Shadow Wars: Dawn of a New Empire

Princess Luna and Defender along with a battalion of Royal Guards crept through the dense foliage of the Everfree Forest, their target was several metres in front of them. As they got closer, the sounds of machinery and metal clanging filled their ears.

Luna raised her hoof to signal that the group should stop. The small army quietly leapt into a ditch, where they could get a closer look at their target without getting seen. The factory appeared to be lightly defended, with only a barbed wire fence and several Droid Soldier patrols standing in their way. They could see that droids were loading several crates of, what Defender presumed to be blasters, onto the back of weird-looking carts that looked like they were being pulled by nothing.

Luna looked over at a yellow pegasus, who was carrying a crossbow, "Target, hide in those trees and take out those droids," Luna commanded. Target nodded before flying up into the canopy, where she found a tree branch that felt sturdy enough to hold her weight, as well as that, was in the right position so that she could shoot down at the enemy droids without having to move much and potentially give away her position.

Peering through the scope that was fixed to the top of her crossbow, Target's crosshairs marked their targets before she shot several magical arrows, in rapid succession, into several Droid Soldiers, the magic causing the droids to short circuit.

With the guards, neutralised, the platoon of guards were free to sneak up to the main door. Leaning against the warehouse door, Luna used the aura to sense how many enemies were on the other side, "The droids that are being built here are interfering with my senses," Luna grunted in frustration.

"I imagine that as soon as we breach this door, then the whole facility will know that they have intruders and that those droids that are being built will be activated," Defender predicted, powering up his blue magiscaber.

"I agree, everypony prepare yourselves, unicorns, I want you to use your horns and create force fields, while everypony else get your crossbows and spears ready to face the enemy," Luna said in a commanding tone while wielding her own purple magiscaber.

The guards immediately lined themselves up in formation, in front of the large metal factory door, with the earth ponies and pegasi aiming their spears and crossbows towards the doors and the unicorns creating a large forcefield that completely protected the group of soldiers.

Luna and Defender both used their magiscabers to cut a large hole in the door, causing large amounts of sparks to be released from the cutting. Defender and Luna started on opposite ends of the door, both of them dragging their sabers through the thin sheets of metal before eventually meeting up in the middle. With a clear outline caused by the cutting, Defender used the aura to push the piece of metal into the structure.

Almost instantly, the group came under fire from blaster fire, Defender ducked and spun his saber, deflecting the magic bolts back to their owners, while Luna used force fields to absorb the bolts. Defender then jumped and rolled towards the Droid Soldiers, spinning his magiscaber, slicing the Droid's in half with two clean and precise motions. As soon as the pieces of Droids clattered to the floor Defender looked around in search of any more Droids, but was surprised to see that the only remaining droids were the deactivated droids.

It was at this moment that the room filled with whirring sounds followed by beeping. Looking upwards, Defender realised that the Droid Soldiers were beginning to activate. The battalion was quickly surrounded as a Droid Soldier approached them, "In the name of the Imperial Empire, you are under arrest."

Defender merely raised his eyebrow, before saying, "Did nopony program you to bring more than your fists to a magiscaber fight."

The newly created Droid Soldiers looked down at their empty hands before looking back up at the platoon of Royal Guards, who now had their weapons raised and primed while Defender and Luna had their magiscabers in position, "Oh shit...RUNNN!" The Droid shouted before turning. Before they could arm themselves, the Royal Guards opened fire, the fleeing Droids, stood no chance.

***

Luna along with the Royal Guards, entered a long corridor, which led to the storage room that housed all the blasters. Two Droid Soldiers had been on sentry duty, when the Royal Guards had came into view, the two droids instantly aimed their blasters, but, before they could pull the trigger, Defender and Luna used the aura to rip the blasters from their hands, while Luna used her alicorn magic to blast one soldier and Defender proceeded to lunge at the remaining droid and then stabbed it with his magiscaber, causing sparks to fly from the droid.

Luna and Defender then both used their magiscabers to cut their way through the door that led into the storage facility and were shocked to find that the room had no guards inside. "Nightwing, must not have expected anypony to attack his factory," Defender surmised.

Luna nodded in agreeance before ordering, "I want these crates of blasters being loaded onto the ships before any more Droids decide to show up."

Several smaller airships hovered overhead as ropes were lowered down so that they could raise the cargo onto the ships without them needing to land.

***

Emperor Nightwing was overseeing the construction of the Sky Destroyer, when a Droid Soldier came rushing towards him, "My Emperor, our forces have successfully taken the cities of Trottingham and Pegasus."

"Excellent, however, I sense that there is something else that you need to tell me," Nightwing said, not looking at the Droid.

The Droid reluctantly mentioned, "A droid factory, located in the Everfree forest, was attacked by an Equestrian strike team. Multiple crates of blasters were stolen."

Nightwing closed his eyes in annoyance, "Who was in this strike team?" Nightwing asked, however, he already knew the answer before the droid told him.

"Our reports indicate that it was a small battalion of Equestrian Royal Guards along with the Elementals known as Defender and Princess Luna."

"So the Equestrians think that they can steal MY inventions without repercussions, well they thought wrong. If they steal from me then I shall steal from them."

Nightwing then turned towards the Droid, his red eyes glowing brighter than ever, he ordered, "I want you to enter all the schools, daycares and orphanages and take every colt, filly and foal that is capable or that can learn to fire a blaster."

Nightwing smiled sinisterly as he thought about how Celestia would react once she realised that she would be forced to kill foals. He then turned back towards the Sky Destroyer, which was nearing closer to completion.