Prologue - The Sparkle Side of the Force
STAR WARS
Episode VII - The Return of Darth Twilight
The Galaxy is once again in turmoil.
The Republic faces yet another Mandalorian threat.
However, they had one hope - 10 pony Jedi Masters had earned both the fear and respect of the Mandalorians, promising peace as long as they maintained vigil over the Republic.
It was not to last.
In a very sudden turn of events, the Jedi grandmaster Luna disappeared.
With her disappearance rose rumours of a new sith lord, Darth Nightmare, inciting a new Mandalorian rebellion.
It wasn't long before the remaining 9 pony Jedi Masters, Masters Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Appejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Lyra, Bon Bon and Celestia were similarly suspected of turning to the dark side.
One by one they disappeared mysteriously, all save Celestia.
In desperation the Republic turned to the proposals of the galactic corporation Blueblood Shipyards to make use of the planet Equus, homeworld of the pony jedi masters. The planet is a force nexus so powerful it distorts the very fabrics of reality around it, generating a gravity well powerful enough to maintain a sun in orbit around it.
Harnessing this gravity well they would be able to build a gravity cannon capable of annihilating entire star systems.
With this they hoped to create a deterrent to stop the Mandalorian threat for good.
Now the last Jedi Master standing in opposition to this plan, Celestia, has been accused of treason against the Republic and the Jedi Order and faces execution on the planet Coruscant.
However, the execution is interrupted by the arrival of a lone figure wearing the colours of dark side, wielding crimson sabers, the mark of the Sith.
Who is this Darth Twilight, and what is she after?
Navigating the lower orbit around planet Coruscant was always a hazardous affair, even for perfectly legal entries. The traffic of starships, flickering like an entire galaxy in its own right, was about as frenzied as a newly minted padawan, and about as dense. Then there's the trade stations and shipyards, seemingly arrayed like a pod racer obstacle course. But worse still were the Republican fleets, sitting wherever they pleased and literally taking up space much like the galactic bigwigs they protected down below. These days, however, they were more about protecting the interests of the massive interstellar corporations that drove the blood of the Republic.
Blueblood Shipyards, the largest of superstellar corporations, for example.
Now try navigating all of the above illegally for a challenge.
"This is Republican Destroyer 'Avenger', hailing prison starship 'Vigil', come in 'Vigil'." A gruff, very military voice intoned over the coms, tone very much suggesting that they will do more than hail if not graced with an answer.
"This is 'Vigil'." A young navy corpsman manning the bridge replied, uncertainly, "Requesting permission for lower orbit entry."
"Your manifest numbers at only one single item, 'Vigil'. What are you carrying?" The voice asked, curious.
"....prisoner D-Darth Twilight, S-Sir...." The corpsman mumbled.
"Ah, I see. You are a week behind schedule then. Were there any issues?"
"...just...hyperspace core problems with another ship. We had to....swap ships last minute..." The corpsman strained as he began to sweat profusely.
"Very well. Permission granted. Welcome home, 'Vigil'." The voice replied. The coms link cut off.
So did the young corpsman.
"You may sleep." a shadow behind him murmured, stepping up into the prison ship's command bridge flickering light. As if obeying her command the corpsman wordlessly folded over and fell to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut without the slightest hint of ceremony. A little lilac glow dimmed as the figure walked under the harsh flickering artificial light, revealing a form robed in deepest, darkest folds of frayed and tattered black. They said her kind were poor at making use of the so-called 'mind-trick'. Their horns glowing whenever they made use of the force was considered a telltale give away. Well, it was no issue when everyone present had been mind-tricked, say, all 350 crewman of a prison cruiser.
A tuft of dark violet hair, the colour of cold nebulae tinted with the dark red of dying stars, slipped out from under the void-black hood. Four hooves came to a stop before slowly lowering the burden they bore onto the floor. The figure knelt on all fours, letting out a little sigh as she regarded the sunset glower like a furious signet ring over the sparkly shadow of Coruscant, glorious capital of the Republic. "Hello again, old friend." She said, nodding at the familiar light-speckled night-side of the densely packed planet. It was like returning to a second home, a place where she and her friends once found meaning and belonging. But now the dark side of the planet seemed to scowl at her disapprovingly as she approached. She didn't blame it.
The lone figure sat in the silence for a while, as if meditating. All the lights above seemed to flicker more and more frantically before finally shorting out as one in a shower of sparks, leaving her alone in the glow of the sunset behind the approaching planet. A few of the holo-panels frizzled and sparked behind her, as if protesting under the sudden increase in gravitational force.
Suddenly, with an angry billow of her heavy black cloak, she slammed a furious hoof down on the metal panelling making up the bridge's floor. "BUCK, WHY?!" Her anguished roar shook the entire ship, causing more holo panels to explode violently and a few loose gas conduits and wires to burst apart deeper inside the already fragile ship. Her outburst slowly gave way to soft but rapid breaths in the wake of the quiet sparks and soft hissing of gas in the distance.
"Hay, easy on the Force'in around there, Twiligh'. They probably felt that all the way on the dark side." A figure wearing all black, even a black Tattooine rancher hat, stepped up, placing a comforting hoof on the young mare's shoulder.
"And on all the drama. Yeesh, you'd think we all made a wrong turn and ended up on the emo side of the Force." Another figure in black, this one borne on cerulean blue wings.
"But...but I thought we really are on the dark side? Oh, oh, I hope we didn't really make a wrong turn..." Another winged figure, this one a bright butter yellow, murmured uncertainly. Unlike the others she had her hood down, her long flowing supernova-pink mane bobbing as she stepped up to join her friends. "That would be awful, after we went through all this trouble to be sith lords. I mean, after all the hard work Rarity did to make our dark side uniforms..."
"Yeah, what's up with that, they're all, like, black! I mean, I know black makes everything, like, 20% cooler, but not when we're all in uniform! Hay, I specifically asked for a big bug-eyed mask that made heavy creepy snorting sounds when I speak!" The other winged one huffed as she landed.
"Girls, darlings, this isn't 'uniform', this is called 'themed'." A fourth figure robed in long, flowing pleated black, said, tossing her beautiful plasma-violet mane over her shoulders. "And there was a sale on black fabric. The dark side doesn't exactly pay well, remember."
"And a sale on all the pink thread in the galaxy! Don't think I didn't notice all the pink stitching!" The sky-blue winged one snapped.
"I like all the pink! It's, like, all really eeeeeeee~vil pink, and that's great cause we're all on the emo side and that makes us all really really really eeeeeee~vil." Another figure bounded into the bridge, this one trailing a tail the pink of candy floss and sith lightsabers.
"Yeah, we all probably make pink look reaaaaally flank-bucking. I mean, 9 ponies, every colour of the rainbow, angry raging sith hormones, wrapped in pink thread, out to cut the buck outta the galaxy, the emo side's never looked more badass." Yet another figure, this one clearly mint green as she her pitch black evil pink-threaded robes were stuck over her horn. She seemed to have given up putting it on halfway and decided to just wear it as a very, very thick bandanna.
"Dark side. It's dark side. I can feel a thousand dark sith lords turn in their dark cryo-sleep out in dark space. You all give darkness a bad name...and diabetes." Another one, a marshmallow white one sporting a fluffy mane the purple and pink of gas giants, muttered moodily as she stepped up next to the mint green one and pulled her robes down hard over her head, causing the minty one to squeak in terror. "Stand still, Lyra!"
"Dunwannaaaa!" The minty one squeaked, stumbling blindly away with her snout stuck in half her evil robes of evil. "Twiliiight, Bon Bon's being mean to meeee! Agaaaaain!"
"EeeeeeP!" The buttercoated one squeaked as the minty one bumped into her, "EEEEEEEEEEEEP!" She shrieked as she found a figure wrapped all in black, breathing menacingly through the thick swath of cloth wrapped about its snout.
"Fluttershy, I AM your shadow!" The minty one growled menacingly through her mask of darkness.
"Ah think ya got her mane reactor." The first figure said, raising her hat slowly to regard the butter yellow one who had just swooned and fainted.
"Mind-tricked in 10 seconds flat." The sky blue one grinned.
"Lyra, what did I tell thee about using the force on thy friends?" A tall, regal form similarly robed in black, trailing a mane of stars swept across a field of dark velvety night that seemed to wave in a non-existent solar wind.
"I regret nothing." The minty one asserted.
"C'mon, guys, look, instead of foaling around like us our fearless leader is meditating on our upcoming mission." A smaller figure, purple tale and spines the colour of Dagobah poking out of his dark robes, waddled in, oversized lightsaber dragging and clinking across the metallic floor. "Ms. Worry-wart's already looking frazzled enough as is."
"But egghead always looks frazzled." The blue winged one muttered. "Hey, egghead, don't suffer it alone, okay. We're all right here with ya."
"Yeah, we're stickin' to ya like caramel to a candy apple, Twiligh'." The first figure tipped her hat.
"I-if t-that's a-alright w-with you, I-I mean..." The butter yellow one murmured, coming around.
"We're here for you, darling, always." The purple-maned one smiled generously.
"We'd be, like, the most eeeeeee~vil kind and supportive friends, like, ever. And we're not missin' this party out for the galaxy! It's gonna be the. Best. Mission. Ever!" The pink one giggled.
"Just leave some for us, okay?" The Minty one grinned, "Don't wanna bring any of this flank-bucking home."
"Well, it's not like we have a choice. I'm always right behind you....like a few hundred hooves behind you." The moody one muttered.
"....girls..." The lone meditating figure finally looked up, slowly. She gasped as she felt a gentle hoof on her back.
"It sounds cliche and dated, but we are always here for thee, Twilight." The last regal figure said, softly, "And....when you're done..." She looked up at the majestic planet looming in the distance, "....we'll be here, waiting for thee. All of us."
"...g-girls...I..." Twilight finally dared looked around.
And she was alone. Again.
The dark, hollow metallic shell of the cruiser's bridge seemed indifferent to her yearning, almost desperate look, as if mocking her with its empty silence. Not even echoes, not even a glimmer of their presence remained. "Please....girls....I...." She whispered, reaching a hoof out into the darkness, before her voice faltered, "I'm....I'm so...so lonely...I can't....I can't do this anymore...." She chocked, "...G-give me....give me strength..." She rasped, pleadingly. "Please....stay with me....just this once..."
She choked back yet another sniffle. Her horn gave a little lilac glow. A little sheet of fragile paper flew out of her robes. They were a rare and precious commodity this side of the galaxy, more a luxury than a practical need. Most prudent people made use of holopads. But this was special. This deserved something more than the artificial blurry glow of holographic technology.
10 smiling faces looked back up at her from the other side of the little sheet of paper. She placed a hoof gently on it, caressing it, as if willing herself to slip past the thin surface and return to the happier times immortalized within. She felt something catch at the back of her throat as she realized once again it was forever beyond her reach no matter how close their smiling faces seemed. To others it may be a picture of the 10 legendary pony Jedi Masters and the one dragon Jedi Meister, the ones whose valiant efforts had earned them the fear and respect of all known threats to the Republic, true symbols of the Knights of the Republic. Their constant vigil alone promised the Republic peace from all that might harm her.
But to her, they were her dearest, most special someponies. They were her friends, her family, her very anchors to the light side of the force.
"I...I miss you all...." She whispered.
There was the ever wise and serene Luna, always like a second mother to everypony, though not one to be left alone with technology of any sort. There was the passionate and generous Rarity, lovable and quick to fluster when teased, but may the Force be with any foal who dared dirty her robes. There was the courageous and loyal Rainbow Dash, a good rival and an even dearer friend in good times and the bad, but not one you should ever challenge to a pod race. Spike, dearest of brothers and closest of confidants, and most noble of dragons to ever pick up the saber in defense of balance in the force, just never tell him what light saber refractors are made of. Pinkie Pie with her infectious laughter and indomitable spirit that would light up even the blackest night, also first living creature to ever throw a Sith Lord a welcoming party. Bon Bon, blunt yet earnest Bon Bon, the most reluctant of warriors but the most purposeful too. Applejack, strong in body, stronger still in mind and heart, whose honesty shone like a beacon in the darkest days of the Republic, just don't ask her to dance. Lyra Heartstrings, the most adorable of them all, whose unbreakable spirit was an inspiration and guide to all on the cusp of the dark side, just don't add sugar. And there was Fluttershy, sweet and caring Fluttershy, whose compassion was enough to blanket the entire galaxy twice over.
And there was her, the once revered Jedi Master, just a young padawan then, naive, bookish, uptight and dedicated to her training. Never did she imagine anything would be more important to her than her studies in the way of the force.
That realization came all too late.
And perhaps that was what had led her here. In friendship she had found love. From love came fear. And every padawan had the words ingrained deep into their very souls 'Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate....leads to the Dark Side.'
"Ha." She scoffed, drying away her tears. It was a small price to pay. If it brought her even a hoof closer to getting her revenge for the one thing she had ever begun to care for in the whole universe, for the treasure that she had been bereft of so untimely and unjustly, then so be it. She would embrace any and all darkness.
There was one last smile in the picture. Her most faithful teacher and master, Celestia. She was somewhere down there on that planet, still fighting on the light side, struggling for justice the right way. Bless her soul for staying so strong. Not like her, not like Darth Twilight, first true pony Sith Lord.
She turned the picture over and regarded the back. On it was a list, a very short one, perhaps the shortest list she ever wrote. Recover sabers of friends - check. Find killer - check. Kill killer - check. Exonerate Friends - Failed. Find mastermind - check. Kill mastermind...working on it.
"...Blueblood..." She muttered under her breath. Such a simple plan. The conniving weasel had stolen the schematics for the hyperspace cannon from her, a weapon capable of annihilating entire star systems. All it needed was a dense enough gravity well from a celestial body that allowed its construction, anything but a star or a black hole. Such celestial bodies were rare, but their homeworld, Equus, was one such anomaly, being a planet with a gravity well strong enough to hold its own sun in orbit.
But there was no need for the weapon, not as long as the 10 pony jedi masters who commanded the awe and fear of all were enough of a deterrent to prevent a Mandalorian rebellion. He had to create a need for the weapon. He did not stop at stabbing the Jedi Masters in their backs. Oh no, he had to make them enemies of the Republic, sith lords, not just remove their protection but make them threats, threats that would ally themselves with the Mandalorians. Anything to spur the cowards in the senate to finally endorse Blueblood Shipyards and their plan to turn their homeworld into their hyperspace cannon, their new safety blanket.
Worse of all, she had uncovered everything and she still didn't have a shred of proof to exonerate her friends of the accusations. The galaxy, it seemed, was content to give its fears and paranoia a tangible form to hate and despise. 9 dark pony jedis was as good a focus for their hate as any.
That left only one thing to do. "I'm....sorry girls..." She whispered, as she let the darkness back in once more.
"Rrraaaaaaaaaaaaa....." She felt another spiral of dark rage and hatred consume her, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" She bellowed. Entire panels and consoles ripped themselves off the walls as a force storm of epic proportions rocked the entire ship. "BLUEBLOOD." She roared, her face twisted into an expression of obscene rage, the exploding sparks and flaming consoles lighting up her burning violet eyes, "I. WILL. END. YOU."
There is a disturbance in the Force. And it is coming.
To be Continued...
Author's Note
Hi all. Just another short story, more of a rather long one-shot broken down into a few parts because the rest of this is dragging on a bit and will need considerable polishing. The rest will probably be done soon-ish, probably even this weekend. Hope you all enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Y'know, next time I write a Star Wars MLP story (Vader Forbid!), it'll most definitely be a comedy. I just realized how this idea could similarly be written as a comedy with the 8 pony Jedi Masters as try-hard Sith Lord wannabes.
As mentioned, this was (at least partially) inspired by the cover art by the amazing NCMares, used with his permission. Go check out his story Night Mares, a great read complete with epic illustrations (available on his DA).
And because I'm me, I would never pass up a chance for shameless self-promotion. If you're out for some comedy this weekend, please do check out my random comedy adventure titled 1000 Virgin Mares, 1 Frickin' Badass Dark Overdude, Infinite Facehoofing. If you feel like reading some badass Trixie with a side of feels, try out Mare-Do-Well Forever. And if you feel like a long-ish heart-warmer with a side of d'awww, check out My Little Queen
I don't own Star Wars. Neither does George Lucas, apparently. It now belongs to Disney.
The Star Wars Theme is the intellectual property of John Williams. I have no idea who it belongs to now actually.
My Little Pony and all its awesome characters are property of the great and powerful Faust and Hasbro.
Part 1 - Not Just a Disturbance in the Force
Jedi Master Celestia sighed deeply as she regarded the sunset. Sunset on Coruscant was always a dramatic affair, with all 4 of the planet's natural moons immediately vying for control of the sky in the final glows of Coruscant Prime's brilliant red radiance. And there was of course the innumerable artificial satellites littering the sky like misbegotten stars. She could never get used to it, to see a sun that wasn't her own, one indifferent to her presence, impassive to her will.
She looked about the great Temple of Justice behind her, the seat of the galaxy's highest institution of law and order. Ironic, she was thankful she was at least a big enough criminal to earn herself a public execution up here on the Temple's high plaza overlooking the city. At least she got to see the sky here, even if it was quite possibly her last. She could have been tried in any one of the planet's 5000 subteranean levels. Then again, she knew her opponent, Blueblood, had a penchant for the dramatic. Even the timing for the execution to occur at sunset spoke volumes of the pathetic ponce's love for theatricals.
"Keep walking, please." Her two executioners, robed Republican guards in ceremonial armour, bearing saber pikes, didn't shove or ponyhandle her. If anything, they had been very, very polite, even respectful. Nopony ever says 'please' to a prisoner....except maybe her. Then again, she was Jedi Master Celestia, or perhaps 'dark Jedi' now, former hero of the Republic, the last being standing between them and all out war with the Mandalorians. And now they were about to pull down their last defense, to the cheers and applause of a world gone mad.
And the crowd was indeed cheering. She could hear the roar of approval from across the entire city as the proceedings were televised on public holotape for all across the galaxy to see.
'Force be with them when I'm gone.' She thought to herself as she stepped onwards towards her execution block at the end of the plaza.
There, waiting for her, was a sleek metallic stockade and, lo' and behold, the chancellor of the senate himself and Jedi Grandmaster Blazewing, first Equis draconic Jedi and now grandmaster of the circle. There was, of course, the smear on the whole affair, Blueblood, chairman of Blueblood Shipyards, smirking in triumph, but that went without saying.
"We're behind schedule, Chancellor. Do hurry it up." Blueblood snapped, tapping a hoof impatiently at the human chancellor. "Come on, boys, chop chop." He barked at the two republican guards.
"So...it's true then, chancellor." Celestia said, throwing all remaining caution to the solar winds. None of it mattered anymore. "The interstellar corporations do hold the reigns upon the Republic."
"I look out only for the interests of the Republic. Which, I remind you, you and your pony Jedi Masters have failed. Miserably." The chancellor said, calmly, not even showing the faintest glimmer of provocation, "Their indiscretion, and now yours, have left our people lost, uncertain and afraid. They need a new protector, the hyperspace cannon. Be glad that your world and your people may still make up for your failing the Republic."
"You will replace 10 living breathing guardians of peace and order with an indiscriminate weapon of mass destruction that is just as likely to point at the heart of the Republic as it is to point at her enemies." Celestia summed up. "Where, pray tell, is the sanity in this?"
"We are not here to televize her prattle to the masses. We are here for an execution of a Dark Jedi." Blueblood snapped. "Get on with it."
"You stand accused of misappropriating the force, using it to influence the mind and actions of a high ranking Republican official, namely me, the chancellor of the senate. Can you confirm this one last time, Grandmaster Blazewing." The chancellor said, looking over at the Jedi Grandmaster.
"I'm....sorry, old friend." The majestic red dragon sighed, "Yes, I can. Jedi Master Celestia used the Force upon your mind. However, I can vouch that it was not to influence your mind and actions."
"That does not matter!" Blueblood spat, "She used the force on the chancellor! That is treason, punishable by..." He licked his lips with relish, "...death."
"Your mind has not been your own even before, chancellor." Celestia warned in a grave tone, "Somepony else has long been manipulating your mind. I was simply trying to eke out the culprit."
The chancellor murmured something, but suddenly clutched his bald head in pain. "T-this...is treason, nonetheless, a-a capital o-offense....but in deference to your service to the Republic, dark Jedi Celestia, you will at least be allowed to die a Jedi." The chancellor breathed.
"Well done, Chancellor." Another figure stepped up to the execution block, flaming red locks burning in the Coruscant sunset, dark red jedi robes billowing in the artificial wind. It was a young human girl, her proud smirk reflecting the flaming sunset. "It is always good to see justice served so steadfastly."
"Sunset Shimmer...." Celestia muttered, darkly, as the former Alicorn grandmaster was guided to her knees, her neck placed in the stockade and carefully locked in place.
"Hello again, faithful teacher of mine." The new arrival smirked. "Or ex-teacher, is it?"
"It's you....you're the one mind-controlling the chancellor." Celestia's eyes narrowed.
"Young Jedi, is this true?" Grandmaster Blazewing growled.
"I have no idea what this criminal is saying." Sunset Shimmer shrugged.
"Proceed with the execution before she can mind trick us all." Blueblood snapped.
"I-Indeed....let us....carry on." The Chancellor panted, waving at the guards. "Move on with the execution. Jedi Master Celestia, today I as chancellor, and the Jedi Grandmaster as well as respected representative of our people, do witness your just and rightful execution for your crimes against the Republic. M-may...may the Force be with you..."
"...and with you." Celestia sighed.
"Where's your favourite most faithful student now....?" Sunset Shimmer whispered.
"...." Celestia sighed. If there is one bigger regret than letting her homeworld down, her entire Republic down, it was this; her young and loyal student, fallen victim to her inaction. If only she had acted earlier, if only she had stepped in rather than leave it all to the whims of the Force....
"Oh, finally, regret. So you are capable of emotion, oh teacher of mine." Sunset Shimmer gasped in mock-shock. "Well, too late. If only you had shown me something, anything, your student probably wouldn't be..."
"A sith lord." Blueblood chimed in for her. "A dark, despicable spawn of the dark side." He spat. "Just. Like. You."
A few tears fell. Celestia was surprised to realize they were hers. That she had lost her last student, her last close friend, to the dark side, that her foes managed to make her weep in the end, her defeat was truly and utterly complete. It simply could not be much worse.
Now for the first time, she truly and completely welcomed death.
"Sir, The 'Vigil' is incoming with the package." A human soldier, accompanied by a wookie, no doubt mercenaries from their rather mismatched spacer armours, ran up to address Blueblood.
"Oh, the day is just getting better and better. Hold the execution, please. I didn't think they'd make it for this, but they did." Blueblood gloated. "Celestia, you'll be pleased to know we have a very special guest for your execution."
And by Tartarus, it just got worse. Much much worse. "....no..." Celestia's eyes widened. She could feel it, a tear in the Force so deep and wide it could no longer be called a 'disturbance'. No, it was more a veritable storm of apocalyptic proportions that threatened to engulf them all in its presence as it approached. "I-it c-can't be..."
Even Sunset Shimmer and Grandmaster Blazewing couldn't help but wince and look up at the sky. Every force-sensitive on the planet could feel the fierce pressure of her arrival. For everypony else, it was a chill in their spines, goosebumps on their skin, a dark foreboding feeling in the backs of their minds.
"Your faithful student, Darth Twilight." Blueblood announced as the prison cruiser grew from a dot in the distance to a more familiar shape.
"Y-you....you're bringing her here?!" Sunset Shimmer suddenly cried, her face contorting into a look of absolute fear, "You fool! Shoot that ship down! Blast it out of the sky before she makes planetfall!"
"Too late. She's already inside this planet's atmosphere." Grandmaster Blazewing said, calmly. "We are all....what is the pony expression? Bucked. Yes, we are all bucked."
"She arrives in chains in the hooves of an entire platoon of our best and brightest." Blueblood chided those present, "I have everything under contr-..." He looked up and noticed that the prison cruiser had begun to list and swerve from side to side drunkenly, as if it was being toyed with by an invisible hand of planetary proportions. "Oh ponyfeathers..." His eyes widened as the ship bore lower and lower without reducing a single iota of speed, aiming straight for the temple of justice. "Shoot it! SHOOT IT DOWN!" He roared.
The three force-sensitives in the plaza could feel it. It was a presence in the Force so powerful, so dreadful, it was like standing at the jaws of the galaxy itself, one ready to swallow them whole in its indifference for all things living. And it was aiming straight for them.
The crowds screamed and ran for their lives as they realized the show was now out of the control of the ringmasters. Ion cannon blasts flew up into the air, lighting the sky with their brilliant blue arcs. Anti-air plasma blasters rained death upon the ship. They all struck true. The ship's exterior plating erupted in fire and flames as it teetered towards the ground. Then, with a resounding crash that shook the planet to its core, the flaming husk of the Vigil slammed into the main boulevard leading up to the Temple of Justice.
It carved a mighty trough through the boulevard, trailing flames and debris. It carried on ploughing towards the Temple of Justice without any signs of slowing down. Heavy artillery fire continued to rain down on it, as if enough firepower might have some hope of slowing it down. Then, with the finality of the gates of hell itself swinging open, the ship finally groaned to a halt.
"W-we got her!" Blueblood pumped a hoof in triumph. "W-we got her! Celestia, behold, your beloved pupil trampled into the ground like the..."
"No." Celestia muttered. It was not a 'no' of despair. Rather, it was a 'no' of absolute blood-curdling fear. Blueblood's face fell as he noticed the stricken looks upon Sunset Shimmer's and Blazewing's faces. The Force-sensitives could still feel the dark presence. If anything, it was stronger than ever.
"Do you even know who it is you dare to underestimate, you pathetic ponce." Sunset Shimmer suddenly snapped, silencing the stuttering Blueblood, "It's only one of the most powerful pony Jedi Masters to ever live, turned. Frickin'. Sith. Lord." She spat out the words in Blueblood's face.
"Indeed. Your only hope was to shoot her out of orbit. You've allowed her to make planetfall. You've already lost Coruscant." Blazewing said, simply.
"B-but...y-you're all Jedi. Surely you can d-do something!" Blueblood squeaked.
"Difficult to say." Grandmaster Blazewing said, cradling his chin in his claws, "To begin with the basic pony jedi form already throws us humanoid jedis off. Their default saber-hand is their mouth, which only begins to spell how unorthodox their style is. Their saber of choice is the double-saber, making them even more unpredictable to the rest of us Jedi. And that's just the regular pony Jedi. Here we have the very pinnacle of pony Jedi mastery, not to mention a Sith Lord, Darth Twilight..."
Republican troops, mercenary footmen and battle droids alike slowly, cautiously approached the downed prison cruiser. A few firecrews were already on their way in, intent on dousing the flames before it could do anymore damage. But all attention, at least that of those who fervently wished to remain alive at the end of the hour, were upon spotting the prisoner. That is, before she spots them.
"There she is!" One excitable recruit shouted, as the bridge's wide viewport was blasted into the air by all the force of a rancor.
A dark figure stepped out into the setting Coruscant sun, flaming wreckage extinguishing with her hooffalls, her dark cloak billowing and trailing a blazing flame. The cloak burned brilliantly in the artificial wind before finally flickering into feeble ashes, leaving the figure beneath uncovered but mysteriously unharmed.
Chills ran through the gathered ranks of soldiers. Suddenly their numbers meant nothing. They were all spacers before they were soldiers. They knew how treacherous space can be. Before them stood the very mercilessness of the void itself given form.
Before they dared draw another breath the figure had leapt high up into the air, a sharp hiss filling the sky as a pair of brilliant sabers flew out on either side of its snout, crackling the colour of dying suns and dying soldiers.
The air lit up with a storm of blaster fire as everyone tried to shoot down the figure while it was most vulnerable, high up in the air without means to manoeuvre. Or so they thought. They thought wrong.
The figure spun in the air, pirouetting gracefully, cloak whipping in the updraft, as lightsaber met concentrated beams. Without any ceremony each and every blaster fire aimed up at her were returned straight back to their senders, returning each and every one of them in turn to their makers instantaneously.
She landed amongst a field of collapsing smoking bodies. Those who were lucky enough to miss her by a wide enough margin and thus remain alive were trying to make up their minds on whether or not they wanted to test their accuracy again. They weren't given a chance. The figure spun her double-ended lightsaber in her snout and charged forwards at full gallop like the very stallion of death. The last thing they saw, if they hadn't turned tail to flee, were a pair of eyes as dark and menacing as black holes of hatred so dense and thick it had collapsed in on itself, allowing not even a shred of hope to escape.
Author's Note
Almost there with the last part. Thought I'd upload this bit before I go to bed. I'll see about wrapping everything up tomorrow.
Oh, and I'll reply to the comments when I wrap everything up as well. Many thanks for all the comments and interest so far. I really appreciate it.
