Queen of the Empire

Chapters

Part 1: The Monolith
Part 2: The Grand Admiral
Part 3: First Steps
Part 4: Cold Hooves
Part 5: The Trooper
Part 6: Ezra Bridger
Part 7: Choosing a Side
Part 8: Apples For Apples
Part 9: The Ponyville Princess
Part 10: The Usurper
Part 11: Lancer
Part 12: Plots, Plans, and Schemes
Part 13: Forest Fire Fight
Part 14: The Belly of the Beast
Part 15: The Tree of Harmony
Finale: The Chimera’s Fire
Epilogue: Redemption
Part 8: Falling Towards The Sky

Part 1: The Monolith

Author's Note

PILOT: This chapter is the pilot to the Queen of the Empire mini-series. If this goes well, more short chapters like this one will follow. This is something new for me, so I hope you enjoy it! :twilightsmile:

Part 1: The Monolith

***A Patriot Pony Production***

Chrysalis kept her head down, her jagged horn pointing forward. She couldn’t risk looking up without facing the full force of the blizzard that consumed her. With the snow topping off just below her chest, she trudged forward, each consecutive step becoming just a little harder than the last. Though she was tired, hungry, miserable, and very cold, she did feel a sense of relief.

Chrysalis was far away from the prying eyes of any ponies and the Crystal Empire in a place known only as the Frozen North. It was a desolate landscape broken up by tall mountains, great plains, and shrouded in an eternal blizzard. Out in the open, she could be herself, free of any responsibility. With nowhere to sleep, however, Chrysalis traveled from cave to cave to find even a brief moment of respite from the snow.

That wasn’t without its dangers, though. The Frozen North was home to a variety of creatures, many of whom were far more vicious and hungry than herself. Several times already, Chrysalis had accidentally stumbled into a cave that had already been occupied, only to be driven out by a feral beast that wasn’t interested in sharing. Her last encounter left the banished queen with a scar on her left flank, where a yeti had swatted at her as she tried to escape its shelter. As the memory resurfaced, her rear began to tingle where the beast had left its mark, and Chrysalis muttered incoherently about not wanting to share a space with such an unruly creature anyway.

With no sun to guide her, she followed her internal compass to put as much distance between her and the Crystal Empire as possible. After all that had happened between her and the ponies, she wanted nothing to do with them. She told herself over and over again to ‘forget them’. She didn’t need their love, and she most certainly didn’t want it.

Despite her hunger, she reminded herself that she was strong, that she was a queen. She was a queen without her subjects, but a queen nonetheless. Chrysalis pushed all of her enemies to the back of her mind where she wouldn’t be tempted to think about them, about Thorax and the rest of her traitorous children. She didn’t need them.

Yet, the thought of being banished by her own kind left her chest heavy with grief. That was a feeling she had never experienced, though she knew exactly what it was the moment it washed over her. Chrysalis suddenly became very aware of the cold that was enveloping her body. Her movements had slowed so much to the point where she practically stationary, having not moved in several minutes. She quickly shook her head, snapping herself out of her saddened trance and bolted forward, leaping out of the snow that had begun to pile on top of her.

Like the outcast she was, Chrysalis ran blindly into the blizzard head first as it lead her deeper and deeper into the Frozen North. She tried to outrun her thoughts and feelings, but they kept catching up with her. For the first time, Chrysalis began to regret some of her actions. Had she done things differently, she might still be on her throne, and her hunger might be sated.

Over great mountains and across endless planes of snow and ice, she ran blindly. Though her chest ached with a new sensation of grief, she couldn’t bring herself to cry. Any tears she blinked from her eyes were frozen instantly against her cheeks by the blizzard. She needed shelter, even if she had to forcefully evict anything that was already inhabiting it. A cave would do nicely, but in the great snow dunes, there was no rocks to shield her.

There was, however, a giant monolith.

Chrysalis peered through the snow, I sure if what she was looking at was real or an illusion conjured by her hunger. As the changeling trudged towards the massive structure, it got closer and more intimidating as a result. What stood before her was no illusion. It was real, but whatever it was eluded her. It looked foreign in nature, alien, like it wasn’t from her world.

Upon closer inspection, she concluded that the monolith was metal, definitely not made by ponies. Under constant bombardment from the wind and ice, the monolith creaked and groaned in a sinister way. Because of the obvious destruction and the state of disarray, it was clear the thing had fallen from the sky and broken upon impacting the Frozen North. This made no difference to Chrysalis. Shelter was shelter, and the monolith was now hers.

Spreading her tattered wings, she flew into the ruins of the alien structure through a gaping hole she found. Inside, she was met by instant relief. Out of the wind and snow, she felt a thousand times better. Granted, she was still freezing cold, but she didn’t have to worry about being buried alive.

The inner workings of the monolith were dark and void of life. Black corridors stretched endlessly in all directions, winding back and forth. The place actually reminded the queen of her previous hive, the one she ruled before being kicked out by Thorax. Through the wreckage of the foreign vessel, she climbed. Chrysalis desired to explore the entirety of her new home before completely settling down.

At the top, she entered a long corridor that opened into a larger room. The far side held what once was a wide window, now broken and open to the outside elements. She was surrounded by technologies completely unknown to her, and even scarier, frozen bodies. Several were sprawled across the floor.

They had white bodies and white faces with a skeletal-like expression. One of them, however, was not like the others. As he lay slumped over a terminal, Chrysalis observed his blue form. Her curiosity spiked, she let out a hot breath onto his face, and his limbs began to twitch. “It’s still alive...” Chrysalis mustered whatever strength she could and hoisted the creature onto her back. “Perhaps you can answer some of my questions when you awaken, my new subject...”

Then, she carried him out of the room and back down the corridor she came from. “We have much to discuss...”

***Up Next: The Grand Admiral***

Part 2: The Grand Admiral

Deeper into the creaking and groaning monolith, Chrysalis carried the blue-faced alien on her back. She wanted to take it as far away from the cold as possible, if there was to be any chance of waking it up. After several minutes of aimlessly searching through the darkened corridors, she found a secluded room and took the unconscious baggage inside. She dropped the blue thing on what looked like a bed that had been tucked into the wall itself.

There was still no response from the frozen being. If she was going to have any success waking it up, Chrysalis needed to raise the temperature. Unfortunately, even during the Frozen North’s hottest mid-year months, day temperatures never got close to rising above the freezing mark, the temperature where water turned to ice. The changeling looked at the blue alien and the pained expression on his motionless face.

She closed her eyes and ignited her horn, letting out a slow breath as the dark room began to glow a sickly green color. Being drained of energy, it took everything she had to keep her horn lit. Chrysalis stepped carefully towards the bed, lowering her horn as her hooves crept along the floor. Bathing her captive in the warm glow from her horn’s energy, it began to shift slightly on the bed.

It’s mouth parted, and a long groan came out, followed shortly belt the opening of its eyes. Chrysalis took a cautious step back as the alien’s gaze landed on her. They two stared each other down for several moments before the changeling’s lips curled into a toothy grin. “You’re awake... I don’t suppose you can tell me who you are or where you came from. Can you speak? Answer me this instant.”

The blue being’s expression changed from a puzzled look to a more sinister one. “I don’t believe we’ve formally met, so before I disclose my identity to you, why don’t you tell me what manner of creature you are?” Chrysalis was shocked by the alien’s response. His voice, it had to be a ‘he’, was low and monotone, and he had a sincerity to him that caused her to think that he might be more of a threat than she thought. Before she could lose her composure, Chrysalis cleared her throat and stood her ground as the alien rose from the bed, standing tall on two legs. “You’re a peculiar specimen, equine in nature, but unlike anything I’ve seen in the Imperial archives.”

Chrysalis spread her wings and bared her teeth. “Listen here, you insignificant whelp. I saved you’re life, so you now answer to me.” Her display of power and might didn’t seem to phase the blue alien at all. “I need subjects, and until I can take back my hive, you will have to do.”

He took a step forward, meeting her in the center of the room. “You’re mistaken in thinking that I would ever pledge my allegiance you. I already answer to an emperor, and he doesn’t like to share his power.” He turned and approached a terminal on the wall, close to the door. His limbs split into several smaller appendages, like the claws on a griffin, and each tapped and poked on the surface of the terminal as it came to life. “My star destroyer crashed shortly after exiting hyperspace in this system.”

Chrysalis looked up at the ceiling. She tried to imagine the monolith falling from the sky and crashing in the snow. “Why come here? Where are you from?”

He looked over his shoulder at her briefly before returning his attention to the terminal. “Where I come from isn’t important, and we were brought here by forces out of our control.”

Chrysalis puffed out her chest, seeing an opportunity to retake control of the situation. “Well, seeing as you’ve stranded yourself on an unfamiliar world, I’d say you need an ally.”

The alien hit a button on the terminal again, and the entire room lit up. Lights turned on, and internal systems whirred as the came online. He turned around, holding his hands behind his back. “Very well. Until my ship can leave this wretched system, it appears that I have no other alternatives.” Then, he did something completely unexpected. He held out his arm, extending it towards her. At first, Chrysalis mistook the gesture for a sign of aggression, but when no attack came, she understood and raised her own hoof to meet his arm. “I am Grand Admiral Thrawn.”

The changeling smiled, once again showing off her razor-sharp teeth. “You may call me Chrysalis.”

The two exited the room. All across the destroyer, systems were rebooting and turning back on after being dormant for who knows how long. That wasn’t all that was coming back to life, however. The other aliens Chrysalis encountered were also awakening, and the destroyer once again began to stir with life. A pair of beings that resembled Thrawn approached them.

They were clad from top to bottom in white shells, and their faces were covered by frowning masks. “Sir!”

They snapped to attention, one of them even raising what Chrysalis figured to be a weapon and pointing it at her. Thrawn calmly raised his hand, causing the shelled aliens to stand down. “At ease, sergeant. We owe our revival to Chrysalis. She is to be our informant on this new world.” He then motioned for her to follow. “This way.”

Chrysalis eyed the guards as she and Thrawn passed them by. They arrived back at the room where she initially found him. The great windows that had previously been broken were now sealed, and everyone inside moved about as they tried to fix everything that had been broken. As the door closed behind them, Chrysalis felt all eyes land on her, but Thrawn lead her forward as though there was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Repairs will take time, so I want you to tell me everything I need to know about this planet. Who are it’s inhabitants? Can they be reasoned with?” Chrysalis approached the window and looked out at the Frozen North expanding far below. “There is another issue as well, Chrysalis.” Thrawn appeared by her side, looking up at her out of the corner of his eyes. “Have you come across anyone else on my ship or in the wilderness, a young boy perhaps, by the name of... Ezra Bridger?”

***Up Next: First Steps***

Part 3: First Steps

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Part 4: Cold Hooves

The downed star destroyer was long gone and out of sight. Chrysalis and her band of warriors were on their own, and it didn’t take long before things went from bad to worse

“Run!”

The stormtroopers cried out in terror as a frost troll came barreling towards them through the snow. Swinging it’s massive arms, it knocked several of the warriors aside. The others raised their weapons in self defense, pulling the triggers and unleashing a volley of red fire that burned through the blizzard. Some of the energy found its mark on the troll, scorching its snowy fur and hide.

The beast let out an agonizing roar before retreating into the blinding snowfall. Chrysalis had seen it all and was amazed by the spectacle. She trudged through the chest-deep snow, approaching one of the stormtroopers. “That was... very impressive. What are those weapons of yours?”

The warrior’s masked face remained expressionless, except for the same unsettleing frown that had been consistent. “What, you mean this thing?” He held the device up for the changeling to see. “It’s an E-11 blaster rifle, standard issue for Imperial infantry.”

Chrysalis pursed her lips as she eyed the powerful weapon. “I’d very much like to see it.”

The stormtrooper’s grip on his blaster tightened, and he held it against his armored chest. “With all due respect, commander, maybe another time. We should keep moving before that thing comes back.”

Chrysalis didn’t like the trooper’s tone, but she knew he was right. As she looked around her, she could see that the rest of her warriors had begun to recover. None of them looked gravely hurt by their encounter with the frost troll. “Very well... We mustn’t disappoint your master.”

Her thoughts briefly returned to Thrawn. Even though they were far from the fallen destroyer, she could still feel the piercing gaze of the grand admiral’s red eyes. He was the kind of being she would not want to make an enemy of.

By now, the stormtroopers had gathered around and snapped to attention, awaiting instructions from the changeling. “I know of a cave somewhere in the area. I tried to take shelter inside myself before, only to be driven out by its inhabitants. With your might, however, we can take it for ourselves.

The captain nodded his head. “Very good, commander.” He took off after her, trudging through the snow while motioning for the rest of his troopers to follow. “Come on, boys! We’re moving out!”

They filed in line and resumed their patrol formation. Far behind them, Chrysalis heard a distant roar. The beast that attacked them before was coming back. The stormtroopers must have heard it too, because they began to look uneasy, shifting uncomfortably in their armor. One held a limb against his body where the troll had swung at him.

Chrysalis felt the beast bearing down on them, getting closer and closer before turning st the last moment and retreating into the blizzard. The frost troll was circling them now, sizing them up. Her ears twitched as she followed it through the sounds it made in the snow.

“C-C-Commander?” The stormtroopers formed a defensive circle, putting their backs together and pointing heir weapons outward.

A fight was unavoidable now.

Chrysalis closed her eyes and listened intently. The frost troll was closing in again, barreling straight for her. Then, everything went quiet.

“Commander! Look out!”

The changeling’s eyes opened at the last moment to see the troll in the air, flying towards her with its arms out and claws poised to strike. Her horn ignited, and she unleashed a blast of sickly green magic. The bolt of energy caught the beast in the chest, and it fell to the ground in a heap. That wasn’t he end, however, because it continued to move and climbed back to its feet, letting out a monstrous roar.

Chrysalis looked back at the stormtroopers, offering a reassuring grin. “Stay back, captain... I’ll handle this.” When she turned back to face the troll, a hairy arm caught her in the chest and sent her flying through the air. She landed on her back hard, sending an explosion of snow billowing into the air.

Chrysalis let out a loud groan as she tried to get back up, only for the howling wind to blow her back down. She couldn’t see anything in any direction. Then, she felt the breathing of the beast as it circled her. Her horn ignited again, and the changeling screamed as she let out a force of energy that threw everything around her outward, even halting the snowfall for a brief moment.

Chrysalis caught a brief glimpse of a stormtrooper. “Commander, run!” He waved at her, signaling for her to follow. She then heard the roar of the troll again, and her choice was clear.

The changeling forced herself onto her hooves, crying as her muscles strained under her weakened state, and she hobbled after the troopers. They had found the mouth of he cave during her fight with the troll, and most had already made it inside. “Hurry, commander!”

The frost troll was right behind her, gaining speed and momentum as it plowed through the thick blanket of snow between it and Chrysalis. The mouth of the cave was just ahead, a thin crack along an outcropping of overhanging rocks. She dove through the rocks, falling onto the cold floor of the cave as the troll’s claws caught a bit of her tail. The beast was too big to fit inside, but that didn’t stop it from trying to force its way in.

It reached through the crack in the rocks, swatting at the fallen changeling and the stormtroopers.

The captain raised his blaster. “Open fire!” The rest of the stormtroopers followed suit and discharged their weapons at the mouth of the cave. Some blasts hit the frost troll’s arm, causing it to whine and cry out, while others hit the rocks.

The whole cave began to groan and shudder as rocks fell from the ceiling. The mouth of the cave collapsed, separating the stormtroopers and Chrysalis from the blizzard and troll outside. For better or for worse, they had found shelter.

***Up Next: The Trooper***

Part 5: The Trooper

The air was cold, but at least it was still. Without the howling wind blowing little chunks of ice into her face, Chrysalis felt a small sense of relief. She glanced quickly around the cave at the stormtroopers that surrounded her. A quick count determined that all were present, though the group seemed a little bigger than when they had started out.

Chrysalis dismissed the thought as her imagination getting the best of her. They looked nervous, but at the same time, they too felt a bit of respite to have a wall of rubble between them and the frozen wasteland outside. The captain approached her with his blaster lowered. “Commander, we can move the rocks in order to escape this cave, but it will take time. What are our orders?”

Chrysalis’ eyes darted around the cave. From the ceiling to the floor, everything looked unfamiliar. It wasn’t one of the many hidden entrances to her old nest, that much was certain. “Hmm... I suppose we move in the only direction we can.”

The trooper looked down the cave, into the darkness. “Commander, I’m not sure that’s the best action to take right now. Some of the men are badly wounded, and it might be better to rest for a while.”

The monster that had attacked them outside was probably still lurking about somewhere outside the cave, waiting for them to emerge once more. Chrysalis knew this, and she also knew that if they stayed in once place for too long, it would find a way to get them, or the cold would take them. Either way, resting meant death.

“Captain, I don’t think you understand just how dangerous this place is.” Chrysalis loomed over the trooper menacingly as she bared her teeth as a show of dominance. “Either we move deeper into the cave, or we freeze.”

The entire squad of stormtroopers was completely silent. After a few moments, several gathered their gear and shuffled across the cave to stand by Chrysalis.

One of them stopped in front of her and glanced at his officer. “Sir, the commander is right. She knows this place more than us, and if we’re going to make it out alive, we should do what she says.”

Chrysalis was surprised by the support that came from the trooper in front of her. With the way he moved, his hands seemed to almost speak for him. The captain appeared persuaded, and he raised his blaster at chest level. “We’ll do what she says...”

Pleased with himself, the trooper turned to face Chrysalis and fired a sly ‘nod’ her way before walking ahead. The rest of the stormtroopers followed suit and marched after him and Chrysalis as they ventured deeper into the cave. The farther they walked, the darker it got until the changeling’s horn was the only source of light illuminating the cave. The trooper marching ahead of her, the same one that had supported her, seemed to be the only one that wasn’t the least bit concerned about their condition.

The way he walked and carried himself promoted confidence and strength, something lacking in the rest of the squad. Then, there was his armor... All of the other stormtroopers looked clean and sleek, while this one looked like he had endured the Frozen North for a far longer period of time. She kept her observations to herself, but she was almost certain that there was something off about the trooper.

While the rest of the squad followed behind, Chrysalis approached the trooper and cleared her throat. “Ehem...”

He glanced over his shoulder at her, peering through his white helmet. “Yes, commander?”

She didn’t know how to advance. Any ideas for confronting the strange trooper hadn’t fully developed in her mind before she had gotten his attention. She opened her mouth to speak, but a chill that traveled down her spine stopped her. The trooper must have sensed something was wrong too, because he raised his blaster, keeping a finger on the trigger and pointing it into the black abyss. “Hold that thought, commander... I think we have company.”

The rest of the squad got into position silently, kneeling next to the walls of the cave and pointing their weapons in the same direction. Chrysalis faced the darkness, and eight glowing eyes peered back at her. It was a Berg Spider, a massive arachnid native to the Frozen North.

Standing almost to the ceiling of the cave, the eight legged creature lunged from the shadows and attacked the stormtroopers. Chrysalis dived out of the way, just narrowly missing the monster’s fangs. Of course the cave they stumbled into wasn’t a part of her nest, it already belonged to the spider, and they’d soon be caught in its web.

“Open fire!”

A barrage of red lights lit up the entire cave. Most of the shots missed, but a few did manage to make their mark on the spider, causing it to hiss. Chrysalis got back to her hooves and stood in between it and the stormtroopers. She felt a wave of energy swelling inside her, and she lowered her horn.

With a flash of green, a bolt of magic was expelled from her horn and sailed across the cave, hitting the spider dead on and crippleing one of its legs. The trooper beside her pointed his blaster at the arachnid, but the spider was no longer interested in a fight. “It’s running!”

He threw down his blaster and shot to his feet before taking off into the cave after the spider. Chrysalis, still feeling drained from summoning so much power, tried to call out to the trooper but found that her voice failed her. Luckily, the captain was there to do it for her. “Trooper, stop right there!”

The trooper didn’t stop though, and he kept running until he vanished into darkness. She turned to the captain. “Go back to the mouth of the cave and wait for me... I’ll bring him back.”

The captain nodded his head. “Right, commander. Good luck.”

As the rest of the stormtroopers turned around and ran for the exit, Chrysalis faced the darkness again, this time to find a lost trooper, one who was far more than he appeared to be.

***Up Next: Ezra Bridger***

Part 6: Ezra Bridger

Chrysalis was out of breath when she caught the trooper. The wounded spider was long gone and wouldn’t be returning anytime soon on only seven functional legs.

“Hey!”

The trooper spun around to face her just as she leaned into the air, hitting him and sending them both tumbleing down the cave. They came to a rolling stop, grunting and groaning as the engagement quickly turned into a struggle for dominance. Chrysalis got on top and pressed her hooves into the trooper’s armor, firmly pinning him to the ground. “Ha! I have you, now...” Lifting one hoof, she tapped his helmet a few time as her tongue snaked across her lips. “You’re not like the others... I don’t even think you’re a stormtrooper. Who are you, an enemy of Thrawn?”

Still on his back, the trooper raised his hands over his head. It was the universal sign of surrender. “Alright... Ya’ got me, commander. What do you want.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at him and snorted. “I’ve told you what I want. I want to know who you are. Answer your queen!”

The trooper shrugged. “Eh... First off, you’re no queen of mine. Second, what if I don’t want to tell you who I am?”

Chrysalis was stunned by his response. No one had ever shown her so much defiance, not even the ponies. She knew she had to be strong and to assert herself. The upper hoof was hers, after all. “If you don’t, I’ll drag you back to Thrawn and let him deal with you. Either way is fine for me.”

The trooper let out a sigh and lowered his hands. “Fine... I’ll tell you what you want to know. Just get off of me.”

Chrysalis obliged, finding his shift in tone to be far more pleasant. After stepping off of him, he stood up and placed his hands on his helmet, pulling the protective hardware up and off. The changeling didn’t know what to expect, but the trooper’s appearance surprised her all the same.

He looked like Thrawn, but warmer with dark hair and light skin. “The name’s Ezra Bridger.”

Chrysalis’ eyes widened. “I know your name. Thrawn asked about you. You’re the one he’s searching for, the one who destroyed his ship and stranded him here.”

Ezra held up his hands. “Whoa, hold on. Thrawn crashed his own ship. I just had to get him as far away from my planet as possible. He was a threat to everyone I cared about.”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “So you brought him to this world instead?”

His gaze fell. “Look, I didn’t mean to, alright? It all happened so fast. There was a flash of light, then my world was gone and we were here, falling through the sky until we crashed in the snow.”

The changeling took a step closer, looking the boy up and down and taking in as much as she could see. “If you’re an enemy of Thrawn, why are you dressed like one of his warriors?”

Ezra cracked a sly grin. “Disguise, isn’t it obvious? I needed a way to move around his ship undetected, so I stole this uniform after we crashed.” It might have been the cold or her exhaustion, but Chrysalis was beginning to like him. “So, what’s your story? Why are you helping Thrawn and the Empire? I think you know deep down that he’s not the kind of friend you want to have.”

She frowned at him, appalled that he would dare make such an assumption, but as she readied herself to protest, she realized that she had no reply. Chrysalis didn’t know why she was aiding Thrawn, someone who had made her feel uncomfortable from the very beginning. She could tell from that start that there was something sinister about the blue alien, but she didn’t want to give those thoughts any attention out of fear.

“Well?”

The changeling shut her eyes and turned away. “I don’t know!” Her outburst caused the walls of the cave to shake ever so slightly. “I... I don’t know... I’m afraid...”

Ezra took a step closer. “Afraid of ‘what’?”

Chrysalis opened her eyes. She could feel Thrawn breathing down her neck, governing her every move. There wasn’t a moment where she was in control. The very instant she woke him up, Thrawn held all of the cards. “I... I’m afraid of disobeying him...”

She felt something touch her chest. Looking down, she saw that Ezra had extended his arm and was pressing his hand into her. “You don’t have to be afraid. We can make this right, together.”

Chrysalis sniffled as she felt a sensation of warmth travel throughout her body. “I agree, Ezra, that we should do something... but how can we? The two of us cannot stop Thrawn and his army.”

Ezra grinned as he walked past her, heading back towards the entrance of the cave. “The odds have never been in my favor when it comes to Thrawn, but the playing field is even, now.” Ezra put his helmet back on and gestured to himself. “Look, he doesn’t know about us yet. I’m just another stormtrooper. Right, commander?”

Chrysalis frowned as she walked after him. “He will not be fooled for long, and when he finds out we are trying to undermine him, I fear the worst...”

Ezra waved a dismissive hand. “Thrawn’s too busy trying to fix his ship. If we’re lucky, we can sneak back onboard and disable the main reactor perminatly.”

The changeling cocked her head to the side. “What will that accomplish?”

He didn’t look back at her. Chrysalis had a twisting feeling in her stomach that she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “We’ll overload the reactor core, destroying the ship and Thrawn along with it. He’ll never be a threat to anybody ever again.”

They reached the mouth of the cave and found the entrance had been blasted open by the rest of the stormtroopers as they escaped. Stepping out into the snow, Chrysalis saw that the blizzard had lessened just a little, but a dark shadow had been cast across the Frozen North.

“No... It can’t be...”

Chrysalis looked up to see what Ezra was looking at, and her chest fell. The star destroyer was fully operational, soaring high overhead.

Thrawn was coming for them.

***Up Next: Choosing a Side***

Part 7: Choosing a Side

Chrysalis kept her head low and her eyes even lower. She didn’t dare make eye contact with any of the stormtroopers or other imperial officers she passed as she made her way through the destroyer. Only one trooper followed her, and he held his blaster to his chest as he marched along side the changeling queen. She turned her head ever so slightly so that she could see him out of her peripheral vision. “This is a horrible plan...”

Under his helmet, Ezra disagreed. “Oh, this is a great plan. Believe me, this isn’t the first time I’ve broken one of the Empire’s toys.”

Chrysalis wasn’t the slightest bit convinced, but she was more worried than ever about her new ally. “You frighten me, Ezra Bridger... Are you some kind of insurgent?”

The trooper shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been called a lot of things but ‘rebel’ is my favorite.”

An officer walking in the opposite direction eyed them resentfully but didn’t appear to have heard anything. He made no attempt to stop them or impede their progress, so they kept moving. Ezra must have sensed her growing anxiety, because he placed a firm hand on her back as a sign of comfort. “Come on, Chrysalis. This is gonna work.” He gestured to a corridor perpindicular to the one they were standing in. “This is my stop. I’m going to hit the reactor and bring this ship down. You go on ahead to the bridge and keep Thrawn occupied so he doesn’t suspect anything.”

The changeling looked bewildered. “Keep him occupied... How am I supposed to do that?”

Ezra shrugged as he started to back down the open corridor. “I don’t know... Just make something up. You’re reporting in for duty after your mission. Just be ready to abandon ship when you hear the alarms go off.”

Then, he turned completely and took off down the corridor. Chrysalis flared her nostrils and let out a long sigh. “This is a horrible plan...”

A short walk and a ride up a lift later, Chrysalis stepped onto the commande bridge of the star destroyer. Inside, officers, stormtroopers, and technitions of all kinds were bustleing around. It was as though a hornets’ nest had been kicked. Chrysalis was drawn to the newly repaired windows.

Outside the destroyer, she could see the whole world spanning before her. The Frozen North was far below them and blanketed by a cover of swirling clouds.

“Magnificent, isn’t it?”

The changeling jumped at the sudden arrival of Thrawn as he appeared at her side, staring out the window.

“I am fascinated by your world, Chrysalis. Once communication has been reasablished, I will call apon more Imperial vessels like this one to further... investigate this place.”

Chrysalis’ chest felt heavy. “Why is that, Thrawn? There’s nothing special about this world...”

The grand admiral stroked his square chin and fired her a glance. “I sense that is not the case and that there is far more to this planet than you are revealing to me. Your ‘magic’ for instance...” He eyed her horn. “Nothing like it exists throughout the Empire or any other part of the known galaxy. I, for one, am very interested in learning more about this... power.”

Chrysalis pursed her lips and turned her back to the window, exhausting a sigh. “What is there to tell? Magic comes naturally to us.”

Thrawn raised an eyebrow at her. “‘Us’, you say? There are others like you?”

She bit her lower lip angrily, having not intended to let something like that slip. “Yes, but... They are certain to resist your rule. I have tried time and time again to subdue the ponies of this world only to fail at every turn.”

The grand admiral folded his arms as he looked back towards the window. “My intentions are not to subdue this planet’s natives, but if you are telling the truth about their tendencies to rebel, then perhaps we should make an example of our power.”

He motioned towards an officer behind him. “Captain, have you located the settlement?”

The officer nodded his head. “Yes, grand admiral. We aren’t in visual range yet, but our scanners are picking up what appears to be a large city perched on a mountainside south of our position.”

Chrysalis’ ears twitched. A city on a mountainside... It could only be Canterlot, the capital of her greatest enemies.

Thrawn stroked his chin again. “Very good, captain. Order our guns to bombard the city as soon as we are in range.”

The changeling’s eyes widened. “What?!”

Thrawn looked surprised by her sudden outburst. “Chrysalis, perhaps I misjudged you... I had thought you would be eager to see the demise of your enemies.”

Chrysalis couldn’t beileve what was happening. Suddenly, she felt more out of place than ever as she all eyes landed on her. She shook her head violently as she backed away from the blue alien. “Not like this... I wanted their subjugation, their loyalty... their love... Not their destruction!”

Two stormtroopers approached her from behind with their blasters raised, pointed directly at the changeling. Chrysalis hopped silently that Ezra was close to completing his part of the plan. They needed to stop the star destroyer now more than ever. This was no longer about defeating Thrawn as the entire city of Canterlot, the center of government in Equestria, was in danger.

“Chrysalis, I have found you to be a useful asset, and you could prove valuable to the Empire as a commander. I am giving you this one chance to stand down and aid us in rooting out any natives you know to be rebellious.”

The changeling held her ground. She needed to stall Thrawn for as long as she could. Ezra was counting on her! She stood tall and defiantly, thrusting her chest out as she glared down her snout at the grand admiral. “You seem to forget, Thrawn... I awoke you from your frozen fate, and I am a puppet to no one. I am a queen, and you will bow before me! If you disobey your queen, your ship will burn!”

Everyone but Thrawn took a nervous step back, even the armed stormtroopers behind her. The grand admiral, however, didn’t look phased by her threat. He simply looked towards the door as it opened, and two guards dragged in a stormtrooper. “Are you perhaps referring to the exsplosive charges set by Ezra Bridger?” The trooper’s helmet fell off, revealing the boy’s battered and bruised face as he glared at Thrawn. “I promise you, my dear Chrysalis, that my ship will not be burning this day.”

***Up Next: Falling Towards The Sky***

Part 8: Apples For Apples

Chrysalis awoke with a splitting headache. As her eyes opened, a world of beauty came into view. Far above the changeling, the branches of tall trees swayed gentle from side to side, and chirping birds engaged each other in games of chase. Then, Ezra’s face appeared over her, and all of the memories came back.

Chrysalis rolled from her back to her side as she tried desperately to sit upright. “Oooooohhh... It all hurts...”

Ezra eyed her with a puzzled look. “What hurts?”

“Everything... Every single thing hurts...”

The rebel chuckled as he looked up at the bright, blue sky. “Well, I don’t blame you. We fell a long way without any real kind of escape plan.”

Chrysalis looked over her shoulder to make sure her wings were still in one piece and functional. She gave them a few cautious flaps before letting out a satisfied snort. “What about Thrawn? What about his ship? He vowed to destroy Canterlot, and I feel responsible.”

Ezra sat down beside her, grunting as he fell on his rear. “I’ve come face to face with Thrawn more than once... He won’t do anything like that before attempting win over your leaders with promises of power and security...” Chrysalis could sense the sarcastic tone in his voice, but his reassurance didn’t make her feel even the slightest bit better. “As for Thrawn’s ship, I managed to detonate one of the charges I set and crippled the main reactor. He won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

She turned to face him and frowned. “You say that as though it is a good thing...”

Ezra fired her a sly grin and nodded. “It’s a great thing. While I was sneaking around, I made sure their long range communication systems will stay offline for a while. Thrawn is trapped on this planet with us, and he can’t call for help.”

Chrysalis’ gaze fell. She couldn’t imagine more like the blue alien coming to Equestria wielding weapons that could destroy them all in a matter of seconds. A realization dawned on her that Ezra’s hatred of the Empire was beginning to rub off on her. She watched with curiosity as he reached into his strange clothing and revealed a couple of red apples.

Then, he tossed them both in her direction. “Here, Chrysalis... I found a bunch of these while you were out.”

Chrysalis was silenced by the offering. Her eyes darted back and forth between Ezra and the apples. “Those... are for me?”

Ezra was already taking a bite out of the ripe fruit. “You’re Chrysalis, aren’t you? I don’t know what this stuff is, but I like it.”

He took several more bites, digging in to the apple. Chrysalis looked at the fruit before her and grabbed one with the magic from her horn. No one had ever given her a gift before. It felt strange, and she didn’t know what to do with her new feelings. She did, however, know what to do with the apples.

Her stomach growled, personifying her immense hunger. Chrysalis didn’t want to starve for a second longer, so she dove into the fruit and reduced it to its core in three bites. A few seconds later, the second apple was gone, and her stomach rumbled for more. “Where did you find them?”

Ezra was still working on his first apple, making his way to the core bite by bite, but he gestured over his shoulder and pointed into the woods behind him. “There’s a whole field of trees through there covered in these things. I only brought back as many as I could carry, but I can go with you to get more.”

Chrysalis managed a weak smile. This was the happiest she had felt in a long time, eating with the promise of more food on the way after months of starvation. “Yes, let’s.”

Leaving the apple cores on the forest floor, she dashed to her hooves and raced after Ezra, who was already tearing through the trees.

***

After several minutes of running, Chrysalis and Ezra came to a stop at the edge of an orchard. The changeling gasped as she took in the sight of the hundreds of apple trees that spanned out before her. Her mouth began to salivate with anticipation, but the landscape began to look awfully familiar.

Ezra looked like he was ready to pounce on the nearest apple-bearing tree, but Chrysalis pulled him back. “Wait... Don’t go...”

Ezra looked startled as he eyed her hoof on his back. “What? What is it?”

Chrysalis felt a sense of panic growing in her chest. “I know this place, and we shouldn’t be here...” Memories of Twilight Sparkle and her friends rapidly resurfaced. They were standing on the border of Sweet Apple Acres, the home of the Element of Harmony, Applejack. “We should go.”

Ezra was showing no signs of fear like she was. “What’s the problem, your highness? Let’s just grab as many of those red fruits as we can so we can eat.”

Chrysalis wouldn’t take another step forward. She couldn’t. She was about to protest when a shadow descended on the apple farm.

Overhead, a low-flying craft came from the north, capturing Ezra’s attention as well. “It’s an Imperial shuttle... Get down!” He wrapped an arm around around her neck and forcibly dragged her to the ground.

The two of them sat in perpetual silence as they watched the other-worldly craft land near the red barn house that stood at the other end of the orchard. Chrysalis got an idea. She didn’t like the thought much herself, but the arrival of the Empire left her with few alternatives. “Ponyville isn’t far. We need to find Twilight Sparkle and talk to her before Thrawn does.”

Ezra nodded his head in agreement. “You’re right. Lead the way, Chrysalis.”

The changeling shook her head. “There’s no time to run. Climb onto my back and hold on tight.”

The rebel looked hesitant, but he did as she instructed. Putting one leg over, he straddled her back and wrapped his arms around her neck. Her wings extended outward, reaching their full length. Luckily, the stormtroopers exiting the shuttle weren’t looking in their direction. They were more occupied with the ponies that had emerged from the farmhouse.

When she was certain the coast was clear, Chrysalis launched herself into the air. Ezra buried his face into the back of her neck and held on tightly. Treetops flew by underneath them at an alarming speed. Never before had she flown with such an urgency.

“So who is this... Twilight Sparkle?!” Ezra coughed as his throat burned from screaming over the howling wind. “Is she a friend of yours?!”

Chrysalis shook her head. “Quite the opposite, actually, but we have to warn her about Thrawn. Twilight is the only one who can convince the other princesses to take action against the Empire.”

Ponyville was rising in the distance as the trees began to clear, and rising high above the outskirts of the town was a towering palace made of purple crystals. Her destination was clear. “If you guys are enemies, what makes you think she’ll just let you walk into her home unannounced?”

To her disappointment, Ezra had a point. It didn’t matter, however. Chrysalis had to see Twilight, and there was nothing that could deter her from her mission. The crystalline palace was rapidly approaching, and she braced herself for a hard stop.

Ezra bailed from her back, diving onto the dirt path that lead to the palace doors. Chrysalis also landed on the path, but not nearly as gracefully. She stumbled upon impact and fell onto her face, rolling right up to the doors. Without missing a beat, the changeling forced the doors open and dashed inside the palace with Ezra right behind her.

The corridor was emptie and quiet. Only the gentle breeze and rustling trees could be heard from outside as they ventured deeper and deeper into the palace. At the end of the corridor was another door that had been left ajar.

When she hear voices on the other side of the door, Chrysalis signaled for Ezra to stay quiet. She braced herself by the cracked door, and as she looked through the slit, her heart sank in her chest. In the chamber on the other side of the door, around a great table, Twilight Sparkle was sitting and talking with Grand Admiral Thrawn.

She turned to Ezra. “How did he get here before us?”

Ezra shrugged and mouthed the words ‘I don’t know’ before joining her to peak through the door.

***Up Next: The Ponyville Princess***

Part 9: The Ponyville Princess

“I must thank you again for your hospitality, Twilight Sparkle. Your willingness to welcome me into your home is a testament to the nature of your people.” Thrawn paced the grand hall slowly, circling the large, crystal table and the thrones that occupied the center of the room.

While the Imperial admiral’s back was turned, Chrysalis and Ezra peaked through a cracked door and eavesdropped on the conversation.

Meanwhile, the purple princess kept her eyes glued to Thrawn, remaining ever watchful of his every move. “I’m always willing to help anyone in need... but I’m more curious to learn about you and where you came from. I’ve never met anyone quite like you.” She gestured to a pair of stormtroopers guarding another door.

Thrawn came to a stop and turned to face her. “I am just as eager to learn about you, princess. Your people, your art, and your culture all fascinate me. This power you have, this ability you simply call magic... is something I would very much like to study.”

Twilight shuffled her wings as she righted herself in her throne. “Hmm... Are you hungry? We could go into town and talk things over more over lunch.”

Thrawn smiled and offered the princess a bow. “I would be honored.”

Twilight rose to her hooves and came down from the throne, landing beside the table and joining Thrawn. Then, they began to walk together towards the cracked door Chrysalis and Ezra were hiding behind.

A sensation of panic rose in the changeling’s chest, and she began to back away quickly. “We have to go...”

Ezra too was rolling back on his feet, but just as they turned to run for the door, they came face to face with a storm trooper. The armored trooper raised his blaster at them.

“Hey, you! Halt!”

Chrysalis lowered her jagged horn to blast him out of their way, but it was too late. Thrawn and Twilight Sparkle, in addition to the other two stormtroopers from the map chamber, came through the cracked door.

At seeing the sight before her, Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Chrysalis?!”

Thrawn’s eyes narrowed, and a frown formed across his mouth. “Ezra Bridger...” The blue-skinned man stepped forward with a calm, but serious, expression. “You’ve caused me a lot of trouble today, rebel...” Then, he looked back at Twilight. “You see, princess, this is the rebellious Jedi I spoke of, Ezra Bridger. It seems he’s found an ally in your own enemy.”

Chrysalis pushed her way past the stormtroopers and confronted Thrawn. “He’s the one who can’t be trusted, Twilight!”

Ezra joined her, brushing the troopers aside. “She’s right... The Empire will take away everything you love. They took away my friends, my family, and my home, and they’ll do the same thing here.”

Twilight glared at Ezra. “That’s not the story Thrawn told me. He said you terrorized people and attacked government facilities.” Then, her cold stare shifted to the changeling. “And you... You have a track record of bringing harm to ponies who didn’t do anything to you. Why should I listen to anything you say?”

Chrysalis’ ears folded back, and her gaze fell. “You shouldn’t...” The princess must not have been expecting such a response from the former queen of a changeling hive, because her hardened glare dissipated. “I’ve wronged you trying to sate my hunger for love, and there’s no excuse for my actions...” Chrysalis looked up, meeting Twilight’s eyes. “I came here to warn you about Thrawn and his destructive ship as a meager attempt to make amends for the things I’ve done. Those he represent mean to conquer this world, and after learning what it means to help another out of kindness...” She glanced towards Ezra. “I cannot allow that to happen.”

Silence filled the hall as everyone stared down their opponent. One trooper came forward with his blaster pointed at the changeling. “Sir, shall I give the order?”

Without taking his eyes off of Ezra, Thrawn shook his brand and raised an open hand. “No, captain... We are here as ambassadors of the Empire. As guests of the princess, she should be the one to decide what is to be done.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at Thrawn before returning her gaze to the changeling. Then, she let out a long sigh. “I don’t know if I can believe you...” She looked back and forth between Chrysalis and Ezra. “... either of you, but fighting like this isn’t going to solve anyone’s problems. Chrysalis, if you really feel this way, then I want you to join Thrawn and me over lunch and talk this out.”

The changeling’s eyes narrowed towards Thrawn, but she kept her lips together. Ezra didn’t look too pleased either, but he too reluctantly agreed. As they came out of the palace, stormtrooper escort and all, Chrysalis saw that Thrawn’s star destroyer had arrived over Ponyville, casting a long shadow over the buildings below. Dozens of pegasus ponies buzzed around the massive vessel like moths to an open flame, but none dared go close enough to touch it.

Though she certainly didn’t feel welcome in the company she was in, Chrysalis didn’t feel alone. Ezra, the closest thing to a ‘friend’ she had ever managed to acquire, walked right beside her. “That was a pretty nice speech, Chrysalis. Do you think Twilight bought it?”

She turned her head to hide her smile. “It is how I truly feel, Ezra. Meeting you has changed the way I view the world.” She spoke only at a whisper, but up ahead, Twilight’s ears twitched, leaving the changeling unsure if she had been overheard or not.

Minutes later, they arrived at an open-air restaurant in the center of Ponyville. All around them, squads of stormtroopers patrolled the area and even mingled with some of the native ponies. All of them were far too distracted by the tall warriors in white armor and the flying ship to notice Chrysalis.

Twilight sat down at a table first with Thrawn to her immediate right. Then, Chrysalis and Ezra joined them by sitting at the opposite side of the round table.

“Alright...” Twilight Sparkle put her hooves on the table as a waiter arrived to take their orders. “... Let’s get to the bottom of this.”

***Up Next: The Usurper***

Part 10: The Usurper

From the Frozen North to the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, Chrysalis has never felt more awkward than she did at the table across from Thrawn and Princess Twilight. Her eyes shifted, taking in the town around her. The changeling has never seen Ponyville, and the peace and quiet pleased her. The pace of ponies buzzing about their business reminded her of the hive she once ruled, and her mind began to drift. The conversation happening across the table brought Chrysalis back to reality.

“You surprise me, Ezra...” Twilight cracked a smile as she eyed the boy. “I’ve never had so much fun hearing about outsiders like you. Your world, your galaxy... it sounds incredible. Thrawn only told me so much before things became ‘classified’.”

The blue alien folded his arms across his chest, but he didn’t appear offended. “Even outside of the Empire’s boundaries, Imperial protocol remains ever relevant, princess. There are wonders among the stars, yes, but there are also things beyond the edges of space that would frighten you immensely.”

The purple pony took a deep breath, ruffleing her wings as she let the air out. “Everyone is afraid of what they don’t understand...”

Chrysalis watched the responses bounce back like a ball game. She quickly began to feel left out. Her gaze shifted to Ezra, who sat to her left. He didn’t look back at her, but he instead kept his eyes on Thrawn. “Sure, princess... The Empire just destroys anything they don’t understand. They create their elitist bubble and kick out anything and anyone that doesn’t fit in.”

Thrawn glared at him. “Your narrow vision is keeping you from understanding the broader picture, Ezra Bridger. The Empire provides peace and maintains order, and people like you disrupt that order.”

Ezra extended his arms his sides, gesturing to Ponyville around him. “Look around, Thrawn! This world has been free from Imperial rule forever, and it’s doing just fine. The Empire has no place here or anywhere else in the galaxy.”

Princess Twilight butted in, clearing her throat loudly to get Thrawn’s and Ezra’s attention. Both took their glares off of each other and looked at the pony. “It’s clear that you both have reasons to fight, and neither of you are guilt free. For what it’s worth, I like you both, so why can’t we come to some sort of understanding?”

Though Twilight wasn’t even looking at her, Chrysalis felt as though the question was aimed in her direction. Once again, her gaze began drift and her mind wandered. Looking up, she watched the gargantuan ship soaring overhead, casting its long shadow over the town of Ponyville.

Something about the ship made her feel uneasy. Perhaps it was the way it was positioned, but the wedged shape reminded her of a knife pointed at the center of town, like it was prepared to strike down at any moment. The changeling shrugged the thought away. She figured Thrawn would not dare ruin the peace talks by lashing out uncesearily at Ponyville.

Ezra, on the other hoof, wasn’t as convinced. If Chrysalis looked nervous, he looked absolutely unhinged, like he was about to spring up out of his seat at any moment and attack the Imperial admiral.

Twilight was still waiting for a response of any kind to her question. “Well?”

Thrawn made the first move, turning to face Ezra fully, a move that surprised the young man. “Seeing as we are in unfamiliar and uncharted space, you are right by saying that the Empire holds no jurisdiction here. I, for one, and most eager to return to the civilized galaxy, and in order to do that, we must work together to escape this world.”

Ezra shook his head. “No deal, Thrawn. I can’t risk you leaving and telling the rest of your Imperial buddies about this place. I’d rather die than see Equestria invaded by the Empire.” This point sparked interest in Twilight, and she eyed the officer carefully. “As long as we’re both stuck here, I know you can’t call for help, and my friends have a chance at defeating the Empire.”

Thrawn let out a sigh. “You continue to surprise and disappoint me, Bridger. Do not mistake my intentions. While this world does fascinate me, I do not wish to see it conquered by anyone, by my own faction or anyone else’s.”

Chrysalis had been looking down at the table when she noticed the sky darken. The shadow cast by the star destroyer overhead had reached them. Even Thrawn looked surprised.

Twilight stood up from her seat and stared up at the ship. “Mister Thrawn, what is it doing?”

For once, the grand admiral looked speechless. “Someone is moving my ship out of position... I did not authorize any such-“

That’s when the first barrage fell.

High above Ponyville, the star destroyer’s massive cannons unleashed their firepower onto the town. The blasts didn’t hit any ponies or buildings, but the ground quaked tremendously. The diner began to crumble, and everyone stumbled as the ship continued to fire on the town.

“Ezra!” Chrysalis dived towards him, knocking him onto the floor and spreading her wings to shield him from falling debris.

Twilight had used her horn to create a magical barrier around herself and Thrawn, just as the eatery collapsed. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, much of the immediate area was in ruins. Ponies walked about, both dazed and confused as to what has just happened to them.

As Chrysalis opened her eyes, she found Ezra looking back at her. The moment between the was brief, and they looked up to the realization that they were surrounded by stormtroopers.

Thrawn coughed as he shakily rose to his feet. “Sergeant, explain this! I did not give the order to attack!”

One of the troopers stepped forward and raised a small device in his hand. “Captain Cavi wishes to speak with you, sir.”

To Chrysalis’ amazement, the device illuminated, and a tiny projection of a person appeared. Thrawn bared his teeth, clearly fuming with anger. “Captain, explain yourself... I’ll have you imprisoned and excecuted for this...”

The projection chuckled and shook his head.

The stormtroopers raised their weapons, pointing them at Twilight, Thrawn, Ezra, and Chrysalis.

***Up Next: Lancer***

Part 11: Lancer

Chrysalis looked back and forth between Ezra and Thrawn. Ezra looked angry, but calm and collected at the same time, like this was normal business for him. Thrawn, on the other hoof, looked bewildered. The changeling remembered the first time she was betrayed by her lackies, so she understood how he must have been feeling right about now.

The mini projection of Captain Cavi turned to face the stormtrooper holding him.

Then, the projection flickered before vanishing. The stormtroopers raised their weapons, training them on Ezra and the admiral. “Fire on my mark.”

Chrysalis and Twilight exchanged looks.

“Ready...”

The princess nodded towards her.

“Aim...”

Chrysalis understood immediately.

“Fire!”

Together, she and Twilight jumped in front of them, igniting their horns and creating a magical barrier. The magic formed a bubble that completely surrounded them just as the storm troopers began to shoot. Thrawn watched with amazement as the magic absorbed the fire, shimmering and rippling wherever a shot made its mark. Whatever the troopers tried, nothing worked, and nothing got through the magical barrier.

Twilight was beginning to sweat under the strain of holding up the shield. “Chrysalis, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” In truth, the changeling queen wasn’t certain. She was actually thinking about Ezra and doing everything she could to keep him safe. “We need to get out of this mess and find a way to stop that ship before it does any more harm. Get ready to drop the shield!”

Thrawn looked up through the magical dome and stroked his chin as he watched the star destroyer sail away, towards the Everfree Forest. “I agree... Bridger, take this.”

He tossed a small blaster towards him, which Ezra caught with ease. “If we make it out of this, Thrawn, I’ll be amazed.”

Chrysalis groaned under the barrage of fire from the stormtroopers outside the shield. It was becoming harder and harder to keep the magic stable. “G-G-Get ready! We can’t hold it up any longer...”

The shield began to flicker, and Thrawn and Ezra raised their blasters. Twilight and Chrysalis both let out a cry as they poured all of their energy into the bubble, causing the shield to expand outward at an exsplosive speed. The exsplosion of magic caused the surrounding stormtroopers to stumble and fall.

Twilight pointed a hoof towards her palace at the outskirts of town. “Run!”

While other ponies took shelter, Twilight, Chrysalis, Thrawn, and Ezra made a break for the crystal monolith. The stormtroopers had begun to recover and some started firing at them as they ran. Twilight and Chrysalis did what they could to slow their pursuers down, looking back and firing bolts of concentrated magic as they could. Thrawn and Ezra did the same, stretching their arms out behind them and firing at the troopers throughout the chase.

Together, they all ran from Ponyville to the palace, quickly running inside and shutting the doors behind them, barring the stormtroopers outside. Ezra, our of breath, huffed and wheezed as he slumped against the wall. “What do we do now?”

Twilight wasted no time marching down the corridor towards the center throne room. If Chrysalis remembered correctly, that was where the map table was. “We need to make a plan if we’re going to stop that star destroyer.”

As Twilight raised a hoof to push open the door leading into the throne room, Thrawn stopped her. “Wait... I hear someone inside. I left a detachment of stormtroopers to... secure the palace before we departed.”

Ezra rolled his eyes. “You couldn’t resist, could you?”

The grand admiral glared at him as they took positions on opposite sides of the door. “Now is not the time, Bridger.”

Chrysalis looked back at the door they just came through. The pursuing stormtroopers were almost through, so they only way out was forward. “Chrysalis, we need you to open the doors while Thrawn and I clear out this room.”

The changeling understood and lowered her horn. It began to glow once again, this time discharging a bolt of magic that forced the doors open. Before the smoke had a chance to clear, Ezra and Thrawn rushed inside, blasters raised, but what they found inside wasn’t a squad of stormtroopers.

Instead, a single trooper stood before them, dressed fully in black armor with a large caliber blaster readied in her hands. The trooper looked horrifying, like the face of death itself. At the same time, the doors behind them exploded open, and a dozen stormtroopers rushed into the corridor. With her weapon raised, the trooper in black opened fire, completely missing Ezra and Thrawn.

Before the stormtroopers even had a chance to say ‘blast them!’, they had been stunned. The blasts from the lone, black trooper hit them in their chests with such ferocity that they were knocked to the grounded and rendered unconscious.

Chrysalis couldn’t believe her eyes. Twilight looked equally cautious as they slowly crept into the throne room. The dark trooper lowered her weapon and raised an arm to salute the grand admiral. “Sir!”

Thrawn managed a small smile and turned to Twilight. “Don’t worry, princess. This is one of my personal guards, loyal and a capable warrior, a death trooper.”

Standing at full height, she was as tall as Chrysalis, an observation that didn’t put the queen at ease. It was then that she noticed the unconscious bodies of incapacitated storm troopers scattered around the throne room. “Quite the fitting name...”

The death trooper cocked her head towards Chrysalis, effectively silencing her. Thrawn stepped forward. “Commander, my ship has been taken from me, and we need to stop it from leaving this world whatever the cost.”

The trooper nodded towards the magical map in the center of the room. “Sir, the dragon tells me this map shows a large portion of the surrounding landscape. We should use it to decide what our next move should be.”

Ezra looked wide-eyes. “Dragon?”

Twilight saw I’m first, hiding behind one of the thrones. “Spike!” She rushed forward to greet him, using the magic from her horn to pick him up and hold him close. “Oh, Spike! I’m so glad you’re safe...”

He struggled to free himself from the pony’s grasp. “I’m fine, Twilight! Lancer found me and protected me from those bad guys.”

The death trooper rubbed the back of her helmet absentmindedly. “Eh... I have a soft spot for the little thing...”

Seeing the reunion warmed a piece of Chrysalis. She thought about how nice it must feel to unite with friends, but there was no time to dwell on her feelings. Together, everyone circled around the map.

There was work to be done.

***Up Next: Plots, Plans, and Schemes***

Part 12: Plots, Plans, and Schemes

Everyone huddled around the magic map, ponies, Jedi, and imperials alike. Thrawn strokes his chin thoughtfully as his eyes darted around the landscape displayed before him. “Fascinating...”

Ezra joined the admiral by the table, followed closely by Chrysalis. The changeling frowned as she peered at the map. “I don’t see the star destroyer anywhere. How are we supposed to know where Cavi is and where he’s going?”

Thrawn pointed towards the border between Equestria and the Crystal Empire. “Cavi has retreated to the Frozen North briefly to ensure we cannot follow him. A destroyer of that size genorates a lot of heat from its main reactor. You can see the distortion on the map here.”

Twilight saw what Thrawn was referring too, a shimmer on the map that normally wouldn’t be there. “Something big is out there...”

The blue admiral nodded his head. “That is Cavi. As for where he is going, this is something we already know.” Thrawn’s hand then shifted to the thicket adjacent to Ponyville, the Everfree Forest. “Just before we crashed in the Frozen North, we picked up an incredible energy signature coming from somewhere in this forest. Cavi will seek out the source of this energy to fully power the Chimera and be able to reach any Imperial ship with its long-range transmitters.”

Twilight and Chrysalis shared a worried glance, both coming to the same conclusion in their minds. The changeling cleared her throat and stepped forward. “I... I believe I know what he is after...”

Twilight nodded in agreement with her. “It’s the Tree of Harmony, it has to be. It’s the source of all power in Equestria, keeping the world balanced and free from chaos.”

Thrawn and his death trooper looked at each other. They knew stopping Cavi was more important than ever now, but they were facing impossible odds. “This... Tree of Harmony has to be kept safe, then, whatever the cost. Stopping the Chimera won’t be an easy task as long as Cavi is in control, however.”

As of on que, a very annoying voice cleared his throat, causing everyone to turn in sync. “Did I hear somepony mention chaos? I could have sworn I overheard something along those lines while I was evesdropong on your plan.”

Twilight looked relieved. “Discord... I hope you’re here to help.”

The lord of mischief laughed cheekily and raised his mismatched arms to remove a hat that wasn’t in his head a moment ago. “Indeed, Princess Sparkle, and I hope you don’t mind that I brought a few others with me.”

Entering the room behind him was all of her friends: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Starlight Glimmer. The orange pony stepped forward first. “Whatever you need to do, hon, you can count on us to get it done.”

Chrysalis beamed from ear to ear. She was liking their odds a little better, now, knowing the power and capabilities of the elements of harmony that had bested her firsthoof several times before.

Thrawn gestured for everyone to gather around the map. “We have two objectives ahead of us. First, we must ensure that the source of power Cavi seeks is protected.” He looked at Twilight. “Princess, you know the forest better than anyone here, you take your friends to the tree with Lancer and stop any Imperial forces that try to reach the tree.”

Twilight nodded and pursed her lips. “We should make sure nopony else gets hurt by the destroyer.”

Then, she looked at the agent of chaos to her left. “Discord, can you take everypony in Ponyville to your home? They should be out of harms way there.”

Discord snapped his talons without hesitation. “Done, your highness. Do you require anything else?”

Thrawn raised an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose you could bring back my star destroyer, could you?”

Discord shook his head.

“Nope. I’m afraid not. You see, even my power has limits, and that flying slice of pizza is too large and too far away. The best I can do is get you on this ship, but once I do, you’re on your own.”

Ezra nudged Thrawn’s arm with his elbow. “Hey, I’ve got a few thermal detonators left. If this guy can get us in, we can blow the main reactor and worry about getting out later.”

Chrysalis pulled the Jedi aside. “Ezra, that ship might be your only chance to go home... We can’t destroy it...”

She could see a sad look in his eyes, just barely masked by a forced smile. “Stopping Cavi is more important, right now. Besides...” He placed a gentle hand on her neck, just below her tattered mane. “I’ll need a changeling to watch my back to make sure I don’t get caught this time.”

Chrysalis’s breath shortened at his touch, and her eyes closed, completely unaware that others around the map were watching her. “Ezra, I don’t...”

She wanted to say more. Everything in her chest was building up, and she needed a way to let it out, but Thrawn spoke again, and the chance was lost. “It is settled, then. While Princess Twilight and Lancer defend the tree, I shall take Ezra and Chrysalis to bring down the star destroyer.”

Lancer circled the table, passing out small communicators to all of the ponies. “Here... These will help us keep in touch. Keep them close at all times.”

Twilight turned to Discord. “You’ll keep everypony safe, right?”

He nodded in response, holding a paw over his chest as though he were taking an oath. “You have my word, princess. In fact, I’m on my way home now to see that everypony is comfortable and... well adjusted to the chaotic void.”

Satisfied with his answer, Twilight turned to Thrawn, Ezra, and Chrysalis. “I guess this is goodbye, then. Chrysalis...” The changeling’s ears perked up at the mention of her name, and her gaze met Twilight’s. “... try to come back, all of you.”

Chrysalis looked down to see a purple hoof outstretched. She raised her own hoof cautiously, but touched it to Twilight’s. The two had a brief moment of silence before Discord clapped his paws together twice to get their attention. “Remember, Mister Thrawn, this is a one way trip, so do whatever you need to do in a hurry. I suggest you hold onto something.”

Thrawn and Ezra stood close, and Ezra put an arm around Chrysalis’ back. “We’re ready, Discord.”

With that being said, everypony watched as he snapped his claws once again, and in an instant, they were gone.

***Forest Fire Fight***

Part 13: Forest Fire Fight

“Ah! What was that?!”

Applejack rolled her eyes and glared in Pinkie Pie’s direction. “It was me, Pinkie. Ya’ keep bumpin’ Into me and scarin’ yourself. Why don’t ya’ watch where you’re goin’?”

Twilight and her friends moved clumsily through the Everfree Forest, much to Lancer’s dismay. The death trooper shook her head and sighed. “I can’t beileve I actually signed up for this...”

A low rumble began softly and grew louder with every passing second. Lancer held up a fist, signaling for everypony to stand still. They froze. The ground was shaking now as an imperial shuttle flew overhead, soaring in the direction they were walking. As the shuttle flew further away, the rumbling fell softer until it faded away.

Lancer looked back at the ponies, and they looked at her. They couldn’t see through the trooper’s helmet, but they could tell she was clearly concerned. “It’s Cavi. He’s deploying stormtroopers to the target.” She raised her weapon. “We need to move. Double time, ponies!”

With that being said, the death trooper took off into the thicket. Twilight and her friends exchanged looks before running after her. The Everfree Forest was twisted and unforgiving to those who got lost, and now the ponies were following a stranger through the darkest part of the woods on a mission to save their world. They leaped over gnarled roots and under low-hanging branches, dodging trees left and right.

Eventually, they caught up with Lancer at the edge of a clearing. For the first time, the ponies could actually see the sky above them through the trees, but that wasn’t the most interesting sight. The shuttle had landed, and several stormtroopers stood by it, weapons in their arms.

Lancer knelt behind the brush and aimed her blaster at the troopers, observing them through the scope of her weapon. “I count three... no, four stormtroopers. Something isn’t right... Cavi wouldn’t send so few men to secure such an important target.”

Applejack joined her. “Well... Where’s the rest of ‘em?”

Lancer trained her sights on the nearest trooper. “That’s what I’m going to find out...”

Twilight gasped and threw a hoof on top of the weapon, forcing it down. “You’re not going to kill them, are you?”

Lancer looked at her, and the princess suddenly felt very small. “Is that a problem, pony?”

Though she was trembling, Twilight nodded her head. “No killing... We only need to keep them from getting to the tree...”

The death trooper stared deeply into the pony’s eyes for several seconds before letting out a groan. “Fine...”

Then, she raised her blaster again, and Twilight’s eyes widened. “Wait! I thought we just agreed to find another way!”

Lancer readied herself to fire. “They don’t need their legs to live.”

Her finger squeezed the trigger, and a red bolt of energy fired from her blasted, hitting the storm trooper in the knee and knocking him down. Twilight gasped at the spectacle. The injured trooper rolled on the ground, groaning in pain as he held his leg.

This quickly got the attention of the other three stormtroopers who began to return fire. “Get down!”

Lancer placed a hand on Twilight’s head and forced her into the brush. Then, the death trooper leaped into action, literally, diving over the brush and into the clearing. She tucked and rolled along the forest floor, blasting another unfortunate stormtrooper in her thigh. Unable to stand, she too crumbled and fell like the first, screaming and howling. “Traitor!”

The third pulled a blade from his belt and took a swing at Lancer, but the death trooper was an expert at hand-to-hand combat. She grabbed a hold of his wrist and twisted it hard, forcing him to drop the knife before kicking his knee inward.

The fourth, standing by the ramp leading into the shuttle, trained his blaster on her and fired, catching Lancer on the shoulder. Lancer cried out and clasped the wound before falling to her knees. Before the stormtrooper could deliver the killing blow, however, a bolt of purple energy came sailing out of the woods, hitting him in the chest. The trooper was knocked back against the side of the shuttle before falling to the ground unconscious.

Lancer rose shakily to her feet and turned around to find Twilight standing behind her with smoke trailing from the tip of her horn. The death trooper offered the princess a nod, and that was the end of it. “It’s just as I thought...” She looked towards a set of footprints that left the shuttle and dissapeared into the woods. “These guys were only guarding their ride out of here. The rest are on their way to the tree. We need to hurry...”

Lancer took a step forward, but she didn’t make it far. She let out a sharp hiss before falling, clutching her shoulder where the blaster left its mark. Rarity approached her. “Let me see that, darling...”

Reluctantly, Lancer removed her hand and allowed the ponies to see her injury. A gaping hole existed where her shoulder used to be, and it appeared to be very red. “Oh dear... She’s losing a lot of blood... You need lie down quickly.” Lancer protested and attempted to push the white pony away. “Darling, if we don’t do something about this, we’re going to lose you. Let us help.”

Rarity spoke with such firmness that the death trooper actually seemed to listen and obey. With her good arm, she pointed at the shuttle. “M-M-Medical kit... inside... on the wall by the ramp...”

Fluttershy was on it immediately and flew into the imperial craft. Moments later, she came back with a large white container balanced on her back. “I’m sorry if this isn’t it. I didn’t really know what to look for...”

Lancer waved her away and pulled the box closer towards her. “This is it... You did fine...”

Rarity frowned at her and opened the kit. “Let me help you with that, darling. You sound like you’re burning up.”

She placed her hooves on either side of Lancer’s helmet and began to pull it off, but the death trooper stopped her. Twilight looked worriedly at Lancer. “Please, let us help you...”

Again, with great reluctance, the death trooper allowed Rarity to remove her helmet. As the black mask came off, her golden hair fell free, and for the first time, the ponies saw the person Lancer really was. She too looked back at the ponies, blinking through her shimmering blue eyes.

Sure enough, she had been burning up under her helmet as obvious beads of sweat dotted her face. She looked up at Twilight. “This is your mission now, princess...”

The purple pony solomly nodded her head and looked at Rarity. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I’ll take good care of our friend here. You go along and keep the tree safe from those bullies.”

Everyone looked at her, waiting for her to say something. “Come on, girls. Let’s hurry to the Tree of Harmony.”

Then, she, along with the rest of her friend, left Rarity and Lancer by the shuttle and ran back into the thicket.

***Up Next: The Belly of the Beast***

Part 14: The Belly of the Beast

When Chrysalis opened her eyes again, the palace was gone. Instead, she now stood in a small, dark room, almost like a closet. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all metal and alien, confirming that she was indeed back on board the star destroyer. The only visable light came from the small window on the door that lead to a corridor.

“Alright, Ezra... What do we do now?” No response came, and the changeling glances behind her to discover that she was alone. “Ezra? Thrawn?”

A quick spin verified her fears. They were nowhere to be seen.

Panting heavily, Chrysalis rushed to the door and glanced through the small window. To her left, a patrol of stormtroopers was marching towards her. Needing to get out of sight, she ducked under the window as they passed her by. She was unable to see all while listening to the sound of their marching steps fade away. “Okay, get a grip, Chrysalis... You can do this...”

The changeling took a deep breath before rising to her full height again. Now, she needed a way to open the door and escape. A simple teleportation spell would be easy, but she didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention from passing stormtroopers. From her first visit to the destroyer, she remembered small buttons on the wall Thrawn would press in order to pass from one room to another. This time, however, there was no such device. The door was only ever meant to be opened from the outside, meaning she was trapped.

Just as she was preparing to teleport to the other side of the door, it opened, and Chrysalis found herself face to face with two stormtroopers, each with his blaster raised. The first one pointed into the closet, directly at the changeling. “It’s her!”

Chrysalis, in the panic of the moment, reared up on her back legs and brought her front hooves down on the armored troopers. She kicked them both, hard sending them flying across the corridor where they hit the wall before falling to the floor. The changeling was on them in seconds and was about to stomp on them again, but one of the troopers raised his hands over his head and pulled his helmet off. “Wait, don’t!”

Chrysalis gasped as she realized it was Ezra, and a huge grin came over her. “Oh... I thought you were stormtroopers...”

The second trooper removed his helmet, revealing his blue skin and red eyes. “That is clearly not the case.”

Thrawn let out a groan as he and Ezra climbed to their feet. “We were separated, and when I found Ezra, he was stealing stormtrooper armor from the armory.”

Ezra held up his hands in mock defense. “Hey, I said I’m borrowing it.”

Thrawn paid his remark no attention. “Anyway, I found this plan to be quite cunning, so I too dawned this disguise.”

Chrysalis didn’t care much about the story, but she was relieved to see her friends again. “I was worried when I found myself in that room without you both.”

Ezra offered her a kind smile before hiding his face behind the white mask once again. “Hey, it’s gonna take a lot more than that to separate us.”

Thrawn nodded slowly as he put his helmet back on too. “We should find the communications center first and keep it offline. Cavi is surly going to call for imperial reinforcements as soon as he gets the power he needs.” The grand admiral let out a long sigh. “Then, once we are certain communications are down, we must destroy this ship.”

He revealed a small bag of thermal detonators and looked at Ezra. “I stopped you once, Ezra Bridger, but now I need you to finish what you started.”

Chrysalis swallowed hard, knowing Ezra and Thrawn would never be able to go home without the star destroyer. Ezra saw her expression change, and he placed a reassuring hand in her shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about us, queenie. We know this is a one-way trip.”

She managed a sad smile and nodded her head. “Very well... Let’s do this.”

Ezra accepted the exsplosives from Thrawn and threw the bag over his shoulders. “I’ll take out the reactor. You two just make sure you get your job done, and we’ll meet at the escape pods.”

After a brief moment of silence, Thrawn extended a hand towards the Jedi. Ezra looked hesitant at first, but he gave in and accepted the grand admiral’s shake. “You never cease to amaze me, Ezra Bridger.”

He touched his fingers to the rim of his helmet, a salute of sorts, and bolted down the corridor. Now on their own, Chrysalis and Thrawn turned and began walking in the opposite direction. An intersection was directly ahead, and coming from around the corner, they could hear the sound of storm troopers approaching. Chrysalis’ ears twitched and she glanced towards Thrawn. “What do we do?! What do I do?!” Her heart was pounding in her chest as fear of being caught came over her. “I’m not like you. I don’t have a disguise. What do I do, Thrawn?!”

He shook his head and raised his blaster in the direction the troopers were coming from. “You’re a changeling, aren’t you? Change!”

Chrysalis was out of time. She closed her eyes and thought hard, concentrating on the one thing she could actually focus on. A green flame ignited under her hooves and rose to consume her entire body. In an instant, Chrysalis was no more. In her place, Ezra Bridger stood, clothes and all.

She couldn’t see Thrawn’s face through his helmet, but she could feel the glare hitting her. “That doesn’t help our situation, Chrysalis...”

It was too late to fix it, because several stormtroopers being lead by an imperial officer turned the corner. When the officer saw them, his eyes widened. “Trooper! Is that the rebel scum we’ve been after?”

It then dawned on Thrawn that he could use the unfortunate circumstances to their advantage. “Uh... Yes, sir.”

The officer looked very impressed. “I see... You captured him yourself? Well done, trooper. I’ll see to it that you’re actions are recognized by Captain Cavi. That only leaves the traitors Grand Admiral Thrawn and Commander Chrysalis.”

The disguised Thrawn nodded his head. “Of course, sir. I’ll escort the Jedi to the detention cells.”

Unfortunately, the officer shook his head. “Never mind that, trooper. Captain Cavi will want to interrogate this criminal himself on the bridge. Let us provide you an escort there.”

Chrysalis, dressed as Ezra, swallowed hard as she and Thrawn were lead in the opposite direction they needed to go. Already, their plan was beginning to fall apart. She only hoped that the real Ezra Bridger was having more luck.

***Up Next: The Tree of Harmony***

Part 15: The Tree of Harmony

Twilight froze when she heard unfamiliar voices up ahead. She, along with her friends, had found the scar in the ground that lead down into the cave that housed the Tree of Harmony, and the Empire has beaten them to it. Down below them, they could see stormtroopers and imperial officers setting up strange devises and equipment around the tree.

Applejack frowned as she watched. “Gosh... I sure do wish Lancer was here... She’d know what to do.”

Her friend’s honesty ignited a spark of courage inside of Twilight. “Applejack, that’s it! We just have to be like Lancer and do what she would!”

Rainbow Dash glanced her way and shrugged her shoulders. “So... What would she do?”

Twilight peered down into the cave again, silently counting the number of imperials. She remembered watching the death trooper expertly asses the terrain back in the thicket of the Everfree Woods. “Lancer would take a moment and study them, find out how many there are and where to strike first... I see thirteen storm troopers and a few others, maybe their leaders.”

Starlight leaned in close to Twilight so she wouldn’t be overheard by the others. “There’s a lot more of them than there are of us. We don’t have strength on our side.”

Twilight fired her a sly grin. “Maybe not, but they don’t know we’re here. We have surprise on our side, and sometimes, that’s just as good.”

Then, she turned to face Pinkie Pie. “Do you still have that party cannon?”

***

An imperial officer watched eagerly as the stormtroopers began connecting the tethers to the base of the tree. “Hurry, now! Captain Cavi demands results sooner rather than later. There are already troubleing reports of resistance in the area.”

A trooper approached him, saluted, and then gestured to a pair of large containers, now beginning to glow miraculously. “Sir, the first two conduits are almost fully charged. This tree seems to be a limitless source of power.”

The officer nodded his head approvingly.

“Yes, and with it, we can summon the full night of the Empire to subjugate this... what is tha-“

A trooper raised his blaster. “Contact!”

The first blast hit several stormtroopers all at once, blowing them back a ways and showering them with bits of colored paper as an ear shattering ‘boom’ echoed throughout the cave.

“Contact! Contact!”

The blasts came from every direction, and no where at the same time. Stormtroopers, caught off guard and terrified, fired blindly at the cave walls as great blasts of confetti hit them again and again. Using her magic, Twilight raised a shield to protect herself from a few stray blaster bolts. “Keep hitting ‘em, Pinkie Pie! You’re doing great!”

The pink pony didn’t need to be told twice, and like a grasshopper, she darted around the tree with her party cannon, giving every stormtrooper she could see a face full of confetti.

“Twilight, we got a problem!” Applejack managed to warn them just in time as a dozen more storm troopers appeared behind them, blasters raised and trained on the ponies.

Now, they were surrounded, and the dazed troopers by the tree began to regroup. Twilight hadn’t counted on Imperial reinforcements. She had slipped up, and now they were going to pay for it. The imperial officer approached them, brushing flakes of confetti off of his uniform. “What a spectacular display, ponies... Unfortunately for you, it will take far more than that to stop us.”

Pinkie Pie looked worriedly at her. “Twilight, what do we do?”

She didn’t know. She thought she knew, but the confidence that fueled her moments before was gone. Twilight shook her head silently as the stormtroopers pushed them against the cave wall, facing the Tree of Harmony. “Sergeant, take your men back out to the forest and look for the rest of them. Then, I want you to prepare a firing squad.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and her heart sank in her chest. She knew something had to be done, but what could she possibly do? “I’m sorry, girls... I’m so sorry I got us into this mess...”

Several stormtroopers stepped forward and aimed their weapons at the ponies.

Starlight swallowed hard. “It’s alright, Twilight... Knowing all of you has made these years the best of my life.”

The troopers placed their fingers on the triggers of their blasters.

“Ready...”

Rainbow Dash’s ears folded back as she stared down the barrel facing her.

“Take aim...”

Pinkie Pie whimpered softly. The officer opened his mouth, and the final word began to escape his lips, but he was interrupted by the sound of static from his communicator.

He opened the device, and a small, blue figure of a storm trooper appeared on top of it. “What is it, trooper?”

The connection was lost. The imperial officer pointed to the nearest trooper. “Uhg... Get out there and find out what’s going on!”

It was too late, however, because the sound of a thousand flapping wings began to fill the cave. Changelings, too many to count, filled the area and began harassing the stormtroopers. In the chaos, a stray hoof would catch a trooper in the side of his or her helmet and knock them unconscious. Twilight and her friends were quick to help and join the fray.

Using their magic, she and Starlight bound several stormtroopers together. Many of the changelings were now targeting the imperial gadgets and equipment hooked up to the tree, and they began dismantling them piece by piece.

Then, Twilight saw him, and a huge grin came over her as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Thorax!”

The changeling king smiled back and landed in front of her. “Twilight! Celestia, I’m sure glad we got here when we did.”

The purple pony threw her hooves around him and held him tightly. “You have no idea...”

Then, she pulled away and was relieved to see that the Tree of Harmony was safe. All of the imperials, including the officer, were subdued on the cave floor and surrounded by an army of changelings. “Discord told us what you were up to, so we just had to help. We even found Rarity and your other friend and guided them back to Ponyville.”

Thorax’s news was music to her ears. Lancer was still alive, and even better, she was safe in Ponyville. That only left...

“Chrysalis... Thorax, we have to help her.”

***Up Next: The Chimera’s Fire***

Finale: The Chimera’s Fire

Under the guise of a certain Ezra Bridger, Queen Chrysalis preceded closly behind Thrawn, also disguised. It was a worst case scenario, and their plan began to unravel at an alarming speed. They were surrounded by a detachment of stormtroopers that were escorting her to the bridge in order to meet Captain Cavi face to face. One of the troopers hit her from behind with the butt of his blaster. “Move it, rebel.”

This had to be it, real oppression. Chrysalis’ chest began to twist and churn with discomfort and regret as she recalled the way she treated her own subjects. One of them, Cicada, told her just how much she was hated before betraying her. Not feared, but hated. Cicada had been one of her top agents before she joined the crystal ponies, but Chrysalis now realized just how right she really was.

The troopers around her stopped, and Chrysalis came back from her thoughts. She was now standing in an all too familiar place. The bridge resembled a throne room without the chair, and all around them, imperial deck officers hurriedly worked at their stations. Then, there was Cavi, standing ahead at the large, transparisteel windows that opened up into a vast, blue sky.

A layer of clouds carpeted the air beneath them, giving off an eerie effect that closly reminded Chrysalis of the snowy wastlands of the Frozen North. When Cavi noticed her, he greeted the disguised changeling with a smile. “Ezra Bridger, welcome back aboard. You’ve given us quite the chase. It’s a shame it has to end so soon.”

Chrysalis said nothing. She simply glared at the captain as a form of silent resistance. This didn’t seam to phase him, however, and he continued his monologue. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re here, because our hyperdrive capabilities are nearly at peak efficiency. Soon, we won’t even need our long range transmitters, and we can leave this wretched world behind for good. At least, until we can return with an invasion force large enough to capture it.”

Chrysalis’ eyes widened, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out in defiance. “You can’t!”

Captain Cavi raised an eyebrow at her. A pair of stormtroopers aimed their blasters at her from behind, but he motioned for them to stand down. Chrysalis had expected her own voice to leave Ezra’s mouth, which would certainly give herself away, but instead, she sounded just like him. Her cover was still intact, for now.

“Mr. Bridger, who is going to stop us? With all of the magic this world possesses, the Emperor and Lord Vader will be very interested to investigate further. What are a few silly ponies worth to you anyway?”

The changeling glanced towards Thrawn, making eye contact with the blue man through his visor before looking back at Cavi. “They’re stronger than you give them credit for. Trust me.”

Then, out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted something unusual. It was soaring across the sky, speeding straight for them like a cloud of flies. Some of the deck officers noticed it too. “Captain, I’m getting some weird readings on our short range scanners.”

Cavi strolled across the bridge and looked over the officer’s shoulder at his terminal screen. “It might be interference. Can you clear it up?”

The officer shook his head. “No sir, I don’t know what it is, but it’s coming straight for us.”

Chrysalis peered our the window. Sure enough, the cloud was growing larger as it neared the star destroyer. Cavi’s eyes narrowed at the cloud, but before he could give the order to shoot it down, the cloud fired first. Like a thousand lights glowing together, the mass of changelings lit their horns and fired a gigantic beam of energy at the bridge. The magic hit the star destroyer’s navigation shields and deflected away harmlessly, but inside the ship, everyone stumbled and fell as rumbles echoed throughout the superstructure.

Cavi clinged to a terminal to keep himself upright. “What in the blazes is that?!” By now, the hundreds of changelings had split up and were swarming around the destroyer, firing bolts of magic whenever and wherever they could. “Are we helpless?! Someone do something! Return fire!”

Chrysalis has to hold her hands over her ears as the massive guns of the star destroyer roared to life and began unloading large bolts of brilliant energy into the atmosphere. The entire ship moved like a monster now, using its cannons and fend of the swarms of changelings like bug swatters. Unfortunately for them, however, the changelings were small and quick.

“We can’t shoot them down sir! Their moving too fast!”

Cavi glared out at the sky as the battle unfolded before him. “Defiance... Rebellion... We have to burned these ideals away as instructed by our Emperor. Keep firing!”

Then, a pair of stormtroopers came running onto the bridge. “Captain!”

Cavi spun around the face them. “What is it?! Can’t you see I’m busy?!”

The troopers glanced at each other, then back at the imperial officer. “Sir, Ezra Bridger’s been spotted near the main reactor!”

That’s when Chrysalis’ communicator began to beep, and Thrawn’s too.

Cavi stared at her with disbelief in his eyes. “Wh-Wha... I don’t understand...”

Chrysalis’ lips curled into a smirk, and she shrugged her shoulders. Green fire sparked beneath her feet, and before anyone had a chance to react, she was standing on her true form once again. Several troopers were on her in an instant. “It’s the commander! Get her!”

Chrysalis leaped forward to avoid the blaster fire, but her communicator continued to beep.

Thrawn sprang into action, taking down several stormtroopers around him. The bridge quickly turned into a firefight zone as the changeling challenged Cavi on the elevated platform in the center of the room.

Cavi revealed a small blaster and pointed it at her. “It’s over, Queen Chrysalis! You can’t stop us!”

The both of them paused as they felt a deep rumbling combing from within the ship.

The shaking grew, and Cavi lost his balance. Chrysalis butted him with her head, sending the man flying back towards the window behind him. Sirens now echoed throughout the ship, and they lurched forward as it began a rapid descent towards the clouds below them. Outside, billowing collums of black smoke and fire poured from the bowels of the star destroyer as it broke apart.

The Chimera was falling.

Panicking stormtroopers and deck officers scrambled out of the bridge, towards the escape pods, but not Chrysalis. Thrawn had removed his helmet and was holding onto the wall while waving to get her attention. “Chrysalis, let’s go!”

She needed to see this to the end, to see Cavi burn.

Chrysalis turned to face him with a sad look in her eyes, but a smile on her face. “No, Thrawn. You should go.”

The blue alien stared blankly at her for a moment but nodded his head. “What should I tell Ezra?”

Chrysalis thought for a moment and came to a conclusion. “Tell him that they were right. All of them were right.”

Thrawn seemed to understand, and he dissapeared through the corridor leading to the escape pods. That left only her and Cavi, who held tightly onto a terminal to avoid sliding across the floor which was now at a forty five degree angle. “What... What now, changeling?”

Chrysalis didn’t say anything. She simply stood there and glared at him as flashing red lights glowed in her face. “You know... whatever happenes now, happens to us both.”

Then, she nodded her head slowly. “I’m counting on it... This is to repay Equestria for everything I’ve done, and this is for Ezra...”

Cavi still held his blaster, though shakily, in his bloodied hand. “Do you really think that will make things right?”

Chrysalis spotted the firearm. The imperial lunged at her, his blaster pointed forward, but the changeling was ready. She stepped to the side, pushing Cavi behind her and kicking him hard. The force of her legs propelled her into the window, shattering it. Chrysalis let out a sharp, pained gasp as she began to freefall.

High in the open air, she tumbled towards the clouds as the burning remains of the star destroyer fell below her. As they broke through the clouds together, the vastness of the Frozen North opened up before them.

The cold air sucked her breath away, but Chrysalis couldn’t look away as the Chimera creamed into the side of a mountain, erupting into a fireball that burned the blizzard itself. It was over, and now, she would fall to meet her own demise.

With her wings torn and tattered from crashing through the window, there was no way for her to fly, but that was alright. Chrysalis has made peace with her end, and she welcomed it. “I’m sorry, Ezra...”

The Frozen North was rushing up to meet her, and as she pictured the young man in her mind one last time, everything went white.

***Up Next: Redemption***

Epilogue: Redemption

“Over here! This way!”

A gentle rumbling drew Chrysalis out of her slumber. The changeling felt cold, much colder than she ever could have imagined possible, but that was alright. While freeezing, she felt at peace. She welcomed the cold. It was a nice change of pace to what she had been through recently.

The former queen reached out with her hooves and dragged them through the snow that enveloped her. She was finally ready to leave this world behind, to just give up and let the snow take her away. There was only one thing holding her back, one regret. Ezra Bridger.

He was the first being she ever encountered that didn’t show fear at the first sight of her. In fact, he showed her disrespect and complete disregard for her authority as a queen, and to make matters stranger, she actually liked it.

Chrysalis could only hope that he had made it off of the star destroyer in time, but she never got the chance to tell him how she truly felt, what she thought about their relationship, and what she really wanted. Part of her wanted to cry, but buried so deep beneath the snow that continued to pile on top of her, her tears froze instantly, threatening to freeze her eyes shut forever.

“Ezra...”

The rumbling grew louder and ever more noticeable. Chrysalis felt a sense of immenant doom approaching her, as though the ice beneath her would open up and swallow her whole. As she rolled to position herself on her back, something fell from her mane. It was the communications device given to her by Thrawn. It had survived the crash, and so had she.

After a brief struggle to reach the device, she clasped it between her hooves and began fiddling with the buttons, hoping blindly that any one of them might do anything to save her. Above her, she could make out faint voices.

“Sir, I’m picking up a signal!”

“Track it, sergeant. I want her found.”

Chrysalis’ heart pounded in her chest. This wasn’t her end. It was a rescue party! Mustering what little strength she had left, the changeling queen took in a deep breath before letting out a loud cry for help. All around her, the snow was collapsing, threatening to bury her alive, but the ceiling cracked open, and light shined on her face once again. Chrysalis coughed and wheezed as masked troopers pulled her from the snow.

“It’s okay... We’ve got you...”

She collapsed in a heap on the surface of the snow, gasping for air and stretching her hooves out in all directions. A quick glance at the troopers told her that they weren’t imperial stormtroopers, but something else. In the distance, the smoldering remains of the star destroyer still burned brightly. Then, a familiar face appeared, and a huge grin broke out along Chrysalis’ cheeks. “Thrawn...”

The blue man smiled back at her, though still not looking as enthusiastic. “Your mission was a success, Commander Chrysalis. Your service to this world was most notible.”

She nodded softly but glanced around her at the new troopers that surrounded them. “Who are... you?”

Thrawn gestured to them. “These are my people, the Chiss. A nearby cruiser picked up the Chimera’s distress signal as it was going down. They managed to isolate the signal so it would not alert the Empire and came to our rescue.”

Under their masks, Chrysalis noticed that they, like Thrawn, boasted blue skin, all but one. “When our business here is concluded, we will be leaving. A transport is already waiting.”

Chrysalis eyed the alien craft some distance away before looking back at the grand admiral. “Where is Ezra?”

Thrawn paused briefly, and Chrysalis immediately feared the worst. From the look on his face, she came to th conclusion that her friend hadn’t made it off of the Chimera in time, and her throat closed shut. Then, one of the Chiss troopers stepped forward and removed his mask, revealing himself to be her missing friend.

She could hardly beileve it was really him, even as he dropped the helmet and knelt beside her. “Ezra!”

Chrysalis beamed and cried out as she threw her hooves around him. A few days ago, she never would have imagined showing off such displays of affection, but now, she didn’t care who saw or what they might have thought. As she pulled away, she found herself lost in his silly grin and blue eyes, and her heart pined for his touch. “Ezra, I... There’s so much I have to tell you...” She swallowed hard. “... but there are other places you need to be...”

The boy nodded his head. “Yeah... Thrawn’s offered to give me a ride off world so I can see my home again.”

Chrysalis knew deep down that it wasn’t just a place he needed to see again, but his own people and perhaps a special someone he care about most of all. She didn’t need Jedi powers to figure that out. “Ezra, before you go... I just want you to know that you’ve changed me... and that...” The words she wanted so desperately to say were caught in her throat, but determination forced them through. “I... I love you...”

Locked in an embrace with the boy, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. When she pulled away, they shared a look she would never forget. Ezra let out a long breath. “I love you too, Chrysalis, but you know I can’t stay.”

She nodded her head as the desire to let out her tears returned. “I know...”

He broke free from her grasp and stood up before helping her to her hooves. “This world is safe from the Empire now, because of you. I hope more worlds follow your example.”

His hand caressed her cheek, and she melted at his touch. “Goodbye, Chrysalis. I’ll never forget you.”

Then, he turned to walk back towards the Chiss starship along with the other Chiss troopers. Now, only her and Thrawn remained. “It seems this has been an enlightening journey for all of us, Queen Chrysalis.”

She wore a sad frown as she looked back and forth between him and Ezra in the distance. “You were enemies when I found you both. Is that still the case?”

Thrawn shrugged apathetically. “Not all wounds are so easily healed by time alone, but by actions and goals achieved through a common adversary. Even as my enemy, I have always respected Ezra Bridger, but now...” The grand admiral let out a light chuckle. “... Call it whatever you will, but I sense a change in the tide of the war between the Empire and these rebels.”

Chrysalis wasn’t sure of what he meant by that, but a black figured appeared as if from out of nowhere and approached Thrawn. “Sir, we are ready to depart.”

The blue alien nodded his head. “Very good, Lancer. Let us get underway.”

The death trooper eyed Chrysalis and offered the changeling a subtle nod before turning to follow Thrawn back towards the awaiting transport. As the ramp raised, and they dissapeared inside, the Chiss starship began to lift off of the ground. Chrysalis watched with awe as the ship climbed higher and higher into the sky, hoping silently that Ezra was looking back at her. Then, it dissapeared into the clouds that perpetually covered the Frozen North, leaving her behind.

The changeling queen was along again, but she wasn’t lost. There was a hive of changelings somewhere in the Frozen North that she needed to find, and a young queen that she needed to talk to. With the burning star destroyer to her back, Chrysalis began to walk out into the frozen wasteland with only one thought on her mind.

“Pyrite...”

***The End***

***Up Next: Fool’s Gold***

Part 8: Falling Towards The Sky

Chrysalis looked back and forth between Thrawn and Ezra. The rebel looked like he had taken a considerable beating, brandishing several bruises and a blackened eye.

Thrawn outstretched an arm, gesturing to Ezra. “You see, Chrysalis, these rebels draw strength from each other, something that I learned on Lothal. It is only when they are acting alone, without any friends or allies, that they are doomed to fail.”

Chrysalis looked back at Ezra, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. She wanted to apologize to the boy, to tell him how sorry she was for getting him in this situation, but she was afraid to speak in front of Thrawn.

The blue alien turned to the stormtrooper officer that arrived after Ezra. “Captain, were you able to disarm all of the explosive charges set on the main reactor?”

The stormtrooper nodded his head and revealed a handful of little devices. Chrysalis tried to get a better look at them, but another trooper held her back with his blaster. “Yes, sir. We found eight charges in total. The reactor would have been completely lost if we didn’t find them all.”

Thrawn nodded his head approvingly and turned his back to them before walking towards the windows. Chrysalis lowered her head in shame. It was all over for them, and soon, Thrawn would unleash his fury on the city of Canterlot. Amidst her grief, however, Chrysalis’ ears twitched as she heard a mischievous chuckle.

Her eyes darted around the bridge until they landed on Ezra, who had a silly grin on his face. Thrawn heard it too, and he spun around to face the rebel. “Do you find your situation amusing, Ezra Bridger?”

He shook his head but continued to laugh, intriguing Chrysalis more and more. “No... No, nothing’s funny about this... It’s just... Well, your stormtroopers didn’t actually find all of the charges.” Thrawn raised an eyebrow, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Ezra beat him to it. “Nine... There were nine charges...”

Chrysalis gasped as something fell from Ezra’s sleeve and landed in his hand, a cylindrical device with a red button. Thrawn realized what was happening too late, and he cried out for the stormtroopers to stop him, but Ezra had no intentions of stopping, and he mashed the button with his thumb.

For Chrysalis, time seemed to slow down. A violent rumbling sensation can from deep within the destroyer, causing everyone to stumble and fall. Ezra took the opportunity to jump away from his captors and dash towards the door. “Chrysalis, hurry!”

Her ears were ringing violently, but her hooves were already moving for her. She looked back at Thrawn, who had a dangerous look in his eyes. The Grand Admiral picked a fallen blaster up and pointed the weapon at her, taking several shots. Her horn ignited, raising a shield that absorbed the red energy.

She turned and saw Ezra by the door, waving for her to follow, so she did. “Chrysalis, let’s go!”

The changeling took off, her heart thundering in her ears as she felt the entire destroyer lurch forward. Her mind couldn’t process anything that was happening, but her body had the drive to move on it’s own, acting on instinct. When she caught up to the rebel, they began to run together down the corridor towards the lift. “What have you done?!”

Ezra fired her a sly grin as they turned down a new hall. “The only thing I’m good at, breaking the Empire’s stuff!” He huffed and puffed as they continued to evade the dozens of stormtroopers baring down on them. “Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to bring this star destroyer down... All of the charges were needed, but at least we can escape.”

Chrysalis understood, or at least she thought she did. She spotted the lifts up ahead. They would take them down to a hanger where she figured they could find a smaller ship to make their getaway in. This, however, didn’t happen, and they passed the lifts completely. “Wait! Where are we going?!”

Ezra pointed a finger as he ran. “The lifts are too slow. We’d be caught for sure. Our only way off this thing is just up here...”

They came to a stop in front of a large, heavily armored door. “What... What is this?”

Ezra was already beginning to open the door, tapping his fingers on a control panel. Locked unlatched and pressurized air hissed as the door began to open. “This... is a rear access airlock. Get ready to jump...” The changeling has no idea of what any of those words meant, but something about this was beginning to feel familiar. “Get ready...”

The rotating lock was almost free.

“Jump now!”

Chrysalis did just that as the door exploded outward, sucking them both out of the star destroyer and into the air. The changeling’s breath was immediately swept away as freezing, rushing air enveloped her. Ezra was tumbling through the sky in the distance, even appearing to be enjoying himself to a degree.

Chrysalis turned her head as best she could to watch the crippled star destroyer limp away until it vanished into the distant clouds. Now far south of the Frozen North, they were falling towards green pastures and rolling hills. It was then that Chrisalis found her voice, and she let out a horrified scream. She tried to flap had tattered wings, but the rushing air kept them pinned against her body. Her legs flailed in every direction, desperately searching for solid ground to stand on, but as they were miles in the air, they found none.

“Chrysalis!” She heard Ezra call her over the rushing winds. “Chrysalis, stay calm! I’m coming!”

Before the changeling had time to register what was happening, the boy slammed into her, wrapping his arms around her body as they tumbled together through the sky.

“Stay with me, Chrysalis!”

Her vision was beginning to darken.

“Stay with me! Chrysalis, you have to stay with me!”

Darkness closed in as the ground rushed upward to meet them. Then, everything went black as Ezra shouted her name.

***Up Next: Apples For Apples***