Harmony in Force

Chapters

Prologue - Fear
Chapter I - Dreams and Omens
Chapter II - Tremors of the Past
Chapter III - Meetings
Chapter IV - The Morality of Hatred
Interlude - Scent of Blood

Prologue - Fear

In front of him, the datapad gave a small beep as it powered itself down, having relayed its information. Behind his command console, Captain Dax Telsh wearily sighed and laid the device down, his head coming to rest upon his palm, leaning against the console. A long moment passed, murmurs of intrigue from his crew and the occasional chirrup and whirr of this and that console livening the otherwise silent bridge. Normally these sounds brought him comfort, but he could feel the headache they were about to instill. The slightly panicked voices of his bridge crew... the sensor readouts giving the slightly lower, longer chirp that signaled an anomalous reading... these little things would have told him there was trouble brewing, even without the completely alien planet hovering outside, its oddly bright colors shimmering in its star's warming light.

Captain Telsh looked down to the datapad by his side and picked it back up, the device obediently powering back on with an overly cheerful whirring sound. The report flowed across the screen as he re-read it for the third time. Malfunction in the navigational array... Cumulative jump calculation errors... Unforeseen gravity well interference... He sighed and put the report down, collapsing into his command chair as he came to the same conclusion he had come to after each reading of that report: They had very nearly all been killed, and it was only by the grace of sheer improbability that any of them were not currently inside of a star, all being broken down and then slowly fused into higher elements, or crushed into nonexistence at the heart of some black hole - or any number of other equally hideous fates. The captain inhaled deeply, holding his arm to his chest, keeping that pose for a few moments, before extending his arm slowly outwards, his breath escaping with the motion. He smiled to himself. It was a simple action taught by his father, a simple man, yet it always calmed him down. He looked down to his bridge crew, knowing they expected action. His nerves renewed, he launched himself out of his chair and barked an order to his navigations officer “Incident report, Lieutenant!”

The younger officer turned to her superior, swiveling on the seat behind her navigations console, replying with the same story everyone else on the bridge already knew, “Sir! It seems our hyperdrive malfunctioned en route to Coruscant. One of the navigational arrays had a triple-critical system shutdown as we were making the jump, and the error buffer system had a simultaneous breakdown, causing us to complete the jump despite the malfunctioning navigational systems.... “ She took a moment to look back down at her navigational panel to check her facts before turning back, a datapad in her hands for reference “It seems we jumped roughly in the direction of Manaan..... And then, it appears as if we got tossed by a gravity well - I’d reckon a black hole or dead star - somewhere in the vicinity of Balmorra... “ She hesitated as she scanned the technical document for the relevant information, concern growing on her face. She made an apologetic grimace as she looked back up, not having a ready answer to the obvious next piece of information that would be expected of her. “And right now, I’m not sure where we are. Based on the last known nav data, I would say somewhere between Hutt space and Bothawui.... Though we could be looking at just a very pretty day on Korriban for all our nav computers can tell us at the moment.” She turned and took a look out the viewfinder, the colorful marble which hung out there in space before them.

The planet turned below them serenely, bright greens and blues flashing at them from the surface, signaling life, and lots of it. He turned to the ensign sitting at the main sensor console “And, Ensign Brin, what can you tell us about this odd little jewel we seem to have found ourselves orbiting? Is it, in fact, Korriban on the most gloriously beautiful day of its existence?” The rest of the bridge crew chuckled a little bit at his joke, easing the tension in the room.

The ensign smiled nervously at his captains remark and turned to his display to relay the information coming in from the sensors “Well, as is rather plain to see, it’s a small rocky planet, plenty of water, moderate temperature, oxygen rich atmosphere - there seems to be a high probability of habitability, or even life.” This statement prompted everyone aboard the bridge to look once more at the bright blue and green orb, its surface very clearly covered in ocean and vegetation, then back to the officer. He chuckled nervously, reaching up to tug lightly at the collar of his uniform, before returning to his report, embarrassment at the inane and obvious statement barely hidden from his voice “The gravitational attraction is right at 10.12 meters per second per second - just slightly above the galactic standard - and the atmosphere seems to have a density a bit above normal as well.... but other than that it does have a Type I breathable atmosphere. There is a small, rocky moon, no atmosphere....” He squinted at his data display for a moment, confused by the odd numbers appearing there, before turning back to the captain, “We’ll have to wait for diagnostics and repairs on the nav and sensor arrays to get anything on this systems mechanical dynamics - Right now, whenever we try to measure its rotation or orbit, it spits out absurd numbers that don’t make sense.”

He nodded, satisfied with his crews report. He stared out at the gentle planet for a few moment before sighing, pressing the holoterminal beside his station, the recording device casting a gentle glow on him “This is Captain Dax Telsh of the Republic Cruiser ‘Bondar Thane’ calling to any ships in range. We have had a massive warp drive and navigational systems failure and are stranded in orbit around an uncharted planet. We request immediate assistance from any available friendly parties.” He nodded and paused for a moment, remembering his lieutenants remarks about possibly being near Hutt space, adding, “And to any unfriendly or indifferent parties, I would like to add, that the Galactic Republic always pays well.” With that he terminated the message and set it to broadcast on a loop. That should grab someones attention, eventually. Hopefully someone in a Republic uniform. He closed his eyes and gave a silent shudder at the thought of being rescued by some Hutt spice lord and forced to pump even more credits into its already bloated accounts as compensation, out of the Republics waning coffers no less.

With that business taken care of he glanced back to his crew, seeing their expectant faces patiently awaiting orders. He smirked, deciding that while they awaited their sensors repaired, and their collective asses rescued, delegation and relaxation in equal parts should be utilized. “Ensign Brin, I want you to go grab an extra repair droid team and kick them until they work on getting our sensors back online. Lieutenant Vesh, I want you to go grab even more repair droids and kick them even harder until our nav computers and hyperdrive are back online.” He pauses a moment, mulling over his next decision, before silently putting pride aside and taking the wiser course. “Corporal Ulgo.... go wake our Jedi friend.... The rest of you: You know your duties, so let’s get to work and get ourselves back to Coruscant where we’re supposed to be!” His voice rose in a sharp command tone, and at that everyone on the bridge snapped to attention, filled with renewed purpose at their leaders show of conviction, and began about their duties. Captain Telsh smiled, his heart string tugging a bit with pride at how well his crew was handling this. He shook his head and sauntered into his ready room. He was getting sentimental in his old age.

Sam Ulgo hurried along the corridors of the ship, ostensibly obeying his captains orders. In reality, his eyes were looking not for the quarters of the Jedi stationed aboard ths ship, but for a very particular supply closet. He raced through the ships various bays and past its many bulkheads, worming in between other shipmen doing their duties. At last, he rounded the final corner, and with a glance around, slipped into the innocent looking supply closet. In the dimly lit cramped space, he immediately began rifling through the various medpacks and stims, and searching through bins of discarded blaster parts. His expert fingers then darted to each corner of the room and up against the durasteel seam that held the walls in place. He had bug-proofed this room with electro-fields and holo-static binders more sophisticated than most experimental starship hyperdrives - and worth more than most starships - but both training and experience told him, there was nothing that could replace a quick physical check for bugs. Satisfied with the rooms security, he activated the holocommunicator on his wrist. After a few moments of signal searching and difficult calculation by the device, it managed to force its direct connection. He smirked to himself. Nothing in the galaxy could interrupt a good old-fashioned hardlinked direct holoconnection. Sure, he could only contact one person.... but there was only one person he would ever need to contact with this communicator. The transmitter on the device began to glow, and a blue glowing figure now stood before him in miniature, seemingly perched a few inches above his wrist. A pinched face with a snubby looking nose looked up at him, standing at ease in its crisp uniform - which, he noted, you could still somehow manage to tell was grey, even when everything was tinted blue. “Well....? This had better be important.”

He grinned and nodded at the flickering blue officer. “Agent Ryen reporting in, sir. There has been.... quite the development.”

Princess Celestia was just settling in for the night, a small smile on her lips as her magic enveloped a steaming cup of tea and levitated it towards her. One sugarcube, then two, then, after a quick glance to make sure nopony was watching, five more, managed to float into her tea. The spoon danced in her aura and tinked gently against the sides of the teacup as she dissolved the sugar into her hot drink. She settled herself a bit more into the pillows adorning the floor of her study and breathed deep of the warm vapors coming from her drink. A beautiful morning, with a sunrise she could honestly call one of her best yet, a pleasant visit from the Saddle Arabian ambassador, only a handful of easily resolved diputes at Court - she had even managed to visit briefly with Twilight and her friends on her way through Ponyville to inspect the new appropriations proposals by Mayor Mare, all before coming home to a relaxing evening playing cards with her sister, and now a quiet night with a warm mug of tea. A bump and a scraping sound from upstairs made her chuckle softly to herself, knowing full well that that had to be Luna, rearranging the various telescopes in her observatory.. Maybe her night would not be all that quiet, but they were sounds of home, and so they pleased her, and would not keep her awake. She sipped quietly at the tea, the gentle shimmering sound of her magic punctuated here and there by a quiet slurp or a muffled bump from up above.

The moments passed by, and Celestia savored each one as she let it pass her by, idly reviewing the days pleasant events. She closed her eyes and glowed slightly at the memories of being able to spend time with Twilight and her friends without having to also attend to Equestria’s imminent destruction. Her eye flickered open to see the scarf that Rarity had insisted she give to the Princess - and, darling, she would never dream of accepting payment for such a thing for a Princess! She chuckled at her mental impersonation of the fashionista unicorn and levitated the scarf over to her, wrapping the finely woven silk around her slender neck, the delicate shade of green harmonizing rather well with the green stripe of her mane. She decided, then and there, that she should wear this scarf during the Ponyville Parade next month. She grinned to herself as she imagined a panicked Fluttershy and an exasperated Applejack having to carry Rarity home after passing out from seeing her hoofwork on a Princess's neck during a parade. She then looked over to the brightly colored box that was next to the scarf and eagerly licked her lips. She knew better than to eat a Pinkie Pie Pie right away - the pink pony had made it very clear to her on several occasions that such a special pie could not be eaten until it had been in your possession at least three days. It tasted much better that way, she said - and Celestia was bound to agree. She knew from experience with Pinkie Pie’s previous confectionary creations, that unless she waited the full three days, it just wouldn't be the same. Her stomach grumbled slightly, and she suddenly wished that Pinkie had given her a turnover instead. You only had to wait two and a half hours with a turnover.

As the moments wore on, and Celestia contemplated the etiquette of baked goods consumption, a frown started to form on her face. Very slowly, she was realizing that something was off. Her eyes scanned the room, looking over every inch of her sanctum. Her ears perked and listened for several seconds; all she heard was the same familiar sounds as ever, nothing wrong with them at all. She decided to do a quick search of the room, her magical aura expanding and filling the confined space, aggressively searching every crevice for an intruder. As her magical senses reported no more than her physical senses, the feeling of unease grew within her. The feeling itself was not of unease... it was more like a tickling at the back of her mind. But feeling it brought her anxiousness. She was uncharacteristically beginning to feel a small lump of something grow in her throat. After countless centuries of its absence, she struggled to recognize this alien emotion: fear. She bolted upright, standing straight up on all four legs, her wings expanding to their full width as she surveyed the room once more, confused and angered by the return of this unwelcome sensation. What was this tickling within her mind, and why did it scare her so? What was there that could scare her - She was Princess of the Sun! She literally commanded the source of all life and warmth for all of Equestria. Her hooves clopped loudly against the wooden floor as she stepped towards the center of her room. With an indignant and furious pose, she raised her voice to the Royal Canterlot Voice that only she and her sister could create, announcing to her empty room, “Show yourself! I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, and I shall not be mocked, ignored, or spied upon!” The rafters above her shook with the power of her Voice, and she breathed somewhat heavily as she looked expectantly at the empty room.

A pregnant moment passed as she stewed in her uncharacteristic rage, before the doors to her chamber swung open and a stern looking guard pony charged in, a spear brandished in his magic aura, ferociously growling at...... nothing. He stopped in the middle of the room, seeing nothing but his monarch, standing in the middle of the room, looking confused and angry. “Umm... Your Highness? Is everything okay? I thought I heard...... I thought I heard you crying for help?”

Celestia shot the guard a harsh glare, her voice cutting like a knife “You were mistaken. I was merely yawning. Now go back to your post.” She could see the color drain from the guards face as he gulped, turning and exiting the room. He closed the door as he went, bowing and uttering a string of apologies. She frowned, now more at herself than the odd sensation. Since when did she rebuke her guards like that? Since when did she scream at empty rooms and then lie about it? She made a mental note to apologize to that guard later. Being royalty was no excuse for such behavior. Her face contorted in an unfamiliar grimace as she stomped a hoof, frustrated at herself. What was this sensation and why did it make her so fearful and agitated?

Her mind toiled as she closed her eyes and struggled to identify this presence. She had felt it before. She was now aware of that fact. She sensed it.... It was a presence she hadn’t felt since...

Her stomach dropped, and her eyes shot wide open. A shiver of terror ran over her body, the likes of which she hadn't felt since she was a filly, many aeons ago. Nothing in all of Equestria could bring her terror like that. She knew what this was.
With a panicked surge of magic, she frantically teleported herself up to her sisters observatory. Telescopes and globes and all manner of scientific instrument scattered in the wake of her explosive entrance, more than one treasure on the study's shelves tumbling to the floor to go immediately from priceless to worthless. Luna leapt up in a cry of surprise that quickly turned to one of indignation, “Sister! What in Your name are you doing? You’ve just destroyed all of my telescopes!” She was about to continue her rebuke, when she noticed the look of dread on the elder sisters face. Her mood suddenly softened and she inched toward the panicked deity with a worried frown on her face. “.....Tia? Whats wrong?”

Through rapid breaths and barely controlled hysterics, Celestia managed to practically hiss out “They’re back.....”

“Who is back, sister? Who could scare you so with their return? Discord is safely encased in stone in the courtyard below, and I myself have not coveted our thro-”

She was cut short as Celestia put a hoof up to her mouth to stop her from speaking more. She shook her head and looked her younger sister in the eyes, breathing out with dread “The Infinite Empire has returned.”

Chapter I - Dreams and Omens

There is no emotion, there is peace;

A swirl of fog raced past him, the cool misty wind teasing at his face as he fell. The clouds parted into the endless void, and he was alone, falling into the abyss. A frozen sun shone above him as he fell, casting the nothingness and the clouds in a harsh white glare. He could no longer feel the fog against him as hot winds rushed past his face, tangling his beard and hair. He was falling, that he knew, but to where he did not know. It seemed as if an eternity were passing, and all he could feel was the sun beating against his skin with a chilling heat, and scorched winds running through his hair. All he could see was sun and cloud and void.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge;

Below him, an end to the limbo through which he passed was coming into view. It looked to him like another sun, with billowing puffs all about it, identical to the ones above him. He calmly pondered why he was falling towards yet more clouds as they grew closer and closer. Amid the field of white below him, a figure appeared. It started as a minuscule speck among the clouds, but grew quickly as he approached it. He nodded to himself serenely with the realization that he was not going towards another eternal field of fog, but towards a mirrored surface. He looked up towards the horizon, eyes scanning for any break in the reflection. He could see none.

There is no passion, there is serenity;

His reflection grew larger and larger as his descent brought him closer to the vast mirror. He was calm, and knew that the fall would bring him no harm - yet still, as he approached the impact, he could not help but brace himself. His arms and legs spread out wide as far as he could make them stretch. Wisps of hot air ran through his fingers like a lover's hair. There was no forward momentum, so attempting a roll was not an option. All he could do was prepare for the impact. After a few moments, he could see the details of his own reflection, easily making out his individual fingers. He closed his eyes, and relaxed every muscle in his body, exhaling as much as he could, so that his lungs did not burst with the impact. He cleared his mind, and his soul was at peace, as the threshold between worlds met him at long last.

There is no death, there is the Force.

As Spike walked into the room, he could practically smell an aura of “Twilight at work”. Books were strewn everywhere, fresh ink spots seemed to have sprouted from the wood of the work desk, and page after page of scrawled shorthand notes lazed around on every surface. He walked over to the desk and picked up a random page, squinting at the illegible chicken scratch. The page was crossed with a series of hastily doodled swirls and seemingly random dashes. Spike examined the mad writing for a moment, before nodding with satisfaction. The notes were entirely illegible and no longer distinguishable from somepony writing with their mouth while having a seizure. This clearly meant that Twilight was already at the experimental phase of whatever project she was working on. A very expensive sounding crash from the basement soon confirmed this theory.

Slowly, carefully, Twilight lowered the mirror into its slot on the array. Her magic aura shimmered around the reflective surface as she ground her teeth in concentration. Sweat rolled from her brow as the last few centimeters between the mirror and its final resting place disappeared. As soon as the mirror touched down, the purple aura vanished. The mirror did not move from its position, opting to remain stable, and Twilight let out a sigh of relief. As that breath left her lungs, so did all the strength seem to leave her limbs. A rushing sound filled her ears, and beneath her, her legs turned to jelly. The last sounds she heard as her body rushed to meet the floor was the meaty ‘floomp’ of a grown mare hitting a wooden surface, and her own confused murmurs as to why the table was so high above her.

“Twilight..... Twilight are you okay? Can you hear me?”

Twilight groaned weakly as she opened her eyes, blinking at the bright light above her head. She frowned in confusion as a purple splotch appeared in her vision. The splotch was talking at her.

“Twilight, what happened? Are you okay? Oh geez.... I’ll go get the bandages.” Spike the dragon muttered with concern for his friend and mentor. He waddled his way over to the thankfully nearby medical cabinet. He looked back over his shoulder as Twilight wobbled into an upright sitting position. He hissed with sympathy and retrieved the thickest roll of gauze he could find, as he surveyed her wounds, and noticed the disturbing amount of blood.

Twilight for her part sat there, nursing her aching horn with a hoof. A weak moan escaped her lips as she mentally berated herself for her over-exertion. She pulled her hoof back from her head and frowned, examining it. Why was there blood? There shouldn’t be any blood. Magical exhaustion doesn’t cause bleeding. Her mind vaulted itself into its default mode of thinking, examining the problem with objective interest. She looked down at her side, and noticed the sticky red shards on the floor beside her. She nodded her head serenely at the discovery. The three mirrors she had broken trying to set up her array, of course. She had passed out and fallen on a pile of broken mirrors. As the back of her mind began piecing together the pieces of what just happened, and making mental notes to properly dispose of broken mirrors in the future, the front of her mind began screaming, as Spike applied iodine to one of her many lacerations.

“Aaaah! Geez, Spike, warn me next time before you do that!” She frowned rebukingly at the little dragon, before grudgingly extending her fetlock to him once more, to let him continue dressing her wounds.

“Ummm, Twilight, I did warn you.... you were a bit zoned out. Uhhh... what made you pass out?” He asked, a twinge of concern in his voice. He daubed the brown soaked cotton ball against the cut on her fetlock, and wiped away the blood with a damp cloth, quickly applying an adhesive bandage to the wound before it could continue its business of helping Twilight lose more blood.

Twilight sighed, blowing a lock of hair out of her face, before wincing once more at the burning sensation ripping its way up her leg, scouring away the possibility of infection. “It was just a bit of magical exhaustion. I overextended myself again - it just so happens, there was a pile of broken glass beneath me at the time. Unfortunate circumstance, that.” She tried on a smile, attempting to choke down the hisses of pain that were working themselves involuntarily up from her gut as Spike moved on to the next cut.

Spike frowned at her excuse and looked back up at her. He raised a brow as he rolled a strip of thick cotton bandage over one of the deeper wounds in her back leg. “Magical exhaustion? What the hay were you doing that would exhaust you? You single handedly defeated that Ursa Minor without even breaking a sweat!” His eyes darted out about the room, now a little more concerned for his own safety. Any experiment that required that much magic had lethal potential.

Twilight chuckled at her assistant's anxiousness “Silly dragon. Nothing, I was just moving mirrors.” She smiles at him as if that one sentence would explain everything.

Spikes head cocked to the side in a way Twilight had seen Pinkie Pie do on more than one occasion. “Huh?” Was all Spike offered in way of questioning as he continued to tend her wounds.

Twilight sighed, before wincing in pain as the dragon continued his efforts to tend to her wounds. “Mirrors are very difficult to move with telekinesis. At least plain mirrors, without a handle or nonreflective surface, are. The reflective surface bounces back magical energy the same way it does light, so theres not really anything to magically grab hold of.” She frowned as she tried to come up with a sufficient analogy “It’s kind of like trying to grab a wet tomato seed, if the tomato seed weighed several kilograms. In order to pick it up, you have to hold it really tight, using a lot of magical pressure, and so the magical exertion of moving twenty seven of them kind of got to me.” She grinned sheepishly at Spikes recriminating look. He went back to tending her wounds, but the next daub of disinfectant said all he needed to say about her not pushing herself too far.

Several moments passed before Spike finally, mercifully, screwed the cap back onto the bottle of disinfectant and stowed away all the bandages. Twilight stood shakily, hissing just slightly at the still-sore wounds, testing her weight on all four legs. Satisfied with her response, she walked over to her chair, and set herself down in it, examining the array of mirrors to make double sure everything was correct for the next phase of her experiment. As Spike began to walk over to the broom closet to clean up the literal bloody mess on the floor, a sharp wrenching sensation in his gut stopped him. The next thing he and Twilight saw was a bright green burst of flame from Spikes muzzle, accompanied by a loud belching sound. With that, a scroll materialized in front of him, and with the practiced motion of a thousand letters back and forth, his paw reached out to snatch it from the air. He turned to Twilight, offering it to her. “Uhh... a letter for you.”

Twilight reached out with her magic, the slowly returning force feeling like mush in her minds grasp, and took the letter. It unscrolled before her, revealing the unmistakable flourishes and sweeps of Princess Celestia's writing.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

A terrible threat has emerged from me and my sister's past, and promises to ruin Equestria. This is a situation of greater importance than I can convey in this letter. I can reveal no detail here, lest this letter find its way into unfriendly hooves.

Gather your friends and come to Canterlot immediately. A royal escort has been dispatched to collect you.

I would not normally be so imposing as to demand your presence in this manner, but recent events have forced my hoof. Make all possible haste in your arrival.

-Your Friend and Mentor,

Princess Celestia

Twilight frowned as she reread the letter to verify its contents. What could have Celestia so bothered as to insist that she come immediately? A single moment passed during which she pondered the letter before she heard a loud knock from upstairs, the unmistakable sound of a hoof beating upon her door.

She trotted quickly upstairs, and pulled the door open, revealing a pair of grey pegasus guards. She smiled at them welcomingly “Solemn Watch, Light Vigil! I didn't expect Celestia to send you two!” She chuckled as she stepped out the door “What are two of the best guardponies in Canterlot doing running a routine pickup?” She teased gently. She had known these two from her days of study at Canterlot Castle. The stray memory of her fillyhood crush on Solemn Watch forced the tiniest of blushes to her cheek. She was serious though in her question - these two were outranked only by her brother in the Canterlot guard.

Solemn Watch shook his head “This is anything but routine, ma’am. We are under explicit orders to gather you and the other Elements without any delay.” His face was dead serious, showing no sign of amusement or joy - even more serious than Twilight remembered from her fillyhood in Canterlot.

She tried to force a smile, the gravity of this unknown situation starting to unnerve her a bit, before she turned back to go inside “Well then, in that case, let me just go get Spike, and pack a few things, and then-”

She was interrupted by Light placing a hoof on her door, preventing her from going back inside “No, ma’am. We were also told to bring you six, and only you six, and no personal items of any kind. Please, ma’am. This is very urgent.” His expression remained stoic and placid, but in his eyes, Twilight could swear she almost saw..... fear?

Twilight gulped and, with one last look back at her library, nodded her consent. “I suppose Spike can... clean up by himself....” And with that, she followed the guards back to their chariot to gather the rest of the Elements.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

All around him, cool water enveloped his body, cushioning him as he slowed from his descent. His eyes shot open at the realization that he was not injured, and beheld the new landscape into which he was deposited. All around him, beneath him, stretched a gentle grassland. He was still falling, but his descent was greatly slowed by the water. It was still several hundred meters to the ground, and he could see for what seemed like miles around him. Everywhere he looked, he saw gently waving blades of grass. They rolled beneath him, shimmering with an invisible wind, yet when he held out his hand, the water was as placid and undisturbed as if he had dipped his hand into a still pool. The moments passed in silent wonder as the ground gently came up to meet him. At long last, he found himself standing amidst the grass in this fresh wonderland.

There is no fear, there is power.

The grass came up to his waist, and seemed to radiate a dim glow, as if the summer had gone too long, and the growth and warmth must the spill out of each blade. He looked up from the grass to scan the endless horizon. All about him, the grass stretched on into untold infinites. Above it was the gently deepening dark of endless water. There was no longer a sun that he could see. All the horizon looked exactly the same. He frowned slightly, wondering how he was to find his way about in this strange place. Yet even as he was about to pick a random direction to wander, his eye was caught by the slightest glimmer. Off in the distance, he saw the tiniest break in the horizon. It was small, certainly miles off, but it was the only landmark in this sea under the sea. He nodded to himself with satisfaction at the discovery, and set himself towards the faint spot in the distance.

I am the heart of the Force.

The moments passed on as he walked steadily towards his goal: the tiny speck in the distance. Time seemed not to matter in this odd place. Whenever he set his eyes upon his goal in the distance, it always seemed to be closer, yet as he watched it, it never moved or appeared to grow to him. As he walked through the grassy sea, he let his hand brush against the tall blades that bent and bowed out his way. Despite the water all around him, they felt dry, like grass that was upon land instead of under water. His fingers tightened around a blade in passing, and as he moved, he plucked it from its roots. As soon as the piece of grass left the soil in which it was planted, it disintegrated in his hand, blowing away into the invisible wind, which he could neither hear nor see nor feel. He looked up from the vanishing grass, and saw that at last his destination was within reasonable distance. It was a massive tree, which radiated a spectral glow. He could not see much detail, but he could tell from the distance remaining, that the tree was huge. Its trunk was squat, in so much as it was almost as wide as it was tall. It seemed to bulge slightly in the middle, as many ancient trees can do, and an enormous knot decorated the side facing him. Its leaves were an intense yellow color, and pulsed and glittered with the same ripe summer radiance that the grass beneath him did. The bark on the other hand, seemed to absorb the light around it, and slowly let it seep back out into the world. It was a soft velvety shade of blue, and it quietly emitted its much calmer glow to complement the leaves above and around it.

I am the revealing fire of light.

As he walked the final stretch towards the giant tree, the grass around him grew shorter. The blades appeared no less healthy, nor any less proud of their growth and roots. As he saw them thin the closer he came to the tree, and eventually fade into a clearing surrounding the natural monument, he felt that they stayed back out of respect. He once more looked up to the tree, as it was now close enough to tower above him. He had not until recently been able to grasp the scale of this verdant sage. The roots, as they extended from the trunk and dove into the black earth, easily dwarfed him, forming arches above him taller than any grand entrance in any temple he had ever visited. The trunk bulged and towered above him, supporting the web of branches and leaves that covered the sky. For a long moment, he stood below the grand living citadel, exulting in the silky light that flowed gently from the cool blue trunk, and basking in the cheerful twinkles of the leaves up above.

I am the mystery of darkness.

As he looked up and peacefully admired the scene before him, a splash of color caught his attention. He looked down towards the base of the tree, to see that near where the bark of the tree merged into the roots and the ground, a small knot of the tree had bulged out, and was shaded a peculiar color. The soft blue of the trunk seemed to flow like water into the hole formed by the knot, yet as it did so, the color transformed, from dark blue to the pink-orange color of a star shining through the sleepy cover of atmosphere that was either bidding its daily goodbye, or wishing its daily welcome to the sun. He smiled to himself, thinking of the sweet tastes of fall fruits and spring breezes as he set to walking again, this time towards the welcoming warmth of the knot.

In balance with chaos and harmony.

It was not long before he was close to the sunset-colored hole, and saw that it did indeed appear to be an entrance. The knot of wood was curled into a round portal into the inside of the tree, and what were very clearly steps were growing from the wood down into the ground, providing an easy access to the entrance. Without hesitation, he began to climb the steps. In short order, the portal was before him, and he stepped inside. Even in this still place, he gasped at the wonder that surrounded him. The walls of the chamber he found himself in seemed to contain the very wealth of the whole galaxy. He could see through crystal panes and faceted jeweled surfaces, the whole infinite depth of all the stars and nebulae that the universe contained. He could not free his eyes from the brilliance surrounding him. The walls were cut from a hundred different shards of cosmos. Within each, he could peer as far into the infinite as he could strain his eyes to see. Yet all of these wonders, could not forever distract him from what this room was obviously built to house. In the very back of this wondrous chamber was a single massive crystal, thrust up out of the floor of the chamber. Two smaller crystals joined it at its base, with six smaller still encircling those two, jutting out from its monolithic structure like guardians. But they did not concern him as he approached the massive jewel. His eyes remained locked onto its mesmerizing depths, for within it swirled a primal whorl of energy. Fiery billows within the crystal intermeshed with silky tendrils of dark void, playing within each other, shooting strands of cosmic essence back and forth. With concentration, he noticed that to the right side of the crystal, the flames seemed to coalesce, and shone like the surface of a star. Over on the left side of the crystal, the shadows won out, the flaming wreaths from the right side slowly fading into the impenetrable void that consumed light with vigor to equal its counterpart's radiance. He stood in awe for a long, silent moment, before slowly, reverently putting his hand up to the crystal. His palm rested against the hard surface, and his mind was filled with an intense rush of knowledge. For one single glorious microsecond, he could see all of the galaxy. All things were made clear in the Force. He could see every life form throughout the galaxy, and could see every strand of light and shadow connecting them all. The Force rushed through him, and made him whole in a way he had never been. Yet the very second it began to flow through him, he felt it abate. He felt no loss, no sadness. The Force had brought him peace, and so he was content. As he could feel himself being pulled away from the holy place and all the world fading and melting away around him, the only thought in his mind was that he wished to return here someday.

Immortal in the Force.

Uldir Atoka opened his eyes, to look up at the young officer now standing over him. The officers face was contorted in the odd mix of worry and mild fear that most people seemed to express when meeting a Jedi for the first time. Uldir blinked a few times and slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position upon his cot. He allowed himself a small yawn before showing the younger man a comforting smile. “Yes, how may I help you?” His voice was warm and deep, the kind of voice that most people associate with their grandfather or a favorite uncle. He looked up at the officer with polite patience.

The officer raised his brows at the wakening Jedi and cleared his throat with a small cough, “I, ahhh.... I am Ensign Ulgo, sir. I was asked by Captain Telsh to escort you to the bridge and fill you in on a few details. There has been a bit of a mix up with the hyperdrive.Your trip to Coruscant will be unfortunately delayed, sir.” He stood before the Jedi, at attention, seeming unsure of how to show proper respect, and settling on the standard attention stance.

Uldir chuckled and stood up, lifting himself effortlessly off of his cot. “Well, the rebuilding efforts can wait a while, I suppose.” He offered the officer another warm smile and reached over to grab his outer robe, slinging it over his shoulders, his arms finding their way into the long billowy sleeves. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite. No need to be so formal.” He took a moment to adjust his robe and pressed a button on the panel next to his door, the metal frame sliding away to reveal one of the many corridors running along the inside of the ship. He turned back to the ensign and raised a brow “Coming?” Ensign Ulgo gave a start, and jumped to follow the Jedi outside, the door closing behind them, and they began towards the bridge.

Chapter II - Tremors of the Past

The Jedi knight nodded his head serenely as the ensign finished his synopsis of the past few hours events. They both walked together for a few moments, the young officer hurrying alongside the calmly sauntering Jedi, looking up every few seconds to judge the older man’s reaction. “Interesting indeed.” Uldir broke the silence as they turned around a corner. “It seems our little stroll around the galactic block has taken a rather melodramatic turn. Wouldn’t you agree, Ensign Ulgo?” He turned to offer the younger man a warm smile.

The officer frowned slightly, confused by the personable nature of the Jedi beside him. Weren’t the Jedi supposed to be stoic and solemn? He hesitated slightly in his response “I... I don’t believe myself fit to comment on such matters, sir.” He smiled inwardly at himself, satisfied with his diplomatic response.

Almost as if reading his mind, the older man gave Ulgo a knowing smirk, before stopping at a junction. “It is okay - I know that many among the Republic’s defenders are uncomfortable around Force-users. I shall not burden you with my presence any longer. I know my way to the bridge, and I would take a few moments to collect my thoughts as I make my way there, if it is all the same to you.” Uldir offered him a warm smile and a small bow, turning to head in the opposite direction the Ensign had intended to go. Ulgo barely had time to voice a polite complaint before the Jedi was out of earshot.

Uldir walked along the corridors of the ship at a brisk, flowing pace. This was not the most direct route to the bridge of the ship, he knew, but it was still a way to get there. He did indeed desire a few moments to gather his thoughts on this most recent turn of events, and truth be told, he was glad to be rid of the green ensign. As accustomed as he was to being hemmed and hawed at by those that thought a wrong word would unleash a torrent of pain and lightsaber slashes at them, he still preferred the company of more seasoned veterans, who knew enough about Jedi to say what they meant and mean what they said.

As thoughts mulled themselves over in his head, calculating how far this might cut into his plans for rebuilding Coruscant, and wondering how he might aid in the repairs, a slight ripple ran through the back of his mind. It was tiny, miniscule, barely noticable, but he still felt it. He knew exactly what it was, too. He stopped mid-stride in the middle of the corridor and smiled. He looked over his shoulder, and called out for anyone to hear “I know you’re there.” A few midshipmen paused in their travels through the ship to give him a confused passing glance, before deciding it must be some mystical Jedi ritual, and continued on, doing their best not to stare.

From behind a bulkhead several meters to his rear, came an amused chuckle. “You always know. How do you always know?” Out from the shadows emerged a slim female figure. She was dressed in traditional brown robes, modified to remove the sleeves, allowing her limber arms to move freely. Short blonde hair adorned her head, complementing the acute, serious frame of her face, giving her an overall military look. Her eyes and expression, however, displayed a playfulness completely at odds with her look. She walked confidently up, and took up pace beside the man as he continued his walk. “Not even the Masters at the temple can find me all the time, at least not when I’m being extra careful.”

The man looked up and to the side, raising his nose haughtily, as if to take on the air of a mystic, his voice suddenly becoming overdramatically drawn out and solemn “The Force creates..... many bonds... between a Padawan and her master.....”

The girl beside him looked unamused, offering up an unbelieving smirk “Oh really? Then how come you can find even the Council members when they do suppression exercises?”

Uldir grinned down at her, completely breaking his previous character “Who is to say they were not all at some point my Padawan, dear Jem?”

Jem simply shook her head and chuckled “Sometimes, I can’t tell if you’re joking, telling the truth, or telling the truth so badly as to sound like you’re joking. Which is it this time?” She grins at him mischievously “You’re certainly old enough to have had a few of them as Padawan.”

The older Jedi feigned hurt and indignantly stroked his beard “We of such esteemed reverence prefer the term ‘distinguished’ rather than old.” He offered her a calmer smile as they turned a corner “I am simply better at sensing things than most others in the Order. You could call it my special gift. My old master found it most frustrating when he tried to demonstrate Force-suppression to me, and I never once lost track of him.” They shared a short chuckle together at the thought, and assumed a contemplative silence for a few moments as they saw the entrance to the bridge up ahead.

Minutes of silence passed with nothing but footsteps as they approached the bridge. They both stopped before the door, looking at it as if contemplating whether or not to enter. The silence was broken as Jem spoke up “I had a dream last night. It was... odd.... very vivid.” She looked up to her master as if that were a question that needed an answer.

Uldir nodded, his eyes still locked onto the entrance to the bridge. “A vision in the Force. I had one as well. “ His eyes darted down to her “What did the Force show you?”

She frowned for a few moments, collecting her memory into words. “I... I landed in a giant pool. It was weird. It was as if the very water was at peace with the Force in a way no other place could be. The water would not move, no matter how fast I ran through it. I ran until I found a tree... And in that tree, I found....” She looked up at him with confusion “I believe I peered into the Force itself. But... I can’t remember what it looked like. What does it mean, master?”

He smiled softly at her and nodded “We had the same vision then. I do not yet know what it means. But I am sure that it has something to do with our current predicament. Only time and the Force can reveal these things to us.” WIth that he put on a more confident smile to present to the captain and opened the door to the bridge.

The doors to the throne room glowed a deep magenta for a few moments before being flung open. Within the heart of Canterlot Castle, Twilight and her friends had just arrived at the Princess’ summons. The six colorful ponies trotted into the empty hall as Celestia and Luna looked up from their conversation, hoofsteps echoing off the rafters. The two alicorns rose from their cushions at the foot of the dais to head to meet their subjects. Each in turn seemed to be having her own reaction to the situation. Twilight walked straight ahead, her eyes set to meet another test from her mentor. Rainbow Dash seemed pleasantly agitated, eager to beat whatever challenge the Princesses had in store for them. Pinkie Pie, as she was wont to do, simply bounced along merrily, either oblivious to or unphased by the threats implied by their summons. Fluttershy seemed a bit of a miserable mess, trudging along reluctantly to help her friends. Applejack, as always, displayed confidence and stubborn resolve to complete whatever task they were about to be handed. Rarity, for her part, trotted in with head held high, determined to grant the whole affair the air of dignity and grace it deserved. Celestia smiled weakly to herself as she watched her dearest subjects answer her call. They did not yet know the terror they might soon face, yet still she had to admire their courage in answering so swiftly to such an ominous summons.

“My little ponies.... I am relieved to see you here safely and quickly. Time is an unknown factor in these recent developments, so it shall be treated as a precious commodity.” She addressed them immediately as they all reached one another in the center of the room. Twilight halted before her sovereign, slightly thrown off by the Princess’s abrupt tone.

“We came as soon as we received your letter, Princess. As always, we’re ready to help in any way we can.” Her voice was filled with the confidence Celestia had heard so many times before. It was the confidence of a student ready to pass her next test. Celestia silently wished this were only yet another test. Twilight spoke again as the rest of them gathered around to be briefed “What has happened, and how can we help?”

Celestia looked them over for a few moments, taking each of them in individually, acknowledging to herself that each displayed her courage in her own way.She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, locking this moment away, forever in her heart. If at the end of all of this they should die, she would let nopony forget their courage. Her eyes opened once more, the fierce gaze of a battle-hardened commander looking out from beneath her brow. It was a look she had not worn in many years.

“A threat from long ago has re-emerged. We do not yet know where the enemy is, or when they may strike.... but you girls are our best, and perhaps only defense against a threat of this nature. Our armies are being raised as we speak, and criers sent to every town for new recruits, but armies are slow to grow. Until then - and perhaps even afterwards, you six are our only hope.” Celestia observed them all as she spoke. Pinkie’s smile never faltered. Twilight slowly formed a frown, but the resolution and confidence did not leave her eyes. Fluttershy cowered down closer to the ground, but made no move to leave. Rainbow gulped, a small shiver of trepidation running down her withers, but retained the same eager ferocity in her eyes. Rarity nodded in a serious manner, stoically keeping her gaze ahead. Applejack showed no sign of fear, an iron resolve showing in her eyes. Celestia nodded in approval at their composure.

“Back when Equestria was young, and ponykind had just barely taken its first steps into life, the world was governed by forces far more powerful than Luna or me.” As she spoke, Celestia’s horn glowed with a soft white aura. From beside the dais of the throne, she grabbed a small crystal in her magic. It levitated over to the group, and was guided onto the floor between them. It was a small thing, light green in color, roughly cut, its surface dull and faded.

Luna stepped forward from her silence as her sister continued to concentrate her magic upon the crystal. “Just as I and my sister are the night and day of Equestria today, so too were our predecessors. But next to them, we are but foals. And once, in our time, we were foals - in the truest sense of the word. Our fillyhood was spent under the care of these ancient powers, and it was they who graced us with the gift of magic, to create night and day.”

The crystal under Celestia’s magical influence began to glow from within, a gentle green light forming within it. Luna continued “Under their benevolence and power, ponies were given shape and life, and blessed with the gifts of magic and harmony.” Her voice seemed to falter for a moment as her eyes cast downward. She looked to her sister for a moment, watching her power the crystal, before turning back to her explanation. “It was during this halcyon dawn of Equestria, that we were confronted by this vilest force, and nearly extinguished before we had even begun.’ She closed her eyes and bent her head towards the crystal, her magic joining that of her sisters.

The crystal changed colors to a deeper shade of green, becoming more and more luminous as it did so. After a few seconds of this, a shape formed in the air above the crystal. Floating above the shard stood the image of a creature unlike any the ponies had seen before. It stood upright on its hind two limbs, much like diamond dogs often did, however that was where the similarities to anything they had seen before ended. The creature stood much straighter than any diamond dog the girls had ever seen, as if it knew of no other way of standing. Its skin was a leathery mass of splotches and wrinkles, whites across its front fading into darker shades of brown across its sides. A plain, nondescript tunic covered its front. Hooked claw-like hands rested at its side, three digits curling in to form a hand. The truly striking feature of it was its head. The head was an oblong vaguely pointed dome standing upon a stocky neck. Its eyes, instead of being inset within the skull, stood out from near the base of the head on short stalks, the beady masses peering out from the sides of the head. A flat snout-less mouth and subtle nostrils set flush against the shape of the skull completed the bizarre image before the bemused ponies.

Celestia spoke as her magic faded from the crystal, the image now persistent without her input. “This is a Rakata. They hail from a world far away from Equestria. You see, nearly every star you see in the night sky above you, is a world in its own right.” Luna applied her magic once again to the crystal, and the grotesque image of the Rakata was replaced by a kaleidoscope of stars, the image of Luna’s serene night. “Every star in the sky is a sun, just like the one I raise every day, and around almost every sun is a world much like Equestria. And on many of those worlds... are races of beings that live and breathe just as we do.”

All of the ponies before them looked on with ever-intensifying looks of shock and confusion. Celestia had to pause for a moment, realizing that this information must be world-shattering to those who had lived their whole lives without ever seeing the planet from up above. The pause lingered for quite some time as Celestia waited for somepony to incorporate or question this information. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up, incredulity in her voice

“Wait just a minute here. You’re saying that Equestria is - I mean, that the stars are... That there are other Equestrias? Like, whole other worlds like Equestria?” The question came tumbling out of her awkwardly, attempting to make sense of this revelation.

Rarity was next to speak up, interjecting before Celestia could form a response. “This is all a bit much to take in, Your Highness. I do hope you’ll forgive our ignorance of the matter, but I don’t think we quite comprehend this new.... ‘idea’, or its relevance to your urgent mission.” The doubt in her voice was layered in between thick sheets of tact and grace as she looked skeptically at the starry sky floating before her.

Pinkie chimed in with her own quizzical insight “So, Equestria is facing its greatest threat ever, that it faced once before, when you two were just itty bitty tiny-corns and had super-duper humungo-corns to protect you, from weird looking Rakamawhatsit’s that live in the sky, but only when Luna is awake, and there are other Equestrias with other ponies?” During the course of her confusing ramble, her head managed to twist itself until it was upside down in an exaggeration of an inquisitive head-tilt, each syllable turning it just a little bit further past the point where any other pony would be in pain.

“I.... I think I understand.” Came the first expression of comprehension, from Twilight. She turned to the other ponies to explain. “Astronomers have known for quite a long while that the stars are, in fact, other suns like our own. And, we’ve known about other planets - worlds, that is - for a while. You all know Scuttle Mud the Wanderer, and Flitterfall the Dancer, right?” All of the other ponies nodded in unison.

“That was always mah favorite story as a filly. Ah used to ask Granny Smith to tell it every night. Scuttle Mud, and Flitterfall, the only two stars in the sky who could break free from the constellations, and roam the sky - forever in love, forever seeking each other, only destined to meet every century or so.” Applejack coughed, wiping the misty look from her face, hoping to distract everypony from her obvious obsession with the old romantic fable. “Yeah, uhhh, that story, yeah, we all know it.” She adopted a straight face as she turned back to Twilight, waiting for an explanation.

Rarity chuckled to herself, and Rainbow grinned knowingly in the background, as Twilight continued her explanation.”Yes, well, the two stars in the night sky that we call Scuttle Mud and Flitterfall are actually other planets, just like Equestria. They share the same sun as we do, so they're close enough that we see them almost like stars. But ancient Equestrian astronomers were able to work out that they share the same spatial relationship with the sun that we do.” At her friends confused looks, she continued to translate herself “That is, well, that they circle the sun in the same way the sun circles us. So.... well, if there are other suns so far away that they look like stars, and other planets close enough that they too look like stars, well... err... couldn't there be planets around all the other stars as well? And, well, if Equestria has life, couldn’t those other planets as well?” She turned to Celestia, a questioning look silently asking if she was correct in her explanation.

Celestia nodded “That is indeed correct, Twilight. These other worlds, around other stars, all seen by us as the stars in the night sky, contain nearly infinite varieties of life.”

The other ponies began to nod their heads in understanding, the novel idea slowly taking root and getting its bearings in their minds. “That’s... amazing. Umm, I mean, it’s just a really big thing to, you know... know.” Fluttershy cooed softly from the back, her voice becoming softer the moment she realized she was speaking.

Luna stepped forward and applied her magic to the crystal, the image switching back to the bizarre image of the Rakata being they had been shown earlier. “It is from among these other worlds that the Rakata come. We know that not all beings from beyond Equestria are evil.... but we do know that, without a doubt, the Rakata are evil.” Her voice was momentarily filled with a tone of venom that the six ponies had never heard from either of their Princesses before. It lasted only momentarily as she went on “It was the Rakata who, long ago, came from the stars and attempted to destroy Equestria as they had destroyed so many other worlds before. They wanted to turn Equestria into part of their Infinite Empire.”

Celestia walked slowly around the crystal, moving slowly towards the other ponies. Her voice rang with conviction and righteous anger as she described them further. “They wield powerful, incredibly dark, hate-fueled magic. known as the Force. They used this Force to nearly obliterate every living thing on Equestria.” Her voice faltered, and her eyes dropped to the floor, as painful memories flooded her mind. She took a deep breath to compose herself, and if the ponies before her did not know any better, they might say that she choked down a small sob before continuing, her voice now quiet and desperate. “We sacrificed much... so very much to drive them away....” Her eyes glistened at the ground, unfocusing as her voice drifted away.

Luna interjected to allow her sister a moment to compose herself, pulling the ponies attention away from Celestia’s silent sorrow. “We have recently felt a disturbing presence - A presence we have not felt since the time of the Rakata. We know, beyond all shadow of doubt that this is the same presence the Rakata brought with them. However, this feeling is, as of yet, the only clue we have to go on. We do not know when, or even where they will appear. But we are certain that they shall.”

Celestia stepped forward, the sorrow now hidden from her face, composure restored. “Until we know more, or until the Infinite Empire and the Rakata show themselves, we must be on high alert.” Her horn glowed softly as a jeweled box levitated from behind her, floating to the floor before them. The lid opened to reveal six pieces of elaborately detailed jewelry. Five necklaces and a tiara rested within, all moulded from fine gold, and inset with jewels crafted in the colors and shapes of each of their cutie marks. “You are to keep the Elements of Harmony with you at all times until we know more. Your power over the Elements is likely the only power in Equestria that can stand up to such evil.” Her magic enveloped each of the Elements in turn, levitating the precious items out of the box, each one moving towards its appropriate bearer. Each caught her Element in her hooves, nodding in agreement.

The box floated away, as did the crystal, The royal sisters stepped forward, moving a little closer to their subjects. What they did next shocked the six ponies. Celestia stood in front of Twilight and bent forward. She leaned in and wrapped her neck around that of her student. Twilight stood in surprise, unable to respond for a long moment. Even in her years as Celestia’s personal apprentice, she had never been afforded such intimate affection. She quickly relaxed, though, accepting the hug from her mentor. She leaned right back, nuzzling into Celestia’s mane. Luna was next to act, moving to embrace Pinkie Pie. Without missing a beat, the pink mare returned the dark princess’s hug, snuggling affectionately into her mane. After a long moment, Celestia released her student, turning to Fluttershy. She gave the gentle yellow pegasus a smile and leaned in, Fluttershy seemed to want to resist at first, her shyness evident, but very quickly returned the embrace. Luna next moved to Rarity, leaning in to wrap necks with the glamorous unicorn. Rarity gladly accepted the hug, cuddling back to her sovereign with a smile. Celestia finally went to Applejack, pulling the orange mare close. Applejack seemed happy to reciprocate, immediately returning with a friendly nuzzle. Luna pulled back from Rarity, and turned at last to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow raised a hoof apprehensively at first, but seeing the warmly expectant looks of every other pony in the room, she relented, and allowed the princess to hug her. Though she would never admit it, near the end, she even leaned into Luna’s embrace, gently cuddling back.

“Go now... Return to Ponyville, and remain vigilant. Do not live in fear, but be prepared for anything. You six have done so much for Equestria... You will always have our gratitude, and you will always have our love. Remember that.” Celestia smiled at the six ponies before her. The love and friendship between them was all that stood between Equestria and darkness. This thought, instead of filling her with fear, bolstered her confidence. She felt better than she had in many hours. If their bonds were the the mettle of Equestria that would be tested in the coming storm, then she was in good hooves.

The doors to the bridge of the Bondar Thane slid open to allow the two Jedi entrance. Captain Telsh turned around, his attention diverted from the lieutenant in front of him, and offered the two a respectful nod. He let out a blustery sigh, his mustache twitching slightly as his breath rustled it. “Well, old friend, we seem to be in yet another pickle. I had said that a Hammerhead was a bit overkill for this mission, but I was apparently wrong.”

Uldir chuckled and nodded his head at the captains words “Yes, yes, I know. But as I have said before, the Council makes these requests for a reason. Not always a reason they know, but always for a reason. We have apparently found the reason. I assume repairs are underway?”

Telsh nodded and turned back to his lieutenant “Vesh here was just updating me as to our status.”

Vesh turned to the Jedi and gave a polite smile before brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. “Yes sir. As I was just about to say, initial reports indicate that hyperdrive will be down for quite a while. All three redundant navigational banks are offline. The data required for a navigational solution is still there, thank goodness, but the internal data relays are suffering various states of signal-solution degradation. The spatial matrix-translation subprocessors simply can’t... err....” She coughed softly as she realized that she was offering far more information than was necessary, and delving into explanations that would only interest the mechanical technicians. “Suffice it to say, we are not going anywhere any time soon.”

Jem frowned at the explanation and spoke up “So wait, all that’s damaged are the nav computers? The hyperdrive itself isn’t kaput? Can’t we just, you know, wing it? Make our best guess and jump?”

The captain turned to her and shook his head sternly “Absolutely not. Hyperspace navigation is nothing like piloting a shuttle or a fighter. At the speeds you’re going, the only way to make sure you don’t end up inside of a sun, or worse, is to have every course carefully laid out beforehand. There can be no guesswork. Either we get those nav computers back, or we hope we have enough resources aboard to start a colony down there until help arrives.” He nodded his head towards the planet on the view screen.

Uldir looked up at the planet, and frowned slightly. There was something familiar about the blue and green sphere before him. He turned to the captain “Have we sent any probes down? Do we have any information on this planet or its inhabitants?”

The captain turned to him and raised his brows in mild shock at the question. “Well, yes, ofcourse. We sent down a stealthed probe and captured some video for our biologists to study while we were camped out here. Why?”

Uldir nodded his head towards the viewscreen “I would very much like to see these videos. Play one on the screen for me, if you would.” The captain frowned at the odd request, but complied. He gave the order to a nearby ensign, who pulled up the appropriate information onto the viewscreen.

The solitary image of the gentle planet surrounded by night was replaced by an incredibly brightly colored landscape. The standard Republic timestamps and watermarks appeared in the top right corner of the video as the probe droid made its way through what appeared to be a slightly dense temperate forest. After a solid two minutes of the probe scanning and recording various trees and foliage, it broke out onto a flat grassy plain, with scattered trees and hills in the background. What drew the eye, however, was the large group of very obviously manufactured structures that rested at the center of the plain. Thatch roofs and wooden structures were clearly visible, and very clearly in an intelligent pattern, The silent probe swiftly made its way towards the structures. As it approached, it was interrupted by its discovery of three colorful lifeforms, seemingly playing about in the shade of a nearby tree. It stopped to examine them. Each one shared a similar body structure - a small stout trunk, supported by four hoofed legs, with a slightly elongated head on top. Each had a differently colored coat of fur, and a distinct mane running down its neck, which shared colors with its tail. One was white, with a curly mane of purple and pink. Another had a dark orange coat, and a straight, purple mane and tail. The third was yellow, her mane and tail a brilliant red, with a large pink bow of fabric emerging from the back of her head, apparently keeping her mane tidily together. Uldir frowned at the image “These are.... ponies.” He stated plainly.

Jem looked up at her master in confusion “Ponies? What do you mean?” She looked back to the screen, attempting to understand his meaning.

Uldir nodded and signaled at the ensign to pause the video recording. The screen paused at a pleasant image of the yellow and orange ones playfully wrestling, while the white one sat by and watched. “Horses - they are equine pack animals used on many colonies as a form of transport and labor until a sufficient technological base is established. And ponies are, well, essentially very small horses. A lot of the more primitive worlds have them domesticated and use them extensively for many purposed. These creatures here very closely resemble ponies found on other worlds. This is interesting.... continue. Is there audio?” He asks the ensign controlling the playback. The ensign nodded and the video resumed, this time with sound. Uldir looked up to observe the native species.

The orange and yellow one continued their play fight while the white one to the side apparently offered commentary. Its mouth moved, producing a strange language in a high pitched voice, very similar that of a human. As the orange one managed to pin the yellow one down, he raised his brows with surprise, as he heard what was unmistakably laughter. If he had had his eyes closed, he would not be able to tell the little pony’s laugh from that of a human child. As he processed this odd similarity, he noticed something else. As the orange one spoke to the yellow one in the same strange language, a pair of wings fluttered at its back. He frowned slightly, looking to its two companions. The white one that he could see, did not have wings on its back. However, upon closer inspection, he did notice a small spiraling horn, which emerged from the creatures forehead. The white one gave another uncannily human laugh and then did something very unexpected. It tilted its head towards the orange one, who was a meter or two away, and the tip of its horn let out a few sparks. The sparks flew from its horn towards the orange one, apparently causing enough of a jolt to allow the yellow one to push it off. The yellow one got to its feet and joined in the conversation with its own eerily familiar voice. A cursory examination revealed that this one had neither horn nor wings.

A voice to his side broke his concentration. “It sounds like they are speaking Basic.” Jem piped up beside him, observing the language. Uldir frowned in concentration as he listened to them conversing among themselves.

“You are right... If I listen carefully, I can just barely make out a few roots which I could swear evolved from Basic. These.... ponies.... are speaking some sort of derivative of Galactic Basic. This gets more and more interesting.” He reached a hand up to stroke his beard, his eyes locked onto the three creatures continuing their play, the orange and white ones now apparently wrestling while the yellow one spectated. Several moments passed like this in meditative silence, before he turned to Jem. “Padawan, close your eyes. Concentrate upon the planet before us. Reach out and tell me what you feel.”

The young woman frowned slightly in confusion, but did as she was told. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply and steadily, reaching out as she achieved a meditative state. The planet was there before her. It bristled with life, and she could feel pleasant vibrations of light and harmony coming from it. Her consciousness delved deeper into it. Her soul’s eye plunged into the heart of the planet. It felt like dipping herself into cool still water... She gasped, her eyes opening with realization “This place! It feels just like the vision!”

Uldir smiled and nodded at that, reaching out to pat his padawan approvingly on the head. “Good girl, you sense it as well. This makes our next course of action obvious.”

Captain Telsh, who had been up to that point content to watch the Jedi mess around with their Force mysticism, spoke up, wanting to be kept in the loop as to what exactly was going on aboard his ship. “And so then, what exactly is that going to be?”

Uldir chuckled and looked to the captain “Ready us a shuttle. We are, of course, going to go and talk to these ponies.”

Chapter III - Meetings

The shuttle touched down in the middle of the clearing, the grass beneath it flattening as the engines slowly throttled down the thrust. Metal feet extended from the belly of the ship, meeting the grass and supporting the structure above it, the engines cycling down, and the full weight of the shuttle coming to rest on the ground. The muddy clay beneath the grass dented and threatened to absorb the metal foot of the landing gear, but persisted in its support. With a tell-tale hiss of decompressing gases, the belly of the shuttle opened up, a ramp lowering down to meet the ground. From the interior of the ship, two figures emerged. One, a scrawny young woman, with slender limbs and medium-length blonde hair, bounded out of the ship energetically, eager to explore the new world. The other, a tall, well-built man, with a bigger belly than most, and a scraggly mane and beard of wavy grey hair, strolled calmly after her, content to explore the novelty of this place at a much slower pace. “Calm, young Jem. This planet is hardly going anywhere, and I am sure we will have plenty of opportunity to explore as we make contact with the equids. It is best to let the world show itself to you, than to rashly seek out every corner of the world before it is ready to be seen.” Atoka gently chided his padawan as they began to journey away from the ship.
Jem gave a small sigh, and nodded, slowing her pace to match his. “Yes, master” She replied, reeling in her excitement. What she really wanted was to run up ahead and see what the native life was like, or see what all kinds of trees she could find, but she knew from experience that listening to her master tended to produce the best results. She breathed deep as they walked and closed her eyes, attempting to center herself as she had been taught, and had practiced so many times. She could feel the Force all around them, very slowly, grudgingly stirring at their presence. It felt cool and still, like a bath of water that had been laid out hours ago, and never used until it had long grown cold. When she called upon it, she could feel only the feeblest of streams of energy flow through her. “Master…. Why is it so… still here? The life all around me feels, well, alive. Virile and fresh. Yet the energy that connects it all… it is so stifled and sluggish.”

Atoka nodded and looked out solemnly at the forest around them “Yes, I feel it too. And I do not know… Even in all my time among the archives, and all my travels across the galaxy, I have never encountered a place like this. It is not dead in the Force, nor is it a wound in the Force, nor even a place of darkness. It is simply… sluggish. It feels very much like the dream.” He reached up to stroke his beard contemplatively as they walked. A break in the treeline appeared before them, and they adjusted course to move towards it. “The answers to our questions are not yet before us. This will require meditation and further exploration of this world.”

Jem sighed. Meditation and waiting seemed to be his answer to everything. It wouldn’t bother her so much if he didn’t usually turn out to be right. She often liked to joke that he was the galaxy’s best procrastinator. Dozens of various missions, she had spent with her master, patiently sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the situation to resolve itself. She knew that it wasn’t quite that simple, and that they had definitely swayed the outcomes of hundreds of diplomatic meetings, and more than a handful of wars-that-never-happened could be attributed to her and her master. A handful of casual words whispered in the right ear at the right time, manipulating this and that situation in the subtlest of ways, changing just a few words in a report to this politician, and a few more to another; these were the weapons her master preferred and he was deadly with them. Still, she often wished that their lives would include a bit more action, and a bit less waiting. As she pondered her master’s ways, and they passed out from beneath the cover of trees into a wide open meadow, she turned to him inquisitively “So, we know that these, err…’ponies’ share some sort of root language with Basic. Or, well, theyre related somehow. But that doesn’t exactly translate to, well, translation. How are we planning on speaking to them?”

Uldir looked down at her and gave a small grin “Ah, yes, very perceptive. This is actually something I have been wanting to try for quite a while. You are familiar with the tale of Revan, correct?”

Jem nodded, frowning slightly “Yeah, the prodigal knight. He led the Republic forces during the Mandalorian Wars, then turned to the dark side and tried to start a new Sith Empire, and started the Jedi Civil War, then later turned back to the light and helped us defeat the Sith he created. What about him?” She looked up at him in confusion.

He nodded approvingly “Very good. Yes, he did create a new Sith Empire. It wasn’t the one we’re fighting now, though. No, this was a different entity. You haven’t progressed quite this far in your history studies yet, but Revan’s Empire was fueled by an ancient artifact of great power. He had recovered it from the remains of a civilization far older than even the Republic. While recovering this artifact, he encountered the last living members of that civilization on a planet deep within the Unknown Regions. They had never spoken with anyone from modern civilization before, so they naturally had no language in common. Revan, however, was able to use the Force to bridge the gap between them.”

Jem raised a brow at him and gave him a smirk, crossing her arms “And so, all-knowing wise and powerful master, you plan to use an ancient secret dark-side technique known only by one of the most powerful Force-users in history, on a whim, to talk with some ponies?”

The older Jedi chuckled and reached over, playfully rapping his knuckles against her head as token punishment for her faux disrespect. They walked through the meadow, out into the open sunny field as he explained for her “Before he departed Republic space once more, he did spend a short amount of time at the temple on Dantooine, relaying tales of his travels. Luckily for me, and the entire Jedi Order, he did record a brief description of the technique. From the way it is described in the archives, it is essentially a form of battle meditation. But, whereas battle meditation is used to coordinate forces on a battlefield and lower the morale of your enemy, this technique gathers the ideas and meanings associated with words, allowing you to adopt an alien language, and slowly implants the same into nearby minds, allowing them to comprehend you. Somewhere in the middle, mutual comprehension.”

Jem nodded, finally understanding “Ahh. Yeah, that makes sense.” She looked up at him to raise a brow “So, uhh, when have you had a chance to practice it?”

Uldir coughed lightly and gave her a sheepish grin “Well, seeing as I know most commonly spoken languages already, and first contact with a new civilization is a rarity in the modern age… I haven’t. This will be the first time. But, I am confident. The Force has guided us here for a reason, and I am fairly certain that our purpose here lies with these colorful little equids.”

“Pinkie, darling, why is it again that we simply must have this little picnic of yours? And why it absolutely has to be way out here?” Rarity was beginning to tire, as she followed the energetic pink mare out to the predetermined, yet unrevealed picnic spot. She normally adored picnics of any kind, especially if Pinkie Pie was hosting, but brunch seemed a bit early in the day to be heading out of town.

Pinkie snortled good naturedly as she hopped along beside her friend, a picnic basket piled high with various baked treats threatening to topple with every bounding jump of the pink mare, yet inexplicably maintaining balance. “Because, silly-billy, my left knee got all itchy, and that means that we’ve just gotta no-question-about-it absoposilutely go on a picnic! And when I woke up this morning, I couldn’t feel my back left hoof at all, so that means there’s gonna be a super-duper awesome hay of a doozy at the end too!” It would be worth noting that Pinkie was absolutely brimming with excitement, were that not her normal state of being.

Rarity simply let out a small sigh and resigned herself to having a good time. As she eyed the large jug bouncing along on Pinkie’s back, she was glad atleast that they brought some iced tea. The day was slightly warmer than usual, and some tea would perk her up and put her in a much better mood for her friend. “Well, then, why didn’t we invite Rainbow and Twilight and the others?” She wondered aloud.

Pinkie managed to slow herself down to trot beside her friend, dialing back her energy enough to explain “Well, Applejack and Rainbow both had really important things to do for work today – something about coordinating the fall thunderstorms with the peak harvesting times for applebucking season – and Twilight says she has a really big mirror experiment she’s been setting up for since Celestia called us to Canterlot, and Fluttershy, well, she didn’t really have anything planned, but she said she just kind of needed a day by herself, which I suppose makes sense seeing as she’s a bit of an introvert, and she’s been hanging out a lot the past few days. And besides! You and I never spend much time alone, and you’re totally one of my favoritest, most friendliest prettiest thoughtfullest friends ever, so I thought, if nopony else can make it, we can still have a totally super-duper-awesome time just the two of us! “ The words fell out of her mouth like a waterfall of compressed information. Despite having never paused for breath during that entire tirade of explanation, she picked up her normal hopping gait without ever missing a beat.

Rarity smiled at her explanation, a small blush appearing on her cheeks at her friend’s compliments. “Well, Pinkie, that is just so dear of you to say. It is a shame none of our other friends could make it, but you are absolutely right – we should certainly find more time to hang out with just the two of us. Perhaps we should make this picnic a recurring thing – though, perhaps, a bit later in the day? Mornings and the outdoors simply do not agree with me, darling.” She looked up, noting that the sun had nearly reached its apex in the sky. Well, early was a relative thing, afterall.

Pinkie nodded enthusiastically at that idea, bounding along happily “Absopositivilutely! Picnics are my favorite! Oh, except for parties and baking and maaaybe swimming – but it’s still pretty far up there! Maybe us hanging out more was the doozy? Maybe., but I don’t think so, that’d be kind of sappy and lovey-dovey, and this story isn’t supposed to have any romance in it.” The pink mare bounced along obliviously as she babbled on.

Rarity raised a brow at the strange turn of phrase, sure she had misheard something “Romance? What in Celesia’s mane-oof!” Rarity was cut short as she bumped into the hind quarters of her friend, who had very suddenly stopped.

Pinkie jumped up in a vague bucking motion, tossing the precarious stack of picnicking goods off of her back. In clear defiance of all probability, all of the various baked goods and snacks landed on the ground in a neat row, ready to be unpacked and laid out. “Twitch-a-twitch wiggle itchy-twitch! We’re here!”

The two set about putting their picnic together, Rarity spreading the cloth, while Pinkie set out all the food she had packed. After a few minutes busy work, they sat down and admired their effort. The majority of it was baked goods, supplied by Sugarcube Corner, and almost certainly Pinkie’s own hoofwork. A few apple fritters from Sweet Apple Acres and a couple of daisy-and-daffodil sandwiches ensured that the meal was also edible to ponies without Pinkie Pie’s sugar-tolerance. “Well then! Now doesn’t that just look lovely?” Rarity sat down beside the vase of orchids – her personal touch – and levitated a sandwich to her mouth for a delicate nibble “As they say in Prance – bon apetit!”

The Jedi and his padawan crested the small hill to look out over the plain before them. The grass and flowers spread out in every direction, gently rolling up and down. A gentle breeze pushed a rolling wave lazily across the meadow. Off in the distance, they could make out the outlying structures of the settlement they had seen in the video feed from the droid. As Jem came up beside her master, she shielded her eyes against the sun and peered across the sea of blades and blossoms. Her eye caught on a splash of color, a bit more intense than the flowers of the meadow, about half way between them and the settlement. She reached into a pocket at her side, and withdrew a small electromonocular. She looked through the lens, twisting the dial on the side to zoom in close. There, she could see two of the colorful equine creatures, one white and purple, one a brilliant shade of pink, sitting together. “Master, over this way. I can see a couple of them.” Uldir nodded approvingly, and they set off.

Minutes passed as they closed in on their destination. They traveled quickly, the flat terrain doing little to impede their approach. The white one was the first to notice them, as they came within fifty or so meters of the two resting ponies. As they drew closer, she could see the white one go to stand up. The pink one beside her quickly followed suit. The wind carried them sounds of their odd-sounding language, spoken in what Jem would swear sounded like feminine voices. The two ponies stood alert, keenly watching the two Jedi as they came to a stop, twenty meters from them.

Uldir nodded politely to them, and offered a smile, hoping that their race recognized that as a friendly action. “And now, I meditate. Keep watch, and try to be as friendly as possible.” He murmured softly so that only his padawan could hear. He then went to his knees, in the classic meditative position used by Jedi for centuries. Jem nodded, and plopped down beside him in a much more casual position, offering the two equine creatures a smile that she hoped was amicable.

The two ponies looked back and forth between the two Jedi and each other, words passing between them in their native tongue. Jem watched as the pink one jumped up and down several times during the course of the conversation. She gave a small grin, finding the pink ones antics amusing, even as without-context as they were. Beside her, she could feel her master beginning to work. The Force in this place was slow and languid, not dead, but it was still difficult to call upon. She raised her brows as she felt the slow whirlwind of energy beside her that was her master. It was not often that she got to see Uldir display his mastery of the Force in terms of sheer raw power, but every time, it gave her goosebumps. Her skin prickled as she mentally tugged on the tendrils of the Force about her, feeling them almost unresponsive, and realized the staggering mental effort her master must be undertaking to channel the Force as he was now. She turned her attention back to the equids to see that they had sat back down, and were now eating, lifting what appeared to be baked goods to their muzzles, and taking small bites. She once more offered them a friendly smile, and, without thinking, held up her hand to give a small awkward wave. She could barely keep her jaw from dropping as the pink one leapt up and emphatically waved back at her.

“Hellooo over there!!” Pinkie had hopped up onto her hind hooves and was waving enthusiastically back at the strange bipedal creature.

Rarity gave a small chuckle at her friend’s over-bubbly nature and took a sip of iced tea, turning back to face the two strange creatures. She couldn’t help but wonder what they were, or what they wanted, but they seemed harmless enough. Both Twilight and Celestia had warned all of them to be over-cautious about any new faces in Ponyville, but these two looked nothing like those dreadful Rakata creatures the Princesses had shown them. And besides that, Pinkie had said that they were related to her super-good-doozy she had ultimately been dragged out here for. She scrutinized the two of them as best she could from the distance they were at. Aside from their questionable fashion tastes – she couldn’t quite pin down her opinion on all-brown with lighter brown accents, but she knew it wasn’t positive – she could not help a feeling of general respectability about the pair of creatures. She was at a loss of words to describe it, but it seemed as if the sunlight was just slightly brighter around them, with most of the light seeming to center around the larger one. As she was pondering this, her pink friend spoke up.

“I like them. I can’t put my hoof on it, but they just seem really nice. You know? Like, I mean, I bet if we invited them to a party they’d be super nice to everypony and bring snacks for everyone even though it was a real last minute invitation and we said they didn’t have to bring anything, but they did anyways because they’re just so nice.” Pinkie pie had ceased waving and sat back down, scooping a handful of cookies from a nearby plate and shoving them in her mouth as she did so.

Rarity nodded her agreement, taking a delicate nibble of a cookie from the same plate. “Agreed. There’s just an air of dignity about them I can’t quite place…. You know, darling, it’s getting to be right around noon time, and wherever they are from – be it the stars or Saddle Arabia – they must be famished. Why don’t we bring them something to nosh on?”

Pinkie Pie gasped and jumped up to her hooves, nodding emphatically “That’s a great idea! I bet they like cupcakes!” Without further deliberation, Pinkie scooped up a nearby plate of cupcakes, carelessly balancing the plate on her head as she hopped on over to the friendly looking creatures. Rarity chuckled softly to herself and followed along, determined to convince these new strangers that Ponyville had a fair bit more elegance than Pinkie Pie was currently showing.

The moments passed peacefully, as Jem watched the two equids converse. The shock of the pink one waving back at her had worn off quickly. She knew that similar gestures had evolved independently on countless worlds. Still, she found it rather odd that these creatures behaved so familiarly. She was certain it was just her mind playing with her, but she could have sworn she saw them smiling at one another off in the distance.

She raised her brows in mild surprise, as she watched the creatures rise and begin to walk towards her. She couldn’t help a small giggle at the sight of the pink one balancing a platter of what appeared to be very colorful food atop its head. She knew it wasn’t an appropriate reaction, all considered, this being first contact with a new species and all, but she couldn’t help it; the sight amused her. She quickly cleared her throat and turned to face the ponies properly, automatically resting on her knees in the same position as her master, displaying a hopefully polite and respectful position.

Beside her, the old Jedi was still deep in his trance. She couldn’t tell if his technique was working or not. She didn’t feel any different. Then again, she had never been under the effects of battle meditation before either, and so she didn’t know if it was supposed to feel any different. All she could feel was the torrent of Force energies flowing through her master, answering his call as he dove deeper into his meditation.

The ponies by that point were within a few meters, and would certainly expect a greeting. She couldn’t tell if she would be understood or not, but she supposed it would be worth a shot. She took a deep breath to center herself, and announced in her calmest, most diplomatic-sounding voice “Hello! My name is Jem and I’m very glad to meet you.”

The ponies stopped abruptly in front of her, now within a couple of meters. They looked back to each other, then back to her. The young padawan was now sure that her mind was not playing tricks on her. What she saw on their equine faces was the unmistakable expression of shock, and what erupted on the pink ones face could not be taken for anything but a smile. It came up to her, the plate of food atop its head teetering perilously to this side and that. The creature walked so haphazardly, she was shocked every time the platter didn’t come tumbling down to the ground. It finally stopped right in front of her, well within touching distance. Jem couldn’t help but notice that the pink creature was just slightly closer than she would have considered comfortable conversing distance.

She smiled politely, and for the first time since their arrival, was able to get a good look at the creature. It was shorter than most sentient creatures she had seen, measuring a bit under one and a half meters. Light rosy fur covered its whole body, save for its mane and tail, which sprouted a much thicker, curlier fluff of darker, more intense pink. It opened its mouth, and spoke to her in its native tongue. While she was sure it was perfectly intelligible natively, she could make neither heads nor tails of it. The pony just kept talking, apparently oblivious to Jem’s own obliviousness. Jem sincerely hoped her master’s meditation would kick in soon.

As the pink one was talking, the other one came up as well, standing beside it’s friend, though at a slightly more respectful distance. It craned its neck down to the ground, its hoof bending inward in an elegant gesture which Jem couldn’t help but interpret as a bow. This one was white all over, her downy pale coat shining in the sunlight. Its mane and tail were much different from its companions. Deep purple swirls of finely brushed, gracefully waving hair sprouted from her neck and hind quarters, curling into stylized swoops and coils. Just as they had seen on the bridge, there was a difference in anatomy. The white one had a horn cresting from it’s head, a pointed spiral of smooth bony material. This one spoke next, again incomprehensible to the young padawan. However, she could tell a clear distinction in its speech from the pink one. It spoke at a much slower, more deliberate pace, and its voice was just slightly lower that the other one. As it was concluding it’s ill-understood speech, however, Jem, sat bolt upright in surprise. Two words near the end, she recognized. She could swear she heard her say ‘gift’ and ‘friend’.

Jem sat there for a moment, containing her excitement. Perhaps her master’s technique was beginning to work. She took a deep breath to find her calm, and responded, slowly enunciating to try and make herself understood, for now simply repeating back the only two words she had recognized. “Friend. Gift.” She hesitated for a half-second before continuing, placing her hand on her chest, attempting to indicate herself “I am a friend.” She smiled, pleased with her diplomatic efforts thus far. The pink one seemed very excited to hear her respond, jumping up and down a few times, its curly tangled mane bouncing up and down with her, the plate atop its head once more threatening to fall. Just as Jem was about to hold out a hand to catch the surely ground-imminent plate of goods, the pink one reached up and swiped the platter from its head, setting it down before her.

Jem looked down at the plate in front of her. There were several colorful objects on it, each little one displaying a swirl of two colors, each one brighter and more contrasting than the last. They looked very much like baked goods with icing on them. In fact, she was quite sure that’s what they were. As she was about to try and question the ponies as to what exactly they were, the pink one nudged the plate towards her insistently. It the swiped one of the colorful objects off of the plate and popped it in its mouth, noisily chewing on the pastry. It then hopped up on its hind two hooves and rubbed one hoof on what was presumably its belly. It then spoke in a string of once more unintelligible words. However, Jem was now certain a few were getting through to her. Chief among the words she was able to discern from the pink pony’s speech were ‘tasty’ and ‘cake’. The sweet smell that she could notice wafting up from the colorful treats seemed to confirm her suspicions. She was being offered a pastry.

She looked back to the pink pony and smiled, bobbing her head, before reaching down and tentatively picking one of the colored pastries up off the plate. It was small, roughly the size of a fist. The bottom half seemed made of a sort of yellow sponge cake, while the top was clearly some variety of icing. She held the pastry up to her mouth and slowly sunk her teeth into the small confection. She closed her eyes and could very nearly die for the culinary bliss in her mouth. Never in all her travels across the galaxy had she tasted anything so intensely sweet and delicate. It was a sugary rush of fruity flavors and supremely saccharine sensations that, impossibly, managed not to be in the least bit cloying. She swallowed her first bite, and quickly dove back in for another, eagerly chewing the delicious pastry. She swallowed once more and piped up, sincerely hoping that they could understand her “This is really good!”

“Thanks! I made it myself!” Came the response from the pink one. It took Jem a full second to realize that she had fully understood that last sentence. She was already in the process of responding, when the revelation struck. She leaned back in shock, gasping. The pink pony in front mirrored her actions, leaning back, its mane and tail fluffing up higher than before as it realized what had just happened, a long drawn out gasp coming from it.

“You understood that! I understood you!” Jem babbled after a moment passed, allowing her to get past her intial shock. She grinned broadly and clapped her hands excitedly, bouncing up and down in her seat. “It’s working, it’s working!” She could practically squeal with giddiness. She looked to her master, still deep within his meditations, and smirked. The old man had some new tricks after all.

The white one was far more composed than the pink one, though it too raised a hoof daintily in astonishment at the newfound communication. It spoke, and once more Jem heard the odd assortment of syllables that comprised their alien language. Jem nearly deflated, thinking she might have jumped to conclusions about her master’s power too soon, but the next sentence from the white one came out more clearly, with only a few spots lapsing into illegibility “I’m not sure how you’re understanding us, #@&%$^!, or how we’re understanding you, @*! $^ @^( #*!^), it is certainly nice to meet you.” Now that she could partially understand, she was all but certain that both of these creatures before her were feminine.

The pink one was now practically vibrating with excitement, jumping up and down in place in front of her, happily talking, its speech still somewhat incomprehensible, though this time it was more from the speed at which it spoke than the language barrier “Oh, goody goody super-duper awesome! I knew that there would be a &*!#) $^!#)&$#!@ #^!() when we got out here and I was right! Two new friends!” It stopped bouncing, though it still positively hummed with energy, and held out it’s hoof to Jem “Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie and this is Rarity, and I hope we can be the bestest of totally bestest friends!”

Jem grinned, thoroughly amused by the pink pony’s antics. She held out her hand, intending to take hold of the pink hoof offered to her. She opened her mouth to respond likewise, but was cut short, as a blinding flash of light, and a thunderous crack of sound tore out of the sky up above them. Jem immediately snapped her gaze upwards, trying to shield her eyes from the intense flare of light. The sky darkened, and there up above her was another pony. This one, however, was different from any of the ponies she had seen thus far. It was at least twice again as large as the two before her. It flapped two great wings to stay aloft, easily hovering in the air above them. It had a coat of the most brilliant, pure white Jem had ever seen. Every inch of it seemed to radiate light. Its mane and tail, instead of being the hair she had seen on the other ponies, was a flowing spectrum of brilliant colors. Shimmering fields of pink, blue, and green poured from her neck and tail, glittering and sparkling with energy. Also unlike the others she had seen, it wore several pieces of golden jewelry. Golden plates with elaborate curved points adorned its hooves and fetlocks, while a thick band of solid gold with a single inset jewel hung from its long neck. A heavy golden tiara atop its head completed the regal image.

Just as Jem was regaining her vision, the angry look on the newcomer’s face one of the first things for her to register as the spots faded, a thundering voice resounded throughout the meadow, shaking the ground beneath her. It was louder than anything she had ever heard, and shook her to her core “Rarity, Pinkie Pie, back away from these monsters! You there, villains! Defend yourself, for I will show your kind no mercy.”

Chapter IV - The Morality of Hatred

Gusts of wind from the great beast’s wings buffeted the young padawan as it slowly descended before her. Jem scrambled, limbs flailing madly as she struggled to back away from the imposing sight. The creature finally touched the ground, standing impressively on all four hooves. It looked down its muzzle at her, and in those eyes Jem saw a righteous fire. Wings spread wide, the terrible pony took a step towards her. The tip of its long horn gleamed in the sunlight, and the ground shook as its voice rumbled forth, a tremendous wave of power rolling behind each word. “I am Princess Celestia, Diarch of this world, and I know well of your kind. Your villainy will not be tolerated. Leave now, or I will kill you, and any more of you that show your faces here.”

Jem gasped, struggling for breath as she felt the monstrous presence of the pony settle upon her shoulders. Panic welled up inside her, the aura of this great being threatening to drown her. It was as if all the lines of the Force in the entirety of this planet flowed through this one being, this single manifestation of moral hatred and indiscriminate justice that loomed above her. Quickly, she closed her eyes, and forced herself to take a slow, deliberate breath. The words of the Jedi Code raced through her mind. There is no emotion. There is peace. She opened her eyes, fighting away the fear that had threatened to overtake her, and looked back up at the celestial pony. Beside her, she could feel her master, still within his trance, not aroused by Celestia’s cataclysmic entrance. His presence gave her strength. Shakily, she spoke up, trying her best to remain composed and calm “We are friends, not enemies. We come spreading peace and harmony.”

As soon as the words left her lips, a blast of energy collided with her, sending her body flying backwards. Once more, Celestia’s thundering voice shook the world, as she collided with the ground, skidding into a patch of dirt. “Lies! I will not tolerate it!” As soon as Jem hit the ground, she knew that the peace of this situation had broken. She silently begged her master’s forgiveness for her failure, and leapt to her feet. Her hand went to her hip, grasping the hilt of her lightsaber. Years of training went into effect as she set herself in defensive combat position, the soft blue blade of energy flaring up from the hilt to meet her call of need.

Off in the distance, she could see the smaller ponies watching on in horror at the erupting violence. They had shown her kindness, they had wished for friendship. There was no evil at work here. There must be a way to resolve this situation peacefully. And in this place she felt no darkness. Even from the terrifying princess pony before her, there was no darkness. Her thoughts were cut short, as Celestia began to charge her. Hooves rumbled against the ground, propelling the princess towards her at frightening speed, her head lowered, the spear of her horn leveled at her. Closing her eyes, Jem set her mind firmly. If her master could call upon the Force in this place, so could she. She reached out, and the barest trickle of will flowed through her, guiding her. The edge of her blade swung upwards, deflecting the tip of the royal pony’s horn as she deftly sidestepped. Without thinking, she ducked low, narrowly avoiding the outstretched wing that had threatened to collide with her neck.

As Celestia passed her, her hooves kicked up a cloud of dust and ripped up more than a few flowers, her whole body twisting to turn and face the alien threat once more. Jem leapt from the maddened equine god, summoning a burst of energy from the Force around her, launching herself away.She landed several meters away, her feet plowing into the ground as she struggled to maintain balance. She held up her hand towards the princess, and shouted across the distance between the two “Please! We come as friends! We come peacefully! We do not intend any harm!” She glanced towards her master, still undisturbed from his trance. Now would be an awfully convenient time for him to awaken and come help her.

Celestia spread her wings wide and with a mighty flap, launched her body upwards. The sun glinted off of her pearlescent feathers and with another heave of her wings she sent her body once more racing towards the Jedi. The enraged alicorn had her horn leveled at Jem like a javelin thrown from on high. She held up her lightsaber once more, planning to parry the blow just as before. But as Celestia came in closer, Jem could see a brilliant glow surrounding the tip of her horn. Recognition of the fact barely had time to register in Jem’s mind before Celestia was upon her. Just as before, Jem flicked the end of lightsaber upwards to deflect the blow and sidestep her charge. But unlike before, as soon as the blade of Jem’s lightsaber touched the glowing horn, she was rocked by a powerful impact, a radiant burst of light knocking her back. A wave of energy rippled forth from the glowing horn, and Jem felt a cool tingle envelope her body. She was immobilized as a shimmering field emanating from the tip of the horn surrounded her, catching her before she hit the ground. Jem struggled, attempting to move her limbs, but the glistening energy field held her in place.

Celestia stared at her, contemplating as she held the captured Jedi in her magic. Jem looked up at her, pleading in her eyes, hoping once more to convey her message “We come in peace! Please let me go!” A single derisive snort was all that Celestia offered in way of comment, before raising the Jedi higher in the air, flying with her. They rose up several meters, Celestia dragging her all along. Just as Jem was about to attempt once more to communicate with the pony, she felt her magical cage jerk. Celestia twisted her whole body and grunted with effort, bending her neck back and swinging it at the ground. Following her motions, Jem was helpless to do anything but watch and try to brace herself as the ground rose up to meet her. A hideous cracking noise filled the air as earth met body. As Jem’s body rose once more in the magical grip of Celestia, she coughed, a trail of blood splattering down her front as she did so. She cried out in a low moan, the very act of breathing sending spears of pain shooting through her torso, signaling a broken rib. Another cough and a labored raspy breath confirmed her suspicion that one of her lungs had been punctured and was slowly filling with blood. A single red drop falling in front of her vision informed her that the sharp pain above her brow would have to be a gash.

Jem coughed once more, and grasped at straws within herself. Her body was once more rising into the sky. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind. She could not think her way out of this. As conscious thought fled her mind, one memory lingered a half a second longer than the others. It was a simple moment, from years ago, when she had first graduated and become a padawan. Duel after duel, hours of sparring with her new master, with other padawans, and even with younger initiates, had all ended in her defeat. She had been ready to quit. And then her master had revealed to her the simplest of truths. “What you have to understand, little Jem, is that we never truly fight. All you do, all you see, hear, breathe, feel - you must do it all through the Force. All we ever do is listen. We feel the flows of the Force moving through us. What we do with our sabers and with our bodies is simply the byproduct of listening to the symphony of the Force. We are simply dancers, all of us.” The Force in this place was a slow plod, and it was hard to hear. Instead of the lively flutes and flitters and the constant bright hum of energy that flowed through all the rest of the galaxy, all she could hear was a dull buzz. It was soporific and slow. She reached out through the ocean of dull noise, trying to find anything she could latch on to, anything she could dance to.

She could feel her master nearby. Through his own mastery of the Force, he had managed to froth the energies around him into a steady pulse, though still not very lively, and not at all loud. Off in the background, she could feel the two friends she had almost made. Pinkie Pie and Rarity, they had said they were called. They were a serene waltz juxtaposed next to a passionate and ad libbed rhapsody. But still, they were both muted, as if playing their song from the bottom of a deep well. And then her attention latched onto the terrifying princess who had her in her grasp. She was by far the loudest thing she had encountered on this planet. She was a whirlwind of energy, a hundred different rhythms all working as one. Jem reached out and touched the edge of Celestia’s aura, tapping into the incessant pulse. Suddenly she knew what to do.

Her body twisted as she called upon the flowing cadence, and she pushed outwards with her consciousness. At first she felt resistance, the vicegrips of energy keeping her confined tightly. But as she gave herself over more to the beat of the Force, the links of the chains surrounding her groaned and bent, and with a final push of willpower, snapped. Her limbs stretched free as the magical energy surrounding her dissipated. Air flew past her face as she fell from the heights to which she had been raised. She had broken free, but she knew these were just the opening steps of her dance. She twisted in the air, moving to land on her feet. As soon as her feet hit the ground, however, she launched herself back upwards, legs pushing down with a massive effort, springing her back into the air with incredible speed. The Force guided her towards the princess, who had watched on with shock as her magic had been broken. Jem flew towards the magical pony, her lightsaber held at her side, ready to strike.

As Jem came level with the flying princess, her body twisted, the glowing blade of her saber soaring straight for Celestia’s chest. The shocked princess barely had time to react, her neck twisting to send her horn to meet with the edge of the blue edge. The lightsaber hissed and spat as it encountered the rare substance it could not cut. Jem’s blade bounced away from the now glowing horn with force equal to that she had put into her swing. Unfazed, she let the momentum of the deflected blow carry her into another blow, her blade now coming to bear on the pony’s flapping wing. Celestia twisted her body, the meat of her wing just narrowly avoiding the blue blade. The saber instead grazed upon her side, searing the pearly white skin, leaving a blackened scar in it’s wake.

Celestia cried out in pain, her body writhing away from the burning blue ember. Jem was now falling towards the ground, the momentum of her leap now succumbing to gravity. She looked up towards Celestia where she was still flying. All she managed to see was Celestia’s twisting body and powerful hind legs tensing and springing before a hoof landed squarely against the side of her face. A cracking sound echoed through her skull, and streams of crimson spewed from her nose, staining the white hoof that had struck her. Her balance gone, she soared downwards, straight into the ground. Her chest slammed heavily into the dirt with a meaty thud, and agonizing razors of pain shot through her as the rib she had broken earlier screamed its injury louder than any willpower she had to fight it down. A sob of pain and a weak groan escaped her lips into the grass as she lay there and bled, the blade of her lightsaber dying with her descent.

Behind her she could feel the air currents flow over her as Celestia landed behind her. Fear gripped her heart as she attempted to move, to flee. She struggled to her hands and knees, and had already begun to call upon the Force to help launch her away from the mad god, when she felt the hard impact of a hoof push her to the ground. The shadow around her ominously spoke of the murderous pony above. She was about to struggle once more to her hands and knees, when a meaty thud and a sickening crack sounded in the air above her. Shock-numbed pain rocketed up her back as a powerful hoof clove its way into her spine, right above her waist. She could no longer feel her legs.

She was going to die. This white pony was going to kill her, and she would become one with the Force. In a way, she almost looked forward to the peace. There would be no conflict, no pain. Simply the Force. She could simply be. There is no death, there is only the Force.

As she accepted her fate, and the peace of unbeing washed over her, a powerful blast of energy tossed her into the air. As she flew away from the stroke of death, her eyes rolled around to search for the source of the interruption. A robed figure flew through the air towards Celestia, a crimson blade carving the air as it flew at her. Jem hit the ground with a painful thud, her vision blurring for a moment as the searing fire of her rib and lungs brought her close to unconsciousness. The blurred image came into focus as she saw Celestia back away from the swarm of strikes and slashes, the red blade relentlessly flowing into attack after attack. A grin spread across her face as she watched. Her master had come to save her.

Celestia looked frantic as she dodged swipe after swipe, and twisted her neck this way and that to parry the multiple blows that rained down upon her. Atoka’s blade flowed like a river of precision as he pushed the princess back. Strike flowed into slash, one after another with no hesitation or pause, like a perfectly choreographed performance. Every parried blow had an immediate response, and every dodged swipe of the blade carried into another with fluid grace. Yet even as he kept up his relentless assault, somehow his saber never touched Celestia directly. As he pushed her back, she seemed to feed off of his energy, responding in kind with movements that became ever more fluid and graceful. Whereas her first parry was a desperate attempt at survival, every one thereafter became quicker and more fluid, until it seemed that she was as much part of the dance as Atoka. As Jem watched, she became disheartened. Her master was slowing in his advance as Celestia grew more skillful in deflecting and dodging his blows.

The whirling onslaught of red that was Atoka’s lightsaber had been slowed to a standstill. Celestia was no longer simply dodging his blows, and had begun to counterattack. She parried a blow and responded with a riposte, attempting to gore him with her horn. Thus did the onesided assault become a proper duel, as he dodged her, and sent a strike of his own back towards her. The storm of red and white brewed in a whirlwind of attacks and dodges, parries and counterattacks. They traded blows back and forth, neither side able to land a proper injury to the other. After a few moments of tiring battle, first blood was drawn as Celestia managed to tear at the Jedi’s shoulder, ripping the sleeve of his robe and slicing shallowly into the skin of his arm. Without missing a beat, he responded in kind, his own blade kissing the side of her neck, leaving a black singe where it had failed to impart serious injury.

Jem closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. As her master dueled, she could find a way to make herself useful. The rhythm once more called to her, and she allowed it to breathe new life into her. Bone ground against bone, and blood wept openly from the gashes across her face. The pain nearly blinded her, but she had to press on. It was not her own action, but the Force flowing through her that pushed her body into an upright position. She clamorously pushed herself up, and with a massive grunt of effort erected herself into a standing position. The first step was like pushing her limbs through wet gravel, but the second was easier, and the third something less than impossible. She tightened her grip on her lightsaber, the blue blade roaring once more to life in her hands. She dared not even think about her actions, as the pain and fear may overwhelm her. She would only do as the Force directed. She would dance once more.

The blur of red and white strikes was her destination, and she intended to join in to overwhelm the white force. She managed to force herself into a run as she moved towards the fray. Right as she reached the scene, and was about to enter her blade into the battle, a fresh gout of red and a shattering cry force her attention ahead. Celestia’s horn was coated in dark crimson, the same shade as the fountain that now poured out of her master’s side. He groaned and stumbled backwards, his flow broken by her successful strike. Jem gasped and sprinted the final meters to him, crying out as she did so. Atoka ignored both the wound and her, and instead leapt back into his assault. The brief moment of interruption brought by his injury, however, turned out to be the moment Celestia had been waiting for.

The mighty white pony leapt back away from the fray, her great wings propelling her into the sky above them. As she hovered, her front hooves collided with each other to produce a massive peal of thunder. From the powerful clap, a shockwave extended out towards the two injured Jedi. Jem and Atoka were both blown back by the blast of energy, nearly knocking them over. Her voice rumbled forth, shaking the lines of reality as she spoke with the authority of the planet “Enough! I will not tolerate this any further! By my holy fire, be cleansed from here!” With those words, her horn began to glow, a dense red light shining down from her radiance. Suddenly, the sun above them seemed to come alive with a light it had not had before. All around them, everything was aglow with furious shades of red, as an unbearable heat shone down from the tyrant sun above them. The red fury came from the sun itself and bathed all around them in it’s oppressive glow. As Jem and Atoka simmered under the hideous heat, they looked up at the offending star. But as they looked up, they saw that the light had coalesced. The bath of righteous hate had pooled in the sky above them, and taken physical form. Floating in the air above them, standing twin to the sun was a massive ball of fire. Celestia’s horn grew brighter, and the ball of flame shrunk, pulling in on itself, growing brighter and more intense as its power was reigned in.

With a snarl and a flick of her mane, Celestia used her magic to throw the ball towards the Jedi, the searing inferno sphere heading straight towards Atoka. It flew like a bolt straight towards the weary Jedi. Instantly, his saber blade flew up to deflect the attack, but the very instant the miniature holocaust touched his blade, it vanished, overloaded by the intense energy of the white hot sphere. The orb of fire slammed directly into Atoka’s chest, sending his body crashing to the ground with a thud. Jem, watching her master fall as if in slow-motion, cried out for him, but her voice was quickly drowned out by his own. As his body fell down, he was contorted in visible agony, and his voice was the sound of torn and bloodied vocal chords as he screamed in hellish pain. The ball of white hot energy, instead of searing through him, had latched onto his body, and sent tendrils of radiant energy across his torso and limbs, wrapping him in a net of pure burning torture. Jem went to her knees, eager to try to help him, wanting to end his pain, protect him, anything to save him.

The holocaustic tendrils burned and seared his flesh, black char growing around them in a network of ash that spread across his body. Jem was forced to watch, unable to do anything else, as the white vines of agony slowly seeped into his body. The energy gradually dissipated, the white hot cords turning yellow, then orange, then red, and very slowly fading from existence. As the vile filaments faded, Atoka’s screams ceased. His body was limp, his eyes closed. Jem could detect only the barest pulse of life from her master. Quickly, the hope that had sustained her continued fight faded from her body. She turned around and saw that the princess pony had landed behind them. She was walking towards them calmly. Celestia knew as well a Jem did that they were about to die. Peace. All Jem wanted was peace.

Jem struggled to her feet and turned to the advancing pony. The lightsaber fell from her grip, landing upon the ground with a thud, its blade immediately shutting off. Jem fell as well, landing on her knees. She opened her arms wide in a clear gesture of submission. She closed her eyes, and slowly deliberately spoke, begging the only way she could. “Peace. Knowledge. Serenity. Harmony. We want peace. We want harmony. We want.... friendship.” She could feel Celestia had stopped, only a few meters in front of her. She went on, the calm of the Force flowing in her voice, no desperation in her words “We came in peace. We wished for friendship. Kill me if you must, but I will fight you no longer.... We came in peace.... We came in peace.”

A moment of silence passed as Celestia contemplated the prostrate figure before her. To Jem it seemed like an eternity within seconds. She was at peace. If she died here, she would die as a Jedi should: With no hate or fear in her heart. She opened her eyes and looked up at the princess with no fear, no hatred, no darkness in her eyes. The face before her, painted in shades of white, crowned by gold and ethereal glow, seemed conflicted. Her eyes, twin orbs of pearl and amethyst, mused the terrible situation as they looked down at Jem. They questioned, they screamed in rage and misery, and wept at the monstrosity they reflected, both without and within. Celestia took a single step back, confused by the sight before her. Her brow furrowed and she seemed to panic at the image of the defenseless creature. She quested for meaning in this inglorious conclusion that had been presented to her. Celestia’s eyes welled with tears, and spoke, her voice weak and unsure, intoning with the pain of a shredded resolution, and the bitter anger of millenia gone by “You... you must.... I have to protect my people” Her hoof raised apprehensively as she prepared to end it.

Before the princess could carry out the evil deed, however, Jem’s vision was obscured by a cloud of pink fuzz. The pink pony she had met before, Pinkie Pie, was standing between her and Celestia. The pink pony was standing on her hind two legs, upright, the front two legs outstretched protectively, to shield her from the Princess. Beside her, the white one, Rarity, had come up as well, and was standing resolutely beside Pinkie, one motherly hoof resting on Atoka’s chest. Pinkie was first to speak, her high-pitched voice sounding hurt “Princess, stop it! They didn’t hurt us! They were gonna be our friends and eat cupcakes with us.”

Rarity spoke next, turning to more properly face the diarch, removing her hoof from Atoka “Your Highness, please, listen to Pinkie. We know that these ‘creature’s’ arrival comes at a bad time, but they mean no harm. They walk on two legs, but they elsewise look nothing like the invaders you spoke of. And, they were behaving perfectly civil up until your arrival! “ Her voice was at once chastising and reverent, torn between adoration and admonition.

“They were just learning to talk, and they like cupcakes, and they wanted to be friends, and we were gonna ask them to play some games with us! They aren’t hurting anypony! They weren’t even being meany mean-pants, not even regular mean-pants! The only pony here being a meany mean-pants is you, Princess! They said they wanted to be friends, like, a hundred times, and you wouldn’t listen!” The pink pony let out her tirade with full force, not attempting to mince her words as Rarity did.

Celestia backed away, stunned by the display of her subjects. Her hoof was raised apprehensively, and her wings were tucked against her body. Her ears lay flat against her head as she looked with confusion at the invaders and the ponies protecting them. Her eyes darted between all of them. She looked at Pinkie Pie, so uncharacteristically fierce, and Rarity, breaking etiquette to help protect these aliens. Her eyes fell on the burning scars all across Atokas body, and a visible cringe of guilt emerged on her face. Finally,her eyes fell on Jem, and Jem looked back up at her. Celestia stepped forward, slowly, her wings tucked away, her movements calm. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Pinkie Pie sidestepped to watch what would happen. Celestia bent her neck down to look into Jem’s eyes. Even after the fierce battle she had just fought, Jem had to admit that her eyes were remarkable. Dark pools of black surrounded by the richest amethyst she had ever encountered stared into her, examining her intensely. Jem simply sat there, allowing herself to be looked into, opening her soul for the white princess to see. The words that came from Celestia were small, contrite. “You don’t want to destroy us, do you?”

Jem answered with perfect honesty “No. We wish only for friendship. We came to learn of you”

Celestia raised herself back to her full height and nodded, her mind apparently made up. She turned away from Jem and Atoka and took several steps away. Jem held her breath, awaiting the princess’s verdict. Celestia paused, apparently examining the world before her, before turning back to them “Come, Ponyville is close. We have ponies there who can help to heal you.”

Interlude - Scent of Blood

The datapad powered down and the room went dark. Save for a few blinking lights announcing the functional state of their respective pieces of equipment, the room was completely drenched in shadow. Commander Cath leaned back in her chair and gave a small sigh. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy her job. To the contrary, she adored it. Learning secrets from across the galaxy was always fun, and her position carried the pride of helping the Empire on its glorious march towards a brighter future. For the Emperor and all that. It was the people that drove her insane. Always some Sith to appease, always an admiral breathing down your neck, and Emperor save us all if the Dark Council was ever in any way involved. She rubbed the bridge of her nose to help calm herself as she ceased her mental diatribe. There would be plenty of time to rant about bureaucracy and oversight at the bar later. For right now, she had unpleasant business to attend to.

Her fingers danced over the terminal in front of her, prompting it to emit a pale blue glow. A few swipes and presses, and she had in front of her the connection she needed. The holoterminal beside her started to glow as it awaited a return signal, and soon a robed figure appeared floating in the air before her. It greeted her with a surly growl and an expectant glare. Cath fought down the combative response her brain had lined up for the rude noise and straightened in her chair. She cleared her throat, answering the ambiguous greeting “Lord Gorod, we have received word from our agent aboard the Bondar Thane. They are currently dead in space, without hyperdrive.”

The robed figure looked at her for a few moments eyes boring holes into her even over the holocommunicator. His voice was a sour rumble when he spoke “If that is the extent of your news, Commander, then a severe punishment awaits you upon my return to Dromund Kaas.”

Cath gritted her teeth in annoyance at the threat, choosing to ignore it and continue with her report. “Our agent has determined that they will not be able to move for several days - weeks even, if efforts are made towards sabotage. And... he has determined that the crystal is aboard the vessel.”

Lord Gorod leaned forward intently, savage hunger visible in his eyes. “You have my undivided attention. Tell me - where is the Bondar Thane?”

Author's Note

Y'all remember the agent aboard the Bondar Thane right? I've needed to continue that plot thread for a while now, and this bit honestly just doesn't fit in with another chapter and it isn't big enough to be its own chapter, so we shall call this an Interlude. I'll try to keep these to a minimum, but they may pop up from time to time if they are necessary.

I've decided to be a bit more flexible with the whole weekly chapter thing. This last chapter proved to me that being on a schedule like that can lead to poor writing. But I do promise to continue to pump out this story for y'all!