Two Empires Under the Sun

Spike awoke to the sound of ponies screaming, and the smell of smoke. He looked around widely confused, partially because of the mud he was covered in, and also because Twilight and AppleJack were gone! That was them screaming! Spike started off down the hill, he heard Twilight firing her magic and thought he could make out AppleJack's voice from further along the orchard. It looked like some sort of fire had spread in the orchard and was burning several tree's along spike's path. Spike saw the bushes rustle up ahead of him. He took cover behind a tree, scared that what ever everypony was screaming about was after him. He peered around the tree and saw Twilight and AppleJack looking battered and bruised. He looked up and saw that they were carrying the red stallion Big Macontosh on both their backs. Along with the help of Twilight's magic.

"Twilight!" Spike said running from the cover at the sight of his friend.

"Spike! Come with us. I don't know if it's safe out for any of us." Twilight said.

Spike now saw the reason why the two mares were carrying Big Mac. He had a severe burn that had blasted off a chunk of his ear. as well as a burn across his left flank. His apple Cutiemark separated by seared pieces of flesh. It looked as if he had been cut by a sword of fire.

"What happened to Big Mac?" Spike asked.

"We don't have time to explain right now, just stick close." Twilight said.  "After we get Big Mac some help. I'm going to need to write to the princess."

Imperial Centre, Corescant.

Throne room of the Emperor.

Thrawn could not see the logic in the Empire's obsession with black and white, it left a strangely metallic taste in Thrawn's mouth. The Emperor certainly had no lack of the colors in his personal throne room .The room was empty, save for Thrawn. He sat with a datapad in hand. He was dressed in the white uniform of an imperial admiral. His blue skin and red eyes were a stark contrast to the other admirals. His Chiss features made him unique in appearance as well as status. He was the only non-human to ever reach the rank of Grand Admiral in The Empire.

A sudden motion of the double doors to the throne room drew Thrawn's attention away from his studies. Two Red Dawn guards strode in, electrostaff's in hand. When they had completely flowed in, a lone dark figure strode in at a leisurely pace. His cloak's hood was drawn, and he walked with a cane. The Emperor's Appearance was deceiving, as was his character. Thrawn stood up in respect of The Emperor as he preceded in. He was not alone either. The Mechanical breathing of Darth Vader echoed off the durasteel throne room as he followed his master. The Emperor took a seat in his throne and motioned for Thrawn to approach.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn. We have much to discuss." The Emperor Said.

"Indeed." Thrawn said, his red eyes narrowing into slits.

Darth Vader looked down at Thrawn from his masters side.

"Thrawn. I thought you were enforcing The Empire's rule in the backwater of the galaxy."

"I was, until we found something interesting." Thrawn said as he drew up a hologram of a shiny ring structure. Mile-long StarDestroyers  were miniaturized to show the entirety of the ring.

"This Installation was found by my Starship while on patrol in the unknown regions. It is massive. Bigger than the Death Star. And made by beings far beyond our technological ability." Thrawn paused and looked up at Vader. "Do you know what this is dark lord?"

Vader remained silent. "It is a portal. A relay that can send ship's outside the galaxy." Thrawn said with dramatic effect.

"Impossible." Vader said.

"Impossible is a harsh word. Impossible for our technology? Yes. But we have recovered so much information about the race that built it. They were highly advanced beings, able to create stars and whole worlds."

Vader look unconvinced despite his expressionless mask.

"How can you know this?" Vader Asked.

Thrawn smiled and projected a new image. A shiny gray ball with a yellow eye in it's center.

"This is an AI that hailed out ship as we approached the installation. The Forunners as this AI calls them, built this relay to escape their  galaxy, and built the AI to run it's systems. It seams that something caused them to all to disappear. This AI doesn't seam to know much about that sadly. But, it is being cooperative and telling us everything it does know. With it's help, I believe we can control and activate the relay on demand."

The still holo began to play, a digital voice chirped out of the ball.

"Greetings! I am 112 Watchful Keeper. Moniter of relay installation 013. I must say it was surprising to see Reclaimers in this part of space. I was under the impression Reclaimers were only exsistent in their home galaxy" The orb said.

"You say home galaxy as if you weren't referring to this galaxy." Thrawn's voice said from somewhere off screen.

"My installation is an exstra-galactic construct. My installation was part of a project to send my creators outside of the galaxy, where they would be safe from the Halo's effect." Keeper said.

"These Halo's, are they similar to your installation?" The Chiss's smooth voice said.

"Uncertain, my creators limited my knowledge of all other strategic installations. I was only told that the Halo's would devastate the galaxy, and that it was my mission to escape it. I have been unable to accesses the other relays for quite some time. 100,000 years in fact. Perhaps the Halo's were fired pre-maturely, it would explain why no-one has come through the relay or even tried to access it. Until now that is."

"What would you  need to do to activate the relay again?"

"The command override for all Forunner installations is passed on to the reclamers. All we would have to do is take one of yours and activate the control room. A console there should recognize a reclaimer's touch."

"What happened to your masters? The Forunner?"

The little Orb hesitated. "I assume they're all dead." Keeper said.

The Holo froze again and Palpatine was the first to speak.

"Do you see now Lord Vader? We have unwittingly stumbled upon a weapon cache from a dead race. With their technology, we could rule the galaxy in fear that has never been felt since the Death Star appeared over Alderan." Emperor Palpatine said. "Admiral Thrawn, since you have made this discovery, I will grant you the honor of being the first expedition through the relay."

"As interesting as this discovery is, we still do not know where this relay will take our ships. Or if they can even survive the trip. I would advise sending probe droids to recon ahead of our fleet" Thrawn said.

"Very well Grand Admiral. You will report what you find to me and me only. The rest of the Empire mustn't know of this discovery. Less our enemies use it against us." Palpatine said.

Thrawn gave a polite but somewhat hesitant bow toward Palpatine and went off to plan the expedition.

Palpatine sat up from his throne and the holo blinked off. Palpatine strode down the stairs and walked with Vader

"Your mission is to recover whatever weapons you can from this long-dead race. If they are indeed as advanced as the Grande admiral believes. You will cross with a fleet of my finest Star Destroyers, With Admiral Thrawn at command. If you find any resistance, you will crush it. And when you have indeed found something useful you will bring it before me. Is that clear Lord Vader?"

"Yes master."

"Good." Palpatine approached his balcony with his apprentice. The setting star cast a red color over the city, turning the reflective durasteel of the imperial district's many skyscrapers and buildings the color of blood. Palpatine leaned on the railing and looked distantly into the citycape. Two Star Destroyers were descending in the distance, their towering landing gear open. Vader stood at the door to the balcony, watching his master.

"Have you sensed it yet my apprentice?" Palpatine said. Turning to Vader.

"I have sensed a disturbance in the darkside master." Vader looked prosthetic feet. "I believe it was is my son."

Palpatine turned back to his apprentice. "What you have sensed, I to have felt. The DarkSide grows weak, bleeding like a wounded beast. Your son however is not responsible."

"Are you certain?" Vader Asked.

"I am always certain my apprentice. Young Skywalker is not strong enough to cause such an shift in the balance of the force. No. I believe that the discover of this relay, and the shift of power is related. If there are indeed beings who can harness the light side of the force on the other side of this relay, you must dispatch them Lord Vader. We may have cleansed this galaxy of the filth of The Jedi, but even the Empire's reach is limited."

"I will destroy any who oppose the darkside." Vader said, tightening his mechanical hand into a fist.

"Good, good. Soon our ultimate victory will be complete my friend. With this new technology, The Empire will never die."

Installation 00 'The Ark'

John spotted two elites in the scope of his sniper rifle. One was leaning on a revenant picking his mandibles. The other stood cross-armed, clutching a plasma rifle and looking off into the desert. John would have normally spattered their alien brains all over the sand with a .50 by now. But the galaxy had changed. Some elites were still fighting a holy war, even against their own kind. But others were in league with the Arbiter, and sought to make peace with humanity. It was no longer open season on any alien that got in John's way he could unwittingly start a second war if he killed the wrong ones.

John lowered his sniper and looked at his Friend or Foe display located on his HUD. The Elites were displayed as red dots. Red is dead, Yellow be mellow. But John still hesitated. He wanted to know why Elites were on The Ark at all. What could they possibly be doing here if they weren't worshiping some Forunner toliet or something?

John's Friend or Foe (FoF) display suddenly lite up with a half dozen knew dots, right behind him. With one quick reflex, John holstered his sniper and pulled out his MA5 Assault Rifle. The Shimmering outlines of invisible Elites twisted the desert behind them into an unnatural image. John was ready to squeeze off a few rounds into the leaders abdomen and make for some cover when the first stealth field dissipated reveling the operator. John immediately let off of the trigger.

"I knew we had some company. But I never expected to see you here." The Arbiter said. He stood a foot and a half taller then John. His ancient grey armor looked slightly more banged up then when John had last seen it. The scars of countless battles he had fought in the four years while John had floated unconscious through deep space.

"Arbiter?" John said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question Spartan.  We saw  the end of both the covenant and the flood here.It seems fitting that we are reunited on this strange world." The towering elite said, his four maniples clicking in the strange motions of sagheili speech. Several more of the aliens appeared behind him, they looked nervous at the sight of a human John's size And he didn't blame them.

"Come, I have much to show you. Our meeting here was no mere coincidence." The Arbiter said, walking off in the direction of the elite's John had been observing through the scope of his sniper. The other elite's followed, casting nervous glances back at John who stood there unmoving.

What was Arbiter going to show him? How could he explain how he decided to leave the UNSC and start chasing ghosts? Any sane being would think John was insane, but that wasn't the real issue here. He hadn't seen The Arbiter in years, and even though he had been leading the way for peaceful relations between humanity and the elites, that didn't exactly make him trustworthy. The brief alliance between their species was made out of desperation in a time where a greater threat loomed over all creation. But now? Humanity was playing proxy wars with the elites, arming the religious fanatics while pretending to be friends. And some elites, perhaps The Arbiter himself felt pretty sore about humanities' behavior.

Could this be a trap? Maybe. But John had fought out of traps before, and a part of him wanted to trust that the arbiter meant him no harm. If he could even harm John at all. Against some of his better judgment he followed the group of aliens into the whipping sands. In the corner of his eye he saw her standing there. Like before he ignored the ghost. But inside he felt reassured, like she was guiding him to where he was meant to go.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville

Twilight and AppleJack had been galloping less than a minute before they reached the impact site. A clearing had been created. Apple trees were burning, giving the area an eerie red glow. Instead of the fragments of a meteor as twilight had expected, the center of the crater had a metallic black cylinder jutting out from the scorched ground.

"What in the wide world of Equestria." AppleJack said.

The mares stood at the edge of the clearing. Twilight was the first to step forward.

Twilight's horn began to glow with magic as she summoned a spell. AppleJack was still just staring at the cylinder, her concern about her orchard lost at the site of the strange object. "Come on, we can figure this out later. I know a spell for putting out fires." Twilight said.

A twig was snapped somewhere behind the mares making them both jump in surprise. They turned around to see a familiar red stallion approaching them.

"Big Mac?" AppleJack said. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Ah Was sleepin. Then ah heard a loud bang and felt the house shake. Came out to investigate." Big Mac looked behind the mares at the spreading fire. "What in the? Sis why is the orchard on fire?"

"No time for splannin Big Mac. We gotta put out these fires fast before we lose the whole crop!"

"Eyup." Big Mac said with determination.

Twilight got to work extinguishing the burning tree's while AppleJack and Big Mac stomped out the smaller fires with their bare hooves. Eventually the clearing grew dark again as the last of the fire was put out. Twilight then turned her attention to the cylinder, she could see now that it was buried partially in the ground.

"I've never seen a meteor like that before." AppleJack said, approaching twilight's side.

"I'm not so sure it's a meteor AppleJack." Twilight lifted her hoof and touched the shiny black surface of the cylinder. It was cold to the touch. "In fact I have no Idea what this is."

Big Mac had been too preoccupied with the fire to notice the cylinder. He know stood behind his sister, looking curiously at it.

"Is this what's causing us so much trouble?" He said.

Big Mac never got an answer from the mares. A low humming sound was coming out of the depths of the apple-farm. The sound was growing louder as if it's source was moving toward the group of ponies. The group stood stunned, listening to the growing humming that carried in the trees toward them. Twilight was the first to react, divining horn-first into the cover of a nearby bush. AppleJack and Big Mac soon decided Twilight had the right idea, and hid themselves as well.

Twilight peered out of the bush just enough to see the clearing and black cylinder. The unnatural humming continued until the source was reviled. Twilight gasped at the sight. What appeared to be a large floating spider lazily hung over the ground. It had eyes all around a dome on what twilight believed to be its head. Many arm-like appendages hung below the dome, moving in random jerky motions. The Spider stopped and a long black rod extended from it's dome. It then began speaking in some unintelligible language, but it wasn't talking to anyone as far as Twilight could see.

The Spider lowered it's rod and began to float away, when AppleJack and Big Mac broke their cover and stepped in it's path. What was that crazy pony doing? This thing was taller then some of her appletrees, and who knows what else it was capable of.

"Now you listen here you weird spider thingy." The orange mare said. "Ah don't take kindly to anyone setting fires on my apple farm. Ya'll should just move along and go back where you came from. Right Big Mac?"

"Eyup"

The Spider studied applejack for a moment, swirling it's domed head around to look at her with different pairs of eyes. It let out more of its strange language and lunged at the farm pony. AppleJack was too fast however, she ducked as one of the spider's arms reached out for her. Instead it grabbed her hat and took it off her head.

"Oh now you're just asking fer it. Lets defend our farm brother." Applejack said.

The Spider lurched back and raised AppleJack's hat to its eyes. It seemed to be very interested in the hat, until Big Mac and AppleJack both attacked it from the side. Using powerful bucks and front kicks, they seemed to momentarily disable the spider. It fell to the ground hard but recovered and regained it's low altitude. The spider began firing bolts of red energy at the two ponies from one of it's many arms. Twilight's friends were not expecting this, and applejack barely dodged a barrage of red energy sent her way. Big Mac however, was not so lucky.

The Stallion took two hits from the red bolts. One almost hitting his head, instead it passed through Big Mac's right ear, burning the whole body part off. Another grazed by his cutie mark, leaving a smoldering wound that tore the stallion's flesh like a hot knife through butter. Big Mac collapsed, screaming in agony. AppleJack heard her brother's distress and was at his side in a moment attempting to get him up as the spider moved in for the kill.

Twilight lashed out her magic at the spider, sending her own energy beam directly at it's eyes. She got a direct hit. The spider tumbled backward, still afloat, but disoriented from the sudden attack. Twilight seized the opportunity, taking off from her hiding place and firing again at the spider's eyes. She missed most of her shots, and the spider began to return fire at the new threat. In doing so, it had taken its attention off AppleJack. The farm pony galloped the short distance to the spider and jumped onto it's domed head. This sent the thing into a crazed frenzy as it attempted to shake her off. Twilight dove strait at the spider and summed her magic for another strike. She hit its metallic body with only one blast when it suddenly erupted into an explosion. Twilight barley had enough time to form a protective shield around her friend before the exploding shrapnel would have torn her in pieces.

Twilight lowered her friend to the ground with her magic, and then herself set down and folded her wings. AppleJack looked shaken from her brush with death, but she soon recovered and went to her brother's side once more. Big Mac was moaning quietly, and was still in the position he had collapsed in.

"Twilight get help!" AppleJack Said. " Big Mac is hurt real bad."

"Si... sis." Big Mac said.

"You just hold on now big brother."

"It hurts sis." Big Mac said weakly.

AppleJack seemed on the verge of tears now. "Ah know it hurts brother. Ah know." AppleJack looked back at Twilight.

"Why the fuck haven't you gotten help yet?" she couldn't stop the tears now.

Twilight wasn't very bothered by AppleJack's profanity, she was still going over everything that had just happened in her head and thought the situation definitely warranted the use of some fucks. Twilight could get help right now, but even with the clearing made by the cylinder Twilight wasn't a hundred percent sure she could find her way back in the dark.  AppleJack must have realized this to, as she began trying to carry her now unconscious brother on her back. She was struggling with the deadweight of the stallion, and hardly made it two paces before collapsing on the ground herself.

Twilight picked up Big Mac in her magic and levitated him off of her friend. Still holding up the red stallion with her magic she pulled applejack into a hug. "You don't ever have to do anything alone AppleJack." Twilight said. AppleJack hugged back and sobbed into Twilight's shoulder before releasing her. Together the two mares carried Big Mac on their backs, Twilight's magic holding up most of the weight. They reached the edge of the clearing and started walking through a patch of bushes in the general direction of the farmhouse.

"Ahm sorry about back their Twi. He's my kin, I cant bare to see my family hurt." AppleJack apologized.

"It's absolutely fine. You're only worried about your brother. Lets get him home, and then we can send for help and get him in the hospital."  Twilight said.

"Twilight!? " Spike's voice called out from ahead of the ponies.

Twilight saw her assistant now awake and franticly running towards the mares. "Spike! Come with us. I don't know if it's safe out for any of us." Twilight said.

"What happened to Big Mac?" Spike asked.

"We don't have time to explain right now, just stick close." Twilight said.  "After we get Big Mac some help. I'm going to need to write to the princess."

The three ponies and dragon stuck close together as they navigated back to the farmhouse. When they reached it they saw Granny Smith and young AppleBloom waiting on the front porch. They both stared wide eyed at the sight of Big Mac's limp form carried on the ponies backs.

"Granny! Get the first aid, Big Mac's hurt." AppleJack said. Granny Smith disappeared inside the house as the group made it to the porch.

"What the pony feathers happened out there?" AppleBloom asked.

"Not right now AppleBloom. Look Big Mac needs our help, go inside and help me set him up on the couch." AppleJack said, now taking the full weight of her brother while Twilight and Spike stood outside. Twilight watched them set down big mac as Granny Smith started disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. AppleJack came back out to meet them as Granny got to work.

"He's gonna be okay thank Celestia." AppleJack said. "But there is only so much Granny can do for him. He needs a doctor Twilight."

Twilight nodded her head in agreement. "We'll be back soon with help AppleJack, don't worry." Twilight unfolded her wings and let spike mount on her back again. In a flash the two disappeared into the sky in the direction of town. Spike held on to Twilight, unusually silent. Twilight's voice broke the quite between them.

"Spike take a letter."