Chapters Canterlot, Equestria
06/13/2025
1422 hours
Twilight could only watch as her friends and mentor left the room, slamming the doors behind themselves. Never before had she felt so broken, so alone. As tears formed in her eyes, she slumped to the floor and laid down on the steps. After a short moment, she felt a hoof rest on her shoulder, bringing her out of her daze. She looked up to see who she thought was Cadance staring down at her with an almost sad look on her face.
"I'm sorry," Twilight said.
"You should be sorry," Cadance scolded, "Though, fear not, for you shall not have to worry about how your pathetic friends, brother, or even that sorry excuse for a princess feel about you for much longer".
Before Twilight could utter a word in response, green flames formed a circle around her. The unicorn could only look on in horror as the circle completed itself and a wall of green fire shot up around her. After a few, brief seconds, Twilight blacked out. When the wall of green finally dropped, Twilight was nowhere to be seen.
"Now, there'll be nopony who can stand even a sliver of a chance of stopping me in time," Cadance said just breaking out into a bout of sinister laughter.
Imperial base outskirts, Kashyyyk
06/13/2025
1439 hours
The world was black. Twilight was caught in a void that she couldn't seem to find her way out of. No amount of running or magic helped, much to her chagrin. She cried out, but there was no answer.
BANG
A nearby explosion caused Twilight to bolt upright. Her brain hadn't been given enough to catch up, so she was stuck in a daze. Beams of light flew past her, not catching her attention until one grazed her left foreleg. The heat from the near miss caused the unicorn to cry out in pain. At least her brain was awake and caught up now. She forced herself to focus on finding out what had just caused her such pain. What she saw was a small group of white creatures heading right for her. After her first step towards the opposite direction, pain shot up from her injury, causing her to stop and cry out once again. A glance over her shoulder told her the creatures were closing in... fast. Another step, more pain. Much as she tried to ignore it, the pain was just too much at the moment, and she soon tripped over herself and fell to the ground. Next thing she knew, she was surrounded by the creatures.
"What do you think it is, sir?" One of the creatures asked.
"No idea, but the commander will want to see it," Another creature said.
At that point, all Twilight could focus on was survival. She threw up a shield around herself and cast it outwards, knocking all the creatures to the ground. No longer had she managed to lift herself up with only three usable legs had it taken the creatures to get back up. Twilight was stuck. Without knowledge of her surroundings, teleportation was out of the question. She couldn't run, she couldn't fly... she was done for, or so she thought. Two of the creatures were stuck from behind, and dropped to the ground before anyone knew what was happening. By the time the rest of the strange creatures turned toward the threat, three more were dropped. This was just the distraction Twilight needed to get away. As the sounds of fighting roared in the background, Twilight hobbled away towards a nearby hole in the ground.
"Ok, so Cadance sent me to this strange place, strange creatures I've never seen or heard of before are trying to kill me, and my leg doesn't want to cooperate," Twilight said to herself, "Why me?"
Before long, the distant sounds of battle were gone, replaced with the sounds of nature around Twilight little hidey hole. Twilight paid no attention to the rustling of leaves just outside her hiding place until whatever was moving spoke up.
"I took care of those imperials, you're safe now," The voice said.
Terrified, Twilight moved as far backwards as possible and started to hold her breath.
"I know you're probably still scared, but I won't hurt you, I promise," The voice said, "If anything, I want to help you".
The voice sounded sincere enough, but Twilight wasn't about to take any risks. She did everything she could to focus on keeping her breath held in. When at last she let her breath out, it was because she heard the sound of rustling leaves getting farther away. She felt confident enough to gasp for air now. Her lungs now filled with fresh air again, she got up and hobbled out of her little hole. Confident, but still slightly cautious, Twilight kept her horn ready in case something else came for her.
"There you are," Came a voice from behind Twilight, causing her to release a burst of air out of panic, "Hey now, that wasn't very nice".
Twilight turned to see the creature still standing firm. Scared, she lit up her horn, ready for another blast.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, don't worry," The creature said, laying down whatever it was holding on the ground, "See, I'm unarmed. I can't do anything to you".
"What are you, and what do you want?" Twilight asked harshly, keeping her horn ready.
"What do you know, you actually speak basic," The creature said, "Well, to answer your questions, I'm what's known as a human, and I want to help you".
"Help how?" Twilight asked.
"When the imperials find out you weren't able to be captured, they'll be out here in force," The person said, "Why they want you, I have no clue. Not that I care, either. All I know is that you're obviously not on their side, and so I want to help you out. The enemy of my enemy is my friend".
Twilight considered her options, and the fact that this person seemed to be sincere enough to be at least a bit trustworthy. After a couple of stressful minutes, she dimmed her horn and sat down.
"Right, so, now that we can start off on a better foot, let's start with some real introductions," The person said, "My name is Neo Durgen, what's yours?"
"My name is Twilight Sparkle," Twilight said.
"Nice to meet you, Twilight," Neo said, "So, if you mind me asking, what exactly are you?"
"I'm a unicorn," Twilight said, "Say, you don't happen to know where Equestria is, would you?"
"Can't say I do, sorry," Neo said, "But, maybe somebody back at base knows about it".
"These other humans, they're good, right?" Twilight asked.
"They won't hurt you, trust me," Neo said, "After I explain the situation, they'll do what they can to get you back home as soon as possible".
"Alright, I'll trust you, but only because it doesn't seem like I have much other choice," Twilight said, "But let it be known that I'm not afraid to defend myself if you turn on me".
"Noted," Neo said, picking up the object from earlier off the ground, "Now, let's get going before more stormtroopers find us".
Rebel base, Kashyyyk
06/13/2025
1641 hours
After Neo and Twilight got back to the rebel base, Twilight was whisked away to the medical bay to help with her leg. It took some convincing, but she eventually agreed to be submerged in a tank of strange liquid known as "bacta". After about an hour, she was taken out of the tank and woken up.
"So, how you feel?" One of the humans asked.
"Very rejuvenated," Twilight said, "Never knew anything other than magic could do this to an injured body".
"Yes, well, when you feel up to it, the commander wants to talk to you personally," The human said, "I don't know why, so don't bother asking".
"Alright then," Twilight said nervously, "How about some food first? I'm starving".
"Surely, what do you want?" The human asked.
"I would really like a daffodil sandwich and some hay fries if you have any," Twilight said.
It took Twilight a few seconds to realize why the people were giving her a wide assortment of weird looks.
"Right, of course you would know what those are," Twilight said, mentally scolding herself, "Well, this place is covered in vegetation from what I've noticed, so you should have something I can eat, right?"
"We might be able to fix up something for you," The human said.
With that, the human then led Twilight towards the mess hall. As soon as the door opened, Twilight's nose was assaulted with the very unmistakable smell of meat. The unicorn suddenly stopped and took a defensive stance, lighting up her horn a little.
"Hey now, take it easy," The human said.
"Take it easy?" Twilight asked, "Why? So I can become your next meal?"
"That's not it at all," The human said.
"You led me here to kill me," Twilight said accusingly, "Your commander doesn't really want to talk, does he?"
"What... yes, he does," The human said, finally grasping the situation, "We're not strict carnivores. We prefer meat, yes, but we also have vegetarian habits as well".
"Fine, I'll trust you for now," Twilight said, "But the second you come near me with a so much as butter knife, I will hurt you".
"Understood, now let's get you some food," The human said.
With the mess hall fiasco out of the way, Twilight and the human, known as Amy, made their way to the commander's quarters. As they entered, Twilight was greeted with the sight of a very intimidating individual. Easily twice Amy's size, muscular beyond belief, the commander reminded Twilight of Iron Will, the minotaur that almost turned one of her friends into a monster. Despite his tough and intimidating appearance, the commander spoke with a strangely calming tone.
"So, you're the creature that Neo found," The commander said, "My name is Gus Novar, and I want to personally welcome you to this base".
"Um, thanks," Twilight said sheepishly.
"Neo said you were lost and wanted to get home," Gus said, "Unfortunately, Equestria isn't on any known star chart, so I have no idea where to even start looking".
"Start out with the bad news?" Twilight asked, "Not what I was honestly expecting".
"Says the one who thought we were going to feed her to the commander," Amy pointed out.
"There's absolutely no correlation there," Twilight said matter of factly.
"Yes, well, sounds like you've had an interesting introduction to our species," Gus said, suppressing a chuckle, "Regardless, don't think that I have just given up before starting, because I haven't. I will do what I can to get you home, but it's going to take time".
"Understandably," Twilight said, "However, I'm sensing a catch to this".
"It's completely optional, but I'm willing to offer you a spot in the rebel alliance if you wish to take it," Gus said, "If you take it, you'll receive the best training we can offer, and you'll be given the means to defend yourself in a firefight. If you turn my offer down, you'll simply be treated as a civilian. Either way, I won't hold your choice against you. You're far away from home, and I can't, in good conscience, let that continue".
"Do I have to choose now?" Twilight asked.
"Not at all, you're free to take your time on this," Gus said, "Just understand that if you choose to join the alliance, you won't be able to go back to being a civilian until you return home, and you'll be expected to follow any military orders".
"I'll take that into consideration, thanks," Twilight said, "Now, is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"
"Oh yes, I'd very much like to get to know you," Gus said, "If you'll be staying under my command or protection, I want to know what makes you tick".
Canterlot, Equestria
06/14/2025
1241 hours
All around Canterlot, it would seem as though nopony remembered Twilight, as none of them appeared to be concerned when she failed to show up at the wedding. Her name was never spoken all throughout the ceremonious day. Now, though, was not the time for such things, as it was time for vows to be taken and fates to be tied together.
"Just look at all these fools," Cadance thought as she walked up the aisle, "No idea what's coming".
As soon as she reached the end of the aisle, Cadance turned to face Shining Armor as princess Celestia began her speech. Those eyes, filled with love meant not for her, but somepony else. He was not aware that the love he had for the mare whose face was planted on this other pony would soon be used against him and everypony else. The time drew ever nearer as the time of vows approached.
"And do you, Cadance, take this stallion to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Celestia asked.
"I do," Cadance said, feigning sincerity as best she could.
"Then, from this moment forward, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May the rest of your lives be filled with happiness everlasting," Celestia said, "Shining Armor, you may now kiss the bride".
And kiss her, he did. The sudden surge of love from that one motion gave Cadance more power than she had ever thought possible. Now was the time, she had never been so full in her life. Her eyes lit up with an eerie green glow as she backed away from the kiss to address the crowd.
"And now, it is time," Cadance said before her body became encompassed in green flames.
What now stood where Cadance once did was something terrifying. A black alicorn like creature. In place of fur was rock hard chitin. Her legs and horn looked like Swiss cheese with all the holes. The once regal, tri purple, pink, and tan colored mane and tail were replaced with a creepy, blue hued mane and tail with a couple of holes near the ends. Wings once graced with feathers were now nothing but nearly crystal clear blue membrane. And atop the creature's head was something akin to a small crown. What stood where Cadance once was, was now a creature of nightmares.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Celestia growled.
"It's quite simple, dear," The creature said, "I want Canterlot for a little while. Eventually, all of Equestria, but that will have to wait for a while".
"You will not take any scrap of Equestria while I draw breath," Celestia said as she lit up her horn.
"Challenge accepted," The creature said as it's horn also lit up.
Two beams of intense light clashed against one another, neither letting up. Before long, the solar diarch started straining to power onward, her strength weakened by years of peace. As the seconds flew by, Celestia continued to grow weaker, while the creature seemed to stay as strong as ever. Within only a few minutes, Celestia's light became overpowered, and she was struck down. All the ponies watching were stunned as their fearless leader hit the ground, exhausted, her tiara clanging on the ground, and the tip of her horn burned.
"Amazing, absolutely amazing!" The creature exclaimed as it took in the sight of victory, "Shining Armor's love for that crusty old mare is so great, it gave me enough power to defeat even princess Celestia, and still have plenty to spare for the rest of you".
"Girls, you have to get to the elements!" Celestia yelled as loudly as her aching throat would allow.
"Ah, ah, ah, you're forgetting something dear Celly," The creature said, "You need six ponies to use the elements, but I see only five. Forget about dear Twilight already, have we?"
Celestia silently scolded herself as the realization finally hit home.
"And where is Twilight, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew over.
"Oh, get out of my face you pitiful pest," The creature said as it brought a leg up to the pegasus' face, knocking her backwards with surprising force, "If you really must know, your beloved Twilight is no longer of this world. I do have to thank all of your for helping with that. Were it not for your scorn, she wouldn't have been so easy to take care of".
Every pony in the room froze in shock and disbelief at that. Twilight, their best friend, was gone.
"There'll be plenty of time to cry later," The creature said as it motioned over a couple of smaller creatures who once stood as guards for the ceremony, "Bind them and lock them in the dungeon".
The streets of Canterlot were filled with a mix of ponies and creatures. Guards fought while civilians ran for their lives. Despite their brave efforts, however, the struggles did not last very long, and the guards were eventually overpowered, disarmed, and bound in a strange gooey substance that seemed nearly impossible to break. Among all this fighting was a white unicorn stallion known as Artemis, his armor worn and cracked from the fighting. He fought alongside his two most trusted guard friends: a light brown Earth pony stallion named Thunder, and a bat pony mare named Gale Wind. Though the trio fought bravely, Artemis knew they would not last long, and did the only thing he could think of.
"Gale Wind, Thunder, we need to get out of here!" Artemis yelled, "Don't question it right now, just follow me!"
The trio of ponies fled the city in haste, not even stopping to help any other ponies in their struggles. After they were a reasonable safe distance away from Canterlot, and could be sure they weren't being followed, The trio sat down to discuss the situation further.
"What should we do now, sir?" Gale Wind asked.
"Nevermind that, I want to know why in Tartarus we just left those ponies back there to fight on their own," Thunder said, a hint of an angry growl wanting to escape.
"We wouldn't have made it out of there if we'd stayed and fought," Artemis pointed out, "I'm actually surprised we made it out of the city, period. But now's not the time, just thank Celestia for small favors. Right now, we need to think of how to push back in force".
"What do you mean?" Gale Wind asked.
"Those creatures took us completely by surprise, we had no way of defending against them," Artemis explained, "Next time, that won't be the case. We'll have an army of ponies who'll be prepared for anything those creatures throw our way next time we face them".
"And how, sir, do you plan on acquiring such an army?" Thunder asked.
"No pony in their right mind is going to just let this slide. That, and I seriously doubt we're the only ones who escaped," Artemis said, "We find them first, if possible, then spread out, ever so slightly at first, and gather more ponies to our cause. A rebel militia hasn't been required since the time of King Sombra, but that ends here and now. We'll rebuild the militia of old, and retake our home".
When no rebuttal was put forward, the agreement was settled.
"From this day forward, until Equestria is free once more, we are no longer royal guards, but Equestrian Minuteponies," Artemis said.
With that, the Minuteponies, the long forgotten Equestrian militia, was brought back to life.
Rebel base, Kashyyyk
06/14/2025
1003 hours
Twilight spent the better part of the previous evening, well into the night, reading up on everything she could possibly keep herself awake with. She was even given her own room so that she wouldn't be disturbed. Neo stopped by a couple of times to check up on her, trying to earn some trust and attempt to start a friendship. Every time he stopped in, Twilight had her face buried into yet another holobook. He didn't seem to mind, it only made sense for someone so far away from their home to wanna gain as much knowledge as possible. Also, he found it kind of cute when she had her serious focus face on.
Now, it was morning, and Twilight was passed out, half on, half off her bed, drool hanging from her mouth. Quite the unusual sight to walk in on. Neo could only shake his head and chuckle at the sight for the first minute or so before finally walking over to wake up the sleeping unicorn.
"Just five more minutes, Spike," Twilight mumbled.
Neo then tickled Twilight's nose, causing her to sneeze herself awake.
"Well, that's one way to wake up," Twilight said, rubbing her eyes.
"Well, good morning, princess," Neo said.
"How did you get in here?" Twilight asked, "And why are you upside down?"
"You didn't lock your door, and you're the one who's upside down," Neo said.
"What do you... oh," Twilight said, finding herself in a very awkward position, "Um... help?"
Neo did just that as he grabbed Twilight's back legs and pulled them forward, flipping her over.
"Now hurry up and get ready, it's breakfast time," Neo said before walking out of the room.
"So, Neo, why did you join the rebellion?" Twilight asked.
"For my family," Neo said, "A couple years back, the empire attacked my home world. They took my parents and conscripted them, but killed my baby brother and two younger sisters because of them just being too young to be effective at anything. I managed to get away, barely, and joined the rebellion a short time later".
"That's.. that's terrible," Twilight said, "I'm so sorry".
"Thanks, but don't be," Neo said.
"I had heard things here and there yesterday about the empire, but I never thought they could be THAT heartless," Twilight said softly.
"Just about everybody here is part of the rebellion because of something the empire did to their families," Neo said, "We fight, not just for freedom, but also because we don't want anybody else to have to suffer the loss that we once did".
The rest of breakfast was quiet between the two. Even after finishing her food, Twilight remained silent. He thoughts were plagued suddenly with scenarios of her own family being affected by the empire, though she knew how unlikely any of them to be. After Neo had returned from putting away the trays, Twilight had tears running down her face, though she didn't seem to be actually crying.
"Hey, you ok?" Neo asked, shaking Twilight slightly.
"Huh? Oh, yea... I'm fine," Twilight said as she wiped her eyes free of further tears, "Just... thinking of home".
"Homesick, huh?" Neo asked, wrapping his right arm around Twilight, "I guess that only makes sense. Don't worry, though, we'll get you back there".
Twilight said nothing as she shook herself free and climbed down, out of her seat.
"Tell ya what, let's go for another visit to the archives," Neo suggested.
Twilight perked up immediately at that, wanting desperately to distract herself with a good book.
Not long after arriving at the archives, Neo was called out on a mission, leaving Twilight to explore the knowledge bank however she wanted. She skipped out on the history and went right to the fiction section. Most of what she found were action filled books placed in war scenarios, something she eventually buckled on and decided to try out. Most of the really interesting stories took place during the Mandalorian wars. While most of what the pages contained were bloody and scary, Twilight found them oddly fascinating reads. One of her favorite stories was a tale of a Jedi by the name of Revan, finding a connection with the young Jedi knight due to his use of something known as the force, a set of psychic abilities akin to those used by unicorns in the royal guard.
Before long, it was time to pack up and head on out. After exiting the archive, she caught a glimpse of commander Gus talking to a pair of very important looking individuals. Out of curiosity, she walked over to say hello.
"Well, if it isn't little Twilight," Gus said, "I'd like to introduce you to two of our greatest leaders. This here is Luke Skywalker, a real hero of the rebellion. And right beside him is his sister, princess Leia Skywalker, or Leia Organa if you prefer as that was the name she first went by".
Without saying anything, Twilight just bowed after hearing that she was in the presence of a princess. The trio couldn't help but chuckle at the somewhat odd display, leaving Twilight somewhat confused.
"Not to sound rude, but what's so funny?" Twilight asked.
"Sorry, it's just... you're the first in some time to bow when meeting me," Leia said, "It's kind of unusual".
"Really?" Twilight asked, "That's... is that not considered disrespectful?"
"Not really, no," Leia said, "Though, I do appreciate the gesture".
"Is that a lightsaber?" Twilight asked after taking notice of something dangling from Luke's belt.
"What, this?" Luke said, pulling off his lightsaber, "Why yes, yes indeed it is".
"So... are you... are you a Jedi?" Twilight asked.
"The last one, unfortunately," Luke admitted.
"The last one?" Twilight asked, "But how?"
"Order sixty-six, otherwise known as the great Jedi massacre," Gus said, "Those were some dark days".
Twilight just stood there, stunned at the revelation.
"So, commander, now that I'm thinking about it, is she perhaps the one you mentioned earlier?" Leia asked.
"Yes, she is," Gus said, "As I mentioned before, her name is Twilight Sparkle, and she's a long way away from her home world. So far away that it's not on any known star charts".
"I didn't think there really was all that much beyond the outer rim," Luke said, "Now, it would seem we have a reason to explore the space beyond".
"We can worry about that at a later point," Twilight said, "I want to stay here for now and help fight".
"So, you've already decided, huh?" Gus asked.
"After hearing about what happened to Neo's family, I couldn't help but think of what would happen if the empire somehow managed to follow me back to Equestria," Twilight said, "I want to help ensure the empire is done away with first so I don't have to risk that".
"Well, what are your talents?" Luke asked, "What can you bring to the rebellion?"
"I may not be that good at real combat, but my skills in magic are similar to that of what you call the force," Twilight said, "Is that good enough for you?"
"It's a start," Luke said, ruffling Twilight's mane, "You'll have to show me this magic of yours so I can get a better grip on what you can bring to the table".
"I'd love to," Twilight said.
Rebel base, Kashyyyk
06/14/2025
1500 hours
"Alright, show me some magic," Luke coaxed.
Finally, the moment Twilight had been waiting for. She decided to start off easy with basic levitation. She knew it wouldn't be THAT impressive, given what she knew of the force, but it was a good place to start. Her horn lit up and a couple objects became enveloped in her aura before lifting off the ground. After a few seconds, she decided to add more objects, and, before long, she was levitating everything in the room that wasn't bolted down.
"Gotta say, this is kind of impressive," Luke admitted, "But forget levitation, what else can you do?"
After setting everything down safely, Twilight proceeded to project a beam of light from her horn.
"This is an aura blade, my brother taught me how to use it when I was younger," Twilight said, "Hey, pull out your lightsaber, I want to see what happens when the two come into contact".
Out of pure curiosity, Luke did just that. As his lightsaber clicked on with a loud hiss, he moved slowly towards the light emanating from Twilight's horn. The hum of the blade initially caused Twilight to step back a slight bit before remembering what she was doing. She stood perfectly still as Luke brought his blade of light into contact with Twilight's. The two touched... and Twilight received a powerful shock that threw her into the wall behind her. Luke dropped his lightsaber and rushed over to make sure she wasn't hurt too badly.
"Well, that was shocking," Twilight said with a slight laugh, "Guess lightsabers are more powerful than I thought".
"What caused it, do you think?" Luke asked.
"A lightsaber's blade is accompanied by a low hum," Twilight explained, "My guess is that the hum resonates hard enough to counter my magic... violently at that".
"I see... well, better hope you don't have to face a Sith warrior anytime soon," Luke said, half jokingly.
"And if I do?" Twilight asked.
"Run," Luke said.
"How hard is it to make a lightsaber?" Twilight asked.
"Not too terribly difficult," Luke said, "Why?"
"Since my aura blade doesn't work, I want something to defend myself with should I ever face a Sith," Twilight said, "Blasters won't do it, their bolts get deflected, if I'm not mistaken. I do know a similar attack that uses a little more force than a blaster, I believe, but it'd still do no good".
"Alright, grab a hold of it and turn it on," Luke said, holding out his own lightsaber.
Twilight grabbed it and looked for a way to activate it. After she found the button, she focused and the blade ignited... and threw her against the wall yet again.
"Ok, yea... should've seen that coming," Twilight admitted weakly.
Over the course of the next couple of hours, Luke had disassembled his lightsaber to show Twilight how it worked. The unicorn was adamant about having her own lightsaber, believing she could make one that would work with magic. As Luke pointed out every piece, she jotted down notes.
"And that's all there is to it," Luke said, starting to put his lightsaber back together, "Seems like a ton of information, but it's quite simple when you really think about it".
"If possible, I'd love to have a harmonic generator to tinker with," Twilight said, "There has to be a way to make it so my magic won't conflict with the lightsaber, but still allow it to function as originally intended".
"The ones for lightsabers are quite expensive and, since the massacre a few years back, quite rare," Luke explained, "But, I'll see what I can do. For now, how about some more magic?"
Twilight just simply nodded.
"You said you had a spell similar to that of a blaster shot?" Luke asked, igniting his lightsaber, "Let's try it out".
Twilight lit up her horn, aimed right at Luke, and fired off a couple shots. As predicted earlier, the shots were deflected. However, as they contacted the blade of Luke's lightsaber, they became supercharged. Twilight put up a shield to hold back the shots, good thing too as they exploded upon impact. The explosion was like that of a shrapnel grenade, sending shards of deadly magic in all directions.
"Well, that's a thing," Luke said after surviving the unexpected rain of magic.
"I wonder what would happen with a real blaster," Twilight said, "Want to try it out?"
"Not right now, the number of explosions might have everyone questioning whether there's stormtroopers coming through here," Luke said.
"Right, cause we're scary white armored clones coming to take over the base," Twilight said jokingly.
The two then exited the room and went their separate ways. Twilight, being so absorbed into earlier events, failed to notice just how exhausted she had become. Now that she was walking towards her room, the excitement was gone, and fatigue started to finally set in. When she made it into her room, she plopped down on her bed and immediately fell asleep.
Everfree Forest, Equestria
06/15/2025
1900 hours
The trio of Minuteponies, Artemis, Gale Wind, and Thunder, had spent most of the previous day and a good bit into the night carving out a hidey hole in the Everfree Forest. Because of all that the forest holds, it was the last place the trio wanted to set up base, but they figured the dangers would make it so it'd be the last place the Changelings would think to look for them.
"Alright, so... what should our first move be?" Gale Wind asked.
"We need more ponies if we're to take back Equestria," Artemis pointed out, "Gale, you should head out towards Hollow Shades. I have no doubt that having more Bat ponies in our ranks will be incredibly useful".
"But, sir, Hollow Shades is at least two days flight from here," Gale pointed out.
"I understand that, but that's where your nocturnal nature comes into play," Artemis said, "If you fly by night and sleep by day, you shouldn't be caught. If you do get caught... well, you're one of the best night guards out there, in the top three I believe. You have that position for a reason".
"Not only that, but night strikes will be crucial for us," Thunder said, "The more bats we have, the more strikes we can perform".
"Very well... I'll do it," Gale said.
"Great," Artemis said, turning to face Thunder, "I'll need you to go to Ponyville. The Element bearers call that town home, and the residents have no doubt seen their fair share of strange things as a result. Not only that, but everypony there treats each other as family, so it shouldn't be difficult to convince the whole of the town to join us if we bring up the Element bearers being injured, or worse, in the attack".
"Understood, sir," Thunder said.
"So, what'll you do?" Gale asked.
"We're going to need a base," Artemis pointed out, "This forest should keep us safe for some time. During that time, we will gather allies and work on getting this base ready for very possible attacks in the future. Not only that, but we'll need a place for everypony to sleep and eat safely".
Once the three were in agreement, they all set off to complete their tasks.
Ponyville, Equestria
06/15/2025
1900 hours
The sky was dark, indicating night time. It would appear as though the princesses were allowed to perform their duties of managing the day/night cycle. Thunder walked through the peaceful looking town of Ponyville, the streets illuminated by lanterns, and not a changeling in sight. He walked up to the first house he saw and knocked on the door.
"Who are you, and what in Tartarus do you want at this late hour?" The pony asked.
"My name is Thunder, and I'm here recruiting for the Equestrian Resistance against the Changelings," Thunder said.
"First off, what the hay are changelings?" The pony asked, "Secondly, I'm not interesting in joining the guard".
"Changelings are bug like pony creatures that have recently taken over Canterlot," Thunder explained, "We're not entirely sure how they succeeded, but they did. Me and a couple of other guards have decided to start a resistance to free Equestria".
"Uh-huh," The pony said, "Look, I need to get some sleep so I can work properly tomorrow and provide for my family. So, if you'll excuse me".
"Have you taken notice of six mares missing, by any chance?" Thunder asked as the pony started closing the door.
"Last I heard, they were heading up to Canterlot for a big party of sorts or something like that," The pony said.
"That is correct," Thunder said, "We aren't sure of their well being, but they might have been lost in the attack".
"Lost, as in... dead?" The pony asked.
"We still hold out hope for otherwise, but I can't say for sure," Thunder said.
The pony in the doorway stood there in thought for a minute or two, pondering what Thunder had told him.
"What proof do you have of this attack?" The pony asked.
"Did you happen to see a pink shield around Canterlot a day or two ago?" Thunder asked.
"Yea, I saw it," The pony said, "Thought it was kind of odd, but almost nothing those six are involved with is ever normal".
"It was there because of a threat made against Canterlot just before a wedding," Thunder explained, "When it went down was when the attack started. We weren't as prepared as we should have been, admittedly, and the changelings managed to take over in force. If the resistance can't fight back, Equestria will soon be lost entirely".
"Alright, I suppose you're making some kind of sense, but I still don't buy this whole story," The pony said, "But, with the Element bearers gone for right now, if there IS an army taking over... well, Ponyville wouldn't be safe at the moment, so neither is my family. I'll trust you for now, but don't underestimate me. You so much as look at my wife or kids wrong, I will end you on the spot".
"That's the spirit we're looking for," Thunder said.
"Where should we head off to?" The pony asked.
"The Everfree," Thunder said, "It's dangerous enough to shield us for a long while. After all, why look for ponies in a place they're afraid to go?"
"You're coming with us, then," The pony said, "If I'm taking my family into that Celestia damned forest, I demand protection".
"And you shall have it," Thunder said, "My first duty is towards Equestria's citizens first and foremost".
"And by the way, name's Iron Tail," The pony said.
Rebel base, Kashyyyk
06/16/2025
1300 hours
"Finally! It works!" Twilight yells pridefully.
The purple unicorn had spent a good chunk of the previous day meddling with the harmonic generator Luke had found for her. It took many tries, and more knocks to the head than she cared to admit, but she finally got it to work. Luke had even agreed to swap his out so Twilight could perform the ultimate test, which was a success. After putting his lightsaber back together, Luke gave the generator back to Twilight, along with a few vital lightsaber parts so she could craft her own. Though used mostly by Jedi and Sith, Luke saw no harm in letting Twilight craft her own lightsaber for her own personal use. After all, there were non force users out there with lightsabers, so one more on the good side couldn't hurt.
Now, Twilight was finally done crafting her own fully functional lightsaber. She used a clear crystal to give the blade a pure white color, and even took the time to engrave Princess Celestia's cutie mark into the hilt.
"You've always been there for me before," Twilight said to herself, "Now, even though we're universes apart, you can still be by my side when I need you".
"Who are you talking to?" Asked someone behind Twilight, starting her.
"Myself," Twilight admitted after a brief pause to catch her breath.
"I see," The person said, "Nice hilt".
"Uh... thanks," Twilight said.
"There some significance to this image?" The person asked, pointing towards the cutie mark.
"That's Princess Celestia's cutie mark," Twilight explained.
"Add sentimental value for you?" The human asked.
"Yea," Twilight said, pausing briefly, "Say, Luke, do you... have someone close to you?"
"I try not to get too close to others," Luke said, "Recently, just about everybody I've gotten too close to has died right as it started getting good. It's gotten hard, and I can't let it stay that way, not while the Empire is still a threat".
"I see, I'm... I'm sorry," Twilight said.
"Don't bother yourself with it, I'll be fine," Luke said, "There will be plenty of time for mourning once there is peace again in the galaxy".
Twilight had tried many things to see where she could fit in. She was decent with a blaster, pretty efficient with her lightsaber, sucked at medical work, and her cooking skills were horrifying. That was but a few of the things she'd be allowed to try. Now, however, she was going to try one last thing. She was determined to either do good, or quit after this next attempt. As she walked through the halls of the base, she thought about what she was about to try. Yea, she'd done her research, but it would never be enough when compared to the real thing.
"You ready?" Gus asked as Twilight approached.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Twilight said.
With that, Gus turned and opened the door. On the other side was a very large room. As Twilight looked around the room, she couldn't help but notice the many parked X-Wings. Their sheer size surprised her to no end. She'd read all about them, but to see one up close, like she was getting the chance to, was breathtaking.
"Real beauties, aren't they?" Gus asked.
"I wouldn't say beauties, but yea," Twilight said, not taking her eyes off the fighter in front of her.
"Ready to try to pilot one?" Gus asked rhetorically.
"Yes, I'm very much looking forward to it," Twilight said, turning around excitedly.
"Good, then let's go this way," Gus said, walking away.
Twilight followed closely, unable to wait much longer. The two very quickly came up to a red and green striped X-Wing, which Gus had informed Twilight was their trainer. She was going to be the main pilot, but she'd have a co-pilot sitting right behind her to take over in case something went wrong. As she climbed in the front seat, she was immediately overtaken by all the buttons, switches, and controls. As soon as her co-pilot was in his seat, he began instructing her on what to do to, and the engines eventually roared to life. The co-pilot took over the flying at first just so they could get out of the hanger safely. Once outside and a nice distance above the surrounding canopy, he gave Twilight the controls.
"Just to get you used to the controls, I want you to tilt us left, then right a few times," The instructor said.
Twilight did just that. However, she banked too hard, turning both her and her instructor into temporary bobblehead dolls. She stopped almost immediately as instructed.
"As you can see, these things respond poorly to full stick movement," The instructor explained, "Try subtle movements, and you won't throw yourself around as much".
Nodding, Twilight moved the flight stick only a couple degrees to each side, resulting in a much smoother bank each time. After a few times, she was instructed to level out, which she did. After leveling out, the instructor took over again to show her how to perform a basic turn, then told her to perform the same technique going both left and right. She banked the fighter to a ninety degree angle facing left, then pulled back on the flight stick to perform a left turn. After leveling out, she did the same thing for the right side.
"You learn pretty quick, I like that," The instructor said, "Believe it or not, most recruits screw up on their first turns".
"How is that even possible?" Twilight asked.
"I've been asking myself that very question for a long time," The instructor said, "Anyway, now that basic movement is out of the way, let's teach you some real maneuvers".
The first maneuver the instructor pulled off was a Chandelle maneuver. He banked the X-Wing to about thirty-five degrees and pulled the flight stick back harshly. The X-Wing then turned it's nose in the desired direction at a near breakneck speed, scaring the hell out of poor Twilight. He leveled them out after a hundred and eighty degrees.
"That's a pretty useful maneuver that can be used to evade an enemy," The instructor said, "Don't rely on it too much, however, as it can be defeated kind of easily. However, I want you to learn how to do it properly so you can add it to your queue of tricks. Now, follow my instructions, and don't try to go ahead of me".
After finally getting her nerves back, Twilight wrapped the flight stick in her aura again. Step by step, Twilight performed the maneuver very slowly at first, but then was instructed to do it on her own, with a sharp turning radius, turning to both sides. After doing so, the instructor showed her a more useful maneuver: the Immelmann turn. It was a relatively simple maneuver, just pull back on the flight stick to perform a one hundred and eighty degree flip upwards, then level back out. After performing it, the instructor told Twilight to do so, which she did with relative ease.
"This is, in my honest opinion, the best evasive maneuver," The instructor said, "Not only does it confuse enemy pilots, it also throws off homing missiles".
"Sounds good," Twilight said, "So, what's next?"
"Learning how to shoot properly," The instructor said as he hit a few buttons, "Look at that little screen in front of you, I've loaded up a moving outline of an enemy fighter. This trainer isn't equipped with working weapons, so we use a built in simulation. When you shoot down the enemy fighter, it'll disappear from the screen. Make that thing disappear".
Twilight manipulated the flight stick and pulled on the trigger as soon as the target was in the center of the screen. It took a few attempts to get the proper timing, but Twilight shot down the target. After praise from her instructor, another target appeared on screen for her to shoot down. This continued for about five minutes before the instructor felt satisfied that Twilight could handle basic combat.
"Now, remember that the enemy won't always stay in front of you, nor will he always BE right in front of you," The instructor said, "Never move in a straight line, and you should be fine".
The instructor took back the controls so they could land safely back at the base. After landing, Twilight climbed out of the cockpit to see a grinning base commander, who was soon joined by her instructor.
"You did quite well," The instructor said, "You're undoubtedly the best recruit I've ever taught. You learn very fast, and you can fight pretty well so long as the enemy stays in front of you".
Gus could help but laugh at that comment, making Twilight blush a little.
"Regardless, I believe you'd make an excellent addition to our pilot ranks," The instructor said.
"She did THAT good, huh?" Gus asked.
"Yes sir, she did," The instructor said, "Though she's a rookie and never been in a real combat situation, I'd already feel confident with her as my wingman... wingwoman, eh... wingwhateversheis".
"I believe the term you're looking for is 'Wingmare'," Twilight said.
"Yes, that... that's exactly what I meant to say," The instructor said, "So, feel confident enough to join our ranks?"
"I do, actually," Twilight said, "Flying those things is pretty fun, and the weapons are much easier to handle than blasters".
"Then it shall be done," The instructor said, "We have three X-Wings without a pilot, choose one and it'll be yours. You'll be free to make it look however you want, customize it till your heart's content".
Twilight decided on the X-Wing closest to the hanger door. It was the newest one of the three, but still needed a little TLC. After going through the process of claiming the X-Wing as hers, she asked for a full rainbow colored palette of paint colors.