Star Wars: The Force is magic

Chapters

Episode 1: The hunt begins
Episode 2: Outcast
Side story: Assassin

Episode 1: The hunt begins

"There is no emotion, there is Peace." A voice said.

Serenity reigned inside the caves. A lone Unicorn sat in the center if the wide cavern, reciting an ancient text.

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge." The Unicorn said. Several stones around the cave lifted into the air, hovering for a moment before swirling over to the Unicorn. A smile formed underneath the steel mask he wore. The stones moved in front of him and stacked into a small tower. "There is no passion, there is serenity."

The Unicorn's ears shot up as it heard a noise come from behind him. Reaching out with his senses, he tried to determine what it was. Small, about the same size as a Pony. There was an ominous air about it, as well as several conflicting emotions inside of it. The Unicorn figured it was a Changeling, but not a drone. It was much more powerful than a mere drone.

The Unicorn stood from his place and turned towards the Changeling. From slits in his mask, the Unicorn saw Queen Chrysalis, the leader of the Changelings as well as the terrorist that attempted to take over Equestria.

The Unicorn glared from under his mask.

"Hello there." Queen Chrysalis said, her tone polite. "I have something I must ask of you."

The Unicorn did not answer. Chrysalis laughed and began to walk towards him.

"Do not think I am unaware of who you are." She said. "I know full well. But I have a proposition for you." Chrysalis was engulfed in green fire, then it went out. In Chrysalis's place was a Beige Earth pony wearing a simple brown hooded tunic. His mane was shaved, but enough was left to tell it was black.

"I need you to find this pony..." Chrysalis said, her voice still the same despite her new appearance. "And kill him."

There was a pause. The Unicorn's glare intensified. He slowly raised to his hind legs, clumsily holding his hooves to his side.

"There is no death." He recited. The Unicorn then held his front hooves forward. The air rippled around his hooves, then Chrysalis was hefted into the air by an unseen force. Before she could say anything, she was thrown through the cavern she entered from. "There is the Force."

Chrysalis soared through the caves, landing with a loud crash as she hit a wall with enough force to knock some rocks loose. She dropped to the ground and her guise faded. Her green eyes snapped open and she glared in the direction she had been thrown from. Chrysalis growled as she shambled to her hooves.

"You shall regret this..." She hissed. Chrysalis began walking down the cave, rambling to herself. Two other Changeling drones appeared behind her and started following their queen.

"My queen," One of the two began. "Why are we hunting mere mercenaries? We need a warrior, not a retired magician!"

"What we need is power, Pupa." Chrysalis responded. "Our own has been waning since Cadence defeated us. We need someone, or something, powerful enough to fight for us."

"I may be able to help with that." A high-pitched voice said. The two drones quickly turned towards the source of the voice and shape-shifted into armored Minotaurs equipped with Battleaxes. The figure they faced was a black robed figure. His face was partly obscured by the thick hood over his face, but a grey beak poked from underneath the hood. Yellow eyes glowed from underneath the hood. "You need power, correct?"

He asked, using some form of psychokinesis to take the axes from the drones. "I may be able to help with that."

Chrysalis gave a sly smirk to the figure.

"Pupa, Ray," She called to the drones. "Withhold your hostilities."

"Yes, my queen." The drones said in unison as they reverted to their previous forms.

"Now, what was it you needed to say?" Chrysalis asked, turning back towards the figure.

"My name is Horus," The figure stated, grabbing his hood with a three-taloned hand. "And I couldn't help but overhear your...'Plight'." Horus pulled down his hood, revealing a Raven-like head. An ornate stone mask covered Horus's black feathers.

"Cut the shady act," Chrysalis stated. "Tell me what it is you want, avian."

"To the point, hmm? Good. I know what the Changelings need. You need power."

"Yes, we've established that."

"Well, I can aid you."

"How?"

"Simple. I can supply you with a warrior that has both power, and is very effective." Horus pulled a large green crystal shard from his robe's sleeve. It glowed a faint yellow coloring, illuminating the cave slightly more than it already was. "Do you know what this is?" Horus asked, waving the shard in Chrysalis's face. "This is a Soul Gem. Inside contains the warrior's soul. I will show you how this can be appropriately used."

Chrysalis smiled wide, showing a mouth full of fangs.

"Very well, Horus. You may come with us."

The streets of the Crystal Empire beamed visibly in the late-afternoon sun. Several Crystal Ponies went about their business. In the midst of this, a pony wearing a grey hooded tunic stood at a shop kiosk. He looked over the wares; jewels of varying shapes, sizes, and colors lay before him. The Pony's hazel eyes swept over the crystals. Two stood out to him. A vibrant violet gem, and a deep green one. They were small compared to the other crystals, both resonated with powerful magic.

"How much are these crystals?" The Pony asked, pointing his hoof at the two gems.

The Kiosk's owner, a grey crystal Unicorn with a Fleur-De-Lis cutie mark levitated the two crystals into the air.

"Hmm...Well, these are special Crystal Empire enchanting gems, pre-filled and ready to go. These together will cost you about...Two-hundred bits."

The robed Pony tossed a large pouch onto the kiosk stand. The merchant opened them up and let out a small chuckle as she saw the money.

"Wow...Alright, they're yours!" The merchant said joyously as she placed the crystals into the saddlebags fastened around the robed Pony's back. "Enjoy your visit to the Empire!"

The robed pony gave a thankful nod, then walked off.

Once he was a ways away, the robed pony began to speak in a hushed tone.

"Juno," He said. "I got what I need, meet me under the crystal Palace."

"Roger that, Starkiller." A female voice replied in Starkiller's head. The walk to the palace was uneventful. Starkiller glanced up to the massive crystal spire. The Force was strong inside of it. The power of the entire Empire radiated throughout the kingdom. It would be difficult to pinpoint the location of any Jedi here. Starkiller hoped to get his business here done and head back to the mountains with Juno. Speaking of whom, she was already there waiting under the tower, wearing a simple white shirt and black jacket.

Starkiller walked up to her and gave her a quick hug, then began to speak.

"Alright, I got what I came here for, let's get going." He said.

"The train should be here within the hour, Starkiller." Juno responded. "If we head out now, the train should arrive by the

time we get to the station."

"Good. The longer we stay here, the more likely we are of being discovered." With that, Starkiller and Juno began to move. Their hooves clopped quietly on the crystalline roads of the Empire. Starkiller and Juno remained mostly silent for the walk, that is until Juno noticed a faint glow from Starkiller's saddlebags.

"What exactly did you need to get? You still haven't told me what." She asked, her gaze moving from the bag to Starkiller.

"Crystals." He responded simply. "I plan on using them like I did with my lightsaber crystals."

"For meditation, or are you planning on rebuilding your lightsaber?" Starkiller was silent. A small grin worked its way upon his face. "You're seriously planning on building a Lightsaber? Equestria doesn't have the technology required for that!"

"I know." Starkiller responded, his smile fading as he remembered. "But we need some form of weapons if we wish to stop the Sith from taking over. Right now, a Lightsaber seems reasonable."

"What about that sword you had? You killed a dragon with it, surely it would work for fighting Dark Jedi!"

Starkiller grunted in annoyance as Juno's arguing persisted.

"Juno, if I felt that the sword would work, I wouldn't be searching for the parts for a lightsaber." Starkiller responded. Juno was about to protest, but Starkiller held a hoof to her mouth. "Trust me, Juno. I know what I'm doing." Starkiller looked away from Juno and focused on the road ahead of them. Juno, on the other hand, smiled at Starkiller. She leaned closer to him and gave him a small peck on the cheek. Starkiller blushed slightly, while Juno chuckled.

"I know you do." She said. "You always have a plan." The rest of the walk was quiet. Neither of them spoke until they got to the train station, and even then, they only spoke to the ponies manning the ticket stand, and also the conductor when they boarded. Soon after, the train departed with them on it. Starkiller looked out the window. The light of the Empire faded away in the distance, giving way for a wasteland of snow and ice to take the stage.

"It reminds me of Hoth." Juno said, looking out the window as well. "This planet seems to have little bits of well known planets mixed in with it. The Everfree is like Yavin four, the Badlands are like Tatooine, Canterlot is like Coruscant, the list goes on." Juno cast a glance to the sky. "Who need's space travel when you have a place as vast as this?"

"Yeah, this planet is amazing." Starkiller joined in. "That's why we can't let the Sith take over. They'll destroy all of it."

"I know..." Juno responded solemnly. There was another pause, all they heard was the sound of the train's wheels turning and the steam coming out of the locomotive. "Do you know where we should look for our Jedi?"

"Yes." Starkiller responded. "The night I regained my memories, I sensed a very strong presence in the Force. It was like it wanted me to find it."

"Do you think it could be a Sith?" Juno asked, turning away from the window. "They could be trying to trick you."

"No. It's not a Sith, but it's no Jedi either. I sensed both the Light and Dark sides of the force inside of it. I'm not sure if it is a trap, but we can't pass up this opportunity." Starkiller said. Juno gave a responsive nod, then silence reigned again.

Starkiller now thought to what this gray force could be. Neither Darth Vader or Rahm Kota taught him about any Jedi that were Dark-Sided, or any Sith that were Light-sided. There was a Jedi that used the Dark side in Combat, however. Starkiller remembered that Lord Vader attempted to teach him the Vapaad lightsaber style. The style fed of the user's anger in combat to enhance their capabilities, but it was created by a Jedi.

Master Mace Windu, the first Jedi that Lord Vader killed during the second Jedi Purge had created that saber style. Perhaps Starkiller was sensing his presence, but he couldn't be sure.

Starkiller's train of thought was interrupted when a horrible chill coursed through his body. Juno apparently noticed this and asked him what was wrong. Starkiller looked her in the eye, his own eyes wide in shock.

"I sense a great disturbance in the force."

Chrysalis stood next to Horus, who held the Soul Gem in his talons. Before them was an table with several Changeling husks strewn about. There was an empty space in the center for the Soul Gem to go, and Horus gently placed the Soul Gem inside this gap.

"Now," Horus said, his high-yet-gravelly voice grating on the Queen's ears. "You do the rest. Give power to the gem, and it will rebuild!"

A sadistic grin appeared on Chrysalis's face as the jagged protrusion from her forehead that she called a horn began to glow a sickly green. The green light projected itself into a beam that struck the Soul Gem and caused it to glow an intense neon-yellow. The Soul Gem levitated into the air, a black color formed inside of it and gave it the appearance of a crystalline eye. The husks rose into the air and shattered, the pieces of the husks then floated and formed a vaguely humanoid shape around the Soul Gem. Finally, the shards came together around some areas, giving the Warrior skeletal arms and digitigrade legs, yet some shards still remained and floated around the Warrior's body.

The Warrior slowly came to the ground, the remaining shards around its chest forming a streamlined exoskeleton around it. The Warrior stood tall, at least a head taller than Chrysalis did. Despite its form having a head, the Warrior saw through the Soul Gem.

"Who..." The Warrior began, his voice deep and gravelly with a heavy accent. "Are you?"

Queen Chrysalis's smile widened as her plan came together.

"I am Queen Chrysalis," She greeted, bowing her head to the Warrior. "I have given life anew to you after your death. You have been reborn as one of us, a Changeling."

The Warrior looked itself over. A sound similar to a grunt echoed through the room as the Warrior examined his new, fragmented form.

"You are needed for a task befitting of your stature, but we must first allow you time to recover yourself. Then, we shall give you your first assignment." Chrysalis turned to speak to Horus, but was surprised to see the bipedal avian had left without her knowing. It was of little matter to her though, she now had her warrior, as well as a new ally. Chrysalis turned back to the Warrior, who walked around the room in order to get used to his new form.

"What would a creature such as yourself need me for, Equine?" The Warrior asked as he balanced himself after tripping. "You do not even know who I am, most likely."

"You are correct. I do not know anything about you." Chrysalis responded. "But I plan to change that. Will you inform me more on who you are?" She asked politely. There was a pause, then the warrior shook his head.

"No." He responded simply. "I will not tell you anything, or serve you until I acquire more on who I am fighting for."

"Very well. Come with me, I shall show you." Chrysalis signaled with a nod and left the room. The Warrior soon followed.

Chrysalis and the Warrior stepped into a large cavernous room, several green crystals and tunnels displayed themselves around the room. Changeling drones buzzed through these tunnels, giving the dead caves a rather lively feeling. Some Changelings stopped and stared at the Warrior as they came into the cave.

The eye-like shape inside the Warrior's Soul Gem shifted into an unnatural glare. The Changelings quickly went back to their business with an air of fear. The Warrior scoffed internally. These pitiful bugs feared him already and they would no doubt follow his orders if he accepted the Queen's offer.

The Warrior grimaced, thankfully unnoticed, as the Queen spoke again. He mentally noted to find a way to shut her up.

"This is our hive. We Changelings were forced to live in these Godforsaken caves after we suffered a crippling defeat from our oppressors -" Chrysalis engulfed herself in a green fire that quickly extinguished and revealed a Pink Alicorn with bright blue eyes.

You can't be saying what I think you are... The Warrior thought to himself.

"-The Ponies of Equestria." Chrysalis finished.

The Warrior stood silent, his loud raspy breathing being the only sound he made. The breathing quickened, then a wheezing came with it before it turned into an all-on laugh. The Warrior's detached shoulders moved up and down with each guttural laugh the Warrior gave.

"If you are oppressed by that," The Warrior pointed a fragmented finger at Chrysalis's form. "Then you deserve to live down here." The Warrior continued to laugh before it devolved into a painful cough. The Warrior quickly regained himself, then corrected his posture and stood fully upright. He took note of Chrysalis's angered face. He honestly found her cute when she scowled in that form.

"It was not our fault that they were able to gain the upper hoof in this matter!" Chrysalis defended, reverting to her original form. "We Changelings feed upon emotions, Love being the most bountiful!"

"You are beginning to sound like a cliche villain from a children's Holovid." The Warrior crossed his arms as he spoke. If he had a face, he would be glaring at Chrysalis. "Let me guess, being pink ponies, they gave plenty of love?" The Warrior walked over to Chrysalis and looked her in the eye. Chrysalis shrunk slightly in the Warrior's gaze, a detail that that he noticed.

Good, even she fears me. The Warrior said internally. "They somehow managed to cut you off, then you became weak?"

Chrysalis paused a moment, her words had been stolen straight out of her mouth.

"Yes..." She said. "And we seek to regain our strength. We have called upon you so that you may help us regain our rightful place as rulers of Equestria!"

The Warrior held his figurative tongue. His suspicions were confirmed, these bugs were crawling to him in a moment of weakness, a position he had sadly been in before. He wondered if he should comply with them, as it was a humiliating experience for him and he felt that no one should live through what he lived through. He thought a moment more, then came to his final conclusion for this creature.

"Fine." The Warrior responded. Chrysalis smiled wide at the figure, as did many Changelings that were listening in. "But," The Warrior interjected as her raised one of his eight fingers. "I have several conditions you must follow."

"Whatever you need." Chrysalis responded with a nod. "Now, what do you wish for us to call you? You look as if your name should be, Charade."

The Warrior stood tall, then he was engulfed in green fire. The fire faded, and in the Warrior's place stood a monstrosity that sent fear into any onlooker's hearts. A mechanical, skeletal beast stood in the Warrior's stead. Silver metal plates covered sections of his body, and two white metal plates covered a green sack that held what appeared to be two lungs, a heart, and a stomach inside of it. But the feature that stood out the most was its 'face'. A white mask that resembled an insectoid skull covered red flesh encompassing golden reptile-like eyes. Two antennas stood out from the skull and shifted about as they picked up various sounds from inside the caves.

"You will call me by the name I have given myself." The Warrior stated, taking a few steps towards Chrysalis on his long, skeletal legs. Each step embedded his clawed toes into the rocky ground. "You shall call me Grievous."

"Very well." Chrysalis said, trying to mask her fear from seeing Grievous' mechanical form. Grievous could tell from her eyes. She was no different than the Huk; a pathetic insect that ran to those more powerful during a time of war.

"Now," Grievous knelt down on one of his mechanized legs and gazed coldly at Chrysalis. "What is thy bidding, My master?" Grievous finished, his voice dripping with contempt with the last two words.

Chrysalis quickly shifted to the form of a Unicorn wearing a heavy brown tunic, as well as a steel mask that covered his face. Golden eyes shined from under the mask, as well as what appeared to be a beard that poked out around the edges.

"I want you to find this Unicorn," Chrysalis commanded, her voice more calmed and controlled. "And I want you to bring him to me. He refused our call for aid, and we must teach him what it means to deny us aid."

Grievous nodded, then walked out of the caves.

"Wait!" Chrysalis called after Grievous. "You don't know where he is!"

"You're correct." Grievous responded, still walking towards the exit.

"Don't you wish to know where he is?"

"I will manage by myself." Grievous stood in front of the exit and turned towards Chrysalis, his form being darkened from the light being behind him. "I have hunted many more secluded than him. I have spanned an entire Galaxy searching for prey! I can tell that your planet lacks Spaceflight technology, so I doubt he can be far. This will be a much less expansive search than usual." With that, Grievous turned back around and stepped outside the caves.

The world of Equestria stretched out before him. He could fell something somewhere, something powerful. Grievous wondered what this could be, then he realized something. These Changelings were Force-sensitive, and he was now one of them. He was sensing the Force on this planet, and this force stood out. It was neutral, an oddity that Grievous hadn't seen before. It reminded him of Master Windu, one of the few Jedi he considered a worthy opponent.

Grievous let out a chuckle, then he took the form of a white Pegasus. Grievous looked himself over, and personally felt disgusted by his form. It was weak, something that the warlord loathed. Thankfully, it was only temporary. The revived general stretched his wings, then flew off. His first destination, the one he was certain was where the Unicorn Chrysalis was sending him to find, was underneath a great mountain city.

Knowledge flowed from the Changeling Hive he was now connected to. This was the town of Canterlot, capital city of Equestria. Grievous scoffed at the ridiculous name, but his goal was undeterred. He was now hunting again, and from how things looked, he was hunting Jedi, his favorite prey. Grievous smiled, an act he had not done for years. He would wait, give his prey plenty of time to run and hide before searching.

His destination was in sight, and he now cleared his mind to prepare for the upcoming hunt.

The train Starkiller and Juno rode on slowed to a halt as it pulled into Canterlot's train station. The Earth Pony and Unicorn got off the trained and scrambled through the streets. The two weaved through the bustling city, bumping into a few ponies, but they continued forward despite the rather vulgar responses.

"Why are we running?" Juno called after Starkiller. "Galen, I know this is important, but what is going on?"

Starkiller turned his head so he could see Juno.

"Something is heading to Canterlot! We need to get to the Jedi here before it does!"

"What makes you sure it's after the Jedi?"

"Juno, we don't have time to argue about this, just follow me!" Starkiller yelled back in response. The rest of the trek was silent, despite the high tensions Starkiller felt.

He sensed the disturbance in the Force drawing nearer and nearer, thankfully not too quick, but they had no time to delay. The Jedi was under the city in the caves, and if was said about it was true, the caves were like a maze. Starkiller might be able to lose whatever was coming inside the caves if he used that to his advantage, but for now he didn't focus too much on it.

Within a short amount of time, Starkiller and Juno ran through the gates of the pearly town and down the path to the Caves. They both stopped as they came to the cave's entrance.

"Juno," Starkiller began. "Go get the guards."

"Alright. I'll be back." Juno said as she ran back inside the city. Starkiller watched her as she ran until he couldn't see her anymore. Starkiller silently wished her safety, then he ran inside the caves. The twisting and winding cavers eventually lead to a forked pathway. Three tunnels were in front of Starkiller, each one leading to an alternate path.

Starkiller glanced at the different pathways, then he heard a voice. The voice of the Jedi spirit he encountered in the Graveyard all those years ago.

Reach out with the Force, Galen. Find him with your senses. The voice called.

Starkiller nodded, then closed his eyes. A monochrome image of the tunnels appeared in his head, the pathway on the left having a bright aura emitting from it. Starkiller opened his eyes and ran through the path. The tunnel was straightforward compared to the rest of the cavern, but another forking pathway presented himself again. Starkiller reached out with the Force once more, then followed the pathway once again. This repeated several times until Starkiller came to a large circular room.

Starkiller walked into the cavern. The Force was strong inside this room. The Jedi was definitely here, but Starkiller could not see where. Starkiller tensed up as he heard the sound of some rocks being moved. His vision snapped to where the sound came from, a Unicorn wearing a hooded tunic similar to the ones he wore only brown instead of grey stood, his face obscured by the steel mask he wore, as well as the hood covering his head.

The Unicorn leaped from where he stood, using the Force to propel himself from the ground. Starkiller's instincts kicked in and he moved right as the Unicorn brought his hoof down where Starkiller previously stood. Starkiller retaliated with a powerful force blast.

The Unicorn was blown from his spot, getting sent flying across the cavern and into the wall. The Unicorn fell to the ground, but quickly regained himself. Starkiller smiled internally. A good fight after all these years seemed like a lake of gold for the Sith-turned-Jedi.

"I've been waiting for you, Child." The Unicorn spoke with a deep voice and a light accent. "Come, test your might against a master of both the Light and the Darkness."

Starkiller smirked in response. He stood clumsily on his hind hooves and levitated a large rock with the Force. Starkiller hurled the rock at the mysterious Jedi, who caught it with the Force and threw it back at him.

Starkiller's eyes widened as the boulder hurled towards him. He jumped out of the way and shot a blast of Force Lightning at the Jedi, who easily deflected that as well. A slight irritation began to form inside Starkiller.

"Come now," The Unicorn said. "You're powerful in the Force, don't tell me you've forgotten how to use it!"

The Jedi leaped over Starkiller, doing a flip mid-air and landing behind him. The Jedi let out a Force Push that struck Starkiller head on, but the Human-turned-pony held his ground, and retaliated with a Force Push of his own. This garnered the same result, as the Unicorn was unfazed by the attack. Clearly this Jedi was no push over, but still was a mere Jedi.

Starkiller began to become frustrated at the Unicorn, who let out a small chuckle.

"Remember, control your emotions, do not let them control you!" The Jedi said, then lifted Starkiller into the air. "You were able to find me in this maze, but now you must show me what you can do!"

Starkiller's frustration turned into rage. This Unicorn's toying and teasing was becoming annoying, and he needed to beat him if he wanted his aid, apparently. Starkiller reached out with the Force, gathering in energy and building it up inside of himself. Then, he began to charge Force Lightning, the beams of blue electricity danced around his hooves. The Unicorn chuckled again as he saw the display.

"Don't take too long when building your energy! It gives the enemy an opportune time to strike-" The Jedi was interrupted when Starkiller released the energy. A large Force Repulse rocked the cavern, as well as expelling the Force Lightning. The massive energy blast caused the ground to shake, the Jedi was thrown about like a ragdoll in the energy field. Several rocks began to fall from the cave's ceiling, dropping onto the ground below and narrowly missing the Jedi on a few occasions.

Starkiller's energy expelled forth, then stopped. The cave still shook long after the Force Lightning-charged Repulse ended. Starkiller stayed in the air, still held in place by the Force, but his own, not the Jedi's. He finally calmed down after several minutes, then he levitated softly to the ground. He surveyed the damage.

[End music now]

The cavern had been decimated by the blast, rocks of varying size had fallen from the roof and walls of the great cavern. The Jedi was nowhere to be seen, but Starkiller still sensed his presence. Despite the destruction the cavern had suffered, the Jedi was relatively unfazed by the attack.

"Very good." The Jedi said as he stepped over the rubble. "You have the power, but you still lack control. I see that spending seventeen years without your memories has lessened your Force abilities, but I can help you with that."

Starkiller panted heavily, the Force blast had taken its toll on himself. He attempted to regain himself, but his breaths were still short.

"You...Are the Jedi I've been searching for..." Starkiller said between breaths. The Unicorn nodded, then stepped towards Starkiller and propped him up on his shoulder.

"Yes, I am." He responded simply. "You must rest, you've overexerted yourself." The Unicorn walked out of the caves with Starkiller slung over his shoulder. Halfway through the walk, Starkiller managed to regain himself and walked alongside the Jedi. The trek through the caverns was uneventful, until Starkiller decided to ask the Jedi some questions.

"Who are you, exactly?" He asked.

"A Jedi." The Unicorn responded. Though Starkiller couldn't tell, he was sure that the Jedi was smirking under the mask.

"I mean, what's your name?" Starkiller asked, his tone taking a slightly irritated tone.

"Pony or Human name?" The Jedi once again asked in nonsense. Starkiller hoped that the Jedi wouldn't be like this the whole way back.

"Either one is fine."

The Jedi stopped and looked at Starkiller. The Jedi let out a soft laugh, he was starting to reminisce on the past, Starkiller could tell.

"Well, I'll tell you what my human name is in a moment, but you might know the Pony name." The Jedi said, his tone softening. "As a pony, I was born as Starswirl. Most Ponies know me as the Court Mage, Starswirl the Bearded, and trusted adviser to the Princess." The Jedi let out a small sigh.

Starkiller stared incredulously at the Jedi. The famous Starswirl the Bearded was standing before him. Oddly enough, his beard seemed to be absent.

"If you wish to know my human name, history knew me as-"

"Starswirl?" A voice called. Starkiller's blood ran cold as he recognized the soothing voice of the mare it belonged to. They had arrived at the exit to the cave, and there was Juno with a squad of Royal Guards, as well as Princess Celestia. "It has been some time." She said, giving Starswirl a respectful nod.

"Princess." Starswirl greeted with a nod as well. "What's going on here? What's with all the guards?"

"Well, this young mare here," -Celestia gestured towards Juno- "Came to the royal guards with an urgent request. She said that a possible threat to Equestria was on its way here, and I overheard the conversation. I came along in case she was correct." Celestia stated. Her gaze went from Starswirl to Starkiller. She pursed her lips as she saw him. "Have we met before?" She asked him.

Starkiller didn't respond. He stood silent, thankful that the hood of his tunic covered his face. If it hadn't, she would have surely recognized him.

"Sir?" Celestia asked.

"Pardon my friend," Starswirl said. "He's been ill for a while, I thought he'd need some fresh air."

"Do not worry." Celestia responded. "I hope he gets better." She then turned her attention to Juno. "Now, what was it you were speaking about?" She asked.

Juno looked to the sky. She wasn't Force-sensitive like a Jedi, but her Unicorn magic allowed her to sense some things. She could feel a faint presence. It was unnatural. A sense of fear began to build up within Juno as the presence slowly drew closer.

Celestia seemed to sense this too, and she turned back to Starswirl and Starkiller.

"You two need to go." Celestia turned towards Juno. "You too."

"Very well." Starswirl gave a nod to her, then motioned for Juno to come to her. "I'll take you home." Starswirl's horn lit up with a golden glow, then there was a bright flash. Starswirl, Juno, and Starkiller were gone.

Celestia turned her attention to the ever-growing presence. To her surprise, a Pegasus came into view. Something wasn't right. This Pegasus couldn't be what they were all sensing, yet it definitely was what she felt.

The Pegasus landed near the guards. Celestia and the guards cast a weary glance at the Pegasus, who trotted over to them.

"Excuse me," He said. "But I was wondering if I was able to enter the...caves..." The Pegasus trailed off as if he had realized something. He turned around and flew off before anypony could say anything. Celestia turned towards her guards as the Pegasus faded into the distance.

"Keep a close eye on him...Something is certainly not right." She said.

"Yes, my lady!" The guards said in unison with a salute. Then, they all returned to the castle. But something was bothering Celestia. That pony with Starswirl...Something was frighteningly familiar about him. Celestia pushed these thoughts away as she walked through the halls. She had more pressing matters to attend.

Starkiller, Juno, and Starswirl all appeared in the mountain cave that Starkiller and Juno called home. Juno seemed disoriented, as did Starkiller, but to a lesser extent. Starswirl moved further into the cave, stopping at the workbenches. He looked over the pieces of scrap metal that lay about. He knew what these were for...

"It seems you've been working on a lightsaber." Starswirl said as he looked at the bench. "Very impressive, given Equestria's technological state. How has your search gone?" He added, turning towards Starkiller, who was walking towards him.

"You're the first Jedi we've found." Starkiller responded. "You were the strongest I could sense, so we went for you first."

"Well, you made a good choice, but I'm not the strongest." Starswirl responded. "There's four others." Starswirl walked over to Starkiller and looked him in the eye. Starkiller would too if it weren't for the mask Starswirl wore. "We need to find them before we can fight the Sith."

"So you know about them?"

"Yes. All the Jedi sensed them. We went into hiding until the time was right, meditating and honing our force abilities. Now it seems we are needed to defend this planet." Starswirl walked back over to the incomplete lightsaber. "We haven't found the proper components for our lightsabers yet. It seems you have, though. How is the construction coming along?"

"I'm missing a power cell. I've found and constructed all the other materials." Starkiller responded as he walked over to the table. "By the way, you still haven't told me who you are."

Starswirl chuckled again as he remembered.

"You're right, I haven't yet." Starswirl laughed again as he faced Starkiller. "I'm not sure if you know my name, but I was known as the Sith Lord; Darth Revan." He said. "The only Jedi known to have mastered the Light and Dark side of the force. You've made a good choice by finding me first, we'll have an easier time finding the remaining Jedi." Revan said, heading to the cave's mouth, Starkiller followed. The two stopped, once again looking at the view of Equestria.

"So, when do we set out to find the remaining Jedi?" Starkiller asked. Revan paused before answering.

"I say we split up." Revan said. "I will go to Cloudsdale, I sense a familiar presence there. Where you go is your choice, but I'd recommend going to Ponyville."

"Very well." Starkiller responded. "I'll set out tomorrow."

"Alright then." Revan said. "But for now, let's get some rest." Starkiller nodded, and he, Revan, and Juno all went to the beds of hay. Revan cast a glance out at the faint image of Cloudsdale over the horizon. "We will meet soon, my friend." Revan said to himself. Then, he retired for the night, a sleep well deserved.

General Grievous stood far on the outskirts of Canterlot. Thanks to his new-found abilities as a Changeling, he could sense a powerful Force in a small village over the hills. Grievous decided that this would be his first stop on the hunt after losing the Jedi in Canterlot. With a flash of green fire, Grievous shifted to his Cyborg form he had during the Clone Wars, then he moved towards Ponyville. He could already feel the rush of the hunt with each step.

"Be prepared, Jedi." He said to himself. "Now, the hunt begins..."

Episode 2: Outcast

Darth Revan and Starkiller woke early the following morning. Juno was still asleep, but she was quickly awakened by Starkiller. Their hunt began today. The three sat around the work bench, using it as a form of meeting table. The lightsaber parts were brushed to the side so that the table was clear, then they began to discuss their plans. Four powerful Jedi could be sensed across Equestria; One in Cloudsdale, one in Ponyville, one in Canterlot, and one in Appleoosa.

"So," Revan began, his voice somewhat muffled by his mask. "I will go to Cloudsdale to find the Jedi there. Her presence is one familiar to me, so I have the best chance of recruiting her. Starkiller, you said that you would search Ponyville for Jedi, and Juno, you will take Appleoosa."

Starkiller and Juno nodded in response, then Revan nodded to them.

"Alright. We set out in a few hours, grab whatever you'll need and meet outside when we go." With that, Revan left the table, leaving Starkiller and Juno to themselves.

"Juno," Starkiller began. "You go do what you need, I have something to take care of."

Juno nodded, then went off into the cave. Now Starkiller was alone, a feeling that he welcomed. He looked to the unfinished lightsaber on the table before him. All that was missing was a power cell, then he would have his weapon ready. Starkiller took note to find anything in Ponyville he could use as a replacement, as well as parts for Revan to construct his own. A realization dawned upon him that they would need the parts for each Jedi to make their own lightsabers, but the obvious shortage of parts was restricting that.

"Alright..." Starkiller said to himself. "Find parts for the other Jedi to make their own lightsabers...This will take a while."

Starkiller walked away from the table, adding the shortage of lightsaber parts to his list of objectives. For now, he had to prepare for the upcoming search. He walked into a secluded spot in the cave, one separate from the rest of it. A small pedestal sat in the center of the small cavern, on top of it was the green crystal Starkiller had purchased in the Crystal Empire.

Starkiller sat in front of the pedestal and reached out with the Force. The crystal levitated into the air above the pedestal and began to faintly glow. Starkiller closed his eyes and calmed his mind as he began to meditate.

Images began to fill his mind; the first being his former master, Darth Vader. The imposing figure of the Sith Lord sent a wave of anger through Starkiller, Vader's heavy mechanical breathing grating on Starkiller's ears. Rage built up inside the Jedi Knight, but it subsided when another image came to mind.

General Rahm Kota, the first Jedi Starkiller defeated, as well as his teacher after he abandoned Vader appeared. The green blade of his lightsaber formed with a snap-hiss as Kota took an offensive stance. The image of Darth Vader ignited its own lightsaber, the blood-red blade causing the black armor Vader wore to glow slightly from the reflection.

Kota swung first, his lightsaber crackling loudly as Vader parried the blow with his own weapon. The two clashed blades, the lightsabers bouncing off each other with a loud crashing sound with each strike. Kota jumped back as Vader delivered a swing that would have cleaved the Jedi master in half, then lunged the Dark Lord. Kota's emerald lightsaber pierced Vader's chest, the Sith Lord's breathing began to slow. Then, Kota spun the saber while it was still lodged in Vader's chest, causing the Sith to be cut in half above the waist.

Kota closed down his lightsaber with a high pitched *shweep*, then walked away from the body of Vader.

Starkiller's eyes snapped open as the vision ended. In his time here in Equestria, he had forgotten about Kota. If he was one of the Jedi they were searching for, then Starkiller would need to find him as soon as possible.

"It's time." Revan said as he came into the room. Starkiller turned around in surprise, the Jedi having startled him. "Juno has already left, now we must go to find our Jedi. If you wish, I can teleport you to Ponyville."

"Sure." Starkiller responded with a shrug. Revan nodded, then pulled down his hood, revealing his horn and a head of short cropped black hair. Revan's horn was enveloped in a golden glow that then wrapped around Starkiller. There was a bright flash, and Starkiller was gone.

The light faded quickly around Starkiller as he rematerialized in an alleyway.

A sense of nostalgia came to Starkiller as his time as Twisting Wind returned to him. He had not seen or heard from this place since he left four years ago, yet little had changed. He recognized several Ponies from this small community, the ones he didn't recognize must have moved into Ponyville after his last visit.

Starkiller smiled under the hood of his robes. Even if he wasn't truly part of this world, it still felt as though it did.

Not wanting to delay any longer, Starkiller trotted out of the alleyway and into the town. Starkiller chuckled slightly as he noticed how all the buildings were still a creamy yellow. You'd think they would have some variation?

Surprisingly, one building stood out from the others, but Starkiller wasn't sure what to make of it.

Just a ways away from the alley was a white house, but it had a roof made of what appeared to be gingerbread, as well as a...Cupcake tower...Needless to say, the composition of the building was very strange, even by Equestria's standards. The smell of baked goods coming from the building suggested that it was a bakery, that made the strange design make slightly more sense.

"Hi there!" A high-pitched voice called from behind Starkiller, startling him. Starkiller turned around and was met by a pair of sapphire eyes uncomfortably close to his own hazel eyes.

"Uh...Hi?" Starkiller responded to the Pony as he slowly backed up a ways from her and got a better look at her. She was a pink Earth Pony with a mane that was a darker shade of pink, and on her flank was a mark with three balloons, two blue and one yellow.

"That's me!" She said aloud. "I'm Pinkie Pie!" Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she gasped loudly. "Omigosh! You're not from around here,and if you're not from around here,then you must be moving in somewhere! I need to go prepare a party for you! What's your name?" She spoke very quickly.

Starkiller's eye twitched from the vocal overload. This was going to be a trip he'd never forget.

"Uh...Starkiller." He answered.

"Hey, that sounds like a name that an assassin hired by a Dark Lord in a sci-fi series who's hunting down a rogue group of knights would have!" Pinkie Pie once again motor-mouthed. "Say..." Pinkie Pie's eyes lowered as she raised a hoof to her chin and stared at Starkiller. She seemed most fixated on his robes. "You wouldn't happen to be a Pony like that, would you?"

Once again, Starkiller was at a loss for words. Somehow, this pink Pony had summed up Starkiller's life in the Galaxy almost flawlessly, despite having never spoken to him before.

"No." Starkiller quickly responded. "I just like this style."

Starkiller walked out of the alley to get away from Pinkie Pie, he still had his mission to do. Sadly for him, the pink Pony had other plans and followed him, bouncing along beside him and somehow making a cartoonish boing with each bounce.

"So, what brings you to Ponyville?" She asked. "Wait! Let me guess...You're here to get a present for somepony?"

"No." Starkiller replied bluntly. He hoped that she would lose interest and go away.

"Um...You're visiting somepony! Let me guess, Lyra? Bon Bon? Octavia? Rarity?"

"No I'm not visiting anyone, I don't even know anybody with those names." Starkiller bluffed. He remembered how Rarity had fixed his robes after the pygmy dragon tried to eat him, but saying that he knew her would most likely make Pinkie ask Rarity about it and blow his cover. The last thing he needed was someone recognizing him.

"Oh-oh-oh! You're trying to find somepony for something, and don't tell me no, with robes like that, then you must be trying to keep a low profile while searching for someone!"

Starkiller grunted in annoyance. This mare's voice was really beginning to become grating on his ears.

"Look, I can't really talk, I have something really important to do." Starkiller said politely before picking up his pace.

"So is that a yes?" Pinkie Pie asked as she also picked her pace up. "If so, I can help you!"

"Trust me, you can't."

"Trust me, I can!" Pinkie Pie jumped in front of Starkiller. "I know everypony in town and I can help you find who you're looking for!" She paused to pull out a sleuth hat and pipe from nowhere, much to the bewilderment of Starkiller. "Now then,"-Pinkie Pie took a puff from her pipe and bubbles floated out of it-"What kind o' chap are we searchin' for, matey?" She said with an exaggerated Cockney accent.

"...How did you do that?" Starkiller asked in confusion.

"Do what?"

"Uh...Never mind..." Starkiller took a mental note to figure out how she works later. For now, he set his mind back to finding the Jedi. He reached out with The Force to try and sense them, but something was clouding his vision. There was another very strong Force presence nearby, but Starkiller couldn't determine who it was.

Out of Starkiller's vision, Pinkie Pie's tail began to violently twitch.

"Uh oh..." She said. "GET DOWN!" Pinkie Pie jumped at Starkiller and pulled him out of the way of a falling vase. As the vase shattered against the ground, a mint green unicorn peeked out from a second story window.

"Sorry!" She called down at Starkiller and Pinkie. "My bad!"

Down below, Pinkie Pie jumped off a very irritated and very confused Starkiller.

"Don't worry, Lyra!" Pinkie Pie called back. She then turned towards Starkiller, who was brushing dirt from his robes. "You're lucky my Pinkie Sense caught that in time, otherwise that vase would've given you a nasty bonk on the head!"

Starkiller sighed and brushed off the last bit of dirt, then gave an exasperated glance to Pinkie Pie.

"Thanks." He said sarcastically. "Now, will you please...Wait, Pinkie Sense?"

"My Pinkie Sense! I can predict things when they're about to happen!"

This was intriguing to Starkiller. If she could sense things like that, then maybe she was the source of the blockage that prevented Starkiller from sensing the Jedi. Maybe she actually could be of use after all, two can cover ground much faster than one.

"Hmm...I think you actually can help me with who I'm searching for."

"Really!?" Pinkie Pie yelled. "WOO-HOO!" She cried, grabbing Starkiller in a tight hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Starkiller tried to respond, but all that came out of his mouth was a pathetic 'ech' sound. The hug lasted slightly longer, then Pinkie let go. Starkiller coughed coughed loudly as he was able to let air back into his lungs, which filled quickly..

There was a pause, Pinkie smiled a toothy grin as Starkiller regulated his breathing. Once Starkiller was sure he was breathing alright, he began to walk to the building with the gingerbread roof.

"Alright. I'll let you help, but we need to go somewhere private so we can discuss-"

"Got it!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she grabbed Starkiller and ran at breakneck speeds into the building, up the stairs, down the hallway, into the bedroom and gently closed the door behind them.

Pinkie Pie let go of Starkiller, the poor Jedi having a very hard time comprehending what in the hell was going on anymore. He swore to the Force that Pinkie Pie would be devastating if given a Lightsaber, or even a basic how-to on using the Force. Maybe she was the Jedi they were searching for...Actually, Starkiller was having a much easier time sensing the Jedi now. Regardless, Pinkie could still help.

"So, what do you need me for?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Do you want me to be your sidekick? I'll be like your 'Padawan' or something!"

"Well, you know that I'm looking for somebody, and I'd like you to help. But you have to promise not to tell anypony." Starkiller said, lowering his hood.

"Sure thing! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She said, doing motions that matched her words, including poking her eye with her hoof. "That's a Pinkie Promise!"

Starkiller chuckled slightly as he remembered that from Fluttershy and Rarity. It then occurred to him that they most likely still lived in Ponyville, and if they saw him then they would recognize him as Twisting Wind. Starkiller let out a sigh and hoped that it wouldn't happen.

"Alright. This is what you need to know."

General Grievous, still in his cybernetic form, trudged through the muck of the Everfree Forest. The creatures of the woods, however aggressive they be, all seemed to flee or tremble in the Kaleesh-turned-cyborg-turned-Changeling's presence. And why shouldn't they? These pathetic creatures were nothing compared to the General's new powers as a Changeling.

The General's yellow cat-like eyes swept over the foliage of the jungle, the path his mechanical clawed feet trod upon lead to the town that his senses, as well as the grating voice of Queen Chrysalis, said that a powerful magical signature was. Grievous swore to his gods that he would crush that bug if she wouldn't stop speaking.

Regardless of annoyance, Grievous began to devise a plan to catch his prey. He sensed three powerful beings in the residual area and one was very close by. Another was somewhere in the heart of the town, and the other was between the two. Grievous decided that when he grew closer to the edge of the forest, he would change back to his Pegasus form and lure the Ponies over to a secluded are, then he would make his move.

A gleeful laugh emanated from Grievous' false vocabulator, a noise that caused some creatures that lingered to gain the common sense to run.

The General stopped his stride and lifted his left arm. His six fingers angled upward as he held out his palm, then the General concentrated. A green flame ignited above Grievous' hand: a jagged shape took form, several holes were in it, as well as some protrusions and green ichor inside. The object looked like some sort of flower or plant, the General wondered why, this wasn't what the item he had pictured was supposed to look like. It seemed that Queen Chrysalis was beginning to have an impact upon his thoughts, too.

Grievous let out a loud grunt, then hastily shoved the item into his cloak; it wasn't how he had pictured it, but it would still do.

With that out of the way, Grievous continued his stride until he came to the forest's exit. A cursory glance told him that the area in front of him was just a plain field with a small stream going through it, as well as a small hut just a few meters from his position; a hut that contained the first powerful sense.

The Changeling warlord marched along the path and right up to the door, this place was secluded enough that he didn't even need to bother with disguising himself. The General rapped forcefully on the door, causing a startled squeak to come from inside.

The door was quickly opened by a cream-colored Pegasus mare with blue eyes and a pink mane that reached the ground. She gave a frightened gasp upon seeing General Grievous, but she was cut off by a strong blow to the head. The mare fell to the floor unconscious and was picked up by Grievous, who took her back to the forest's entrance and placed her in the gaping mouth of the trees.

Grievous felt a tinge of pity for this diminutive creature, but followed through with his orders nonetheless. He raised an arm to the mare and concentrated yet again, this time a green cocoon formed around her, as well as a web of green ichor. Grievous then grabbed the cocoon and scaled the tree, hanging it in the highest point so passersby wouldn't see her.

Grievous looked over the mare, surely if she was missing, the someone would come looking for her. An idea came to the General. He grabbed the cocoon and lowered it, just enough so that someone could see it if they came to the forest. She would make the perfect bait, should someone come looking for her.

Grievous let out a small chuckle, then hid to wait for his prey's arrival.

"-and they will stop at nothing until Equestria is under their control." Starkiller finished his explanation to Pinkie Pie, informing her on who the Jedi and Sith were, that there were Sith in Equestria, and also who he was; though he omitted his service under Darth Vader.

Pinkie Pie stared blankly at Starkiller, giving a very welcome silence. Sadly, the silence was broken by Pinkie as she began talking again.

"You think I could be one of these Jedi? Oh-oh-oh, I wanna have a pink light-thingy, wait- two pink light things! -And I could move things with my BRAIN!" Pinkie Pie jumped over to Starkiller and grabbed his face, pulling him uncomfortably close. "Tell me where I can sign up, I wanna be a Jedediah!" She happily announced.

Starkiller grabbed her with the force and pulled her off of him, much to her astonishment. Pinkie Pie began rambling again about how she would be able to do party tricks and so forth with the Force. Starkiller sighed under his breath, she was going to be hard to work with.

"Okay, then, Pinkie Pie." Starkiller began as he gently set her down. "I'll teach you, but you must do exactly as I say. Got it?" Pinkie Pie gave an excited confirmatory nod, still smiling widely. "Good. In a few minutes, we'll try to find the Pony we're searching for. But first, you need to know how to find him."

"Well, I already know everypony in town, and I mean EVERYPONY. Just tell me who you're looking for and I can find them!"

"Well, I don't know exactly who I'm looking for. The Jedi has a powerful presence in the Force, but there's some other presences blocking it. You were one of them, the other...Was familiar, but I can't say for certain who it was."

"Well, if I'm a Jedi, then that means I can use that Force thing to sense him! If I can just do that..." Pinkie Pie tightly shut her eyes and began to rub the sides of her head as she thought. Starkiller rolled his eyes at her, though Pinkie Pie didn't notice.

"Pinkie Pie, I don't think-"

"Found him!" Pinkie Pie interrupted. "He's at the town hall!"

Starkiller threw his hooves into the air as if to say 'I give up' while pulling a neutral expression. Without another word, Starkiller stood up, opened the door with the force, walked over to it, then motioned for Pinkie to follow him, all the while keeping his expression neutral.

Pinkie Pie smiled, again, then bounced out of the room and down the stairs. Starkiller followed, but was shortly stopped by Pinkie Pie, who had gone uncharacteristically silent.

"Something's wrong." She said, her tone slightly worried. "I know it."

Starkiller reached out with the force in an attempt to see what she was talking about. A shudder ran through him as he sensed the same disturbance from Canterlot just outside of town, as well as a faint Force presence near it. Starkiller's eyes widened as he recognized the presence.

"Something's got Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she ran down the stairs. "Come on Starkiller, we need to save her!" It worried Starkiller slightly that Pinkie Pie wasn't acting bubbly or absent-minded anymore and was now acting with a calm head. Without argument, Starkiller followed Pinkie Pie. This would be the prime opportunity to eliminate whatever the disturbance is.

The two ran through the marketplace, weaving through the large crowd of Ponies while also dodging stalls they couldn't see coming. A few Ponies were pushed aside by Starkiller as he ran, eliciting a few colorful names being thrown at him. He payed little attention, though, and followed Pinkie Pie.

Starkiller halted as they ran past the town hall. He could sense the Jedi inside. His attention was caught by Pinkie Pie, who worriedly ran back to him.

"We don't have any time to waste, Fluttershy could be in danger!" She said, grabbing the collar of his robes.

Starkiller grunted, turning his head towards the town hall. Pinkie Pie pulled on his collar again, urging him to follow her. If he went with her, then the Jedi might go somewhere else and they'd have to track them down again. Starkiller shut his eyes and sighed audibly.

"Pinkie, go into town hall and get the Jedi!" Starkiller commanded, taking her hoof off his shoulder. "You aren't anywhere near ready to face this, I'll take care of it!"

Pinkie faltered a moment, then quickly nodded.

"I trust you!" She said. "Please save her!"

Starkiller nodded and watched as Pinkie Pie ran inside town hall. He quickly redirected his attention to Fluttershy and ran towards her house.

Pinkie Pie burst through the town hall doors, the large spire was mostly empty save for two Ponies. Pinkie Pie recognized the Jedi almost instantly; he was a tall Pegasus, his coat was beige with a short brown beard and mane. Pinkie Pie recognized him as Rivet, one of the construction workers.

"Rivet!" She called as she ran towards him. Rivet turned towards her, a slightly confused look on his face.

"Rivet, I need you to come with me!" Pinkie Pie said with serious urgency.

Rivet turned towards the other Pony and motioned for him to leave.

"Sorry," His gravelly voice said. "This is a private matter."

The other Pony nodded and left, leaving just Rivet and Pinkie Pie.

"I know what you're here for, I sense the disturbance too." Rivet said as he walked over to Pinkie Pie. "I see you finally figured out that you're force sensitive." Rivet looked her over. "I think that with a little work, we'd make a fine Jedi outta you. Now, come on, let's go save your friend." He said, continuing towards the door.

Pinkie Pie ran out with him without another word. Rivet trotted down the street rather calmly despite knowing what's going on. Pinkie Pie grunted and ran beside him.

"Hurry up, we can't let Starkiller face this thing alone!"

"Starkiller?" Rivet asked, his tone slightly surprised. "Well, this just got interesting." He said with a smirk. Rivet picked up his pace slightly, much to Pinkie Pie's slight relief.

"Rivet, we need to-"

"Call me Kyle." He said. "Kyle Katarn."

Starkiller slowed his run to a trot as he came up on Fluttershy's cottage. He could sense the disturbance nearby, but he couldn't pinpoint where, the Force presence that prevented him from sensing the Jedi was blocking him again. Starkiller continued on, walking down the dirt path until he came to the mouth of the Everfree Forest.

He could sense the presence that was blocking him very close by. Starkiller glanced down at the the ground as he noticed a green slime on the ground. He looked closely at it, something was familiar about it, but he couldn't determine what. His thought process was interrupted as a large drop of the slime dripped onto his hood.

Starkiller looked up and saw the source, a large cocoon, and inside of it was Fluttershy.

Starkiller prepared to free her with the force, but something struck him hard enough to take him off the ground. He flew a few meters and crashed hard into one of the trees. Starkiller fell to the ground unconscious.

General Grievous laughed as Starkiller slumped over. He expected more of a fight from the Jedi, but regardless, the trap had worked. Grievous grabbed Starkiller by the back of his neck, then crawled up the tree to get Fluttershy. Once he had gotten her, he shifted into a more travel friendly form.

With a flash of green fire, General Grievous changed into a small dragon and flew off towards the hive with Fluttershy and Starkiller in his claws. He would drop them off at the hive where they would be imprisoned, then return to gather the remaining two Force presences.

Within minutes, Grievous was back at the hive's entrance. He shifted into his Changeling form and went deeper inside, dragging his captives behind him. Soon enough, he was standing back in the hive's center, where Queen Chrysalis already waited.

"I see you've brought presents," She said as Grievous tossed the Ponies in front of her. "How thoughtful."

She passed an approving smile at Grievous, then flew over to the Ponies, her insect-like wings buzzing loudly as she did so. Chrysalis landed in front of them and gave a quick analyzing glance over them. She recognized Fluttershy from the Royal Wedding, but she didn't recognize the other one.

"Now, I must return to my hunt." Grievous said as he turned to exit.

"Wait a moment," Chrysalis called. "They will do. Pupa, Ray!" Chrysalis called to her guards, who quickly came to her side. "Take these two to the cells. Await my orders after that." Ray and Pupa both saluted, then took the two away. "Now for you," Chrysalis said, turning back to Grievous. "I want you to remain here. If they escape, you will put them back."

Grievous gave a curt nod, then walked away.

"I shall do as you ask for now, Queen." He said. "But I do not plan on being your slave forever." With that, Grievous exited the room.

Chrysalis let out a mirthful laugh, things were going all according to plan. She didn't care about Grievous's loyalty, once he had outlived his use, she would deal with him. Until then, he would make an excellent assassin.

Chrysalis laughed once more, then returned to her throne. A grin dripping with malice formed along her face as she sat, the only thing she had to worry about was Twilight Sparkle. Chrysalis's grin grew wider as she thought up what Grievous would do for her next.

Pinkie and Kyle slowed their running as they came to where they had sensed Fluttershy, only to find that she was gone, as well as the disturbance.

"We're too late..." Pinkie Pie said mournfully as her fluffy hair went straight.

"Don't worry." Kyle said, wrapping a comforting hoof around her. "We'll find where she went, and when we do, we'll make whoever took her pay."

Pinkie Pie glanced up to the sky.

"Don't worry Fluttershy..." She said. "We'll find you, I promise."

Side story: Assassin

Machines ground and whirred throughout the white cloud halls of the weather factory. Several Pegasi manned their stations, creating the weather needed for Equestria. In the back of this industrial complex, a grey middle-aged Pegasus entered and walked up to a featureless metal door with the word 'Restricted' painted in red lettering. The Pegasus pulled out a keycard and held it in front of a camera nearby

SCANNING, A mechanized voice boomed. A moment passed, then the machine spoke again. AUTHORIZATION RECOGNIZED. WELCOME, DOCTOR MESOSPHERE.

With a loud hiss, the metal door quickly slid open and Dr. Mesosphere walked right inside. Instead of the usual white cloud walls of the Weather Factory, steel metal walls stretched around the room, creating a large box with many Pegasi working at various computers. Guards wearing heavy grey armor stood at attention at various points in the room, the black visor's on their helmets casting an eerie gaze upon the workers.

Dr. Mesosphere walked passed them, a few guards passed a glance from under their visored helmets, but nothing else than that.

Another door hissed open, giving way to another room with computers, but in the center was some form of capsule. There was a glass cover on the front, a mechanical body could be barely seen inside. Several tubes and wires connected to the back of the pod and ran the length of the room into the computers, a young Pegasus with a beige coat and blonde mane worked at one of the several uplinked consoles, reading the diagnostics of the machine inside.

A scanned image of a humanoid form was on the screen, it was clearly the robot's frame. Several dots and points on the screen identified the different parts of the robot, as well as the robot's designation.

The young Pegasus turned away from his computer when he heard Dr. Mesosphere coming up from behind.

"Hello, sir." The young stallion said as he saluted.

"Greetings, Quickflash." The doctor responded with a polite nod. "At ease, I may be the head of this division, but you don't need to salute to me." Quickflash nodded in response and lowered his hoof. Dr. Mesosphere walked past Quickflash and glanced to the screen. "Well, what do you think about this robot?" He asked as he turned to Quickflash.

"Sir, this robot is a technological marvel; it's schematics are unlike anything we've seen." Quickflash stated, keeping his excitement well hidden. "I scanned the protocols inside its head and I must say how precise the programming is. This robot calls itself an 'assassin droid', and from it's memory banks, it definitely lived up to its name. It is fast, efficient, always gets the job done, and with minimal civilian casualties as well. In fact, it's programmed to avoid killing civilians whenever possible."

"Amazing." Dr. Mesosphere said. "Anything else?"

"Yes. It has schematics on board for items called 'blaster rifles', they fire bolts of energized plasma-gas that can pierce a Dragon's scales; luckily for us, I was able to get the green-light to get them developed already. We also discovered schematics for weapons called 'Lightsabers', but all attempts to create one has ended with catastrophic failure."

"Hmm...What's the problem?" Dr. Mesosphere asked as he walked over to the capsule. He wished the glass wasn't so foggy, that way he could see this droid's face better. He turned back around as Quickflash gave more information about the droid and these weapons it held.

"Well, we have the required materials to manufacture them, but they require power crystals that need a very precise alignment in order to function. We've done trial-and-error tests on which crystals work, and though we have found a few, if not given the correct alignment, they discharge with the power of an atomic explosion."

"Huh. Well, maybe we can get some Unicorns to help us. They seem to have a knack for that kind of precise stuff, and when have we ever shied away from help? Besides, these blasters and Lightsabers, plus the schematics from this droid, will definitely give Equestria a fighting chance when the Elements of harmony fall!"

Quickflash gave another nod, then walked with Dr. Mesosphere down to the end of the room where a workbench sat with a finished blaster rifle.

"We made a regular one first, by we're also making a modified version for Ponies to use. The standard models will be used for our droids once they're made." Quickflash explained as he grabbed the blaster in his teeth.

Dr. Mesosphere looked with awe at the blaster rifle. Soon enough, these will become military weapons and the droids will become a symbol of peace. And it was all thanks to their employer.

The exposition was cut off as the alarm triggered. Quickflash and Dr. Mesosphere both ran to the main computer in the room, the pipes connected to the tube were being systematically shut down as an unknown program interfaced with the computer.

Quickflash put the blaster back and immediately began to work on getting the pod reconnected while Dr. Mesosphere ran to get security.

Sadly for Quickflash, he only seemed to quicken the pace for the pod's deactivation. The tubes hissed and steamed as they disconnected from the pod, the droid's eyes lit up an eerie red from behind the glass. Quickflash quickened his pace as the droid's diagnostics reactivated and the pod's security programs shut down. His time was running out even quicker as a metallic thumping came from inside the tank.

Then the programs shut off completely.

The pod hissed open, a fog encompassed the pod. Quickflash ran and hid behind the workbench that held the blaster rifle as the droid stepped out of its tank. Metal clanks emitted from the droid's steps as it walked. The dim lighting of the room caused the glowing eyes to glow even brighter, giving the droid a red hue.

Quickflash tried hard to keep himself calm, but his blubbering was attracting the rogue machine's attention. The droid clanked over to the workbench, its cold photoreceptors catching the blaster rifle in its analyzing glow. It picked up the blaster and looked it over, analyzing every detail of the laser gun.

The droid let out a noise that sounded like an approving grunt, but it was garbled and electronic coming from the droid's vocabulator. Then it walked away, completely ignoring Quickflash and heading for the door. The

Pegasus quietly let out a sigh of relief but quickly drew it back in, he didn't want the droid to hear him.

Quickflash risked a peak from behind the worktable. The droid stared into the diagnostics screen. Quickflash couldn't read what it was doing, the droid seemed entranced. It then lowered its head module down to the keypad. The large keys outfitted for hooves were scrawled across the cramped control panel, the droid's hands were much to small to use.

It let out a noise that sounded like either anger or annoyance, then the droid opened fire on the console. A splitting ringing sound blasted through the air several times as the droid pulled the hair trigger and red bolts of energy fired from the muzzle of the rifle.

Quickflash hid further behind the workbench and covered himself with his front forehooves. He knew what this droid was capable of from the memories on board and wouldn't take too kindly to being reverse-engineered. Especially for use other than assassinations. He peeked around the corner of the workbench again and the assassin droid moved away. Its photoreceptors fell upon a table with some bronze scrap metal, then it looked to its wrists. The hydraulics and motors were exposed, as well as some wires that were loose.

The assassin moved over to the table and reattached its missing parts, gave its fingers an experimental wave about, then aimed the wrist not holding the blaster at the pod. A jet of plasma blasted from the droid's reassembled wrists, illuminating the room and reducing the pod to a molten heap on the floor. The droid laughed, something Quickflash didn't know robots could do, then it went for the exit of the room.

The metal door slid open before the droid could get to it and Dr. Mesosphere entered, followed by some guards wearing heavy armor.

"Stop right there, machine!" one of the guards called, his voice also sounding electronic from under their helmets.

The droid hesitated a moment...then aimed its rifle at them.

"INTERJECTION: Silence, meatbags!" The droid yelled as it fired a blast at the guard's throat. The guard was struck and fell gasping, though the blast hadn't pierced his armor, but merely stunned him. "STATEMENT: I am HK-47, and will not let Mandalorians such as yourselves duplicate my design!"

HK-47 aimed its blaster at the other guard and fired at their leg, the blast struck her and she was also brought to the ground, leaving Dr. Mesosphere vulnerable.

"THREAT: Now, meatbag! You seem to be a significant scientific mind by your apparel...I demand you tell me where these duplicates are being sent to!" It yelled at the doctor.

"W-what duplicates!?" The doctor screamed in fear, much unlike the businesslike attitude he usually kept. "I don't know what you're-"

The doctor was cut off by HK-47 grabbing him by the throat, then he was pulled close to the droid's face, as well as having the barrel of the blaster rifle shoved in his face.

"ACCUSATION: The files on this computer showed copies of my schematics being sent to another terminal, I want you to tell me where they're going!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Dr. Mesosphere whimpered. "I wasn't in charge of that, I only oversaw the status of your containment pod!"

"REBUTTAL: Yes, and your workers used that pod to copy my designs!"

"I swear to Celestia, I had nothing to do with-"

"DECLARATION: I grow tired of your blubbering, meatbag!" HK-47 yelled, its electronic voice definitely projecting the sentence it said it was trying to pull. "STATEMENT: You imprisoned me and made me into your lab-rat, this is inexcusable!" HK-47 threw the aged Pegasus into the ground, then pressed the blaster into his face. "SARCASTIC STATEMENT: I'm very sorry it had to be this way, but I'm afraid we must part now."

HK-47 then pulled the trigger on its blaster rifle. Dr. Mesosphere dropped dead to the ground, then HK-47 fired a few more shots at the guards to put them out of their misery. Before it left the room, HK-47 turned its head towards the workbench that Quickflash hid behind.

"REVELATION: By the way, meatbag, I knew you were there the whole time." And with that, HK-47 exited the room, leaving a very disgruntled Quickflash behind.