintain control, she closed the portal quickly, then sat back in a daze from the experience. It was like looking into Celestia's soul. His 'Force' and her magic were obviously one and the same.
"What did you see?" he asked, though she suspected he knew the answer.
"Great power," she replied. "As well as a bright source of pure magic."
"Then it's true," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The two are one."
She nodded. "I wonder if this has anything to do with those headaches I get during hyperspace jumps."
Luke squinted in thought. "It might have to do with the nature of hyperspace. Even today we do not understand hyperspace. Some say it is an extra dimension of realspace, while others contend that it is simply the universe as it appears when traveling faster than light. But the Jedi suspect that it is the realm of the Force. It was first traveled by ancient Force-enabled hyperdrives, and as the Force does not interact with technology the same way it does with living matter, this has led some to conclude that it is a Force manifestation. But most humanoids don't experience any discomfort when traveling to it."
"My horn!" exclaimed Twilight. "It focuses and channels magic. What if it's responding to the crossing of the barrier between realspace and hyperspace?!"
The man smiled, his excitement building with Twilight's. "Yes! Maybe it's a side effect of crossing the plane and disturbing the Force itself!"
He and Twilight sat for nearly an hour, discussing the implications of this discovery and how it might affect everyone's understanding of the Force and the nature of hyperspace, then they went on to talk about how similar and different magic and the Force were.
"This is so incredible," said Twilight. "Most unicorns take magic for granted, so it's great to run into someone who studies it as seriously as I do!"
"Likewise," said Luke. "In fact, that reminds me." He got up and circled around Twilight. She turned in place, following him with her head until he stood at the other side of the room. He folded his hands, a hopeful look on his face. "Would you like to learn some more techniques for manipulating the Force from me? My master, Yoda, told me to pass on what I had learned, and I can't think of another person who would benefit from instruction more than you."
Her eyes lit up. She was about to be taught magic from one of the most powerful Force-users in existence? "Yes!!" she exclaimed, then began to jump in a circle around him. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!!"
"Okay!" he said with a chuckle. "Then I accept you as my first student of the ways of the Jedi. This will have to be sort of a crash course in Jedi techniques, but I have no doubt you'll be able to master them."
She grinned. "Shall we begin?"
He nodded, then proceeded to relay every lesson Yoda taught him in his months of training on Dagobah.
-----
Soon the Rebels' preparations were complete. All the fuel ships were ready, the starfighters loaded with ordinance, and the capital combat ships were all fully staffed, their crews confident in the plan presented to them. In the main hangar of the Alliance headquarters frigate Home One, many ships were parked, including a stolen Imperial Shuttle and a certain YT-1300 freighter, the Millennium Falcon. The saucer-shaped freighter was sitting across from the tri-winged shuttle, its ramp lowered and its crew doing final checks.
"Look," said Han, "I want you to take her."
Lando looked at his friend suspiciously.
"I mean it! Take her! You need all the help you can get," he said, gesturing to the Falcon, "She's the fastest ship in the fleet!"
"Alright, old buddy!" said Lando. "Look, I know what she means to you! I'll take good care of her. She won't get a scratch. Alright?"
Taking a quick look at his beloved Millennium Falcon, Han said, "Right."
Lando watched as he walked off toward the shuttle. Any moment now . . .
Han turned around as he got to the ramp. "I got your promise, now: not a scratch!"
"Would you get going, you pirate!" said Lando with a laugh. "Good luck," he added.
"You, too," said Han with a grimace, then the smuggler walked up the ramp to the stolen shuttle. As his friend entered the vessel, Lando turned and walked toward the starship which had once been his. He knew better than to expect Han to return, though that man did have a way of getting out of tight spots. But he had a funny feeling that this was the last time he would see his friend alive.
"Eh, I'm getting too old for this stuff . . ."
As Han entered the main hold of the shuttle, he met his friend, Chewbacca. The Wookie growled and gesticulated at his friend. "You said it," said Solo as he thought about the ponies with a mixed feeling of confusion and disgust. They were brightly colored, diminutive, and worst of all . . . adorable. He had a hard time believing they had not only survived Imperial internment – despite the evidence in the form of slaver tag scars – but had even managed to live through a day on Nar Shaddaa without any sort of weapons and with several hundred bounty hunters on their tail. "Gotta be luck. That's the only explanation." His friend shrugged, then headed to the cockpit. Han sighed, then felt a brush against his leg, and saw the pink one that he had accidentally insulted earlier. He shook his head at the bouncy pony, watching her gaily make her way to the back of the ship, wondering how she hadn't gotten them killed before now. "S'cuse me," said a voice at his hip. He looked down to see the orange one looking up at him. "Pardon," he muttered as he stepped out of her way. Before the small equine had walked two feet into the crew compartment, she turned around and glared at Han. "Ah still think ya need ta apologize to mah friend."
Han rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything!" he said, holding his hands apart broadly.
"Yes, ya did. Regardless of whether it was intentional. It sticks in mah craw that you won't even consider apologizin' to her! It ain't gonna kill ya!"
The tall human sighed. "Look, I'll say I'm sorry when we land. Okay?"
"That's all Ah ask," said Applejack.
He grimaced, then shook his head at Pinkie Pie. "I still can't figure out how you guys made it without that one" – he pointed at the pink pony – "getting you killed."
Applejack looked at her with affection. "You'd be surprised. She may march to the beat of 'er own drummer, but she's capable of holdin' 'er own in a scrap."
Han privately suspected this was more her blindness to her friend's faults than a proper assessment of her combat abilities, but he decided it wasn't worth his time to argue. He walked into the cockpit. None of his friends were sitting there, so he decided to amble down the boarding ramp, where he saw the hold-up: Leia, the white pony, and the droids were waiting on Luke and that purple one to get to the shuttle. "Don't those two know they're gonna miss the flight if they don't hurry up?" asked the Corellian impatiently.
"They'll make it," said Leia. "Luke and Twilight Sparkle both know how important this battle is, and neither would miss it."
In the mean time, Rarity was standing next to the Rebel leader, admiring her locks. "I must say, darling, your hair is simply divine!"
Leia looked down at the ivory unicorn. "What?"
"I mean, humans do have such limited colors to their skin and hair, but yours is such an appealing color! And I love what you've done with it. Those braids are simply lovely!"
Leia hadn't heard such flattery since she'd met Xizor, the prince Vigo of the Black Sun criminal organization, when he'd tried to seduce her. But she guessed this pony was a smidge more genuine than that reptilian criminal had been. "Thanks," she said. She hadn't really tried to make it fashionable. She'd just braided it and pinned it up to keep it out of the way during the upcoming confrontation, but she appreciated the gesture.
"Yeah," said Han, "you almost look respectable!" His infuriatingly smug grin made her blood pressure rise, but she kept her cool, the only reaction being to roll her eyes and return her gaze to the door Luke should have come out of by now.
As Han walked back up the ramp, Leia saw her friend and his small companion walking into the hangar. The taller man and the unicorn both bore contented smiles, and Leia wondered why they were so happy. But her attention was drawn to another door behind them. Leia still found herself in awe of the majestic Princess Celestia. The regal leader of the Equestrians was only an inch taller than herself, but she had a demeanor about herself that captivated Leia. If I looked like that, I bet the Senate would have had more respect for me when I was still a senator. The alicorn walked up to Leia and inclined her head. "Your highness," she said kindly. "Wow," said Leia, "That's the first time in a while I've heard that phrase said without irony."
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "A strange galaxy you have," she replied, then she walked up the ramp and entered the shuttle. Leia could have sworn she heard the soldiers inside the cargo bay quiet down just a tad as she did so. As Luke and Twilight finally made it to the shuttle, they greeted Leia warmly, then headed into the ship themselves. Finally, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy showed up, gliding on their wings and then alighting on the deck in front of her. "Well," said Rarity, "I see you two finally decided to show up."
"Um," said Fluttershy, "I don't know how to say this . . ."
"We're not coming," said Rainbow Dash.
"What?" asked Rarity.
"I'm gonna be a pilot in the upcoming battle, and Fluttershy's gonna tend to the wounded." The yellow pegasus nodded sadly.
"Then that means we'll be separated," said Rarity.
"Way to state the obvious," replied Rainbow.
Rarity rolled her eyes. "Just be careful, okay?"
"Hey," said Dash, striking a pose, "I'm probably one of the best pilots they've got! Don't worry about me."
Smiling, Rarity hugged her friend, then turned to Fluttershy. "I wish you didn't have to stay, dear."
"Oh, it's okay," she said. "I'm needed on the medical frigate, and I don't want to let the Rebels down."
"I admire your courage, Fluttershy," said Rarity.
The yellow pegasus blushed crimson. "Well, I figure I'll be safer on that ship than a cruiser or in the battle on the planet."
Rarity chuckled at Fluttershy's actual reason for staying behind, but still swallowed her apprehension. "Take care, Fluttershy," she said, leaning in to embrace her. Returning the hug, Fluttershy squeezed back and sighed. "I will, Rarity."
The ivory unicorn took one last look at her friends as they waved at her from the deck, hoping this wasn't the last time she'd see them, then she walked up the ramp to the ship and through the entryway.
-----
"Got her warmed?" asked Han as he stepped into the cockpit.
"Yeah, she's coming up," replied Luke as he flipped the reactor ignition switch. Chewbacca growled and gestured at the low ceiling. "No, I don't think the Empire had Wookies in mind when they designed her, Chewie."
As the power systems of the shuttle whined to life, Han looked out the window of the cockpit at his ship. The Millennium Falcon sat on its landing pads in front of them, and Han wished he could fly her for the mission. Something was bugging him, however.
"Hey," he heard Leia say from his right as she shook his shoulder. "You awake?"
"Yeah, I just got a funny feeling, like I'm not gonna see her again," he replied, voicing his concerns.
Leia took a look at the ship, then smiled at him. "Come on, general. Let's move."
"Right," said Solo, snapping to action. "Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready everybody?"
"All set," said Luke. As the ship lifted off the deck R2-D2 beeped and whistled. "Here we go again," said C-3PO to no one in particular. The shuttle gracefully lowered its wings as it glided out of the hangar and into the vacuum of space. It banked away from the Calamari warship, its engines flaring a brilliant blue. "Alright," said Han as he pulled the hyperdrive levers. "Hang on."
Somewhere in the back of the ship, a whining noise built up to an explosion of energy as the ship accelerated and flew off into the night.
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Yay!
Alrighty then, I suppose I should just get this off my mind. Overall your story looks quite solid, and it looks like you're keeping things pretty accurate on the SW side. There's just one thing that's gnawing at my brain.
Just to be clear, are you the kind of person that would put the pony's magical aptitude above that of experienced force wielders?
I'm not trying to draw any ire here, I just wanna see if you would classify Celestia above Sidious...and that kind of thing...
I realize it's all based on your opinion (and I respect that), but you can probably guess my mind is set as to who has more potential.
So if you can let me know where stand on that, it would be much appreciated.
4201432 I can't really say. It's like asking whether a pianist is better than a master keyboardist, or vice versa. The two are similar enough that drawing a comparison is moot, therefore it is better to ask whether one particular individual's skill level is greater than another.
Both the Force and Magic are the same thing in my head canon, because they appear to work on similar principles and because the Force is just a name the Jedi gave to the energy field at work in their galaxy. If magic is just a manifestation of that same energy field, then a powerful magic user would be on a similar level as a powerful Force user for obvious reasons. This energy field is supposedly created by living beings, and thus if it exists in other galaxies, it would have different names. Like "magic". It is actually stated explicitly to exist in other galaxies in the Essential Guide to The Force, and even though this refers in context to the satellite galaxies of The Galaxy, it should also exist in other galaxies outside that group, such as the galaxy that Equestria is a part of, if those galaxies occupy the same dimensional plane as the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
To answer your concerns though, I would actually consider Celestia to be better than Sidious in some aspects, but Sidious would be better in others. For instance, Celestia is likely better at telekinesis, because she can control the sun and moon simultaneously, but Sidious would likely be far more apt at powers that are strictly Dark Side, such as Force Destruction and Force Lightning. I think however that Celestia and Twilight's ability to obliterate a Star Destroyer should tell you that, regardless of how they compare to Sidious, those two are a force to be reckoned with.
A NEW CHAPTER
hmmm
I hope Rainbow Dash flies her A-Wing.
4202156 hay i know you...you kept doing the same thing on Stardust...you waiting for the second/third part?
4202196 Thanks for the corrections. I'm actually planning on overhauling the entire story once I finally write the last chapter, though. I'll keep that in mind for when I do.
4201990 Don't worry, she didn't spend all that training and receive a custom-painted starfighter just to fly a beat up old Y-wing into battle.
4202110 Well, it's good to have fans like you to help me keep my facts straight.
I still think that the Starhound mistake was forgivable. 
I will read this this afternoon, seems pretty good
4202227 So basically you're saying Rainbow's going with Lando to knock out the Death Star.
Should I read... Should I not read... It says it's dark... but... Star Wars Pony Crossover! Oh, well, lessee.
The Force is strong in this story, but I can't look into it now. I WILL be back to look into this.
Hurrah the Mane Six meet the Main Cast. AWESOME! Boy I love this story so much, one of the best crossovers I've seen in...well forever. I can't wait as we head to the finally and the final battle will begin!
4201694
Ah, well at least you answered honestly, and you gave off a pretty good answer as well. As for the Sidious question though, I'm afraid that his canon feats are far superior to anything both the sisters could offer.
Going off this, I would place them a better match for Vader or maybe Galen Marek.
Like you said, they both utilize the same concept...but I just hope you don't put the Emperor and the ponies in the same room.
4201788 - It's supposed to be 'night must fall.'
4202231 - Found some grammar mistakes and such:
(should be 'soon night must fall.')
(Already know that which you need.)
“No,” replied Yoda as he rolled over to face his apprentice. “Unfortunate that you rushed to face him. That not complete was your training. That not ready for the burden were you.”
(As a ghost, wouldn't he not need to breathe?)
(Your insight serves you well)
“The Emperor has made a critical error.," (unneeded period)
(This worries me. I assume Fluttershy will be aboard the Redemption...which was destroyed by the Death Star II's superlaser)
Redemption
(General should be capitalized when used as a rank)
Next chapter can you put in Wes Janson and Jake Farrell
Please?
Woo its getting there, I cant wait to see what happens. Keep it up!
This story seems to be pretty darn cool. For whatever reason I expected star wars crossovers to be cheesy but you managed to avoid like 96% of that.
4202921 Not according to the novelization.
4203610 Y'know, I think I will. I just need to know what part they played in the Battle of Endor, which I'm sure a little visit to the wookie will tell me. Janson in particular is one of my favorite EU characters and I love him in the X-wing books, so I think he merits a mention.
4204272 Sure thing! I hope it lives up to your expectations.
4206422 Really? Thanks!
One of the things I don't like about other Star Wars crossovers in this fandom (and others) is that either they are put together just for the sake of character interaction, or they just wanted to mush two franchises together to see what would happen. Eeeeeeeaaaaand I guess that's what I wanted to do as well. 
But I also wanted to tell an epic story, and I hope this gets remembered as one.
4206792 jake was the A wing pilot (green 4) who went into the Death Star and said 'Copy Gold leader' when going back to the surface with Gray Leader
Also loved Janson as Wedges Gunner in Empire Strikes Back
4207075 Really?
I thought that was Tycho Celchu. At least, in the X-wing books he says that he was the pilot Lando ordered to the surface to get rid of the TIE fighters. I always assumed the author (I think that was Stackpole, though it might have been in one of Alliston's contributions) was referring to that scene, because Tycho was an A-wing pilot in that battle and I seem to recall it was only one A-wing and one Y-wing that went back to the surface.
4207077 He was pretty cool, but he's so awesome in the books!
4206885 Heh, it is fun to use it, but only sparingly.
4206924 Um, that would be grammatically incorrect.
4202949 Lol, this is what happens when you have a phonetic memory. I remember how words *sound*, so when I type out speech sometimes I use wrong words which *sound* similar to the right ones.
4202178 Really now? I'm getting infamous it seems, but yes, waiting on the next part.
4207256 Darn it, I kept thinking on the phrase; Your lack of arms. Oh well.
The Emperor has made a critical error.,
1. Extra full stop.
And now we cross over into major canon events. I really need to refresh my memory on the movie itself sometime
4206776 - I have the book, so I'll read through it later. Been a while since I've read it.
4207263 This is an epic story, which I especially enjoy due to my overwhelming love of all things Star Wars. Keep this going, maybe even go into the next novels, or expand into the seventh movie when it is out.
4207251 In the movie there are 4 starfighters that go down with Lando and Wedge. They are Keir Santage (Red Seven X wing) he was at the back and was shot down, Tycho (Green 3 A wing ) was at the front with Wedge and was the first scene retreating back to the surface ,Horton Salm (Gray Leader Y Wing and was scene with Jake Farwell (Green 4 A Wing) retreating back to the surface
4207868 Well, I'm sorry to say this will end with Return of the Jedi, but maybe in a sequel.
4209446 Oh! I looked at the scene and you're right. There were *two* A-wings seen retreating.
4207612 Heh, even you can't be right all the time.
Seriously, I do appreciate the grammar checks and such. There's over 141k words so far, so I'm bound to miss a thing or two, even in proofreading. I'm not going to fix these though, because I plan a major overhaul after the story is completed. I could do it now, but I think I owe it to everyone who likes the story to get it finished first.
This story... I had been looking for a SW/MLP crossover like that for a long time.
The fics I've read in one streak, only stopping to sleep, eat and work before going back on devouring chapter after chapter, aren't legion.
"Star Crossed Ponies" is one of them.
Awesome read, I can't wait for next part!
Great update.
There ARE a few mistakes, like "That incomplete was your training," and "Your insight serves you well." But those are pretty minor.
Kind of figured that Dash at the very least would be up with the Fleet for this battle.
4209837 Thank you so much for the compliment!
4211138 Heh, well, Yoda's dialogue there isn't exactly the easiest to parse.
4212216 Well, thing is I knew if I did that it would get clunky, so I just phased out the beeps and boops so his dialogue would seem more natural.
This story is seriously underrated and underknown... I'm wondering why it isn't in the Star Wars group.
4214567
4215529 "You'll find I'm full of surprises." - Luke Skywalker.
4216461 Thank you!
It is, actually. 
Look on page 2 of the stories and you'll see it.
4216530
I checked these pages several times before to try and find a good crossover... How come I missed it?
4216536 Well, it's a little innocuous. But I'm glad you found it. I appreciate my readers, and I'm glad you have enjoyed the story so far.
4216539
"enjoyed" is an understatement.
4232858 - Fluttershy: Queen of the Shadowlands.
You stuck her on the medical frigate. Goodbye Fluttershy
4243081 - I'm not
ing with you. That deckplan is one of many actually. The thing about a YT-1300, is that it is very modular, like all Corellian Engineering Corporation ships. No two are exactly the same.
These last chapters shroud the fate of the galaxy...
Will Luna succumb, again, to the temptation of the Dark Side?
Will Spike make it?
And with Twilight deciding to use her anger and resentment to move forward, more bad events might bring her even faster towards this.
th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/125/d/2/sith_twilight_by_ncmares-d7h7c0m.jpg
(Source)
Edit : More accurate link for a possible outcome.
Obviously, this is what Rainbow Dash is about to go through.....
[youtube=xPZigWFyK2o]
4216539 Tell me that the last chapters will be made soon I got to know what the meeting with the emperor will be like
4537627 I'm getting there. The real hold up is the fact that I have to make it all jibe with Return of the Jedi and still feel like I'm not just shoe-horning them into the plot simply because they have to be there.
4546015 Sorry if it sounded like I was rushing I was just curious as to how soon