As the Rogue Shadow exited hyperspace, Starkiller slowly took in the view of a vibrant planet covered in biomes of different kinds. From stretches of frozen tundra to a large desert, it seemed that this world had no shortage of flora and fauna. He could also see the wonder in Juno's eyes, but what caught him off guard was the unease in the eyes of Captain Santus and Ensign Donnell.

”Take us down.” Starkiller ordered, and the ship began its descent. As they did, he immediately felt a powerful energy calling out to him, one that was not like the Force. It felt like a veil of dust had settled over him, constantly changing, mixing, and moving. It was certainly an odd sensation, but he made a mental note to report this to his master once they returned to Coruscant.

“Any signs of the Jedi?” He asked Proxy.

“There appears to be a Venator-class star destroyer, along with three Acclamator-class transports, docked on the ground near a ground base.” Proxy replied. "A small local village is established less than one klick from the landing site, near a large forested region."

“Set us down at a good distance inside the forest.” Starkiller ordered. “We can use it as cover from the Venator, and the locals if necessary. I’ll head to the base on foot from there.”

”Understood, Starkiller.” Captain Eclipse replied. With the controls in her steady hand, she guided the ship towards a clearing in the forest. The mist parted as the Rogue Shadow’s landing engines roared to life as it slowly settled onto the ground. Starkiller jumped up from his seat, and headed towards the exit ramp.

“Starkiller, what should we do in the meantime?” Ensign Haru Donell asked. “Shall we alert Lord Vader of our progress?”

“Not yet. Just assist Captain Eclipse however you can.” The Sith warrior replied. “Proxy, keep the engine running. We might need a quick exit if it comes to that.”

“Understood, Master!” Proxy gave a nod as Starkiller’s boots hit the loamy soil beneath him. As the Rogue Shadow’s landing ramp rose back into the ship, Starkiller began to make his way towards the enormous figures of the Acclamators and the Venator in the distance.

====

Starkiller’s pace began to slow after about ten minutes of walking, and so far, he had not been accosted by any hostile lifeforms, and it was a welcome respite from his usual missions, which had often involved leaving no one standing, whether they be Imperials or Rebels.

Starkiller knew that this was his master’s way of leaving no witnesses, because if even one Imperial or Rebel saw him and word got out…it would inevitably reach the Emperor.

“Which would mean certain death,” Starkiller thought. “The Rule of Two exists for good reason…”

He paused at this, his train of thought bringing him back to what Shaak Ti had said to him before she died, that the Sith always betrayed each other in the end. He stopped walking, and looked up at the planet’s sun, which was positioned high in the flawless blue sky.

“I would never betray my master.” He affirmed before resuming his hike towards the base. However, there was still a little part of him, in the back of his mind that whispered something to him.

”Does my master feel the same way?”

Then, a loud roar echoed through the area, and Starkiller’s lightsaber flew into his hands as he assumed a combat stance. Through the Force, he could sense that something big, loud, and angry was coming his way.

A few seconds later, the head of a serpentine being crashed through the foliage and bared its fangs at the Sith assassin, dripping with lilac-colored venom. Starkiller raised an eyebrow as more heads appeared, linked to a large, four-legged body.

The hydra stood to its full height, which rivaled an alpha rancor in scale, and let out a furious roar from all five of its heads. It’s beady blue eyes then began to stare down at its next meal. Starkiller simply activated his lightsaber, swinging the crimson blade behind him. The two combatants eyed each other warily, and the hydra began scuffing the earth with its clawed foot. Then, with a scream and a spray of venom, it lunged at its target.

Starkiller dodged to the side and swung upwards, cutting off the encroaching head with a single slash. The hydra recoiled, and Starkiller moved to rush his opponent. Only for the Hydra’s newly-regrown head to slam against him, sending him towards a large tree. He used the Force to slow his movement, allowing him to catch the ground and stop himself from the imminent impact.

As he took up a ready stance once again, both man and beast turned as one to see four Republic LAAT gunships approaching them from the air. Each gunship partnered up and moved into a pincer formation, with each pair focusing on the hydra or Starkiller.

Starkiller swore under his breath, promptly realizing that this fight just became a lot more difficult. There was stillness all around, with the roar of the gunships’ engines mingling with the wet noise of the hydra’s gnashing teeth.

With another roar, the hydra attacked, spraying venom towards the airborne crafts. At the same time, two more heads lunged at Starkiller. With ease, he slashed them both across the eyes, and began ascending the creature’s neck as it writhed in pain. The gunships then opened fire, and the three-way struggle began.

====
Ten minutes earlier…

Ponyville, Sugarcube Corner

The Element Bearers sat glumly at a circular table, each recounting the events of Princess Celestia’s story about Golden Plume, or Regulus, in their minds. Despite the vast and delicious array of pastries and sweets in front of them, none of them had an appetite.

”Honestly…” Applejack’s dour voice broke the silence. “I think Princess Celestia did the right thing. That Golden Plume fellow almost started a war. Plus, he did kill plenty of ponies and griffons. That’s not something you can just get slapped on the hoof for.”

“But did he have to die because of that?” Fluttershy weakly replied. “Why couldn’t they couldn’t have imprisoned him?”

“I don’t think that wouldn’t have satisfied the Griffons.” Rarity replied. “They were certainly right to be angry at that moment. However, that’s all in the past. I shudder to think what he has become here and now.”

“Yeah…if he was able to keep up with Kyris and both Princess Celestia and Luna, I don’t wanna know what else he can do.” Rainbow Dash nodded.

“That’s not even the biggest problem.” Princess Twilight sighed, drawing everyone’s attention. “Regulus came back from the dead, and he had a bunch of those battle droids with him. There’s no telling what other weapons he might have waiting.”

“To be honest, I agree with you all.”

The Element Bearers looked over towards the entrance and saw Commander Gale was leaning against the doorway.

”However, there’s more to it than just weapons.” Gale continued. “General Marchen believes that Regulus won’t attack Ponyville anytime soon, and Princess Celestia is routing some additional Guards here to assist. If anything happens, we’ll be ready.”

“That’s good to know.” Princess Twilight replied. “Speaking of, where is Kyris?”

“As far as I know, he’s still at the hospital.” Gale nodded. Then, a small beeping sound came from Gale’s wristpad. Gale tapped the button and turned away, beginning to speak quietly under his breath.

“This is Commander Gale, I read you…are you sure of that?…what’s their position…oh, skrag. On my way.”

Gale immediately straightened his posture and took off running towards the Everfree, causing the Element Bearers to look at each other in concern.

”What’s wrong with him?” Pinkie Pie asked. “He didn’t even say goodbye.”

”I don’t think that’s important right now.” Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight with concern clear in her eyes. “Do you think we should go after him?”

“I don’t know, but if it’s enough to make Commander Gale run off like that…” the Princess of Magic replied. “Then it’s something bad. He might need our help. Let’s follow him, but keep our distance.”

As the six Element Bearers ran off, a cold feeling settled over the Princess of Magic, as if frost was forming over her heart. As the sound of blaster fire and feral roaring came closer, the Elements braced themselves for what would come next.

Author's Note

Update!