Star Wars: Rise of the Sith

Rise of the Sith
Chapter I: New Dawn

"My princess, their forces are still hidden from us. Our hunters cannot find a trace of them."

This both angered Celestia and surprised her at the same time. These new enemies of hers, whom she trusted dearly, betrayed her. Her pride and her power rose when she learned of this, and the punishment they would feel when she found them would be insurmountable.

The pony that spoke to her was Captain Swiftfeather, Captain of the Pegasus Royal Guard, 3rd Regiment. She had not yet assigned commanders, as she would wait until the fighting would start when she would appoint them, Swiftfeather would be a close pick for Celestia. Swiftfeather was a cobalt colored pegasus with bright white mane and tail, accenting the bright gold armor very well. Swiftfeather was originally a transfer from Luna's royal guard, a black sheep amongst them. Celestia saw wasted potential in him and took him over to her Royal guard. And for years he served faithfully, the least could be said for Darth Koselig and Darth Mortis.

There was uncertainty in him as well, as she stood there dressed in her armor and her lightsabers weighing down on her belt. Fastened tight and swaying with her every movement, ready to be taken and ignited. She suppressed her magical powers for now, imbuing the sun with it, allowing it to raise and lower on its own, while she welled with the power of the light side. Of which, tarried close to the line of the Dark Side. Something that she always reminds herself.

They were upon the Golden Fields, a grass land to the west of Canterlot, heading towards the country of Saddle Arabia. She stood tall upon the grassy knoll overlooking the army she had brought. A force not any larger than perhaps 3,000. A significant amount to show that she was assembling an army, but nothing large enough to issue out large orders or to engage in any real combat. That and the forces of the New Dawn was likely not much. Though Celestia did not underestimate them, the less numbers the more unpredictable they can be.

The wind billowed lightly over the plains, her gaze confident on the horizon, knowing full well that they were out there, mocking her. They were just on the edge of her vision, she just knew it.

Celestia commanded, "Keep searching, I do not want any parties to cease until we have any information on where they are at."

"Yes ma'am."

"And I want routine night shifts, evenly distributed throughout the encampment. Anything so much as moves out of place and it will be terminated efficiently."

Swiftfeather nodded, bowing respectfully and turned to leave, just as he left she saw Master Adamas. Dressed in her knightly garb, reminding Solinara the days when she was training her. And the day she had to suppress those memories and wait until the final piece would fall into place and engulf Equestria into war once more. She saw it, and did everything she could to stop it.

There was a small amount of anger in Adamas' eyes as she entered Solinara's field of view, Adamas bowed respectfully, "Master Solinara."

Solinara repeated the gesture, "Master Adamas."

Adamas stood next to Solinara, confidence beamed over Adamas as she asked, "So, I suppose you have not picked up anything on them either?"

Solinara did not flinch, squinting her eyes at the horizon, "No, if Darth Koselig and Darth Mortis are anything they are masters of intrigue and disguise. I did not know until recently who they were."

Solinara whispered her last words, making sure only her and the wind could catch her voice, "A thousand years under my nose."

"I as well. You were not the only one affected by that change."

Solinara squinted at Adamas, tightening her gaze on the lowly Jedi Master, "Yet you seem...unaffected by Twilight's?"

"Are you suggesting that I am a traitor and traded words with her?"

Solinara found no crack in the mare's face, this both impressed and troubled her at the same time. Her pride fell slightly as she answered, "No, just curious is all. Don't know who to trust these days."

Adamas sighed, "I know...but we can trust in the Force."

Solinara breathed deep the plains air, "That we can Master Admas...that we can."

She eased her shoulders and asked, turning to the Jedi Master, "There is a reason you have come to me?"

Adamas regained her composure as well, sharing that moment with another pony refreshed both of them, "Yes, supplies are running low for the soldiers and all the best trackers have been sent out to find the New Dawn. I was wondering if I could be given the task to hunt for food and water?"

Solinara nodded, "Yes you may, though you are a fellow Jedi Master and do not need to take orders from me."

Adamas shrugged as she turned to leave, "I know, we are the only Jedi left and I wanted to let you know where I was going in case the worst should happen."

Solinara could respect that answer, she felt relieved as well. It told herself that she was not alone. This brought a smile to the Jedi Master's lips and she said, "By all means go, may the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you."

Adamas marched off, once more, confidence in her stride. Solinara detected something had happened to her to garner more prideful steps, and she assumed that it was not of romantic involvement, despite Rarity's influence on Adamas. No, it was soemthing else. It reeked of undertow and treason but Solinara did not want to make anything out of a feeling, a gut feeling no doubt. She needed hard facts if she is to deal with Adamas.

Solinara shook her head, groaning as she pressed a hoof to her horn. Already Solinara thought of more enemies, Celestia came crashing in her head, "Why do you harbor so much mistrust that the slightest movement irritates you?"

Solinara barked back in her head, "I was betrayed by three ponies that I trusted, one of which I treated as my own child, why do you think?"

Celestia remained silent, seeing no further argument, she loved her magical alter ego but she hated her at times. Needlessly trusting of anything that talks and breathes. It was something that Solinara came to terms with when she accepted this split personality, something that came with a great amount of time. And many mental battles, which is where Celestia was best. They were a perfect match for one another, each giving one another advice.

While she thought of this, her sister came to mind. The struggles she faced with the split, Lunara was ill prepared and not powerful enough to handle this. Add the dead essence of a Sith Lord and out comes a force of powerful darkness, Nightmare Moon. Solinara pitied her sister, that she had to go through such hardships as that. Solinara subconsciously rubbed her shoulder, feeling the very briefly flaring of wounds. Wounds that never fully healed, wounds that not even time itself could fully heal. Her gaze lowered as she thought of this, Celestia wrapped her brain warmly and tightly, helping her in forgetting those memories. Tucking them deep and away, knowing full well that Nightmare Moon was no longer a threat to anypony.

Solinara breathed, "Oh Lunara, may the Force be with you. Dear sister."

"I need you to focus, Adamas. You are powerful in the Force, I know you can do this..."

Adamas winced, a pain rising in her head. These memories that have trickled in from the time she had come back to herself was beginning to impart physical reactions from her body. These side effects have been impeding on her ability to think and ponder her situation. She shook her head, expelling the pain for but a singular moment. As quickly as it had come, the pain was gone. She survived the ritual true, but for what? And at what cost?

The Jedi master looked to the horizon, seemingly asking the sun for answers, but quickly found none. It was strange, looking upon a celestial body and not through the eyes of a pony that saw the mare behind it. A near goddess, and yet now she looked on it with disdain and unfamiliarity. Squinting in its dying light, she huffed and continued on her tracks to trap food for the soldiers.

Adamas breathed out. She did not hate her former master for what she did, if only she had known what she had meant that day. These memories she had slowly been receiving had no sway on her now, they were memories and that was it. There was emotion behind them, but they were a mere spectre of what they had formerly meant. Perhaps that was her cold mindset coming back to haunt her. It was true that she kept herself separate from her emotions, at least during combat, but she could not shelter herself perfectly from her emotions. Nor could Celestia, and Adamas knew that for a fact.

The wind gently rustled against the tall grass, the blades lightly caressing the fabric of her robes. She found a deep animalistic satisfaction with grasslands, she could start galloping or hours and hours upon its billowing softness. She felt peace, she felt serenity. It was heaven, this feeling. She could see the appeal now of what the Dark Side entailed, there was bliss in allowing the love of all things embrace you, make you stronger.

Passion is what motivates the masses, it drives all ponies to do wondrous things. Her time spent away from being a Jedi had taught her that. Which is why t conflicted her now on whom she trusted, her former master or her most trusted friend. Though she swore allegiance with Vesper, she could not lend her full loyalty to her. It somehow felt wrong, but it also felt right. Again, she had seen the warmongering tyrant Solinara can be. And the power.

But it corrupts, truly Vesper must know this. Adamas had never known Vesper...no...Twilight to be a fool. Never to rush foolhardy in, no, she was deliberate. She was calculated. Even in this new state, she was not like Adamas or Solinara, or Koselig, or Mortis. No, she was still herself, only changed.

Adamas felt woozy for a moment, she stopped and calmed her senses, "Oh...this is so conflicting."

But she had a task, track food for the soldiers. Soldiers had already been sent out, despite their lack of experience in tracking. This of course was not a statement of the military teachings that was given to them, but they were just simply not taught in standard hunting and tracking. Why did they have too? They lived in a perpetual state of peace for over a thousand years of peace with very little conflict. A border dispute here and there but nothing too over the top. They might find a handful of delectable substances but other than that, nothing more.

Adamas calmed her senses, asking the Force for guidance for food. She felt the very pulse of the earth, the breathings of the dirt around her. It was glorious, but she did find what she was looking for. She smirked as she found an abundance of vegetables and clover. Alfalfa as well, it grew in splendor.

She stopped though, something was wrong. Not with the food she had found, something else entirely. She felt a disturbance in the Force.

It was raw, unbridled in is chaotic purity. Not like the calm darkness that was Vesper, the gentle blanket she could only describe as enticing to say none the least. But this, this was a power outlet for the Dark Side. Sith beasts were not uncommon, but this was almost sinister in its display.

She could see the form now, a lithe wolf, gently stalking in the brush near her. Quiet and calm, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. She knew there were more nearby, and she did not even need to sense them to know that.

Adamas calmly unclasped her lightsaber, breathing deeply, drinking in the peaceful air while it lasted. Bathing in the glorious moments of peace and serenity.

All before chaos erupted on the plains.

As though she was riding lightning itself, Adamas charged forth in a burst of Force that made a thudnerous crack across the air. She burst, and in a downward slash she aimed down at the wolf.

It missed, the sith beast dodging just in the nick of time. Pouncing for a counter attack, it snarled as it leapt through the air towards her. She punched her hoof in the air and released a salvo of pure Force energy. The wolf was violently sent through the air, landing on the ground with a notable thud.

It shrugged off the force that collided with it and growled at the Jedi master. Dark side energy now crackling off of the beasts.

They were closing in, the other beasts. Just out of the corner of her senses. This was a trap.

She unleashed a series of quick thrusts and slashes with the grace of the wind. Remembering the comfort of the very lightweight curved lightsaber. The flurry of blows collided briefly only to have the dark side energy absorb most of the blow. It was acting as a protective shell around the wolf. This irritated and impressed Adamas at the same time.

After the series of maneuvers the wolf almost gave Adamas a smile as it unleashed a howl that caused a choir of them to answer.

They closed in and a swiftness Adamas could almost not keep up with. She deflected and dodged the first few pounces and attacks. A few of them landed solid strikes however, one across her hoof and another piercing the flesh on her thigh. She groaned at the pain, but kept calm as she knew that even sith beasts knew how to feed off of the emotions of its prey.

With the elegance of a dancer she deflected another wave of unbridled animalistic fury. One after the other, she kept in time and pace with them. Dancing around them as if they were all apart of a ballet they have been rehearsing for. The lessons of defense over attack as beaten into her by Solinara, as she found particular enjoyment in buying time.

The alpha of the pack chomped down on her lightsaber, untouched by the dangerous plasma blade. She looked in its eyes, she could see sadistic intent behind them. They spoke to her on an animal level, she was their prey. She did not stand still for long, she let the alpha throw away her lightsaber, seemingly her only way of defense.

One of the wolves tackled her to the ground, clamping and tearing at her overcoat. Seeing this happen, she thrust her hoof in a weak point, near its kidney. She heard a wince and the wolf slumped on top of her, she tossed it away and ripped off the overcoat.

The silk tunic underneath was scratched and the bruises and wounds of the fight prevalent all around her. She readied her hooves, her mind quickly shifting tactics. It was down to the alpha that was bleeding dark side energy and three more hunters. Two kept to her right, another on her left, and the alpha approaching from the front.

She waited calmly, they moved in.

Attacking first, was the one on the left. Charging and wishing to daze her, she bashed her hoof against the side of its head and unleashed a quick blinding flurry of punches. Each one was well placed and she watched as the wolf crumpled in a bloody heap next to her.

The two on the right were next, each moved in sequence with one another. Separating for a mere moment and meeting together at their target. Wishing to confuse her initially, and succeed where their comrade had failed. However, they would meet the same failure as their fallen comrade. Spinning around and connecting her hind hoof against the jaw of one of them, a horrible crunch erupted the air as it made contact. Quickly ducking out of the way of the second wolf, repeating the same attack she lifted up her leg and bashed its jaw with all the power of her hoof. The wolf flying off of its balance, a horrifying sound of crushing bone exploding the air around her, the thunderous crack of its vertebrae becoming prominent.

Under normal circumstances she would not be so forceful to a pack of wolves, but these wolves are not killing for food. They were killing with purpose.

She looked at the alpha, at least where he would have been. It would seem that the true colors of the leader are revealed in the final moments, perhaps to inform its dark masters what it witnessed.

Adamas spat, a collection of phlegm and blood came out to taint the ground more with blood. She looked to one of her kills and inspected it closely, turning it over to see it without the haze of battle obstructing her view. They were fast, not allowing her to get a good look at them.

Their coat was coarse and rough, as it should for a wolf of its size. Patches of flesh were rotted away revealing the flesh and muscle beneath, a vague look at the pure energy of the dark side underneath. It solidified, and as she touched the gossamer layer of dark side energy it dissolved.

Normal sith beasts enhanced by its power do not receive such protection. Adamas voiced her thoughts, "These hunters were not designed to fight normal ponies."

She pried its jaw open with little resistance, seeing the rows of teeth underneath. As she opened it a thin dark layer of energy evaporated. Normal teeth, unlike the teeth that tossed aside her lightsaber.

She grunted, "Humpf...Darth Koselig definitely knows how to breed them."

She looked up, in no particular direction and threatened, "Your beasts cannot protect you forever, Koselig."

She lifted her hoof and her lightsaber hilt flicked into her grasp and she clipped it to her belt. She left her overcoat and recollected herself, minimal damage. Nothing that would not heal with time.

"This encounter will be reported to Solinara. She has to know to keep an extra eye out, " Adamas said with chagrin. The last thing she needed was to give Solinara another reason to look over her shoulder. And Adamas had a sneaking suspicion that this will not be the only attack like this, there will be more traps lying in wait for them.

No not a trap. This was not a trap, this was a warning. A warning that the New Dawn was near, and they are waiting.