Star Wars: The Horse Awakens

by Just Some Guy

First published 22nd of December, 2015

Twilight Sparkle is a young mare living on a peaceful planet. From the day she was born, she has had odd powers that let her do multitudes of things. However, it isn't long before she's discovered by the Galactic Empire. (No Force Awakens Spoilers!)

Don't worry! There are NO "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" spoilers here! I just thought it was a really clever name!

For centuries, the evil Galactic Empire has ruled over the galaxy with an iron fist. Twenty years ago, a high-ranking Galactic Senate member, Twilight Velvet, partook in a dangerous mission in a desperate attempt to stop the Empire.

Now in present day, her daughter, Twilight Sparkle, has become a distant young mare on the lush and beautiful planet of Ultaar. Since the day she could remember, she has had mysterious powers that allow her to move objects and mind control others. And although she has little control over these powers, it doesn't take long for the Galactic Empire to take notice.

Now with really anyone she can scramble together, she sets out to escape the Empire, find her mother, should she still be alive, and stop the galactic war once and for all!

---

I cannot stress this enough that "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will NOT be spoiled in this story. I just thought the title was really clever and, y'know, things happened and it all turned out here. Hurray! Plus, I wouldn't spoil you guys! I think we've all waited far too long for this movie to come out, and it wouldn't be fair for you.

Art is owned by: Raikoh-illust

[Prelude]: A Long Time Ago...

[Prologue]: Fatal Mission

Author's Notes:

Feel free to add your own STAR WARS music.

The galaxy is a vast expanse of stars that even now people have failed to explore every corner of. It expands to hundreds upon thousands of light years in diameter, and boasts different and unique celestial bodies constantly floating around in it. Surrounding these stars are planets both big and small, be they lush and fertile or rocky and uninhabitable. Most are heavily populated by species of all kinds, and be they sentient or instinctual, all are important to the galaxy.

And most of it is ruled by the Galactic Empire.

For centuries the empire has practically owned galaxy. Legends say that with brutal strength, they were able to take over anything they so desired, destroying anything that got in their way. The only peaceful planets now are those who have desperately signed peace treaties with the empire, praying they don't turn on these pacts and living in fear of them every day.

But today, I hope to end their reign of terror. And if not today, then soon. Soon we will have peace.

This next part must go to my daughter. Dearest Twilight Sparkle, you must-

"General Velvet," proudly spoke a soldier to the aforementioned General Velvet as he opened the ship door to her quarters "Apologies for interrupting you, but we have arrived at the Galactic Empire's home base. We are awaiting your orders."

"Settle down, Commander," Velvet nodded "Just let me finish my letter."

"O-Of course, General," the soldier stepped back a bit.

"...and, done," Velvet sighed, turning to the soldier commander. He, like all other members on the ship including herself, was equine. His coat was white and his mane and tail was an electric blue color that literally stuck out from the silver armor that covered most of his body. He stood proud and tall as any good soldier should in the presence of their generals.

Velvet herself was shorter than the commander, but undoubtedly stronger. She had a silver coat with a white and purple striped mane and tail. Covering her entire body was a brown robe tied around her neck. Her soft blue eyes, despite living in a world as cruel as this one, were still kind, caring and motherly. Atop her head was a horn usually useless to a pony had it not been for a certain other aspect of hers. She had recently had a child, and her slight weakness blatantly showed that. She almost didn't go on this mission had it not been for her questionable persuasion tactics with her allies. Her husband had still worried about her, however.

"As I was saying, we have just arrived at Rakata Prime," the commander confirmed.

"The Galactic Empire base? Yes, of course," Velvet recalled "We should not engage in any hostile action just yet. I want to try and make this as clean as possible. That being said, have your men at the ready."

"Affirmative," the commander bowed a bit and walked away deeper into the ship.

"God... Maybe I shouldn't have done this..." she sat back down on her chair and let out a small sigh, looking back at her letter to her family "...yet I can't help but wonder if my life would have been different if all this never happened."

As she recalled how she came to this moment in her life, her ship, a J-type Star Skiff called the Twilight, named after her family name, approached the blue planet of Rakata Prime, also known as Lehon. As mentioned before, the Galactic Empire had formed their main headquarters there. But it was not on the surface of the planet, rather surrounding it. Circling around all of Rakata was a giant ring-shaped station that was armed to the core with weapons of mass destruction for anything that could come close.

As General Velvet saw this, she sharply inhaled, holding her breath for a few more moments before exhaling. Truth be told, she was not ready to face whatever monsters lay on that station, but she had to remain vigilant. After all, the fate of the entire galaxy rested on her shoulders. Hesitantly, she stood up from her seat and walked to the bridge of the skiff.

There, several soldiers all in the same armor as the commander but with varying colors of manes and tails sat piloting the ship slowly towards the ring. They too had shown signs of fear as they approached the station, but they too steeled themselves for the dangers. Suddenly, their transmitter went off. A man with a no-nonsense voice spoke to them.

"You are entering Galactic Empire space," he said emotionless and flat "This is your last and only warning; turn your ship back now or you will be annihilated."

"Yes, hello?" Velvet took the transmitter and spoke into it "This is Twilight Velvet of the Galactic Senate, identification code 1137. I'm here to speak with your ass of a leader."

"How uncouth of you, senator," the man scoffed "But... very well, we will allow you entrance into our station. You are cleared for docking port 2187-B."

"Understood," Velvet confirmed, turning off the transmitter and resting herself in one of the bridge's seats "Dear god, I hate using that title of mine."

"We know you do, general," one of the soldiers groaned.

"I mean, it's bad enough that I'm already having to deal with that scumbag Sombra, but if he found out I-"

"Yes! We get it, woman!" the same soldier shouted, causing him to get some cross eyes looking right at him.

"...right," Velvet sighed before turning to the commander again "You know the plan?" the commander nodded "Great. Only I am allowed to step onto that station. Everyone, just... Just be careful, alright?"

Finally, the Twilight entered it's permitted docking port. Extending its landing gear, it touched gently down onto the cold surface of the bay and released its excess steam from the exhaust ports, finally stopping the engine and lowering the entrance ramp from the bottom of its hull. There, Velvet stepped out onto the large docking platform and looked around only to see empire troops in white armor marching about the station, as well as several TIE-class star fighters docked above.

"Senator Twilight Velvet," said a male voice that approached her as she looked around, gaining her attention again "Truly an... honor to be graced with your presence once again."

He was her height, if not slightly taller. His coat was purple and his mane and tail were a blonde shade of yellow. On his side was a pair of wings tightly folded along his waist and torso. He wore a tight dark grey vest that had ten buttons, five red and five blue, marked on his chest area, a black naval hat, and tight black pants. He stood proudly before Velvet, never flinching once, despite his ill feelings towards her.

"Lieutenant Stormcatcher," Velvet cockily smirked "You're still as short as the day I met you."

"...wonderful," Stormcatcher growled a bit, but retained his posture "General Sombra awaits you. Come with me."

"With pleasure," Velvet nodded as she began following the lieutenant.

"I believe this is your first time meeting with our highest-ranked officer?" Stormcatcher brought up some casual conversation "I'll have you know that he is most pleased with your willingness to come and meet with him."

"Well, I gotta keep my family safe somehow," Velvet answered.

"A word to the wise," Stormcatcher stopped her before she entered the elevator going up "General Sombra has... powers. Try anything funny and you will regret it."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Velvet's mood soured slightly as she stepped onto the platform and allowed it to elevate her to where the general of the Galactic Empire lay waiting for her. Stormcatcher watched as she went up, waving a hoof at the troopers in white armor to prepare for something he had in mind.

Twilight Velvet had reached the top of the elevator shaft, still feeling as nervous as ever. However, she did her best to hide that fact, breathing in one final time before watching the doors slowly open to the circular room before her.

It was dimly lit, as only the light from the sun of Rakata shone into the area from the wide viewing glass that took up the entire half of the wall. Stepping up a small flight of stairs was a black leather throne where a stallion sat patiently awaiting her arrival. He never made a movement as he continued watching the stars and the planet below twinkle and rotate respectively.

"So, I'm guessing you're General Sombra, huh?" Velvet began "Nice, um... space station."

There was no answer.

"My name is Senator Twilight Velvet of the Gala-"

"I know who you are..." Sombra spoke in a deep, dark voice that sent a shiver down Velvet's spine "I could sense your presence when you boarded this station..."

"Right, o-of course..." Velvet let a stutter get by her.

"You are afraid?" Sombra finally turned his throne around and looked dead in the eye of the mare in front of him. The shadows were obscuring her vision of him, but she did note his red eyes that seemingly pierced her soul. Whoever this stallion was truly frightened her, and that was something not many could do.

"No, not of you," Velvet lied, hoping he would move onto something else. Unfortunately for her, he stayed on that topic for a while.

"Don't lie to me, Twilight Velvet," Sombra spoke in a calm voice, which Velvet found slightly unusual "I know you are afraid of me. Good. It will make our negotiations a lot... smoother."

"Speaking of, I think we should begin, should we not?" Velvet wanted to get this over-with as soon as possible.

"Not before you tell me why you're really here, Sparkle..." he got out of his throne and revealed his towering height to Velvet, but it was still too dark for her to see his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Velvet shook her head, for now ignoring the fact he spoke her marriage name without her even telling him beforehand.

"I warned you not to lie to me, Sparkle," Sombra inched closer to her "...your aura is powerful. It's remarkable, truly..."

"..."

"How about a little test..." even though it was pitch black in the room, Velvet knew Sombra was smiling maliciously "Without your supposed knowing, I will do something. You must tell me what."

"Enough of these games, Sombra!" Velvet shouted "I don't know how well you know me, but chances are you've figured out it's a bad idea to make me mad."

Without saying a word, Sombra raised a hoof and clenched it, appearing to do nothing at first.

But Velvet knew. She knew someone of his power had done something terrible.

Downstairs, the crew of the Twilight was still awaiting orders from General Velvet. They paced around the bridge, praying for her safe return. The commander in particular was concerned for her well-being. However, he took a look outside the window for a brief moment to see that a multitude of empire troopers with large weapons had gathered around the ship. He stood up from his seat and watched them gather by the second.

"Ready!" Lieutenant Stormchaser called out "Aim!"

"Everyone get off..." the commander ordered "Ignore the orders of the general, that's an orde-"

"FIRE!"

All at once, the troopers fired their weapons at the skiff, tearing it apart piece-by-piece and setting it ablaze. The soldiers inside never had a chance to even react to their commander's words before their lives were taken away from them. All that remained of the ship was a pile of burning debris. Stormchaser found enjoyment in this, smiling a bit as he watched the flames dance on the corpses of his enemies.

"AAHHHH!!" Velvet screamed and collapsed to the ground, clutching her head in immense pain.

"You hear them, don't you?" Sombra asked her "The screams of help your pathetic crew letting out their final breath in a desperate attempt to keep living."

"Nng... GAAAAHHHH!!!" Velvet continued to cry out in agony.

"I had my suspicions about you," Sombra mentioned "And I'll admit, your willpower to prevent me from finding you out was strong. But it would only help you for so long. This is what you get for attempting to overthrow the Galactic Empire."

"..."

"The Jedi are supposed to be extinct," Sombra brought up "You shouldn't be able to exist."

"D-Damn..." Velvet gasped as the pain slowly faded away, ignoring what Sombra said "I... I never got to finish that letter..."

"What?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" Velvet got up and removed her robe, revealing another, tan robe more tightly wrapped around her body, as well as a metal rod attached to a belt around her waist she pulled off with a glowing light coming from the horn atop her head "I was writing back to my family. Particularly... my daughter."

"You..." Sombra felt the rage swelling up inside him as he too brought out a metal rod from his waist with his own light and activated it, sending out a rod-like beam of red light that slightly illuminated the room "Do you realize what you have just done?"

"Besides end this conflict?" Twilight activated her own weapon which was like Sombra's, only purple "Not really."

Without warning, Sombra swung his saber down at Velvet in an attempt to kill her. With a quick motion however, she was able to block his attack and retaliate. They continued clashing their sabers together around the room until Sombra finally had her in a lock. They held their weapons together for a brief moment before they slowly began inching closer to Velvet's face.

"I will not allow you to leave this station alive..." Sombra darkly said, clenching his teeth.

"Really? Because I've had some slightly different plans!" Velvet extended one of her free front hooves at the elevator door, opening up to the empty shaft and jumping inside it. Using her saber, she skid along the walls of the shaft back down to the hanger. Unsurprisingly, Sombra followed her in an attempt to stop her.

However, she didn't stop at the hanger, but rather another floor that was nothing but a long hallway that lead to several computers. Jumping into the space and cutting down the doors with her weapon, she began searching one of the computers, keeping her saber at the ready. Clearly the best choice, as Sombra, still somehow cloaked in shadows, jumped down and began attacking her again. He destroyed the computer she was using as well.

"Aw, c'mon, really?" Velvet scoffed a bit, blocking another one of his attacks.

"I have spent too long trying to extinguish the entire Jedi Order," Sombra growled as he continued attacking her "Then you come along and tell me that you have a daughter... Can you even fathom how much rage that fills me with?"

"Enough to come close to defeating me?" Velvet smirked.

"ENOUGH OF YOUR FOOLING AROUND!!" Sombra yelled, forcing his hand out and pushing Velvet away from him onto a wall. She quickly regained her balance, but her saber was deactivated. She quickly grabbed it before Sombra could even think about taking it, however.

"Haa... Haa..." Velvet gasped for breath, exhausted from being pushed against a wall "Did you... really think... your reign would last... forever? The rebellion... is craftier than you think..."

"Cease your blabbering," Sombra commanded, pointing his weapon right at his foe "I'm giving you but one last chance... Surrender now and I promise you a swift and painless death."

"Maybe you should... start listening to those who blabber..." Velvet smirked once again as she stuck her weapon's hilt onto the computer behind her and allowed it to take what information it had on its mainframe. She finally lifted it back out and activated it once again, preparing for what Sombra would do next.

"..."

"Well, I at least thought you were going to say something about me being foolish..." Velvet shrugged "I mean, you've been having a few anger issues, so I kinda thought some consistency would-"

"Activate self-destruct protocol for docking port 2187-B, authorization code: 0771276," he said simply. In a matter of seconds, every screen in the hallway lit up with a red background and black numbers spelling out 1:30 on it. Soon enough, the countdown began, sounding an alarm for all members in that area to evacuate immediately.

"You idiot!" Velvet shouted "You'll kill yourself as well!"

"I will do anything to prevent the empire from being destroyed," Sombra said darkly "Even if it means taking my own life. Besides, there will always be another to take my place."

"I don't have time for this!" Velvet shook her head and jumped around Sombra, attempting to get back down the elevator shaft. However, Sombra extended his hoof again and stopped her in her tracks, freezing her in place. He slowly approached her, making sure to crack a few of her bones along the way. She so desperately wanted to scream, but she couldn't even move her lips.

"Twilight Velvet Sparkle..." Sombra addressed her by her full name "Did you not say you wanted to talk to me about extending a peace treaty? I think now is as good a time as any, hmm?"

Through willpower and determination, Velvet managed to activate her saber with the light coming from her horn and sever one of Sombra's hooves, causing him to lose balance and release her, giving her just enough time to escape. She fell down the elevator shaft and landed herself onto the hanger platform where all the TIE fighters were docked. She limped the best she could towards one in an attempt to escape, but her spine was snapped by a force from behind her. She let out a cry of pain as she lost all feeling in her legs.

"Forty seconds to detonation!" spoke a robotic voice through the entire port.

"This is the end for you, Sparkle," Sombra growled "Give me your saber now!"

"I don't think so, asshole," Velvet smirked again, despite the situation. Extending her hoof, she quickly threw her weapon into one of the TIE fighter's open cockpits and closed the hatch. Understanding her plan, Sombra focused his attention on keeping the fighter locked in it's hanger. Velvet used this time to thrust her hoof at her foe and send him flying off the platform.

"Nighty... Twily... Sorry for breaking my promise..." Velvet chuckled a bit, feeling tears roll down her cheek "I guess I won't be home in time for dinner after all..."

Using her powers one final time, she activated all the TIE fighter's controls inside the cockpit and released it from its lock. She then flung it out into space, activating its warp drive and sending it barreling through the galaxy. She prayed to the gods above that someone, hopefully her daughter, would find it.

"Five seconds to detonation!" the robotic voice said again "Three!"

Twilight felt her body tremble.

"Two!"

"Twilight, we'll see each other one day," Velvet smiled "You can count on it."

"Zero!"

[Chapter I]: The Lush Planet

Author's Notes:

Feel free to add your own STAR WARS music.

The sun rose over the grassy, lush hills of the mid-rim planet of Ultaar, spreading it's light across the fields, rain forests and oceans that covered most of the planet. The entire planet was nearly covered in some form of flora, though not quite to the extent of a planet such as the plant-infested Felucia. Instinctual beasts roamed the earths of the planet, each fighting for survival. Peaceful herbivores however enjoyed the sight and warmth of the morning sun.

While the planet was indeed covered with wild fauna and flora, there existed but a small settlement on one lonely side of Ultaar experiencing yet another beautiful morning. The inhabitants of the settlement, each of equine stature, opened their doors and windows to feel the comfort of light shining upon their faces once again. Almost immediately, the colts and fillies of every family in the village rushed out of their homes to play with each other, attempting their best to spend the day in the best way they could, rolling down the hills and swimming in the nearby sea.

One young mare however stayed inside.

True, she was nineteen years of age, but there was nothing stopping her from at the very least enjoying her time outside or opening her bedroom window to allow light inside. But no, she insisted herself on reading something that would normally be considered meaningless to anyone else; a dictionary of all things!

Naturally, her father was not pleased with this behavior.

"Twilight Sparkle!" he called up to his daughter who lay in her bed on the second floor of their house, using her full name "I don't know why you find enjoyment in something like dictionaries, but please go outside and get some fresh air!"

"Yeah, yeah, in a second, dad!" Twilight called back down.

"...she always says that..." her father sighed before calling back up again "At the very least open your window!"

"I will! But I need some kind of darkness to see the holo-text!"

"Of course you do," her father groaned and just gave up "Honestly, she's more like her mother than me. She might even be more like her mother than herself... heh, wouldn't that be something, eh, Velvet?"

There was no answer.

"...yeah, I know," Twilight's father nodded to the silence.

Her father himself had a dull blue coat and a dark blue, very styled and properly trimmed mane and tail. He wore a simple black vest and tan pants with a belt. Attached to the belt was an empty gun holder. A long time ago he would have had a gun on his side at all times, but he knew those days were long gone, and he had a daughter to raise. She was the last thing his wife left him.

Upstairs, Twilight lay on her mattress stuffed entirely of Varactyl feathers, creatures native to the planet Utapau. With a slightly shameful sigh, she got up from her bed and opened her window as requested by her father. The new light shone down brightly upon her lavender coat and long purple mane and tail that had a few pink highlights in in. She, like her mother and father, was a Unicorn, and she wore a soft and simple tan robe that tightly covered most of her body, with the exception of her head and all of her hooves, and a belt around her waist with a magnetic clip in case she needed to carry anything. She squinted her eyes to allow them to get used to the light.

"Gah!" she winced a bit "Open the window, he said... I'll show him opening the window..." her eyes finally got used to the brightness and she looked outside to the village, "Well, I guess it's not that half-bad a day anyway..."

"Thank you," her father said, leaning on her door.

"Dad, please don't do that," Twilight sighed "You look like a creep."

"Sorry, dear," he sheepishly chuckled "So, will you please go outside now?"

"Well..." Twilight thought for a moment, causing her father to look closer at her in anticipation "...alright, why not?"

"Thank you, Twilight," he let out a sigh of relief "Getting some sunlight is good for you anyway. You should do th-"

"I'll go outside into the forest to read in peace away from loud children and annoying fathers," Twilight spoke in a tone her mother would usually use, causing her father to tilt his head downwards.

"Of course you will..." he nodded as he allowed his daughter to go past him with her dictionary safely secured in her saddlebag.

Merrily, she walked down the stairs and into her kitchen. She was about to exit out into the village square when she heard something behind her. She quickly turned around to see that some of her family's old antique plates had fallen out of place. Without thinking, she extended her hoof out and froze the plates in their place before they hit the ground. She let out a sigh of relief before gently placing them onto the ground and going over to place them back where they belonged.

"Dad?" Twilight called up to him this time.

"Yes?" he shouted back down.

"It happened again..."

Her father didn't need any further explanation for what she meant by that. Quickly, he came rushing down to see if Twilight was alright, soon helping her put all the fallen dishes away. After everything was cleaned up, he turned to her and looked her dead in the eye. She always hated it when he did that.

"Are you okay?" was his first question to her "It didn't hurt you, did it?"

"Dad, I'm fine," Twilight said, feeling slightly annoyed by her father's overreacting "Really, I'm okay. But..."

"But?"

"But... that one just felt a little stronger than the last one..." she admitted "Dad, what's happening to me?"

"I..." he pondered for a moment "I don't know. All I know is that so long as this isn't hurting you, living with it shouldn't be a problem. Just... Just go outside and I'll deal with this mess, okay?"

"Alright," Twilight happily nodded before going to walk out of the house "Thank you, dad! See you for dinner!"

"Y-Yeah, of course," her father put on a fake smile, which she seemed to buy as she stepped out of their home and closed the door behind her. He then let out a heavy sigh once he knew his daughter wasn't listening. He felt bad for doing this to her, but the less she knew of her origins, the better.

Outside, Twilight took in the pleasant breeze coming from the east, as well as the warm sunlight shining down from above. She never really liked going outside, but once she was somehow out, she appreciated it. She looked around and saw all the fillies and colts playing happily in the grass and water. A smile couldn't help but dawn upon her face.

However, she had a goal to read away from all the commotion, and she was determined to complete it. She journeyed deep into the rain forest right next to the village in a direction she had never gone before just for some variety in the rare times she was ever in the open daylight. She walked quite the distance, now on a hill overlooking the entire settlement. But here would not suffice. She had to make sure that no children would follow her out. Thus, she continued on.

"All this for some peace and quiet..." she muttered to herself as she continued on "Who knows how far out those little kids will go just to play in a place they never have before? I sure don't!"

Finally, she stopped.

She had no idea why, however. She quickly darted her head around, looking to make sure she wasn't being followed. Afterwards, she cautiously continued on through the forest, making sure to pause sometimes to look for anything she may have missed.

"No creatures should be out during this time of the day," she reminded herself "They're all nocturnal... Yeah, you read that in a book once, Twilight! Silly dad and his wanting to get me out of the house. Without that knowledge, I wouldn't have survived five minutes outside of the house!"

She kept assuring herself that, but she kept feeling that weird sensation wherever she walked.

"L-Look, if anyone is out there, you can show yourself right now!" she nervously called out in an attempt to bring out the perpetrator. She waited for a good minute.

No one came.

"Oh, okay, so that's how you wanna play, is it?" Twilight scoffed a bit "Well then fine! I think I'll just ignore you then!" she stuck her nose in the air and walked away. Unsurprising to her, the sensation grew even stronger the more she walked. It was around this time when she finally figured out it wasn't someone else doing that to her, but rather herself.

"...those weird powers of mine," she pondered "Could they have something to do with this? Are they trying to tell me something? Heh... don't be silly, Twilight. Powers aren't able to tell you anything. They're just... powers..."

In a sudden fit of remarkable curiosity, she attempted embracing these powers. Slowly and shakily, she held out her hoof and closed her eyes. But she couldn't hone in on the source of the sensation. She lowered her hoof disappointingly, opting to simply sit under the tree she was currently under.

"Stupid, good-for-nothing powers..." Twilight groaned a bit.

She then heard an actual rustling in the bushes behind her. She quickly turned around to see that a young Pegasus filly with an orange coat and short purple mane and tail had followed her. She wore the a brown robe not unlike Twilight's only made for her size, as most children around the village did. She surprised Twilight, but didn't seem surprised herself.

"GAH!!" Twilight jumped a bit.

"Whoa! Are you alright?" the filly asked her concernedly.

"I... Hey! What do you think you're doing out here?!" Twilight shouted.

"I could be asking the same question, Ms. Stays-inside-and-reads-dictionaries," the filly smirked a bit "It's kinda surprising to see you out and about after all that time spent living inside your room."

"Is that how you talk to someone older than you?" Twilight felt slightly offended.

"Nope," the filly confidently nodded, making Twilight question who raised the child in the first place.

"Look, kid, I really need some time alone right now," Twilight calmed herself and told the filly politely "Would it be okay if you and your friends left... me... alone..."

"Huh?" the filly wondered "How did you know my friends were here as well?"

"You were right, Scootaloo!" two other fillies wearing the same thing as the first, apparently named Scootaloo, was wearing "This mare sure is weird. I mean, she just said that without even thinking!"

"I-I, um..." Twilight stuttered a bit "I'm sorry, I... I don't know how that happened."

She had a good look at the other two fillies. One had a white coat with a very curly pink and purple mane and tail. The other had a cream yellow coat with a long red mane and tail. A pink bow was neatly tied in the latter's mane. All three of them looked curiously in Twilight's direction, wondering what she was going to say next.

"Look, everyone, I really don't know how I did that," Twilight admitted "You two were probably just making too much noise and I was able to sense you being there."

"Maybe her power is super-hearing?" the red maned one suggested.

"Apple Bloom, you know that's not true!" the white one argued with her a bit.

"Sweetie Belle, knock it off," Scootaloo, clearly the leader of this group, silenced her friend "Well, I think introductions are in order, are they not? My name is Scootaloo, and these are my friends. The annoying one is Apple Bloom and the cynical one is Sweetie Belle."

"I am not cynical!" Sweetie Belle argued, squeaking her voice a bit due to puberty.

"Ya certainly are squeaky," Apple Bloom giggled a bit.

"You three; knock it off and go back home," Twilight said flatly, not wanting the company of those younger than her "I've got some reading I have to do, and I don't want anyone interrupting me."

"Wow, what crawled up your butt and died?" Scootaloo giggled a bit.

"Excuse me?!"

"Relax, relax," Scootaloo assured the young mare "Look, I know I'm just a kid, but I know some things most adults around here don't even consider. For example, if you head west from here, there's a crashed star fighter that gives perfect shade and a wonderful place to make our home ba- I mean, it's nice. And don't worry about it exploding; that thing has been drained of power for years now."

"Um... thanks," Twilight wasn't sure how to react to the child telling her this information "Look, if I go to your star fighter thing, will you promise to go back home?"

"...fine..." Scootaloo sighed "C'mon, you guys."

"Aww, but we were just about ta start playin' there!" Apple Bloom whined.

"Yeah, but I don't think I wanna be near the weirdo right now..." Sweetie Belle mentioned.

Twilight thankfully didn't take any silly words from some dumb kids about her weirdness, but it did get her thinking; how would others react to her having powers. Currently, the only two she knew for sure knew about her abilities was her father and those three fillies. Of course, that could quickly change if those kids blabbered about her powers, but right now she had more important things on her mind. Like finding a quiet place to read.

Following the directions of Scootaloo, she traveled deeper into the forest hoping that the young filly was right and wasn't just cheating her. However, the farther she walked, the stronger the sensation she felt before got. It didn't hurt her, but it was certainly bothering her to the point when she just had to stop for a moment to rest.

Sitting by a nice tree, she decided here was a good place to read her book; far enough away from the village to cancel out any noise, and close enough to run back to in case she require help. However, she never even got open her holo-book before noticing something in the corner of her eye. Looking back up, she saw something she never thought she'd ever see in her entire life. As she approached it, she saw how wrecked it truly was, but the basic shape of it was still intact. A round, grey, bulbous body was stuck between a black hexagonal wing and the ground. The hatch on top was sealed tightly, and the glass in front acting as the pilot's lookout somehow managed to stay safe even after the crash. It looked crudely made even without the damage done to it. There was no mistake about it.

This was a TIE fighter, a star fighter used by the Galactic Empire.

At first, Twilight was afraid of the ship. She knew of the horrors the empire had done for centuries now, but since they never attacked any who pledged allegiance to them, she never had to deal with them in her life. Her fear had diminished once she realized Scootaloo was right; the fighter had lost all power over the course of many, many years.

"How is this here?" Twilight asked herself "It shouldn't be here unless the empire... no, that can't be it."

The sensation was back again, now stronger than ever. It never hurt her, but it did catch her by surprise. She rubbed her head a bit, trying to rid herself of the feeling. Suddenly, she had a theory.

"Whatever's inside this ship has to be what's causing my headaches..." she deduced "Or, whatever they are. Feelings? Sensations? Ugh... But what could be so important inside a broken old star fighter?"

She jumped up on top of the fighter and attempted to open the sealed lock. She tried this a multitude of time, but she simply was not strong enough to flip open the old, rusty switch. She then tried to kick down the glass, forgetting the glass was built to withstand the vacuum of space. It easily bounced her off and knocked her to the ground as soon as she tried bucking it down.

"Ow!" she cried out, wincing a bit before getting back up and facing the fighter "Oh, okay, so that's how you want to play, huh?"

Unsurprisingly, there was no answer.

"Well, I'll have you know that I have powers, and I can easily open you without effort!" Twilight proudly stated, holding out her hoof and attempting to unlock the ship "C'mon... open! You worked before, so just... ARGH!!!" she frustratingly stomped her hoof back down onto the soil and fell to her knees in defeat.

"Why won't it work now?" Twilight questioned herself "What, does it only work when it wants to or something?"

She took another look at the sealed hatch. She studied it closely, looking for any way she might be able to open it otherwise. She took a deep breath and felt at peace with herself, smiling a bit.

The hatch moved.

Twilight crawled back in slight surprise. There was no way something that tight could have moved on its own. She questioned how that was even possible, but those questions soon turned to thoughts. Could it be that she was the one that moved the hatch?

"No, don't be silly, Twilight," she assured herself "You can't move that hatch even if you... tried."

It felt weird to say that word for some reason. Nonetheless, she wanted to try moving it with her powers again to see if she wasn't kidding herself. She did what she did last time, feeling herself be at peace. She looked at the hatch once again, focusing long and hard on it. She was determined to try and open the lock. She breathed in and out slowly, preparing herself for whatever may-

The lock suddenly moved all the way open.

Twilight gasped in surprise. Could it truly be that she was able to control things with her mind. Happily, she began to laugh, cheering herself for a job well-done and even going so far as to high-fiving herself.

"No way!" she laughed a bit "I... I actually did that! But that's... impossible..."

Questioning it no further and wanting to see what was inside the TIE fighter, she quickly trotted over to the hatch and, with some struggle, pushed it open to reveal the cockpit inside. The seat had been trashed and the controls were busted, and some plant life had even began to grow inside it. What caught her attention however was the metal rod packed safely on the seat. Outwardly it looked nearly undamaged, but she wasn't so sure about inwardly.

Curiously, she reached out to grab it and bring it back home with her. However, the moment she touched it, she felt a wave of power flowing through her. It caught her off-guard and sent her tumbling back onto the ground.

"Ahh..." she rubbed her arm a bit "What was that? It just felt like... so much energy in one place."

Hoping things would go differently, she jumped back up and grabbed the metal rod once again. Thankfully, it didn't fill her with that strange power again, but cautiously, she placed the rod on the magnetic lock of her belt. She then jumped down from the fighter, feeling accomplished and good about herself.

"Okay, well, that was certainly a thing," she soon began to lightly laugh a bit "Hahaha! Ah... But I think I should start my reading now. After all, I think that-"

A loud explosion was heard coming down south. Twilight's eyes widened and looked to where the sound was coming from. Damn those trees for obscuring her vision, but after a quick run through the woods, she was able to make it out of the forest and onto the same hill overlooking her village. She gasped as she saw what had become of her home.

The Galactic Empire had arrived.

[Chapter II]: The Oncoming Storm

Author's Notes:

Feel free to add your own STAR WARS music.

Twilight was quick to run back to the village as fast as she could. She scurried down the hill and into the forest connecting to her village, tripping on a few sticks and logs here and there, but never failing to be persistent in her efforts. She had grown exhausted, but she had to do something; anything to save her village. Just before she reached the settlement's border, she was pulled down behind cover. Her mouth was covered so she wouldn't scream. She of course struggled, but calmed down once she realized who it was.

"Shh!" Scootaloo shushed her, whispering the best she could "I'm ten and even I'm smart enough not to go near them!"

"Yeah, that was a pretty dumb idea, Twilight," Sweetie Belle popped out from behind Scootaloo, whispering as well "You should be more careful next time the Galactic Empire shows up."

"The... Galactic Empire..." that name rung through Twilight's brain several times. She had read all about them in her books, but never once did she think they would ever come to her home. Of all places to go, why did they have to go there? No, perhaps the better question was: Why was the empire there in the first place?

"G-Girls, look!" Apple Bloom pointed up to the sky.

A large silver ship was seen approaching the village. It had three wings; one stationary dorsal wing on its back and two wings folded downward that appeared to be connected to the landing gear. It had a very pointed nose and two twin blasters on the side of the cockpit. Twilight recognized this model as a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, a type of transport mainly used by the empire. It landed dead in the middle of the settlement, folding it's side wings upwards and allowing the gear to touch down safely on the ground. A ramp opened up underneath to not only add support, but allow those on board to step onto the planet.

Several ponies in white and black armor marched out from the shuttle as well as another pony who looked slightly more important than the others. His coat was purple and his mane and tail were yellowish blonde. He wore a tight, grey felt vest with five blue and red buttons on the chest area, as well as a grey naval hat and tight black pants. A pair of wings was neatly tucked on his sides

"Stormtroopers..." Twilight recalled "Foot-soldiers of the empire. They're everywhere nowadays in all shapes and sizes, but I've never seen that stallion before in my life. Not even in my history books."

"Well, ya might find out soon," Apple Bloom pointed out "Looks like he's about ta give a speech."

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention?" he called out "My name is Commander Stormchaser. I am here on behalf of Lord Sombra to complete a mission of utmost importance. Recently, we have tracked down an individual living on this planet who is force-sensitive."

The crowd muttered amongst themselves.

"Naturally, if you hand over this individual to the Galactic Empire, not only will each of you be given a handsome reward, but we will leave your village and never return to this planet again," Stormchaser announced "Unless, obviously, you have another force-sensitive individual here, but my case stands."

"Stormchaser?" spoke a voice familiar to the entire village, the empire commander and, more importantly, Twilight "Is that really you? My god, it's been an age."

"...Night Light," Stormchaser turned to face Twilight's father with a slight grimace on his face, but also joyous eyes "Of course, that would make sense... I cannot count the amount of times you and your wife have trumped the empire. But look at you now; old and tired, simply wanting a chance to rest."

"Stormchaser, you're making a huge mistake," Night Light confidently stated "Even you know that she'll triumph over you and you stupid Galactic Empire."

"Oh, once she's in our possession, I highly doubt it," Stormchaser smirked.

"Who're they talking about?" Sweetie questioned "Someone in this village is force-sensitive? What does that mean?"

"I'll say it only once, Night Light," Stormchaser got closer to Night Light's face "Give us your daughter or we will burn down this entire village with everyone still inside."

"...m-me?" Twilight gasped "Dad knew? Dad... knew..."

"Make me," Night Light confidently said in the commander's face, causing the latter to scowl more than he already had been. He raised a hoof and prepared to give the command to destroy the village, had it not been for a sudden outburst of anger on Twilight's part. She simply couldn't believe her father lied to her.

"WHY?!" she stepped out from behind her cover and shouted across to the two stallions. It wasn't long before Twilight got out from behind the safe area and angrily stepped toward them.

"T-Twilight, look, I-"

"Don't you 'Twilight' me, dad!" she yelled at him "I can't believe that you would lie to me about something as important as my having powers! You knew... You knew about this and you lied to me."

"You never told her?" Stormchaser chuckled "Wow, you really are a- OOF!"

"Shut-up!" Twilight punched him before turning back to her father "...why? Why would you lie to me?"

"To keep you safe," Night Light tried to reason with her.

"Oh, to keep me safe, huh?" Twilight scoffed "No one ever leaves this planet to spread rumors about things, and I'm damn-well sure no one here would really care if I had powers or not! So please, just tell me why you would lie to me. Why would you go such great lengths as to tell your own daughter that she-"

"Because I never wanted you to be like your mother!" Night Light finally shouted back.

"...what?" Twilight paused.

"I've known her since childhood, and I can tell you that since the day she discovered she was force-sensitive, she was never the same person," he continued "She began acting brash and loud, never once returned to the same soul I met all those years ago. Even when she was pregnant with you, she did the stupidest things!"

"D-Dad, I..."

"I just... I just didn't want you to grow up acting like her," Night Light sighed "I loved your mother, but I didn't want to see another person I love get hurt because of stupidity..."

"Mom was..." Twilight attempted to wrap everything up "She... was like me?"

"Yes, she was," Night Light, now reduced to tears, nodded "Twilight, I'm so sorry for lying to you. I just didn't want you to get hurt. I just wanted to leave this whole Jedi thing behind and start a life anew..."

"Dad..." Twilight sighed.

"...ahh!" Stormchaser finally got up and rubbed his now black eye "Quite the punch for a mare your age. If you weren't against us, I would be happy to let you join the empire."

"...Dad?" Twilight began.

"Y-Yes, Twilight?"

"I'm going with the empire,"

"W-Wha-"

"Dad, please, trust me," Twilight assured "I don't want anyone here to get hurt. It would be better if I just left everyone and did as the empire says. Don't worry; I'll find a way home, I promise."

"Twilight, please, you don't know what they'll do to you!" Night Light plead.

"And I don't know what they'll do to you if I don't go," Twilight brought up "You may have lied to me, but you're the only family I've ever known. If something happened to you, I... I don't think I would be able to live with myself."

"Yes, yes, very sappy," Stormchaser rolled his eyes "Do you want to hurry up so I can finish the mission?"

"Of course," Twilight nodded with a sigh, walking up the shuttle's ramp and into the ship. Before she entered completely however, she turned back to her father and winked. This caused him great confusion, but noticing the metal rod still attached to her waist, his eyes lit up in understanding of what she meant.

As soon as all the stormtroopers had collected themselves back on the shuttle, the ramp slowly closed and allowed the shuttle to take off of the planet. Naturally, it began a course back towards the empire's home base somewhere in the unknown region of the galaxy. The villagers watched as their home had been saved by the same mare who never usually showed her face most of the time. It was around this time when the three fillies from before had approached Night Light and had begun talking to him.

"Twilight's gonna be okay!" Scootaloo nodded.

"...what?" Night Light looked down at the orange Pegasus and her friends.

"Yeah! After all, she managed to get that old TIE fighter hatch open with her weird powers," Sweetie Belle brought up "This is nothing for her, we know it!"

"Ya don't need powers ta sense when someone's gonna be okay er not," Apple Bloom smiled.

"You... You're all right," Night Light smiled, looking back up into the sky "Stay safe, Twilight. And Velvet, you better damn-well protect her or so help me..."

Meanwhile, on board the shuttle, Twilight had been restrained and forced down onto a seat in the transportation area. All of her personal items excluding her clothing had been confiscated and brought before the commander, who was now about to judge it. He stepped out of the cockpit area and stood tall and proud.

"Sir!" one of the stormtroopers spoke, his helmet muffling his voice and making it sound slightly robotic "These are all the items that were on her. I think you may find this in particular to be of interest."

"Show me," Stormchaser nodded before the trooper presented the metal rod, causing him to become shocked "This... This is Velvet's lightsaber... By god, it's been an age."

"What's a lightsaber?" Twilight asked before getting hit on the back of the head by a nearby trooper.

"Still your tongue, whelp," Stormchaser acted all high and mighty "If you must know, the lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi. It may not seem like much now, but if I was to press... um... this button here..." a purple beam of light extended out of the metal rod's top, activating with a sound very pleasing to the ears "Ah, here we are! It becomes a weapons capable of cutting through most, if not all, material. Certainly something a child such as yourself shouldn't be using."

He deactivated it.

"Place this in the cargo hold and make sure the child doesn't even think about taking it," Stormchaser handed the weapon back to the stormtrooper and allowed him to carry out his orders. He then returned back into the cockpit where the pilot was waiting for him.

"Do you hear that, kid?" the stormtrooper chuckled, placing it in the cargo locker above one of the seats "You ain't getting this back! And if you try anything funny, we'll blast a hole right through you, got it?"

Twilight nodded in understanding, not speaking in case she was hit yet again.

"Good," the trooper stepped away and got back into his seat.

As of now, the shuttle was just exiting the atmosphere of Ultaar, too early to go into lightspeed just yet. Twilight still had time. She figured, nay, hoped that her powers would come in handy this time. She focused in on one of the stormtroopers and, in her mind, said something to him.

"You will get up from your seat and open the cargo locker holding the lightsaber," she said inside her mind.

Nothing happened. She tried again.

"You will get up from your seat and open the cargo locker holding the lightsaber," she said once again.

Again, nothing happend. She tried to remember what she did back when she found the TIE fighter. Thinking long and hard, she finally remembered how she thought of ways to open the lock. She remembered sitting there, on the ground and feeling... at peace. That was it; she knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and removed all thoughts except the one she was trying to focus on. She was finally at peace.

"You will get up from your seat and open the cargo locker holding the lightsaber," she said once again "You will also pass me the lightsaber so I may escape."

This time, she got a reaction out of the stormtrooper as he tilted his head up in a sort-of brainwashed fashion. Seemingly under her control, he went over to the cargo locker and unlocked it, revealing the lightsaber that once was Twilight's mother's.

"LT-1664, what do you think you're doing?!" one of the stormtroopers shouted at him.

"He's under her influence! Blast her!" another shouted. But it was too late. The trooper known as LT-1664 tossed the lightsaber over to Twilight who caught it with her powers and activated it just in time to block the blaster bolts coming from the troopers' weapons. She then sliced open her restraints and grabbed the saber, attacking each of the stormtroopers and successfully killing them.

That took a huge toll on Twilight's mind, however.

"I just... I just... killed people..." she breathed heavily, trying to fathom what she just did "N-No, I did it out of self-defense. Relax, Twilight, just relax..."

The cockpit door swung open and revealed Commander Stormchaser who had heard the commotion in the back. Seeing his prisoner had now possessed the lightsaber, he pulled out his own handheld blaster and attempted to shoot her. It was quickly sliced in half by the heat of the saber, however. Twilight then put her weapon up to Stormchaser's neck.

"They had one job..." he sighed.

"Are we in hyperspace yet?" Twilight questioned him.

"No, not yet, but we will be soon," Stormchaser confidently answered her.

"Take me back to Ultaar, if you don't mind," Twilight ordered him "I would like to spend my time with my family again. And just a warning that should you ever come back, I'll tear you all down."

"Idle threats," Stormchaser scoffed "You don't even know half of what you can do with the force, if even a quarter. How would you of all people dare stand against the Galactic Empire? Short answer: you can't. We are simply too powerful for a mere force-sensitive young mare to go up against."

Suddenly, the shuttle was pumped into lightspeed causing the stars around the ship to look like streams of light to all those aboard. Twilight had never seen something so beautiful before, but she had to remain focused.

"In a few minutes, we will arrive at Rakata Prime, the home base of the Galactic Empire," Stormchaser proudly stated "I would highly advise that you sit back down in your seat and await your trial."

"And in a few seconds, I'm about to do something really, really stupid," Twilight brought up "I don't know what I'm going to do, but I think I'll do it in three... two..." she quickly darted her eyes around the ship until they focused on the control panel behind Stormchaser "...one... and... NOW!"

She darted past Stormchaser and swung her saber down upon the control panel, absolutely destroying it. The heavy sparks that followed afterward killed the pilot and sent the shuttle tumbling out of hyperspace and headed toward a planet Twilight had never seen before. The empire commander looked at her and scowled.

"What have you done?!" he shouted at her.

"Well, I'm already here, right?" Twilight smirked "Hell, may as well make this an adventure. If you don't want to die, I would very much advise you to take a seat."

He spoke not a word as he strapped himself in and continued to give Twilight a look that could kill if it was possible. She sat down and did the same as the shuttle continued falling down to the surface of the planet. While the ship was shaky, Twilight managed to get a good look at the planet; one entire side of it was completely covered in city lights, and she was willing to wager that the other side was nothing but city as well. That's all she got a glimpse of before the g-force took a hold of her and knocked both her and Stormchaser out.

She came to when the shuttle had finally crashed on the planet's surface, skidding along solid ground. She quickly unstrapped herself and looked out the cockpit window; it was pitch dark outside as the ship spun around on the ground, finally jumping into the air from all the spinning around. Twilight braced herself for the hard landing, which came on her like a bullet train. Thinking fast, she grabbed onto the floor of the shuttle and hoped for the best.

"This was probably a bad idea!" she shouted to herself before getting hit on the head by a piece of debris "OW! Okay, yeah, I definitely regret doing this now!"

After a long trip, quite literally, the shuttle slowly stopped skidding until it finally came to a complete stop, much to the relief of Twilight. She breathed heavily as she tried to catch her breath after something as traumatic as that. Realizing the ramp was now blocked off, she activated her lightsaber and cut a hole right through the ship's metal hull, confirming Stormchaser's explaination.

"Speaking of..." Twilight went over to check how Stormchaser was holding up "...dead. Crap. Well, there goes pretty much the only company I ever had, even if he was a total-"

"Wow... Quite the crash you just made," a cocky female voice appeared behind Twilight "I mean, seriously! How are you still alive by this point? You must be some sorta super-pony or something."

Twilight slowly turned around and saw a mare that seemed to be only slightly older than her with a cyan coat and a very messy, rainbow colored mane and tail. She wore a brown aviator's jacket, complete with the tan fluff around the collar and all, as well as baggy black pants and a grey belt around her waist that held a rather large handgun in the holder. She gave Twilight a rather smug expression, which the former was not particularly pleased with.

"And you are?" Twilight asked the mare.

"...you're kidding, right?" the mare questioned with a rather surprised look on her face "You don't even know this face? THIS face?! As a matter of fact, I feel rather offended right now..."

"Um... Should I?" Twilight looked more and more confused by the second.

"...y'know what? Never mind!" the mare gave up "Clearly my reputation isn't NEARLY as good as some of the other hunters out there, so why bother? Ugh..."

"Wait, I just-"

"Nah, it's okay," the mare sighed, smiling a bit "This just means I gotta try harder at being the most infamous, badass bounty hunter in the galaxy! The name's Rainbow Dash, but you can just call me Dash. You?"

"Twilight Sparkle," Twilight greeted with a grin "Nice to meet you."

"Sparkle, eh?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow "I swear I've heard that name somewhere before... Anyway, I don't think you want to spend the night in a crashed shuttle, especially if you happen to be on Coruscant. Lucky for you, I just so happened to be going on a walk before you crashed next to me and nearly killed me."

"Yeah... sorry about that..." Twilight apologized.

"Hey, no damage done," Rainbow shrugged "Since I'm feeling nice today, wanna come over to my place? I'll cook up something to eat for you, no worries."

"You're being kinda nice to me... for a bounty hunter, I mean," Twilight skeptically stated.

"Trick or not, I don't think you wanna stick around here much longer," Rainbow brought up.

"Why not?"

Suddenly, a siren was heard not too far from their location. Even Twilight figured out they meant something either precautionary or bad, and she wasn't about to take a risk to find out. Without question, she followed Rainbow Dash through the night and away from the crash site, hoping to find some shelter somewhere.

She just hoped she could trust the bounty hunter.