> Kneel Before The Dark Lord
>  by The Phantom Joker
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Nighttime Musings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter I: Nighttime Musings


Princess Twilight Sparkle couldn't sleep. She didn't really expect to, not after the conversation that she'd had last week with Luna, Fluttershy and Rarity during one of their weekly visits to Aloe and Lotus' spa. It had once been an activity reserved for just Rarity and Fluttershy, but Twilight had suggested that she and Luna join in as well. Being a Princess was an extremely frustrating and physically painful process and weekly gatherings would help Luna to better practice her social form. Neither pony saw any harm in the idea and it went well, but now Twilight couldn't stand the questions she had in her mind. She'd always had access to the answers through books, sans emotional dilemmas.

She stepped out onto her verandah and took in a deep breath of the fresh night air. Once again, Luna had done a splendid job with her night. The stars shone and the moon beamed the reflected light of the sun overhead, illuminating the land with a faint white that battled the darkness.

"Oh, why did we have to get on the topic of aliens?!" she whined, throwing her head and arms on the verandah's railing, staring up at the stars, hoping to get some sort of answer to the question burning within her heart.




One Week Earlier…



"I wonder if there's life beyond this world?" Twilight said as Aloe dipped herself into the mud bath to better massage Twilight's wings, which felt fantastic on an almost sensual level.

"Oh... I hope not. Aliens are very scary. Rainbow Dash showed me a picture of an alien on one of her comic book covers. It was really frightening." Fluttershy said, sinking further into the mud bath so only her head was visible above the surface.

"Well, I for one wouldn't mind meeting an alien. As an advanced race, I'm sure first-hand knowledge on their fashion would take my business to the pinnacle of Equestrian fashion." Rarity replied, leaning back in her end of the bath. Lotus stepped into the bath beside Luna and began mimicking her sister's actions with the dark Princess' wings.

"I admit, it would be interesting to find out if my night contains wonders the likes of which Equis has never before seen. While I accept that my night is rarely seen by our ponies... ooh, I've lost my train of thought... Lotus, your hands are absolutely divine." The alicorn commented.

"Oh, careful Luna. You'll wind up like Rarity talking like that. Next thing you'll know, you'll be talking about designer fashion and you'll never escape that boutique of hers alive." Twilight commented, chuckling.

"What are you saying, Twilight?" Rarity accused the young Princess with a stern look.

Twilight smiled at her. "I nearly missed my inauguration because you wouldn't stop talking about the latest designs as you worked." the lavender Alicorn replied, chuckling afterward in order to make light of the topic.

"Is it wrong to take pride in my work, Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"If your pride interferes with the lives of others, then yes, Rarity,” Luna interrupted, drawing the attention of all ponies present. "Pride is a deadly weapon when pitted against friendship. It even has the power to divide. I'd have hoped you all learned from Applejack's revelation two years ago." she said.



Present Day…




Twilight stared down at the city below. She missed the quiet nights that only Ponyville provided. Here in Canterlot, the city never slept. Divided between the day dwellers which she herself used to be and the new night ponies with the bat-like wings, known as thestrals.

While Twilight had more important things to worry about, like whether she wanted to co-rule over the day or the night, she just couldn't get her mind off of the prospect of aliens. Celestia had struck Twilight with a difficult decision. Both princesses knew that sleep was an absolute necessity in order to rule well and fairly, so Twilight had to choose who she would rule with. It wasn't an easy decision.

On one hand, I've grown up learning under Celestia which makes her the ideal choice, not to mention my friends wouldn't exactly fancy night time social activities at three in the morning, she thought, trying to drag herself away from the mundane yet fascinating dilemma plaguing her mind. On the other hand, Luna, despite being rather popular among the ponies after what happened on Nightmare Night, is still rather lonely and having somepony to appreciate her night and be with her throughout it would go a long way to making her feel better about herself. Many ponies are still somewhat worried about the return of Nightmare Moon, so being there with her would definitely prevent her return. Luna would probably hate to admit it, but the possibility of her falling again is high, regardless of how sorry she is, she continued. I'd like to be there for her. She is my friend after all. I could be there to appreciate her night sky... looking for aliens."Horse apples!!! I can't get my mind off the aliens!" she said aloud as she began to frazzle her mane in frustration, bashing her head against the railing.

"Troubles, Twilight?" a familiar voice said from above. Twilight's ears fell to her head and she looked up, seeing the ruler in question hovering above her, coming in for a landing beside her.

"Hello, Luna... it's that whole conversation about aliens we had last week with the girls. My curiosity's getting the better of me and I want nothing more than to know if aliens truly do exist; and if so, would they be friendly?" Twilight saw no point in hiding the truth from her. Surprisingly Luna's response was unexpected to say the least. She laughed.

"Twilight, you are my best friend. Since this is giving you such strife, I feel I should tell you that in all my years living, on Equis or on the moon, I have never caught sight of an alien,” she said, trying to reassure Twilight. While Twilight found that to be a nice comfort, she wasn't entirely satisfied.

"Luna, I know you don't like talking about it, but when you were Nightmare Moon," Luna's face grew saddened at the mention of the name. "Was there ever anything you did to rid your mind of unwanted thoughts?" she asked. Luna listened to the question, upset at having to recall the past over such a mundane matter. But Twilight was, as she had stated, her best friend and sister. She would do anything for her family, even use her past to help them.

"I... used to think all the time about how long I would be stuck on the thing I once cherished, but until recently saw as nothing more than a prison. The first thing I would do to calm myself and get rid of that thought was... well to be honest, I often thought about what it would be like to have Celestia beaten and broken at my hooves..." she paused, fighting back a few tears.

As a member of the family now, Twilight felt more comfortable with physical contact with the other Princesses. She offered Luna a comforting hug which the dark Alicorn proceeded to accept with gusto.

"But when I didn't think about that, I would consider the world. How it would have been had I won and how I would feel today. I looked up from the moon and saw the world I circled. It was beautiful and vibrant, perfect as it was. Every now and then, Equestria would suffer war and loss, but even that couldn't overthrow the overall beauty of the place. Had I ruled, it would not look like it did now. Had I ruled, my night still wouldn't be appreciated, but would instead be a catalyst for the fear I would inspire in everypony, and that was never what I wanted. I wanted to be appreciated, I wanted my greatest achievement to be praised as Celestia's was. Control over the moon is no small feat, even compared to the sun. Both are difficult in their own aspects." she continued.

"How so?" Twilight asked, totally absorbed in Luna's story.

"The sun is much farther away from Equis than the moon is and much larger. But it's ultimately just a large ball of flaming gas that is never extinguished, whereas the moon is solid and heavy. It could easily destroy all life on the planet if it fell into orbit. After all, it generates its own gravitational pull just like Equis." Luna replied.

Twilight loved talking about scientific values with Princess Celestia, but Luna had a certain flare when describing what most ponies passed off as magical. In a way it was magical, but there was a lot of science behind it. 'The magic of science' as Luna had put it. If Twilight was to be perfectly honest with herself, Luna touched every aspect of her academic interests in a way that nopony else could. She'd alter her sexual preference then and there just for Luna, if such a thing were possible.

"Thank you, Luna... that really helps. I look out at Equestria and I think that it's perfect as it is now. The presence of an alien would disturb that perfection by initially adding panic and caution and perhaps it would introduce a new species designed to kill us to the world. It would be an unwanted scenario." Twilight replied, looking into Luna's eyes.

"That's right, Twilight. So if you decide to co-rule the night with me, we'll both be on the lookout for aliens but in preparation to defend the world we know and love." Luna said, looking back into Twilight's eyes.

There was a calm silence between them as they just sat there, smiling at each other. Subconsciously the two of them drew closer to each other, never taking their eyes off the others'. They were on the verge of touching lips when a sound like an explosion erupted from the north, breaking their trances. They looked towards the source of the sound to find a meteorite, a fairly big one in fact, on a narrow descent towards the Crystal Empire. The two Princesses watched the rock fall before it fell out of sight behind the Northern Mountains.

The two Princesses quickly flashed a glance at each other before turning away with a blush on their features. A moment later, a thought struck Twilight.

"You don't think that was… actually-."

"An alien? What are the chances, Twilight, seriously?" Luna asked.




Meanwhile...



The lights were blinking hysterically, the alarms were screaming like Shyracks, and worst of all, the Rogue Shadow was shaking like a leaf. A tall man clad in dark leathery robes, metal plating, and cybernetics was having trouble keeping balance with all this going on. His helmet had protected him from a few hard hits, but the numbers were compensating for his resilience. The Sith Lord was growing weary, but he was also determined not to give up so easily.

Using what strength he could muster, he reached out with the Force and aligned the ship so it's descent was slowed to a reasonable level. The rocking of the ship lessened greatly, but the alarm was still an issue. With the pilot of the Shadow dead, Starkiller was unable to make any quick repairs to his ship as it fell to the ground.

Expecting the worst, Starkiller let the ship go and strapped himself in. Not a moment too soon, as the Rogue Shadow was impaled on a massive structure strong enough to pierce Durasteel. The shock of the sudden halt to their descent knocked the Sith Lord unconscious.
> A Dangerous Game
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter II: A Dangerous Game



In the deepest depths of space, orbiting just above the forest moon of Endor, lies a massive, incomplete space station, the weapons systems of which were almost ready to be tested. Overseeing the final production of this second Death Star is a man feared and hated by all. Clad in black robes, his grey skin a testament to the darkness within his mind, body and soul. This is the Emperor Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious.

Looking down at his Empire creating the greatest weapon the galaxy had ever seen, he sensed the oncoming presence of an Admiral. Before the doors even opened, he knew the news was not going to be to his liking. The Admiral approached quickly and, with respect, knelt down to the ground and bowed his head.

"My Lord, I have news of Lord Starkiller." the Admiral said.

"My apprentice is dead. I can no longer feel him." the Dark Lord replied, slowly waving his hand out to the side to emphasize his point.

"His ship was damaged as he fought against the Rebels. It is unclear as to whether he activated his hyperdrive on purpose or if by accident, but he disappeared without having set any coordinates," the Admiral clarified.

Sidious took a moment to reflect on the information. Starkiller may have survived… “Then find him. Scour the galaxy for scrap metal if you have to. I want confirmation of his situation,” the Emperor spoke aloud. The Admiral bowed his head again, standing to leave. The two guards dressed in red followed him into the elevator.

"It seems that my apprentice is more like Vader than I originally anticipated. This should prove useful, should I find out he's betrayed me yet again." he said aloud, no higher than a mumble. He turned around and descended the stair platform. A console stood near to his right. Dialing in a few buttons himself, a hologram of an Imperial Twi'lek Ambassador flashed on, no larger than the hilt of a lightsaber.

"My Lord?" the Ambassador said, bowing his head in respect.

"Ki'rall. Send a squad of highly trained men to Felucia. I sense I'll need to prepare for the days to come,” Sidious replied.

"Yes Milord." Ki'rall replied before the connection was cut off.

The Emperor gazed out at the infinite starscape, losing himself in his dark thoughts once again. 

Perhaps Maris Brood will succeed where Starkiller failed...




Meanwhile, In The Crystal Empire...




Muffled sounds greeted Starkiller as his phonetic sensors had somehow been shut off. Behind his helmet, he opened his eyes. Where he usually saw a blue heads-up display with a minimap based off of Imperial intelligience of his current location, all he saw were blurred figures moving about him. It took a few moments for his helmet to activate itself, the HUD returning to him, with a big question mark where his minimap should be. Looking around, he spotted what appeared to be different colored bipedal equine related species standing around him. There were five in all, each of them with human-like qualities. One of them had a beard while another had a moustache. The eyelashes of each equine told him that at least two of them were female.

The voice of the one with the beard sounded clearly through Starkiller's rebooted phonetic receptors. "Ah, you're awake. That's a shame, I was hoping to conduct this experiment with as little screaming as possible. I must admit, the Princesses had me worried when they said that we couldn't do more than try to help you heal, but the public has spoken and they want you vivisected in the event that more of your race finds its way here. Knowing how you work will be of great advantage to us should we need to defend ourselves." 

Starkiller thought that the bearded equine liked to talk a lot. However, what really had his full attention was the scalpel in his hand. Recalling the painful process he had to go through just to get the armor on his body, Starkiller was not about to have it so easily removed without being crushed by another starship.

"You said you wanted as little screaming as possible..." Starkiller spoke up, his vocabulator giving him a deep, booming, and menacing voice, freezing the equines in place. How did he know their language? Did he learn it on the spot? “If that's the case, try not to scream when I kill you all," he concluded. With a flick of his wrists, the shackles bolting him to the surgical table unlocked and he was free. The first on his list was the one with the scalpel. Grabbing him by the throat, he strangled the poor creature as he flailed around, trying to cut at Starkiller's arm, but the biomechanical bones just blunted the blade.

Feeling that the equine had been sufficiently strangled, he tossed him across the room into a window. The window only cracked a little, making it quickly become apparent that it was an observation window. More of this equine race was undoubtedly behind there. Suddenly, Starkiller felt the pull of the Force reach him. He was made visually aware of what was being pulled as a gold aura pulled at his offending appendage while a navy blue aura of similar appearance pulled at his right. Using half his strength to resist the thrall of the force, Starkiller took the time to notice that the equines had left his lightsabers strapped to his belt, and couldn’t help but smirk beneath his mask. They obviously didn't realize the importance of removing such dangerous objects had on their chances of survival, which had now completely flatlined. All the same, he needed to break free and get off this planet before his master found out he'd been captured so easily.

"By Celestia, how did it escape? It was bolted to the table with state of the art locking mechanisms!” one of the equines asked no one in particular. Starkiller was getting annoyed by the pulling of the two Force users and decided to act. Using the Force, he took two lightsabers from his belt, both the one he usually used and his original one from when he was still Vader's apprentice. He flicked the activation switches and a pair of crimson plasma rods extended from within. With considerable ease, he managed to overpower the pull of the two auras and spun around. The Sith Lord used his lightsabers to carve a hole in the window so he could escape. He then pushed the window with the Force, knocking it away and, if the pained grunt was anything to go by, hit someone behind it. The golden aura on his left arm disappeared, leaving just the right one. Deactivating the lightsaber in his left hand, he holstered it and brought his arm back, charging a massive amount of Force energy. The blue aura faded almost a second afterward. They must’ve sensed the Force building up within me, he thought.

Starkiller decided to ignore his escape route for now as whoever lurked behind it no longer posed any threat. With the remaining four equines cowering in the corner, it was a simple matter of torturing them with Force Lightning. And torture them he did. Each of the equines screamed bloody murder as untold volts of purple electricity flooded into them, and one of them begged for release.

An evil smirk formed under Starkiller’s mask. His definition of the word “release” had been warped considerably during his time as Vader and Sidious’ apprentice. Using the Force, Starkiller telekinetically grabbed the scalpel that his first victim had held and stabbed the screaming equine in the eye.

With the scientists taken care of, Starkiller stepped through the big hole in the wall, what remained of the smoldering glass giving way under his boot. There were three chairs on the other side, one toppled over, where the largest part of the window now rested, along with another equine, an alabaster female, who seemed to be either dead or unconscious. The two remaining Force users, a dark blue female and a lavender female, cowered under his gaze. Perhaps there was a chance for him to talk his way out of this, although that seemed less and less likely as he had left a pile of corpses in his wake, and he hadn't even taken five steps. Starkiller glanced at the two conscious females, his hand wandering towards his primary lightsaber to strike them down, but paused as he thought it over for a moment. Ultimately, Starkiller decided that it would be a waste of time, and casually walked out the door.

The halls on the other side intrigued Starkiller. They seemed to be made entirely of crystal, and yet the species didn't seem to entirely fit the environment. For a moment, Starkiller believed this to be a very realistic and silly dream, or perhaps a Rebel scum had somehow slipped him a death stick, but the agonizing pain between his mechanical parts and what remained of his human body reminded him that he was in fact, alive. 

Everywhere Starkiller turned, there were crystals, they played havoc with his vision, and on more than one occasion, he walked directly into the same wall multiple times. Nevertheless, Starkiller ventured on.




Back With The Princesses...



"I warned them not to experiment on the alien. We couldn't possibly know how it would react." Twilight said through berated breaths.

"Obviously, it knows magic. That makes it dangerous." Celestia replied, staggering as she walked. Despite receiving a quick healing spell from Twilight and Luna, she was still sore from the sudden blow to both her head and her ego from the window back in the other room.

"And those laser swords. I thought those things only existed in those science-fiction novels Twilight has me reading." Luna added before backing against the wall. The others followed suit as the alien ran ahead of them, seemingly unhindered by the shock of being restrained. All three Alicorns began to shake in fear as they heard the mechanical breathing of the alien nearby.

"Regardless, it’s just killed five ponies. It's clearly a danger to us all." Celestia commented when she thought they were safe enough.

"I disagree, Celestia. If you were strapped to a surgical table on a strange world, and about to be vivisected out of fear from the general public, wouldn't you defend yourself too?" Twilight argued. Celestia considered her answer for a moment.

"I suppose you are right, but what would you suggest? The deaths of those ponies will reach the public soon enough. Some of them were students, they had families. Compensation will be demanded of either us or the alien." Celestia told the younger Alicorn.

"In order to avoid more conflict, we will speak with the alien, ask it to consider disarming itself to preserve the peace. In return, we won't let the public know it has magic and it can remain feeling safe in that knowledge," Twilight answered. Luna looked to her older sister for her approval. Celestia, knowing that she was outvoted, agreed that option was the best course of action.




Back With Starkiller...




After bumbling around through the hallways of what seemed to be an extravagant castle of some kind, Starkiller found himself in what appeared to be a throne room, where there was what appeared to be some sort of council or Senate meeting under way when he barged into the room, which was populated with more of the strange equines. At Starkiller’s entrance, they turned from their activities to look at the newcomer. Some gasped in fright, others were frozen. Several burly equines clad in armor began to ready their weapons and draw their swords. On instinct, Starkiller reached for one of his lightsabers. One would be enough to deal with the aggressive ones, seeing as their weapons were made of what seemed to be a weaker sort of metal.

However, before anything further could happen, a trio of equines, one of which was taller than the rest, burst through the door behind Starkiller.

"Wait!" they called out, falling over themselves. Starkiller lowered his lightsaber, having not yet activated it. If need be, he could hold them off with the Force before things got too violent. He turned to view the newcomers. His immediate thought was that two of them had the colors of the auras that had tried to stop him in the operating room. A cursory examination through the Force proved to him that these were the observers in the other room that he had spared.

“Everypony stand down!" the white one boomed. Starkiller knew that she'd used the Force to enhance her voice, whether they called it the Force was another matter altogether. Upon command, the equines withdrew their weapons from Starkiller's position but stood ready to defend their leader.

"Please, excuse our rudeness. We did not wish to conduct experiments on you, however the citizens felt that it was necessary in order to defend ourselves should more of your kind come." the purple one spoke. Starkiller was curious as to how they spoke his language. It was a curiosity that didn't emerge until the danger had passed. Taking a chance, he sheathed his lightsaber and stood to his full height. Much like Vader had once done with him, the Sith Lord now towered over the creature like her superior, which he was in almost every sense of the word.

"You're fortunate that I am more forgiving than my former master. He didn't give second chances," Starkiller replied, startling some of the ponies. Through his visor, he noted a certain glint in the purple one's eyes. It was the same glint the Admirals would get when he would spare their lives, giving them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. This purple equine was inquisitive.

"Thank you. Let us start by introducing ourselves. This is Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence is over there with my brother, Shining Armor,” the purple horse said, indicating a pink horse in an extravagant dress and was biologically not dissimilar to herself and the aforementioned princesses, who was being hidden from sight by an alabaster male wearing what appeared to be some form of military dress uniform. “And I am Princess Twilight. May we ask what your name is?" Twilight inquired. 

For a brief moment, Starkiller considered not answering her. However, ultimatly saw no harm in answering her, as a name was little more than a means to address an individual.

"Starkiller. Lord Starkiller," Staarkiller said simply, as though the address was nothing short of an insignificance.

"Starkiller? That's an interesting name. Who gave it to you? And what exactly are you a ‘Lord’ of?" Twilight asked.

"A dead man." was all Starkiller said, his deep voice emotionless. This brought the very short line of questions to a screeching halt.

"Okay… listen, Starkiller, I was wondering if perhaps you would be willing to relinquish those weapons? We know you have magic, so you're still well defended. It's just that the public are extremely uncomfortable with you and until you've earned a reputable name for yourself it would help things go a lot more smoothly." she said.

Starkiller casually went for his lightsaber and seemed to offer it to her. As her hand was just about to touch it, it activated, causing her to flinch and scurry back.

"It’s a dangerous game to play when you ask a Sith Lord to disarm himself. The blade I hold in my hand is an extension of the wielder, as is the Force. Asking a Sith to relinquish his lightsaber would be like asking you to relinquish your horns or wings. If your precious public has a problem with me, then let them sort it out how they wish. But I will not allow an inferior race to make requests for their own sake," Starkiller replied, disengaging it and holstering it at the same time.

The guards had their weapons pointed at him again. Starkiller, for his part, had had enough of these creatures. Going into a stance, he closed his arms and legs over his chest, hovering on the ground for a moment. The guards surrounding him began to circle uncontrollably in the air, along with several objects in the room. They were immediately smacked with a wave of Force that sent them flying in all directions. The three Princesses in front of him were sent no more than a few feet backwards as their hooves stayed glued to the ground. Starkiller bolted for the nearest exit, which just so happened to be a nearby window.

As the Sith crashed through it, he came to realize the drop was further than he thought, but that was of little consequence. He focused the Force in his legs and performed a flip just in time to land on his feet. The Force was thrown out in a ripple effect, knocking back over a dozen civilian equines and several guards in the process. Screaming ensued afterwards and the Sith Lord made a beeline towards the nearest uninhabited area. Looking back, he saw that his ship was still skewered on top of one of the crystal spires. With a grunt of irritation, he sped through the entrance outside of the city, and into the snowy wasteland beyond.

Back at the castle, as everyone was pulling themselves up off the ground from Starkiller’s sudden attack and muttering darkly amongst themselves, Celestia and Luna turned towards Twilight, grave expressions upon their faces.

“Twilight, you must return to Ponyville immediately, and gather your friends and retrieve the Elements of Harmony. They might be our only hope of preventing further casualties at the hands of that Starkiller creature,” Celestia instructed her pupil.

Twilight nodded once before focusing her magical energies and vanishing in a bright flash of light.

Once Twilight was gone, Luna turned to Celestia. “Sister, art thou certain the usual ‘blast him the the Elements of Harmony’ technique will work on this creature? After all, he does not hail from Equestria, or even this world,” she said to her elder sister.

Celestia said nothing, but Luna could tell just by looking at her sister that she had considered the possibility, but did not want to think about what it could possibly mean for Equestria if it came to pass.
> The Offer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter III: The Offer



Meanwhile, Back On The Death Star...


“My Lord, flight logs indicate that Lord Starkiller's ship did in fact plot a course for a star system beyond the outer rim. I've taken the liberty of preparing a ship to collect him." said the Admiral who’d brought news of Starkiller earlier. The Emperor sat in his chair, looking down once again on the construction droids placing the finishing touches on the second Death Star's Mass Particle Beam.

"Very good, Admiral. Make sure you find him, dead or alive. I want regular transmissions from the ship once you arrive." the dark lord said, not bothering to turn around. Nonetheless, the Admiral bowed in respect and turned to oversee the departure of the ship.

"Admiral." Sidious called out before the admiral left. The Admiral turned and awaited the Emperor's order. "Make sure you don't fail me." he said. The Admiral swallowed hard before bowing again and leaving for the second time.

"Maris, go with the Admiral, and make sure you are not noticed. I want Starkiller dead. Will you be able to do that this time around?" Sidious said to seemingly no one. However, it became obvious as to who he was speaking to when a grey skinned Zabrak landed behind him, kneeling down as an apprentice would their master.

"With your tutelage, recent as it has been, I am confident in my abilities, Master." she replied. This allowed for the dark lord to turn. As he faced her, Maris was hit with a rush of cold. His eyes often had that effect. She felt like a youngling Jedi staring into the eyes of a Tuk'ata for the first time.

"Pray you don't fail. If you return alive after doing so, you will not make it out of this room again. You have been warned." Sidious said, his voice echoing throughout the room. Despite the fear his voice transmitted to her, she kept her composure in front of him.

"I will leave at once, My master." she stated, before standing to leave. As the Zabrak walked away, The Emperor mused over her chances, as he had his doubts about Maris from the second he saw her. Yes, she had taken out all but one of the platoon sent to find her, yes, she showed promise as a Sith and her hatred for Starkiller would help elevate her power and, subsequently her chances of defeating him.

But Starkiller was trained by Darth Vader, who, despite being a mere shadow of what he could’ve become, was easily Sidious' greatest apprentice. Starkiller had such promise, had the potential to be his equal and even successor. Even when rebuilt as Vader had been, Starkiller did not lose a fraction of his potential, despite the Emperor's words. Maris Brood simply did not have that same potential.




Meanwhile...





Starkiller fell onto his hands and knees, completely out of breath from running as hard and fast as he had been, even with the aid of the Force enhancing his speed. The Sith Lord had well and truly gone beyond even those flying equine's distances. Crystals no longer lined his field of vision, and snow no longer froze his circuits and chilled what little flesh he had left. All he saw was mountain ranges and green grass, a rare sight for the eyes of the Sith Lord as he'd spent most of his time either in space or on barely habitable planets; most recently, Hoth. The thought of Skywalker escaping him infuriated him to no end, especially after he’d managed to get him to fall to the Dark Side. Though he’d initially planned on killing Skywalker, after seeing how surprisingly skilled he was with the Dark Side despite only tapping into it for the first time, he’d hoped to have made an apprentice out of the spawn of Vader, with which he could finally challenge the Emperor, as Vader had trained him to do so long ago, only for him to be pulled back into the light by his friends and, there was simply no other word to descripe the blue figure he had seen, the ghost of the real Obi-Wan Kenobi.

After another minute or so of catching his breath, Starkiller looked up at the mountains before focusing on a single mountain in particular. Something protruded out from the side of it. A refuge perhaps? he thought, pulling himself to his feet and moving toward it. It didn't take him long to stop to reconsider as he noted it was a very old style looking castle. Recalling the Princesses, he assumed that it belonged to one of them.

Almost an instant later, Starkiller felt the sudden appearance of a very strong connection to the Force. It was so sudden, and so powerful, it brought teleportation to Starkiller's mind. Even amongst the teachings of the Jedi and even the Sith, teleportation was unheard of. This attracted Starkiller like a moth to a flame. Whoever the user of that strong connection was, they had enormous potential. Enough potential to bring promise of a galaxy without the Emperor.

Almost seconds after it appeared, it disappeared again, reappearing just on the border of Starkiller's senses, causing his jaw to drop, a rare feat of itself. It truly was teleportation. That was the deciding factor in his cacophony of problems. Starkiller set out for the source of the Force sensitive. If it turned out to be one of the Princesses he'd met before, he may have to relinquish his lightsabers... well, most of them anyway.



A Short While Later...




"Girls! Thank goodness you're all here. We have a terrible situation that requires all of our help!" Twilight called out of breath to her friends, who just so happened to be having a picnic on the Apple Family Orchard.

"I'll say, your manners leave something to be desired if that's how you as a Princess would address your subjects." Rarity responded, seeming appalled.

"What?!" Twilight complained, annoyed at having been distracted from her initial task.

"Twilight, you are a Princess now. Certain rules need to be applied to everypony you see, your friends included. You were Princess Celestia's friend, but you also treated her with the utmost respect, respect that she reciprocated to you, if you recall." explained the white unicorn.

"No, that's not why I-."

"Yeah, Twi. I know we're your friends and all, and I am awesome beyond all imagination, but come on, act like a Princess,” Rainbow Dash, a blue pegasus, put in.

"It wouldn't hurt to act all formal, girl." Applejack, an orange earth pony, added. Pretty soon, all but Fluttershy began to talk over each other.

"EVERYPONY SHUT UP!!!" Twilight screamed, her voice amplified tenfold. Everypony including herself seemed stunned by the sudden outburst. “Oh, that's new." she commented, covering her mouth. She saw the shocked expressions on her friends' faces and took that opportunity to get to the point before they got all rowdy.

"Girls, there's a new threat to Equestria, maybe even the entire world, and the Elements of Harmony are required to put a stop to it," she said. Twilight watched as the cogs in their heads turned, some faster than others.

"Ooh, Ooh, is it Galactus, the world-eater?!" Pinkie Pie, a pink earth pony, asked, raising her hand like an excited student who knew the answer to a question.

"What? No! I hope not. Who's Galactus?" Twilight asked. Pinkie thought for a moment.

"Whoopsie! Sorry, Twilight, Wrong franchise. I forgot my test. I've gotta ask you a question." she said.

"Umm, can it wait, Pinkie? This is kinda important." Twilight said. Pinkie just held up her hand to shush her.

"Just answer quickly, chicken or beef?" Pinkie asked, looking dead serious.

"What?! What does that have to do with-."

"JUST ANSWER!!!" Pinkie screamed.

"CHICKEN!!!" Twilight replied, screaming out of frustration.

"Then it's STARKILLER!!!" she screamed the name. Twilight was both astounded and confused at the same time. She also thought that Pinkie sounded rather pleased by the answer, almost like a gushing school filly in love.

"I...what, how did you...HUH?!" Twilight was beyond confused as to how Pinkie knew his name. "How... could you possibly know that?!" she begged. Every time Pinkie said something random and came up with the correct answer made Twilight so furious. She’d always wanted to understand how Pinkie did it.

"Dunno, I just know this stuff." she replied, shrugging the whole thing off.

"So, who's this Starkiller guy? Is he a pony, dragon, what?" Dash asked, fired up at being able to deal with a new enemy of Equestria, and boost her fame in the process.

"Galactus is a giant planet eating alien that may look like a giant person in a weird helmet and suit, or a world-eating cloud!" Pinkie interjected before going back to her spaced-out look with her tongue sticking out. She looked like a pink version of Derpy Hooves with her current expression.

"I've got one word for you, Dash: aliens." Twilight replied. Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack leaped in the air with joy, taking Twilight by complete surprise. “How can you be so excited?! All of Equis could be in danger!”

“Oh, well, we’ve had a bet going on about what the next big threat to Equestria was going to be,” explained Rainbow.

“Yeah! And Dash and Applejack had bet against the rest of us that the next big threat to Equestria would be ‘totally out of this world’ and they were right,” said Pinkie, handing Rainbow a bag of bits.

"Pay up, Rarity!" Applejack said, holding out her hand with a smug look on her face. Rarity sighed with irritation and handed over a small bag of bits.

"Next one's a demon from the depths of Tartarus." Rarity said.

"Nah, Twilight's totally gonna turn evil next time," Dash interjected.

"Um, girls?" Fluttershy’s meek voice called out but was caught in the hustle and bustle between the two opposing outcomes.

"Ah'll take that bet! Twenty bits says Twilight does her own impression of Nightmare Moon! Probably calls ‘erself Midnight Sparkle or Darth Midnight or sumthin’ like that!" Applejack declared.

"Ooh, Ooh, Twilight's totally gonna turn evil! Probably because of something that happens to a romantic love interest!” Pinkie added, placing her bet.

"Um...girls?" Fluttershy spoke again, but went unheard once again.

"Are you guys seriously doing this now?!" Twilight asked, appalled and somewhat offended.

"Twilight... I think I see-."

"I guess if Pinkie says it's gonna happen, it's good enough for me,” Dash said, reaffirming her bet.

"GIRLS!" Twilight cried in both urgency and insult.

"TWILIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!" Fluttershy suddenly screamed, catching all ponies present off guard. She had their attention now.

"Sorry, Fluttershy, was something the matter?" Twilight asked, unable to place the importance of Equestria over Fluttershy's need to assert herself from time to time.

"Is this Starkiller alien tall, walks on two legs like us, and has a grey mask, razor sharp claws, dressed in black, and breathes like he’s using a broken snorkel?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight was again surprised by the accuracy of her friends' guess.

"Yes, how did you know that?" the Alicorn asked, looking worriedly at Fluttershy.

"Because he's standing right behind you." Fluttershy pointed towards a location just behind where the ponies had been facing. Each pony turned around slowly and cautiously. Rarity fainted upon seeing it, Applejack went wide-eyed, as did Pinkie, although Twilight felt Pinkie had reacted for a whole other reason to Applejack. Fluttershy was petrified after having pointed Starkiller out and Twilight just stared at the intruder who was breathing like he was trying to use a broken snorkel.

“I… finally… caught up with you!” said Starkiller, who sounded completely winded.

The ponies just stared at Starkiller as he looked upon the small group in return while trying to catch his breath. Having dealt with numerous alien species, the expressions on the ponies were as easy to interpret as if they were human. Twilight looked nervous. The light coloured winged one that had made them all aware of his presence seemed on the verge of a heart attack. The fancy looking one, easily the lightest coloured one there seemed appalled. The other winged one as well as the one with the hat seemed a cross between excited and unsure while the last among them seemed about ready to burst with excitement.

"Starkiller, please. What are your intentions here?" Twilight asked, shaking with fear at the Sith Lord's presence. That was a question which Starkiller had to consider. He knew that Twilight was a creature of the light side, and while there were those hiding in the shadows of the Dark Side, none were as powerful or had as much potential as the creature cowering before him. So he had a choice. He could try and turn Twilight and risk failure, or he could do what he managed to do once before and sway back to the light side, like he had for Juno and the others.

Starkiller certainly had no love for the Emperor, and realistically speaking, it would be easier for him to change than her, given what she had to live for, at least in his experience. For now, he would teach her how to better use the Force, how to utilize it in combat. The sway of the dark and light side would come later.

"I have no intentions here. However, perhaps you could help me?" Starkiller asked. The ponies were surprised to say the least by his sudden request for aid. All but two were further surprised by his understanding of their language.

"What do you need help with?" Twilight asked.

"My current master is the Emperor of the Galaxy. He obtained this title through... more than questionable means, going so far as to direct a war by tricking both sides. I won't bother explaining how it worked. My former master was his disciple before me. I was trained in order to help him defeat the Emperor and restore peace to the Galaxy, which has been suffering from his tyranny for far too long,” he said. The ponies were taking in every word, each and every fact that came out of Starkiller's mechanical mouth was like gold to them.

"So where does Twilight come into it?" the pink one asked.

"When my former master died, I was... caught in certain events that broke me. Now I serve the Emperor. But I can feel a power from you that has the potential to grow and rival my master. If you would be willing to learn, I could teach you what you need to know in order to defeat him," Starkiller replied.

"That's all well and good, dear, but I don't see what's in it for Twilight." the white one protested.

"My master's hunger for power is insatiable. To him, power comes in the forms of wealth, land and the Force. He will-."

"I'm sorry... the Force? What's that?" Twilight interrupted.

"You may call it something else. Witchcraft, telekinesis, magic. The point is, my master will venture further beyond in search of more worlds to conquer and I doubt this world we're on will be safe from him for much longer. If there's one thing the Emperor doesn't like, it's loose ends. And because I have gone missing, I may be considered a loose end." he replied.

The girls were unsure as to how to pursue this situation. "Could we take some time to consider your proposal?" Twilight asked.

Starkiller wasn't one for wasting time. He felt a disturbance in the Force and it was on its way here. He knew it wasn't his master, he'd felt this presence before, but it was now darker, more twisted. Still, he could deal with it should it arrive. If anything it could give him the opportunity to gain the trust of the inhabitants of this world.

"Very well. I shall be waiting on that tower with the bell. Speak with me when you have your answer. But I must ask that you be swift with your decision making. My master has already sent someone to either collect me, or kill me," Starkiller replied.

"How do you know?" Twilight asked.

"It matters not. Should you accept my proposal, I will teach you how I know. Until then, trust that I am telling you the truth. And as a sign of good faith, I offer you these." Starkiller said as he relinquished his lightsabers, save for his primary one, and handed them over to Twilight who looked at the collection in amazement. "I plan on teaching you how to wield them safely as well, so don't go playing around with them," he added. Twilight stared at the devices and examined each one with a keen eye. The others stood around them and looked out of curiosity. When Twilight looked back up to Starkiller, he was gone.

"Whaddya think, Twi?" Applejack asked as the six of them gathered around to discuss the situation. Twilight was at a loss for words. It was obvious to her that Starkiller was evil, given her first impression of him, not to mention his painful slaughtering of those five ponies in the examination room. She believed he had an ulterior motive hidden within. She expressed her uncertainty to the others.

"If you ask me, this guy has to be put down. The Elements of Harmony should be able to take care of that," Rainbow Dash declared, pounding her chest and flying a few meters into the air.

"No, if anything, now that I've had a chance to think things through... even if we did use the Elements, they might just barely scrape by in the struggle against Starkiller. Assuming his master is really on his way then the Elements might not be enough, in which case, Starkiller's training would be invaluable," she replied.

"Are you suggesting that we take advantage of his training and then defeat them both accordingly?" Rarity asked.

"We?" Twilight asked.

"Well, yes. No sense in just one of us learning from him. Of course, we all possess some inherent magical abilities. He never said that earth ponies or pegasi were unable to learn what he is offering to teach." The alabaster Unicorn replied.

"Wait, so you're saying I could use this Force that he mentioned to move stuff around like Twilight does? That'd be like becoming a false Alicorn. AWESOME!" Dash interjected, throwing her hands in the air.

"Think of what we could do with that power. Fluttershy could use it for the betterment of her animals, such as helping them out of trees and hidey holes, I could use it for my dress-making, Applejack could use it to help her with her applebucking and Pinkie Pie could use it for... baking?" Rarity suggested.

As she looked around, Twilight saw that the girls liked the sound of that. They were excited even. Suddenly, Twilight remembered seeing the lightning that had been used to torture and kill five innocent ponies. However, the Princess opted not to tell her friends about it, although she had a feeling that it was a decision she would regret.

"Alright then, it’s settled. Let's tell Starkiller our decision. We'll all learn how to use the Force like he does," said Twilight.




A Short While Later...



Starkiller sat on the peak of the bell tower. His eyes were closed and his mind lost in meditation. He'd only ever done this once before, but he felt that now might as well have been as good a time as any. His mind had expanded to allow him to view all of the town he currently resided in. Judging from what the ponies milling about on the street said, the name of the town seemed to be Ponyville. The different shapes and colors of the ponies intrigued the Sith Lord.

Starkiller felt the approaching presence of six ponies. The same six he'd come across before, including Twilight Sparkle. The force told him their decision before they could. It even told him their names. The first to appear was Rainbow Dash, easily the most energetic of the bunch. Twilight was next, using that strange teleportation power she possessed. Pinkie Pie was third. That one was... strange. The rest came in terms of alphabetical order, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity.

"We're ready to begin." Twilight stated.

Starkiller thought this through for a few moments. He’d only meant for Twilight to learn the ways of the Force. However, more students couldn't hurt. "Then we'll begin." he said, opening his eyes behind his mask. "First, however, it seems I will have to gain your trust. It comes in the form of that," Starkiller said, pointing towards the sky. The ponies all looked towards where he was pointing and gasped in shock at the strange wedge-shape object that was just about to block out the sun.
> Maris Brood Vs Starkiller: The Rematch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter IV: Maris Brood Vs Starkiller: The Rematch


"Admiral Kataar, we've reached the destination Lord Starkiller's Navi-computer entered before we lost contact." one of the Lieutenants spoke from below deck. Admiral Kataar stepped forward towards the large windows, walking past the bridge personnel below him.

"Excellent. With any luck, Lord Starkiller is down on that planet somewhere. Send word to the scouts to begin with the forest areas first. Then move on to the smaller towns. Start from least populated to most heavily." he ordered.

"Yes, sir." the Lieutenant confirmed, beginning to apply the order as directed. A few moments passed before another crew member spoke up.

"Sir, sensors indicate that Lord Starkiller is visible in a small town just north of our present course." Admiral Kataar felt something was off. Having served under Lord Starkiller once before, he understood that the Sith knew better than to hide in plain sight.

"We were expected. Prepare to fire weapons. He may have betrayed the Empire and gone rogue," Kataar ordered. Upon command, all the cannons on the Star Destroyer pointed toward the location of the Sith Lord.


Meanwhile...


Unbeknownst to the crew of the star ship, a Sith Apprentice was crawling through the air ducts. Cloaked in black with her hood up, she managed to find an escape hatch and opened it. She was greeted by the atmosphere of the world, sickeningly sweet to her senses. With practiced acrobatics, she grabbed the roof of the hatch and threw herself out, flipping upward towards the top of the starship. The Force carried her most of the way. She gripped the edge of the deck and threw herself up. The wind blew the hood off of her face to reveal a grey-skinned Zabrak female. Her cloak blew backwards, held on only by the string tied around her neck. Her lightsabers rattled in their holsters, shaped like two tonfa. Even in the setting sun, her eyes glowed a sickly orange as the Dark Side of the Force flowed through her.

"I'm coming for you, Starkiller." she growled under the rush of the wind.


On The Planet...


"What in Celestia's name is that?!" Applejack asked, the shock plain on her face.

Starkiller rose to his feet. He knew exactly what it was. He'd used them often and even dealt with one once. "A Class One Imperial Star Destroyer. Fairly common among the Empire's ranks. I'm not surprised they sent one of those after me." he replied.

"How in Tartarus are we supposed to compete with that?!" Rainbow Dash asked, throwing her hand in the direction of the ship as if to emphasize its mass.

"Watch closely." Starkiller replied. The ponies looked at Starkiller as he raised a single hand. Their attention turned to the Star Destroyer as it began to make creaking sounds from afar.

"Is... is it moving? I mean off course?" Twilight asked, her eyes widening into saucers as she watched the Star Destroyer begin to angle off course towards the ground.

"When using the Force, size is irrelevant. An item is only too big to move if you believe it to be." The Sith explained as he closed his fist slightly and began to slowly drag his arm down. The ship reacted accordingly by moving its nose downward towards the ground. Green lights began to protrude from the starship and the ponies identified them as the ship's weapons.

"You're going to crash it?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding excited. Starkiller didn't answer as he tried to focus everything on the destruction of the ship. That focus was divided as Imperial TIE Fighters were sent to stop him. With practiced efficiency, he continued to pull the Star Destroyer down at a slower rate with one hand while using the other to grab one fighter and throw it into another and proceeded to repeat the process. Pieces of TIE Fighters flew everywhere, undoubtedly hitting or at least coming close to hitting civilians, but Starkiller had to get rid of the big one, otherwise everyone would be dead.

"Try and protect the civilians as best you can. I have to get that ship grounded," Starkiller ordered. Twilight nodded and flew off towards the ground to gather Ponyville's inhabitants. It took only a few minutes, but when everypony was accounted for, Twilight erected a barrier just in time to prevent a sharp piece of a TIE Fighter's wing from killing them all.

After another few minutes of struggling, Starkiller's efforts bore fruit. The Star Destroyer kissed dirt, the sheer force of the landing combined with the solidity of the ground caused the hull to bend and break away. The Star Destroyer slid along the ground, uprooting trees and turning the lush greenery dirt brown in its wake. All that was left for Starkiller to do regarding the Destroyer was to stop it.

Using both hands this time, he pushed against the Destroyer's approach. The nose of the ship bent and shortened as the Force closed in on the vessel. The wreckage came to a screaming halt a few kilometers outside the town's edge.

"That. Was. AWESOME!!!" Rainbow Dash cried out, leaping into the air. Starkiller realized that when it came to the Force, this particular mare would always be easily impressed.

"It's not over yet." The Sith cautioned, jumping off the tower to land just beside Twilight's shield. The ponies had never seen Starkiller before and were immediately startled by his sudden appearance.

"Well done, Starkiller. That was an impressive display." Twilight commented, dropping the shield.

"Were there any casualties?" Starkiller asked. He wasn't sure why he bothered to ask that question, but Twilight was still smiling as she shook her head.

"Not a one, thanks to your quick thinking. Ponyville owes you a debt of gratitude," she replied. The Sith Lord couldn't help but feel a sense of achievement and pride at those words. However, the presence of the Dark Side brought that feeling to a screeching halt. He looked toward the wreckage and saw a hooded figure walking casually towards him. The height and stance of the entity revealed to him that it was a female, and she was strong in the Dark Side.

"Where are the tools I gave to you?" Starkiller asked.

"I gave the girls one each,” said Twilight.

"One will be enough." said Starkiller, grabbing the lightsaber at his side as he approached the Sith Warrior.

The Sith threw her arms forward to reveal bare grey skin and two tonfa sabers. Seeing them made Starkiller recall where he'd sensed that presence before.

"Maris Brood," muttered Starkiller. Twilight had the urge to ask who that was, but didn't act upon it. Starkiller felt her urge nonetheless and decided to elaborate. "A Zabrak female. She was the apprentice of a Jedi Master, one who I was ordered to kill as a test from my former master. Maris lost her way and fell to the Dark Side of the Force. Seems we're always at opposite ends of the board,” explained Starkiller.

"What's a Jedi?" Twilight asked.

"A Jedi is a Force user who is devoted to keeping the peace. It's like the karmic opposite of a Sith who seeks only power and stability under his or her rule. I was raised to be a Sith, but turned to the ways of the Jedi before falling back to the Dark Side once more. Now... I'm somewhere in between," Starkiller replied. Before Twilight could ask any more questions, Maris threw her hood back and removed her cloak entirely. All she had on her was her black leathery torso and tight black leggings with wrapped shoes. She then took out her lightsabers and activated them, revealing a deep red glow just like Starkiller's.

"She's got two of those things?" Twilight gasped.

"The number doesn't matter... still, better safe than sorry. Applejack, give me the lightsaber Twilight handed to you!" Starkiller called from atop the tower. Applejack lifted her hat and produced the saber. Even from down below, Starkiller could see it was Rahm Kota's old blade. The Ex-Sith didn't waste time and threw his hand into the air. The lightsaber flew out of Applejack's hand and made its way towards him before Maris intercepted and began to bring it towards her.

It had become a game of tug-of-war using the Force and the winner got a lightsaber. Starkiller was struggling to gain leverage over the young Sith. The Dark Side really had fueled her hatred for him. He could see it in her eyes.

"You're going to die, Starkiller! Our master has ordered it so." Maris hissed with a venomous tone in her voice. Even while speaking, she didn't give him any advantage over the lightsaber.

"I defeated you once before, and I can do it again!" Starkiller retorted. An idea came to mind as Starkiller began to charge the Force within his hand. At exactly the same time, Starkiller released his grip on the lightsaber and directed the charged energy towards it. Kota's Lightsaber was propelled towards Maris, the hilt striking her smack between the eyes. She lost all control over the lightsaber and it was free in the air. Starkiller dashed forward, just in time to grab it. With a flip, he activated his two lightsabers and brought them down on the young Sith. Maris had just enough time to recover herself and she activated her own sabers.

The hissing of the clashing blades could be heard from the top of the bell tower. Ponies watched in anticipation, wander and awe as the skills of the two aliens seemed beyond comprehension to them. Starkiller had had the crystal in Kota's lightsaber changed and the blade was now a nice crimson, fitting a Sith Lord. But, somehow, that color just didn't seem to fit the hilt given.

Maris shoved Starkiller away and took a second to collect herself. Starkiller began to measure her strength with her reaction time and adjusted his strength, speed and fighting style accordingly. The Force was used to augment these three aspects and he was almost ready to charge. All he needed to do was wait for the signal. It could have been anything, the falling of a leaf, the sneezing of one of the onlooking ponies, hell, even bird shit on his helmet. He waited and waited, circling with the Sith apprentice. Neither one showed signs of attacking.

"You've improved, Maris. But what of Shaak Ti? Would she approve of the path you've chosen?" Starkiller asked, trying psychological warfare.

"Shut up! I could ask you the same with your own Masters Would either Vader or Kota approve of your current situation? Going against the Emperor in such a fashion?" she countered.

"Both Vader and Kota wanted the Emperor gone, for different reasons. But at least their deaths weren't in vain like your old master's was. She was nothing more than a test for me. A graduation exam from Vader himself," Starkiller teased. Maris growled at him and made the first move.

"SHUT UP!" the Zabrak cried as she charged at Starkiller, who smiled under his helmet as he took one step forward, spun around and threw his arm out, parrying Maris' attack. The force of Starkiller’s blow sent Maris flying several feet backwards only to be stopped by the presence of a tree. Maris pulled herself up and charged at Starkiller once again.

"I have to kill you. Not just because the Emperor says it, but as revenge for my Master, Shaak Ti!' Maris yelled as she used a series of blows to try and wound her opponent, all of which Starkiller managed to either parry or outright dodge.

"And what makes you think that your Jedi Master would want you to seek revenge?" Starkiller asked. Maris just refused to answer and continued her barrage of attacks. Starkiller knew her technique well. She'd grown stronger, yes, the Force was stronger in her as well, but she hadn't altered from the same stale fighting style in the slightest. The fight was coming to a close, even with neither side injured.

Starkiller made a quick incision in Maris' leg, surprising her. She dropped down to one knee, but continued to fight. Another incision brought her to both knees. With her mind distracted, Starkiller simply used the Force to rip the lightsabers from her hands and send them to either side of the road. Maris was defenseless against Starkiller who now had both his sabers crossed before her throat.

"Go ahead. You spared me once before and it's only come back to the same situation. Kill me this time. Maybe then I can find the answer when I'm one with the Force." she goaded. Starkiller felt the Dark Side trying to persuade him into fulfilling her request and ending her life.

"Perhaps later." he said, deactivating his blades. He placed a hand over her head and channeled the Force into her. Within a second, Maris was unconscious, placed into a deep slumber. The ponies began to creep closer, examining the strange aliens. Starkiller took no notice of them as he looked at Kota's lightsaber, remembering the bright green it used to take on.

It was time to change things for the better.


Meanwhile, Back On The Death Star...


"She has fallen..." The Emperor softly said, anger and frustration laced within his voice.. "Maris Brood has failed me," he continued.

An elite member of a special task force dealing in the extermination of remnant Jedi knelt silently before the Emperor, knowing when he should and should not have spoken. This man was a Bounty Hunter by trade, but when it came to the Emperor, The Special Forces came first.

"What would you like me to do, my lord?" asked Boba Fett. The Emperor turned around to meet the Bounty Hunter clad in Mandalorian armor.

"Fortunately, we managed to receive some holo-footage from the ship before it was destroyed. Starkiller is on an uncharted planet in the Outer Rim. You will go there and eliminate Starkiller," Palpatine ordered. "And when you are done, I will send my fleets in to claim that... colorful eyesore of a planet for the Empire."

The Bounty Hunter bowed his head for a moment before standing to leave. He still owed Starkiller for mucking up his job working for the late Jabba the Hutt a couple years back and leaving him for dead. From what he heard, Jabba was strangled by Princess Leia, who he’d taken hostage, and his replacement had become Sarlacc food, a fate he’d had nightmares about being his own.

"I'm gonna need a team. They won't be coming back," Boba said matter-of-factly.

"Indeed..." the Emperor said before he pressed a button on his throne. "Bring them in."

Not even a moment later, a squad of Stormtroopers wheeled in several containment tanks containing what Boba could only assume had once been people, but had now been mutated and implanted with cybernetics to the point that they barely resembled abominations and monsters ripped right out of a horror holo-vid. Their razor sharp talons appeared to act as syringes, injecting their victim with the orange liquid, most likely some type of poison, that was embedded within the creatures. Following close behind were massive spider-like droids that had some pretty hefty defenses and seemed to be designed to construct and disperse the smaller spider-like droids that carried the same type of poison as the abominations.

"Some of Lord Vader's old pet projects, improved upon by my own scientists," the Emperor explained before indicating the creatures in the tanks. "My late apprentice's notes referred to these disgusting creatures as 'Terror Troopers.' They have been given an injection mechanism to disperse a powerful psychotropic hallucinogen, a panic-inducing poison. The Terror Walkers are designed to construct and disperse the smaller Terror Droids, which are equipped with the same type of poison. I trust these will suffice?"

An evil smile crossed Boba Fett's face, concealed by his helmet. "They'll do quite nicely, my lord," he said.

"Then I bid you take your leave," Palpatine said, prompting Boba to turn on his heel and head towards the elevator leading out of the throne room as the Stormtroopers who'd brought the Terror Troopers, Walkers, and Droids in did the same.

"Oh, and Boba..." The Emperor added, grabbing the man's attention once more. "If Maris is alive... kill her," he ordered, turning back around to watch over the maintenance of the Death Star. Boba Fett bowed once more before leaving the room. Under his breath, he muttered something that the Emperor heard, but took as a compliment.

"He still creeps me out."
> A New Sword Is Forged
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter V: A New Sword Is Forged


Maris Brood awoke with a start. Her dreams had rarely been peaceful since the death of Shaak-Ti, her former Master. But she vividly recalled the pleasant memory of having met her master for the first time. Sitting up, she noticed the primitive technology surrounding her. Her mind was muddled as she tried to recall recent events. Sure enough, they returned to her in a flurry.

She reached for her lightsabers, but realised quickly that they weren't on her person. That Sith! she thought, clenching her fists. Suddenly, she found herself intruded upon by a bipedal equine creature walking through a doorway. It was a strange concoction of colours for an Equine. Butter yellow with a pink mane and tail. Maris hoped at that least the equine was female, lest a male wear such shameful colours.

"Oh, you're awake. That's good." the equine said. While her voice identified her as a female of the species, the fact that she spoke stunned Maris.

"Where am I?" she asked after a moment of silence between them.

"You're in a town called Ponyville. This is the hospital. Princess Twilight had you admitted under the request of Mr. Starkiller." the equine replied. Maris growled under her breath at the name.

"That scum. Why would he let me live again? I didn't even pretend to want to become a Jedi again." she contemplated aloud.

"Mr. Starkiller said it was because now that you've failed the Emperor, he'll be after you too, and the only way for you to survive is if you join him. Of course... if that's alright with you." the butter yellow female answered for her. Maris gave the equine a stare that suggested she was deciding whether or not to believe what she was saying.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"M-my name's Fluttershy, Miss Brood. I'm a Pegasus," she replied timidly.

"Fluttershy... My name is Maris Brood. I am a Zabrak." she said.

"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Brood. I've been asked to be your guide for today, so if there's anywhere you would like to go, I'll take you." Fluttershy said.

Immediately, Maris took action. "Take me to Starkiller." she said.



A Short While Later…


Starkiller had taken residence within Ponyville's Carousel Boutique. It was a quiet place, and he needed such a place to think. At least that's what he told himself. In actuality, he'd chosen that spot so he could teach Princess Twilight and her friends the inner workings of their lightsabers and to teach them how to install the color crystal of their choosing.

"Now, dear, are there any requirements for these crystals, or will just any do?" Rarity asked.

Starkiller sat in the middle of the main room, his legs crossed. "They need to be small, no bigger than an eye... or in your case, no bigger than your pupils. Try to find ones without any cracks. The term crystal clear should ring some bells with you. It's shape is of no consequence."

As Starkiller spoke, Rarity began withdrawing all the blue, green, red, and purple crystals from her box and replaced the ones that didn't meet the requirements chosen. However, their search for proper color crystals was abruptly cut short when a loud bang erupted from behind. Starkiller kept his composure as he turned around to see Maris standing in the doorway, fuming with rage.

"Nice to see your knees didn't suffer that much after the battle. Perhaps I should have cut deeper? That way you wouldn't be breaking down people's doors," Starkiller said, a small smirk hidden by his mask. Maris just growled at him.

"How dare you disgrace me further by letting me live! And to even propose an alliance with you after everything you've done to me is just sick. I hate you, Starkiller, I always will. So you might as well just kill me now, because I will not join you." she declared loudly and proudly.

"Now dearies, if you're going to fight again, please do take it outside. This is a place of business, after all," Rarity interrupted before noticing Fluttershy hurrying inside after Maris.

"Come with me, Maris," Starkiller said, stepping past the fuming Zabrak. To Maris' own surprise, she complied with him, following him outside. Starkiller led Maris to Ponyville's Town Hall. The main room was empty save a few aisles of stacked chairs along the walls. The room was spacious, large enough for them to fight in. But Starkiller had no intention of continuing that battle. He turned to face her and sat down. He then motioned for her to join him. With the Force, he closed off all entrances. The two Sith were alone.

"Maris… do you truly believe you are Sith?" Starkiller asked. Maris, having sat down in front of him, scowled at his question.

"Of course I am. The Dark Side is strong in me, you know this. You've sensed it in me, don't deny it!" she threatened. Starkiller raised a hand as if to hold her off.

"I do not deny that the Dark Side is within you, but what you say and do, lead me to believe that you do not truly believe in the teachings of the Sith," Starkiller said. Once again, Maris growled at him.

"What do you mean?!" she snapped.

Starkiller remained calm and responded. "As you know, the Force is neither inherently good or evil. The Light and Dark Sides of the Force are merely our goals and desires which are used to power our flow to the Force, much like a reactor core in a star ship," Maris nodded, confirming that she understood what he was saying. "While your desire for revenge against me hints towards you being one with the Dark Side, you have yet to claim anyone but Shaak Ti; a Jedi Master, as your master." Starkiller continued.

Maris flinched for a moment before regaining her focus. "Nonsense, I've called the Emperor my master before," she argued.

"In front of him, yes, but in front of others, including myself, you've only called him the Emperor, not your master. Before when you fought me, you still called Shaak Ti your master. This to me says that you are not a Sith, but in fact still a Jedi, lost in the clutches of the Dark Side," Starkiller concluded.

Maris' scowl became little more than an uncertain frown as she mulled over Starkiller's words. A question came to mind and she asked it before she could stop herself. "Why does this matter?"

"I have killed Jedi, as you know. But I do not wish to kill any more. Sith, I will have no problem dispatching, but another Jedi, I refuse to kill," Starkiller replied.

"And why do you have a heart all of a sudden?" Maris demanded.

"I always had a heart, Maris. What I lacked was the truth. I was discovered by Vader when I was just a boy. I don't remember my parents. Vader trained me from day one. I was taught to believe in the power of the Dark side of the Force and use my negative emotions to fuel my power. For all I knew, the Jedi were evil and we were good. Which is why I obeyed Vader without question," Starkiller began. Maris listened intently. She believed that perhaps if she got to know more about Starkiller, perhaps she could prove him right and return to the teachings of the one she truly called Master.

"As Vader sent me to Kill Rahm Kota, he told me that Vader would not always be my Master. At first, I believed it was because I would betray him. Defeating Kota made me consider where my loyalties lay. Then came Master Kazdan Paratus, an old hermit of a Jedi. Paranoid through guilt, he barely noticed I was there when I killed him. He apologised to the long dead Jedi Council for having failed them again. Before then, I thought Jedi held no emotions whatsoever, and that made them weak. But Paratus' sorrow made me reconsider my views. Then your Master, Shaak Ti. Even as I defeated her, she held no hatred towards me. In fact, when she spoke to me, she told me the true nature of the Sith. How we were destined to betray one another. And she even pitied me my naïveté."

Maris couldn't help but feel hurt as Shaak Ti was mentioned, and she knew Starkiller felt that hurt. "And what did she teach you?" she asked.

Starkiller was silent for a moment. "It wasn't so much as what she taught me, but what she made me feel. I felt three things afterward. The first was confusion; I believed that although what she said made some sense, Vader would never betray me. I thought I was like a son to him. He raised me after all. The second thing I felt was fear. What if she was right? What if Vader was going to betray me? What would be left for me? My purpose in life was to help him defeat the Emperor and rise as his second. If that was all a lie, then what was the point in all this?"

Maris waited for him to finish before the silence became unbearable. "And the third thing?" she asked, her frown no longer present, but instead a furrow of curiosity.

"The third emotion was regret. I regretted defeating her. I should have listened to what she was saying, heard her out at least. Shaak Ti was the first Jedi and the first person I ever regretted killing. Had I given her a chance, she could have shown me the truth about my master. The worst part was, she was right. Vader betrayed me, not once but twice. He stabbed me in the back and killed me, then brought me back to life. He then pretended as though he did that just to throw the Emperor off our scent. He had me build a rebellion against the Empire. I was foolish to believe that serving him once more was the right thing to do. Because when we were all gathered, that's when the final betrayal occurred. The original Rebel Leaders were taken away to the Death Star. I followed them and faced off against Vader. I was then faced with a choice. Finish off Vader and succeed him, or go after the Emperor and save the Rebels. I chose to end Vader after all he’d done to me. Vengeance filled my heart, like you, and even then, I suffered further. While I was dealing with Vader, the Emperor killed the original Rebel Leaders before crashing my own starship into me, and then he forced me to undergo reconstruction. I truly did take Vader's place," Starkiller placed a hand against his mask as he spoke the last sentence. Maris watched with unhidden interest. She felt a shiver run down her spine as talon touched the mask.

"I don't ask for your forgiveness, Maris. Just know that I am sorry for what I did to you. I wouldn't blame you if you believe I deserve everything that's happened to me. Sometimes, I believe it myself," he concluded.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Maris asked, uncertainty painted on her face and in her voice.

"I want us to work together in defeating the Emperor, Maris. I believe that in order to do that, I should bear all to you. And that is what I'm doing. I ask that you do the same. Tell me everything you've wanted to say to me for the past five years. Tell me what you want to say to me now," Starkiller offered.

Maris was hesitant to respond. There were so many things she wanted to say, but after learning his side of things, she found that she couldn't truly hate him for his actions. He believed with all his heart that what he was doing was right, because he was taught to believe in it. She could not truly hate someone who knew no better. After mulling things over in her head, there was only one question that she felt she could ask.

"Do you think she could hate me... for claiming vengeance in her name?" she asked. Starkiller watched as tears began to emerge from under the lost Jedi's eyes.

"The bond between a master and their apprentice, whether Sith or Jedi, is somewhat akin to a parent/child bond. Shaak Ti was no doubt a Mother to you as Vader was a Father to me. I believe that Shaak Ti is proud of you for doing with me what I failed to do with her. You listened to what I had to say. In that regard, you succeeded where I failed. I think your master understands that because of the bond you both shared, you were hurting and felt you needed to vent your pain and anger onto the one who killed her, namely myself. She understands why you turned to the Dark Side and doesn't begrudge you for that. Even Jedi Masters have been known to turn from the Light Side," Starkiller replied. Maris couldn't stop the tears from falling. And even though she was crying in front of Starkiller, she didn't want to stop.

"I was so lost! I didn't know what to do without her. I wasn't ready to lose her. I clung to vengeance and to me, that was my purpose in life. Now, I don't even have that. I'm lost again, Starkiller, and I don't know what to do." she sobbed. Starkiller reached a hand towards her and placed it on her shoulder. Maris looked up into his visor, searching for any sign of his eyes.

"We can learn a lot from each other, Maris. I wouldn't dream of trying to fill Shaak Ti's shoes, but if you'll have me, I'll become your new master, and hopefully, help you to see the Light again." Starkiller offered. Maris was hesitant to accept his offer. The one who killed her master was offering to take her in.

"But... I'm not ready to let go of Shaak Ti." she said.

"You don't have to. Shaak Ti will always be with you. Take what you learned from her with you, and we can go on from there. You can carry her memory for as long as you need to,” Starkiller replied.

"And why are you making this offer?" she asked, drying her eyes.

"The Emperor is coming after both of us now. We need to be ready. On top of that, I failed so many people. The least I can do is make sure at least one of them survives. Let me help you, Maris Brood. Together, we can defeat the Sith and bring peace and stability to the Galaxy, just as the Jedi wanted," Starkiller replied. Maris listened to the words that came from Starkiller's mouth. She sensed no lies in his heart and truly believed in what he'd said. For the first time, she both trusted him, and kind of liked him. She wiped away the last of her tears and took the hand on her shoulder into her own.

"I pledge myself... to your teachings." she offered. Starkiller rose to his feet, keeping a hold of Maris' hand.

"A noble pledge, Maris. But before I accept, I must clarify to you this," Starkiller said, causing the former Sith to look up at him. "We will be neither Jedi or Sith. But something in between. We will experiment with the Force, on this world where it is strongest. We will learn to gain power, and at the same time both fear and respect that which we gain. We will be free to let our emotions guide us, but not overcome us. In essence, we will have the best of both sides," he declared.

"In a galaxy of black and white we will be grey. A universe of Positive and Negative we will be both, yet neither." Maris concluded.

"Yes," Starkiller replied.

"There is a word for people like us. It is from a human language; Espada. It means sword." she said.

"Correct. And Like a sword, we are neither good nor evil. So that is what we shall call ourselves," he declared. Maris smiled at him for the first time, and their hand hold had become a handshake.