CRYSTAL WARS 1 LAST HOPE

by discordjediknight

Chapter V Welcome To The Empire

“Honestly, she doesn't know what she's talking about, I mean, it's not like she knows how much I regret what I did right. You understand that, don't you?”

“Discord sat in a dark room, pacing back and forth while speaking.”

“I mean you would, right?”

“You, you would know that I am only trying to do what is right, right. He said waiting for an answer.”

“After not getting one,” he continued.

“They don't know my plans for the future, I could snap my fingers and take over the Galaxy right now if I wanted to.”

He stood quietly as he stared out a window at the vacuum of space. His reflection looked back at him. Something that was behind it was barely seen in the reflection of the window.

“And soon I will have what I truly want.”

Just then, a knock came on the door.

Discord rolled his eyes at the nonsensical knock on the door that sounded like the theme song of friendship is magic.

“I'm in a meeting here, what is it”? He said as he opened the door.” Two shadow bolts by the looks of their uniforms stood on either side of the door. But It was the cheerful Stormtrooper who stood in front of him.

“I'm just giving you my report, sir. Nightmare completed her mission and is on her way back right now. And she also captured Dash Rainbow the trader shadow bolt as well, and we'll be heard within the hour.” She said cheerfully as usual.

Lord Chaos's anger was quickly replaced with a very pleased expression. “Good have her report to me, immediately, when she arrives.”

“Yes sir.” The trooper saluted and took off.

He then turned his attention to the other room. He took a few steps and grabbed his space helmet. My apologies my dear but we'll have to continue our conversation later, I'm afraid I must be getting ready for my departure. I'm going to find that missing princess and get what is rightfully ours. He put his helmet on and walked out of the room. The door closed behind him, and he locked it with a small key that he put in his pocket, as he left.

---

The golden phoenix was being flowed by the shadow bolts, bull, and smolder. A long black ship known as the scimitar flew by it.

“Coming out of hyperspace, Nightmare.” Said Dust.

Nightmares sat in the Captain's chair, a smile on her face. She was a black Alicorn, except her wings were bat-like and sharp. She had a unicorn horn that came to a sharper point than most unicorn horns. She wore shiny night-themed armor, and her mane and tail sparkled like the stars at night. Her eyes were a vicious green that almost looked like flames, her pupils similar to that of a snake's.

---

Sitting in a locked cell with hoof cuffs sat the four ponies. Twilight and Dash both had another lock over their wings, so they couldn't fly.

In the cell next to them sat Spike also in cuffs. He sat with the droids that both had a restraining bolt on them. With it, the dog and owl droid looked lifeless.

“Ok, mind explaining who Nightmare is? Or for that matter, anything on the empire that might be useful in this situation” asked Rarity.

Dash sighed.

Jacky stood quiet, her expression crossed.

“Jacky, do you know anything?”

“I ain't speaking to either one of you, I knew I should have taken off when I had the chance.”

“Oh, that's just like you. You're always in it for yourself and nothing else, aren't you?” Dash called back.

“I am trying to get my farm back in working condition, to save my home.”

“Yeah, your home. It's always about your home.” Dash yelled back.

“You got a problem with that?” Jacky spat back.

“Cool it, you two.” Twilight yelled at them in a whispery voice.

Dash and Jacky both looked away from each other.

“We got to work together if we're gonna get out of this.” Twilight told them.

“Oh yeah, and how are we supposed to do that?” Dash said back, A bit more quietly. “Face it, we're doomed.”

“No, we just got to think of a plan.” Twilight replied.

“I'm with you, but I really don't know what to do in this situation,” rarity said as she leaned her back against the wall.

“Well, we're not gonna get anywhere if you three don't make up.” Twilight told them.

“It's my fault if I never took that deal.” Rarity muttered.

“Explain that to me.”

“Will you just shut up,” Jacky called out?

“As Dust and Soren came to their cells. They were then escorted out of the ship and onto the large star destroyer. Hundreds of stone troopers lined the way to the elevator.”

Nightmare lead the way, she stopped only for a moment as a Stormtrooper stepped forward. “Lord chaos demands your presence immediately”

Nightmare only nodded before entering the elevator.

Then that same trooper along with the rest of her squadron came down the clear strip.

“We'll handle them from here,” said the captain in her dull tone.

Soren nodded, and the other shadow bolts took off, leaving Spike and the others with the troopers.

They were quietly guided through the large ship to a new set of cells.

“Take the droids to their diagnostics test. I want all info on their hard drive. Is that clear?” Said the captain.

“Yes, sir,” said the cheerful trooper.

As soon as the doors were closed, twilight turned to Rarity. “So, you were saying?”

“Oh god, I'm gonna die in here and the last thing I'm gonna see is two traitors.” Jacky complained.

“No one's dying.” Twilight told her.

Rarity sighed before she sat down to begin her story.

“I was just a filly when the empire came and took over my home world. We sat for a decade as they drained us of all our food. But they weren't done. They soon came with machinery to begin mining the planet.”

This news caught Jacky off guard, yet she still sat with her back turned to them.

“My daddy tried to stop them but was drained of money and power. To stop them from hurting my people even more I stepped up and became leader, my first deal was with empire.If they left me and my people alone, I would do anything they want. I offered my services, anything to get them to leave us alone. I didn't want to be part of the empire. I just wanted them to go away. It was lord Chaos who came to me with an offer. He'd leave us alone if we paid the empire 30 percent of all profits. He knew my father worked on the black market and being the newly established empire, this was their best ticket at the time to keep free money rolling in without the fund of the republic that was recently destroyed.”

“But I knew this would send only be short term, the empire didn't need funds forever, they only needed them at the time. So I asked what I have to confirm our agreement. The Lord gave me that crystal and said it was a token of their agreement and that he would need it back one day, but he never came back for it.”

“For years now, my and my people have been free to do what we want, without the empire's interference. I made a new home for my people and created such good trade.” She shook her head as she began to cry. “All I wanted was to keep us safe. And now look. My greed for a rich, wealthy, safe home has destroyed it all.”

“Ah, you were just trying to do what's right. At least you're loyal to your people.” Dash replied

“I understand Jacky and Rarity, but how do you fit in all this Rainbow?” Asked Spike.

Dash chuckled with a smile. “It's a long story, dragon boy.”

“We got time.” Twilight replied.

Dash's smile faded away as she leaned against the side wall. “Do you know anything about the wonder bolts?”

“Yes, they were the soldiers of the republic before the empire took over.” Twilight said as she set a hoof on her chin.

“The wonder bolts are far older than the Republic, hell they're even older than the Knights of Harmony. Legend of my people goes back a Melina when the first pegasus found the ability to fly, legend says a lonely pony fell once climbed the great mountains of our home world during a mighty storm.”

“Our home world was in constant battle with monsters unlike any in the Galaxy. They wore armor to protect themselves, but one day a small child was threatened by one of the great beasts. One pony who held no relationship to the child chose to try and save the child by gaining the creature's attention. While Pony's weapons were no match for the creatures, and it drove him up the mountain. Finally, to stop the creature once and for all from threatening the children he dived into the creature knocking it off the mountain and sacrificing himself, it said that for his bravery and honor the gods gave him wings gaining the power of flight. The creature died, but he flew high into the sky and became a wonder to all those who saw him. The wonder bolts, anyone can join, so long as they have the ability to fly and vow to do good.”

“It's not just a group, it's a religion. So long as you can fly and follow the rules of hand-to-hand combat, you can become a wonder bolts. The mightiest warrior in the Galaxy we were once the Wonder Bolts and I as a small child idolize them.”

“They take in those who are lost and train them in their ways. I was an orphan and trained at a young age to become one of the best.” She said with a smile and shine in her eye.”Then the empire came,” and her expression fell to one of fear.

“I was a new wonder bolt who was out in charge of a small team. Are squad was gonna be the beast of the best. But no wonder Bolt stood a chance, agings them.We have a way of deciding who's the boss. Whoever is the strongest by hand-to-hand combat becomes leader. My teacher, spitfire, decided to save her people she would offer her throne if the leader could defeat her hand to hand.I was young, but I watched as she was defeated I'm three moves by the Lord of Chaos. Since then, we've worked under him.Plenty of times through the years we've all changed him and every time we've lost. Until one of us takes him down in a fistfight, we're supposed to serve him, that's our law.Dash grits her teeth as she mutters, but no one can defeat him, him, or his shadows.”

“Shadows?” Twilight repeated as a question.

“Thires the troopers, they're just clones and mostly are just glorified police officers, they're not warriors, there the shadow bolts. The wonder bolts renamed. We report directly to either the Lord of Chaos or his five shadows.”

“Darkness, Hurricane, Storm, Blazer, and Nightmare.”

“They are all alicorns, and they are all impossible to defeat. The Lord of Chaos is apparently stronger than all of them. And none of us stand a chance.” She sighed.

“Lord Chaos has a special chamber that shadow bolts take turns guarding. But we're never allowed to enter it. One day, my guard partner Soren left to go to the bathroom. I stood guard when I heard a voice coming from inside. Curiosity got the best of me and I saw this stature, in its hooves stood that crystal. this voice begged me to take the crystal and run.”

“I was mesmerized by the crystal and I just felt…”

“Felt this urge to take it and run.” Jacky finished her sentence.

Dash, surprised by Jacky's voice looked at her.

“how'd you know?”

“When I held that crystal, I believe it was Rarity's.” She began and slowly turned around, “I felt like I had to take it and run, run like my life depended on it.”

“Yeah, well so did I. I took it and left. That's why everyone. Questions my loyalty, I left my friends, my team, to suffer under the foot of the empire. I don't deserve the title of wonder bolt. Not after everything I've done as both a shadow bolt and my team.”

Rarity and Dash stared at the pegasus. Oh, Dashy I had no idea. Rarity began.

“I'm sorry too.” Jacky replied. “I only hated the shadow bolts and heard how you ran. I, I thought you were a coward, but you're the bravest pony I ever met.”

“Thank you, that means a lot, coming from you.”

Dash winked. “You may not have wings but you're quite the rival, I think you should be an Honorary wonder bolt,” Jacky.

Jacky and her chuckled.

“Yeah, well, that doesn't exactly help us get out of here.” Spike mentioned.

“Well, we're closer. Guys, if we can put aside our differences and work together,” twilight began.

“We can find a way back to my ship,” the golden phoenix.

“Let's do it, but how?”

“All we need really is a plan, let's start thinking of one.” Jacky said as she began to think.

---

Nightmare entered the strange office of the Lord of Chaos. He stood on the table, steps away from his throne.Nightmare gave a slight bow as her horn slightly glowed. Two crystals, Rarity's and Dash's floated midair toward him.The Lord took them and stared at them as they hover just above his hand. As he turned around, they followed his hand movement.

“Good work Nightmare, you have succeeded my expectations.” He said in his robotic voice.

“Yes, my Lord, soon you shall have all the fragments of the crystal heart.” She said slowly.

“I have a reward for you. I have tracked down Celestia Shine. She sits in a cell on board this ship as we speak.”

This made Nightmare's eyes widen. “And what of the child?” She asked desperately with a smile.

“Escaped with my Crystal. That is the last time I use Stormtroopers to achieve my goals.”

“I will personally be on the hunt for her.”

“How will you find her?”

“The same way I found her originally, you see when someone activates one of the shards, the other shards are attracted to it. As soon as she activates the crystal again, I'll know where she is.”

Nightmare bowed, “please my Lord let me go in your place I will not fail you, I will bring you the crystal I swear it.”

“You're to close to the subject at hand. No, I think not. I will do It myself, rest assured I won't kill the alicorn. You will stay here and wait for my return, in the meantime if you want to visit the former queen you may do so.”

“I want nothing from her. I just want what is mine.”

“And that is why I keep you by my side.” He chuckled. “You and I only want what belongs to us and nothing more. You're unlike the other shadows. You and I have a common interest, the others only seek my throne, especially darkness, he can not be trusted with such tasks.”

“Why do you keep him then?” She asked.

“Simple, the key to power is to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I will be leaving him to you. Take this,” he handed her back one of the two crystals.

“Why sir?” She asked.

“Simple, in the case that I am too far from her, I'll leave the destroyer to you, and you can get her. I'd rather do it, but can't be too careful, can we? You're dismissed.”

Author's Note:

With five chapters out i have half of this done, let me know your thoughts, im open to true critasim.