Star Wars: Tales of the Hunter

Twilight stood over the communicator that sat on the stage where she would perform in front of many ponies and delegates for the Summer Sun Celebration. She pulled in a heavy breath. She knew what this would mean. The ceremony she could do. She had her friends to help her. It’s what would come after that she wondered about.

She knew her friends would always be there to help her. But now things were changing. She thought she could rely on the princesses for help. That didn’t seem possible with what Hunter brought. A whole galaxy was out there ready for them. Equestria currently wasn’t ready for the galaxy. Most of the world didn’t know that Hunter even existed. There was new technology to learn about, new people to meet, and so many other things that Twilight wasn’t nearly ready for. And then there was the Force. She needed to learn about it. But, she knew that for now, it could wait. Unlike magic, the problems she faced currently were physical.

She stared down at the communicator. He did say he could help me. Would it really be okay? She tapped the communicator. The technology came to life and revealed a holographic symbol of the Republic. An image of a strange blue creature with tentacles took shape. It appeared to be a female.

“This is the personal residence of Chancellor Palpatine. May I ask who is calling?”

Twilight gulped. “This is Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. I was given this contact if I needed to speak with the Chancellor.”

The receptionist nodded. “Give me just a moment, your highness. I will see if he’s available.” The hologram was replaced with the Republic symbol again. Twilight sighed and sat down, rubbing her hooves together. I hope I’m not disturbing him. I don’t want-

“Princess?” Twilight broke out of her stupor to see Palpatine before her. Twilight quickly stood up.

“Chancellor! Thank you for accepting my call!”

Palpatine chuckled. “It’s quite alright, Princess. Although I must ask, it is quite late where you are. May I ask what you are doing up?”

Twilight sighed. “It’s… it’s about what’s to come, Chancellor.”

“I believe almost everything is in order. I simply must not forget what to say.” Palpatine chuckled a little. “Do you mean something else?”

“Yes. It’s about what Equestria has to do. There’s technology for us to adapt, there’s a world of different creatures on this planet that need to come together, there’s joining the galactic community, understanding policies, the Force-”

“And the stress of it all-” Palpatine interrupted, “Is very overwhelming, am I right?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I need your advice, Chancellor. I need to learn how to be a leader and lead in the galaxy.”

Palpatine smiled and nodded. “I’d be happy to teach you, Twilight. May I call you, Twilight?”

Twilight smiled. “Of course, Chancellor!”

“Well, Twilight, let me ask you something. What makes for a good leader?”

Twilight pondered that and spoke. “Intelligence would be a good start.”

“Yes, intelligence is always good for a leader. But a leader can’t just be a thinker, correct? Action needs to be taken.”

“So, I shouldn’t rely purely on my intelligence?”

“You shouldn’t. For example, you may know the skills to drive a starship, but if you haven’t driven it then the skill is useless.”

“So, I require wisdom?”

Palpatine clasped his hands. “Yes, wisdom is something a great leader needs an abundance of. And then, when you have wisdom, the rest of whatever anyone thinks you need to become a leader comes naturally.”

“But, how can I obtain wisdom without making mistakes?”

“Mistakes are bound to happen. Which is why it is wise to rely on someone you can confide in until you have the skills you need to progress on your own.”

“But who can I rely on? There’s no one with the experience to teach me.”

Palpatine laughed a little. “I would hope, my dear, that I would have a little experience. I am quite old, you know.”

Twilight gasped. “Could- could you show me?”

“Twilight, the dance of politics is a long and arduous road. But I have heard of your exploits. Your will and determination to never give up will lead to many great things.”

“I just hope my endless existence can lead to some good.”

Palpatine’s eyebrow rose. “Endless?”

“Alicorn’s have immortality. I can still be killed, but left to my own devices, I’ll live forever… forever with this responsibility.”

“I see… while I don’t have much knowledge in that field, I can help you achieve a good start.” Palpatine made a few hand gestures at what appeared to be a keyboard. With a few clicks, clacks, and beeps the communicator ejected a tablet.

Twilight picked up the tablet. “This looks like the device Hunter gave me when he wanted us to learn about the Republic.”

Palpatine nodded. “While his tablet showed a general overview of things, this tablet is filled with information on leaders that have appeared throughout the galaxy. Both with and against the Republic.”

Twilight smiled and scrolled through the information. There was listings for Chancellors, Senators, Dictators, Enemies, Jedi, and- “Sith?”

“Is there a problem, Twilight?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, not at all. It’s just… what are Sith?”

“The Sith is an ideology that believes in the Dark Side of the Force. The texts I have found were quite… inspiring.”

“What is the premise of the ideology?”

“Passion, if I were to put it simply. There’s a certain fire the Sith have. Perhaps you can deduce a meaning on your own?”

“On my own?”

“Yes. We can discuss it all later. Learn what you can, and do what you can as a leader.” Palpatine smiled. “I’ll follow your exploits with great interest.”

“Thank you, Chancellor.” Twilight bowed. “I won’t let you down!”

The communicator went off, leaving a very pleased Twilight to look through a plethora of information.
~~~

On Coruscant, Palpatine retired to his chair. He reclined and rubbed his chin. “Immortality… hm.”

A door opened, revealing a blue alien adorned in very prestigious clothes. He approached Palpatine and bowed.

“Rise, Mas Amedda.” Palpatine said sternly.

Mas Amedda, the Vice Chancellor rose. “My lord, the preparations you asked for have been made ready.”

“I sense that’s not the only reason you are here.”

Mas grimaced. “Is it wise to give Sith writings to Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

Palpatine smiled. “It’s merely a gamble. All is proceeding as I have foreseen. The introduction of ponies this late in the game, matter not. No, what I see in Twilight is merely… potential.”

Mas, knowing not to question his better, bowed and left the room. Palpatine looked out the window to the cityscape of Coruscant. Yes. Palpatine thought. I feel the force shifting. Good.

~~

Back in Equestria, Discord squirmed. Something felt off to him. He opened his eyes to the starry night sky. Everything looks alright up there. Discord lifted his arm and smelt his armpit. Smells like normal. Why does it feel like life’s wrong? Discord shrugged and returned to his meditation.

Now, as Chaon, I was trying to become a god, I guess. Why’s that? He concentrated. He thought back to the chamber he was in with all those other people. They appeared to be familiar to him. Tirek… Sombra… and the other soldiers. Each was clad in colored armor; a gold, a blue, and a green. The gold one carried the blade that Hunter carried.

He frowned. That blade really hurt. Why did it hurt? He remembered the pain. Pain was something he rarely felt anymore. But it was pain of a different sort. It was regret, betrayal, emotions flared up that hurt him. And darkness. Darkness ruled his heart as Chaon. Dark intentions there too. So, was I so screwed up I became who I am now? What’s the first thing I remember doing being me? Discord thought back. Before he was imprisoned in stone, before he imprisoned in stone… again, before fight the sisters, he remembered his chaos. Things changing. He remembered the suffering of those he caused. The first people he encountered.

He remembered dark corridors. Many signs of life. He remembered making them all disappear. One after the other. But this isn’t me. Making lives random, sure. But this- He remembered one light diminishing after the next- This is systematic. Discord opened his eyes. He found himself sitting on top of the highest tower in Canterlot. He looked down at Dinky’s room. He had expected the little filly to have given up and fallen asleep. However, he found quite the opposite.

Dinky was sitting on her haunches, forehooves up, and concentrating. Discord smiled. That’s a lot of determination for someone so young. He stealthily approached Dinky. She sat in the middle of the room with T9 silently sitting beside her. Discord scratched his head thinking about the droid. Why is he so attached to Dinky? Sure, Hunter ordered it to keep an eye on Dinky. But there was something else there. Discord shrugged. It was another story for another time. For now, there was something more pressing. What are you meditating about, Dinky Do?

Dinky had been meditating since Discord ordered her to do so. She first thought about the Mandalorian Base and what she saw. She saw images of a different lifestyle. Warriors, living for a hunt, for the greatest of glories. But that ended. It ended so horribly for them. They were guilty of many crimes, but for how they perished, for any life to go through what they did when they reached the end, it was simply too much. That got Dinky thinking about life in general.

Is life where all action is done? When a life force becomes one with the Force, is it simply redistributed? Or is it recreated to be something else? Can a force for evil become a force for good and vice versa?

What is it to be one with the light? What is it to be dark? She had to differentiate between the two. On the one side, there was belief in a greater cause that was made with decisions that hurt people. There was the unintended evil created by good decisions. There were many variations that left Dinky in the grey.

But what is the ultimate good? Dinky thought. She thought about Equestria, where the ponies were relatively at peace. But within that, she remembered bullies like Diamond Tiara, who forced her personality and power over others. She thought about Trixie, the one who had enslaved her town because of a dark power she sought. She thought about Nightmare Moon, and her lust for power and revenge. Each example became a worse case for good than the other. But Princess Luna was redeemed, and that Trixie lady isn’t bad anymore. And Diamond Tiara’s true self is clouded. And for each case, there was a case that countered it.

She opened her eyes and saw Discord. “How am I supposed to tell the good side from bad?”

“One thing about being a Force User is feeling what the good and bad are. For example, what do you feel from Hunter?”

Dinky closed her eyes and thought about the trooper from another world. He was a clone. Cloned from another warrior, but he showed no relation to the person he was cloned from. She looked at Hunter’s past. It was one layered with pain and questions. In truth, Hunter never really knew much else from life, but what she did see came from Equestria. He was reacting. He may be a clone, but like his brothers, he was different.

“He’s a good guy at his core, trying to become better.” Dinky smiled.

“And how about me?” Discord asked.

Dinky closed her eyes yet again. She saw images of a broken creature, causing suffering not because he was evil, but ignorant of others.

“You’re selfish, but not really out to cause harm… not now anyway.”

“Not now?”

“I feel that past that made you angry. If I had to put it to words, you were hungry for power and didn’t care about what got in your way.”

Discord nodded. He felt the same thing. His past self was very hungry. He wanted so many things. He wanted the galaxy in his grasp.

“But, that’s not you now.” Dinky said. “That time is over.”

“So, what have you learned from all this?”

“That, there a few truly evil people, and that people can be misunderstood.”

“And that you can feel these things with?”

Dinky sighed and smiled. “Being calm and at peace.”

“Get some sleep, kid. You could use it.” Discord disappeared with a snap of his fingers, leaving Dinky and T9 alone. Dinky patted T9 with sleepy eyes as she went to bed.

“Beep bloop weee?”

“Yes, T9. I do feel good.” Dinky hopped into the bed and cuddled up into her blankets. “You should get some sleep too.”

“Blurr beep wooo.”

“Stand by mode? Alright. Thank you for keeping an eye on me.”

“Twoo wee wer.”

“Stop the dark? I don’t need a nightlight, but thanks!” Dinky drifted off slowly thereafter. T9 shook his head around and looked out the window. He shut himself off.