Inquisitor Anon Episode II (MLP Star Wars)

>Be Sunset Shimmer
>Your fist crashed up through the roaring waves and desperately grasped hold of the large stone
>Gasping for air, you fought off the pain and forced yourself upwards
>Every inch of your body was soaking wet and and aching, but there was something far worse than all of that
>What shocked you so greatly and gave you that small bit of energy needed to fight  again, was her
>You can’t sense her anymore, she’s gone
“Master… Luna…”
>Coughing up water over the rock, you slowly crawled up over the water and tossed your body onto the hard surface
>It was an intense struggle just to keep your eyes open and maintain consciousness
>Suddenly, a large shadow fell over you
>Glancing up, you saw what looked like a small star destroyer flying overhead and steadily rising higher through the sky
>Then you sensed them
>Your fists shook and your body trembled as you imagined them looming over you
>You saw Anonymous hatefully glaring down at you whilst Midnight laughed at your pain
“DAMN THEM!”
>They tricked you, made a fool out of you, and now because of them your master…
>Fighting back tears, you shut your eyes and slammed a fist down on  the rock
“Master… I’LL AVENGE YOU!  I… I swear I’ll kill… kill them all…”
>A large wave splashed you with more water as you lied against the stone
>Rolling to your back, you stared up at the massive starship as it flew off into space
>It all felt so hopeless
>You weren’t the assassin you once were, and you were most definitely not a Jedi
“I will never become a Jedi.  It is impossible…”
>Then, just as you were about to pass out, you sensed her
>”Nothing is impossible with the Force.”

>Your eyes wrenched open in shock
“MASTER!”
>Rising up from the rock, you saw her
>A ghostly shimmer, walking towards you over the water
“I—I thought I had lost you!”
>Luna smiled at you as she stood unmoving amongst the waves
>”I will always be with you Sunset.”
>Tears began to flow freely down your cheeks as you looked back at her
>You couldn’t understand how this was all possible, and a part of you was convinced that you had to be dreaming
>Still, the sight of her and the sound of her voice was enough to wash away your anger and bring you new hope
>”Sunset, my time here has ended, but there is still much for you to do.  In these dark times, the galaxy needs Jedi more than ever.  The galaxy needs you.”
>You looked down from her as you forced yourself up to one knee
“What should I do?  What can I do?”
>When you looked up you saw that she was right in front of you, so close that you could seemingly touch her
>”There is still much you need to learn.  You need to finish your training and become a Jedi."
>Luna adopted a solemn stare as she glanced upwards
>“You have a long journey ahead of you, and it will be fraught with danger and evil.  Through it all, you must remember that the Force will always be your ally, and you must beware the Dark Side.”
>As she mentioned the Dark Side, you recalled the words of Anonymous and Midnight
>He could sense the Dark Side in you, and Midnight had laid bare your dark past and used it against you
“I’m not sure I have what it takes.  I’ve lived in the dark for so long…”

>Luna’s ghostly form crouched down beside you
>”Have I ever told you the legend of Nightmare Moon?”
>You stared at your master with a blank expression
”I don’t believe you have.”
>She chuckled a little as she looked out across the waves
>”It’s not normally a story told often amongst the Jedi.”
>The two of you rose up to your feet together as she continued on
>”Amongst my people there was once a warrior who was born with a strong connection with the Force.  Because she was never trained to be anything other than a warrior, she became more and more consumed by the Dark Side with each passing battle she fought and with each life she took.”
>It was not often you saw Luna wear such a sorrowful expression
“What happened to her?”
>”She eventually fell so strongly under the Dark Side’s influence that she became like a monster, and was feared by even her own people as such.  She was cast out of her clan and forced to walk Thyrsus alone for a long time."
>You listened to her closely, absorbed by the tale of this legendary warrior
>Whoever this Nightmare Moon was, she had to have been terrifying
>”After some time had passed, a warrior from the neighboring Echani worlds stepped forth to confront Nightmare Moon.  The two fought one another for several days and nights, but before the final blow could be struck the Echani warrior cast aside her weapons and refused to continue the battle.”
>Staring confusedly at your master, you wondered aloud
”After fighting for days?!  Why would the Echani just stop?”


>”Amongst my people as well as the Echani, there exists the ability to see deeply into a person’s very soul by engaging that person in battle.  After fighting her for so long, the Echani was able to discern that this Nightmare Moon was not just a monster.  She threw aside her weapons and instead of killing her, offered Nightmare Moon her hand in friendship.  Nightmare Moon looked upon her in disbelief and nearly killed her, but she stopped herself at the last moment when she realized that the Echani was not just trying to deceive her.”
>Luna turned back to face you with a small smile
>”Nightmare Moon accepted her offer of friendship and began to turn away from the Dark Side.  Together, the two of them would go on to become Jedi.”
>Finding the strength to stand once again, you looked into your master’s eyes and saw that the story she was telling you was true
“Then you’re saying, if Nightmare Moon could become a Jedi…”
>Luna nodded her head and suddenly it was as if the fear and anger that had been festering inside you since confronting the Inquisitors had been extinguished
“I can do it.  I can become a Jedi.”
>The waves around the two of you seemed to calm down as you felt the rays of sunshine from the rising sun warm and dry your soaking body
“What do I do now Master?”
>Luna slowly raised her hand to you
>”There are others out there.  Jedi as well as other beings who can help you finish your training.  Seek them out, learn what you can, and face any challenge that may stand in your way with courage and an open heart.”
>You suddenly found yourself rising up off of the ground
>Tossing and turning slightly, you gazed down at the rocks and waves and saw that Luna was raising you up above the waves to the caves of the cliff
>Turning about, you gazed into the cave and beheld your ship waiting for you
>Taking a step forward, you found the strength you needed to finally walk again
“Thank you Luna, for everything…”

>Climbing inside the Z95 Headhunter, you flew out of the cave up into space, leaving the tragedies of Alairs Prime behind you as your pressed on toward a brighter future
>”Remember, the Force will be with you.  Always…”

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...

Inquisitor Anon
Episode II

Good and Evil clash again and again as the tyrannical SITH LORDS send their INQUISITORS across the GALAXY to hunt down last of the JEDI KNIGHTS.

Unbeknownst to the SITH, two of their INQUISITORS are secretly plotting to become SITH LORDS as well.  The ruthless ANONYMOUS and  the terrifying MIDNIGHT SPARKLE subtly prepare to turn on their masters and seize power.

Two years after forging their deadly union, ANONYMOUS finds himself drawn to the bustling spaceport of Outland II where he is hunting a powerful JEDI…



>Be Anonymous
>Once again you wander through the crowded and grimy streets of Merchant’s Row, walking unseen amongst throngs of aliens, droids, and scoundrels of all shapes and sizes
>Your black cloak does well to hide your scowl as well as the white suit of stormtrooper armor that lies beneath as you make your way through the mobs of people
>It’s easy to lose yourself in the crowd here as you appear to be nothing more than just another drifter trying to make his way in the galaxy, no more shady than anyone else who frequents this lawless space station
>Outland II lied just beyond Imperial Space but didn’t necessarily fall under any cartel’s control either
>It was the perfect place for smugglers, pirates, outlaws, and people that didn’t want to be found
>Stepping out of the crowd, you walked over to a large concessions stand with several open stools lying in front of it
>Glancing down at a bell, you began to repeatedly ring it over and over again in order to get some service
>As your patience wavered the speed at which you rung this bell increased until you finally saw fit to grab the bell and continually slam it against the counter
>Suddenly, a flustered Toydarian emerged from the back
>”WHAT THE HELL DO YOU— o-oh, its you…”
>The Toydarian hovered back from you in shock as you took a seat at his stand
>”n-Nerf soup right?  y-You like the soup?”
>Folding your hands onto the counter, you gave the cook a silent nod
>”c-Coming right up friend!”
>Scurrying into the back out of sight, the Toydarian left you alone with your thoughts
>Cracking your knuckles and sighing, you began to wonder just where she could be
>You were so certain that she was here, yet one week of searching turned up nothing
“How long do you intend on hiding from me?…"


>With each passing day your frustration slowly grew
>Had you been a little younger then you would have likely lost it by now, probably going so far as to kick down every door in this station in your search
>Even still, there was only so much more of this place you could take
>This was undeniably the part you hated the most about your job, simply finding your target
>When you finally did locate a Jedi, that was when things got interesting, and right now you desperately wanted things to start getting interesting
“I know you’re here, I can sense it…"
>As you reached out through the Force in another attempt to reach out to your prize, a roguish Rodian walked up to the stand and casually took a seat next to you
>His wide black eyes gazed at you curiously as he grinned
>Ignoring him, you continued to scan the city blocks surrounding you as the Toydarian cook returned and gently dropped your bowl of soup on the counter
>The Rodian chuckled as he pointed a finger at your meal
>”You know what goes great with Nerf Soup?”
>You tilted your head slightly at the Rodian
“What?”
>”Deathsticks.”
>His answer took you by dull surprise as you continued to sit in silence
>Taking your spoon, you began to eat your meal as if the Rodian wasn’t even there
>”I got plenty of Deathsticks on me right here actually, selling em real cheap too!  Wanna buy some?”
“I’m not interested.”
>”Aww are you sure?”
>Lifting your head up and staring directly at him, you coldly replied
“Positive.”
>The Rodian’s face seemed to blanche a bit as you glared him down
>”n-Now hold on stranger.  i-I didn’t mean to offend, I just could really use some help is all…”

>You sneered at him before returning to your meal
>”Can I tell you a story?”
>This guy couldn’t take a hint
>”y-You see, I really am just trying to get rid of these things.  A few days ago I decided to quit Deathsticks for good.  It was really amazing actually, a miracle even!”
>Despite your growing frustration, something about the sudden tone of the Rodian’s voice intrigued you
>The word ‘miracle’ in particular was a word that stuck out
“Go on.”
>”Well, I was out partying with some friends of mine and I guess I took things a little too far.  I blacked out for a long time, and when I woke up I swear I thought I was going to die!  I didn’t know where I was or what was wrong with me, but it had to have been the Deathsticks!”
>You listened intently to him as his his voice grew louder
>”I crawled out onto the streets and at some point I collapsed alone in an alley.  I thought it was all over for me, but then…”
>He raised his hands up in the air and shouted
>”A miracle!  This beautiful woman with white skin and white hair walked up to me.  She had to have been an angel I’m telling you!  An angel!”
>Your spoon fell into your bowl as you leaned onto the counter
“What happened next?”
>”She picked me up from the ground and helped me walk over to this big room in this tall apartment complex, and I don’t know exactly what happened next but what I do remember is waking up the next morning feeling like a brand new man!  My addiction was gone and my body felt like a million credits!  The angel was right there waiting for me when I woke up, and she looked me RIGHT in the eye and she said—“
>His voice fell as he leaned in closer and softly spoke
>”Wordo, I want you to go home and rethink your life.”
>You grinned wildly at him as he innocently smiled back at you


>”And that’s exactly what I did!  I thought real long and hard and decided I’m going to sell off the rest of my Deathsticks and start over somewhere else.  I’m going to make something of myself, maybe even find a wife and start a family or something!  So stranger… would you like to help me start anew by buying a few Deathsticks off of me so I can buy a shuttle out of this dump?”
>Chuckling, you rose up out of your chair and stared at the Rodian, who shuddered under your fierce gaze
“Wordo… I would love to buy some Deathsticks.”
>”r-Really?”
“In fact, I think I’ll take all of them off your hands.”
>a-ALL OF THEM!?”
>Smiling at him and placing a hand over his shoulder, you reached into your cloak and took out some money
“Are Imperial Credits ok?”
>”OF COURSE THEY ARE OK!  THEY ARE MORE THAN OK! Thank you stranger, you have no idea what this means to me!”
>You chuckled at him whilst shaking your head
“No Wordo, thank you.  Now, where did you say this…. angel was?”
+++
>Reaching out with the Force and looking up at the tall ramshackle building, it was all you could do to contain your excitement and continue to mask your presence
“I see you."
>Stopping yourself just as you were about to walk inside, you realized that there was little need to rush now
>Having gone to great lengths to conceal yourself, you were confident that she did not know you were after her yet
>She was supposed to be one of the best after all
>So you took things seriously, and bided your time
>Over the next few days you watched over the building
>You never caught sight of her entering or leaving, but you did see more than a few people walk in and out
>Most of these people walked in with injuries and came out in bandages, a few of them who entered appeared to be sickly but came out looking much better
>You could clearly sense the Force at work
“Interesting.  I think I’ll have to be a little more creative this time.”

> “^This human gives me the creeps!^”
>”^Tell me about it.^  ^What the Hell’s up with those eyes?^  ^Those ain’t normal human eyes.^”
>You counted seven of them in total
>The Sugi stood a good ten yards in front of you on his four insect-like legs
>Behind him stood five of his thugs, members of the Weequay and Aqualish species by the looks of them
>It was too dark to tell what species the thug on the rooftop behind you was, but he appeared to be leveling a DXR-6 Disruptor Rifle with a sniper scope attachment directly at you
>Very powerful piece of weaponry, and very illegal throughout most of the galaxy except in places like this
>”^Should we really be selling all these thermal detonators to this guy?^  ^This looks like the kind of freak that would blow up the whole station if he could.^”
>Smiling patiently, you waited as one of the thugs pushed forward a crate of explosives on a repulsorlift trolley
>An odd quirk of yours that you rarely advertised, your childhood on Taris’ lower levels had afforded you a fairly fluent grasp of Huttese, an attribute of yours that you consistently chose to remain silent about
>The crate of explosives fell to the ground with a loud clank next to your feet, causing everyone around you to recoil in horror save for you
“How much do I owe you all?”
>The Sugi arms dealer brandished a datapad and raised a finger at you as you stepped closer
>”50,000 credits, no less, up front, right now.”
“Of course.”
>Abruptly shoving a hand into your cloak, the five thugs in front of you anxiously drew their blasters
“Uh oh…”
>The Sugi scowled
>”Uh oh?”
>You chuckled as you raised up your hands and shrugged
“Silly me.  ^I blew all my credits on Deathsticks!^”


>Shoving your hands forward, you unleashed a storm of Force Lightning upon the Sugi and his thugs
>”AAAAAAAARRRRRRGH!!!”
>The six of them convulsed in agonizing pain for several seconds before you eased up and let them collapse to the ground
>Twisting about, you raised your hand up to the rooftop behind you and tightened your hand into a fist
>A stray plasma bolt struck the ground at your feet as you Force Choked the sniper, his rifle falling out of his grasp and clattering off the roof
>Cocking your fist back, you tore the man from the rooftop and sent his body hurtling to the ground as he screamed in shock
>Wasting no time, you turned back to the Sugi and his thugs just as some of them were beginning to stir and unleashed one last blast of lightning
>They cried out in pain as you quickly finished them off
>Sighing, you took a moment to admire your handiwork before reaching into your cloak
“This ought to cover it.”
>You tossed a Deathstick at the charred Sugi, the blue vial rolling up against his smoking corpse
>While operating this far away from the Empire made it a bit difficult to acquire the tools you needed to do your duty, you enjoyed finding ways to improvise
>Nothing was ever really too far out of your grasp when you had the Force
+++
>Another week nearly passes as you quietly observe and prepare
>At this point, everything is set in place
>On the day you intend to strike, you find a quiet alleyway only a mile away from your target and spend an hour in meditation
>Very few of your peers would likely see the point behind this, but even though you despised both the Jedi and your current masters, there was still something about fighting the Jedi that you felt was sacred
>You took your work very seriously, and you never forgot what the true purpose behind your actions were
>Hunting the Jedi was  a way for you to test yourself and pay lip service to your superiors whilst you and Midnight continued your training in secret
“Midnight…”


>When you sat down and meditated like this, it was almost as if you could feel her physically by your side
>It had been a while since you two were last together, but she was never too far from your thoughts, and through the Force Bond you two shared you could tell that you were never too far from hers either
“Where are you right now my love?  Coruscant?  Byss? Ahhh you’re at Prakith.  Good, when I finish here then I can return straight to the Citadel and we can see one another again."
>You chuckled to yourself as you imagined her insidious smile and her blood red eyes glowing beautifully within the dark
“When I return, we can spar and see if either of us has finally surpassed the other.  Maybe then we can finally settle once and for all who is the Master and who is the Apprentice in our relationship.”
>Your grin grew quite large as you sensed her approval
“Yes, let’s make a deal of it.  If I win our next duel, then you must bow before me and accept me as your master, and if you win then I will bow before you and you will be my mistress."
>You sighed as you imagined being locked in mortal combat with her
“I cannot wait to see you again."
>Opening your eyes, you stared down at your lightsaber and grasped it within your hand
“Are you ready Sentinel?  It’s finally time once again."
>Rising to your feet, you marched out  toward the tenement building where your target lied
“Time to face a Jedi."


>Your footsteps echo up the stairs as you slowly rise to the 8th floor where Wordo told you she would be
>Her presence becomes ever more powerful and easy to sense the closer you get, as you concentrate even harder on masking yourself
>It’s hard to contain your own excitement when you finally arrive on the floor and walk out into the hallway
>Various doors to apartment tenements lie around you, but one of them at the end of the hallway calls out to you
>Stopping before it, you find the door unlocked and let yourself in
>The room is fairly dark and dirty, containing little more than a few chairs, a table, and a door to another room
>When you open this door, you are momentarily blinded by the light inside
>This large room is far cleaner than any place you have seen on all of Outland II
>Large windows stretch over much of these walls, giving an impressive view of the cityscape below
>Over a dozen empty beds line the walls, and in the far back you see what appears to be an empty Bacta tank and various equipment
>Also in the back lies a burly man, who appears to be a member of the three eyed Gran species, sitting on a bed
>In front of him stands a tall white skinned woman in a nurse’s outfit, her long white hair tied in a ponytail
>You recognized the nurse as an Arkanian, a near-human species known for its famed scientists
>”I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait, I am not yet finished with my current patient.”
>Chuckling, you march toward her
“Surely you could make time to see me, SPOILERMaster Redheart.”SPOILER
>At that, you cease to make any attempt to conceal your presence and allow her to sense you completely
>She seemingly freezes in place for a few moments before slowly turning to gaze at you with her white eyes
>Another few seconds pass in silence as she slowly scowls at you whilst you smile at her
”I’ve been looking for you.”


>Turning her back to you, Redheart focused once more on her patient
>”That’s all for now, just make sure you don’t put too much pressure on that arm and don’t remove the bandage for at least two days.”
>The Gran peers past her and stares at you, all three of his eyes narrowing
>”Is this man giving you trouble Nurse Redheart?”
>”No no, its perfectly alright.  I can handle this.”
>The Gran hops off of his bed and gives one last look at Redheart before shrugging his shoulders and walking out of the room, shooting you a nasty glare as he passes you by
“You seem quite popular around here Master Redheart.”
>”That’s Nurse Redheart, I don’t know who you think I am but—“
>She was cut short as you brandished a datapad and created a large visual for the two of you to see
>A large picture of Redheart, looking a fair bit younger and wearing the robes of a Jedi, is clearly visible to you both as several paragraphs of information appear on either side of the visual
“I think you are the woman seen here.  Master Redheart, most famously known as the Chief Healer of the Jedi Temple’s Halls of Healing, at least before the Clone Wars…”
>Scrolling the image aside, a new image of Redheart dressed in a suit of clone trooper armor appeared
“Then you became a bit more famous throughout the galaxy as a general, a damn fine one if I recall correctly.”
>Redheart folded her arms over her chest and scowled at you
>”Did the Empire send you here for me?  Is that how you learned of all this?
“Yes and no.”
>Turning off the data pad and tossing it on a bed, you took a few steps closer to her and smiled
“We met about ten years ago.”
>”Excuse me?”

>You chuckled at her
“Do you remember a young boy from Taris who you had to consistently treat for a black eye after he got into a fight with a few other initiates?  He kept crying about how he couldn’t see?”
>Redheart’s jaw dropped as she stared at you
>”Yes… vaguely.  That was you?  You were a Jedi?”
>You scoffed at her
“No, and I am most certainly not one now.”
>”So… what do you want from me?  You’re one of the Emperor’s agents are you not? One of his…”
“Inquisitors?”
>”Yes, those.”
>A tense silence fell over the silent room
>”If you came here looking for a fight, then you’ll be disappointed.”
“Oh?”
>Redheart glared at you before taking off the gloves she had been wearing and walking over to a sink to wash her hands
>”After the Clone Wars ended, I swore I would never fight again.  If you are here to kill me then… then just get it over with.”
“What?”
>She continued to wash her hands as you balked at her
>”I came here to Outland II years ago hoping I could make a difference with the teachings the Jedi originally taught me before the war.  I’m done fighting, and I was never fond of running away.  So… get it over with.”
>You were absolutely stunned
>Few Jedi you had ever encountered before could say they faced death as gracefully as this
>Smiling, you walked up to her as she finished drying her hands and surprised her by placing a hand on her shoulder
“Master Redheart?”
>The two of you stared into each others eyes for a moment, with her too surprised to respond
“That is very noble of you, and I am honestly impressed…SPOILER but it’s not going to be that easy.” SPOILER


>You maintained your smile as Redheart sneered at you and backed away toward the center of the room
“We Inquisitors don’t always simply kill Jedi, and there happens to be something about you that sets you apart from most of your kin.”
>”What are you talking about!?”
>You took a step closer to her as she backed away from you
“Before the Clone Wars, and before you joined the the Jedi Healers you served the Order in a different way.  You were a member of the Acquisition Corps.”
>Redheart’s eyes widened
>”The Acquisition Corps?”
“Yes, the organization within the Order tasked with finding Force Sensitive beings and bringing them to the Jedi Temple to be trained… and according to my dossier, you served the Acquisition Corps not as a recruiter but as a scientist.”
>She took another step away from you as a growing sense of fear began to overtake her
“You had many experimental ideas for new technology that was going to make it far easier for the Jedi to discover Force Sensitive children.  Technology that you never successfully completed thanks to the Jedi High Council’s meddling.”
>”That’s not true!  I chose to end my experiments of my own free will!”
“Why are you shouting?”
>Redheart recoiled from you as you took another step towards her
“I did not come here to hurt you, I came here to offer you a chance to finish your research.  Like so many other people, your potential was WASTED upon the Jedi.  The Empire on the other hand would appreciate what you have to offer.”
>Redheart glowered at you as she clenched her fists
>”I would rather die than serve the Empire!”
>You sighed at her whilst scratching the back of your head
“If I could I would gladly give you the noble death you seek, but I was given specific orders to bring you back alive.  I am going to have to insist you come with me.”
>She grit her teeth as she fiercely stared you down


>Despite your orders, a large part of you was sincerely hoping that she would put up a fight
>Redheart was supposed to have been a fantastic warrior during the Clone Wars
>There hadn’t been a Jedi who could give you a real challenge since you fought Luna nearly two years ago, and you were starting to get the impression that Redheart might finally be a change of pace
>”n-Nurse Redheart…”
“Hm?”
>The two of you ceased your standoff and gazed across the room at a small blue Twi’lek girl who had just entered into the infirmary
>”i-I came here t-to pick up the m-medicine for my f-family.”
>Redheart turned her back to you and shouted in horror
>”You need to get out of here child!  This isn’t a safe place for you right now!”
>As noble as Redheart’s vow was, you were determined to break it
>Raising up a hand, you coldly corrected her
“This isn’t a safe place for anyone right now.”
>A burst of blue lightning exploded from your open palm and barreled towards the Twi’lek child, who could only stare in awe as her death approached
>”NO!!!”
>Shoving herself in front of your Force Lightning’s path, Redheart screamed in pain as she shielded the child from your wrath
>Pouring a little more energy into your attack, you gave Redheart a long nasty shock before ultimately releasing her
>Her body flopped to the ground as she groaned in pain, all while the young girl watched in horror
“I suggest you follow the nurse’s advice!”
>With tears streaming down her face, the Twi’lek turned her back on the two of you and ran out of the infimary
“You know, the last few Jedi I killed weren’t like you at all.  You still have a spine.”
>Brandishing Sentinel from your back, you stood over her and whispered
“If you come quietly with me now, then  I won’t put anyone else in harm’s way.”
>”I… I refuse!"


>Laughing at her, you grabbed hold of her shoulder and forcibly lifted her up to her knees
“I admire your stubbornness, but I promise you that the longer you fight back the more people I’m going to—“
>”RAAAAAAAAHHH!!”
>Shoving her hands up against you, your body was tossed off of its feet and blasted into the air
>With a loud crash, you were sent flying out through the 8th story window and out above the city
“OK!”
>Summersaulting through the air, you made a rough landing onto a nearby rooftop and angrily shouted out at her as you ignited Sentinel’s yellow beam
“REDHEART! COME OUT AND FACE ME OR I WILL SLAUGHTER EVERY LAST LIVING THING ON THIS BLASTED STATION!”
>Bursting through what remained of the already broken window, Redheart tumbled through the air and landed on your rooftop before brandishing her green double bladed lightsaber
>She twirled her saber through the air whilst glaring at you
>”You will not harm anyone ever again.”
>You grinned excitedly at her as you slashed an x formation through the air with your saber and issued a challenge to her
>For a moment you were worried you wouldn’t get to fight her at all
>Now things were finally getting interesting
“That’s more like it!”
>Charging across the rooftop, you lunged forward and stabbed at her only for her to block your strike and blast you back with the Force
>Stumbling backwards, you quickly put up a defensive posture as she let loose a series of fierce slashes at you
>You had only fought several foes who wielded double-bladed lightsabers, and you quickly learned that few of them were quite as skilled as Redheart


>It was almost as if she was wielding two lightsabers at once, with each saber’s attack closely following the other, making it exceedingly difficult for you to pull off a successful parry and strike back
>Before she could push you away any further with her assault, you threw out your off hand and shoved her back with the Force
>She took the brunt of your push fairly well, but Redheart was still knocked back a few precious steps
>Taking advantage of her momentary weakness you went on the offensive and released a flurry of stabs at her at different points all across her body
>Redheart was quick to adapt as she deftly raised her saber-staff to block each of your strikes
>You normally favored taking a more aggressive approach towards Makashi, and thus felt stronger when on the offensive like this
>However, Redheart was blocking your strikes without too much difficulty
>When you intensified your assault, she raised her hand again and shot you back with the Force, your feet sliding close to the edge of the building
>Exhaling a breath, you gave Redheart a genuine smile
“I don’t think I’ve ever fought anyone as skilled in Niman as you are!  You’re something else!”
>Redheart quietly stared you down as you considered your next move
>She appeared to be waiting for you to come attack her, and although you liked being on the attack you didn’t want to necessarily play into her strategy
>It was hard to tell if she was trying to wear you down or was trying to bait you into a counterattack
>If it was the former you’re sure you could manage, but if it was the latter you’d be in considerably more danger


>”What are you waiting for?  Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“What’s the rush?  I’m just starting to enjoy this.”
>”You won’t be for much longer!”
>Sensing danger, you turned around and slashed apart a heavy pipe that had been tossed your way with the Force
>She was able to throw such a large object at you without seemingly making a single gesture with her hands, a feat that only one with immense power over the Force could accomplish
>Glancing back at your opponent, you saw that she was already charging again
>Not wanting to be forced onto the defensive, you charged out and met her near the center of the rooftop
>Instead of parrying aside her blows, you kept yourself on the move and avoided her slashes altogether
>As skilled as Redheart was, she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with your footwork as you relentlessly attacked her from multiple angles
>Catching her off guard with a feint, you stabbed at her and landed a glancing blow against her left forearm
>”AAAHH!”
>Grinning wildly, you attempted to follow up with a final stab at her torso
>Just before your saber could connect with her chest, you froze up
>This gave her the opportunity to strike back, as she hastily slashed at you before blasting you back with the Force
>Tumbling to the ground before stumbling back to your feet, your free hand cradled the diagonal cut on your chest
>The wound wasn’t deep, but it was very sobering
“DAMNIT!”
>You nearly had her a moment ago, a single quick stab and she would have been impaled through the heart, killing her
>Which was precisely the problem, you weren’t supposed to kill her
>Redheart was too valuable to be killed, but also too dangerous to take alive
>Making matters worse, Redheart didn’t seem overly fazed by her injury
>In fact…
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
>Your jaw dropped as you saw Redheart raise an open hand over her forearm, the wound quickly looking less burnt within a matter of seconds


>”I will give you one last chance to walk away!”
>After gazing in shock at her, you began to laugh
“Walk away?  Walk away?  HA!  I do not simply walk away from a battle, and my masters would never tolerate such a failure to begin with.  I have no choice but to fight!”
>Her glare intensified as she held her saber staff in front of her face
>”Everyone has choice between what is right and what is wrong.  It seems you have already made that decision a long time ago, Anonymous.”
>Your smile crumbled away as you scowled back at her
>One of the last things you ever wanted to hear was another lecture from a Jedi about right and wrong
“You know what Redheart?  I agree, everyone has a choice.  Which is why I am going to give you one.”
>Pointing your saber at her, you slowly walked walked around the ledge of the rooftop whilst reaching into one of the pouches on your belt
“Will you Surrender to me, or will you let innocent people die?”
>She sneered at you as she held her own saber up high in the air
>Her stern glare was all the answer you needed
>You grinned, knowing full well that this played into your strategy
“Very well, just remember Master Redheart…”
>Raising your hand from your belt, you brandished the detonator
“I gave you a choice.”
>With a simple press of a button, you unleashed Hell upon Outland II
>Redheart’s eyes widened as a tall building several city blocks behind her was engulfed in a massive explosion
>”By the Force!”
>Suddenly, a series of several more explosions rocked the city all around the two of you
>”What have you done?!”
>Tossing the detonator aside, you laughed louder as chaos gripped the station
“I saw how deeply you cared for the people here on this little bucket of rust, so I planted thermal explosives all over the most densely populated areas on Outland. ”
>”WHY!?"
>Your smile grew larger as you saw the horror on her face
“To spite you.”


>The two of you remained silent, the sounds of terrified screams and roaring fires piercing the air
>As she glanced around at the carnage you had unleashed, you sensed her anger steadily rising higher and higher
>”How could you… HOW COULD YOU!?”
>You shrugged your shoulders
“I told you people would get hurt if you continued to resist me, but you wouldn’t listen.  So tell me Redheart…”
>Pointing your saber at her, you calmly asked
“Are you going to be able to stop me before I kill even MORE people?”
>Her breathing quickened as the look of horror on her face transformed into one of pure rage
>”I’ll… I’ll…”
>Sensing imminent danger, you quickly leaped back onto an adjacent rooftop
>”AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”
>The Force exploded from her like a wave, clearing away all the debris off of the rooftop
>”I’LL KILL YOU!”
>Redheart jumped up into the air and closed in on you
>Her saber slashed deeply into the ground where you stood just a moment earlier as you backed away
>Quickly falling upon you, she unleashed a barrage of slashes that you fought hard to defend against
>In her fury, she began to slice away everything in her path, cutting through the ground and chopping down several pipes as you deftly moved away from her
>Her Niman technique was built around moderation, equal focus on offense and defense and an emphasis on using the Force, but that all fell apart as she gave into the raw power of the Dark Side
>It made her much more dangerous, but it also made her easier for you to manipulate
>The Dark Side was your ally after all, not hers
“You have to kill me Redheart!  It’s the only way!”
>”GAAAHH!!!”
>Throwing her hand at you, your body was once again sent airborne as you fell toward the ground below
>Landing your feet against the wall of a building, you slid to the floor of an alleyway whilst she pounced after you


>Backing away from her, you glanced behind yourself and saw that the alleyway became narrower the further it went on
>Turning your back to Redheart, you sprinted down the alley
>”GET BACK HERE COWARD!”
>You ran as fast as you could, mindful that one wrong step could end in disaster
>You could sense her drawing closer and hear her saber whirling as if it was hungering for your blood
>Twisting your head back and raising a hand, you tried to slow her down with a burst of Force Lightning
>Your eyes widened as she twirled her saberstaff like a windmill and blocked your lightning without even breaking her stride
>Finally, you reached a point where you could run no more and turned about to face her
>She howled in rage as she raised her saber staff to strike
>”YOU’RE MINE!”
>Slashing her saber at you, both ends suddenly became lodged into the walls of the metal buildings on either side of you two
“No!”
>Shoving your hand forward, you grappled onto the hilt of her saber
>Pinning her in place, your stabbed Sentinel through her knee
>”AAAAAHHH!!!”
>Pulling your saber back, you watched as Redheart released her saberstaff and crumpled against the wall
>Deactivating her saber and dropping it to the ground, you raised your hand and softly uttered
“You’re mine.”
>A massive arc of Force Lightning erupted from your fingertips and engulfed her
>”AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”
>You reveled in her defeat as you watched her body convulse in agony for a good ten seconds
>Halting your lightning, you let Master Redheart collapse to the ground at your feet
>She was finished


>Broken and defeated, it was now only a simple matter of slapping a pair of cuffs on her and dragging her over to your ship
>She was barely conscious by the time you two made it into the hanger bay, having become a miserable shadow of the valiant warrior you fought only a short while before
>Even you found it a bit cruel to force her to live on after all of that, but you knew better than to let mercy cloud your judgement
>Carrying her into the cockpit of your Prototype TIE Advanced, you proceeded to administer several sedatives that would hopefully keep her unconscious during your journey back to Prakith
>Sitting next to her unconscious body, you promptly flew the TIE out into space and left the smoldering space station of Outland II behind
>Her unconscious body shuddered as you removed your chest plate and wrapped your saber wound closed with a Bacta Patch
>It looked like you’d be getting a good scar to remember this hunt from
>Turning toward the barely conscious Redheart, you positioned her body in a way so that she wouldn’t be putting pressure on her ruined knee
“You put up a damn good fight.  Thank you."
>As you were about to jump to Hyperspace, your terminal buzzed to life as the Inqusitiroius attempted to contact you
>Accepting the call, a small holo-image of the Grand Inquisitor appeared
>”Anonymous, why have you repeatedly failed to check in with me?”
>You chuckled at him as you leaned back in your seat
“It is good to see you too.  I’m afraid I have been very busy lately."
>He wore an unamused scowl as he stood tall with one fist firmly clenched behind his back and a hand pointed at you
>”Have you finally located the Jedi or are you wasting time yet again?”
“See for yourself.”
>Pulling her aside, you allowed Redheart’s unconscious body to lean closer toward the Inquisitor

>The Inquisitor’s dark scowl gave way to a delighted grin
>”Excellent, and she is alive?”
“As per your orders.”
>”Well done!  I do not need to remind you of her importance to Project Harvester.”
“No, I am fully aware of how valuable she is."
>”Good.  See to it that you return to Prakith at once so that Master Redheart’s interrogation can begin.”
“As you wish."
>You began to chuckle as the feed cut out
“Project Harvester, Ha!”
>It had been nearly two years ago since a lone Jedi Master humiliated the Inquisitorius by attacking the Citadel on Prakith and slaying over half of its occupants, and it was also around that time that an unprecedented amount of Inquisitors met their ends at the hands of the Jedi they were hunting
>Of course, you knew the truth behind this massacre
>The Jedi Master was none other than your old friend Master Celestia, who vengefully attacked the Inquisitorius after your supposed death at the Emperor’s hands
>Furthermore, the Inquisitors who died during their hunt for the Jedi were in fact hunted down by your lover Midnight Sparkle in a dark ploy to release you from the Emperor’s grasp before he could either destroy your will or take your life
>Ever since this untimely catastrophe, the Inquisitorius had been struggling to regain its former glory
>Project Harvester had been the Inquisitor’s answer to this manpower shortage, a secret project designed at gathering together as many Force Sensitive recruits as possible
>You always found it incredibly amusing that you were playing such an instrumental role in this project after indadvertedly causing the Purge to begin with
>Perhaps you would reveal the truth of this to the Grand Inquisitor and the Sith one day, before ending their lives
“The look on their faces would be priceless.  I’ll have to keep that in mind."
>Gently laying Master Redheart against the interior wall of your TIE, you punched in your Hyperspace codes and raced off back to Prakith


>A few days pass by slowly and silently in the confines of your TIE before you finally emerge out of Hyperspace over the familiar world of Prakith
>Immediately, you are caught off guard by the immense number of star destroyers hovering over the planet, all but confirming that the High Inquisitors have indeed gathered here
>This also confirms what you had sensed earlier about Midnight being at the Citadel
“I knew it!”
>Your joyful outburst causes your captive to stir, her eyes fluttering open as she groans in pain
>”w-Where am I?”
>Redheart still seems to be in shock after your duel, and the heavy dose of sedatives you gave her appear to be wearing off fast
“Your new home.”
>Flying down through its atmosphere, your TIE swoops over the rocky mountain ranges that dominate the planet
>The speed that the prototype TIE Advanced affords you allows you to clear past these mountains quickly until you spot the black spires of the Citadel Inquisitorius lying ahead atop the snow crested peaks
>”What is this?  i-I sense so much pain and—“
“You will get used to that as easily as you will get used to the high altitude.  All in good time.”
>Setting down upon a small windswept landing pad, you look out toward the Citadel and see a group of Acolytes in dark red cloaks coming to greet you
“Well, home sweet home I suppose.  Here let’s get you—“
>”Don’t touch me!”
>Redheart slaps away your hand as you reach for her, her body shuddering in pain
>She’s still as infuriated with you as she was before, but it’s also clear that she is afraid of what is to come
>You don’t blame her one bit
“Suit yourself Master.”
>Clambering out of your TIE, you hop down upon the landing pad and lazily hail the acolytes


>An Acolyte of higher rank, distinguished by the strands of gold thread that line his cloak,  joins you as you walk past the throng of hooded men
>”Welcome home Inquisitor Anonymous, I sense that your hunt was a fruitful one.”
“The Jedi is inside.  She suffers from a very badly injured knee, amongst other things.  Have her taken to the medical bay and treated thoroughly before detaining her in the cell blocks.  I want to begin my interrogation of her tomorrow morning.”
>”As you wish…”
>At that, the Acolyte bows his head and returns to his brethren as they surround your TIE
>You speculate that at least one of them will meet a grisly end in their attempts to detain Redheart
>Entering the dark stone halls of the Citadel, it became immediately apparent how empty the place felt
>While you seldom remember running into many of your peers amongst these shadowy corridors, it still seems odd that this place feels so devoid of life
>No doubt a sign that your order was still struggling to recover from it’s losses
>Quickly passing through these empty passages, you walk into the dormitories and enter your private chamber
>The lodgings are far larger and noticeably better furnished than the cell you lived in during your time as an Apprentice Inquisitor, though you still aren’t overly fond of it
>It is too quiet here for your tastes, and it still feels barren despite being well furnished
>The place reminds you of a tomb
>Taking a seat on a couch near the edge of the room, you stare out through your steel shutters at the mountains beyond as you remove your cloak and armor
>Gently setting down Master Redheart’s saber staff, your gaze drifts off to a glass case lying against your wall
>Behind it lies a battered suit of obsidian armor and an ornate curbed lightsaber, all that remains of Luna
>You briefly consider framing Redheart’s weapon as well, but you put that thought aside for now



>For the first time in recent memory, you have no urgent task that requires your attention
>It is part of the reason why you do not enjoy spending time here on Prakith
>With no Jedi to hunt, no meaningful training to be had, and no friend to pass the time with, you are left with very little to do
>In an attempt to stave off your restlessness, you decide that you can at least take advantage of your time here to clean yourself up a bit
>Stepping into your refresher, you allow the warm water to spray against your bare body
>The water stings the wound that Redheart had given you a few days before, but overall it does much to soothe your battered body
>Your usual attire does well to conceal your appearance, but now you can see the full extent of your years of service to the Empire
>Scars of all shapes and sizes, a few of which look quite painful, are scattered all across your body
>Many of them are left over from saber wounds given to you through your battles with the Jedi, although the most clearly visible scars are the lightning patterned ones given to you during your imprisonment in the Imperial Palace
>No doubt the Emperor thought such scars would serve as a constant reminder of your disloyalty to him, an attempt to instill humility
>In truth, they had quite the opposite effect
>These scars, all of them, are like badges of honor to you
>A sign of how far you have come since you first began to walk down the path of the Dark Side, and a portent of what may still come
>Exiting the refresher, you take a few moments to dry yourself before shaving your face and dressing your latest wound
>When you are nearly finished, you hear her call to you
>You almost think that she must be here herself, lurking amongst your chamber hoping to surprise you, but then you realize that she is actively trying to tell you something
>Or more accurately, show you something


>Raising up a hand, you close the shutters and block out all light from outside as you take a seat in an alcove at the edge of your chamber
>Although the Citadel exudes the raw power of the Dark Side, and many of the people here give off a strong aura through the Force, it only takes several seconds for you to find her
“Let’s see what you have in store for me…”
>Although your eyes are closed, you begin to see
>You sit on a large chair, practically a throne, made of black wood in front of a massive circular table
>All around this table sit over a dozen men and women, the Dark Side radiating from each of them like fiery beacons
>You’ve never met, nor even seen, most of these people before although from what Midnight has told you several of these individuals stand out as High Inquisitors, supposedly the most powerful members of your order
>One figure does stand out to you
>Sitting on the largest of the chairs sits the Grand Inquisitor, who leans onto the table with his hands folded together in front of his face
>He coldly scans his peers before adopting a reserved smile and speaking up
>”I have just received word that Master Redheart has become our prisoner.  Soon we will be able to pry open the secrets of her research and develop the technology we need to truly begin Operation Harvester in earnest.”
>Several of the High Inquisitors began to mutter amongst themselves until one of them abruptly asked
>”Which of our number was responsible for capturing this Jedi Master alive?”
>To which another one answered
>”It wasn’t one of us, but a younger Inquisitor by the name of Anonymous.”
>A slender human male sitting next to the Grand Inquisitor, distinguished by an intimidating cybernetic eye and arm on the right side of his body, smiled amicably as he spoke toward you
>”It would appear you were right to suggest Anonymous for this hunt Midnight.  I did not expect him to get the job done so soon.”


>You heard Midnight chuckle in response as she answered him in a matter of fact tone
>”When I was searching for a candidate for the job, Anonymous stood out.  I've seen him perform well in the past, and I am aware that he was somewhat familiar with Redheart as a child.  I knew he would not fail.”
>Although you cared little for what most of your superiors thought, it still filled you with a small sense of pride to hear your deeds spoken of like this
>It also made you quite pleased to see the scowl that fell over the Grand Inquisitor’s face when you were brought up so highly
>That same man with the cybernetic implants, who you now recognized as High Inquisitor Tremayne, went on
>”If this Anonymous continues to perform like this, we may consider elevating him to our circle in a few years.”
>”Absolutely not.”
>The circle of High Inquisitors looked to the Grand Inquisitor as he coldly glowered at them all
>”Anonymous may be skilled with the Force, but he has also proven to be disloyal.  I can sense the scorn he has for our masters, to make him a High Inquisitor would be to invite disaster.  For the foreseeable future, he should remain at his current rank, and he should be monitored closely.”
>If you could only speak now, you would have gladly laughed at his face
>You could sense his fear
>”I agree.”
>Midnight’s voice, dripping with a coolness you were not used to hearing from her, startled you as she spoke out
>”Anonymous is quite exceptional, but rather difficult to control.  It is well enough that he continue to serve us, rather than become our equal.”
>You begin to chuckle to yourself as you sit in meditation
>While becoming a High Inquisitor might have afforded you a great deal of prestige, it was very important that no one ever learn of the relationship you shared with Midnight
>This was why the two of you would praise and belittle one another in equal measure when in public
>Keeping up appearances was tiring, but necessary


>Suddenly, a coarse laugh echoed throughout the chamber and the High Inquisitors turned to stare at one of their band
>You looked upon a human male with a shaved head who wore a black suit of armor with red pauldrons as well as a thin black sash around his eyes
>”You rather enjoy having this Anonymous serve under you, don’t you?”
>Midnight chuckled at him
>”He has proven useful to me many times Jerec.  Not particularly trustworthy, but I do take a small bit of pleasure in seeing him perform well… “
>Although you could not see it through her own eyes, you could clearly sense her smirk
>”… under my command, where he belongs.”
>It was somewhat difficult to maintain your mental link with Midnight as you broke out into laughter
“Where I belong?  Is that all I am to you?  A useful pawn?  That’s not what you say to me when we are alone…”
>The High Inquisitors continued to speak amongst themselves, though you could tell that Midnight’s attention was shifting away from them as you spoke to her
“You love to put up a show and order me around, but I can sense your true feelings.  You love it just as much when I command you, don’t you?”
>Your smile grew larger as you chuckled at her
>"Do you remember the first time I beat you in battle?  How thrilling it was, to finally be defeated?”
>Midnight’s breathing seemed to quicken the further you went on
“Look at these people.  There isn’t a single one of them you wouldn’t kill in a heartbeat if you could get away with it.  Maybe you’d even find a way to get away with it, if I asked you to do it.  If I ORDERED you.”
>She looked away from her peers at her clenched fists and whispered
>”Not.  Now.”
“Not now?  What’s wrong?  You seem to be getting excited? Oh, I know what it is.  You’re looking forward to our next duel, the fight that will decide who will be the Master and who will be the Apprentice.  Do you still think you can beat me?”
>”Mistress.”
“What?”

>Her voice began to echo into your head as you opened your eyes
>”You will learn to call me Mistress, and you will learn your place…  my apprentice.”
>For a split second, a horrendous scream tore through your mind and shocked you out of your meditative stance
>Breathing a sigh of exhaustion, you glanced around your empty room and slowly chuckled back
“We will see.”
+++
>The next morning you don a fresh suit of armor and march straight down to the detention cells to see Redheart
>You admittedly do not possess too much experience at interrogating Jedi, as you have more often than not simply killed them rather than bother with capturing them
>This time was different though, and you were determined to extract as much information from her about her research as possible
>More importantly, you were determined to ease her further down the path to the Dark Side
>After what you had put her through on Outland II, it was clear that she had already taken the first fateful steps down that path
>Then again, you did have to wonder how likely she would be to attempt to kill you if she actually did join the Inquisitorius
>As you considered all of this, a distinct scream echoed down the hallways to you
“What the Hell?”
>Jogging down to the cell where she was to be kept, you quickly unlocked the door to a stunning sight
>Redheart lied strapped to a table at the back of a dark cell, convulsing in pain as hooded figure loomed in front of her with a gripped fist raised high
“What are you doing?!”
>”What does it look like I’m doing?”
>After curtly replying to you, the figure released her grip and twisted about to glare at you
“Fluttershy?”


>Staring in shock for a moment, your gaze hardened as you looked back and saw Redheart hanging from her chains and breathing in ragged huffs
“Why are you interrogating MY prisoner?”
>She scoffed at you before walking up and shoving her face into yours
>”She’s my prisoner now.  Our master chose me to take care of her.”
>You balked at her as she folded her arms over her chest and continued to glower at you
“I was responsible for bringing her in, why am I not in charge questioning her?  This is absurd.”
>”Tell someone who cares.”
>The two of you glared intensely at one another
>It was clear that, despite not seeing one another in a long time, that Fluttershy’s animosity for you was as strong as ever
“Fine.  If the Grand Inquisitor is behind this then he’s going to have to deal with me now.”
>”Good, now if you’ll excuse me.”
>The two of you turned your back on each other and began to split apart
“Fluttershy.”
>The two of you did not look back at each other as you stood on either side of the interrogation room
“Do not kill her.”
>You heard her scoff as you walked up out of the cell and back into the hallway
>”I’m a professional.”
>The cell door slammed shut, and as you marched down the hallway you heard Redheart’s screams begin to echo down to you once again
“What’s your game this time?”
>Did the Grand Inquisitor simply not believe you were up to the task of interrogating your own prisoner?
>Perhaps he was just being extra protective since his pet project was involved?
>Then again, by not telling you any of this in advance maybe his intention was to spite you, which was something you wouldn’t have put past him
>In any case, you weren’t about to take this supposed slight from him lying down

>Reaching out through the Force, you were able to track him down over by the training fields
>Taking a side passage to the fields, you arrived at the top of the battlements overlooking the area
>Just over a dozen people, mostly a handful of Inquisitors and Apprentice Inquisitors by the looks of it, were crowding around the center of the field
>As you marched along the top of the walls, you eventually found the Grand Inquisitor sitting down on a large chair similar to the one you saw through Midnight’s eyes
>He made no indication that he noticed your presence as you came up behind him, his attention seemingly focused on what was developing below
>”I get the impression you are upset with me.”
>You sneered at him as he continued to stare below
“Why was I not informed that I wouldn’t be in charge of interrogating Master Redheart?”
>The Inquisitor briefly locked eyes with you and smiled before glancing away to the field
>”I suppose I forgot.”
>You stared indignantly at him, only the sound of the brisk wind blowing past you breaking the silent air
>Then, just as you felt your control over your anger begin to slowly slip away, you smiled as well
“It’s been just over two years now since that day we dueled before the Sith.  I’m sure you remember?”
>The Inquisitor grimaced as he stared away from you
“Ever since then, I feel as if I have only been growing stronger in the ways of the Force.  I wonder… have you improved as much as I have since then?  Perhaps you can finally beat me?”
>”Hmph, I have better things to do than indulge in a petty rivalry with you.  Speaking of which…”
>The Inquisitor raised his hand and pointed down at a pair of familiar faces who looked as if they were about to square off


>”Anonymous, you recognize those individuals do you not?”
>Stepping away from the Inquisitor, you looked down into the center of the crowds
>You saw an athletically built blue skinned Feeorin with multicolored bands in her head tendrils, staring down a muscular human woman with long blonde hair whose eyes were tinged a reddish yellow by the power of the Dark Side
>Sticking out from the crowd behind this Feeorin stood a young orange Twi’lek girl who wore purple bands in her lekku in a similar style to the Feeorin
>The blonde haired woman was flanked by  a very tall muscular man wearing a cracked Mandalorian mask, and standing just behind the two of them was a slightly younger girl with long red hair
“That is… Rainbow Dash.  I don’t recognize the Twi’lek girl standing behind her, but   across from them is Applejack, Big Macintosh and Applebloom.”
>”That is correct.”
>It was very strange to look upon these people again
>Although you were never very much on speaking terms with any of them with the exception of Applebloom, there was a time when you were at least used to seeing their faces
>They look much the same as how you remember them, with the huge exceptions of Applebloom and Rainbow Dash
>Applebloom looked quite a bit taller than last you remember, perhaps growing 3 or 4 inches in height, with her red hair having grown out a bit as well
>She still had a somewhat demure look about her, at least compared to her siblings, but she didn’t exactly look like the scared little girl you remember either
>Rainbow Dash on the other hand was pretty much  her old self, sans her arms
>Soon after becoming an Inquisitor, you had heard that Rainbow Dash was one of the handful of Apprentice Inquisitors who personally fought against the lone Jedi who attacked the Citadel
>She paid for it with both of her arms, having lost both limbs entirely
>In their place, now lied a pair of powerful robotic replacements, graciously built to her specifications

“What is going on down there?”
>”Perhaps you can tell me.  Apparently those two women can’t stand each other and are about to settle their differences the only way they know how.”
>Folding your arms over your chest, you joined the Inquisitor in scowling down at them
“Some things never really change around here…”
>”Care to explain?”
>Glaring back at the Inquisitor, you pointed a finger down at them
“Ever since those two met they’ve been obsessed with trying to prove their superiority over the other.  I can hardly believe they’re still fighting like this after all these years."
>The Inquisitor placed a hand over his chin as he looked down at them
>”Such behavior is more becoming of initiates, but they are Inquisitors now.  I won’t abide such infighting in my ranks.”
>There was a resolute look in the Inquisitor’s eyes that made you feel somewhat uneasy
>Suddenly, an Acolyte walked up to the Grand Inquisitor and leaned down to hear him whisper something into his ear
>”It will be done my lord.”
>The Acolyte quickly took off down the battlements
“What are you plotting?”
>The Inquisitor brandished a confident smile as he stood out of his seat and walked next to you
>”Anonymous, I assure you that I only put Fluttershy in charge of questioning Redheart because she is an exceptionally accomplished interrogator.  I would not waste my power on pursuing a rivalry of sorts with the likes of you.  Nevertheless…”
>His eyes looked to you and narrowed
>”I remember fully what happened that day in the Imperial Palace, and I want you to know that if we ever fight again that I will not hesitate to destroy you.”
>Your own gaze darkened as you stared back at him


>Staring down at the field, you saw Rainbow Dash brandish her saber staff, twirling it cockily in her right hand
>”Come on AJ!  Let’s go, one on one!”
>Applejack gave her a cruel smile as she put her fists on her hips
>”And why should I bother wastin’ my time like that?  I got nothin’ to prove to you.  All ah’m interested in is wipin’ that damn smirk off yer face!”
>Rainbow Dash shuddered as Big Mac took a step forward
>She balked at the the three of them before shouting out
>”t-This is exactly how I know you’re all talk!  You know I’d kick your ass so you always have your family backing you up!”
>Applejack chuckled at her, clearly unmoved by her display
>”Ah don’t really see the point in playing fair, at least not with trash like yerself.”
>Then, just as it looked like a fight would break out, Big Mac took a step back and leaned down next to Applejack
>The older sibling appeared to be whispering something within her ear
>She scowled for a moment, before breaking out into an intimidating laugh
>”Well Rainbow, looks like today you might finally get yer wish.  One on one just like you’ve been begging fer.”
>Applejack laid out a hand and pushed Applebloom aside whilst slapping her brother on the back
>”Big Mac says he’s sick and tired of listening to yer braggin’.  He says it’s about time someone shut ya up, and he wants to be the one to do it.”
>Rainbow took a step back as Big Mac stomped closer to her
>Reaching into his belt, he took out his bulky lightsaber and ignited it
>Big Mac’s red saber beam was exceptionally long to accompany his own huge size, giving the warrior an incredible amount of reach
>Dash seemed a little intimidated at first, but after glancing back at the crowd around her she seemed to perk up a bit
>Her eyes locked for a moment with that of the younger Twi’lek behind her before she turned to face Big Mac and nonchalantly spat on the ground


>”You know what?  I’m cool with this.  If I can’t smack you around then I guess that freak is the next best thing!”
>She brandished her saber staff and swung it through the air above her head as she strolled around the field
>The two warriors focused intently on each other as the crowd of onlookers backed away, save for Big Mac’s siblings and the Twi'lek
>Applejack looked quite pleased as she watched her brother, while the other two seemed visibly distressed
“What exactly did you have in mind when—“
>”Patience Anonymous.  We’re about to see just what these two are capable of.”
>Just before it seemed like Rainbow Dash and Big Mac would charge one another, over a dozen Acolytes ran onto the field
>At their insistence, most of the crowd was pulled away from the fight that was about to unfold as one of them raised their voice and cried out
>”It has been decreed by the powers that be that this duel be fought, to the death.”
“What?!”
>”WHAT!?”
>Applejack’s jaw fell open as she stared in horrid surprise, with her sister looking just as shocked
>Rainbow Dash nearly tripped over herself as she stared about with wide eyes
>Big Mac did not seem to react to the news at all, although it was hard to see any reaction from him with that mask of his
>Many of the crowds were backing away quite a distance now, while Applejack walked up to one of the Acolytes and started a vicious argument with him
>While all this unfolded, Applebloom  and the Twi’lek ran up to their respective fights and began to seemingly plead with them
>It was all so very surreal
“Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh are full fledged Inquisitors.  Warriors who have pledged their loyalty to the Empire and who have fought Jedi on its behalf.  Are you really about to—?"
>”Yes.”
>The Inquisitor scowled down at the field as you balked at him


>You could hardly believe this
>How could he think it acceptable to make these two fight to the death?
>There had to have been some deeper meaning behind this, or perhaps…
“Are you trying to intimidate me?”
>He scoffed as he sat down and reclined on his throne
>”Please Anonymous, this whole thing is far bigger than just you.  This is about instilling order and discipline."
>You were convinced that you had a hand in prompting this, but could you have really gotten under his skin this badly?
>While you mulled over this, the field was slowly cleared away of everyone but the combatants, with most of the spectators moving up to the battlements where you and the Inquisitor stood watch
>A quick scan of this crowd quickly revealed Applejack leaning over the ledge of the wall with a hand grasped onto the railing
>”Big Mac!  Don’t play around with her, just get it over with alright!?”
>You noticed that not too far behind Applejack stood her younger sister, who was standing silently next to the orange Twi’lek who seemed to be a fan of Rainbow
>Beside the two of them also stood a young girl about their age with excessively pale skin, colorless eyes, and long whitish hair, likely a member of the Umbaran species
>Suddenly you realized that you had seen these two other girls before, recognizing them as friends of Applebloom’s
“This… will not end well.”
>At that, the Grand Inquisitor stood out of his seat and raised his voice as he beckoned down to Rainbow and Big Mac
>”If you are so keen on fighting one another rather than learning to put aside your differences to serve our lords, then so be it.  Fight to your heart’s content.”
>Rainbow Dash and Big Mac glanced up at the balcony before staring one another down
>”Proceed.”


>Staring down at the field, you watched as Big Mac readied his long saber with both hands whilst Rainbow Dash twirled her saber staff
>Rainbow Dash’s saber spun faster and faster as it tore through the ground, her face contorting into a wicked smile as her saber turned into a red blur
>”EAT THIS!”
>Her saber spun through the air as she tossed it at Big Mac at a devastating speed
>Standing still and displaying little emotion at all, Big Mac awaited the flying saber staff as it sped at him
>Raising his saber up, he parried aside the blow and sent the saber staff spinning aside
>As soon as the two sabers struck, Rainbow was on the move
>Blitzing across the grass, she caught her saberstaff as it sailed through the air and immediately hurled it back even faster
>As the saber staff approached Big Mac’s head, he raised his saber once more and knocked it aside with a wide slash
>Just as before, Rainbow sped across the ground and grasped hold of her weapon only to immediately throw it back
>Unless she secretly also had robotic legs, then she had to have been using the Force to enhance her reflexes and her speed
“He’s just… standing there.”
>Big Mac seemed to expertly block Rainbow’s saber staff each time she threw it, despite the fact that she appeared to be gaining speed each time she tossed it at him, to the point where it was becoming difficult to keep track of her
>Suddenly Applejack’s voice rang out through the field
>”LOOK OUT!”
>As soon as Rainbow threw her saber next, instead of speeding around in anticipation of catching it she charged Big Mac
>He raised his own saber and pushed aside the saber staff just as Rainbow fell upon him
>”YAAA!”
>Rainbow cocked back her arm and slammed her metal fist directly into Big Mac’s chest above his heart

>Several people from the crowd cheered while a few others fell deathly silent
>You watched intently as the two fighters seemingly froze in place
>Applejack’s voice rang out above it all
>”KILL HER!”
>Grasping his saber with both hands, Big Mac’s weapon crashed down in an overhead swing
>Scrambling away from him, Rainbow’s immense speed failed her
>Failing to evade his slash, Rainbow once again lost an arm
>”AAAAAAAHHHH!”
>Her left shoulder sputtered sparks of electricity as she grasped her right hand over the slashed open limb
>Big Mac stepped over her torn off limb as he slowly stomped over to her
>Coughing up a small stream of blood underneath his battered mask, Big Mac approached Rainbow Dash like a specter of death
>You could sense her fear as she she sprinted back from him, evading his long saber slashes as he tore up the ground where she once stood
“Incredible…”
>The Grand Inquisitor watched the fight with a bemused grin, his hand clenching his chin as he leaned forward and watched the fight
>Your fists shook as you glanced back and forth between him and the duelists
“What is the point of this?”
>He failed to reply to you as both of your attention was called back to the field
>Rainbow Dash called her saber staff back into her right hand and ignited her weapon
>She only activated one end of its beam, likely to compensate for the loss of her left arm
>Shouting out, Rainbow Dash spun her saber through the air as she charged him
>She continued to move at a Force enhanced speed, whilst Big Mac maintained an impressive defensive wall against her as he methodically blocked each of her blows
>Striking back at his attacker, Big Mac swung his saber at Rainbow with such force that she was knocked back several steps when she blocked the blow
>Instead of blocking the next few devastating strikes, Rainbow quickly sidestepped her adversary and tried to slash him in the back


>Amazingly, Big Mac was able to raise his own weapon over his head and block the strike meant for his back before twisting about and continuing to slash at her
“His grasp over Djem So's defensive stance is unreal.”
>”Indeed.  I’m particularly impressed by Rainbow’s unorthodox tactics.  I suppose Ataru suits someone with such… creativity.”
>Your conversation with the Inquisitor was interrupted as three figures emerged onto the balcony
>Twisting about, you saw Applebloom joined by her three friends as they kneeled down before the Grand Inquisitor
>”Sir, ah’m begging you.  You have to stop the fight!”
>Her Twi’lek friend spoke up next
>”They never meant to take it this far!”
>Followed by the Umbaran girl
>”Please don’t let them die like this!”
>The Inquisitor did not even register them with a glance as he coldly spoke back
>”Anonymous recently informed me that this conflict between Rainbow and your Apple clan has been brewing for years.”
>Your hands clenched into fists as you muttered at him through clenched teeth
“Don’t drag me into this you—“
>”I am cracking down on this immediately.  Hopefully the three of you will be able to learn from this experience, lest you end up like those two down there.”
>Applebloom shook as she raised her head to stare at him, tears welling up in her eyes
>Suddenly her gaze drifted toward you and your eyes locked together
>”a-Anon?”
>You silently looked back into her eyes, and were reminded of her
>There were many times you took pity on her, lamenting how hard it was for her to adapt to her training and how she always seemed to languish in her older siblings' shadow
>Her fear reminded you of the boy you once were
>Your body shook as you stared back at her
>It was foolish, insanely so, but…


“Stop the fight.”
>The Inquisitor’s eyes narrowed as he turned his head to face your glare
>”Excuse me?”
>To the immense shock of the three girls in front of you, you placed your hand onto the Inquisitor’s shoulder and gripped it tightly as you loomed over him
>Your other hand slowly gripped the saber on the back of your belt
“Stop the fight, before someone get’s hurt.”
>You and the Inquisitor glowered at one another, the immense hatred you two share radiating so fiercely that the three girls had to have been able to sense it
>”Anonymous…”
>The Inquisitor leaned forward in his chair, his own hand resting upon the saber on his belt
>”… you’re blocking my view.”
>”ARGH!”
>”NO!"
>The Twi’lek girl’s shout shook your attention away from the Inquisitor as the two of you looked back at the field and saw Dash lying on the ground, her lightsaber knocked out of her grasp several yards away
>”YES!”
>Applejack clenched her fist and smiled as she leaned off the ledge of the battlement
“Dammit, is she…?”
>Rainbow’s body shuddered as her mechanical hand gripped the hard dirt on the ground
>As she attempted to crawl to her weapon, Big Mac fell upon her
>His foot crashed into Rainbow’s ribcage as he kicked her onto her back and proceeded to press his boot into her abdomen
>The Twi’lek girl shouted at the top of her lungs as she leaned over the railing
>”RAINBOW!  YOU HAVE TO GET UP!  RAINBOW DASH!!!”
>The Inquisitor sighed
>”It would seem she has overexerted herself.  A pity.”
“You bastard…”
>”Hm?”
>You furrowed your brow as the Twi’lek began to break out into tears
“You’re making them fight… just like he made us fight.”
>The memories of your duel with the Inquisitor at the Imperial Palace burned brightly in your mind
“I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

>The Twi’lek rushed up to Applebloom and shook her as she froze up in shock
>”He’s your brother! Make him stop!  MAKE HIM STOP!”
>Applebloom looked at her friend with a mortified expression, having seemingly lost the strength to speak
>She seemed powerless to stop this madness
>Maybe you could end it all here and now, at the cost of throwing away everything you had worked for
>Your dream of becoming a Sith Lord, of conquering beside Midnight
>No, you wouldn’t lose sight of your vision and you would not make the same mistake you made two years ago
>Whatever would happen now, would have to be avenged later
>You coldly watched as Big Mac slowly raised his lightsaber above Rainbow and prepared to end her life with a downward thrust
>Rainbow coughed up a trail of blood, and was seemingly speaking to him, although you could not hear what she was saying
>As you scrutinized her, you immediately realized that whatever she was saying had caught his attention and caused him to pause
>Dash suddenly smiled up at him
>Applejack was having none of it
>”Finish her off!  NOW!”
>As Big Mac raised his saber up high to strike, Rainbow raised up her own hand and…
>Flipped him off
>Her hand immediately became a fist as steam issued through her arm
>”ROCKET PUNCH!”
>Rainbow’s fist blasted out of her arm and jettisoned into Big Mac’s face, knocking him off of her as he crashed onto his back, his mask flying through the air
>Your jaw fell wide open as Rainbow slowly scrambled over the ground to her lightsaber
>Raising her metal stump up, her fist returned to its socket and snapped in place as she picked up her lightsaber and stumbled up to her feet
>As Big Mac bolted up, his bloodied and bruised face now all too apparent, Rainbow Dash burst into the air toward him with her saber wielding arm draped across her torso
>The two swung their sabers at each other as Rainbow slid to the ground behind him, their backs turned on one another

>The two Dark Jedi stood in place for several tense moments as everyone watched with bated breath
>A cool wind blew past the field, billowing through the grass
>Big Mac collapsed to the ground
>”NOOOOOOO!!!”
>Applebloom’s scream resounded throughout the training fields, likely echoing down across the mountains
>Following closely behind Applebloom’s tearful cry, came Applejack’s primal roar
>You saw her leap down from the battlements to the ground and rush a mangled Rainbow Dash
>”RAINBOW LOOK OUT!”
>Activating her own saber, the Twi'lek clumsily hopped down onto the field and rushed Applejack as she charged Rainbow Dash
>Just as she was about to intercept Applejack, she raised her hand up and stopped the Twi’lek in her tracks
>Without breaking her stride, Applejack lifted her off her feet by her throat and throttled her across the field
>Barely having the strength to stand, Rainbow raised her arms up as she reluctantly welcomed Applejack
>Their fight was not to be, for as Applejack approached Rainbow several dozen Acolytes stormed the field
>Several of them quickly grappled Rainbow, who appeared to be protesting against being taken away, whilst the rest struggled to hold Applejack back
>She mercilessly struck down three of them almost immediately in her maddened frenzy as they attempted to bring her down with shock staves
>”Enough of this.”
>The Inquisitor rose from his seat and hopped down to the field to assist the acolytes in detaining Applejack
>You looked away from the carnage on the field, utterly disgusted by what you had just seen
>The battle was a terrific sight, but it had no purpose
>Big Mac may have been an insane brute, but the Force was strong with him
>He deserved better than this


>Staring coldly at the mountains in the distance, you slowly began to block out the noise around you
>The violence that was still unfolding below, the cheers and jeers of the crowds of onlookers, the bitter breeze
>However, try as you might, you could not silence the sound of Applebloom’s sobs
>Glancing down at her, you watched as her Umbaran friend comforted her with a hug as the two of them sat down against the railing
“Applebloom…”
>She momentarily ceased crying and looked up to you with tear-stricken eyes
>What could you say to her?
>Sorry?
>There was nothing I could do?
>This was the Will of the Force?
>Your gaze hardened as your anger spilled out and you struggled to express yourself to her
>You will not stand for this injustice
“We will make this right.”
>Applebloom stared at you with a confused frown as you turned your back on her and stomped away, your cloak billowing in the fierce wind
>It was clear to you now
>Everything about today, from your spat with Fluttershy to all that had transpired here on this training field, to every word he shared with you on this balcony was part of a calculated strategy with one goal in mind
>Make you mad
>He wanted you to lose control so you could give him an excuse to have you removed
>It nearly worked too
“You’ll get what’s coming to you… you and your precious masters.  I’ll tear this whole Empire to pieces if I have to…”
>Some day you would be Sith, and you would have the power to strike down all your enemies
>Until then, all you could do was look forward to and prepare for that day
“My time will come."


>Be Sunset Shimmer
>The thunder of rapid blaster fire shocks you awake as you bolt up in your seat
>Brandishing your Blaster Pistol, you jerk your head up and aim your weapon around the landing pad
>After glancing around a little, you fail to see anything around you save the empty landing pad your ship is sitting on and the numerous black and grey skyscrapers surrounding you
>However, you hear several more blaster rounds fire off in the distance, this time also accompanied by hooting and hollering
>You crack open your cockpit and listen in
>”That’ll teach you bloodsuckers to step on our turf!  OH YEAH!”
>”Damn swoopers think they own the place!  Well ya ain’t so tough now are ya!  HAHAHAHA!”
>Several more blaster shots rang out followed by more raucous laughter as you sighed and leaned back into your seat
“Are you kidding me?”
>You really didn’t like Nar Shadaa
>The place was a lot like Coruscant, a world covered by one massive city with huge skyscrapers all over the place
>Except Coruscant was mostly cleaner and safer, and it wasn’t always so damn dark outside
>Here the Hutts were in control but as long as they got their money they mostly let the people do whatever they wanted, leaving the various gangs and criminal cartels in control
>If you could call it control, cause from what you had seen in the past few nights this whole moon is practically one big war zone
>Unless you had money or a lot of guys with blasters backing you up, you weren’t exactly safe
>Unfortunately, you had neither a lot of credits or any friends with you right now
>What you did have was a fully fueled Z-95 Headhunter starfighter, which you were currently sleeping out of, a DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol, your only means of defense, and the Force, which you still didn’t really understand so well
>It was the latter issue that brought you here in the first place

>Hopping out of your ship, you took a few moments to stretch your body
>Your back was a little sore from sleeping in that seat, but otherwise you were in pretty good shape
>A life constantly on the run kept your athletic body in top form, and when you could you would still practice some of those same exercises you were taught in your younger years to keep your body flexible and your muscles maintained
>Despite all that, you were very eager to resume a much more important training
>Throwing on and zipping up your leather jacket, you walked off the landing pad and carefully maneuvered yourself over the various walkways until you reached an elevator system which dropped you down about a few hundred stories
>Stepping out of the elevator shaft, you walked a few more miles until you reached the slum you were looking for
>Nestled between various skyscrapers laid a massive neighborhood composed almost entirely of giant cargo crates stacked on top of one another, linked together by a series of rickety catwalks
>These cargo crates served as the homes for the various urban poor that lived around here, and was a place dominated by poverty and disease
>It wasn’t a welcoming place by any means, and in some ways the area even reminded you of what a prison’s cell block might look like, but you weren’t too afraid
>This hadn’t been the first time you had to find your way through a seedy slum, and you were sure it wasn’t going to be the last time either
>Not long after you began to walk through this neighborhood, someone caught your attention
>”Hey you!  The Twi'lek in the black leather.”
>You twisted about, a hand grasping the blaster pistol hanging from your belt, as you faced two men about a dozen yards away
>A tall and broad shouldered Nautolan male with purple skin and a ragged coat beckoned to you as he leaned against a crate while a burly Aqualish stared you down as he sat on a metal barrel


>Narrowing your eyes at them, you slowly approached the pair with a hand idly hovering over your blaster
“What do you want?”
>The Nautolan grinned at you as you approached
>Now that you were a little closer, you could see that both him and the Aqualish had blaster pistols of their own holstered on their belts
>Your eyes darted across the area and quickly scanned the street to make sure that there wasn’t anyone else hiding in the shadows
>”I’ve been watching you girl.  This is the fourth time I’ve seen you pass by our street corner.”
>The Nautolan chuckled at you as he stood tall and dropped one hand near his blaster whilst gesturing you with his other hand
>”You don’t look like you’re from around here, but that does look like a very pretty blaster you got there.  You aren’t a bounty hunter are you?”
>Standing a good ten steps away from him, you met his slimy smile with a dark scowl
“Sure… you could say that.  I’m looking for someone…”
>”Yeah, well we know just about everyone who lives in these parts, maybe for a few credits we could point you in the right direction?”
>Your scowl faltered for a brief moment into a frown
“I… only have a few credits, and they’re Imperial.”
>The Nautolan’s smile faded as he stared you down
>“Then I suppose I can’t help you.”
“Wait!  I could really use a hand right now.  Have you seen a woman with—“
>”Nope!  Can’t say I have.”
>The Nautolan’s smile returned as he turned to his Aqualish friend
>”Have you?”
>You couldn’t understand the Aqualish, but you could tell that he was laughing as he banged his clawed fist against the barrel he was sitting on
>”Well there you have it.”
>Your shoulders sagged as you sighed at the two of them


“Look, I’m desperate.  I really need to find this lady.  Can we work out a deal?”
>The Nautolan gave you a blank stare as the Aqualish raised a hand over his mouth and barked in his native tongue into his friend’s ear
>”Ohhhhh…”
>His smile unnerved you as his black lidless eyes uncomfortably examined your body
>Your body recoiled in disgust as he strode over up to you
>”Now that I think about it, maybe we can work something out…”
>Looming tall over you, the Nautolan grinned as you glared back at him
“I don’t think so.”
>”I thought you said you were DESPERATE!“
>His hand shot out in an attempt to grapple you by your lekku, a strike that you saw coming
>Sidestepping his clumsy reach, your own hand bolted up and grabbed him by his wrist
>He cried out in pain as you twisted his arm and used his own bodyweight against him, tossing him over you onto the hard metal ground
>”GAH!"
>Whipping out your DL-44, you leveled your blaster on the Aqualish before he had a chance to brandish his own pistol
>Quickly pressing your boot down on the Nautolan’s throat, you muttered down at him through gritted teeth
“I don’t like to be touched.”
>”ACK!  Crazy—URK!”
>His mouth hung open as you increased the pressure on his throat and aimed your blaster at his face
>He sputtered in fear as you lowered your blaster at him, only to quickly aim it back up at the Aqualish as he hopped off his crate
>Suddenly, the Aqualish began to yell out at you as he teetered closer
“What’s he saying?”
>”URK!  What the Hell are you talking about?  Her tattoos?  What about her…?”
>Your fierce expression fell as he mentioned your tattoos
>”b-Black Sun!?”


>If the two men weren’t scared of you already, then they became absolutely terrified when they recognized the markings all over your face and body
>Even here on Nar Shadaa, where the Hutts ruled supreme, the galactic criminal cartel known as Black Sun was feared
>Few people who weren’t actually part of the organization realized the true depths of it’s wealth and power, but in places like this where crime was a part of every day life numerous rumors abounded surrounding the crime syndicate
>As the two men led you through the slum, you chose to remain quiet about your relationship with Black Sun
>You tried not to think about that part of your past so much, and it was definitely not something you were fond of talking about
>Besides, they would’ve likely gotten confused if you tried to tell them that you just left Black Sun
>One of the more popular rumors about the organization was more or less true
>Nobody can just ‘leave’ Black Sun
>”Right up there.”
>The Nautolan pointed up to a large cargo crate that sat atop another one, with various metal boxes stacked up on top of one another to provide an uneven staircase to its entrance
“You’re sure she’s there?”
>”It’s the only person we can think of that looks like her.”
>You smiled as you looked up at the crate
>There was this strange feeling you had when you stared up at it, almost like it was the Force trying to tell you something
>It had to be her
>”So yeah…”
>The Nautolan placed his hand over your shoulder and grinned
>”No hard feelings right?”
>You shot him a nasty glare that caused him and his buddy to recoil in fear
>”Sorry!  n-No touching, very sorry-er ma’am.”
>The two of them slowly backed away some more as you began to carefully walk up the steps

>When you neared the top of the steps, you noticed that the door to the large crate was left open a crack, and that there appeared to be smoke seeping out from inside
>Standing in front of the door, you started to consider exactly how you should go about introducing yourself
>With a fist raised up, you prepared to knock at the door only for it to suddenly open itself up
>Directly in front of you stood a human, or near-human, woman wearing a black cowl that obscured her face
“uh h-hello?”
>She raised her head and stared at you with pensive silver eyes that were surrounded by a pattern of black tattoos that stretched over her face
>Her long snow white hair complemented her pale white skin, giving her the appearance of a ghost
>Or perhaps a witch would be more accurate, although despite her intimidating appearance she was not necessarily ugly by any means
“My name is Suns—"
>”Come inside little runaway, there is much that we need to discuss today.”
>She stepped aside and raised a hand to welcome you in
>Taking a few steps forward, you took in her home as she closed the door to just a crack once more
>It was rather tight living quarters for more than just one person, though it looked very lived in
>A large brown carpet covered most of the floor, various bones and odd looking feathers adorned the walls
>In the center of the room sat a small cauldron that bubbled above a makeshift flame
“How did you know I was…”
>You stopped yourself and began to chuckle
“Well I guess that’s a stupid question.  You people just kind of know these things.”
>She raised an eyebrow at you and failed to return your laughter as she took a seat on a pillow near her cauldron
>Beckoning toward a pillow opposite her, you awkwardly walked forward and sat down


>The two of you remained silent as she picked up a bowl and filled it with the the bubbling liquid in the cauldron before offering it to you
“um, thanks.”
>You grabbed the bowl and stared at the steaming brown liquid
>After you saw her fix herself a bowl and drink out of it, you felt secure enough to taste it yourself
>It was some kind of soup, although what kind you did not know or care to ask
>Drinking a little bit more of it, you soon placed it down on the ground by your feet and spoke up to her
“I’ve been looking for you for a while now Zecora.  Master Zecora…”
>Placing her own bowl on the ground as well, she stared at you with a curious expression
“A few years ago, I started to learn the ways of the Force underneath an incredible Jedi Master named Luna.  I only knew her for a short time before she…”
>You fumbled with your words, as you were unable to exactly figure out what had happened to her
>She wasn’t really dead, but…
“I’ve been searching since then for someone like her.  A Jedi that could help me continue my training.  I came here to ask if—“
>”I am so sorry friend, but my time as a Jedi already came to an end.”
>You stared at her confusedly as she sagged her shoulders
“What do you mean?  Aren’t you a Jedi?”
>”I was a Jedi in a different time, when being so wasn’t a crime.  I turned my back on the Jedi ways, and now I simply seek to live out my last days.”
“But I need your help!  The galaxy needs your help!   The Jedi are the only ones who can stand up to the Empire right now.  If we don’t stop the Emperor then—“
>”I fear it is far too late, the Jedi cannot set the galaxy straight.  Far too few Jedi remain,  and those who do are no longer the same.”
>You furrowed your brow at her she stared down at her bowl with a frown
“What do you mean?”
>She sighed as she waved a hand over her steaming bowl
>”The Dark Side has become stronger than the Light, far too powerful for us to fight.”

“I don’t— I CAN’T believe that!”
>You stood up tall and shook your fist as you stared down at her
“I’ve seen what the Light Side of the Force can do.  The Dark Side may be strong, but so are we!”
>Zecora absently stroked her white hair as she continued to stare downwards
“There’s so much more I need to learn, and so much that needs to be done.  Every day the Empire is making life Hell for countless people.  I want to be able to make a difference."
>She remained silent as you went on
“Please… if we don’t do something, then who—“
>”There are still others who possess the will to fight, warriors who would gladly die for what is right.  Many Jedi still resist, perhaps there is another way I can assist.”
>Zecora stood up and walked over to a sack near her bedroll
>You watched her intently as she rummaged through her belongings before taking a small dish out and sitting back down with it
>Placing the metal dish on the ground in between the two of you, it suddenly sprang to life and revealed a blue hologram of a man
>He looked to be a Zabrak, a very tall one who was displayed without a shirt, revealing much of his muscular body
>You had never quite seen a Zabrak like this one before, as this one appeared to have a dark blue skin color with various black tribal markings all over his body
>Additionally, his cranial horns also appeared somewhat sharper than what you imagined was normal
>Overall, he had a pretty fierce appearance, and you noticed finally that he wore a very confident grin
>”A distant kinsman of mine, who the Empire has yet to find.  A great teacher he may be, search for him on Dathomir and you will see.”
“This man is a Jedi?”
>Zecora nodded her head
“Who is he, and what’s he like?”
>”The Jedi you seek is named Iron Will, few can deny his martial skill.  He is a boisterous man with an arrogant pride, but he is devoted to the Light Side.”

>That struck you as a pretty odd description for a Jedi
>All you really had to go off of for what the Jedi were like, aside from the legends you heard as a child and what you heard about during the Clone Wars, came from Luna
>Nothing Luna had taught you about the Jedi  made it seem like they were supposed to be proud, arrogant, or boisterous
>Still, Zecora seems to put a lot of faith in this man, and he certainly looks impressive
“So, he’s on Dathomir?  I think I’ve heard of it…”
>”Dathomir lies in a remote part of the Galaxy, the ignorant think it a place of barbarity.  The Dark Side of the Force is strong there, and its people have suffered greatly from warfare.”
>While you were desperate to resume your training, the more Zecora went on about this the more daunting it all seemed
>Not only was this Iron Will sound a little off for a Jedi, but he was apparently staying on a pretty hostile world
>Still, you knew better than pretty much anyone else just how deceiving looks could be, and you certainly weren’t about to give up now
>Only one last question remained
“Do you really think he’d teach me?”
>Zecora chuckled as she deactivated the holographic device and handed it to you
>”It may take time for him to come around, but if you are persistent then I am sure you two will find common ground.”
>Glancing over the device, you were able to get it to display the picture of Iron Will again, as well as a picture of what you could only assume was the planet Dathomir
>A quick once over of the planet revealed that it was a vibrant world covered mostly in forests, swamps, and mountains
>Only a few small parts of the planet were marked as being populated, with nearly 90% of the world being left largely unexplored
>You figured that this would either make Iron Will very easy or very hard to find
>Smiling at her, you pocketed the device in your coat as you thanked her


“This means a lot to me.  If there’s anything I could do to—“
>A loud blast resounded outside as a familiar cruel laugh echoed up to you
>Standing up, you saddled your body up against the door and stared out through the crack in the doorway
>”Hey Sunny!  Guess who’s back!”
>Your eyes widened as you stared outside and saw a crowd of thugs standing in the middle of the street
>In front of the group stood a large red skinned reptilian man with razor sharp needle-like teeth
>He wore a suit of black leathery armor and carried a big sharp dagger as well as a large blaster pistol on his belt
“Garble…"
>Beside him stood what you recognized as an IG 86 Sentinel Droid with the Black Sun symbol emblazoned on its chasis, much like how you had it tattooed on your abdomen
>The droid’s cylindrical head twirled about as two blaster rifles rested in his metallic grip
>Also amongst this crew stood a burly Gamorrean with a large battle axe and a leather helmet who stared up at the crate with a dull expression
>Next to him stood a pair of Rodian twins who carried blaster pistols and wore matching dusters
>Hanging toward the back was a bald human man who wore a black eyepatch and carried what looked like a jury rigged shotgun
>Beside him was a human woman with short blonde hair cut military style whose eyes were covered by a black visored headset
>She hefted a large sniper rifle as she grinned up at you
>Garble took a step forward as he flipped his dagger in the air and chuckled loudly
>”Long time no see!”
>Taking out your blaster pistol, you glower down at the Barabel and snidely yell back
“I told you to never come after me again!”
>He snorted up at you
>”And you know what?  After what happened last time, I actually considered calling it quits.  Then I heard the bounty on your head was DOUBLED!  Our boss misses you that much!"
>Unzipping your coat pocket, you brandished a spherical thermal detonator
>”Dead or alive, you’re coming with me!"


>Vinyl took off her glasses and rubbed her lenses clean with her jacket
>“If you ever meet a Jedi by the name of Octavia, you think you can tell her Vinyl wishes her well and all?”
>For the first time since you met her, Vinyl seemed to look a little less lively as she spoke to you
“Octavia?”
>”Yeah, Octavia Melody.”
“Well, I don’t really know many Jedi…”
>and you weren’t even sure if she could still be alive
“…but if I see her, I’ll let her know.”
>She perked up as she slapped her hand against your shoulder
>”Thanks Sunset.”
>Nodding your head at her, you walked over to your swoop bike and hopped on
>”Yo, may the Force be with you!”
“Ha!  May the Force be with you."
>Waving her goodbye, you zoomed off on your swoop bike
>Another ten minutes fly by as you reach the landing pad where your ship lies
>Your rusty old Z95 sits there as if it was waiting for you to come back
>Popping open the cockpit, you recline in your seat as you fire up the engine and lift off the ground
>You’re flying up through the atmosphere before you know it as the stars become visible once again
“Alright Sunset…"
>Reaching into your jacket, you pull out a disc and stare at the hologram of the peculiar looking Zabrak Iron Will
>The image of him appears to be staring intently at you as you toggle past it and bring up the hologram of the planet Dathomir
>Dropping the disc beside your controls, you punch in Dathomir’s coordinates
“Here we go again.”
>A few moments later, everything around you becomes awash in a brilliant blue light as you jump to Hyperspace


>Be Anonymous
>A slight dampness begins to coat your hair, causing you to look up and see that snow has begun to fall
>As you exit out of this courtyard into the Hanger bay, you spot a sleek swoop bike waiting for you
>Hopping aboard and kicking the engine into gear, you zoom outside onto a lonely mountain path
>The road begins to snake along a chain of mountains as you descend away from the looming fortress
>After about half an hour of traveling, you spot smoke rising in the distance
>Several minutes later, the city pops into view
>It’s a relatively average sized city of a few million people, populated mostly by miners and a garrison of imperial soldiers, notable really only for its close proximity to the Citadel Inquisitorius
>The snow is beginning to intensify as you ride into the urban sprawl
>Your cloak, while keeping you somewhat warm, is not ideally suited to protecting you from this harsh cold
>Still, you refuse to let the elements slow you down as you park your swoop bike in front of a gray metal building
>Stomping over to the entrance, a rush of relieving heat hits you as you walk into the crowded cantina
>”Someone close that damn door!”
>You chuckle under your hood, the door automatically slamming shut behind you
>Passing by multiple bar patrons, you approach an old bartender
>”What’ll it be?”
“Do you have Tarisian Ale?”
>The man squints his eyes and shakes his head
“Then just give me whatever’s on draught.”
>Dropping a few credits on the table, you take your filled mug and begin to scan the area
>You fail to either see or sense who you came here for
“Are you not here yet?”
>Warm lips suddenly pressed against your cheek, nearly causing you to drop your mug as a pair of blue arms wrapped around your waist
>Staring back in surprise, you looked deeply into her mocking red eyes
>”Just wanted to surprise you.”
>You smile and return her embrace, putting your drink aside to bask in her touch
“Hello Midnight.”

>Taking a seat together in the far back, away from the prying eyes and ears of the other bar patrons, you take a closer look at her after being separated for so long
>She wears the same black cowl that she has often donned whenever you’ve convinced her to venture into public with you
>Beneath the dark hood lies glowing eyes that to most people appeared quite ominous, but to you were beautiful
>You had often told her that her eyes reminded you of dying suns, a compliment that had rarely failed to make her blush
>She saddled up close to you, spreading warmth throughout your body and dispelling the harsh chill that had fallen over you on the journey here
>Placing one arm over her shoulders while reaching out to your drink with the other, you are very content to sit in silence with her for some time
>A small respite from the lives of constant bloodshed and intrigue that you are both normally more than happy to pursue
>Here in this grimy back alley tavern, you and Midnight can act and speak freely in ways you both dream of one day doing openly
>It’s a time that you both look forward to immensely, and a time that each of you eagerly prepare for
>So once the two of you have finally had your fill of silence and comfort, it immediately becomes time again for the two of you to focus on your ambitions
“What have you got for me?  The High Inquisitors, what did you learn in those meetings?”
>She scoffs lightly at you as she raises her head up and speaks
>”The Grand Inquisitor has become obsessed with Project Harvester.  It occupies nearly all of his attention, and several of the High Inquisitors have loyally indulged him in contributing to his operations.”
>You figured as much, the loss of so many Inquisitors those two years ago did seem to cast a long shadow over the Inquisitorius
>The Sith are ever eager to gain more followers to die for them

>”Most of the other High Inquisitors continue to focus on eradicating the last of the Jedi, though I suspect a few of them may be distracted by more… personal endeavors.”
>You raise an eyebrow at her as you lower your mug onto the table
“and does anyone suspect you of your true intentions?”
>She giggles lightly
>”They have no idea what goes on in my head.”
>You chuckle as you playfully tap a finger against her forehead
“I often wonder that myself.”
>She smirks at you as she picks up her own drink and sips it
>A few minutes later, Midnight brings up a new matter
>”I have discovered something quite interesting, a possible asset.”
“Oh?  What would that be?”
>”A moff.”
>Your eyes widen slightly at her
“Go on.”
>”His name is Moff Blueblood, and he is the governor of a sector in the Colonies that includes an industrial world tied with the military called Balmorra.”
>You slowly sipped your drink as you listened to her go on
>”He comes from a very wealthy aristocratic family, one that’s financially invested in Kuat Drive Yards.”
>The name was instantly recognizable to you
>Kuat Drive Yards was a massive corporation, responsible for engineering many of the Empire’s military projects including most of its Star Destroyer and TIE fighter programs
“And you believe this Blueblood can be useful to us?”
>She nodded her head while giving you a knowing smile
>”I have been watching him, and I have reason to believe that he is dissatisfied with his current position.  What’s more is that I have learned that the native Balmorran people are a rebellious lot.  There is a small independence movement festering on the world, and Blueblood has been lazy in quelling it.”
“Interesting…”

>Your mind raced as you listened to her go on about this peculiar Moff
>Apparently his engineers had been developing a series of battle droids, largely inspired by Separatist designs, in the hopes of supplying them to other Moffs in the Outer Rim
>However, his scientists’  designs did not prove as popular with the military as he was hoping, and for that reason he has failed to stand out amongst his peers as his precious projects drifted into obscurity
>As for the Balmorran people, their history of conflict with the New Order went back further than you anticipated
>Not only did they join the Confederacy at the start of the Clone Wars, but they had been involved in other conflicts in which their independence hung in the balance
>Having Blueblood govern such a people seemed a dangerous combination, and Midnight was quickly convincing you that you could profit from them all
“Have you met this moff yet?”
>Midnight’s grin finally falters as she looks away
>”I have merely been observing him.  I… lack the resources to approach him.”
“What do you mean?  You are a High Inquisitor, surely you could—“
>”I doubt this man is even aware that the Inquisitorius exists, and even with the power I possess I don’t want to risk approaching him just yet.”
>You quietly mulled over her words for a few moments before she went on
>”We must continue to build up our forces and prepare.  It could take years before we are ready to stand against the Emperor and Lord Vader."
>Downing a sizable amount of your drink, a scowl develops on your face
“I grow tired of waiting.  It won’t be long before we become Sith as well.  When that happens, we will be able to challenge them.”
>Midnight rolls her eyes at you
>”We both know it won’t be that easy.”
>You crack your knuckles as you scowl in silence
>Suddenly, her hand gently cups your cheek and she forces you to look into her alluring eyes


>”It has been only two years since we began to walk this path together, surely you could wait but a few more.”
“… I suppose.”
>Her smile widened as you began to see the reasoning behind her words
>Your passion for battle, and your willingness to commit nearly any deed to achieve victory, was perhaps your greatest strength
>However, it also caused  you to act recklessly at times such as when you first tried to take your masters’ lives
>You learned greatly from your failure, and had thus gone a long way to reigning yourself in
>Your emotions were still as strong as ever, though now you were able to control them better
>Even so, you longed desperately for the day in which you could openly proclaim your freedom and show your might
>You longed to become Sith, and to conquer and rule by Midnight’s side
>In her you could confide nearly everything, for neither of you ever hesitated to point out and correct each other’s mistakes
>Such as it was right now, when her patience and foresight was able to temper your ambition
>”Once all is ready, not only will we slay our masters and be free.  We will also have our own empire.”
>A dark grin appeared on your face, one that was every bit the equal of Midnight’s own mad smile, as you imagined the future the two of you strove towards
>”Imagine it Anon.  You at the head of your own army, entire star systems crushed beneath your boot.  Entire worlds within your iron grip."
“Yes… Yeeeeeeeesssssssssss…"
>”We will rule together, it is only a matter of time…”
“It will be glorious."



>The mug you are holding begins to shake within your excited grasp
“What else do we need before we are completely ready to strike?”
>“Soldiers, money, slaves—"
”We have all these things.”
>”Not nearly enough, and there is one thing above all else that we need.  Neither of us will have much of a chance against the Emperor and Lord Vader unless we complete our training.  Only another Sith Lord can defeat them.”
>Laying your drink aside, you chuckle at her
“That’s not entirely true.  I think many things could kill a Sith Lord, like a Jedi perhaps…”
>As the two of you sat together, your memories of Her slowly returned
>Sensing Midnight’s own feelings, you could tell that she was thinking of Her as well
“Have you found any trace at all of her?”
>She leans against the table with a fist planted against her cheek
>”I was hoping you would have found something by now.  Could it be that—"
“No.  If she had died, then we would have felt it.  She’s out there, we just have to keep looking.”
>Midnight chuckled as she lazily looked up at you
>”Maybe she’ll find us one day…”
>Smiling back at her, you lingered on your memories of your old friend for a few more moments
>It was uplifting to know that she was still out there opposing the Empire, as if your goals and hers were actually one in the same
>”You miss her quite a lot.”
“Yes, and I only knew her for a very short time.  What about you?”
>She sighed
>”I have yet to meet another person quite like my first master."
>While you fantasize about this, you begin to sense a subtle change in Midnight’s demeanor
>When you look at her, you see that her contented smile has yet to change, and yet…
>”We may have to kill Celestia, you know that right?”
>Raising your mug, you down the rest of your ale and slam the empty mug onto the table as you smile back
“It would be a battle unlike any other."


>A few minutes pass until Midnight finishes her own drink
>Feeling cheerful, you stand up and leave her side for a moment to get your glasses refilled
>However, when you return to your booth and place your drinks onto the table you notice a change in her demeanor
>She stares at you with a rather serious, almost analytical gaze
“Is something the matter?”
>She cups her chin and narrows her eyes at you
>”We need to talk about what happened the other day.”
>Your smile crumbles away as you look down into your drink
>”The duel between Big Mac and Rainbow Dash, you are aware that—“
“Yes.  I am fully aware of what was really happening…"
>The glass in your hand shook as you tightened your grip
“Our ‘Grand’ Inquisitor is willing to throw away other Inquisitors’ lives just to get a second shot at me.  The coward…”
>”It nearly worked too, didn’t it?”
>Midnight stared at you intensely as you nodded your head
>”Why did it make you so upset?  Either Rainbow or Big Mac would have killed you in a heartbeat if it suited them.”
“I don’t care about them.  It was… Applebloom.”
>”Who?”
>You sigh as you swish your glass about
“The youngest of the Apple siblings, Big Mac’s sister.  She’s the reason I nearly lost my temper that day.”
>Midnight scanned you closely
>”What is she to you?”
>You sat in silence as you considered her question carefully
“I always noticed Applebloom hiding beside her older siblings.  She always seemed to be in their shadow…”
>Thinking back to when you last saw her, it still floored you how much she had grown in the past few years
“I suppose I took pity on her, and became a little obsessed with seeing her grow stronger.  Perhaps I thought she could have been useful to me at some point as well.  I spoke with her as often as I could and offered her advice and encouragement.  It’s only now I realize that… that I—“
>”Have feelings for her?”
“Yes… I suppose I do.”


>”So what are you going to do about this?”
>You remained silent and avoided her gaze
>Midnight scowled at you as she impatiently tapped her fingers against the table
>”Your soft spot for this girl is a weakness to be exploited.  The next time the Grand Inquisitor makes an attempt against your life, he will involve Applebloom.  I am sure of it.”
>Your fist begins to shake as you imagined Applebloom being drawn further into this pointless intrigue
“If I could simply kill the Grand Inquisitor, then—”
>”You would invite the wrath of the Sith Lords and become an enemy of the Empire.  Killing the Grand Inquisitor right now is not an option.”
“I could do it covertly?  Pin blame against someone else?”
>”You could not possibly take such a risk!"
>She sighs, likely irritated that you had not yet figured out the solution she had in mind
>In truth you had a strong feeling you knew where she was going with this
>”Sever your ties with Applebloom, and let go of your feelings for her.  Then the Grand Inquisitor will lose his leverage against you.”
>You scoff at her
“It is not that easy.”
>”It should be.  What is her life worth compared to your own, or to mine for that matter?  What is the life of any one person, compared to the dream we share?”
>Her words made perfect sense
>And yet, there was something about it all that you found very wrong
“Do you know what the Emperor first said to me when he made me turn to the Dark Side?”
>She did not venture an answer as she stared at you coolly
“He said that by embracing the Dark Side, I would have the power to protect the ones I love and destroy the ones I hate.”
>”He would say anything to get what he wants.”
“Perhaps he was merely saying what I wanted to hear, but if I have learned anything these past several years it is that he spoke the truth then.   Surely you must feel the same way?”
>She remained silent
>Her frustration was growing, as was yours


>The two of you stare one another down, neither of you relenting on your stances
>She was beginning to look quite fierce, though you showed no fear at all as you glowered back at her
>”Anonymous…”
“Yes?”
>”If you die for this girl, everything we have done will have been meaningless.”
>You scoff at her as you turn away
>Could she not see things as you did?
“If I died, you could simply find a new partner.  Someone else can—”
>Her hand tightly grappled onto your arm, cutting you off as you turned back to her
>Your face fell as you beheld the look of fear she showed you
>She appeared to be on the verge of tears as she held onto you and trembled
>”i-I could never… ”
>Your jaw fell as a tear streamed down her cheek
>”I could never replace you… I can’t lose you."
>Turning toward her, you wrapped your arms around her as if you refused to ever let go
>In but a moment, your anger and hate was all redirected upon yourself
“Forgive me.”
>You could hear her struggle to hold back tears as you held her in your grasp
“I will not die, I swear it."
>Bolstered by her tearful sobs, your determination to live and fight was stronger than ever
>”i-If you do I—“
“I won’t.”
>Cupping a hand under her chin, you forced her to look up into your eyes as you softly whispered to her
“I would kill anyone, win any battle, do anything… just to live with you."
>Pressing your lips against hers, the two of you locked together as one
>She was the source of your Passion, your pillar of Strength
>Midnight brought you the Power you needed to grasp Victory
>With her by your side, the Force would set you Free


>Several days passed since you last saw Midnight, and the Citadel began to feel more and more like a prison as time went on
>As soon as you received your next assignment, you could speak and move freely once more
>You could spend time training with Midnight under the old Sith Spirits, or you could continue your search for Master Celestia
>Perhaps you could even attempt to find an asset of some kind as Midnight had, some way of furthering your ultimate goal of overthrowing your current masters
>Until you had a reason to leave Prakith, you felt as if you were nothing more than a closely watched prisoner here
>One day, the order finally came to meet the Grand Inquisitor and be offered an assignment
>It was like being given a chance at escape, though you knew that it was almost certainly a trap
>You maneuvered around the Inquisitor’s schemes once already, now the question was if you could do it again
>Marching into his solemn chambers, you stared at the tall gaunt figure of the Inquisitor as he stood menacingly in the shadows
>He offered you no smile or greeting as he loomed over you in the distance, much like a predator sizing up his possible prey
“Who is my target this time?  Supply me with a dossier so I can prepare to leave.”
>The Inquisitor stepped forward, his sharp teeth glistening in the light as he grinned at you
>He raised a bony hand toward his Holoterminal
>”Examine it at your leisure.  When you are finished you may address me.”
>Turning away from him, you walked up to the large circular machine
>It sprung to life, as if of its own accord
>”Take all the time you need.”
>Your eyes widened slightly as the holo-image of a tall muscular man adorned with black tribal tattoos who appeared to wear a spiked crown
>Upon closer inspection, you realized his crown was actually cranial horns
>After glancing over his appearance a bit longer, you brought up a few paragraphs of information on the man
“His name is… Iron Will?”

>At first you thought he was a Zabrak, but apparently you weren’t quite right
>Iron Will was a member of a subspecies of the Zabrak people, something called a Dathomirian
“Dathomir?  What is that?…”
>You scrolled through the data logs until you pulled up a picture and a large amount of information on Dathomir
>It was a distant world in the Outer Rim, a planet sparsely inhabited by people but filled with wilderness
>The world was known of for a long time, and yet very little of the planet was mapped out and explored
>You could tell something was off about this place
>As you read on, you learned that the world was heavily steeped in the Force, specifically the power of the Dark Side
>This caught your attention immediately, and as you learned more about this planet you began to discover a few very intriguing things about its past
>At one point, over a thousand years ago, the Sith had an academy of sorts on Dathomir where many were trained in the ways of the Dark Side
>The Jedi had apparently destroyed this place long ago but despite that the planet remained steeped within the Dark Side
>If these logs were to be believed then it would appear that this place’s relationship with the Dark Side of the Force predated even the Sith’s arrival on the world
>Suddenly, the term Nightsister began to pop up again and again, although there was little information on what they were
>All it had to offer you was that the Nightsisters were a tribe of Near-human women that worshipped the Dark Side and commanded strange Force Powers
>When you attempted to research them further, you learned that they had all died rather recently under mysterious circumstances
>The information on them ended there, although there was mention of a different people
>A tribe of men who were descended from Zabrak colonists, these Nightbrothers still lived on Dathomir after the destruction of the Nightsisters
>It was from these tribes, that Iron Will was descended from

>”Very interesting, don’t you think?”
>You looked up from the holoterminal to see the Grand Inquisitor standing on the other side of it
>Staring him down, you wondered what game he was trying to play with you
“Yes, I’m surprised the Empire doesn’t have a greater presence there.  I would think that our masters would be interested in such a place.”
>”I would as well, although the Emperor seems to hold Dathomir in low regard.  I can only question why?”
>That was certainly not a satisfactory answer
>You pointed at a small stretch of land on one of the larger continents on the holo image of the planet, a place somewhat near the coastline of a vast ocean
“This area here, this is where the majority of Dathomir’s people are?  Is Iron Will here?”
>”I presume.”
>Scowling at the map, you began to speed through various mounds of data in search of an answer
>According to what information you could glean from a glance, Iron Will was a fantastic combatant
>Skiled in all known saber styles, he heavily favored Form V for it complemented his own incredible strength and agility
>Iron Will was also noted as being a skilled survivalist, having fought in the Clone Wars on some of the most dangerous and hostile worlds in the galaxy
>Given his skill in battle, and how comfortable he was in the most savage of wilderness, it seemed clear that he could survive well enough just about anywhere on Dathomir
>Roughly 90% of the planet was unexplored
>Only a small amount of land on Dathomir was actually inhabited
>Nearly the entire world was covered in forests and swamps and mountains filled with brutal beasts
>Dathomir was roughly the size of Coruscant
“He could be anywhere…"
>It could take months to find him… maybe even years
>You smiled at the Grand Inquisitor in the belief that you had uncovered his ploy

>The Grand Inquisitor could not kill you, so he was going to send you away on the longest mission he could find just to remove you from his sight
“This Iron Will sounds like a fantastic opponent, one I would love to battle against… but I personally think there are far better choices than myself for this mission.”
>”I agree.”
>Your smile fell
>”This is why I am sending someone else to take care of Iron Will.  Someone who, like him, is trained in Form V and who has been noted to have the strong survival skills needed to hunt him down on such an untamed world”
>It suddenly became clear that Midnight was right all along
>”Applebloom will be sent on this mission.”
>Glaring him down, you held back the anger in your voice as best you could
“Why would you send an Apprentice Inquisitor to hunt down a Jedi Knight on a world like Dathomir al—“
>Your words trailed away as another realization hit you
>On your very first mission, when you yourself were only an Apprentice Inquisitor, Midnight Sparkle was assigned to closely watch over you
>”Anonymous, I am aware that the two of you have a history of sorts together.  So if you are willing and able, I would like for you to accompany Applebloom to Dathomir as she carries out her mission.”
>This was very bad
>The assignment that lied before you was almost certainly going to be a lengthy one, but if you were assigned with another person during this mission then that means you couldn’t pursue your own personal goals as easily
>He wasn’t just trying to send you away, he was trying to weigh you down with baggage

“Grand Inquisitor, I would like to remind you that Applebloom has an older sister who is also an accomplished Inquisitor.  Why would you send me to accompany her if—“
>”If I sent Applejack, she would take too active a role in the hunt.  She would perform most of the hard work and make things too easy for Applebloom.  You on the other hand would almost certainly be a more stern guide.”
>The Grand Inquisitor’s insidious grin sickened you
>”No, I think there is no one else more fit for this assignment than you.”
>When you opened your mouth to protest, the doors behind you suddenly opened up
>”Ah, come in Applebloom.  We were just discussing you.”
>Your heart nearly stopped as you slowly turned about and faced her
>Applebloom stepped into the chamber, dressed in her usual attire
>A tight fitting black tunic, a simple brass lightsaber sticking out of her waist belt, her red hair stretching just passed her shoulders
>As she approached, you immediately noticed that beneath her long red hair laid a fresh black eye, as if she was just assaulted no more than an hour ago
>She somewhat nervously stole a glance at you before kneeling down in front of the Grand Inquisitor
>”Greetings Sir.”
>”Applebloom, how old are you?”
>”Sixteen years old, Sir.”
>”And how old were you when you first began your training?”
>Ah was… no more than eleven years old.”
>”Five years then.  In those five years, how many Jedi have you slain?”
>Applebloom opened her mouth to speak only for no words to come out
>She fumbled with her words for a moment before quickly regaining her strength and speaking up slightly louder than before
>”a-Ah haven’t ever fought a Jedi, Sir.”
>Your eyes widened as you watched this scene unfold before you
>This meeting between Applebloom and the Inquisitor mirrored that of the meeting you had with him before he sent you against Luna
>Just like you were, Applebloom was being sent out on a mission she was not ready for


>”That is a terrible shame.  One who has served the Inquisitorius for so long as merely an Apprentice… wouldn’t you like a chance to finally take the fight against the Jedi after training for so long?”
>Applebloom remained silent, her eyes staring intensely at the ground as she avoided the Grand Inquisitor’s leer
>After a short but intense pause, she nodded her head
>He gestured toward the Holoterminal as he pressed a button and brought back the image of Iron Will
>”Applebloom, THIS is a Jedi Knight.  It is your sacred duty to either kill or capture this man.  Do this, and you will become a full fledged Inquisitor, just like your sister is and your brother was…”
>Her body shuddered slightly at the mention of Big Mac
>Taking a deep breathe, she stood up tall and met his stare with a determined glare
>”It will be done.”
>”Excellent.”
>Your skin crawled as he uttered his delight
>”You will be sent out to a distant world in the Outer Rim called Dathomir.  It is a dangerous place filled with terrifying monsters and uncharted lands.  I trust you will be able to handle this locale.”
>She vigorously nodded her head without a second thought
>”Sir yes Sir.”
>The silence that fell upon the Inquisitor’s chambers was deafening
>In that span of time, she stole another quick glance at you
>Your fists shook as you held back your rage
>Perhaps Midnight was correct, it would be far safer to try to let go of your feelings for her
>Simply let her go to Dathomir without you, and let whatever fate laid in store for her happen
>Otherwise, you would be consigned to this Hellish world with her for a long time
>While you considered this, you absently gaze over to her as well
>You met her gaze for a brief few seconds, and you immediately recognized the fear hiding behind her eyes
>”Will… will ah be going alone, Sir?"
>”That depends on your comrade here.”
>Your hand nearly hovered over your saber as the Inquisitor gestured to you
>”a-Anon?”

“I will accompany you to Dathomir.”
>The words echo out of you as you coldly stare at her
>”y-You will?”
“Yes… I will.”
>The Inquisitor strolled up to your side as he smugly grinned down at Applebloom
>”Anonymous is an experienced Inquisitor who has valiantly slain many Jedi in the past few years. He will oversee your hunt and be there to offer you advice. Should you fail to defeat Iron Will, then Anonymous will certainly avenge you.”
>Applebloom looked away with downcast eyes as you stared intently at her
>”Here.”
>The Inquisitor ejected a data pad from the holo-terminal and handed it to her
>”This will contain everything you need to know about the Jedi you are hunting, and the world he is hiding on. In three days you will be provided a shuttle and the two of you will be sent out. Do you understand?”
>Applebloom wordlessly nodded her head
>”Then you are dismissed.”
>With that, Applebloom slowly rose to her feet and took one last short glance into your piercing eyes before leaving
>You watched her closely with each step she took, until she disappeared from the chamber
>Never had you imagined that you would feel such compassion for her, for it felt as if your heart was about to explode
>Then you felt the Inquisitor's hand fall over your shoulder as he smirked down at you
>”She seems quite relieved. What a kind and noble heart you ha—“
>Your hand burst out like a blaster bolt and clenched his throat
>”ACK!"
>The Inquisitor recoiled in pain as your fist tightened around him
>Immense shock adorned his face, only to give way to a terrible rage
>His own fist crashed against your chest, sliding you across the floor with the power of the Force as your eyes unblinkingly glared at him
>As your hand reached for the saber on the back of your belt, his hand reached for his own strange double bladed saber
>The two of you ignited your sabers simultaneously, Sentinel’s yellow glow illuminating your side of the chamber


>The two of you stared one another down, your hatred for one another as palpable as the heat from two raging fires trying to snuff one another out
>”The Emperor was far too lenient with you.”
“Why do you hesitate?  Come closer, and show me the cruelty I deserve.”
>You neglected to offer him a salute with your saber as you strode forward
>His own sabers continued to rapidly spin, creating a deadly whirlwind in front of him
>The two of you marched toward one another until you were standing no more than five steps apart
>Neither of you flinched under each other’s withering gaze, and neither did any of you speak
>Gone was the time for words
>The Grand Inquisitor’s mouth opened wide as he revealed his fangs and roared at you whilst lunging back his whirling saber
>Your own arm shot back as you prepared to thrust Sentinel through his heart
>Then, just as it seemed that blood would be spilt, a dark presence overcame the two of you
>The Inquisitor’s eyes widened in shock as your breathe left you
>Both of you deactivated your sabers as he turned his back on you and kneeled before the holoterminal
>As you affixed Sentinel to your belt, you watched as a malevolent dark giant appeared before the Grand Inquisitor
>The black figure looked down menacingly on him as he loudly breathed out of his mask
“Lord Vader…”
>”What is thy bidding my master?”
>”There has been a disturbance in the Force, one that requires our immediate attention.”
>”Where am I needed?”
>It was hard to tell with his mask, but for a moment it seemed as if his gaze was focused on you
>”You will meet me at the Emperor’s Palace on Byss to discuss a new threat posed by the Jedi.  Leave at once.”
>”It will be done my Lord.”


>The holoimage dissipated as the Inquisitor rose to his feet
>Walking past you, your eyes briefly narrowed on each other once more as he marched past you out of his chamber
>Sighing, you idled away a minute in deep thought
“Did Lord Vader… somehow know what we were about to do?  Bah!”
>You exited the Grand Inquisitor’s chambers in a foul mood
>Stomping away down the hall, you nearly missed sight of a small figure sitting aside in a small alcove
>Glancing to the side, you saw Applebloom staring out at the snowy mountains of Prakith before turning to face you
>She appeared much less nervous, but there was now something about her that appeared distinctly sorrowful
“Who did that to your eye?”
>Her good eye widened as she reached up and touched her injured one
>”I had a fight with Scootaloo…”
“Scootaloo?”
>You instantly realized that this must’ve been the Twi’lek girl you saw earlier, the one who adored Rainbow Dash
“I see…"
>”h-Hey Anon, about what happened in there… you don’t have to—"
“I want you to read every last bit of information on Iron Will, Dathomir, and everything else you can find that seems important in that data pad of yours before you fall asleep tonight.  Then when you wake up the next morning, I want you to immediately read through it again.”
>She looked slightly taken aback
>”a-Alrighty then, If you think I should.”
“I insist.”
>With that, you turned your back on her and continued to march down the hallway
>"Anon wait!”
“What is it?”
>Apparently your response came out a bit more curtly than you intended as recoiled from you
>”Ah just wanted to say thanks is all."
>You sigh once more and turn your back on her as you walk away
“What the Hell have I gotten myself into?"


>The roar of turbo laser fire and the screams of men and women echoes overhead as you stumble into the dark and abandoned city street
>Peering out through the T-visor of your helmet, you spy several ragged corpses lying across the ground
>You grip your blaster rifle tightly as you run forward, your eyes attempting to dart away from the dead bodies as you look up
>What you see standing at the end of the street makes you stop dead in your tracks
>A tall broad figure who wears a torn up black robe and a damaged Mandalorian Mask stares directly at you
“Big Mac?…”
>The figure stares at you silently, a single green eye watching you closely through the crack in his visor
“BIG MAC!”
>You charge forward and raise a hand out to him
>A massive quake causes you to stumble again as an ominous fog rolls through the street
>To your horror, the fog starts to roll over and obscure him
“Wait!  Don’t leave me!”
>As you take another step, a monstrous roar resounds all around you
>From out of the fog, comes a massive shambling form at least several stories tall
“w-What the… WHAT IS THAT!?”
>It walks on all fours toward you as it emits another ear piercing howl while flexing its wings
>The creature's vicious claws crush through the street, trampling corpses as it stomps toward you
>You shakily raise your rifle at the shambling monster
“STAY BACK!"
>When it comes close enough through the fog, you see that it has over a dozen different mouths, all wrenched wide open as it roars fire down upon the street in front of you
“AAAAAHHH!!!"
>Pulling back the trigger, you fire a series of bright red bolts at the monster
>To your horror, the beast ignores your attack and continues to close in on you
>Turning about, you run as fast as you can away from it
>You can feel the heat of it’s flames lapping at your back as it roars, until…


>Be Applebloom
“AHH!”
>You nearly fall out of bed as you bolt up from your sheets in a cold sweat
>With your heart beating rapidly against your chest, you slowly regain your breath and realize that the blaster rifle you had been holding is merely a pillow
>Your eyes scan the room, seeing no sign of any beast at all
>A loud banging noise almost causes you to fall out of bed again as you glance over at your chamber door
>”Open this damn door!”
>Shaking your head, you slide out of bed and walk to the other side of your cramped dark dormitory
>Slamming a fist against the terminal, the door opens up to reveal your older sister Applejack
>She scowls down at you, her hands on her hips
>”Ya have any idea what time it is?”
“n-No…”
>”It’s almost noon and yer still in bed.  You need to get yer ass ready to go.”
>You mumble an ‘OK’ at her as you nod your head
>Your eyes widen as you look down at Applejack’s waist
>She continues to wear your brother’s mask, the battered scrap of armor loosely hanging from her belt
>”After you wash up and get something to eat, ah want you to walk straight over to my room.  Understand?”
“Yeah sis… ah understand.”
>”Good.”
>Suddenly, her hand falls over your shoulder and her voice becomes uncharacteristically soft
>”Ya’ll feelin’ alright?  Ya look a little pale.”
>Silently nodding your head, you turn toward your dresser and begin to take off your underclothes
“Ahm just tired is all…”
>Your sister stares at you for a moment before stepping back and walking out of your room, the door slamming shut behind her

>It’s not as if you’ve been able to sleep very well since losing Big Mac, but last night was different
>You don’t remember ever having an nightmare like that, never one that felt so real
>All those dead bodies…. and that city, it looked a little familiar to you for some reason…
>And that monster…
“Aw blast it.”
>Tossing off your undergarments, you walk into your refresher and let the cool water wake you up
>You had to get this out of your head right here and now
>Today was the big day, pretty much the day you had been preparing for all these years
>In a few hours, a shuttle would fly you off of this barren rock and take you to a planet all the way in the Outer Rim called Dathomir
>There you would fight a Jedi for the first time, or second time you should say...
>As you consider this, you twist the nozzle to let out hotter water and simply stand there as you try to empty your mind
>After several minutes of this, you abruptly turn the refresher off, dry yourself and walk back into your room
>You affix a tight black tunic to your body, a simple but comfortable set of clothing that shows off a fair amount of muscle, and tighten your leather belt to your waist
>Then you walk to the dresser next to your bed and stare down at your lightsaber
>The long brass hilt reflects what little light that is in the room as you pick it up
>It’s a heavier saber than most, an intentional design characteristic that you chose
>You were hoping that having a heavier weapon would force you to bulk up a little like your older siblings, and the design did seem to give your strikes a little more weight to them
>Picking up the saber, you activate it
>The bloodred saber is almost too long for one of your height although it does give you a great deal of reach
>It had only taken you about a day to put it all together, but you were always quite proud of how well it came out
>Sliding the weapon into your belt, you throw on a pair of black boots and march outside

>You almost go straight to see your sister, when you realize that you couldn’t possibly leave without saying goodbye to the one friend you had left
>So making a detour across the Apprentice Inquisitor dormitories, you walk up to a chamber door and knock your fist against it
>A few seconds later a cheerful Umbaran girl opens up the door
>Despite coming from a species known for its cool and pale appearance, she always seemed to be bubbling with life
>As she was now as she opened her mouth and shouted
>”Applebloom!”
“Sweetie Belle!”
>She wraps her arms around you in a tight hug that you graciously return
>”Is it really time already?  Are you really leaving?”
“Ah’m afraid so.”
>She tightens her grasp around you as she nuzzles her face against your shoulder
>”I’m really going to miss you… how long are you going to be gone?”
“Ah dunno, hopefully it should only take a few months but ah really can’t say…”
>If you survive that is
>”Well… I know you’ll be alright.  That Iron Will guy didn’t sound too tough… I mean he’s a Jedi right?  They’re all supposed to be weak.”
“Heh, yeah…”
>You’d like to agree with her, although that one Jedi you faced two years ago who attacked the Citadel seemed to be anything BUT weak
>Whoever that was had to be an exception though, right?
>As the two of you broke your hug, Sweetie Belle began to awkwardly scratch the back of her head
>”So uh, were you going to say goodbye to Scootaloo too?”
>You sigh at her as you shake your head
“Ah’d really rather not…”
>That black eye of yours was practically gone by now, but your confrontation with her still burned brightly in your mind
>It may be cruel and selfish in a way, but you can’t deny your feelings
“It should’ve been Dash who died.”
>Sweetie Belle looked away from you and nervously mumbled a reply you couldn’t quite understand


“Well, ah guess this is goodbye then…”
>Surprising you with one last hug, you and Sweetie Belle embraced each other for the last time
>She looked to be holding back tears
>”m-May the Force be with you…”
>You smiled back at her and felt your own vision becoming misty as well
“Goodbye Sweetie Belle, may the Force be with you.”
>Leaving her side, you marched down the dark halls
>The Apprentice Inquisitor dorms lied quite a distance from the Inquisitor’s suites, so you had a little bit of a walk ahead of you
>Rounding about a corner, you saw a familiar sight ahead of you
>Standing near the edge of an alcove was an orange skinned Twi’lek girl about your own age who was identifiable by her relatively short pair of Lekku headtails and by the somewhat eager look in her eyes
>She smiled as she looked over to a blue skinned Feeorin girl sitting inside the alcove, whose muscular body was outfitted with a pair of large black robotic arms
>You stood there in shock as you beheld the sight of them, and slowly but surely your blood began to boil
>”And then I told him if he really wanted his lightsaber back, that he had to come and get…”
>Rainbow Dash’s words trailed away as she looked over to you
>Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared you down
>Scootaloo turned away from her Feeorin friend as she looked to you
>Looking back at her, you could see that she still had a small bruise of on her left lekku, leftover from the fight you two had shortly after Big Mac’s death
>Scootaloo stared at the ground for a moment, before lifting her eyes back up and giving you a glare
>Angrily glowering back at her, you proudly raised your head up high as you stomped past her and Rainbow Dash
>”Hey kid.”
>You abruptly stopped and twisted toward Rainbow as she cockily grinned your way
>”Good luck.”
>Sneering at her, you walked away at a faster pace
>You had to get out of there right now before you lost it

>Finally, you stopped before the wide black doors to your sister’s quarters
>Finding them unlocked, you stepped inside and saw her kneeling on a mat before her large windows at the mountains of Prakith
>She rose up from the floor and regarded you with her usual stern frown
>”Come ‘er”
>You followed her to the couches that lied near her lounge
>It was insane how much nicer the Inquisitor’s quarters were compared to the cells you and your friends had, but you guess you’d get similar perks once this mission was finished
>”Applebloom…”
>Your sister kept her back to you as she stood in front of her table
>You spotted Big Mac’s mask hanging from her belt again, but tried as hard as you could to ignore it
>It almost felt like she was carrying his head around
“Yeah sis?”
>”Both me and… and yer brother… the two of us were both adults when we left home.  We passed our rites when we were thirteen, and you would have too if you didn’t leave the clan at such a young age.”
>You remained silent as your sister went on
>She was speaking of the trials she and Mac undertook to show that they weren’t kids anymore, the trials that proved they were real Mandalorians
>”Well, ah figure that since you never got around to it, that this hunt is going to have to be the same thing for ya.  When you get back here you ain’t going to be a little girl anymore, you’ll be a woman.”
>You nodded your head at her
“Ah’ll kill Iron Will sis.”
>”Ah know you will… you’ll do great.  Ah just wish ah could be there to see it.”
>Bending down over the table, your sister picked up a small metal box and turned to face you with it
>”Take this.”
>Your eyes widened in shock when she opened the box

>It was a blaster pistol, but not any ordinary one
>A Westar 35, with a wooden grip and the Apple Clan symbol of three apples etched onto the barrel
>Your jaw fell as you stared at the weapon in shock
“m-Momma’s gun…”
>”It’s yers now.  She gave it to me right before ah started my rites, and now ah’m giving it to you.”
>You shakily reached for the blaster
>Its wooden pistol grip gave you a good grasp of the heavy gun as you took it out of the box and marveled at it
>Along its barrel, beside the ornate Apple clan symbol, was a quote etched in Mandalorian
‘The Force is strong, and Blood is thick'
>”Ma, and Pa, and Mac… they’d been happy to see you off too.”
“Applejack…”
>Tears streamed down your cheeks as you grappled your sister in a tight hug
>You felt a bit ashamed to act like this in front of her, but you couldn’t help it
>”Now don’t be like that Applebloom…”
>Your sister patted the top of your head as you looked up to her
>You hadn't seen your sister smile at you in a very long time
>”Today’s a happy day.  No cryin’ OK?”
>Choking back your tears, you smiled up at her and nodded your head
“ah’ll do the clan proud sis.”
>Her own muscular arms gripped you tightly as she lifted you off the ground
>You’re not sure how long it will be until you see her again, but at least you’ll know that wherever you go you’ll have an Apple Clan blaster at your side, and Apple Family blood flowing in your veins


>Be Anonymous
>Your prototype TIE Advanced tears through space as you fly past the multiple Star Destroyers in Prakith’s orbit
>Midnight’s fleet had indeed grown in the time since you last saw her, although you were positive that a fair amount of these ships had to have belonged to some of the other Inquisitors as well
>You would have liked to have gotten a destroyer of your own at some point, but you let go of any hope of that long ago after it became clear how much you and your boss hated one another
>”TIE Advaced, please send a clearance code before docking with—”
“Bravo Victor Sierra 1224.”
>There is a small bit of chatter on the other end before the technician over the com channel replies back
>”You are clear for landing sir.”
>Pulling closer, you zoom toward the Acclamator II in the distance
>Nestled  above and between a pair of Imperial class Star Destroyers, the Acclamator appeared rather unremarkable to most
>Simply one of the countless assault ships left over from the Clone Wars, although you knew better
>”Welcome back aboard the Revengeance Sir.”
>You smirked as your TIE flew into the hanger
“Good to be back.”
>Slowing your ship to a crawl, you parked your vessel directly in the middle of the hanger bay as various flight deck workers scrambled onto the strip
>Clambering out of the top of your TIE, you hopped down onto the ground and immediately strolled toward a set of doors as an Officer rushed up to your side and offered you a salute
>”Sir, we were not expecting you back so soon.  I apologize for not—“
“Think nothing of it, I will be gone in a few hours anyway.”
>Lazily waving back at him with a salute, the officer kept pace with you as the two of you walked on through the hallways of the ship

>”Sir, do you require anything else while you’re—“
“No I do not.  I know this ship very well Lieutenant, and I have no need for an escort.”
>The young officer’s face seemed to blanche a little as you attempted to brush him off
>At that moment, a new voice cried out to you
>”Lord Inquisitor.”
>You quirked an eyebrow at the new figure who appeared down the hall from you
“Lord Inquisitor?…”
>It was a woman with short golden blonde hair dressed in a an officer’s uniform adorned with a few medals near its rank plaque
>You heard a faint metallic noise as she rose her hand up, masked in a black glove, and saluted you with a devil-may-care grin
“Wing Commander Lighting Dust.”
>Smiling back, you waved off her salute as you walked up to her
>You could clearly see a faint bluish white glow emanating from her augmented eyes as you approached her
>”Haven’t seen you in a while Sir.”
“I’ve been busy.”
>”Kill plenty of Jedi while you were gone?”
>You smirked at her as you folded your arms over your chest
“A few, and what about you?  It hasn’t been too boring around here without me has it?”
>”Well, every now and then we encounter a few pirates but most of them are just amateurs.  My TIE can fly circles around them…"
>She leaned against the wall as she spoke to you about her recent engagements
>It was good to hear that she hadn’t been taking it easy in your absence
>… and with those recent modifications to the TIE Advanced, I can outmaneuver just about anything they got.”
“Excellent.  And what of your personal modifications?”
>She flexed her robotic arm against her sleeve, which threatened to tear apart
>”Running at top capacity.”
“Good. I hope you get a chance to put those skills to a better test soon.”
>”Ha, you and me both… Sir.”

>”Who the Hell let this scumbag on board!?”
>Your eyes widened at Lightning Dust, whose jaw dropped open as she looked over your shoulder
“Scumbag?…”
>A small smile cracked onto your lips as you stood back from her
“I’m surprised you're out of your rocking chair old man!”
>Twisting about, you beheld a broad shouldered man with a clean shaven face who had streaks of gray in his military cut black hair
>He wore an olive green uniform with a matching cap
>A rectangular insignia plaque lied over his left breast, holding six red bars over six blue bars which indicated his status as a general
>What really set him apart from any other officer however, was the pair of DC-17 Blaster pistols holstered on his belt
>”Old man?… I’m ten years old!”
“Ha!”
>You walked up to the general as the two of you leered at each other
>The two of you reached out with your hands and vigorously shook each other’s forearms
“How you holding up Flash?”
>”Well enough I guess.  You here to see Midnight?”
>Nodding your head, you followed your old friend down the hall toward the elevators
>As you both walked on, you leaned over to him and flicked the insignia plaque on his chest
“I can’t get over how strange this outfit looks on you.”
>”Ha!  I hate this damn uniform.  I have to wear an undershirt otherwise it gets too scratchy, and these dress boots get old fast.”
“You’re a general now, I don’t think anyone’s going to stop you if you decide to throw on a pair of armor instead.”
>”Ehhhhhh, it’s not worth it.  Then I got people wondering why a stormtrooper’s giving everyone orders.  At least when I wear this not everyone realizes I’m a clone.”
>The two of you walk into an elevator together as he punches in the various codes and sends the two of you soaring upwards


“You always sounded pretty proud of that.”
>”You’re damn right I am, but it’s harder to get officers from other commands to take me serious when they know.  The whole military’s gone to Hell, but at least I can run things right here.”
>You smirk at him as you lean against the elevator wall
“I still can’t believe you’re a general.”
>”How the Hell do you think I feel?  I’m in charge of an entire fleet now!  Ever since Midnight became a High Inquisitor things have just been getting crazier around here.”
>As the two of you exit out of the elevator into the dark and cold hallways of the private dorms, you whisper at him
“Trust me, it’s only going to get crazier.”
>He gives you a small frown as he folds his hands behind the back of his head and walks with you toward Midnight’s chambers
>As you approach the doors, you both spot Spike standing at his post as always with his blaster rifle slung to his back
>”General, Anon.”
“Hello Spike, you look well.”
>”Hmph.”
>He opens the doors for you without so much more as another scowl as the two of you walk inside
>Everything’s as cold and clean and orderly as you remember it, and quiet as well
>You and Flash walk out of this room and into her sparring chamber
>Marching up to the painting of General Grievous, you lift it aside and punch in the number code on the secret terminal, opening up the hidden passage behind you
>”I think I’m going to wait back in the lounge.  You two have fun.”
“What?  Why aren’t you coming with me?”
>He shakes his head as he peers down the dark passageway
>“No offense, but this Sith crap really creeps me out.  I went in there once, and I don’t intend on going in again.”
>You broke out into a coarse laugh
“And what about after our training is finished?”
>He rolls his eyes at you
>”Don’t you worry, I stopped being scared of you two a long time ago.  Just don’t invite me to your little power meetings.”

>Stepping through the cool and shadowy passages, you eventually walk through the narrow metal catwalk over a seemingly endless abyss and enter the Holocron Chamber
>The ground is covered by a misty red fog that floats about as you step inside
>You glance about the chamber, spotting the four Holocrons belonging to the ancient Sith spirits that have served you and Midnight as your instructors, as well as the charred remains of the fifth one she had done away with
>Chuckling at the fate that spirit had met, you close your eyes and sense for your other half
>”Over here~”
>Opening your eyes, you look behind you and see Midnight kneeling at the ground in deep meditation, the four shadowy spirits of the Sith looming on either side of her as they stare at you
>You grin happily at her as you step forward
“Miss me?”
>”Haha…”
>She stands up and walks over to meet you with an equally pleased grin on her face
“You—"
>Her open palm smacks against your face before you have a chance to react
“…”
>”…”
“… I can see you’re still upset with my decision to go with Applebloom.”
>She smirks at you as you sheepishly grin back
>”Oh I’m absolutely livid.”
“That so?”
>You see it coming this time, and grasp her wrist just before she can strike you a second time
>Midnight winces as you tighten your grip on her
“Let’s not do that again, at least not yet…”
>”Why not?  Didn’t you come here looking for a fight?”
>Your eyes widened at her as she sultrily looked back at you
“Then you know why I came here?”
>”Of course I do.”
>You let go of her, and she proceeds to caress your cheek with the hand she had just attempted to strike you with
>”Who knows you better than me?”

>”It’s time we decided where the two of us stand in our… relationship”
>She unsheathes her red lightsaber with her other hand as she continues to gently hold your cheek
>You smirk at her as you summon Sentinel into your own grip
“Yes… there’s always at least two.  One who commands the power, and the other who craves it.  An Apprentice, and a—"
>”Mistress.”
>The two of you raise your sabers up to each other’s throats and activate them at once
>Sentinel’s yellow glow illuminates her mad smile, and you imagine her saber is having much the same effect on you
“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, but I have no intention of losing to you.”
>You lay a hand over her saber hilt and lean closer as you whisper to her
“I am no one’s slave, not even yours…”
>Her smile widens as she pushes your saber away from her throat
>You are suddenly left speechless as she presses her lips against yours
>She leaves you completely stunned for a moment, only for her to abruptly step back and give you a haughty grin
>Your heart beats rapidly as you watch her raise her lightsaber over her head and point it horizontally away from her, assuming the opening stance of Juyo
>”You’re already mine, you just refuse to admit it.”
>Smirking at her, you plant your right foot forward and angle your saber at the ground as you assume Makashi’s opening stance
>Then, just as it seemed things were at their greatest intensity, you broke down
>You slackened your stance and burst into laughter
>Midnight’s own stance slackened as she tilted her head at you
>”What is it?"
>Placing a hand over your forehead, you grinned at her as you spoke
“Nothing, it’s just… I love it when we fight.”
>She smirks and rolls her eyes at you while resuming her battle stance
>”I feel the same way.”
>You excitedly resume your battle stance as well
“Let’s go!”

>Bursting at one another, the two of you swing your weapons and immediately become locked together as your sabers collide
>The clash sends sparks flying, illuminating the shadowy chamber in a brilliant light
>You glare hatefully as she grins maniacally, the two of you becoming lost in your shared lust for battle
>Then you attempt to surprise her by doing something you had never done before when fighting her
>Disengaging from the saber lock, you immediately fall into a defensive stance and allow her to launch an offensive against you
>In the past you had always tried to match her endless barrage of attacks with one of your own, but it had always been something of an uphill battle
>This time, you showed an uncharacteristic amount of restraint as you let her carry the momentum early on
>She pushed you back with a series of powerful swings and stabs, however this played into your strategy
>You calmly took a step back every few moments from her as she wildly unleashed blow after blow against you
>With a subtle change in your step, you twisted yourself around her so as to avoid getting backed into a wall as she pushed you back further and further
>Then you took a serious gamble, but one that you were confident would pay off
>You slackened your grip on your saber and purposely slowed your reflexes down
>With a mighty upward swing, she struck Sentinel out of your hand
>Your mouth opened up in mock shock as Sentinel flew above her and she raised a hand to catch it
>Then you opened your hands and shoved them at her
>A huge arc of lightning exploded from your fingertips and engulfed her
>”AAAAAHHHHHH!!!”
>Midnight was flung off of her feet and across the room as her body rolled over the foggy floor
>Raising a hand up, you summoned Sentinel back into your hand and confidently marched forward
“I would say learning Force Lightning was well worth the pain.  Wouldn’t you?”
>You grinned as you aimed your saber at her and approached

>As you strode toward her, you heard Midnight giggle at you
>Her unnerving laughter was enough to temporarily halt your advance
>Midnight’s chilling laughter surrounds you
>Your eyes widen as you realize you can no longer sense her, and when you quicken toward where you last saw her you see that her body is gone
“She’s recovered already?"
>The fog over the ground, swirls about as you twist Sentinel through it
>You suddenly hear footsteps rapidly approach you from behind
“YAH!”
>Raising Sentinel up, you thrust him behind yourself
>Yet nothing is there
“I don’t like these new tricks of yours…”
>”You don’t?  Awww but I loved your trick Anon.  I think deception suits you…”
>Closing your eyes, you reach out to her through the Force
>Midnight has always been extremely skilled at hiding her true intentions and concealing herself
>Even so, you know her too well for her to be able to hide from you for very long
>”I’m really having fun Anon… I wish we could fight like this… forever…”
>Her voice, it sounds like she’s whispering into your ear
>Your senses tell you that she’s standing right next to you, but the Force is saying…
“ABOVE!”
>You jerk your head up and spot Midnight hanging from the ceiling with her black cape concealing her body, much like a bat
>Her dark form suddenly jettisons from the ceiling and crashes toward you as her saber reignites
>You burst from the ground and narrowly avoid her attack as she slashes through the floor where you had been standing
>Her cape billows back as she impacts the ground, but she is quick to strike at you again as she slices forward
>Throwing your hand at her, you attempt to push her back with the Force to give yourself some breathing room
>She jerks her body aside and narrowly avoids your Force Push, nearly catching you off guard again as you raise your saber to parry her strikes
>Your tactic at breaking her offensive up with Force attacks wasn’t working

>One by one, the tactics you had prepared in order to break apart her endless offensive were utilized
>Your anger rose, as she tirelessly continued to strike at you with gleeful ferocity, your stratagems having failed to stop her
“That’s it!”
>You plant your feet firmly into the ground and thrust at her with a series of stabs
>Determined to not be moved at all by her attacks, you unleashed the full force of your fury at her
>This was likely what she expected from the start, but it was also what you excelled best at
>You were like Midnight in that you loved being on the giving rather than the receiving end in battle
>So you attacked as viciously as you could as you bopped and weaved at her with your saber while she swung and stabbed back at you
>The two of you both came dangerously close to striking one another as you both recklessly became lost in the whirlwind of your assaults, sending an endless array of sparks throughout the chamber
>In one instant, your sabers became locked together again
>The two of you broke apart from your struggle only to enter another one as she swung her saber toward your head only for you to catch it with a thrust at her own head
>Both your sabers lied only inches from each other’s faces
>In your rage, you clenched a fist and jabbed it at her
>Midnight stumbled back as your fist smashed into her forehead
>It almost seemed as if the duel was yours, but just as you were about to close in on her, she twirled her body about and struck you with a lightning quick kick
>Her boot crashed into your own cheek, nearly causing you to fall to the ground
>You stumbled aside in a momentary daze as she regained her footing
>Before you could reorient yourself, she howled at you and pushed you off your feet with the Force
>The fog rolled back with you as you flew off the ground and smacked into the wall
>Pain seized through your body as you slid to the floor
>All fell silent for a moment, save for the hum of your sabers


>Tilting your head up, you stared at her as your vision slowly reconciled the dual images of Midnight’s shadowy figure looming in the distance
>”You’re not done are you?”
“Me?  HA!”
>You lifted yourself back up to your feet as your saber wielding hand twitched
“I’ve just gotten warmed up!"
>Suddenly a second lightsaber appeared in her other hand as a blue beam shot out opposite her red one
>The two pillars of light shone out of her hands as she pointed them down by her sides
>”Good, because I’m far from finished as well."
>You took a deep breathe as you coolly stared back at her
>For a moment, you were temporarily stunned as you sensed her
>It was as if she had changed…
>She was laying bare her emotions for you to feel
>Her joy, her grief, her hatred and love
>Midnight was a storm of passion that threatened to engulf you
>You gazed upon her with a sense of awe, but any fear you had of what you saw was overpowered by your excitement
>There was nothing more that you wanted than to get lost in that storm
>Rising to your feet, you tossed your black cloak off and readied yourself
>Focusing intently on your own emotions, you tapped into and released your anger
>You wanted her to sense all that you were as well
>Your muscles swelled against your armor as you snarled at her and became lost in your Force Rage
>All sense of pain and fatigue were lost, and it almost felt as if you had become something more than just a man
>The Dark Side enveloped you as if you had burst into flames
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
>Midnight’s mad grin had reached it’s apex as she fearlessly strolled forward
>”DON’T YOU DARE HOLD BACK!”


>The two of you exploded at one another
>Her whirling lightsabers crashed down upon you like a tidal wave
>In an instant, your body twisted aside and avoided her strikes as her sabers tore through the ground
>Like throwing a brilliant bolt of lightning, you stabbed Sentinel at her
>Her blue saber swung upward and parried your weapon aside as her red saber swung horizontally for you like an executioner’s axe
>In your fury, you reached at her red saber with your open hand and shoved it aside with a Force Push
>With both hands gripped around your saber, Sentinel fell down upon her only for Midnight to catch him with both of her sabers in an X-shaped block
>Blinding light encased the chamber as all three of the lightsabers collided
“HWOOOOAAAARRR!
 >”HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
>Your perception of it all was washed away in the maelstrom of your combined emotions
>Sentinel moved too fast for you to keep track of with your eyes as you stabbed and swung with reckless abandon
>You felt as if your body, and the galaxy around you, was all crumbling away
>Through it all, you saw her dark visage grinning madly at you like a demon as her own sabers danced around her
>You burst forward with your arm wrenched back, intent on ending it all with one final strike
>An unearthly cackle erupted from her as her monstrous form rose up and she angled both of her sabers down at you, like the fangs of some eldritch beast
>This was it
>Life and death had become meaningless
>Anger and Joy had become indistinguishable
>All that mattered now was this battle you two shared


>”ENOUGH!”
>A metallic sword parried your saber into the ground as another sword rose up high and blocked both of Midnight’s sabers
>You beheld a shadowy wraith standing in front of you
>The Sith Spirit that had guided you and Midnight, the Dark Underlord, had suddenly materialized between the two of you
>Your sabers deactivated as you and Midnight dropped to the ground, completely exhausted and shocked
“How…”
>He was just another spirit, an incorporeal guide left behind to pass on his teachings
>Yet he somehow stepped in and stopped your duel
>He stopped your duel
"HOW DARE YOU!”
>”Why did you interrupt us!”
>The Sith Spirit scowled
>”I only interfered when it became clear that both of you would fall.”
“What?!”
>You and Midnight stared at each other with wide eyes as memories of what had transpired only moments before rushed through your minds
>”Were we… really about to kill each other?”
>You collapsed on your back
>”Anonymous!”
>Midnight crawled over to you and gazed down at you with a face that was contorted with pain
>She too rolled on her back, her body and mind utterly spent
>The Dark Underlord, joined by the three other Sith Spirits loomed over you and scowled
>”You were both willing to throw it all away, just so you could enjoy a duel together.  You are both like children.”
>Snarling at him, you wrenched your chest up and slashed at the Dark Underlord
>He hovered away, undeterred by your attack
“What would you know!?  Accursed shadow!”
>Midnight crawled up as well, using your shoulder as leverage
>”LEAVE US!”
>The Sith spirits disappeared one after another, echoing their displeasure in their ancient tongues
>The Dark Underlord was the last to leave
>”You have both failed this day.  Meditate over your mutual defeat, and ruminate over the fact that both of you remain nothing more than mere apprentices.”
>As he too disappeared in darkness, you and Midnight collapsed back onto the floor


>The two of you slowly staggered out of the Holocron chamber together, using each other as support
>When the two of you entered her lounge, you both collapsed again together onto the ground
>”What the Hell!?”
>You glanced up and saw Flash standing above you, offering his hands to you both
>With his assistance the two of you were dragged onto one of Midnight’s sofas,
>”Thank you General.”
“Thanks Flash."
>The clone planted his fists on his hips as he frowned down at you both and muttered something under his breathe
>Your eyes then glanced over onto the table, and you saw that Flash had evidently helped himself to a bottle of wine
>Raising your hand, you summoned the bottle into your hand and began to chug it down
>Midnight stopped you as she wrenched the bottle from your hand, only to proceed to drink from it as you had
>Flash’s eyes widened as he awkwardly watched the two of you
>”Hey Anon, buddy.  I’d normally be alright with us all drinking together but don’t you have to leave soon?”
“DAMMIT!  I FORGOT!”
>You stood up from the couch only to trip over yourself and fall through the glass table with a resounding crash
“ARGH!!!"
>”Yeesh!  You still have two hours left!  CALM DOWN!”
>You shoved yourself back up onto the couch next to Midnight, who stared at you in a daze whilst absently brushing broken glass off of you
“By the Force, every inch of my body is in agony!  I must be in Hell!”
>Midnight offered you the bottle back, which you proceeded to greedily guzzle down
>Using Force Rage often left your body and mind a mess afterwards, but this time was a special case
>Midnight grabbed you by your armor chest plate and shook you as you proceeded to drink every last drop of the wine
>”Please don’t go with Applebloom!  It’s so stupid!  You’re going to die!  It’s probably a trap!  Don’t go Anon!  DON’T GO!”
“BAH!”
>You tossed the empty bottle across the room and let it crash against the wall


“How are we going to solve this problem?”
>”Tell the Grand Inquisitor to find someone else to—“
“I mean how are we going to decide which of us is the Master and which of us is the Apprentice?  How can we become Sith if we can’t even solve this!?”
>The two of you remained silent as you both leaned against one another on the couch
>Brandishing another bottle of wine, Flash poured himself a glass and then proceeded to maintain a firm grasp over the bottle
>The three of you remained silent as Flash sipped his wine
>Then, as he nearly finished his glass, he spoke up again
>”Why can’t you both be Masters?”
>You and Midnight stared at him oddly
“There can be only two, a Master and an Apprentice.”
>”Yeah well, neither of you seem to be willing to accept that.  Why not just forget about becoming Sith altogether?”
>A cool silence again fell over the three of you as Flash shrugged his shoulders at you both
>Then Midnight, with renewed energy in her voice, spoke out
>”The Sith Spirits, they came from a time when there was far more than just two Sith. What if we tried to bring those times back?”
>Your eyes widened at her
“Midnight, what are you saying?"
>“I’m saying we could both be Masters like Flash said, but we could still be Sith too!  All we have to do is train our own apprentices!"
>You stared away from her as your mind raced
>”We could lord over them, teach them all that we have learned and with our combined power, we could carve up the galaxy for ourselves!”
>Rising up to your feet, you gripped Midnight’s shoulder tightly as you stared over at a confused Flash
”How could we be certain our apprentices wouldn’t turn against us?”
>”We would have to choose carefully, take apprentices whose loyalty to us outweighs their personal ambitions, just as our love for each other overwhelms us.”
>Stepping away from her, you staggered over to her lounge window and stared down at  Prakith
“Someone… loyal to me…"


>Be Applebloom
>Currently, you are standing on a cold windswept landing pad waiting for your shuttle to arrive
>You are also still waiting for your ‘overseer’ to join you
>Beside you stands your older sister Applejack, who scowls quietly as she folds her arms and impatiently glances about
>She groans as you turn your head and see a lone figure march toward you from a dark corridor
>He wear a regal black cloak, it’s hood covering over and obscuring most of his face
>Under his cloak lies a pristine white suit of Stormtrooper armor
>Lifting his head up, you see a pair of reddish yellow eyes glaring forward, but as you and him meet each other’s gaze his cruel expression softens slightly
>”About damn time.  You wait here.”
“What?”
>Your sister stomps toward Anonymous with her fists clenched by her sides
“uh sis, y-you really don’t have to…”
>She ignores you and walks up to him
>You can hear her fiercely speaking to her under her breathe as he silently listens to her with an unamused glower
+++
“I never asked for this Applejack, if you really have such a problem with it then take it up with the Grand Inquisitor.”
>”Don’t you lie to me Anon.  You’ve always been a bad influence on her, and now ah’m supposed to believe you weren’t asking for this?”
>You scoff and attempt to walk past her
>She pushes a hand against your shoulder and holds you in place
>”If ya touch her, or let her get hurt at all…”
>Applejack’s hand gripped your shoulder tighter as she glared you down with disgust
>”Ah’ll tear ya to pieces.”
>You narrowed your eyes at her, your patience having already run thin
“I’m sure if it were up to you, Applebloom would spend the rest of her life wallowing here in safety.”
>”The Hell did you—“
>She stopped mid-speech as her eyes widened
>Sticking her face up into yours, she sniffed several times as her eyes widened
>”Have you been drinking?”


“No.”
>By the grace of the Force, the roar of an engine cut your conversation short as a Lambda shuttle hovered over the landing pad
>Jerking your shoulder out of her grip, you stomped past her toward the ship as it made it’s landing
>As the ship’s boarding ramp lowered down, you turned to your side and looked down at your charge
>She stared up at you and somewhat nervously rubbed the back of her head
>You grinned at her as you gestured to the Lambda
”Shall we?”
+++
>Nodding your head, you followed him as he made his way up the ramp
>”Applebloom!”
>You stopped dead in your tracks as your older sister called to you
“Yeah sis?”
>”Come ‘er a second!”
>Quickly running back down the ramp, you stood under your sister’s glower once more
>”Ya watch yer back every damn second you got that?  Keep yer saber on ya wherever ya go and don’t let no one talk you into doing nothin’ you don’t wanna do.”
>You nodded your head again as you stared down
“Ah understand.”
>”One more thing.”
“Yes?”
>She wrapped her arms around you in a tight hug
>”Take care of yerself.”
>Returning her hug, the two of you stayed locked together for a few seconds
“Love you sis…”
>Breaking out of her embrace, you looked into her wistful red eyes as you backed onto the ramp
>Anon was there waiting for you, his arms folded over his chest as the wind billowed through his cloak
>You walked past him up the ramp, and he followed closely behind you as it rose up


>In less than ten minutes, the shuttle came back to life as Anonymous manned the cockpit
>You were fairly certain a shuttle like this required a few pilots, but this one in particular had received a number of modifications
>An extremely streamlined navigation system allowed the entire shuttle to be manned by one pilot alone, although a second terminal existed that allowed one to control the rear guns
>You had been able to spy a few other alterations to the ship as well at just a glance
>The corridor that would normally have been used to transport troops had been renovated into a rather cramped crew quarters, with two small rooms for the two of you
>Your new room wasn’t too much bigger than the one you had back at the Citadel, but it was oddly nicer
>As you soared up above the clouds and the mountains of Prakith, you began to see the stars above
>You marveled at the massive Star Destroyers that hovered over the planet
>”Rather impressive aren’t they?”
“y-Yeah… ah’ve never actually seen one of these things up close before.”
>Anon chuckled at you as he flipped a few switches on the console
>“You should see what the guns on those things can do.”
>As he leaned back in his chair, the shuttle suddenly jumped to hyper space
>Again you marveled, this time at the incredible lights and sounds that surrounded you as the ship moved faster than the speed of light
>”8 days.”
“Beg your pardon?”
>Anonymous hopped out of his seat and grinned at the lights before him
>”It will be 8 days until we reach Dathomir.  How are you going to prepare?”
>You stared blankly at him
“Well ah was going to read over the dossier on Iron Will and the planet a few more times, and I brought over a few combat remotes to train with.”
>”Combat Remotes?”
>You nodded your head at him and brandished a few spherical metal drones, designed to fire less than lethal blaster bolts
>Anonymous didn’t look impressed
>”I doubt Iron Will is going to shoot you…"

>”Applebloom, follow me.”
>He stepped away from you and walked out of the cockpit
>Following closely behind, you climbed down the ladder with him into the cargo hold
>Save for the various crates of rations left for the two of you, the hold was mostly empty
>The back had even be repurposed into a ray shielded holding cell of sorts
>There was plenty of room to move around in this spacious part of the ship, even a decent amount of space over your head
>Anon suddenly stopped, with you nearly bumping into him from behind
>”Applebloom, give me your lightsaber.”
“What?”
>He turned about to face you with a smile as he raised his hand
>”I want to see your lightsaber.”
>”Ah, I…”
>'Keep yer saber on ya wherever ya go and don’t let no one talk you into doing nothin’ ya don’t wanna do’
>You stared uncertainly at Anonymous as he patiently waited for you to hand your weapon over to him
>Was he really someone you could trust?
>He had always been kind to you back when he was also an Apprentice Inquisitor
>Anonymous always seemed to act friendly and polite, but Applejack always seemed to hate him
>She always said that he was the kind of man who would stab anyone in the back, the kind of guy who only really cares about himself
>You didn’t understand what she was trying to say back then, but as you got older her words began to make a little more sense
>Still, you never really had anything to offer him before
>What could he have gotten out of you by looking out for you?
>And when your brother… right before your brother died…
>'Stop the fight, before someone get’s hurt.'
>He tried to help
>Anonymous stood up against the Grand Inquisitor, for you
“Here.”
>You unhooked your saber from your belt and dropped it into his hand
>”Thank you.”


>Anonymous waved your saber about, inspecting the hilt closely before activating it
>Staring at it’s red glow, he assumed a battle stance, angling his saber at the ground
>You’re fairly certain its the opening stance of Makashi
>Frowning, Anonymous then grasps the saber with both hands and angles it high over his head in what you clearly recognize as the opening stance of your favored style, Djem So
>Stepping back from you, he makes several overhead chops with your saber, loudly humming as he increases the speed of his strikes
>After a few more swings, he deactivates your saber and grins at you
>”It’s a fine weapon.  You made it?”
“Of course!”
>”Did your siblings help?”
“What?  No, I made it by myself.  I didn’t want any help with it.”
>Anon’s smile grows as he raises the hilt in front of this face
>”It’s a bit heavier than I expected, but I think you did quite well with it.”
>You chuckled at him
“Thanks, I like to think I’m pretty good with my hands.  I like making things.”
>He handed you your saber back
>”Does it have a name?”
“A name?  Uhhh no.”
>”Hmm.”
>Anonymous shrugged as he reached behind his back and brandished a—
“Whoa!  What are you doing with that thermal—!?”
>A bright yellow beam erupted from the top of it, it’s glow lighting up Anon’s face as he held it up
>Your jaw dropped as he stood next to you and offered it
>”This is Sentinel, my lightsaber. “
>You accepted the weapon into your hand
>It was lighter than your own saber, although not by too much, and its exterior was like a very smooth stone
>Staring at its yellow glow, you wondered how Anonymous managed to create a yellow crystal
>You had never seen a saber that wasn’t red or blue before

“Sentinel huh?”
>”What do you think?”
>You scrutinized the weapon closely before venturing an answer
“It’s very pretty, and I think the color is really neat.  The beam is kinda short though…”
>”It’s a perfect length for me.  Just long enough to swat aside any saber that comes my way, and short enough to let me weave inside most foe’s defenses."
“Yeah?..”
>Anon chuckled at you as he raised his hand up high
>His saber suddenly shot out of your grip and fell into his own grasp
>“Maybe you’d understand better if I showed you.”
>Anon turned his back to you and walked to one end of the cargo hold, where he proceeded to toss aside his cloak
>”Before we arrive on Dathomir, I want to see exactly what you are capable of.  If you would allow me, I would like to offer you a little training in preparation for your coming duel.”
“Really?"
>Anonymous was supposed to be one of the best duelists in the Inquisitorius
“I wouldn’t mind at all!  That sounds great!”
>”Are you sure?”
“Sure I’m sure!”
>Anonymous’ face fell into an unsettling scowl
>”I would hate to see you fall in battle on your very first hunt.  Iron Will won’t hold back against you, so neither will I.”
>You had never seen him look at you like that before, it was quite disturbing
>However, you didn’t want to seem intimidated and you certainly did not want to disappoint him
“To be honest, ah’m actually a little nervous about having to fight a Jedi again.”
>”Again?”
>Anonymous’ eyes widened for a brief moment before he resumed his smile from earlier
“y-Yeahl… so if you’ve got any advice for me, ah’d love to hear it.”
>Anonymous smirked at you as he angled his saber at the ground
>”Very well then.  We have over a week to see how I can help you.”
>His smile once again transformed into a glare
>"Show me what you’ve got."


SEVERAL DAYS LATER
>Be Anonymous
>”AAAHHH!”
>Applebloom cries out in pain as your saber slashes past her, leaving yet another cut on her arm
>You quickly step away from her before she can even attempt to strike back at you with her superior reach
“That makes five now.  Are you really this tired already?”
>Applebloom exhaled a ragged breathe as she clutched her fresh wound, slackening her grip on her saber as it dipped toward the floor
>The cut didn’t look too deep, although it did look quite painful
>Your training was wearing her out fast, and progress was much slower than you had originally hoped
>You scowled at her
“What are you waiting for?”
>”Huh?”
>Applebloom perked her head up at you as you lunged at her, the tip of your saber halting right under her chin
>Her eyes widened in fear as she stepped back
“I told you to treat this like a real fight!  If you act like this when you face Iron Will YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!”
>She shuddered back from you as you kept pace with her with your saber at her throat
“What style are you using against me?”
>”f-FORM V!  DJEM S—“
“Djem So is about counterattacking.  It’s about aggression and brute force!  If you are just going to stay on the defensive all day you might as well be practicing Soresu!”
>A few steps later and you had Applebloom backed up against the wall, panting in exhaustion
>She was clearly afraid, and getting quite angry
>The only problem was she wasn’t using these emotions, and that was infuriating you
“Do you want to die?”
>”NO!”
>Scoffing at her, you turned away from Applebloom and walked back to the other side of the cargo hold
“We’re not going to stop until you get this right.  NOW TRY AGAIN!”

>Applebloom stepped toward you and gripped her saber tightly with both of her hands as she stared you down
>As obviously tired and injured as she was, you found the look of determination burning in her eyes promising
>Aiming your saber at her with one hand, you beckoned for her to attack you with the other as you glared back
“That’s it, get mad!”
>Applebloom’s eyes narrowed at you and for a brief moment you saw a look in her that was as fierce as any Applejack had ever given you
>Then, as you stared back into those threatening eyes of hers, she suddenly bolted at you
>Her red saber soared through the air down at you, a strike that came much faster than you anticipated
>Thrusting your own saber up, you narrowly parried aside this strike
>After this, she followed up with several more overhead chops
>However, her followup attacks did not carry the same amount of strength and speed as that first strike
>You could sense that the immense anger she felt had already dissipated
>Going on the offensive, you delivered a flurry of stabs at her before your sabers ended up locking together
>Before she could realize what had happened, you twisted her saber toward the ground and planted your boot into her gut
>”OOOF!"
>Applebloom was tossed back to the ground as you tore her saber out of her hand with the Force
>You scowled back at her as you gripped her saber as well as yours with each hand
>She looked utterly spent as she lied defeated on her back
“That’s enough.”
>Deactivating the sabers, you affixed Sentinel back onto your belt as you tossed her own saber on the ground next to her
“Get yourself cleaned up and go straight to bed.  We’ll start again in the morning.”
>She picked herself up and weakly nodded back as she sat on the ground

>Turning your back on her, you climbed out of the cargo hold and retreated into your room
>As soon as you had left her side, you allowed the scowl that had been seemingly etched onto your face to fall apart
“Damn it all…”
>Days had passed, and yet you saw little improvement in Applebloom
>She was skilled on the defensive, that much you were sure of, and her technique had few flaws to speak of
>However, when it came to applying her skills in an actual fight, it seemed like she lacked the raw emotion to actually use Form V offensively
>Somewhat convinced that she might have been purposely holding back against you, you took steps to intensify her training
>You felt that at some point she would snap and show you some hidden strength, lying beneath her normally cheerful and reserved surface
>Yet your efforts had failed to do anything more than give her various scrapes and bruises, and maybe a little damage to her pride
“This is going nowhere."
>You sat on your bed and slowly began to undo your armor, letting the cool recycled air of the Lambda shuttle brush up against your warm and sweaty skin
>Her training was proving to be a little rough on you as well, but you felt it had to go on
>You had to help her improve, otherwise she wouldn’t stand a chance against Iron Will
>If she couldn’t defeat him, she would die…
>Could you simply let that happen?
>You narrowed your eyes as you unclasped your chest plate and removed the upper half of your suit of armor
“Why am I letting myself get so worked up over her?"
>Suddenly an anguished cry echoed over, breaking you out of your stupor as you stared at the wall
>Beyond this divider lied Applebloom’s room


>Stepping out of your room, you walked down the very short hallway and stood outside of her room
>The door was left open a crack, and when you peered inside you saw Applebloom sitting on her bed, attempting to bandage up her wounds
>It appeared that she was having difficulty wrapping a gauze tape over a cut on her bicep
>She looked completely incensed as she dropped the roll of tape onto her bed and stomped her foot on the floor
>”Blast it!"
>Scoffing at the sight of her, you marched back toward your own room
“Now she gets angry.”
>Just before you could reenter your bedroom, another strange cry echoed over to you yet again
>Your hand hovered over the door handle, as you listened to Applebloom
>It was very faint, but there was no mistaking it
>Applebloom was sobbing
“…”
>Standing there, you listened to her as she cried to herself
>Slowly your frustration from earlier returned
>Your hand balled into a fist as you turned away from your bedroom
>Stomping down the hall, you threw all decency aside as you wrenched open her door
>”a-ANON!”
>Applebloom nearly fell out of her bed as you stepped insider her room
>Anxiously looking away from you, she wiped away her tears and quickly stammered
>”a-Ah was just—just fixing up my injur—“
“Give me your arm.”
>”What?”
>Dropping to one knee in front of her, you gently grabbed onto her wrist and closely examined several of the cuts
>The cuts didn’t look too deep, although at least one of them might have left a bigger mark than you had intended

“You already dressed these?”
>”y-Yeah, I dabbed a little bacta on them.”
>You narrowed your eyes at her
“They hurt that bad?”
>She frowned at you as she nervously looked away
>You sighed at her as you reached for the roll of gauze
>Without saying another word, you began to roll the bandages over the freshest looking injury you had inflicted on her
>As she turned her head back to you, her jaw dropped
>”^Phwoar^…"
“Excuse me?”
>You looked up into her eyes and saw that she was staring in shock at your bare chest
>”What happened to you?”
>Staring back down at yourself, you immediately realized that she was talking about the various scars marking your body
>The slash marks, stab wounds, and of course the burn marks leftover from your time with the Emperor
“It’s nothing, just a few things to remember my enemies by.”
>You chuckled at her as you went back to bandaging her cuts
“You’re likely to get one or two things to remember Iron Will from by the time this is over.”
>She slowly returned your chuckled
>”Ah guess I will."
>Grinning back at her, you resumed your work on her arm
>After silently tending to her wounds for a few minutes, your grin quickly crumbled away back into a frown
>It was unsettling, to say the least
>You rarely acted this way around anyone
>There were only a few people you ever showed such compassion towards
>It was frightening to think that she could make you feel this way, and the more you thought about it the more ridiculous this entire situation seemed
>You should have been elsewhere, searching for power and planning your future conquests, and instead here you were looking out for Applebloom


“Do you resent me?”
>Applebloom’s eyes grew wide as you finished up with her last bandage
>”What the hay are you talking about Anon?”
>As you stood up and loomed over her, it suddenly dawned on you that it was quite an odd question to ask
“I’ve been pushing you as hard as I can ever since we left Prakith.  I’ve berated you, insulted you, and physically hurt you every day.  So why aren’t you angry with me?”
>Applebloom cracked a grin as she raised her legs up and hugged her knees
>”Ah understand what you’re doing.”
“Excuse me?”
>She lifted her head up and gave you an innocent smile, one that was exactly like the ones you remember her giving you years ago
>”Ah know you’re just being hard on me cause you want me to succeed.  My family was always the same way with me before the Empire came…”
>As she turned her head away from you, you caught sight of a faint blush on her cheeks
>“You know, ah appreciate everything you’ve done for me… and ah really think ah’m improving too!”
>She let go of her knees and hopped onto her feet as she beamed up at you and raised a clenched fist
>”Tomorrow ah’m going to push myself twice as hard!  You’ll see!”
>You stared at her, having momentarily become speechless by her display
>In no short amount of time, you found yourself chuckling at her as she again blushed at you
“Alright, I’ll hold you to that.  Now get some rest, you have another long day tomorrow.”
>”Yes sir!”
>Turning your back on her, you walked outside her door back to your own room
>Upon leaving her side, your smile again crumbled away
“You’re a very odd one…”

>Morning came quickly as you sat in meditation within the cargo hold and awaited her
>Opening your eyes, you saw Applebloom slide down the ladder into the hold
>She walked up to you with a confident grin
>”Good morning!”
“Good morning.  Are you ready to start again?”
>She nodded her head as she brandished her saber from her belt
“Very well.”
>Standing up, you summoned Sentinel back into your own hand
>The two of you exchanged a short bow before igniting your sabers
>Raising your saber vertically in front of your face, you offered her a short salute before adopting an opening stance
>She looked to be about to do the same, but then she stopped as if she had just remembered something
>”Anon?”
“Yes?”
>”My lightsaber… it has a name now.”
“Hm?”
>She gripped her saber tightly as she held it out in front of her
>”My saber’s name is Aay’han.”
>You stared at her blankly for a few moments
>Seeing the confusion on your face, Applebloom rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand as she explained
>”It’s a special expression in Mandalorian.  It means ‘a time for mourning and remembering the joys of life’.”
>You continue to stare at her as you mulled over the name she had given her weapon
>It was clear that she could not forget what had happened to her brother, yet she soldiered on largely as if nothing had happened
>In many ways, her demeanor seemed to embody a joy for life
“I think it suits you.”
>The two of you briefly smiled at each other before falling into your opening stances
>As you stared her down you began to wonder if she had chosen to name her own saber, just to emulate you
>She obviously looked up to you
>Almost like you were family…
“Begin!”

>The two of you met at the center of the cargo hold and immediately exchanged blows
>She came out strong with several overhead chops
>You parried these blows aside with some difficulty
>A proper grip of your saber and maintenance of your stance often allowed you to negate the strength behind your opponent’s blows, but Applebloom was striking you harder than you had anticipated
>Blocking her opening attacks, you stole a glance into her eyes as you quickly swung your saber
>It was incredibly strange, but you saw little anger or malice in her gaze
>However, her eyes were narrowed on you as she determinedly stared you down
>You would not make this easy for her
>Pressing your offensive against her, you dipped forward with your saber and stabbed at her
>As was the case often times before, she put up a sterling defensive barrier against you as she blocked your blows
>Lunging at her with your saber, you felt you had finally caught her off guard as your saber lunged toward her shoulder
>Then, in one fluid motion, Applebloom raised up her saber and sent your strike flying up just above her head
>Only a moment after parrying your strike up, her own saber came crashing down on you
“GYAH!”
>Bolting back from her, your hand fell over your chest plate
>A small slash mark several inches long had been burnt through your armor, cutting into your skin
>”Ah Hell!”
>The passionate determination that had been burning in Applebloom’s eyes quickly extinguished as she stared at you in shock
>”Are you alright?”
>Your jaw dropped as you stared back and forth between her and the slash mark she had given you
>Slowly, a massive grin appeared on your face
“That’s more like it!”
>Applebloom quickly smiled back at you as you aimed your saber at her
“Let’s keep going.  I want you to hit me even harder!”
>”Alright, you got it!”

>As Applebloom charged you once more, you let yourself become lost in the duel
>Focusing on parrying her blows and counterattacking, you let her more or less guide the fight
>It was very strange, but it seemed as if she had drastically improved, although you couldn’t quite understand why
>Had the constant drilling finally started to have a positive effect on her, or perhaps it had something to do with the exchange you two had last night?
“Yes, that has to be it.”
>”What was that?”
>You slinked back from her and internally chided yourself for vocalizing your thoughts in front of her
>She appeared to have a few new fresh cuts on her body, although her recent efforts proved that they weren’t slowing her down at all
>As you took a moment to catch your breath, you suddenly realized that your own saber-wielding arm had a gash on it
>A rather long slash on your forearm that you had seemingly failed to notice
>”a-Are you OK?”
>You winced in pain as you looked upon this fresh wound
“Yes… I am more than OK.”
>Deactivating your saber, you walked up to her with a pleased grin
“How do you feel?”
>”I can keep going.”
>You scoffed at her
“How do you feel?”
>She shrugged her shoulders, a hand of hers hovering over a fresh cut you had given to her abdomen only a few minutes before
>”A little bit tired…”
>Holstering your saber onto your belt, she shuddered as you placed a hand over her shoulder
“That’s enough for now then.  We can practice some more in a few hours.”
>She deactivated Aay’han and proudly grinned back at you
>”Thanks Anon.”
>Taking a step back from her, the two of you exchanged a quick bow before she climbed back up the ladder and left you alone in the cargo hold
>You sighed as you kneeled down on the floor and smiled at the wound she had given you
“Maybe I should look into more positive reinforcement…"


>Be Sunset Shimmer
>Your eyes wrench open as your body lunges forward against your seat-straps
>The brilliant blur of blue light surrounding you suddenly fades, leaving you drifting in the blackness of space inside the cockpit of your Z95 Headhunter
>Stretching, your back cracks as you let out a long yawn
>Then you see it, and crack the biggest smile
>Your Nav computer automatically scans the world, confirming it as
“Dathomir!"
>Slamming on the throttle, your ship blitzes forward as you approach the massive red planet
>After spending days traversing through various backwater worlds across the Outer Rim, you finally made it
>As the planet begins to loom closer, you reach out over your dashboard and activate the circular dish Zecora had given you
>A hologram of the blue skinned Nightbrother, Iron Will, appears before you, his image illuminated against the red background of the encroaching planet
“Well, you’re down there somewhere."
>After two whole years, you’d finally have a chance to continue your training and become a Jedi
>A chance to make up for your violent past and make a positive difference in people’s lives
“Can’t screw this one up."
>Your fighter began to rumble as you flew down into the atmosphere, your computers lighting up and presenting numerous blocks of text
“Atmosphere is breathable.  Heh, good to know."
>After a few minutes, your Z95 bursts through the clouds over a vast ocean
>Slowly pulling out of your nosedive descent, you laid eyes upon a massive continent in the distance
>What you noticed immediately was, just as it appeared from orbit, the entire world seemed to be cast in a red haze
>A quick glance above informed you that this was due to the giant red sun in the sky
>You heard once that a red sun was a sign that the star was extremely old, and if what you heard about Dathomir was true then you were somewhere quite ancient
“A little bit ominous compared to Alaris Prime, but at least the Empire’s not here.”

>As your ship soared over the landmass, you saw vast tracts of forest
>The trees did not appear quite too tall, but the forests looked overgrown
>Many of these trees almost looked dead, but you figured it had to be just how it normally looked on this world
>There were also thick banks of fog rolling over many of these woods, making it a bit difficult to see anything that stood out
>Reaching again for your circular disc, you cycled through the image of Iron Will to the three dimensional map of the planet, and then pulled up a second image of the world using your navigation computer
“The parts of Dathomir that are supposed to be inhabited aren’t too far from the coast…”
>You knew Iron Will could be anywhere on the entire planet, but you figured it’d be best to at least start your search in civilization
>Yet after flying around for a good while, you failed to find any trace of sentient life
>No cities or towns or anything at all
“Well this world’s supposed to be a little less advanced…”
>Flying a bit lower, you slowed your ship slightly and let your scanners go to work as you waited
>Planting your fist against your cheek, you waited as patiently as you could though after spending so much time in the cockpit you were eager to get back on your feet
>Then, as you gazed boringly at the world below, you remembered something Luna had taught you once
>No matter how advanced technology became, there would always be some things that you could only find through the Force
“Well its not like this bucket of rust is ‘advanced’ to begin with…”
>Leaning back in your seat, you closed your eyes and tried to empty your thoughts
>Momentarily laying aside your eagerness and your doubts, you blocked out the noise of your engine and computers as you reached out with the Force
>What you immediately recognize after only meditating for a minute, unsettles you

>This world is rife with energy and life, as is many worlds where nature is free to grow unrestricted
>However, this world is different from any place you’ve ever felt
>It is not simply the Living Force that you sense on this world, but the Dark Side
>'Dathomir lies in a remote part of the Galaxy, the ignorant think it a place of barbarity.  The Dark Side of the Force is strong there, and its people have suffered greatly from warfare.’
>As Zecora’s words echoed freely through your mind, you could not help but feel that the fallen Jedi had given you quite an understatement
>It was as if this whole world channeled the Dark Side of the Force, but how could such a place like this even exist?
>You’ve never heard of or seen a world that was particularly overflowing with the energy of the Light Side, so why did this place exist?
>As you meditated over this, you suddenly felt yourself become drawn in a particular direction
>Opening your eyes, you steered your ship deeper inland toward a chain of small mountains
“Something’s here…”
>Slowing your arrival to a crawl, you immediately spotted what looked to be small stone huts carved into the mountainside along a large cliff
>Parking your ship along the edge of the cliff a ways away from the village, you opened your cockpit and hopped out
>It felt great to finally stretch your legs, although you weren’t particularly at ease
>After taking a moment to get used to solid ground beneath your feet, you began to walk toward the village
>Glancing around at the various stone halls, your footsteps echoed about as you fell under the shadow of the buildings surrounding you
“Hello?  Anyone home?”
>Not a single reply echoed back
>This place was positively eerie
>Sighing to yourself, you slowly dropped to your knees and resumed a meditative stance
>You had a bad feeling about this


>Closing your eyes, you again emptied yourself of your emotions, your desires, and your worries as you attempted to make sense of it all
>Luna had also taught you that meditation could result in sudden bouts of clarity, and you hoped that by mediating you could make some sense of what had happened here
“Zecora had said that Dathomir was constantly wracked by warfare, but she also made it seem like this world didn’t have a whole lot of advanced technology.  Could something have happened here that drove all these people away?  But how?  Some kind of chemical attack?  A full scale invasion by someone?  None of that seems likely, but… what I do know is that the Force is strong here…”
>Your hands trembled, and slowly clenched into fists
>”s-Something terrible happened here…”
>As you considered the full extent of what may or may not have happened to the people of this village, a dark sense of dread overtook you
>You sensed a disturbance in the Force
>At once you began to hear the sounds of voices, some of them muttering in a language unknown to you while others spouted in Galactic Basic
>”It was a mistake to trust Mother—“"
>”Uro Jen’jidai!"
>”Everything has become so much worse since the Clone Wars—“
>In Jidai ‘ari!"
>”They’re all dead, the droids made certain of it!”
>”Not all of them~”
>Ror’jhan!
>”AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
>”STAY AWAY!”
“ah!”
>Your eyes wrenched open as you leaned forward over the dirt
>You could hear the sounds of anguished screams echoing in your mind, mixed amidst what sounded like the clash of blades
“w-What was…”
>Placing a hand over your chest, you could feel your heart beating rapidly
>Then its beating was skipped, as you felt a chill run down your spine
>You sensed something here with you


>Your body shuddered as a cool wind breezed past you, kicking dust up into the air
>Over to your left, in the shadows between two of the huts…
>Reaching for your holster, you rolled forward across the ground and whipped out your DL 44
>You spotted a ghastly white face coldly staring you down above the barrel of your pistol, and whatever it was it radiated the Dark Side
>Your blaster lit up the alley as you fired several rapid bolts toward it
>Then, just as soon as you had fired, it was gone
“n-No way!”
>Hopping up to your feet, you quickly sprinted forward into the alley way and spotted several large smoking holes in the side of a building
>There was no sign of the figure you had shot at, and as far as you could sense with the Force, you were the only person here
>So why was it that you couldn’t shake off the feeling of being watched?
“What the Hell is wrong with this planet!?”
>Your heart continued to race as you ran back into the open with your blaster in hand
>With every internal alarm in your head blaring, you made your way out of the abandoned village and back to your fighter
>As you caught sight of your Z95 in the distance, you shot one last glance back at the village
“Of all the places in the galaxy to hide, Iron Will chose to come here?”
SPOILER >”GRAAAOOOOOOOOORRRR!!!!!!” SPOILER
>Your eyes widened as you looked up the mountain and saw a massive hulking figure rise up amidst the boulders
>Raising its massive claws in the air, it continued to let loose a massive roar that echoed down the mountainside
“A rancor!?”
>The best charged down the mountain and to your horror fell upon your starfighter
“NO!”
>Flexing it’s muscles, the monstrous creature slowly flipped the starfighter over before your very eyes, sending it crashing over the cliff
>Your heart sank as you listened to the metallic screech of your starship impacting the rocky ground below


>It’s eyes fell upon you as the two of you stared one another down
>As terrifying as it was to see your ship tossed aside like a child’s toy, it also filled you with immense anger
“Damn you!”
>Whipping out your blaster, you fired upon the beast
>Red bolts rained upon it’s body, causing the rancor to recoil from you as it slashed its claws through the air
>Wherever your blaster bolts hit, they left blackened bruises
>Yet despite the firepower behind your powerful weapon, it seemingly failed to leave any serious damage
>The beast roared once more and the ground shook as it stomped towards you
“Uh oh.”
>Turning tail, you sprinted away from the Rancor down the mountain
>Hopping along the uneven surface, you did not dare steal a glance behind you as the monster continued to howl for your blood
>You could tell it wasn’t far behind so you kept on the move as fast as you could
“AHH!"
>Suddenly you feel your feet leave the ground as you stumble forward off of the mountainside
>Your body rolls against the hard surface as you desperately shield your head with your hands
>Falling onto your back with a loud smack, you wince in pain as you force yourself back to your feet
“Sithspit!”
>It appears that you’ve just about made your way to the forest floor when—
“AAAAHHH!”
>Your body lifts back up into the air as the Rancor grabs you by your leg and raises you up in front of its monstrous face
>Its hot and disgusting breathe blows against you as it flashes it massive fangs


>A Twi’lek girl about to become some Rancor’s lunch
>For some reason, it strikes you like a bad joke
>You raise your blaster to its face
“Eat this!”
>Blasting the beast directly in the eye, the Rancor howls in agony as it drops you out of its grasp
>Flipping through the air, you fall to your feet and sprint away from the beast with renewed vigor into the woods
>It does not take too long for it to recover, as you hear its roar echo after you
>With how dense this forest is, you’re having some difficulty making your way through so quickly, and if the crashing of the trees behind you is any indication then so is he
>You start to think that you might be able to lose it if you can just keep yourself going
>Then you end up coming to a stop right in front of a deep gorge
>Fear seizes your body as you consider what to do
>With each passing second, the beast grows closer
“c-Can I make it?!”
>The ground just behind you is rather flat but the drop is rather wide, maybe as much as 20 meters long
>Maybe, with just a little help from the Force…
>”GRAAAAOOOOOORRR!!!"
>Holstering your weapon, you glance around the gorge and spot a tree on the other side whose branch appears to be hanging over the ledge
>Running back, you prepare to give yourself as much distance as you can for the run when you spot a tree crashing to the ground just in front of you
>The monstrous Rancor glares down at you with it’s one good eye as it roars in anger
>Sliding to a stop, you twist about before its claw can crash down and grab you
>Shoving aside your fear and your anger and all of your doubt, you sprint to the cliffside of the gorge and jump for the branch

>Your feet burst up from the ground as if you had flown up with a jetpack as you leap over the massive drop
>You feel your lekku begin to fly upwards as your body weightlessly drops down
>Reaching out, you grab hold over the branch of the old gnarled tree and spring back up as you take hold of it
>Your pursuer roars angrily, and as you look back you see that its long claws fail to reach you over the ledge
>You don’t dare look down as you as slowly climb onto the branch and stare back at the beast
>Breathing heavily, you take out your blaster
“Get lost!”
>Your weapon thunders over the forest as you blast the rancor again and again from the safety of your vantage point
>With no means of reaching you and no hope of clearing the distance, the beast lets loose one last half-hearted cry of rage before sprinting away under your stinging blaster fire
>When it finally slinks away from your sight, you lower your blaster and sit there over your branch in shock
“d-Did that just happen?”
>Planting your hand over your forehead, the full weight of it all hits
>You are stranded on a deadly world that is overflowing with the power of the Dark Side
>Alone again…
>All of a sudden, joining Vinyl’s swoop bike gang didn’t seem like it was as bad of an idea as you thought it was
“Wait…”
>For some reason, you had the sudden urge to take a look at the circular dish Zecora had given you
>Thankfully, you had pocketed the device before you left your ship
>You scrolled through to the image of the planet and saw that a red blip now appeared over the planet’s surface
>Zooming on this red blip, you suddenly realized to your delight—
“It’s a map!”

>Shimmying your body over to the forest floor, you drop down to the ground and continue to examine your surroundings while glancing at your map
“OK Sunset, you’ve hit another little speed bump.  Nothing to lose your cool over.”
>Granted, this seemed like a perfect time to get upset
>You were scared, angry, and didn’t quite understand why it all came to this
“What would Luna say right about now…?”
>’Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement.  You will face many trials and hardships in life, but you cannot let them break your will.  Carry on and strive forward always.  Do not fear the darkened path, for the Force will always be your guide.’
>You smiled as if Luna herself had just told you those words
“Well, you did say you would always be with me now, so I guess I’m not completely alone…”
>With one hand raising your holo-map in front of you and the other hand gripping your blaster by your side, you began to walk through the dark and foreboding forest
>And as hopeless as it all seemed, you walked forward bravely with a smile on your face



>Be Anonymous
>You kneel in silence within the cargo hold, waiting in anticipation for Applebloom to wake up so you can begin the day’s training
>Only a few more days remain before your shuttle reaches Dathomir, and you intend to hammer as much of your teachings into Applebloom as you can
>She had shown a great deal of improvement lately, ever since you had made some alterations to your approach with her
>You found that by showing a little more patience, and by leaving a few encouraging words, that it was easier for her to learn
>Instead of having her use her frustration to fuel her emotions, you helped her to discard such feelings and focus instead on the task before her
>Once she accomplished this, you soon discovered that she was indeed an intensely passionate person, although her passion came mostly from without rather than from within
>Applebloom seemed eager to learn from you, and you had the general impression that she wanted to please you and make you proud
>There was far more to it than that, although you had yet to discover what else drove her
>You imagined that her feelings for you were similar to her feelings toward her sister Applejack
>The thought also crossed your mind that she perhaps wanted revenge for her brother Big Mac, although you were somewhat skeptical about this
>Vengeance did not suit her well in your opinion, but you suspected that she more or less wanted to honor her brother’s memory
>She was definitely an odd one… but you also found her behavior and her way of thinking endearing
>Applebloom was an excellent student, and as long as she continued to improve like this then you were confident that she had a good chance at defeating Iron Will
>Still, there was much you felt that she had to learn
>You were beginning to consider showing her a taste of true power
>The ways of the Sith
>Would she be ready for such things?
>Could you trust her with such knowledge?


>”Mornin’ Anon!”
“Hm?”
>You looked up toward the ladder to the main deck and saw Applebloom clamber down it
>You smiled as you rose up to your feet
“Good morning Applebloom.”
>”Sorry I’m late!”
“You’re late?  I hadn’t noticed."
>She walked up to you and smiled back
>However, as soon as she had walked up to you, something felt off
>Your smile faltered as you looked down at her
>Her face looked somewhat pale, and her eyes appeared a bit drowsy
“Is something wrong?"
>”Huh?  n-Nope!”
>She put on a perky display as she continued to smile up at you
“OK then…”
>”So what are you going to teach me today?”
“Well, it's going to be a little complicated to pull off in our current surroundings but I thought I’d try to teach you a bit about using the terrain to your advantage.”
>”Using the terrain?”
>You nodded your head as you lifted your hand and summoned various crates lying about toward you both
“Think for instance a bit about our current surroundings.  What do you think about fighting in this cargo hold?”
>She remained quiet as you laid several of the crates onto the middle of the ground in the space where you two traditionally sparred together
>”Well, it can be pretty cramped in here.  Ah mean, the ceiling’s a bit low and there’s not a lot of distance for us to run back and forth.”
“Yes, although this isn’t normally a problem for us is it?”
>”Ah suppose not.  We don’t really move around too much the way we fight.”
“That is right.  Could you imagine the problems we would have if one of us fought in a more acrobatic style like Ataru, or wielded something more complicated than just one single style saber?”
>”Heh, we’d be in a lot of trouble ah guess.”

>You laid down several of the crates about you in a haphazard fashion, even putting several down on top of each other in stacks
“Yes… now consider this.  How often have you faced more than one opponent in battle?”
>”Well ah’ve fought with my siblings, two on one before.  Ah’d do the same with friends of mine sometimes.”
“And have you only ever fought against two at once?  And only against other opponents who wielded lightsabers?”
>She remained silent as her smile fell
>”Well… yeah ah suppose.”
“I see, now what would you do if you were facing multiple foes?  Perhaps as many as five or six all at once?  What if they wielded blasters and melee weapons?  What do you think you would do?”
>She laid her hand across her chin as she considered your question
>”Form V includes the Djem So style, for fighting in close combat, and Shien style for fighting against blasters.  Ah think ah could reliably fight back using my preferred form.”
“But have you ever had to put yourself up to such a test?”
>Reaching into the pockets of your black cloak, you brandished two of the remote drones that Applebloom had brought with her onto the ship and tossed them into the air
>Then, as they floated about through the air, you tossed your cloak aside and brandished your lightsaber
“I am going to attack you much as I have done over the past several days, and these drones are going to attempt to shoot at you all the while.”
>Applebloom’s eyes widened slightly as her gaze shifted between you and the drones that floated about the cargo hold
“As we fight, I want you to remain constantly aware of your surroundings and I want you to try to come up with ways that you can use the environment to your advantage.”
>She nodded her head as she brandished her own lightsaber
>The two of you exchanged a short bow before igniting your sabers
“Begin!”


>The two of you remained locked within this training nearly all day
>It did not go as well as you would have hoped
>”GAH!”
>Applebloom cries out as one of the drones pops out behind a pillar of crates and blasts her in the arm
“Had that been a real blaster, you could have lost that arm.”
>You lunge forward and stab at her, though she recovers fairly quickly and blocks your strikes
“Stay focused!  Don’t forget about the foes lurking about you!”
>”Ah know!  It’s just—“
>Her words trail off as the two of your sabers become locked together
>You both instinctively begin to shove your weight against one another as your sabers spark
>She is surprisingly strong for her size and manages to maintain her footing as she struggles against you, forcing you to grip Sentinel with both hands
>Sadly, she does not heed your words from earlier
>The two drones pop up behind her and blast her in the back
>”AAH!  BLAST IT!”
>With a surprising show of strength, Applebloom shoves you off of her
>She quickly slashes behind herself and the two drones explode as they are both cut in half with one blow
“Nice work, too bad you would have already been dead.”
>She sighs as she hangs her head
>”How was ah suppose to defend against that?”
“Preferably by not ever getting into a situation like that to begin with.  Getting locked down like that when fighting more than one foe won’t ever end well.  Here…”
>You raised up your saber at her
“Lock your saber with mine.”
>She did as she was told and the two of your sabers became clashed together once more


“Now then, a trick that I’ve learned that’s really good for getting the drop on your enemies is this.  When we’re in the middle of struggling against each other, deactivate and then immediately reactivate your lightsaber.  As long as you’re prepared to dodge the blow that’s coming your way, then you’ll be in a great position to strike your foe down.”
>She slowly nodded her head as you pushed against her saber
“Try it.”
>”OK.”
>Turning off her saber, you staggered forward slightly as she slid away
>It took her a moment to reactivate her saber, but she quickly struck at you as her red beam returned
>You gave a small grin as you raised your saber and knocked her blow aside
“Let’s try that again a few more times.”
>The two of practiced the maneuver for another ten minutes or so until Applebloom more or less got the hang of it
>She gave you a smile as she stepped back with her saber
>”It’s a neat trick.”
“Ha, I think so…”
>You stared at her curiously as your smile fell into a frown
“Are you going to tell me what’s been bothering you?”
>Her own smile slowly fell into a frown as well as she deactivated Aay’han
>”It’s pretty silly…”
“If whatever’s been bothering you has been affecting your training this badly, then it must be serious.”
>You deactivated Sentinel as you called one of the crates toward you and took a seat on it
“Now talk to me.”
>Applebloom nervously rubbed her saber wielding arm and refused to remove her gaze from the ground
>Waiting patiently, you regarded her with a concerned frown before she finally walked forward
>She took a seat on the crate next to you and sighed
>”Last night, ah had a nightmare.  m-My brother was in it…”


>Be Sunset Shimmer
>Your first day on Dathomir had not gone as smoothly as you had hoped
>Without your ship, it was going to take quite a while for you to reach the next village
>You didn’t even know if anyone would even be there, or if you would face anything as terrifying as another ghost or a Rancor once you got there
>It was difficult to keep going forward with only the Force as your guide
>Yet you carried on, map in one hand and a blaster in the other
>You sighed as the red sun dipped over the horizon, shining its rays through the gnarled branches that lied above
>Night would be falling soon
>You had no shelter, and furthermore you hadn't had a bite to eat or a drop to drink since you set foot on this planet
>You chuckled as your stomach began to growl
“Heh, something tells me there’s no cantina’s on Dathomir…”
>Taking a seat on a fallen log, you took a moment to rest your feet
“Maybe if I keep going, I can reach the village by midnight… assuming the stars are bright enough for me to see in the dark…”
>A cool breeze flew past you ruffling through your jacket
>Zipping your leather coat closed, you holstered your blaster and rubbed your hands together
“Wonder if I could…”
>Another cool breeze flew past you, and as you looked up you saw that the sun was setting quickly
>Looking over toward the woods, you saw what appeared to fog bank rolling over to you
>Something about it felt unnatural
“That’s not good…”
>Rising to your feet, you took out your blaster and stared forward into the fog
“What the Hell’s going on?”
SPOILER >”Sunset.” SPOILER
>Your heart stopped as you stared wide eyed at the approaching fog
“m-Master?  Master Luna is that you!?”
SPOILER >”Sunset, you must make haste.  Wicked people are coming here for you.” SPOILER
“w-What are you—“
>A shrill scream broke the silent air
SPOILER >”Make for the east!  RUN!” SPOILER


>You assumed that the sun set in the west on this world and thus ran opposite the setting sun as the last rays of sunlight stretched over the horizon
>It had been a long time since you had heard your master speak, and you could sense the urgency behind her words
>Charging through the underbrush, you shot a glance back at the fog only to realize that it was now surrounding you
“Son of a—“
>Another anguished scream echoed over to you, stopping you dead in your tracks
>In the distance in front of you stood a lone figure
>You whipped out your blaster and shouted
“Who the Hell are you?!”
>The creature moaned at you as it shambled forward, it’s green eyes illuminating within the fog
>”AAAAAAHHH—“
>You blasted the screaming creature back, your bolt striking it directly in the head and knocking it to the ground
>Running up to it with your blaster trained on its seemingly dead body, you took a quick look at your kill
>Her hairless skeletal body stared up at you with its jaw wrenched wide open
>Its face was also adorned with the black and white paint that you associated with Zecora
>As the eerie green light left it’s eyes, you distinctly sensed the power of the Dark Side at work
“This— this thing.  Was it already dead?!“
>Several more screams echoed behind you, snapping you back to reality
>Sprinting away down your chosen path, you gripped your blaster tightly and brandished a vibroblade as well
>You fought your way through the ominous and foggy woods, towards dangers unknown
>”May the Force guide you Sunset Shimmer…"


>You did not need the Force to tell you that danger was near
>This entire planet seemed to be one massive deathtrap, a place where the Dark Side was strong and omnipresent
>It was as if Dathomir itself had decided to come to life and swallow you whole as this fog surrounded you and the sounds of horrific screams reverberated throughout the forest
>You slide to a halt as you jerk your head around and stare through the fog, one hand clutching your blaster while the other clenches your vibroblade
“Get it together Sunset!  You didn’t come this far to end up as someone’s lunch!”
>If you could outwit and outfight a Rancor then you could take on… whatever these Force-forsaken things were
>That’s what you told yourself anyway
>”AAAAAAHHHH!”
>Twisting your body about, you raise your blaster and fire at a dried out corpse charging your way
>A massive red bolt of plasma bursts right through it’s skull, leaving a now headless corpse which clatters to the ground in front of you
“Sithspit…”
>Aiming your blaster down at it, you fire another hole into it before turning around and running
>”AAAH!”
>”AAAAHH!”
>AAAAAAHHH!”
>The screams are getting louder, and although you can barely see where you’re heading it almost feels like you’re becoming surrounded
>Whenever Black Sun or anyone else tried hunting you down in the past, you were almost always able to survive by running and blasting your way out
>Sometimes you needed a little help from the Force to get by, but this time you felt like you were going to need a lot more
“REALLY wish I had a lightsaber now!”
>Another scream echoes your way as you sprint forward and take potshots at the figures shambling through the fog


>As you stagger through the underbrush, you come upon a steep hill and begin to clamber your way up it
>The way is thick with foliage but you’re able to force a way through, using your knife as leverage as you stab through the dirt and pull yourself forward
>”AAAAAAHHHH!”
>Staring up, you see a number of figures shamble toward you, their skeletal forms bouncing down as they howl for your blood
>Gritting your teeth, you keep your blade stabbed through the ground as you raise your DL-44 and take aim
>Your blaster thunders as you fire away up the hill, blowing away several of the monsters to pieces with nearly every pull of the trigger
>There had to be over a dozen of them all charging your way at once as they came closer
>After running so long all day and night, you’d just about had it
>You won’t let them push you back another inch
>”AAAAAA—*BOOM!*”
>”AAAAHHHH—*BOOM!*”
>”A—*BOOM!”
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
>You exhale as the tip of your blaster pistol releases a trail of smoke through the air, a thin line of ash coating your jacket from the undead that had ALMOST closed the distance
>Slumping your shoulders, you narrow your eyes and grit your teeth before throwing your head back and shouting
“AAAAAAAAA yourself!”
>Climbing forward, you continue to stab through the hill as you slowly regain your breath
“How the Hell did that thing go again?  There is no emotion, there is… peace…”
>”AAAAAH—BOOM!”
“There is… no ignorance, there is…”
>”AAAAAAAHH—BOOM!”
“…Knowledge…”


>As you near the top of the hill, you take a brief moment to rest as you lean against a tree
>You had been going pretty much nonstop as soon as you set foot on this world
>This place was starting to get to you, and a small part of you was getting worried at how easily you were blasting away these things
>A much bigger part of you just wanted to get out of this alive
“There is no death, there is the Force."
>You scoff and spit against the ground before stepping forward
“Guess these guys didn’t get the memo….”
>As you march along, you suddenly come upon a large clearing
>At the very center at the top of the hill, there appeared to be large slabs of stone blocks arrayed around in a great circle as well as the remains of what looked to be several smashed stone pillars lying across the ground
>The fog wasn’t so thick up here, and with the lack of trees you figured that it would be easier to see if any more of those things were coming for you
>Maybe you’re luck was starting to change a little, but you didn’t dare say that out loud
>No need to tempt fate again
>Walking toward the the top of the hill, you glanced about and saw no sign of any more of the undead or any sign of anyone at all
>You sighed as you sat down on the ground, laying your weapons aside for a moment as you took a deep breathe
>Unzipping your jacket, you let the cool night air hit you as you tried to make sense of it all
>Luna told you that wicked people were after you
>Something was definitely watching you back in that village, and the more you think about it the more it seems like that the rancor destroying your ship was all too convenient
“Someone isn’t happy I’m here…”
>As you lay your back against the remains of a broken pillar, your ears hear the faint moans and screams of monsters below the hill
>Your blaster shakes in your hand as you pick it back up, and a bead of sweat drips
>There is no death, there is the Force
“i-I’m not going to die here…”


>As you lay there on the ground, you sense a disturbance in the Force
>It almost feels like a tremor shook the entire hill and reached right up to you
>As you stood up, your eyes continually glanced all about you
>”Sunset.”
>Your eyes widen as you stare around the area
“Master?  Master Luna!”
>You cry out with a hint of desperation to your voice
“Please Master, I know you can hear me!  I need your help!  I can’t do this on my own!”
>”No you can’t.”
>Your heart stops, as you hear a voice you had not heard in years
>Slowly twisting around, you see your old master kneeling on the ground ahead of you, her robes in tatters and her armor bearing the marks of multiple battle scars as she stares at you with a saddened frown
>Behind her stands the ominous figure of a human man around your age, wearing a suit of stormtrooper armor
>Before you can say a single word, Anonymous brandishes a red saber and stabs Luna through the back
“NOOOOOOOOO!!!”
>Luna’s eyes widen in horror as Anonymous pulls his saber back and lets her now lifeless body clatter to the ground
>He glares you down with a look of pure malice as he looms over your master's body
“DAMN YOU!!!”
>You raise your blaster and unload upon Anonymous as he raises his own saber
>The red bolts zoom toward him only to be deflected into the ground, leaving blackened potholes across the landscape
>”Hahahahaha~!”
>Your heart sinks as you look over your shoulder
>A dark blue skinned woman in a black robe stands behind you, her red eyes glowing with malicious intent
>Her wide smile fills you with dread as she raises her hands to you
>The whole world seems to stand still as you are encased within a brilliant, terrible storm of lightning
>For that brief moment, all you feel is pain
>It is all so terrible that you cannot even bring yourself to scream, but then it’s over
>You open your eyes wide, and Anonymous, Midnight, and even Luna are all gone


“t-This planet… this whole place is evil…”
>Your eyes widen
>This time you are certain you aren’t alone
>You turn around with your blaster raised high and catch a fleeting glimpse of your foe standing atop a stone pillar with some kind of shining blue weapon
>Before you can catch anything more than a figure in a dark hood, a piercing pain shoots throughout your left shoulder
“ACK!”
>You drop the vibroblade to the ground as you raise your blaster and fire
>A blaster bolt takes out a chunk of the pillar before the hooded figure raises what appears to be a strange bow and fires another bolt of blue at you
>Ducking your head, you just barely avoid some kind of glowing arrow as it embeds itself in the stone slab behind you
>Slinking behind a different slab, you continue to fire up at the figure before it slips back into the shadows and seemingly disappears
“Who the Hell are you!?  ugh…”
>Glancing at your shoulder, you see that a glowing blue arrow now lays pierced through you
“Blast it…”
>”Welcome to Dathomir Jedi.”
>You glance behind you and see what looks to be the exact same figure that was standing up before you
>She holds two sickly looking black daggers in her hands as she raises her head up, allowing you to see what she looks like beneath her black hood
>Your foe appears to be of the same race as Zecora, a Nightsister
>Her face is adorned with a tribal pattern of black and white paint
>This Nightsister gives you a confident grin with her striking golden eyes illuminated within what appear to be a pair of goggles
>You don’t know how she got up in front of you so quickly, but you’re not about to waste time by asking her


>Raising up your DL-44, you take aim with your blaster and—
“AH!”
>A red beam of light strikes at your hand, snapping your blaster in half and stinging your hand
>As you step back, you see a coil of red light burning through the ground as it snaked up to a figure crouching on the rocks
“Another one!?”
>This Nightsister watched you with a wild look in her eyes as she grinned down at you
>Standing up atop her rock, you could see her long mane of unkempt black hair flow through the wind as she swung her Lightwhip through the air at you
>Ducking down, you tumble under the whip as it slices into the stone behind you
>Just as you dodge this attack, the other Nightsister quickly closes in on you with her daggers
>”Outsiders aren’t welcome here!”
>Injured and unarmed, there’s little else you can do but dodge and weave away from her
>The Nightsister’s dagger cuts close, slicing a gash through your jacket as you bounce back from her
>Filled with desperation, you cry out as you throw your hand at her and unleash a burst of energy with the Force
>This Nightsister’s eyes widen within her goggles as she seemingly sidesteps your blast, but just as you think you’ve earned yourself a breather the Nightsister with the Lightwhip falls upon you
>The whip flies through the air and nearly strikes you directly in the face as you hop back, the red beam crackling through the air
>Stumbling away from the two of them, you rush past this pillar of stone toward where you were earlier
>You realize that the other Nightsister with the Energy Bow still has to be out there, but you need a weapon and you know that you dropped your vibroblade back there
>There’s no way you’re going down without a fight



>Sprinting away is difficult with the two of them hot on your trail, and the arrow wound in your shoulder is hurting worse and worse with each step you take
>Still, you force yourself forward as you amble into the open and roll forward, grabbing the vibroblade and readying yourself
>Just as you try to prepare for their attack, the two of them slide to a halt and stare behind you
>Twisting your head, you see yet another Nightsister in a black robe
>This one brandishes a large metal three-pronged polearm, whose tips appear to crackle with electrical energy
>Slamming the backend of it in the ground, the Nighsister tosses away her robe and reveals herself to you
>She has long white hair, reminiscent of Zecora’s, but it is tied into two pigtails on either side of her head
>The Nightsister wears a disinterested look before grasping her weapon again and approaching you with a small smirk
>You bounce back as she lunges at you, the electrical hum of her weapon vibrating loudly as it narrowly misses your head
>”Hahaha!”
>”Look at her go!  She’s quick!"
>Momentarily distracted by the laughter of the goggled Nightsister and the comments of the wild-eyed one, you allow the enemy in front of you to gain the upper hand
“AAARRGH!"
>A shocking burst of energy crackles through your body, convulsing you as she slams her lance into your gut and throwing you onto your back
 >Your body shakes and you cry out in pain as your shoulder hits the ground, shoving the arrow deeper into you
>You’ve begun to lose all feeling in your shoulder, and the pain is so great that it’s getting hard to stay conscious
>Wrenching your eyes open, you continue to grasp your vibroblade as you stagger up to your feet
“Get… GET BACK!  I’ll kill… i’ll kill you…”
>The two Nightsisters behind you chuckle as they step back from your swinging blade whilst the lance-wielding nightsister coolly stares you down


>This is bad
>You know you can’t take on three of them at once, not like this
>All you had left was this little blade
>You had to get out of here
>After throwing another swipe with your weapon, you break out into a run
>Then the world appears to tumble over as you trip and fall through the air
>Just as you think you’re about to go face first into the dirt, everything appears to freeze
“w-What?!”
>Your entire body weightlessly floats upward until you find yourself looking down at the three Nightsisters from over ten feet up in the air
“n-No way!”
>Jerking your head up, you spot a FOURTH Nightsister standing atop a tall stone slab
>Unlike the others, this one wears a somewhat revealing red outfit with a pair of vaguely technological bracelets around her wrists
>She bears the distinguishable black and white face paint tattoos that all her comrades share as well as a crop of smooth white hair
>This Nighsister smirks as she raises a single hand up high to you and begins to toss you through the air like a ragdoll
“Let go of me!”
>”If you insist.”
>You’re suddenly sent flying through the air, your body hitting the ground hard as you roll across the dirt
>It becomes harder and harder to keep your eyes open as your vision grows dark
“d-Damnit…”
>The dirt crumbles beneath your grasp as you slowly rise up to your knees
>Hanging your head low, you feel a retching pain in your gut as you begin to cough
>Hacking over the ground, a few droplets of blood splatter over your fists
>”Wow, I’m surprised you made it this far!”
>Bending your head up, you spot yet another Nightsister, this one wielding a metal bow with a glowing blue string



>You glare up at her as she throws back her hood and looks down on you
>You’re momentarily taken aback by the saccharine sweet smile that she gives you, only to be shocked when it instantly transforms into an incredibly cruel glower
>”But I was expecting a lot more from a Jedi.  You’re pathetic!”
“y-YOU—“
>Bolting up at her, you raise your vibroblade up to strike
>As you close in on her, she raises her bow back and swings
>The metal surface strikes you directly in the head, sending you back reeling against the hard ground, your blade slipping out of your grasp
>Your body feels completely spent as you stare up into the night sky with only one eye
>”I really doubt she’s an actual Jedi Sour Sweet.  I sense too much of the Dark Side in her, and she’s not even that strong.”
>Glancing up, you see the pigtailed Nightsister address the one who just struck you down as Sour Sweet
>”Hey, what was that little metal thing she pointed at me?”
>You hear the nightsister with the goggles yell out behind you as the one with the long wild hair and the lightwhip walks over to address her
>”I’m pretty sure that was a blaster Indigo.”
>”A blaster?  You mean like those things droids use?  She really must be from off-world then.”
>The pigtailed Nightsister rolls her eyes as she hefts her lance and walks over
>”You really should have been more careful, she could have easily killed you with that.  It would have been a really embarrassing way to die.”
>”Hey!  I had her right where I wanted Sugarcoat!  Lemon Zest here can back me up, she saw how I sent the Jedi running for cover!”
>You hear footsteps echo over to you as the Nightsister who was tossing you around walks up beside Sour Sweet
“y-You can use the Force?!”


>Sours Sweet gives you another big smile as she looms by her sister’s side
>”We can ALL use the Force silly~”
>Only for it to crumble away into a much more malicious grin as she jabs her elbow into her friends arm
>”Sunny Flare just likes to show off.  Isn’t that right?”
>The Nightsister shrugs her shoulders as she gives you an aloof smirk
>Raising your head up, you stare at her through half-lidded eyes, the taste of blood in your mouth driving you sick with rage
“Why did you attack me!?  I haven’t done anything to you!”
>Lemon Zest acrobatically tumbles over to you as she bounces around with an excited look in her eyes
>”Don’t take it personally!  We’re just following orders, you know?”
“f-Following orders?”
>Indigo raises a clenched fist at you
>”That’s right!  If another Jedi ever came to Dathomir, then we were supposed to take care of em!  Dead or alive, you’re coming with us!”
>Your jaw hung open as you stared in shock at her
“j-Jedi?  You did this to me, because you think I’m a Jedi?…”
>”Uhh yeah?”
>Your one good eye narrows as you slowly rise up to your feet, blood trailing down your mouth
>All this pain, all this running away and being hunted and toyed with because they thought you were a Jedi?
>These people were tearing you apart because they thought you were what you so desperately wanted to be
“You… you idiots!  I’m… I’m not a Jedi…”
>Your fists shook by your sides as your bloodied and battered body trembled in anger
>Then, as if you were once again being struck down by her lightning, Midnight Sparkle’s malevolent smile flashed through your mind
“I’M NOT A JEDI!”

>Throwing your arms up to your sides, your fists cracked open and unleashed a massive storm of lightning
>The entire hill shook as you unwittingly called forth the power of the Dark Side and engulfed your foes in Force Lightning
>The Five Nightsisters standing around you convulsed and screamed in agony as you threw them all back
>Then, as soon as it had come, the lightning ended
>You stood alone, your entire body steaming as your now slightly blackened hands laid by your sides
>Exhaling a cold breath, your chest heaved as you stared down at your handiwork
>Each of your foes lied on the ground, groaning in pain as you stared down at them
>Blinded by your rage, you raised your hands up to them again
>A single burst of hate, one last push, and you could kill them all
>You could strike them down here and now for everything they’ve done
>Straightening your back, you raised two open palms up on either side of your body
“I’m not a Jedi.”
>Killing was always easy before, what’s five more lives to you?
>They’re helpless now too, just as you were
>Just like so many of the people you’ve killed
>Weak and helpless
“I’m not a Jedi…”
>You shut your one good eye
>Midnight’s grin faded from your mind, and you remembered Luna’s caring smile
“…yet.”
>Your arms fell by your sides and you began to stagger away from them down the hill
>Reaching up for your vibroblade, you called the weapon into your burnt hand
>Nearly every inch of your body was in agony, but you pressed on as you always did
“Master… I’m sorry…”
>You staggered away down the hill, making your way through the foggy woods


>Completely spent, you limped along with every last bit of energy you had left
>Falling to one knee, you hung your head low as your good eye began to close
“I’m so sorry…”
>”You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“m-Master?”
>Throwing your head up, you saw a dark skinned woman in brown robes slowly approach you through the fog
>Luna smiled at you as she walked closer, filling your body with warmth
>”I am so very proud of you."
>A single tear fell from your eye
“Master Luna…”
>With that, your body collapsed to the ground
>Before your eye shut closed, you looked up to the night sky and saw a tall blue skinned figure looking down on you, his head adorned with cranial horns as if he wore a crown


>Be Anonymous
>”So, what do you think it all means?”
>You looked down at Applebloom curiously as she stared up at you with a somewhat desperate look in her eyes
>The last hour or so, you had listened to her tell you about the nightmares she has been experiencing
>Apparently, she had been having such vivid dreams ever since the night before she left Prakith, until now when they had become so intense that they were starting to grate on her mind
>Her progress today in your sparring matches had been mediocre compared to how well she had been doing in the previous few days
>It was enough to make you pause for concern, and listen fully and patiently to her troubles
“In each of these dreams, you see your brother?”
>She nodded her head
“And this… monster that keeps appearing?  You have no idea what that is?”
>She shook her head
>You sighed
“And this place, this city?  You have no idea what it is or where its at?”
>”All ah really know is that they looked like other Mandalorians.  Ah couldn’t tell what clan they were from, but there was no mistaking the armor they wore…”
>You scratched the back of your head as you listened to her go on
>Suddenly, she hopped off of the crate she was sitting next to you on and addressed you with a smile
>”It’s all real silly ain’t it?  Ah’m just letting my feelings get the best of me…”
>Applebloom addressed you with a small respectful nod
>”Ah really appreciate you listening to me Anon.  Ah promise this won’t distract me again!”
>You stared at her unconvinced as she suddenly turned her back on you
>”Ah’ll go get some rest.  When we practice again later ah’ll do much better!”
>Sighing, you folded your arms over your chest as you watched her walk toward the ladder out of the cargo hold
“It could be a vision.”


>”Huh?”
>Applebloom’s forced smile faltered as she stared back at you
“Sometimes, the Force will try to communicate with people.  Several times over the years I have  seen visions.  I’ve seen things of what may happen, or what has already happened, to me and the people around me.”
>She walked up to you with a curious glint in her eyes
>”So you’re saying what I’m seeing, might happen?”
“That, or it could have already happened.  I’m unsure.”
>Applebloom’s shoulders slumped as she attempted to process this information
“I don’t know what it means, but I advise you to think over it very carefully.  Don’t just write it off as your mind playing tricks on you.”
>She remained silent, clearly absorbed in thought, as you watched her
>You decided to sit there as she mulled over all of this, while your own mind tried to make sense of it
>It all sounded too vivid, too emotional, for it to have just been a normal dream
>Whatever this dream was meant to be about, it had to have been important
>It had admittedly piqued your own curiosity
>”Ah… ah think…”
“Yes?"
>Applebloom looked you closely in the eyes as her hands gripped into fists
>“Ah think ah need to go home!”
>Your eyes widened at her
“Excuse me?!”
>Her intense gaze faltered as you gawked at her
>”w-Well, this vision has something to do with my people, ah’m almost sure of it.  What if—What if Big Mac is trying to tell me something?”
>You quirked an eyebrow at her
“You honestly believe that?”
>She folded her hands behind her back as she slowly nodded
>”Yes…”


>You gave her a severe stare as you stood up from your seat and looked down at her
“You do realize you are on the most important mission of your life, don’t you?  You have been selected to hunt down a Jedi Knight.   This hunt will decide whether or not you can become an Inquisitor.  Are you sure seeing your family is worth risking your mission?”
>Applebloom shuddered slightly, an apparent sign that she wasn’t entirely sure
>She was obviously looking to you for some direction, but you were intent on making her decide her own fate
>”Ah need to know for certain that everything’s ok, and maybe my family would be able to help me make more sense out of all this.  Ah need to go…”
>You scowled down at her as she withered under your intense gaze
>Truth be told, you were still bitter over being dragged into all of this, despite the fact that you more-or-less chose to become Applebloom’s overseer for her mission
>You were convinced that the hunt for Iron Will was going to be a long and arduous one, and it was still unclear what you had to personally gain from it
>Still, you could not lie to yourself and say that you did not care about Applebloom
>If this mission somehow earned you a new ally in your plans for the future, then perhaps it would all be worth it
>”Ah have to do it.  Please Anon, can we go?”
>Your scowl became even harsher as you looked down at her
“You don’t need to ask my permission.  I am simply your overseer, my duty is to assist you and provide advice.  I personally think this might be a huge waste of time, but if you really want to go see your family then I won’t stop you.”
>”y-You mean it?”
>You sighed at her
“Yes, I mean it, now come on.”
>You walked past her and climbed up the ladder out of the cargo hold
>Strolling into the cockpit, you stood in front of the controls as Applebloom quickly joined your side


>The cockpit windshield was still awash in a brilliant blue light as you all raced through hyperspace toward Dathomir
>You were less than three days away
>Punching in the controls, the Lambda shuttle quickly jettisoned out of hyperspace and left you floating essentially in the middle of nowhere
“Now then… let’s see…”
>Bringing up the Navigation computer, you looked over the map of the galaxy
“Hmm, Mandalore isn’t really too far away…”
>”Uhm, actually Anon, my clan ain’t from Mandalore.”
“They’re not?  Then where are they?”
>Applebloom leaned toward the Nav computer and zoomed in on the area of the galaxy called the Mandalorian Sector
>She zeroed in further on a planet that lied less than a parsec away from Mandalore itself
“Ordo?”
>”Uh huh, born and raised."
>You narrowed your eyes at the map as your computer analyzed the world
“There’s not a whole lot of data on it… what’s Ordo like?”
>”Well, its mostly a desert world but it get’s pretty green around the equator.  The Apple Clan has lived there for thousands of years, alongside a few dozen other clans…”
>Applebloom beamed as she stared down at a 3d image of her home world
>”Ah haven’t seen it since I was a little girl.”
“Heh, don’t forget your mission.  We’ll only be staying long enough for you to get help with these dreams of yours, then we should head straight to Dathomir.”
>”Understood!”
>You sat down and began to type in new coordinates to the planet Ordo
>”You’re gonna love it!  My clan will give us a real warm welcome when they see us.”
>You chuckled at her as you finished punching in the new codes
“Mandalorians never struck me as one for warm hospitality.”
>She smiled back at you as the shuttle prepared to jump to Hyperspace
>”My family’s real special.”
>With that, your ship lurched forward as you all reentered Hyperspace


>Be Sunset Shimmer
>Warmth fills your body as your eye flutters open
>You can hear the crackle of a roaring fire close by, and as you tilt your head you see what appears to be a small blazing pit hewn from stone
>An attempt to move your body immediately tells you that you’re in pretty bad shape
>For some reason you can only see out of one eye, but when you attempt to raise your hand up to your face you flinch and hiss in pain
>A sharp jolt hits you from your shoulder, which you glance toward and see is completely covered in bandages
>Then you remember
>That Nightsister, the one called Sour Sweet, and all the other Nightsisters…
>Your hand on your good arm grips into a fist and strikes against the ground as you struggle to hold back your hate
>The arrow that pierced through your shoulder, and the strike that was delivered to your face with her bow…
>Will you ever even be able to see from that eye again?
>Rising up to your feet is another struggle in of itself
>Your aching body is able to keep you balanced, but as soon as you take your first steps you realize that you are walking with a minor limp
“They really did a number on me.”
>Leaning against the stone wall elicits another sudden shock of pain, and when you glance down at your hands you see that they are both completely covered in bandages as well
>Then you remember once more
>The Lightning you summoned, in your fit of desperate rage
>How close you became to acting like your old self…
>You stare down intensely at your burnt hands and sigh
>’You have nothing to be sorry for.'
>’I am so very proud of you.’
“Master…"


>Limping away from the fiery pit, you are able to find a small bucket of water
>You almost dunk your hands into it to splash your face, before you remember the shape that they are in
>Instead you pick up a ladle and raise a spoonful up to your face, grateful to have something for your parched throat
>When the water in the bucket settles, you are treated to a blurry reflection of yourself
>In addition to the tribal-like Black Sun tattoos that adorn your face, it appears you have now received a black eye-patch
>You sigh at yourself
“Well, maybe it’s not permanent like the rest of me.”
>After downing another large spoonful of water, you drop the ladle into the bucket and stand back up
>Within the dimly lit room, you are able to spot what looks to be a large door as well as your ragged leather jacket lying beside it which you are quick to throw on
>Wrenching it open is somewhat difficult given your current state, but you are slowly able to lift it open
>What you see on the other side leaves you breathless
“This… I can’t still be on Dathomir, can I?”
>The trees that adorned the landscape looked to be bristling with life, yet nothing appeared to be overgrown
>The stars above shone brightly, with only the barest hint of the red sun shining over the mountains in the horizon
>A small hint of sea-salt in the breeze told you that the ocean couldn’t be too far away
>Most telling of all was that even with your limited understanding of the Force, you could sense that the Dark Side, which up until now seemed present throughout the entire world, was absent from this place
>It was almost as if you had set food on Alaris Prime for the very first time
>”Well look who’s finally up from her beauty nap.”
>You glanced over the landscape to a patch of grass where a massive figure knelt with his back turned to you


>The man wore what appeared to be a dark brown cape of sorts, the same color and style of which was reminiscent of the Jedi Robes you remember seeing Luna wear at times
>His head was adorned with various horns, almost making it appear as if he wore a crown
“Iron Will?”
>The figure rose up to his feet, standing up to what could’ve been two meters in height
>He turned to face you with a severe gaze, his eyes examining you closely as he marched over
>Save for the cape he wore along with a pair of ragged brown trousers, he wore little else
>His shirtless body revealed the pattern of black tattoos that ran across his dark blue skin
>As he stood just across from you, you could also see various faint outlines of scars on his body as well as the glint of what looked to be a large and somewhat rusty lightsaber hanging from his waist
>”So, what do you think you are doing on my world?”
“Your world?”
>Iron Will crossed his arms over his muscular chest as he glared down at you, his cape billowing in the wind
“a-Aren’t you Iron Will?  The Jedi Master?”
>He snorted at you
>”I was never a Jedi Master.  I was a Knight, and I am neither of those things now.  Are you going to answer my question, or should I also ask what a Black Sun Assassin would want with me?”
>Your eyes widened and you nearly took a step back from him as he stared you down
>However, something about the tone of his voice set you off
>All the blood and sweat you had given to come here, only for things to start out like this?
>You painfully clenched a fist as you stepped forward and raised your voice
>”I’m not with Black Sun anymore, and I never will be again!”
>Iron Will looked at you curiously before chuckling
>”Then who are you?”
“I am Sunset Shimmer.”
>”Sunset Shimmer… and what does Sunset Shimmer, someone who used to be a Black Sun agent, want with Iron Will, who used to be a Jedi Knight?”


>Dropping your fist to your side, you took in a deep breathe before slowly exhaling
“I want to be what you used to be, a Jedi Knight!”
>”A Jedi Knight…”
>Iron Will dropped his own arms by his sides as he stared down at you with a glint in his eyes
>”Why?  Is it because you want power?  Or revenge?”
“No!  It’s not like that… I want to help people.  i-I’ve hurt a lot of people in my life, and now I feel like I have this opportunity to make amends for it all.”
>”So you consider yourself a martyr huh?  I’m not going to waste my time with someone who pities herself.”
>Your eyes narrowed as you glared back at him
“It’s about more than that!  The Empire, the Sith… I’ve seen what they can do, and I know that someone needs to stand up to them.”
>”And what makes you think that someone is you?”
>You lowered your head as his blunt words hit you
>Gritting your teeth you stared back up at him as intensely as you could
“If I don’t, then who will?”
>Another brisk wind flew past the two of you as you stared one another down, each of you refusing to break eye contact
>”Heh…”
>Your eyes slowly widened as Iron Will’s brutal facade cracked
>”Ah HA!  HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
>His raucous laughter bellowed out over the countryside as he bent his head back and trembled
>Breaking his laughter, he jabbed a finger out to you and smiled
>”I think I like you Sunset Shimmer!  You got a lot of guts!”
“t-Thank you?”
>He smirked down at you with a cocky grin
>”I’ll tell you what Sunset, I could use someone with spunk like yours.”
“Are you saying you’ll have me as your apprentice?”
>”As long as you don’t slow me down TOO much, then sure!  There’s just one thing though…”


>Iron Will’s grin fell
>”If you’re going to stay here and train with me, then you can expect my enemies to become your enemies.  The Nightsisters are going to come back for you if you stay here, and if you think they were bad then you haven’t even met their Mother yet.”
>Your eyes narrowed as each of those five faces flashed through your mind again
>Anger gripped you, if only for a moment, before you breathed out and stared determinedly back at Iron Will
“I had plenty of enemies already, it’s not like a few more is going to make much of a difference.  Besides, they trashed my ship.  You’re stuck with me now.”
>Iron Will chuckled at you as he reached for his lightsaber
>”I guess so… kneel down.”
>Dropping to your knees, you stared up at Iron Will as he gripped his lightsaber with one hand
>Igniting the long blue saber beam, Iron Will raised the weapon to just above your bandaged shoulder
>”Sunset Shimmer, from this day forward you will be my student.”
>You grinned back at him before lowering your head
>A sense of joy, unlike anything you had felt in years, overwhelmed you as you realized you would finally be able to continue your training once gain
>You could become a Jedi Knight
“Thank you Master Iron Will.”
>He snorted as he raised his blue saber and lowered it over your other shoulder
>”Just call me Iron Will.”


>Be Anonymous
“…"
>”Anon?”
“Hm?”
>You raised your head up at Applebloom and broke out of your meditative stance
>”a-Are you OK?  Ah’ve never you seen you meditate quite like that.”
>Furrowing your brow, you rise up to your feet and rub a hand against the back of your neck
“How long have you been standing there?”
>”About ten minutes or so.  Ah didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“No, that’s alright.  I just thought…. I felt something quite strange just now, through the Force, but I’m not sure what.”
>Applebloom quirked her head at you, her eyes wide with curiosity as you spoke
>Shaking your head, you addressed Applebloom with a reserved smile
“Ordo’s only two days away now, correct?”
>”Actually, we should get there sometime tomorrow afternoon ah reckon.”
“Excellent, we still have plenty of time to train until then.”
>You reach into your cloak and brandish two of more of the training remotes
“We’ll continue the same exercises as before.  Try not to destroy these, there the last ones left.”
>”Gotcha!”
>The two of you exchanged a short bow before she hopped back with a wide smile and brandished Aay’han
>Her lightsaber’s long red beam hummed through the air as she eagerly adopted an opening stance
>You tossed the two training remotes into the air and brandished Sentinel
>It was difficult not to crack a grin as you saw Applebloom ready herself
>Igniting your yellow beam, you marched around the cargo hold and watched as she effortlessly blocked the continuous blaster fire thrown her way with her Shien style
>Unbeknownst to her, you gripped a third training remote underneath your cloak
>You were confident that even with this surprise waiting for her, that she would be able to adapt
>She was proving to be a fine student
>In time, she may even prove to be worthy of becoming your apprentice
>Only time would tell

>Whatever that disturbance was you felt in the Force becomes meaningless to you as you return all of your attention back to Applebloom’s training and on reaching Ordo
>When the time of arrival is nearly at hand, you enter the cockpit and take a seat at the helm with Applebloom close by your side
>Your fingers tap against the piloting console as the blue lights of Hyperspace bounce off of your armor
“So… I have been wondering.”
>”Hm?”
>Applebloom perks up as you twist the chair around toward her
“What will your clanmates think when they see what you have become?  You’ve been gone for years now, do they even know what happened to you?”
>Applebloom smiles and nods her head
>”Of course they do!  Why wouldn’t they?”
>You give Applebloom a blank stare as you fold your arms over your chest
“Am I to understand that your clan wanted you to become what you are now?”
>Applebloom leaned over the console as her smile faded
>”Well… it’s kind of complicated but yeah.  Ah mean, a lot of my clan-mates weren’t really happy about it but our Granny wanted it for us.”
“Your Granny?”
>She nodded her head as she perked up a bit
>”Granny Smith is the matriarch of our clan, and my grandma!  She practically raised me my whole life.”
“And did Granny Smith give you over to the Empire?”
>”Uh huh.”
>You remained silent as you tried to make sense of it all
>”Maybe ah better explain…”


>”Ya see, my clan’s a little bit different from most of the other Mandalorians.  We aren’t really that big, but we’re really old.  We trace our ancestry back a long way to the times when our people used to go around conquering the whole galaxy!”
>You listened closely as Applebloom animatedly explained it all to you
>”My Granny raised me and most of my kin on stories of what our people did in the old times.  One of the things she used to talk about was the Sith Lords.”
>Your eyes widened slightly
“The Sith Lords?”
>She nodded her head as she raised a finger up
>”Granny taught us that in the old days, the Mandalorians and the Sith used to see eye to eye pretty well.  We often had what she called ‘a mutual understanding’, but our clan took this a little bit further than a lot of the other clans.”
“Go on…”
>”Well it’s a long story, but what ah’m basically trying to say is that Granny Smith knew a lot about the Force, even if she couldn’t really use it like us, and she knew a few things about the Sith.  She claimed that when the Jedi Order fell, it was because the Sith had taken over.”
“She knew that?  Could your grandmother see visions through the Force as well?”
>”Ah think it was more of a gut feeling she always had.  Not everyone believed her… at least not until the Inquisitorius came to Ordo.  Then we all knew she was right.”
>Suddenly the ship lurched forward to an abrupt stop as the blue lights of Hyperspace disappeared
>”THERE IT IS!”
>Applebloom hopped up to her feet and grinned happily as the planet came into view
>Mostly tan in color, with multiple bright yellow suns lying about it, Applebloom’s home world did appear to be almost entirely desert with noticeably snowy caps at the poles and a thin green stretch of land lying around the Equator
“You’re going to have to direct me.”
>”No problem, ah know exactly where we’re heading!”


>You grasped the controls and manually sped the Lambda down toward Ordo
>All the while, your thoughts lingered on exactly what kind of people Applebloom’s clan mates were
>They didn’t sound like typical Mandalorians, but then again there was a lot about her people you didn’t understand
>Perhaps your teachers would have known more, they might have even fought side by side with Applebloom’s people when they were in their prime
>These were all questions that would have to wait though
>What was important now was finding Applebloom’s family and discovering what these visions of her’s meant
“Entering Ordo’s atmosphere…”
>Your ship shook as it breached through Ordo’s relatively thin ozone and soared over a huge stretch of clouds
>Under Applebloom’s direction, you flew along the edge of Ordo’s equator toward a place that Applebloom was certain her family could be found
>”It’s called Sweet Apple Acres.  Easily the prettiest little place on the whole planet.”
>Descending through the clouds, you were treated to the sight of rolling green hills and vibrant forests
“It’s quite pretty.”
>Your com channel lit up as it acquired a signal
>Someone was attempting to contact you
>”I’ll get that!”
>Scrambling over to the computer, Applebloom cleared her voice before opening up the channel
>”This is Applebloom of Clan Apple, requesting permission to dock at a designated landing strip.  The landing codes are—“
>Applebloom was cut off as a gruff voice broke over the channel and spoke out in a language you didn’t understand
>Her face fell as the voice barked over the channel
“What is that?”
>”It’s Mandalorian, hang on…”
>Applebloom began to speak back over the channel in her native tongue as she frowned down at the computer
>You could not tell what, but something felt off…

>Slowing the engines down, you scrolled over to the ship’s camera systems and scanned the area as Applebloom continued to speak over the com channel
>You’re not exactly sure what you’re looking for but you have the feeling that something should stand out
“Hm?”
>You spot a metal tower of some kind lying over ten kilometers in the distance, standing tall over a stretch of forest
“A Turbolaser Tower?
>It makes sense that Clan Apple would have defenses around its compound, but something about this one looks off
>Zooming in on the tower, you see that a large banner is draped over the side of it
>If you recall correctly, Applebloom stated that the symbol of her clan was three apples arrayed around each other in a triangle
>This did not look quite like that at all
>The banner depicted a… pillar?
>Perhaps it was a ship of some kind?
“Applebloom, come look at this.”
>Breaking away from the com channel, Applebloom stared down at the camera feed
>Her eyes widened in shock
“What is that?”
>”It’s the symbol of Clan Ordo!”
“Clan Ordo?  There’s a CLAN Ordo?”
>”They’re one of the biggest on the planet, only one that’s been here longer than mine.  But why are they—?”
>As she spoke, the Turbolaser sprang to life, it’s guns twirling about and leveling on you
>”What the hay?!”
“Ah Hell!”
>Slamming on the throttle, your Lambda zoomed forward as a burst of laser fire lit up the sky
>”AAH!”
>The ship shook about as the turbolaser tower struck a glancing blow against the shuttle, causing emergency symbols to light up and alarms to blare


>A coarse laughter echoed out over the com channel as Applebloom angrily loomed over it
>”These AREN’T my clan-mates!”
“I can see that!”
>You settled into your seat as your heart began to race
>Grasping over the controls, you made an emergency turn and began to zoom away from the compound
>”Ah don’t understand what’s going on!  Why is Clan Ordo—!?”
“Three ships have just popped up on my radar!  Come take a look at this!”
>She ran over to the radar and gasped
>”Those are Gauntlet Fighters, and they’re coming right for us!”
“Damn it all!”
>The shuttle trembled as a hail of laser fire rained down upon you, causing you to fly in your seat as Applebloom struggled to maintain her balance
“Shields are at 60%!  Get on those guns!”
>”g-Got it!”
>Hopping over to the the computer terminal lying away from the piloting console, Applebloom sat down and took control of the shuttle's laser batteries
>You took a deep breathe to steady your hands as you gripped the steering yoke whilst glancing at the incoming vessels on your rearview camera
>They were rather large and long for fighters and were vaguely triangular in shape while bearing a white and blue color scheme
>These Gauntlet Fighters looked to be quite fast and maneuverable despite their size, and they sported large laser cannons near their front
“Blow them out of the sky!”
>Activating the rear guns, Applebloom unleashed a stream of roaring laser fire upon your pursuers as they sped after you
>As she opened fire on them, you attempted to weave your shuttle up and about in an attempt to dodge their own barrage
>Try as you might, you were never that great of a pilot and the Lambda was no starfighter
>It’s shields were tough, but you were taking a massive beating
“Shields at 30%!”
>Slamming once more on the throttle, your rerouted more power to the engines and began to fly the ship lower in an attempt to throw your pursuers off

>The Lambda raced over the countryside at well over the speed of sound
>At such incredible speed, you found yourself being pushed further back into your seat
>You grit your teeth as alarms continued to blare into your ears and red lights flashed over your face
>Suddenly, a second Turbolaser battery bearing the banner of Clan Ordo began to loom over the horizon
>Jerking the ship to the side, you narrowly avoided a massive laser blast as it zoomed past you
“Bastards!”
>You snarled as you raised a clenched fist and slammed it down over your weapons system
>A tiny red blur exploded out from the shuttle as you fired a proton torpedo
>As you struggled to avoid the turbo laser’s fire, a stray blast smashed into the hull of your ship and nearly sent you flying out of your seat
>Enraged, you nearly fired off a second missile before you saw the first torpedo collide with the Turbolaser Tower
>A massive explosion rocked the tower, encasing it in flames and ending it’s barrage
>You smirked to yourself as you flew past the ruined battery at maximum speed
>Your smile did not last long as a warning signal, far louder than the rest, began to wail at you
“Shields at 10%, and the cargo-hold’s been blown wide open!”
>At that, a massive explosion echoed over to you as Applebloom cried out in joy
>”I got one!”
>Glancing at your rearview camera, you watched as one of the massive Gauntlet Fighters, encased in flames and falling apart, fell from the sky and crashed into the ground
>1 down, 2 left
>You chuckled uneasily as your eyes darted over the cameras and your various warning lights
“She’s… not going to make it.”
>”What?”
“Get over here and strap in!  I’m activating the Escape Pod!”

>”Hang on!  Give me ten more seconds!”
>The ship lurched as another bolt struck it, the lights temporarily turning on and off inside the cockpit as you struggled to maintain control
“APPLEBLOOM!”
>Rerouting as much power as you could to the rear shields, you clambered out of your seat toward Applebloom
>As you stomped closer to the terminal you saw another one of the the Gauntlet Fighters burst apart into fiery fragments under her laser fire
>”I got another one!  There’s only one—AAAAHH!”
>The screen blew apart as the entire terminal shortciruited, sending a shock of electricity out from it
>You snarled as you grabbed Applebloom by the scruff of her tunic and tore her away from the malfunctioning screen
>Tossing her into the co-pilot seat, you quickly strapped her seatbelt on as she lied dazed and confused
>Just as you finished fastening her strap, the entire cockpit lurched yet again as sparks flew out from the consoles and smoke began to seep in from the back room
“Blast it!”
>There wasn’t another moment to spare
>You fell upon the terminal and crashed your fist against the glass protected EJECT button
>As a burst of flame shot out through the backdoor, the blast door suddenly clenched shut and the entire cockpit of the Lambda shuttle was sent flying away
>Gravity took control as your body was sent sprawling against the blast door
“AAARRGH!”
>Raising your arms over your head, you watched as the cockpit of the ship raced down toward the surface
>As the pod made impact with the ground, you were sent flying about once again
>All you remember was a brief moment of blunt pain before your vision went black


>Be Applebloom
>You groan as your eyes flutter open and discover that you appear to be hanging upside down from your seat
“Damn…”
>Feeling the blood rush up to your head, you shake yourself awake as memories of what just happened slowly return to you
>The cockpit of the ship appears to be laying on it’s back, and sparks of electricity are flying out from all over the dark room
“Sparks…”
>Your eyes widen as you suddenly remember the gun terminal you were manning fizzling out and engulfing you in an electric shock
>Then you remember slipping out of consciousness as Anon strapped you down in your seat
“Anon?”
>You glance around, your eyes eventually falling upon a crumpled figure draped in a black cloak
“ANON!”
>Tearing yourself out of your seat, you hurriedly tumble to the ground and drop to your knees in front of Anonymous
>You reach a hand over him and gently pull him into your grasp
“Anon?”
>His eyes are closed, and there is a a fair amount of blood dripping down the side of his head
>You try to find a pulse, any sign that he is still alive, but struggle to do so with all the armor he is wearing
>He’s not moving, and you can’t tell if he’s breathing
“n-No, not you too… WAKE UP!  ANON!!!”
>”Not so loud…"
>Your jaw drops as he wrenches his eyes open and frowns at you
>It’s impossible not to return his frown with a relieved smile
“Thank the Force…”
>You raise a hand over your eyes and quickly wipe away a single tear of joy as you grin down at Anonymous
“Anon, are you alright?  How many fingers am I holding up?”
>”Three, no four.”
“It was three…”

>He narrows his eyes as he glares up at you
>The look he gives you sends a chill up your spine
“a-Anon, why are you—“
>You are suddenly  thrown off balance as he grapples you by your tunic and pulls you down in front of his snarling face
>”I told you to get in the damn seat and strap in!”
“a-Ah’m sorry, a-ah was just trying t-to—“
>”The next time I tell you to do something JUST DO IT!”
>You were left speechless
>Seldom had you ever seen Anonymous this angry
“Ah, y-you—“
>Anonymous winced in pain as he let go of you and grasped the side of his head
“h-Hang on!  Ah’ll go grab the medical kit and ah can get you cleaned up!”
>”There’s no time for that now.”
“What do you mean?”
>Anonymous groaned as he rose up to his feet, grasping the wall for leverage as he did so
>”I can sense them coming…”
>Your ears perked up as you heard the sound of an engine roaring overhead
“The last Gauntlet Fighter…”
>The hum of a saber shocked your attention back to Anonymous as he brandished his weapon, the yellow glow lighting up the dim room
>”Give me a hand.”
“o-OK!”
>You reach into your belt and take out Aay’han, igniting it’s long red beam as you stand up beside Anonymous
>Following his lead, the two of you stab your sabers through the wall and carve open a circular hole through it
>Deactivating your sabers, the two of you shove your weight against the wall and open up a hole as Anonymous hops out and staggers over the sand
“Sand?”
>When you hop out beside him, you see that gone are the green fields of Sweet Apple Acres
>It would seem that in the chaos of the chase you failed to notice that you were now quite a long ways away from home


>Gazing out across the horizon, you could see that you were within the rocky hills of the endless wastes
>The barren deserts that covered almost the entirety of your home world, a place where only the strong could survive
>Had you lived on Ordo long enough, you would have likely been sent here for your adulthood rites just like your older brother and sister
>Several bright suns beam down upon the two of you as you march away from the crashed pod of the Lambda shuttle
>Glancing over at Anon, you can hear him breathe heavily as he staggers through the sand, kicking rocks aside and dust up in the air with each step he takes
“Anon, maybe you should—?“
>”Over there!”
>He raises up a finger and points up an adjacent cliffside
>A sun obscures your vision, but you can see the outline of a Gauntlet Fighter with its wings positioned upright in a landing position along the top of the cliff
>As you raise a hand up to help clear your vision, you hear the unmistakable roars of jetpacks igniting
>Various figures fly up into the air and circle around you
>Your eyes widen as you glance around and see roughly two dozen Mandalorian Supercommandos, dressed in armor and raising blasters at the two of you
>Anonymous sneers at the various warriors as they close in
>”Oh good…”
>The two of you end up pressing your backs against one another as you face down your foes
>”Well look at this men!  We got ourselves a little brat from Clan Apple and an Imperial Stormtrooper!”
“Little brat?”
>You jerk your head over your shoulder and glare at a Supercommando dressed in red-outlined armor
>”I don’t know how long you’ve been away from home kid, but your clan isn’t welcome here anymore.  Your Imperial scumbag friends sure as Hell aren’t welcome either!”
“What are you talking about?  w-Where’s my family?!”
>Before the commando could answer, a comrade of his ran up to his side and whispered something to him
>”So, you’re Smith’s grandchild…”


>Your heart began to beat faster as the commando uttered your grandmother’s name
“w-What the Hell’s so important about that?  w-Where’s my grandma!?”
>A dark sense of dread began to creep into you as the various commando’s coldly stared you down
>The commando leading them raised a hand up high and barked out
>“Take the Apple girl alive.  A political prisoner can be useful to us.”
>Your jaw dropped as you shakily reached a hand toward the lightsaber stuffed in your belt
“p-Political prisoner?  What the Hell’s going on!?"
>”What about the stormtrooper sir?”
>You stole a nervous glance at Anoymous, who stood behind you
>His breathing had slowed down by this point, but he appeared to be having difficulty standing straight
“a-Anon, what do we do?”
>Your heart skipped a beat as he looked down at you, anger seething through his eyes as he whispered
>”Kill them all.”
>The Supercommando leader stepped forward from the crowd as he brandished a Westar 34 blaster pistol
>”Hear this Imperial scum!  Mandalore might have fallen to your vaulted Emperor, but Ordo will ALWAYS be free!  Take that to your grave!”
>A large red blaster bolt roared out from his gun as he fired upon Anon
“LOOK OUT!”
>You watched in horror as Anonymous did nothing more than raise a hand up as the blaster bolt barreled into him
>The bolt struck his hand, and to your immense shock, exploded into sparks
>”What?!”
>Your eyes widened at Anonymous as he stood behind you, completely unharmed
>After staring in shock, the Supercommando fired another blast at Anonymous
>Raising up his other hand, the blast again exploded into sparks in his palm
>”How the Hell…?"
>Then you felt it, as surely as one might hear the boom of thunder
>You sensed the Dark Side of the Force


>At first, you sensed that something had changed in Anonymous
>Then you saw it with your own eyes
>He looked taller and larger, as if his suit of armor had suddenly become too small for him
>His eyes narrowed, almost becoming less like that of a man and more like that of a monster
>The blood that had been splattered across his face from the crash landing, which had caused you so much concern only a few minutes ago, now made him appear as if the blow had done nothing but anger him
>You could sense the Force radiating from him as you stood beside him, as surely as one might feel heat by standing in front of a bonfire
>As you stared at him, you wondered if this could really be Anonymous?
>When he opened his mouth to speak, he sounded more enraged than ever
>”Your planet is mine to do with as I please.  TAKE THAT TO YOUR GRAVE!”
>A fierce storm of lightning exploded from Anon’s fingertips and engulfed the Supercommando and a half-dozen of his comrades
>You were frozen in shock as you watched them scream in horror, their skeletons briefly flashing through their armor before your very eyes
>”APPLEBLOOM!  DRAW YOUR SABER!  ATTACK!”
>Anonymous’ cry shook you out of inaction as you brandished Aay’han
>No sooner had you ignited your lightsaber did dozens of blaster bolts rain down upon the two of you
>Fear gripped you as readily as you gripped your saber, fueling your defense as you adopted your Shien style
>Waving your saber through the air, you quickly guarded yourself and Anonymous against the onslaught of blaster fire
>Strangely, this felt much like the training you had done in the past with your remote drones
>In that moment, despite the immense fear and anxiety coursing through your mind, you tricked yourself into thinking you were simply training
>”I’M HIT!"
>”AAAHH!”
>ARRGH!!!”
>Your stance slackened as the illusion fell apart and you saw several commandos slumped on the ground, their blaster bolts having been redirected at them


>Anonymous left your side as he ignited his own saber and leaped forward through the air at group of foes
>You completely turned your attention away from him as several more screams, including his own, filled the air
>Staring back at the warriors before you, several of them holstered their blasters and brandished blades
>You recognized their weapons as Beskads, large machete-like swords that were often forged from Mandalorian Iron
>”Remember, take her alive!”
>A handful of them charged forward with their swords, and as they approached you felt your fear slowly transform into anger
>You refused to be a prisoner
“You’ll never take me alive!”
>Shoving a hand into your belt, you whipped out the Westar 35 Applejack had given you and fired
>A massive blue bolt of plasma exploded from the old gun, surprising you with it's powerful recoil
>The blast pierced one of the charging Mandalorians directly through his heart, knocking him off his feet
>Another of the supercommandos nearly closed the distance, only for you to blast him in the face and practically blow his head off
>Before you could get off another shot, the rest of them fell upon you
>You dropped the blaster and gripped your lightsaber with both hands, hastily blocking an overhead chop as Mandalorian Iron struck your lightsaber in a hail of sparks
>Shoving your weight back, you threw your foe off balance and quickly blocked a slash from his comrade
>A third swordsman rushed in, and you were reminded of a Djem So maneuver your sister had taught you long ago
>Tightening your grip over your saber hilt, you threw your weight behind a massive horizontal slash that knocked his blade aside and threw him off balance
>Then, without even thinking about it, you raised your saber up and chopped downwards
>”GYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
>Your jaw dropped as your saber diagonally sliced through the warrior's torso, nearly cleaving him completely in two


>Your anger wavered as the now lifeless swordsman slumped away from you
>You had never seen such carnage
>”She’s too dangerous to take alive!  JUST KILL HER!”
“NO!!!”
>With a vicious horizontal slash, you sliced at the next warrior who charged your way
>With a pained cry, he fell apart as he was cut in twain
“AH WON'T!”
>You charged forward with your saber at another warrior, using the Force to bolster your speed
>He gasped in shock as your saber pierced through his chest
”DIE!”
>Kicking the impaled warrior back, you raised your saber and instinctively blocked a blaster bolt directly back at your attacker
>The blast blew him aside as you frantically readied your weapon
“LIKE THIS!”
>Twisting about, you ducked as another swordsman swung his Beskad at your head
>Shoving your weight forward, you slashed your saber up at him with one hand
>He bellowed in agony as you sliced off his arms and shoved him back with the Force, his back slamming against a boulder
>”BEHIND YOU!"
>As Anon’s scream echoed at you, you twisted aside to see three supercommandos pouncing on you at once
>Your eyes widened and your heart stopped as their blades soared through the air
>Then everything became awash in a brilliant blue light as lightning struck all three of them
>The three warriors howled as they were tossed aside
>You gazed to the source of the lightning, and saw Anonymous with one smoking gloved hand outstretched toward you while another hand gripped his saber, which was currently pierced through a super commando’s chest
>His tattered cloak billowed in the hot desert wind as blood dripped down his armor
>He  looked terrifying


>Deactivating his saber, Anon let the super commando he had stabbed fall to the ground
>You recoiled from him as his fierce gaze fell upon you
>Then, as everything fell silent, you listened to him exhale a ragged breath
>His glare fell apart as he dropped to one knee
“Anon!”
>You deactivated your own saber as you ran to his side
>Grasping onto his shoulder, you helped prop him up as he began to cough and sputter blood onto the ground
“Where’ve you been hit?!”
>”Nowhere.  At least I don’t think so.”
>You glanced over his armor, seeing various scratches and burn marks as well as a few holes in his cloak
>Yet you failed to find any serious injuries
“y-You’re coughing up blood!”
>”That happens sometimes…”
“Happens sometimes?”
>You shook your head as you lifted him up to his feet
“What WAS all that?  Ah’d never seen you do any of that before!”
>He remained silent as he struggled to catch his breathe
“Ah never knew you could use Force Lightning, or block blaster bolts… and how did you—“
>”I’ll explain later!  We need to get out of here before more of Clan Ordo shows up!”
>So many questions burned brightly in your mind, but you knew Anon was right
>If the two of you didn’t get out of here soon then reinforcements would likely catch you
>Clan Ordo was one of the largest clans on the planet, they would send everything at you after this
>”The ship.”
>Anon raised up a finger at the Gauntlet Fighter that lied at the top of the cliff
>”Do you know how to pilot one of those things?”
“y-Yeah.  I mean, I think I can.”
>”Then get us out of here."
>You nodded your head as you began to help him walk with you
>As the two of you staggered away, you suddenly heard a low groan come from behind
>”Blasted… Imperial Scum…”


>The two of you glanced back at the supercommando whose arms you had sliced off
>He laid on his clearly shattered back atop the boulder you had flung him against
“h-Hold on.  Ah need to know…"
>Anonymous glared at the broken warrior and nodded his head as he slowly slinked out of your grasp
>After making sure that Anon could at least stand on his own two feet, you marched up to the supercommando
>You took in a deep breathe as you loomed over him
“What happened to my clanmates?”
>The supercommando coughed as he tilted his head up at you
>”w-We heard about Clan Apple… a-and the Empire.  The rumors of them giving up their own children… they were all true!”
>Your eyes widened as you stared down at the warrior
>”It was only a matter of time until… until Clan Apple tried to take over with the Empire’s help!  Allying yourselves with outsiders… your people don’t deserve to call yourselves Mandalorians!”
“WHERE IS MY FAMILY!?"
>The warrior let loose a painful cough that spilled over into a terrible laugh
>”Clan Ordo drove you honorless bastards off the Equator, and we hunted each of them down!  YOUR CLAN IS DEAD!  THEY’RE ALL DEAD!”
>Aay’han fell from your hand and clattered against the rocks
“d-Dead…?"
>Your entire family put to death, because of what happened to you and Big Mac and Applejack
“y-YOU’RE LYING!”
>Your body trembled as you fought back tears and glared down at the battered commando
“They can’t all be dead… they can’t!”
>As you raised your hands over your face, you felt a hand fall over your shoulder
>You shakily looked up at Anon, who frowned down at you
>”Applebloom…”
>His gaze hardened as he turned toward the supercommando
>Suddenly, you felt your family’s blaster pistol slip into your grasp as Anon handed it to you
>”Kill him.”


>Your own eyes narrowed as you stared down at the battered warrior
>His cold bitter laughter shook you to your very core
>”You can kill me, but I will die a free man on a free Ordo, with my pride in—“
“SHUT UP!”
>Shoving your hand out, you made a fist as you lifted the man up into the air
>He sputtered out at you as you tightened your hold over his throat and raised your Westar at him
>”Finish him!”
>Your blaster let loose a devastating barrage upon the supercommando, tearing him to pieces as you mercilessly blew him away
>When you couldn’t take it any longer, you tightened your grip as hard as you could
>His neck snapped as you tossed his lifeless body into the cliffside
>The warrior’s body smashed into the rock and was buried underneath the rubble
>Your shoulders sagged as you lowered your gun
>It was all too much to bear
>”Good work.  Your family would have been proud.”
“t-They can’t all be dead.  Ah know they can’t!  We need to find them!”
>”Applebloom, we need to leave right now!”
“Clan Ordo can’t get away with this!”
>”They won’t!”
>Anonymous grappled onto you by both of your shoulders as he raised his voice
>”Listen to me!  I can help you avenge your clan, but you need to trust me!”
“t-Trust you?”
>Anon stared deeply into your eyes
>”Do you trust me?”
>You could not help but think back to the terrifying things you had seen him just do, all the raw power that he had been hiding
>And yet, he used such power to protect you
>He risked his own life on your behalf several times now
>Your sister had warned you about him many times, but after all he had done how could you not believe in him?
>Anon treated you like family
“Of course ah trust you.”
>Fresh tears streamed down your face as you wrapped your arms around Anonymous
”a-Ah’ll do whatever you say…”
>He slowly returned your embrace as your tears fell upon his armor
>”The Force is strong with you Applebloom.”


>Clambering inside the now empty Gauntlet Fighter, the two of you staggered down the hall and into the cockpit
>Anonymous collapsed into the copilot seat as you wrestled with the controls
>After taking a moment to familiarize yourself with the ship, you were able to reactivate the engines
>The Gauntlet Fighter slowly rose up into the air as its wings fell into place
>”Get us out of here.”
“Right!”
>Tearing up through the atmosphere, the ship quickly breached into space
>It was not long after that, when the radar sprang to life
>”That doesn’t sound good.”
>You stared at the radar and groaned in exasperation
“About a dozen more Gauntlet Fighters, coming in hot!"
>”It’s time we left Ordo.  We will return when I am healed, and when you are ready.”
>You sighed as you hung your head
“Yes sir.”
>”Good.  Now…”
>Anonymous leaned over the navigation computer and quickly scanned over the region
>He scoffed as he began to type in a set of Hyperspace codes
“Where are we headed?”
>”You’ve shown me your birthplace, now it’s time for me to show you mine.”
>The ship slowed down and altered it’s course as Anonymous slumped back into his seat
>”I’m taking us to Taris.”
“Taris?”
>An urban world not too far out of the Mandalorian Sector
>You had completely forgotten that Anon had come from there
>As the fighter prepared to launch, you took one last glance out your cockpit at your home planet
>Before you could so much as say goodbye, it was all lost in a sea of blue light as the ship entered Hyperspace


>Be Sunset Shimmer
>A gentle breeze billows through your jacket as you slowly breathe out
>It’s been a long time since you’ve been able to meditate like this
>Sitting here on this smooth stone, with only the sound of the stream passing by in front of you and the chirping of birds overhead
>It’s quite an improvement over the deafening silence of outer space, or the roar of blaster fire and swoop bike engines from places like Nar Shadaa
>The journey here was anything but easy, but it feels worth it
>Even so, when you open your eyes to gaze upon the landscape you are instantly reminded of the scars you had gained in order to get this far
>You look out and frown, the beauty of the world around you only visible through one eye
>Reaching up to your face, you slowly lift the eye patch off of your left eye
“I… I can’t even tell the difference with it off…”
>Iron Will assures you that it is still too early to tell, though you fear the worst
>You close your good eye as your hands grip into fists
“I don’t believe this.”
>Dark images creep into your mind as you recall the horrors you faced not too long ago
>The ghosts of that village, the rampaging rancor, the monstrous undead
>Worst of all though, were those five girls
“Sugarcoat, Indigo Zap, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet…”
>You grit your teeth as you recall all that you had suffered at their hands
>Then you remember when you lost control and nearly killed them all
>That terrible power you wielded against them, that Force Lightning, was unlike anything you had ever felt before
>Midnight wielded the same such power when she nearly killed you
>It’s terrifying to think about, but you wonder if it's possible that, if you really lost your way, you might end up like her?
>You’d be just like your old self again
“I can’t let that happen… hm?"
>You open your good eye and twist your gaze to the side
>What you see takes your breath away


“A butterfly?”
>You had never seen such a creature before
>The tiny insect flaps it’s wings as it hovers in the air around you
>What catches your attention is its wings, which are colored a bright hue of yellow and red
>You raise a hand to your mouth and chuckle at it
“You’re just like me.”
>Sure it was quite a stretch, but its yellow wings were somewhat close to the color of your skin and the splotches of red it displayed reminded you of the tattoos on your body
>As you smile at the tiny creature, a strange thought crosses your mind
“I knew you were there, but I couldn’t see you and I couldn’t possibly have heard you…”
>You tilt your head as the butterfly floats closer
“Did I sense you with the Force?”
>Your old master, Luna, always seemed to know where you were when you two traveled together
>She even sensed that the Empire was coming for her before they even arrived
>As you grow stronger in the Force, maybe you too will be able to sense like that?
“It’s worth a try.”
>You raise up your bandaged hand, still badly burnt from your experience with Force Lightning, and let your little friend land on your index finger
>Closing your eye once more, you take in a deep breathe and slowly exhale
>Breathing in and out several more times, you soon become aware of the presence of the butterfly
>Not just by having seen it or by touching it, but by reaching out to it through the Force
>Luna once told you that the Force exists in every living thing, no matter how big or small
>’It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together’
>While this butterfly may seem small, you can sense the Force within it
>After focusing on it a while, you begin to notice more
>You sense the Force in the birds flying in the sky above you, in the fish swimming in the water below you, in the trees lying in the distance
“It’s beautiful Master…"


>The butterfly leaves your finger as your eye flutters open and you feel your body jolt
>For a moment, it was as if the ground shook beneath you
>Rising to your feet, you stare into the distance at Iron Will’s cabin
>Your new master was calling for you
>After dusting off your pants and stretching a little, you walk through the fields toward the makeshift shack
>What you notice upon approaching it as that there is smoke billowing through the roof
>You can also hear Iron Will grunting, as well as the clang of metal against metal
>Stepping inside the cabin, you are greeted by the sight of Iron Will slamming a large mallet down on a bright hot sheet of metal lying on an anvil
>”That’s enough meditating for today.  Take a seat, your weapon’s almost ready.”
“My weapon?”
>Iron Will drops his hammer aside and takes a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead
>”Once I’ve armed you, then your training can really start.”
>You walk over and peer at the glowing hunk of metal
“A sword?”
>The blade is long and shines a brilliant white, still glowing hot after being taken out of the furnace
>You lean forward to take a quick look at it, only to recoil back as Iron Will smashes his mallet against it and rains sparks into the air
>As you take a step back, your eyes fall upon the large steel rod that serves as Iron Will’s lightsaber as it hangs from his belt
“Mas— er,  Iron Will… shouldn’t I be focusing on building a lightsaber of my own?”
>”When you are ready to wield a lightsaber, I will take you off world and you can build one.  Until then, this will be your weapon.”
>You stare down uncertainly at the glowing blade
>”Don’t you worry kid.  You’re going to love this… by the way, give me your jacket.”
“My jacket?  What for?”
>”I need the material for your sword’s handle.  Leather that quality is a little hard to come by around here.”
>Your eyes widen as you stare at your black coat


>This jacket of yours has been through a lot
>A few blaster bolts had pierced it here and there, a few blades had left their mark, and parts of the inside had even been stained red with your own blood
>Still, the idea of parting with it….
>You sigh as you take off your jacket and hand it to your master
>”A little attached huh?”
“y-Yeah…”
>You frown as you look away from the looming Nightbrother
“Sorry, I know a Jedi’s not supposed to care about material—"
>”Don’t worry about it."
>Your eyes widen as you look up at Iron Will, who wears a jovial grin as he tosses your jacket over his shoulder
>He points a thumb at his brown cape, which hangs from the wall behind him
>”That old thing used to be part of my robes.  I was pretty attached to it, ever since the Order gave it to me.  Eventually my robes got too torn up to wear, so I made them into something better.”
>Iron Will drops his hammer back down as he takes a moment to look over your leather jacket
>”Just think of it this way.  You’ll still have your jacket with you, just in a different form.  Life goes on.”
>You give your master a blank stare as you ponder his words
>After mulling it over, you chuckle at your grinning master
“Yeah, I guess that’s a good way to think about it…”
>Iron Will smirks at you as he picks the hammer back up
>”Go take a seat, I’m going to need your help in a little bit to finish this bad boy.”
“Yes sir.”
>Taking a seat on a log a few yards away, you sit and watch as Iron Will continues to work on the sword
>You chuckled to yourself as you watched Iron Will hammer away at what was to be your new weapon
>It was odd, but Iron Will kind of reminded you more of the Jedi in the old stories you heard as a child, rather than the actual Jedi you had known before him


>”You should put your eye patch back on.”
“Huh?”
>Your good eye blinks as you raise a hand over your injured eye
“Right!”
>Reaching into your pocket, you take your black eye patch back out and affix it over your disabled eye
>Satisfied, Iron Will stares back down at the sword, flipping it over as he taps over it with his mallet
>You grimace as you look down at the ground where sparks occasionally fall
“Iron Will… who were those Nightsisters that attacked me?”
>”HURGH!”
>Iron Will smashes his hammer down on the sword so fiercely that the whole room seems to light up for a brief moment
>Your eye widens as you watch the sparks fall from him
>”Dathomir was never a safe place for outsiders, but over the past ten years things have worsened.  The whole planet is at war with itself, you’re lucky I found you when I did.”
“At war with itself?”
>Iron Will grimaced down at the glowing blade
>”It all started when the ruler of this planet, Mother Talzin, began to war with the Sith.”
“The Sith?  You mean the Emperor?”
>”Hmph, well more specifically his apprentice.  The Separatist leader, Count Dooku.  He sent a huge army to Dathomir to attack the Nightsisters, and a great battle was fought.  By the time the conflict had ended, most of the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers had been slain.”
>A strange and intimidating look glistened in Iron Will’s eyes as he stared at you
>”On the eve of the Sith’s attack on Dathomir, one Nightsister abandoned her people and fled into the wilderness.  She did not go alone, before she abandoned her sisters she kidnapped five young girls and took them with her.  These were the warriors who attacked you.”
>It was so very strange to see Iron Will act like this
“w-Who was this Nightsister?”
>”She calls herself—“


>”Mother Cinch is going to kill us!”
>Be Sour Sweet
>You sigh as the five of you trudge on through the woods while shooting Indigo Zap a dirty look
>Adopting a smile, you hover closer to her
“Oh Sister Zap, Mother Cinch would NEVER kill us~.  We’re far too valuable to her.”
>Your smile crumbles away into a scowl as bitter as hers
“Who the Hell else is going to do her dirty work for her?"
>”Bah!”
>Indigo spits on the ground as she stomps through the underbrush, slashing her way through with her daggers
>Sugarcoat silently scoffs back at the two of you as she calmly follows behind Indigo
“You got something to say?”
>”Complaining isn’t going to help us at this point, Mother Cinch will do whatever she wants as always.  Whatever happens happens.”
>You grumble as you turn your gaze away from her
“That’s easy for you to say, you weren’t leading this hunt.”
>It weighs heavily on your mind that Mother Cinch selected you to lead  your sisters this time
>You were excited at first, believing you would have a chance to show what you were capable of
>However, the five of you got careless
>Now she was gone, and you were all forced to return empty handed
>Your grip over your bow tightens as your knuckle cracks
“Blasted Jedi, should’ve put an arrow straight through your heart…”
>As you mutter to yourself, you feel a hand fall over your shoulder
>Glancing aside, you see your companion Sunny Flare offer you a small smile
>Her calming touch silences you for the moment
>”I sense that everything will be alright.  I do not foresee any of us dying this day.”
>You fall quiet as Sunny comforts you
>Save for the sounds of your footsteps, and the sound of Lemon Zest humming a mournful melody to herself, all is quiet as you march toward an uncertain fate


“If Mother tries anything, I swear I’ll—“
>Sunny Flare’s eyes widen as she glances back through the woods
“What is it?"
>”The Nightbrothers have returned!”
>The five of you all stop dead in your tracks
“Already?  Are you sure?”
>Sunny Flare nods her head
>Lemon Zest chuckles to herself before running up ahead of the group
>She grins as she hops up over ten feet into the air, grasping hold of a branch and swinging herself upwards through the vines as she acrobatically ascends
>When she reaches the top a few moments later, she raises both of her hands over her eyes, stares into the distance, and laughs
>”Sunny’s right!  I can see the smoke coming from their tents!  They’re back!”
>Indigo readies her two daggers and runs forward
>”If they’re back this early than that means they had to have won!  Come on!”
>She charges forward into the underbrush, cutting a way open for all of you as Lemon Zest eagerly hops from branch to branch overhead
>You can’t help but crack a small smile as well
>It was nice to hear some good news
>Sugarcoat also grins for once as she looks back to you and Sunny
>”It’s actually pretty impressive that they were able to win already without us backing them up.  At this rate all the tribes will be united under the Nightsisters again.”
>You nod your head as the three of you trail behind Indigo and Lemon
>A few minutes later after cresting a hill, you lay eyes upon your home yet again
>Nestled in a valley amidst the mountains lies a set of jagged black spires that jut out from an eerie glowing pit
>According to Mother Cinch, this ancient place was once a training ground for a band of dark warriors whose empire stretched across the stars
>Now it serves as your home, and as the seat of Mother Cinch’s power


>After clearing through the woods, the five of you were greeted by the sight of the Nightbrothers' camp
>Hundreds of tents surrounded the old temple, housing the army of Nightbrothers who served under Mother Cinch
>As you all entered the camp, the warriors stopped and stared at you
>Most of them bowed their heads in respect, while a few even saluted as you passed by
>One of them stepped forward to address you all
>His simple loose fitting robes showed off his muscular body, while the long cranial horns on his head helped draw attention to the perpetual scowl on his face
>He was easily the most frightening looking of all the Nightbrothers, yet when he spoke to the five of you his expression slightly softened
>”Welcome home.”
>The Nightbrother stamped his shock stave into the dirt as he bowed his head
>Each of you bowed your heads in return and responded as one
“Greetings Brother Viscus.”
>He raised his head and scanned his eyes over each of you
>”I am glad to see that you have all returned safely… but where is the Jedi that Mother Cinch sent you to capture?”
>It did not seem that any of you were willing to look him in the eye and respond, so you reluctantly spoke up
“Our hunt was a failure…”
>Your fists shook as your frown transformed into a glare almost as fierce as Viscus'
“The damn Jedi escaped, and we have no idea what became of her.”
>”I see.  Mother Cinch will not be pleased to hear that.  However…”
>Brother Viscus raised his hand and gestured toward the camp
>”After she sent you away from our side, we fought three battles against three separate tribes and won each of them.  No doubt she will be pleased to hear of this.  Come….”
>He turned his back on the five of you and began walking up toward the temple
>”I shall tell her of our victories first.  That way, she will be in a better mood to receive the rest of you.”
>The five of you smiled at one another as you followed behind Brother Viscus



>Following his lead, the five of you ventured up the steps into the temple
>Your footsteps echoed across the vast and empty halls of the dark chamber
>Lemon Zest and Indigo Zap ventured up by Brother Victus’ side and engaged him in conversation as you walked past the massive columns holding up the ceiling
>Indigo smirked as she looked up at him
>”I really wish we could have been there with you and the others.  How did you do in battle Brother?”
>”Eighteen traitors fell by my hand.  Seven in the first battle, five in the second, and six in the third.”
>Indigo’s smile widened while Lemon Zest’s fell, her eyes scanning over Viscus’ body
>”Were you injured?”
>”A few cracked rib bones from when I got too careless in the first battle, nothing serious.”
>”But you’re walking with a limp.”
>You glance down at his leg and realize Lemon Zest is right
>You would have never noticed unless she had pointed it out, as Viscus was doing a good job concealing it by using his stave for support
>”Hmph, it was nothing.  A stray spear grazed my leg in the second battle.”
>You frown as Lemon Zest and Indigo Zap trade worried glances
>Sugarcoat shakes her head and raises her voice for all of you to hear
>”If you were injured so badly in the first battle then you shouldn’t have fought directly in the second and third ones.  Winning those battles wouldn’t have been worth it at all if you had gotten yourself k—"
>”Ah!”
>All of you stopped as Sunny Flare gasped
>Glancing aside at her, you watched as she doubled over and hissed
“Sunny!”
>You grasped your friend before she could crumble to the ground
“What’s wrong?  What happened?”
>Your sister huffed as she lifted her head back up
>”The spirits of the dead who haunt this place are restless, more so than usual.  It is Mother Cinch’s doing… she is very upset.”
>You bit your lip as you felt your heart sank
>This was not going to be easy


>Traversing through the ancient temple a while longer, the six of you eventually reached a pair of massive stone doors
>Viscus stood ahead of you all in front of the doors as they slowly swung open
>”Remember, I will do most of the talking.”
>A green fog emanated from inside the chamber and into the corridor as Viscus strode forward, the five of you following closely behind
>On the opposite side of the large room, sitting upon a throne of gnarled wood, was an ominous figure in regal red robes adorned with steel rings and bones
>Her skin was a pale gray, her eyes flashed a dark green, and her face was transfixed into an unamused scowl
>Brother Viscuss walked up in front of the throne and kneeled while the rest of you followed his orders and stood roughly ten yards behind him in the shadows
>”Mother Cinch, we have crushed several of the enemy tribes who have defied you.  Save for what few younglings we rescued, they were all slaughtered.  It won’t be too much longer before—“
>”Where is she?”
>Her otherworldly groan resounded through the air as she shifted in her seat and glared past Viscus
>She was looking directly at you
>”Where is the Jedi that I asked of you?  I can still sense her foul presence on my world, mocking me.  Why isn’t she here?”
>You stared back as coolly as possible as Cinch rose up from her throne and hovered through the air over toward you
>”Did you simply come back here to mock me as well?”
>You forced on a smile as Cinch touched down upon the ground and loomed over you
”We would NEVER mock you Mother~.  Why, where would we be without you?"
>”You would be dead, just like the rest of our people."
“And what a time it is to be alive."

>Sunny Flare shoots you a panicked look as Mother Cinch glares at you, her eyes glowing an eerie green
>You can tell that she senses the sarcasm dripping from your words, but you simply can’t help yourself
>Seeing Mother Cinch become so angry used to terrify you, but these days you cared less and less about what happened to you
>Cinch’s face contorts in rage as you cheerfully smile up at her
>Your smile is immediately squashed as Cinch raises a hand
>You reach for your throat in anticipation for the pain that is to come, only for your eyes to widen in shock as you look past Cinch and see Sunny Flare gasping for air while floating off of the ground
“w-What are you—?!”
>”I have tried beating you, tossing you about, and having you locked in chains for days yet you still cannot help but insult me.  Perhaps seeing your sisters suffer will inflict humility on you.”
“t-That’s… THAT’S NOT FAIR!”
>Your eyes narrowed as you glowered at her, your hand gripping your steel bow tightly
“Let her go!”
>”Where is the Jedi you wicked little girl?  Iron Will has inflicted countless evils upon me, do you have any idea how much trouble a SECOND Jedi will be?”
>You open your mouth to shout at her, only for Sugarcoat to cut you off
>”We wouldn’t be dealing with two Jedi now if you had helped us deal with Iron Will sooner.  You know we can’t beat him on our own but you keep sending us after him.  It’s obvious you’re afraid of Jedi, otherwise you’d actually fight by our side.”
>Sunny Flare is dropped to the ground, where she gasps for air
>Cinch wrenches her gaze away from you and glares instead at Sugarcoat, who stares back defiantly as she grips the energy lance on her back
>That was something you always had in common with Sugarcoat
>Neither of you could hide what you were really thinking for too long, especially when you were angry
>”What did you say Sugarcoat?"
>”I said you’re a coward."


>Cinch raised a bony hand as a torrent of green lightning barreled toward Sugarcoat
>Your sister raised up her energy lance just in time to connect with the lightning, but it was not enough
>Sugarcoat held back the storm for only a few brief moments before energy lance was blasted out of her grasp and she was engulfed in lightning
>”AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”
>”NO!”
>Indigo’s cry resounded as she brandished her daggers and charged Mother Cinch
>Cinch snarled as she ceased her barrage of lightning and let Sugarcoat fall to her knees as she reached inside her red robes
>Just as Indigo fell upon her with her daggers, Cinch brandished her own weapon
>A metallic weapon wrapped in red leather, one of the many relics of the temple that she hoarded for herself, Cinch activated her lightsaber and quickly blocked both of Indigo’s daggers
>Indigo thrashed about fiercely with her blades, using the power of the Force to bolster her speed and reflexes
>Even so, Cinch was able to block Indigo’s strikes with ease as she rose slightly off of the ground and hovered around her
>Your shook in fear as you held Sunny Flare within your grasp
“Kill her… KILL HER!”
>”AAGH!”
>Cinch screamed in pain as a red blur flew through the dark and struck her in the back
>Glancing over, you saw Lemon Zest leap through the air with her Lightwhip flying with her
>As you watched your two sisters surround Mother Cinch, you became hopeful that she might finally be defeated
>However, more powerful than hope was the anger igniting inside of you
“You… you hag!  I’LL KILL YOU!”
>Rising up to your feet, you readied your bow and pulled an energy arrow from your quiver
>You let loose an arrow as it catapulted toward her
>She gasped in shock as she swatted away Lemon Zest’s lightwhip, only for your arrow to pierce her shoulder
>That brief feeling of hope immediately faded, and your fear overwhelmed your anger, as everything seemed to slow down



>”ENOUGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
>You nearly stumbled to the ground as Cinch’s Force Scream washed over you
>In the corner of your eye you saw Indigo, having received the full force of Cinch’s attack, get tossed into the air and slammed into a wall
>Lemon Zest staggered about as she gripped the sides of her head, her long hair being whipped back by the sonic blow
>That horrid screech bounced inside of your head for several more moments before it finally ended, only to be replaced with a new pain
>Just as your hearing was deafened, your vision was blinded by a storm of lightning that sent you to the ground
>Your body froze up as a familiar numbness overrode all your senses
>When it finally ended, all the pain seemingly struck you at once as you gasped and writhed on the ground beside Sunny Flare
“Is this… how we die?”
>You shuddered in horror for a few more moments before your body began to shake in rage
>Your hearing slowly returned as you slammed your fist onto the floor, allowing you to hear the familiar hum of Lemon Zest’s lightwhip
>You used some of the last reserves of your strength to pick your head up and watch as Lemon Zest desperately fought off an enraged Cinch
>Seeing the arrow jutting out of her shoulder and the burn on her back made you think that there might still be a chance
>She was twice now injured, if Lemon Zest could only—
>”GYAH!”
>Lemon Zest cried out as Cinch hovered up close to her and slashed the lightwhip out of her hand
>”I have been too merciful to you all for too long!”
>Lemon Zest tumbled out of the way as Cinch slashed at her with her saber
>She attempted to reach out and call her lightwhip back into her hand, but Cinch refused to give her any reprieve
“My bow… where is my bow!?”
>Your hands reached out and attempted to find your bow, but the more you struggled to get up the foggier your vision became
>You watched in horror as Cinch backed Lemon Zest against a wall
>”Now die!”



>Your jaw fell open as Cinch attacked
>Cinch’s lightsaber slashed down, only to be blocked by Brother Viscus
>Her lightsaber was stopped only a few inches above Lemon Zest’s head, as a surly Viscus blocked her strike with his stave
>”You too Nightbrother?”
>Viscus stood tall in front of Mother Cinch, flexing his arm to hold up his spear with one hand as Cinch furiously held her saber down with both of hers
>”Raising a weapon against a Nightsister?  You are as great a traitor as Iron Will!”
>”Mother Cinch, you cannot slay her.  She is a Nightsister, YOUR sister, one of the very last.  To kill her would be a greater sin than for me to kill you.”
>”SILENCE!”
>You watched in awe as Cinch furiously swung and stabbed at Viscus only for him to calmly step back and block her blows
>”Will you kill me too?  How will you unite Dathomir then?  What chance will you stand against Iron Will?”
>Cinch momentarily ceased her barrage of strikes and sneered
>”Traitors and cowards and weaklings.  I am surrounded by fools.”
>Cinch deactivated her lightsaber and hovered past Viscus toward her throne
>With a little help from a now conscious Sunny Flare, you crawled back onto your feet just as Cinch sat back down
>Reaching up for the arrow you had lodged into her shoulder, she tore it out
>She snarled as a green smoke seeped out of the open wound
>”Brother Viscus.  You will bring me ten of your warriors, and they will die to answer for these five’s failure.”
>Viscus remained calm as he glared back at her
>”It will be done.”
>You grit your teeth in rage
>If only he wasn’t a Nightbrother, then maybe he would have killed Cinch long ago
>Having found your bow once again, you considered taking aim and firing upon her only for Sunny Flare to place a hand over your shaking fist and lower your weapon
>”She is too much for us right now.  We must wait…”
>You balked at her, though you knew she spoke the truth
“Damn it all…"


“She sounds like a monster.”
>Be Sunset Shimmer
>You feel a little sick to your stomach after listening to Iron Will talk about Mother Cinch
>”She was always a cruel and selfish woman, but that temple twisted her even further.”
“I can’t believe a place like that even exists.  A Sith Temple?”
>”My people used to call it the Forbidden Temple.  No one was foolish enough to go there before Cinch went.  Power-hungry old crow.”
“Why would anyone follow her?”
>Iron Will scowls as he stares down at the sword and slams his hammer against it a few more times
>”It has always been the way of my people to revere the Nightsisters.  Many follow Cinch because they know nothing else, and there are some I’m sure who are actually too terrified of her to fight back.”
>You frown as you look away from him
“So… how do we stop her?”
>Iron Will lays his hammer down and smiles at you
>”Come over here and kneel.”
>You cock an eyebrow at him and do as he says, your eyes locked onto the glowing sword all the while
>”Close your eye and begin to meditate, just as your old master taught you.”
>Closing your eye, you begin to slow your breathing down
>Emptying your thoughts and clearing your mind was a bit difficult after having to absorb so much, though you find that you’ve become so adept at this that it only takes a minute for you to enter a meditative state
>After that, you began to instinctively reach out with the Force
>”What do you sense?”
“I sense myself, I sense you, I sense all the living things surrounding us… and, I sense… something here…”
>There was something else here now, and once you became aware of it you wondered how you could not have sensed it before
>It was as if the raw power of the Force was all concentrated in one small spot
“It’s… the sword.  It’s alive!”


>It was incredible
>You felt as if you could almost reach out and touch this blade
>This weapon was bristling with life, like a newborn child
>”A Jedi is a warrior.”
>Iron Will’s voice shook you, as if it had rolled upon you from all directions at once
>”A Jedi defends life, but to do so a Jedi must often take life.  You must become more than just a person, you must become an instrument of the Force, and your weapon must become an extension of your own will.”
>Just as the sword glowed within Iron Will’s home, the weapon seemed to glow within your mind until there was nothing else you focused on
>”Reach out, and become one with this sword.”
>You exhaled a breathe and imagined it
>Reaching out to and connecting with it through the Force became as simple to you as it would have been to physically grasp it by the hilt
>When you saw yourself within the confines of your mind, taking hold of it and holding the blade in your hands, it was like it had become a part of you
>The sword in your hands became indistinguishable from the limbs that held it
>Then, your eyes sprung open as a sudden coolness washed over you
>Iron Will’s shack became filled with steam as you looked over and saw him plunge the hot blade within a large bucket of water
>”Good job.”
“w-What was that?  What just happened?”
>Your master did not respond as he stared down at the sword, YOUR sword
>No sooner had you stood up to your feet had Iron Will raised the blade from the bucket
>Turning his back on you, he walked away with it and marched over to a work table
>”Not too much longer now.  Go outside and wait.”
>You sighed and nodded your head and stepped outside
“What the Hell…?”
>Oddly enough, you could  sense your sword being worked on even without having to focus on it
>It was all so new and strange to you


>When Iron Will finally emerged from his hut, your eyes fell upon the blade in his hands
>You gazed intently over the weapon now that it was finally finished
>It appeared to be made from an iron-like material instead of steel, giving it a heavy appearance
>The blade itself was long and straight with a simple looking cross guard situated above it’s leathery black hilt, which you assumed was the remains of your leather jacket
>”Here, take it.”
>You walked up to Iron Will and grasped the sword with both hands
>Despite how heavy it looked to be from a glance, the blade felt rather light in your grasp
>There was something else odd about this sword, though you couldn’t pin exactly what
>The longer you stared at it, the more it seemed to glisten and glow as it did when it was being made
>As you pondered over this strange weapon, you were suddenly surprised by the hum of a new weapon
>Iron Will’s long blue saber shone out from his hand as he stared down at you
>”Ready yourself.”
>You blinked back at Iron Will before grasping the blade tightly with both hands and holding it in front of yourself
>This was the first time you had ever held such a weapon, yet you didn’t feel entirely awkward with it
“Just what is this thing?”
>”HAAAA!”
>Your eyes widened as Iron Will’s swung his lightsaber through the air with his right hand
>Instinctively raising the blade up high, a hail of sparks rained down on you as his saber struck your blade
“i-It stopped the saber?  I thought a lightsaber could cut through anything?!”
>”Not through this sword!  In my time here in the wilderness, I discovered a means of crafting weapons that are infused with the raw power of the Force.  This is a Jedi Sword!”
>Iron Will backed away as you stared in awe at the glistening blade, which slowly reverted back to nothing more than a simple iron sword before your very eyes
“A Jedi Sword…”
>”Now your real training can begin.”



>Be Anonymous
>”Anon, we’re here.”
>You flinch in pain as a throbbing headache comes over you
>Your eyes flitter open as Applebloom comes into view
>She stands over you with a worried look
>”a-Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”
>It’s clear by now that you have suffered a concussion, a rather nasty one at that
>Worse yet, virtually all of your muscles still feel very sore
>Overall your body is more fatigued than ever, as if you just ran several miles instead of waking up from a nap
>Normally, it would only take a few hours for your body to recover fully from the effects of your Force Rage, but the fact that you were still feeling this bad after an entire day’s rest is cause for concern
“I am fine.”
>You lift yourself up and rub your forehead as you sit on your bedroll
>While this Gauntlet Fighter didn’t exactly have a lot in the way of creature comforts, it was certainly a bit roomier than the Lambda shuttle
>The hall you were sleeping in had enough space for well over twenty men to sit together, it was hard to believe that a troop transport like this was also a starfighter
>The ship was a fair trade for the loss of your shuttle you suppose
>Could use a new coat of paint though
>”So uh, we just dropped out of Hyperspace about ten minutes ago.”
“Already?  Excellent.”
>You hop off of the bench and rise to your feet, only to stagger and nearly fall down
>Applebloom catches you before you hit the floor
>”Maybe we could take you to a doctor when we get down?”
“No, there’s more important work to be done.”
>After regaining your balance, you follow Applebloom up the hall into the cockpit where gaze upon the world in front of you
>For a moment, you thought you were looking upon Coruscant only to soon recognize the grey tinge of this urban world’s surface
>”So this is Taris?”
>You sigh as you take a seat in the copilot chair
“Yes, I suppose I’m home.”


>”Why did you choose to take us here?”
“Staying inside the Mandalorian sector didn’t feel safe to me, and Taris happened to be just outside of it…”
>Applebloom cracked the first smile you had seen from her since the two of you fled Ordo
>”Small galaxy ain’t it?  Our two birthplaces are just a stone’s throw away.”
“Heh.”
>She manages to infect you with her smile as she pilots the ship toward the planet, giving you a clearer view of the lights of the massive city below
“I need time to consider what to do in regards to your training.”
>And time to lick your wounds
>Your refuse to go to a place like Ordo or Dathomir in your current state
>Applebloom chuckled as she eagerly glanced back at you
>”So uhh, are you going to teach me how to shoot lightning?  Or how to block blaster bolts with my hands?  Or—”
“There is much more I can teach you, when you are ready.”
>Her smile faltered as she stared back at Taris
>”Ah think ah’m going to need all the help you can give me…"
>Your thoughts drifted back to what you had seen on Ordo
>Applebloom’s skill with her saber was admirable, a definite improvement from what you had seen at first in your sparring sessions
>Her fear and her anger gives her strength, if you could teach her how to tap into her emotions like that at will…
>You place a hand over Applebloom’s shoulder, causing her frown to fade as she glances back up at you
“I’m going to do all I can.  Everything is going to be alright.”
>You were happy to see her smile in return as she lowered the Gauntlet Fighter into Taris’ atmosphere
>Leaning back into your seat, you absently muttered to yourself
“Now your real training can begin.”


>One year seems acceptable to you
>When the Grand Inquisitor sent you out with Applebloom on her mission, it was obvious he did so with the intention of getting you out of his way for a long period of time
>You could perhaps fall off of the Inquisitorius’ radar for about a year before your superiors became suspicious
>That was a year you could spend taking your time with Applebloom, showing her what she was truly capable of doing with the Dark Side of the Force
>And of course, that also gave you both ample time to prepare for your return to Ordo
>So…
“Let’s begin.”
>You open your eyes and gaze out the cockpit of the Gauntlet Fighter at the world of Taris
>Endless towers of steel and stone stretched out before you as countless starships flew overhead
>A simple glance at Applebloom, staring unblinkingly with her jaw wide open, was enough to tell you that she was more than impressed
“Come on.”
>You stood up out of the co-pilot seat, your balance being a bit more centered now as you stomped out of the cockpit, through the hall, and down the ramp onto the landing platform
>The air was warm, and a gentle breeze billowed through your cloak as you crossed into the hanger with Applebloom
>She gasped as the two of you walked inside the spaceport, a large atrium filled with various elevators and lifts carrying thousands of people around to hundreds of different landing pads
>”Ah’ve never seen anything like this…”
“Hmph.”
>You give her a brief smile as you march through the building and step into a passenger lift
“Wait until you see this.”
>As the doors closed, the lift sprang to life and immediately carried the two of you outside
>Below you lied a huge drop, giving you both a clear look at the massive platforms that connected the skyscrapers of the Upper City
>There could have been no less than ten thousand different people walking below you
>Applebloom was speechless

>Exiting the lift, the two of you walked down the streets together, becoming lost inside the huge crowds
>Your smile grew larger as you watched Applebloom react to every little thing she saw
>”This has to be Coruscant.  There’s no way…”
“Nope, only Taris.  Coruscant’s about ten times as big as this.”
>Applebloom walked about the streets as if she were in a dreamlike state
>It never really struck you until now how sheltered she had been
>Being born and raised on Ordo, and then spending the last five years or so of her life on Prakith
>Transitioning from a giant ball of desert and sand to a giant ball of snow and rock couldn’t have prepared her for something like this
>”You really grew up here?”
“Well, yes.  In a way.”
>”What do you mean?”
>The two of you stopped in your tracks as you exchanged odd looks
>It crossed your mind that, while you had learned a great deal about her past and her people, that there was still quite a lot she did not know about you
>You turned aside and began walking toward the ledge of the platform
“I left Taris when I was still pretty young.  I was maybe around ten years younger than you when I left this place, and when I did live here I barely ever came to the Upper City.”
>”Upper City?”
“That’s where we are now.  Where I came from…”
>You stopped before the ledge and pointed down into the seemingly endless abyss
“… was down there, in the Lower City.”
>Applebloom recoiled as she looked over the ledge
>”h-How far up are we?”
“Many many miles…”
>Your smile faded as you stared down
>It felt strange, and left a sour feeling in your gut, that you could not really see the Lower City at all from where you stood
>Too high up, and far too much pollution in the air
>”What’s down there?”
>You did not offer an immediate response as you continued to stare downwards
“Nothing.”


>The two of you walked on another mile or so before crossing over a wide ramp that led to a skyscraper decorated with many neon lights
>As soon as you entered, you were bombarded with the sound of loud music, glasses clinking together and laughter
“This is the place.”
>Applebloom glanced around the large circular room as numerous people of all shapes and sizes drank together
>”Uhhh, did we come here for a drink?”
“Not quite.”
>You looked around the place until you saw a pair of men standing in front of a side room
>The two of you walked up to the pair of guards, who scowled at you both, as you entered the room
>”What the hay is that?!”
>Your eyes fell upon the massive slimy slug that lounged at the far end of the room on a pedestal that was flanked by another pair of armed guards, these two openly brandishing blaster rifles
“That is a Hutt, and he runs things around here.”
>”o-Ok… why are we here anyway though?“
“For that.”
>You pointed your finger over at one of the large holo-monitors that lied on the walls
>Currently, it was displaying a gunfight going on between  a roguish looking Rodian with two blaster pistols and a burly Wookiee with a big blaster rifle
>The two duelists ran about an enclosed arena littered with various small walls as they wildly fired upon one another while running for cover
“Gladiatorial combat is huge on this planet, and I want you to take part in it.”
>No sooner than you had said that, the whole room roared in approval as the wookiee blasted a hole through the Rodian’s chest
>”WHAT?!”


>Applebloom’s eyes widened as she watched the Wookiee howl while looming over his fallen foe and firing his rifle into the air
>”Wha-why?  What am ah gonna learn fighting people like that?”
>You lowered your voice as the room began to quiet down
“When we fought together against Clan Ordo, that was your very first experience in a real battle wasn’t it?”
>”Well, yeah ah guess…"
“I could tell.”
>You folded your arms over your chest as you stared intensely down at Applebloom, who averted her eyes from you
“You fought hard.  Your skill with a saber and, surprisingly enough with a blaster, really impressed me.  I could sense your fear as you blocked every blow, and your anger as you fought back.  However, I only had to take one good look at you to see that you were starting to panic.”
>Applebloom did not respond as she gazed down at the floor
>”Fear can be a great source of power, it’s one of cornerstones of the Dark Side of the Force, but it can also overwhelm you.  Make you sloppy, or at the worst of times it may even make you cower away from your foes.”
>You placed both of your hands onto Applebloom’s shoulders
“Look at me Applebloom.  If you truly intend to become strong, strong enough to avenge your clan and defeat a Jedi, then you must MASTER your Fear.”
>Applebloom sighed as she looked back up at you
>”So, you think if I fight here a while it will help me get get used to fighting in battle?”
“It will certainly help.”
>Applebloom slowly cracked a smile and nodded her head
>”Then ah’ll do it.”
“Excellent, now follow me.  We’ll sign you up right now."
>Walking past the monitors and the spectators, the two of you approached the Hutt lounging on the pedestal
>You whispered back down at Applebloom as the Hutt was slowly roused as if from slumber
“I’m going to speak to him in his own language.  Just let me handle him, and try not to stare."


“^Greetings.^”
>The Hutt stared down curiously at you
>”^Can I help you?^”
“^Yes, I was hoping that you and I could conduct business together.^”
>The slothful creature scans you closely with his large beady eyes before glancing over at Applebloom, who appears to shudder in disgust under his gaze
>”^No no, I don’t deal in the slave trade.  Too dirty of a business for my taste, you’re going to have to—“
“^Oh my no.  Let me explain myself, my friend here would like to fight in the Dueling Ring.^”
>”^SHE wants to fight in the ring?  She got a death wish or something?  No no no…^”
>The hutt boomed in  disapproval as Applebloom glanced back and forth between the two of you
>”^A little girl with a pretty face like that?  She’ll get eaten alive out there!^”
“^This ‘little girl’ is much more dangerous than she appears.  She is a Mandalorian.^”
>”^Mandalorian?^”
>Applebloom’s eyes widened
>Though she did not speak the language, the word ‘Mandalorian’ still stood out
>The Hutt scrutinized Applebloom as he rubbed his hand under his massive chin
>Then his wide maw curled up in what you imagined was a smile
>”OH HO HO HO HO!  ^If she’s that eager to fight, then I’ll set something up.  Don’t let her come crying to me if she loses an arm or a leg though.^”
“^I doubt we’ll have to worry about that.  When can we expect things to be ready^”
>”^Give me one hour to see who I have lying around.^”
>You nodded your head and turned to face Applebloom
”He said that he will set up a fight for you in just an hour.”
>”An hour?  You mean today?!”
“Yes, will that be a problem?”
>”n-No, I can handle it.”
>You smiled back at her as she chuckled
“I know you can.”



>The arena was a bit smaller than it looked on screen, and the audience wasn’t quite as large as you expected
>Standing off to the side in one of the spectator’s boxes, you tapped Aay’han against your leg as you watched Applebloom enter the arena
>Having given her specific orders to be as subtle as she could with the Force, you watched as she brandished a large sword
“Hmph, and I thought your lightsaber looked too big on you…”
>The crowd began to wake up as Applebloom’s opponent entered the arena next
>A large Gamorrean, wielding a massive axe, growled as he stomped forward
>”^If you had given me a bit more time, I could have found someone a bit less bloodthirsty than Gorm.^”
>You glance back and, to your surprise, the Hutt fight promoter slithers into your spectator’s box along with a few of his guards
“^He seems just fine to me.^”
>”Hmmmmm.  ^How much money do you have going on this girl of yours?^”
“^How much are you betting on Gorm?^”
>”Ho ho ho…”
>A gong is rung, snapping your attention back to the arena
>Gorm lets out a squeal as he charges forward with his massive axe
>Applebloom takes a readied stance with her sword, gripping it with both hands and angling it in front of her in a Djem So opening stance
>The Gamorrean hops forward in front of her and raises his axe high
>He slashes down at Applebloom, who calmly blocks the attack before her head is cleaved open
>”Ho?”
>The Gamorrean shoves his weight down upon Applebloom, who is able to hold her own and keep his axe lodged firmly in place above her
>Letting out a grunt so loud that even you could hear it from up where you were, the Gamorrean eases off of Applebloom and slashes at her again
>Applebloom quickly blocks the blow, and in an amazing show of fortitude remains fixed in place as she blocks the next several wild slashes
“Come on…”


>You fold your arms over your chest as you watch her weather the Gamorrean’s onslaught
“Stop playing around with him.  Do it!”
>Ducking her head underneath a wide slash, Applebloom hefts her sword over her shoulder and strikes back
>The Gamorrean, realizing his mistake, clumsily steps away too late
>He squeals in shock and stumbles back as Applebloom slices open his throat
>You snarl as you step forward, leaning out of the box as you shout
“Don’t let up!  Finish him!”
>Raising her sword up above her head, Applebloom cries out as she slashes down at Gorm
>You did not need the Force to sense his fear as he desperately raised his axe up to block
>The entire crowd roared as Applebloom’s sword crushed through his axe and embedded itself into Gorm’s chest
“Yes!”
>You laughed and clapped your hands as Applebloom wrenched her blade out of the Gamorrean and let his bloody body crumble to the ground
>”^I… was not expecting that.  I ain’t never seen anyone block Gorm’s attacks like that.”^
“Hmph, ^I told you she’s more dangerous than she looks.^”
>You knew by now that Applebloom was physically stronger than she looked
>She was a little short, and a bit young, but you knew she could take a hit and dish it out
>Even so, against  foe as strong as that, you had to imagine that Applebloom might have bolstered her own strength just a little bit with the Force in order to maintain such a firm defensive stance
>You would have to ask her about it later
>”^What’s your friend doing?^”
“Hm?”
>You look back at Applebloom and notice that she’s still staring down at the corpse of her slain foe
>She lingers over the body for a few more seconds before shaking her head and walking out of the arena


“You did pretty well, but I know you could have taken him out quicker than that.”
>”y-Yeah, ah was just… just trying to gauge him out you know?”
“Did you think he’d actually be a threat to you?”
>”Well, ah dunno…”
>You scowl at her as the two of you take a seat together back inside the cantina
“The next time you go into the ring, they’re going to set you up with someone who actually knows how to fight.  If you’re not decisive, you might get hurt."
>”Ah won’t let that happen.”
>Applebloom sighs as she leans back into her seat
>You scoff in return as you lean over the table
“You know, back at the Citadel they would make us kill prisoners sometimes, just to make sure we were fine with killing.”
>”Yeah, ah remember that.  Never liked it.”
“Me neither.  It does nothing to prepare you for an actual fight.  It’s one thing to choke out an unarmed man begging for his life, and something else altogether tocut him down when he’s swinging an axe at your head.”
>”Yeah, it’s kind of cowardly to kill someone who can’t even fight back”
“I feel the same way."
>After staring at one another a few more moments, your facade fell and you cracked a smile
“You did good today.”
>She grinned at you as she rubbed the back of her neck
>”Thanks Anon.”
“How about a drink to celebrate your first win?”
>”A drink?”
“Yeah, anything you like in particular?”
>”Not really.”
“Oh, well I’ll go pick us out something.”
>You walk over to the bar and return with a large bottle and a few shot glasses
“You’re going to love this.”
>”What’d ya get?”
>Your eyes light up as you pour the drink into each of your glasses
“Everywhere I go, I always ask if they carry Tarisian Ale, and they always tell me ‘No but we have Corellian Ale’, and its not the same at all!”
>”Tarisian Ale?”


>Applebloom curiously swished the drink around in her little glass, eyeing it closely as you raised up your own
>”If this is just ale, then how come we’re drinking it in shot glasses?”
“Because it’s Tarisian Ale.”
>You clink your glass against hers and quickly down the drink in one gulp
>The drink goes down smooth, and hits you like a cheap shot to the jaw before you even place the glass down
“Ahh.”
>After staring at her drink another moment, Applebloom downs her own glass in imitation of you
>”Whoa!”
>A small hiccup escapes her lips as you chuckle at her
>”That’s pretty good!”
“You’re telling me.”
>You pour the two of you another round and raise your filled glass up as you swish it around in your grasp
>Before you can down this one, Applebloom speaks up
>”What was your first time in battle like?”
“What do you mean?”
>Applebloom stares down at her own drink as she taps a finger against the table
>”Ah mean, was it hard for you to take a life your first time too?”
“Well…”
>You place your glass down as memories of years ago drift back into your mind
>Recalling Alaris Prime and your battles with the wookiees brought a grin to your face
>You were so excited, and so very happy, to finally have a chance to test yourself in a real fight
>It was a little frightening yes, but your excitement far outweighed your fear
>You chuckle as you remember how the Wookiee’s used rocket launchers and nearly buried you and your men underneath a cliff, and then you smile as you recall how vicious that Wookiee Berserker was
>The battle was like something out of a dream
>Then, just as you’re about to explain to her exactly how you feel about it, you stop and realize just how odd it all was
>Your smile falls apart, and you begin to wonder why it was so easy for you to kill?


>”Anon?  You OK?”
“Yes, I was just thinking.”
>”You don’t have to talk about it if it brings back bad memories or—“
“No, it’s not like that at all.  I remember my first battle very fondly, in just about every aspect.  I didn’t necessarily have any problems taking another warrior’s life…”
>It weighs heavily on your mind that Applebloom has had these problems, yet you had not
>What does that say about you, or her for that matter?
>Were you too really so different?
>You glance up at Applebloom, who listens closely to you as you ruminate over all of this
>She smirks as you fall silent, raising up her glass and downing it in one gulp
>”Hey Anon?”
“Yes?”
>”You sure you ain’t Mandalorian yourself?”
“Excuse me?”
>Applebloom giggles at you as she refills her glass
>”Granny Smith told me a long time ago that our people conquered Taris, way back during the Crusades.  Maybe an ancestor of yours was one of us?”
“Heh, you think so?”
>”Well, ah think you would’ve made a pretty great Mandalorian from the sounds of it.”
>Applebloom’s smile falters as she hovers over her shot glass
>”You sound like you were born for it.”
>Your own smile disappears as she raises up her glass and wolfs it down
>She hiccups once again as she lowers her glass onto the table
“You should slow down…”
>”y-You know Anon?  Sometimes, s-sometimes I wonder if, if maybe…”
“Yes?”
>”Maybe ah was adopted or something… no one else in my family, ah mean ah could never—“
>You take the bottle away from Applebloom before she can pour herself another glass


“I think that’s ridiculous.  No one can deny your heritage after seeing what you’ve done.”
>”But why is it so hard for me to—“
“You’re still so very young.  When I was your age I was just a dumb brat.  When you get older, you could become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”
>You raise your glass up to your lips as you mutter
“You could even become stronger than me.”
>Applebloom gives you a dull stare as you finish your drink
>The bottle in your hand is nearly empty, so you decide to finish it off and pour the rest into your shot glass
>It’s better than letting her have at it
“What do you want to do with your life?”
>Applebloom scowls as you catch her by surprise with this question
>”Ah’m going to be an Inquisitor, just like my sister is and my brother was…”
“And is that all you want to be?”
>She perks up slightly as you give her an intense stare
>”What else could I be?”
>You glare at her as you put your shot back down
“What if I told you you could become like the heroes in the stories your grandmother told you?  You could become a legendary warrior, a conqueror…”
>Applebloom lowers her head and grimaces
>”My people aren’t conquerors anymore, those times are long gone.”
“Then let’s bring them back.”
>”h-How?…”
>You briefly consider telling her everything and revealing your true nature to her, but instead you shove this thought aside as you finish this drink and rise up to your feet
>Your balance is still off, though you’re sure it has less to do with how much you wrecked your body earlier and more to do with those last several shots
“We’re leaving.”
>Applebloom rises up to her feet as well, only to nearly fall to the ground and take the table with her
>You grasp her gently by her arm, giving her the leverage she needs to stand, as the two of you march out of the cantina together


>The cool night air washes over the two of you as you walk down the city streets together
>You’re quick to notice some of the odd looks that people give the two of you as you leave the cantina
>It immediately dawns upon you how bad this must look, yet you can’t bring yourself to care
>”h-Hey… hey Anon, gimme back my lightsaber…”
“Hell no."
>She breaks out into a loud laugh as you roll your eyes
>This was not at all how you intended this day to end
>”Anon?”
“Yes?”
>”Did I ever tell you about my parents?”
>The two of you stop in the middle of the street as you stare down at her
“No, I don’t believe you have.”
>Glancing away, you spot a bench lying around the corner
>You lead her over there and gently help her sit down as you take a seat next to her
“Tell me about them.”
>”Well there’s not a whole lot to say, because I don’t remember them all that much.  They left Ordo when I was real little.”
“How come?”
>Applebloom’s drunken smile wavered as she leaned over the bench
>”There was this group made up of a bunch of different Mandalorian clans that wanted our people to be like they used to be in the old days.  They were called Death Watch, my parents left to join them.”
“Death Watch?”
>She solemnly nodded her head
>“Ah really don’t know what happened to them.  Me and AJ and Big Mac used to talk about going after them and joining them when we got older.  But that was before the Empire, and everything else…”
>She wiped a stay tear from her eye as you listened to her go on
>”t-They’re probably all dead now, but maybe if I could do what you said.  Become like the old heroes, like the old Mandalorians, they’d have been proud of me…”


“I can’t imagine your parents wouldn’t be proud of you right now.”
>”a-Ah don’t know.  Maybe they would’ve stayed if—“
>She falls quiet as you wrap your arms around her in hug, holding her tight as you whisper to her
“I wish I could have had family like you when I grew up here.”
>As you hold her within your arms, you hear her sniffle as she holds back a sob and returns your embrace
>”Thanks Anon…”
“Don’t mention it.”
>After holding onto her another minute or so, you let go and help her up
>Walking the rest of the way back to the spaceport, the two of you reenter the Gauntlet Fighter
>You’re feeling a bit more sober by the time you return, though Applebloom appears to be down for the count
>”Ah’m going to go to bed.”
“Tomorrow we will return to the Dueling Ring.  Then after that, I’ll have some other training in mind.”
>She nods her head and leaves your side, giving you a moment to quietly mull over all you had learned from her
“It’s about time you learned what’s really going on…”
>You were ready to reveal to her what what you were after, and what you intended for her to become
>However, before you could do that there was someone else you needed to convince
>You smile as you enter the dark confines of the cargo hold and kneel down


>Be Applebloom
>You awaken in the middle of the night in a cold sweat as you groggily stare out of the cockpit at the lights of the city
“Aw Hell…"
>You cough as you become aware of your splitting headache and your parched throat
>Your first experience with alcohol was not nearly as fun as you had once thought it would be
>Struggling to remember all that you had said and done, you shake your head and sigh
>You sincerely hope that you did nothing to embarrass yourself, especially in front of Anon
“Have ah been crying?  Aw blast it.”
>Rising up to your feet, you step out of the cockpit and into the hall toward the refresher
>After drinking and splashing a bit of water on your face, you’re about ready to collapse back into your seat
>However, as you return to the hallway you sense something
>Glancing around the hall, you realize that Anon is not here
>You look and see that the door to the cargo hold is left slightly open
“Anon?”
>You take a few steps toward the cargo hold and hear a voice
>”You would not be saying that if you had seen all that I had seen.”
>Pausing before the door, you take another cautious step closer as you peer inside the room
>”And how has your search been?  Hahaha, I imagined as such.”
>You blink as you stare at Anon, sitting alone in the cargo hold in a meditative stance
“Why is he talking to himself?”
>”Well, if you’re really so skeptical then why don’t you come here and see for yourself? It’s about time you’ve been properly introduced.”
>You’re tempted to knock at the door and ask what he is doing, but instead you find yourself simply staring inside
>Then, you realize he is not alone


>A chill crawls up your spine as you see a shadowy figure standing in front of Anon
>Whoever, or whatever it is, appears to have dark blue skin and is wreathed in blackness as it stares down at Anon with glowing blood red eyes
>More terrifying than its appearance, is what you sense coming from it
>Its presence in the Force is unlike anything you had felt in years
>Not since you had first sensed Lord Vader himself, had you ever felt something so… evil
“a-Ah have to be dreaming, this can’t be—“
>You freeze completely as the creature’s red eyes fall upon you
>Staring back into it’s gaze fills you with dread, yet you cannot look away
>Then, as the two of you stare one another down, it smiles
>A dreadful, inhuman, monstrously wicked smile
>It is like looking upon a demon
>You back away from the cargo hold as you place a hand over your mouth and choke back a scream
>Stumbling away, you run back into the cockpit and shut the doors behind you
>You fall to one knee as you exhale a ragged breath, brandishing your lightsaber as you stare back and wonder
“What—What was that?"


>Be Anonymous
>”I put all my creds on that Mandalorian girl, she’s undefeated!”
>”Yeah but that little pipsqueak hasn’t been fighting that long.  Watch this, that Wookiees’s going to tear her apart!”
>You raise your glass of Tarisian Ale up to your lips and sip it as the various bar patrons gather around the monitors
>It brings a small smile to your lips to see how confident Applebloom looks walking into the ring
>Her opponent, a burly eight foot tall Wookiee, doesn’t look nearly as happy as she does as he stomps forward with his massive sword
>You calmly watch as the two of them clash in the center of the ring, the Wookiee’s blade crashing down against Applebloom as she braces against his attack
>She blocks the blow with her own sword without moving an inch, and then shoves her weight forward as the Wookiee stumbles back
>The fight doesn’t last long
>Less than a minute later, Applebloom manages to knock aside the wookiee’s sword and slash him through his abdomen
>No one hears your chuckle as the cantina goes wild
>”Ah Hell!  Look at all his guts flying out!”
>”I think I’m gonna be sick…”
>The camera zooms in on Applebloom, who wears a proud smirk as she stands tall over her fallen foe
“Well, someone looks like she’s gotten used to the sight of blood.  What a difference a week makes.”
>One fight every day, for seven days straight, followed by more one on one sparring sessions with you
>Her skills with a saber are as sharp as ever, and it seems like her courage is growing as well
>Well, it SEEMS that way
>After today, you’ll know for certain if she has mastered her Fear
“I hope you’re ready.”
>”Ready for what?”


>You glance up from your drink to see Applebloom staring down at you with a curious look
>Leaving your drink unfinished, you stand up and smile at her
“I have a very special lesson in store for you today.”
>”Oh?  What’d you have in mind?”
“I’ll show you.”
>Applebloom could barely contain her excitement behind that bright grin of hers as the two of you walked out of the cantina, back to the spaceport, and into your ship
“I’ll pilot this time.”
>”You sure?
“Yes, I think I’m starting to get the hang of these controls.  It’s definitely not as simple as the Lambda was, but i’m getting used to it."
>Taking control of the Gauntlet Fighter, you steer the ship up into the sky and zoom over Taris’ skyscrapers
>”You know, ah really didn’t like it at first but that whole arena has kind of grown on me.  Ah’m learning a lot."
“I’m glad.  Someone once told me that you learn much more about fighting by genuinely experiencing it, rather than just training and practicing for it.  I learned that personally during my first Inquisitorial Hunt.”
>Applebloom leans closer as she sits in the co-pilot chair beside you
>”Hey Anon, you’ve never really told me much about how your first hunt went.  What was it like?”
“Well… I can explain it in detail once we’re done for today.  I will say that my first mission left me with a very different perspective on life.”
>”How so?”
>Your sighed in contentment as you recalled all that followed your first mission, from your pact with Midnight to your rescue from the Emperor
“I started to believe that I could become something great, and I had a newfound appreciation for the people in my life.”
>Applebloom stared at you with rapt attention
>She always seemed very interested in anything you had to say
>It made her such a great pupil
“Ah, we’re here.”

>You lower the ship onto a landing pad connected with a huge structure that looms over the horizon
>Hundreds of smoke stacks and various spires jut out into the sky as you park the ship before the ruined looking building
>”Is this some kind of factory?”
“Yes, although for what I’m not sure.  What I do know is that this place has been abandoned for a very long time.”
>Your expression darkens as you park the ship onto the landing pad and turn to face Applebloom
“Do you notice something strange about this place?”
>”Strange?  Like what?”
>Applebloom stares out at the factory for several moments before her eyes widen in shock
>”w-What is that?  I sense… the Dark Side.  What is this place?”
>You gaze upon the tall ramshackle building before  you, various black splotches upon it’s metal hull and huge gaping holes becoming more apparent the longer you took it in
“In ancient times, the Sith razed this entire world to the ground.  Their fleet blasted everything with a huge orbital bombardment.  Almost nothing survived, but this factory just barely did.”
>Applebloom cups her hand under her chin as she stares at the place
>”How come ah can sense the Force here like this?
“Some say that many of the Sith's own warriors died here during the orbital bombardment as they were caught in the crossfire.  Many likely tried to find shelter here.  Perhaps what we are sensing are their restless spirits, or the remnant of their hate."
>You hopped out of your seat and walked down the ramp onto the landing pad with Applebloom
“Your lesson today will test your courage.  You will travel throughout this factory, and you will not return until sunset.”
>”Wait, that’s it?  That doesn’t sound so—“
>Her words trailed off as the two of you approached the ominous steel structure
>The Dark Side of the Force was strong here, and you knew exactly why


>”So… ah’m going in alone?”
>You nod your head, placing a hand onto her shoulder as you gesture to the factory
“There are things in this place that are going to confuse and terrify you, but as long as you remember what you are fighting for then you will overcome.”
>”What ah’m fighting for…”
>Applebloom gives a deep sigh and takes a precarious step forward toward the factory as she brandishes Aay’han
>She grips her saber tightly as she walks forward, a cold wind breezing by as you watch her approach the dark entrance into the building
“Applebloom.”
>She stops and glances back at you
“I will be here waiting for you no matter how long you take in there.  Remember that the Force is strong in you.”
>Her lips curl up into a smile as she turns back toward the ancient factory
>”Thank you Anon.”
>She marches inside and disappears into the shadows
>Walking back into your ship, you take a seat within the cargo hold and force away your restless thoughts with meditation
>Being honest with yourself, you freely admit that you are concerned
>She would either come out of this stronger, or she would die
“I know you can pass this.  Do no fail me…”


>Be Applebloom
>You ignite Aay’han and raise her in front of you as you walk along through the empty hall way
>Your lightsaber does a good job of illuminating the place as you stride onward
>After making your way through the hall, you find yourself inside a massive chamber
>It looks to be a long way down from where you’re standing, though you can’t tell how deep the chasm goes
>Rusted catwalks as well as various conveyor belts stretch over the abyss around you
“This place looks like a maze.  How could anyone have ever worked here?”
>The echo of your footsteps and the hum of your saber resounds as you slowly walk along the catwalk
>You still have this funny feeling, the same you had ever since you laid eyes on the place
>There was something about this factory that Anon thought would put you to the test
“Test my courage…”
>You come to a halt as you notice a sound echo to you
>Twisting back, you stare behind yourself
>The room is so dark that you can’t see too far behind you, though you swore that you heard a second set of footsteps just now
>Your eyes narrow as you sense through the darkness
>Try as you might, you don’t sense anything
“Huh.”
>You slowly turn around, only to immediately glance back down the way you came
>Even though you can’t see or sense anything, you’re positive that someone, or something, is there
“Anon?  Is that you?”
>All remains silent now save for the hum of your lightsaber
“Who’s there?  Show yourself!”
>You are thrown off balance as your body smacks against the catwalk’s railing and the entire walkway shakes
“w-What the—!?"
>A deafening and monstrous roar greets you from behind
>Your heart sinks as you stare back into the darkness behind you
>It is the same roar you heard from the beast in your visions


>You stand there draped over the railing as a second roar, louder than the last, bellows toward you
>A chill runs down your spine as your saber accidentally slices through the floor
>The railing gives way
“AAAAAHHH!”
>Tumbling aside off of the railing, your body plunges into the abyss
>You wildly flip through the air before gritting your teeth and staring down
>Another catwalk becomes apparent as you raced downwards
>Pushing your body forward with the Force, you propel yourself over to the catwalk
>With a loud clank, your body rolls against the floor and nearly shoves itself through yet another railing as you come to a stop on top of the catwalk
>Just as you begin to think you might be safe however, the roar bellows after you
>It sounds even closer than before
>Without wasting another second, you stand up and sprint down the walkway as fast as you can
“c-Can’t be—!  This can’t be happening!”
>After a full minute of running, you leave the chamber and step into another hallway
>You come to an abrupt stop in front of a set of elevators
>To your surprise, the ancient machine lights up as you approach
“These things still work?”
>You glance behind yourself as you smash your fist against the elevator button
>A set of doors opens up and you rush inside, randomly slamming another button as the doors close shut
>Collapsing onto the dim elevator’s floor, you back yourself up against the wall and slowly regain your breath
“t-That… that couldn’t have been real.”
>That bestial roar was indistinguishable from anything but the monster you had heard and seen in your nightmares
“Why?  How?”
>As you ask these questions, the elevator doors open up
>These rooms appear to be slightly less dark, and when you glance at exactly what button you had hit you realize that you’ve gone up
>Over a hundred levels up


>You wince in pain as you step out of the elevator
>It appears you bruised your thigh when you made that rough landing onto the catwalk, though you’re just noticing it now
>Grunting, you ignore the pain as you walk down the hallway
>Though it’s no longer very dark in here, you still keep your saber lit
>Small rays of light pierce through holes in the ceiling as you march through and eventually enter a new chamber
>The tiled floor is cracked, several pillars are smashed up and lying across the ground, and a large metal table lies across the room
>It appears that this was once an opulent office for someone quite powerful
>You walk across the room and lean against the table as you take a short rest and try to collect your thoughts
>Your heart is still beating fast, but you’re finally getting a good chance to catch your breath now
>What was it that Anon told you before?
>’Remember what you are fighting for, and you will overcome.’
“Just what am I fighting for anyway…?”
>Are you braving all these terrible horrors just so you can make Anon happy?
>Do you want to honor your family, make your sister proud and do justice to your people?
>Is there more to it than that?
>As you mull over all of this, a new noise penetrates your thoughts
>It is a boom, like thunder
>At first you think that a storm might be starting, though the booming is constant
>For some reason, a strange smell like ash or smoke is permeating now as well
>You turn toward the wall and notice that steel shutters line around the office
>Something is happening, though you aren’t sure what
>Stepping away from the desk, you walk up in front of the steel shutters
>After taking a deep breathe, you raise up your hand and use the Force to toss them open
>Nothing could have prepared you for what you saw

>It was apocalyptic
>Huge bolts of plasma rained down upon the planet before you as if fire was falling from the sky
>The world of Taris was awash in flames as massive explosions rocked the entire world
>You stared in complete horror and watched helplessly as the planet was destroyed before your very eyes
>Taking a step back, you raised your hand in front of your face as the light blinded you
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
>Then there was silence
>You opened your eyes and looked back
>The light of the flames and the barrage of the lasers was gone, leaving only the endless city of Taris before you
“w-What was that?”
>Then you remembered what else Anon had said, about the planet having been destroyed long ago through orbital bombardment
>That happened thousands of years ago, and the planet had long since healed itself
>Though, it immediately struck you how much smaller and grimier the skyscrapers looked now, compared to how they looked when you were watching them be destroyed
“Ah must be losing it, or maybe the Force is playing tricks on me?”
>You took in another deep breathe and shook your head
>This place was supposed to test your courage
“Ah can’t let this place get to me.”
>Glaring out at the city before you, with your lightsaber shaking in your hand, you defiantly stood proud against whatever it was assaulting your mind
“Ah won’t back down!  You hear me?!  None of this is real!”
SPOILER >”I am very real.”  SPOILER


>Quickly twisting about, you lay eyes upon the shadow lying within one of the few still-standing pillars
>Your jaw falls open as two glowing red orbs manifest in the darkness and a figure emerges
>Words fail you as the figure glides forward, her black cape billowing behind her as she regards you with a wicked smile
>As you stare into that evil grin of hers, you remember once more that very same figure you saw standing over Anon as you watched him meditating
“i-It’s you."
>Whoever it is reaches down to her belt and brandishes a blackened steel saber
>Her devious smile widens as the saber ignites and she angles her weapon over her head toward you
>”AH HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
>She cuts her laughter short and sprints so quickly that you almost have no time to react
>You grip Aay’han with both hands and raise her up
>A flash of red sparks lights the room as you block her slash
>Had you not already had your saber in your hand and ignited, then you would have almost certainly been decapitated
>Staring back into those malicious red eyes of hers, you almost feel as if her gaze is sapping away your strength
“GYAH!”
>You shove your weight forward and throw her back a few steps
>Your reprieve doesn’t last long as your opponent falls on you yet again
>Her saber strikes you wildly and relentlessly as you struggle to block her erratic onslaught
>Try as you might to fight back, her attacks move so quickly that as soon as you try to counterattack she is already striking back
>Her ferocity is unlike anything you have ever fought before
>So terrifying it is, that you find yourself forced to step back
>You manage to clumsily slash back and slice at her as you step away
>Your saber strikes at her, only for her own saber to block the blows as she pushes you back through where the shutters once lay and out onto the ledge


>An updraft blows past you, ruffling through your tunic as you are pushed back along the building’s ledge and away from the office
>You refuse to look down as you raise your saber above your head
>Remembering how viciously Anon had fought you when you two sparred together, you steel yourself for this monster’s next attack
>When she rushes out, you are ready
“HIYAAA!”
>You slash down at her with an overhead chop as she creeps closer
>Her saber blocks your strike but your attack manages to stop her in her tracks
>You strike again and again, finally finding your footing as you plant down and fight back
>Then, as you feel your confidence surge, your assault ends
>When you attempt to strike her down with a horizontal slash, Aay’han becomes lodged within the steel hull of the building
>Your eyes widen as you wrench your saber out only for your opponent to regain the offensive
“OOF!"
>You feel the wind get knocked out of you as your opponent slams her boot into your gut
>Stumbling back, you just barely raise your saber in time to knock aside one last stab before you are sent flying
>The last thing you see of her is her manic grin as she tosses her hand forward and blasts you off the ledge with the Force
>For a moment, you are left dumbstruck by it all as you yet again fall
“DAMMIT!  ARGH!”
>Tumbling through the air, you right yourself and grasp hold of your saber over your head with both hands as you face the wall of the building
“AAAAAAARRGH!”
>With a fierce stab, you thrust Aay’han into the wall and slow down your descent



>In that brief moment of clarity, as if time itself is slowing down, you realize that unless you do something that you will fall to your death
>You jerk your head down and spot a catwalk that you just narrowly miss colliding with
>Glancing about, you see another catwalk that you are rapidly about to pass by
>Raising your legs up, you kick off against the wall and propel yourself through the air
>Deactivating Aay’han and slipping her inside your belt, you reach out with both hands as you speed downwards at the catwalk
>Your hands grasp hold of the railing just in time, though the railing barely holds
>The thin rusted metal breaks off on one end as your body smacks against the side of the catwalk
“AAH!”
>You flinch as pain shoots up through your side, your body dangling over the edge
>Fighting through the pain, you shimmy yourself over the ledge and roll onto your back
>Grasping your side causes you to cry out as you fight to stay conscious through the pain
>You might have just broken a rib or two
“Gotta… gotta keep awake…”
>Taking your hand off of your side, you reach up and grab the unbroken railing
>You prop yourself up and slowly regain your vision
“a-Anon’s waiting for me outside… sis is waiting for me back home…”
>Your hands tighten over the railing as your breath quickens
“Iron Will’s waiting for me on Dathomir… Clan Ordo…”
>Gritting your teeth, your grip over the railing tightens
>Then you sense her
>Twisting your head, you watch as the dark blue-skinned warrior floats downwards, her arms outstretched as her cape billows behind her
>She touches down over thirty meters away from you on the other end of the narrow catwalk
>The two of you stare each other down as she raises her off-hand to her mouth and lazily suppresses a chuckle
>Your anger grows as your tear the railing apart in your clenched fists and chuck the hunk of metal aside
“WHAT’S SO FUNNY?!"


>Your enemy reignites her blackened lightsaber and breaks out into a sprint as she angles her saber over her head
>Shoving your hand into your pocket, your whip out your mother’s gun, the custom Westar 35, and take aim
>Massive bolts of blue plasma barrel forward as you fire upon her
>She knocks aside your blasts almost effortlessly as she closes the distance, though you don’t let up at all
>Just as she lunges forward with her saber, you take your right hand off of your blaster and brandish your lightsaber
>You narrowly avoid being cut in half as you raise your saber up and block her slash
>She strikes with such ferocity that you nearly lose hold of your saber, but you manage to hold her back just in time for you to raise your blaster
>Her smile finally disappears as you pull the trigger
>A blue blast fires forth as you take aim for her heart
>”AH!”
>She twists aside as your blaster bolt pierces through her cape
>Raising up your saber, the two of you circle around each other
>You strike back with a wide slash that she narrowly blocks, only for you to take aim and fire just as she’s about to counterattack
>Fighting with saber and blaster, you take control of the battle
>Saber clashes against saber as you fire again and again with your blaster
>Then, just as she manages to stab forward and interlock her saber with yours, you raise up your blaster and take aim
>You pull the trigger and fire, but your bolt fails to find it’s target
>As a blue blast flies past her face, she reaches up with her non dominant hand and grasps hold of your wrist
>You gasp as her knee collides into your side
>Your ribs are definitely broken now
>Stumbling back, you struggle to breathe as your foe laughs at you
”u-Ugh!”
>Lifting your head up, you stare at her as she raises an open palm at you
>”Nice try.”
>A storm of lightning erupts from her fingertips and engulfs you

>Your vision is awash in a brilliant light as your entire body jolts in agony
>When it finally ends, you feel your singed body stagger back, your weapons lazily aimed at the ground as you stumble away
>The pain is so intense that you can think of little else
>It is a mystery to you how you can even still be standing now
>Then, you hear her again
>Her mocking laugher reverberates inside your head
>“Oh my!  You don’t look so good.”
>A sigh gently breezes through her lips as you stare back at her
>”And just when things were getting interesting.  How disappointing…”
>Your heart skips a beat as she takes a step closer
>Then you find your legs practically moving on their own as you sprint down the catwalk away from her
>”Was it something I said?! AHHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
>With saber in one hand and blaster in another, you run away back into the factory
>You swear you can still hear her laughter echoing over to you as you disappear inside the complex
>After running for what could have been several minutes, you find yourself stumbling inside what looks to be a derelict and empty hangar bay
>Half of the large chamber is awash in light from outside while the other is wreathed in darkness
>Sliding behind a pillar, you drop to the ground and deactivate your saber
“i-I gotta…. gotta get out.  Find h-help… find Anon…”
>Your weapons fall out of your grasp as you bury your face in your hands
“Ah can’t do this.  Ah don’t want to die!"
>”Applebloom~.”
>Your eyes widen in terror as you muffle a small scream with your hand
>She knows your name
>”I know you’re in here Applebloom.  I can sense your fear… you reek of it.”


>You try to hide as best you can
>The Inquisitorius taught you about concealing your presence with the Force
>If you just stay quiet and concentrate, you think you can slip by her
>You think it may be your only chance
>Even so, you swear you hear her saber hum closer as her footsteps echo towards you
>”Is this really the best you can do?  Can’t you stand and fight me?  Poor girl… you’re weak!”
>A tear rolls down your cheek as you hug your knees
>All you want, more than anything else, is to have your family and your friends with you right now
>Applejack, Sweetie Belle, even Scootaloo…
>Anonymous… and—
>”Weak, just like your brother.”
>You gasp as you lift your head up
>”Heh, that’s right.  I know all about your brother.  Big Macintosh, he had such a big reputation in the Inquisitorius.  So brutal, so vicious, he was feared and hated by many. But… you knew another side to him, didn’t you?”
>Your body begins to shake as you stare unblinkingly forward into the shadows of the hangar bay
>”There was a softer side to him, wasn’t there?  Big Mac had a big heart, you of all people would know that…”
“s-Stop.”
>”Hahaha~.  That fight of his, that last duel with Rainbow Dash.  He had her right where he wanted her, and Rainbow Dash did what she had to do to win.  She begged for her life, and your brother hesitated.”
“Stop it.”
>”It’s pretty unfortunate isn’t it?  Maybe he just never had it in him to begin with, just like you.  Your whole family is just one BIG mess!”
>Your chest begins to rise and fall as you grit your teeth
>You reach down and grasp Aay’han and your blaster pistol before rising to your feet
>”Maybe I should just put you out of your misery right now, then I can go pay your sister a visit next!  I’m sure she’d be lots of fun TO KILL!  HAHAHAHAHA!”

>Swerving your right arm, you slash directly through the pillar, your long saber slicing completely through it
“NOOOOO!!!!!!”
>Your scream bursts forward, cracking the pillar into pieces as huge chunks are sent flying outward
>Huge debris races across the entire hangar bay as the full force of your scream impacts your foe
>She is sent flying through the air as her body slams against the ground and rolls across the hangar bay
>You don’t let up, charging after her before she even hits the ground, as you close the distance whilst opening fire
>She hops up to her feet and begins charging toward you as well, deflecting your blaster bolts as she hurries over to meet you
>”PROVE TO ME YOU AREN’T WEAK!  KILL ME!!!”
“AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
>Just before the two of you clash, you drop your blaster and grip Aay’han with both hands
>Your red sabers meet in a storm of sparks, washing the chamber in a deadly red glow as the two of you smash your sabers into one another
>There is nothing more that you want in the entire galaxy than to wipe that smile off of her face
>Your enemy raises her leg and slams her boot into your side yet again, though you feel no pain at all
>You slash down at her, your saber crashing into the ground and creating a small fissure where she once stood
>Wrenching your saber up, you sprint toward her just as she rushes to meet you
>Red sabers swirl about, and you swear her saber cuts into your flesh several times, yet the pain does not slow you down
>Then, as you feel your anger continue to explode, you throw all caution aside and slash into her with an overhead chop
>”ARGH!”

>Your foe hops back as her smile crumbles
>”Did you just…?”
>She glances down at her left shoulder
>It looks as if you had finally struck her, leaving a small burn on her shoulder from where your saber had cut
>This isn’t nearly enough for you
>You charge after her with your saber when—
>”Wait, enough!”
>You ignore her as she raises her hand up to you
>”Don’t make me destroy you!”
“SHUT UP AND DIE!”
>A torrent of lightning erupts from her hand and strikes you
>You’re brought to an abrupt stop as her lightning surrounds you
>Aay’han slips out of your hand as you take a step back, but just as  you feel you are about to black out you remember all that she had said
>Her voice is joined by that of the Mandalorian that you brutally murdered on Ordo, and by Rainbow Dash’s voice as well
>You hear the a chorus of other voices, chanting at you in languages you have never heard before, as your eyes wrench open
>”What’s this?!”
>The Westar 35 in your hand shakes as you slowly lift it up and grasp it with both hands
“SEE.  YOU.  IN.  HELL!”
>”MIDNIGHT!  APPLEBLOOM!”
>The lightning ceases and your shot goes wild, leaving a hole in the wall several meters away from your foe
>With that, you fall to your knees as your smoking body fights to stay conscious
“a-Anon?”


>Be Anonymous
>You sensed that things might have been getting out of hand earlier, but as soon as you felt Applebloom’s anger you knew you had to step in for everyone’s sakes
>Marching down the hangar bay, a barely conscious Applebloom and a rather bemused looking Midnight compete for your attention
>Midnight turns away from Applebloom and walks up to you
>”a-Anon look out!  Don’t let her—!“
>Applebloom’s warning is cut short as Midnight deactivates her saber and wraps her arms around you
>The chamber goes deadly quiet as she embraces you
>You return her hug as she nestles her head against you chest plate
>”Miss me?”
>You sigh as you smile down at her
“You have no idea.”
>Placing your hand over her soft and sweaty cheek, the two of you lock together
>Her kiss is more intoxicating than any ale, and to see her body in such a ragged state after a battle is enough to send you into a frenzy
>Even so, you realize that this is not the time for this
>You break apart from her
“Now you see in Applebloom what I have seen for years.  Tell me you know it.”
>Midnight’s pleased smile transforms into an unamused frown
>”Yes, she has potential.  I am… content with your choice.”
“Excellent.”
>You caress her cheek as you give her a warm grin which seems to dispel her sour mood
“Now then, let me speak with her.  She needs to know everything.”
>”Fine then, let’s get it over with.”
>You break away from Midnight and step toward Applebloom
>Even with all the soldiers you’ve seen in your life, you can’t say you’ve ever seen a thousand yard stare quite like hers
>You get the feeling that this won’t be quite so easy to explain, but it will feel so liberating to finally get this all off your chest

“Applebloom?”
>You drop down on one knee in front of her
“Applebloom!?”
>”w-What was… WHO THE HELL IS SHE!?”
>You scowl as you hear Midnight giggle behind you
“Come on then, up we go.”
>You take hold of Applebloom by her shoulders and bring her to her feet
“This is Midnight Sparkle.  A High Inquisitor, one of the most powerful warriors in the Empire… and the woman I love.”
>Applebloom’s face scrunches as she looks back at her, then at you
>”i-I… WHAT!?  She’s insane!”
“Haha yes, well…”
>You let go of Applebloom and cough into your fist
>Midnight walks over ands stands just beside you, causing Applebloom to recoil from her
>”Let me make this very simple.  I knew all about you, your family, and everything else because Anon told me.  Those sounds you were hearing, and that vision of Taris in flames, were illusions that I created with the Force.”
>"The Force can create illusions?”
“Yes, it’s an ancient Dark Side power that I imagine only a few people are able to use anymore.”
>Midnight giggles once more as she leans next to you
>”You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to actually test that power on someone.  All that theoretical work and I finally got a chance to put it into practice.  And it WORKED!”
>”y-You crazy son of a—!”
“I said enough.”
>You can already tell that these two are going to be a joy to have around at the same time
>”Ah don’t understand!  Anon, what was the point of all this?!”


>You narrow your eyes as you stare back at Applebloom
“You’ve known for some time now that I am different from most of the other Inquisitors, that I possess power that they do not have.  Well now I am going to tell you something that the Inquisitorius doesn’t want you to know.  You’ve purposely been trained wrong.”
>”What do you mean trained wrong?”
>Midnight Sparkle stepped forward and raised up a finger as she grinned down at Applebloom
>”We Inquisitors are trained to be able to fight Jedi, but our lords take great care to make sure we never surpass them in power.  The truth of the matter is that many of us have the potential to become far more powerful.”
“Midnight has known this ever since she became an Inquisitor, and she revealed this to me not too long after we met.”
>”s-So, why are you telling me this now?”
“Because I care about you.  I want to see you become stronger, more powerful than they ever intended you to be.  I want you to reach your full potential, so you can serve by my side…”
>You step forward and place a hand over her shoulder
“… as my apprentice.”
>Her eyes widen as she understands the meaning behind your words
“Join us Applebloom, become my apprentice and together we will finish our journey to the Dark Side.  We will become SITH!”
>”y-You mean, ah could become a Sith Lord?  Like the Emperor and Vader?”
>You nod your head as Midnight stands off to the side and smirks
“Will you do it?”
>Applebloom looks down at the ground as you and Midnight loom over her
>The sun is now beginning to set as the last rays of sunlight begin to die out within the ruins of the hangar bay
>Your eyes, blessed a reddish yellow by the Dark Side’s influence, and Midnight’s naturally blood red eyes help illuminate the darkness of the chamber as you wait to hear Applebloom’s decision

>”I trust you.”
>There was no other answer she could have given that would have pleased you more
>Applebloom drops down to her knees and stares up at you with a look of pure determination
>You smile over to Midnight who gives you a nod of approval before staring back down at Applebloom
“From this day forth, you will walk down the path of the Sith.  Together, we will avenge your family, slay our Jedi enemies, and one day we will turn on our masters and create our own empire.”
>The look of strength in her eyes is unlike anything you had ever seen from her before
>It excites you
>”Yes Master.”
>You plant your left fist on your waist as you reach behind your belt and ignite Sentinel
>Standing tall over Applebloom, you lower your yellow saber over her shoulder
“Repeat after us.  Peace is a lie, there is only passion.”
>”Peace is a lie, there is only Passion.”
>Midnight stands tall behind Applebloom as she places a hand over her other shoulder and speaks down to her
>”Through Passion, I gain Strength.”
>”Through Passion, ah gain Strength.”
“Through Strength, I gain Power”
>Applebloom’s hands grip into fists as she stares deeply into your eyes
>”Through Strength, ah gain Power.”
>”Midnight’s smile widens as she speaks just above a whisper
>”Through Power, we gain Victory.”
>”Through Power, we gain Victory!”
“Through Victory, our chains are broken.  The Force shall set us Free.”
>”Through Victory, our chains are broken!  The Force Shall set us Free!
>You raise up your saber as Applebloom rises to her feet, with Midnight resting her hands over your apprentice’s shoulders as she smirks down at her
“Welcome to our little family Applebloom.”


>Be Applebloom
>Tonight is yet another sleepless night
>It has been a few days since what happened at that ancient factory, though you swear it feels far longer
>You should be able to sleep, considering how comfortable your new quarters were
>When Midnight joined you and Anon, she suggested that the three of you use your credits from the arena to rent an apartment
>You have a very good idea why Anon was so eager to agree
>The two of them did seem to value their privacy quite a lot
“Heh…"
>This lofty room of yours is rather nice as well
>It’s far more comfortable than anything you’ve ever had before, and it gives you the most breathtaking view of Taris
>You stare out at the endless city in front of you as rain patters against your window
>After a while, you notice your own reflection staring back at you in the glass
“Is that really me?”
>It looks just like you
>The same long red hair stretching past your shoulders, though perhaps a little bit longer than you remember it
>The same black tunic covering your body, though perhaps a little tighter now that your muscles have grown
>The same bronze lightsaber lying within your belt next to your family’s blaster
>Your blaster
>You reach within your belt and raise the Westar 35 in front of your face
>Your mother gave this to Applejack when she became a woman, and Applejack had given it to you just before you left
>Staring intensely at your treasured gun, you begin to wonder what Applejack would say if she were to see what you were becoming
>You imagine she’d want nothing more than to tear Anon to shreds
>The Westar shakes in your grasp as your own anger begins to flare
>”That’s a very pretty blaster.”


>You cease shaking as you turn toward your open doorway and spot a pair of red eyes looking back at you
>A sigh escapes your lips as you frown at Midnight Sparkle
>You notice she’s wearing a somewhat revealing red nightgown as she walks into your room and takes a seat on your bed
>That smile of hers unnerves you almost as much as it did before, though instead of inspiring fear it only irritates you now
>”I had a feeling you’d be awake.  Want to talk?”
“About what?”
>Midnight raises a finger up and taps her chin
>Then, without breaking that grin of hers, she reaches over with her hand outstretched to you
>”Can I see?”
>Your eyes narrow as you look down at your pistol and then back to her
>After quickly mulling it over, you reluctantly hand her your blaster
>She seems quite enamored with it as she waves it in front of her eyes
>”Where did  you get something like this?”
“It’s been passed down through my family.  My sister gave it to me.”
>”Ah yes…”
>Your scowl falters as Midnight’s smile fades away
>”Anon told me all about your family, and I did my own investigation as well.”
>Midnight flips the blaster over and hands it back to you
>”I didn’t mean what I said about your brother.”
>You hold the blaster aloft in your grasp, the barrel pointed straight at her
“That doesn’t sound like an apology to me.”
>Midnight gives you an unamused frown before placing a finger against your blaster and forcefully aiming it away from her
>”Applebloom, I get the feeling you don’t like me very much.”
“What was your first clue?”


>Another small smile forms on her lips as her eyes narrow on you
>”I don’t want your forgiveness, and I don’t think I will ever ask for it.  I am your master’s equal in every way, would you ever demand an apology from him?”
“You’re not my master.”
>She rolls her eyes before scooting closer to you on the edge of your bed
>Her voice drops to just above a whisper
>”I know how you feel right now.”
>You scoff as you turn away from her and gaze back at the city
>”I had a brother once too.”
>You freeze up as Midnight stands and places a hand over your shoulder
>”His name was Shining Armor, and he meant everything to me.  I watched him die, just like you watched Big Mac die.”
>Your jaw falls open as you turn your head and look up at her
>You wonder briefly if she could be lying, if she was just toying with you again, but as you stare into her eyes you start to believe that she might actually be acting sincere
>”You felt powerless, didn’t you?  Your brother fighting for his life and you unable to lift a finger to help.”
“Ah… yeah…"
>”Never forget that feeling.”
“What?”
>You recoil from her as her demeanor changes once more
>Midnight’s sad smile twists into perhaps the most dire scowl you had ever seen
>”After what happened to my brother, I vowed that I wouldn’t ever be so weak again.  I chose to walk down the path of the Dark Side, and I never once looked back.”
>Her hand slips from your shoulder as she folds her arms over her chest
>”If you care about your future, and if you care about Anon, then you’ll do the same."


>Your hands grip into fists as you glare back at Midnight
“Ah've already made my decision.  Nothing’s going to stop me from becoming a Sith."
>”Not even your family?”
>You shut your eyes as her words echo about in your head
“My clan… the Apple Clan is dead.  Ah’m going to avenge every last one of their deaths, and ah’m going to honor their memories with every victory ah win.”
>”Good, but… what about Applejack?”
>You grit your teeth as your body trembles
>Memories of your past flood through your mind, and you remember all that you had been through with your sister
>All those years spent together…
>The gun she had given you shakes once more as you stare down at it
>Along it’s barrel lies your clan’s battle cry
‘The Force is Strong, and Blood is Thick'
“Ah’ll always love her, but things are going to be different between us.  If she can’t accept the path ah’ve chosen, if she ever stands against us then…”
>Your hand stops shaking
“Then ah’ll kill her myself."
>Midnight gives you a large grin as her red eyes widen in glee
>”I’m very happy to hear you say that, and I know Anon feels the same way.”
>Midnight turns her back on you and walks toward the doorway
>She stops right before she walks out and gives you one last glance over her shoulder
>”Your feelings will give you strength.  Never let go of them.”
>The door shuts behind Midnight as she walks away, leaving you alone once more
>You stare down at the gun in your hand before tossing it aside onto your bed and standing before your window
>The rain has picked up in intensity now
“Peace is a lie, there is only Passion.  Through Passion, ah gain Strength…"
>Your fists shake as you mutter to yourself in the dark
>The large window before you begins to crack and fracture under your merciless gaze
“… The Force will set me free.”


>The next morning you stand below the Tarisian Dueling Ring
>Your lightsaber gone, you grab a sword off of the wall and calmly walk up the hall to a blast door
>As it wrenches open, light pours on your face and you are bombarded by the sound of uproarious applause
>You smirk to yourself
>You’re going to put on one Hell of a show today
>Rushing out into the arena, you immediately sense your foes emerging from their own gates
>Then you look up into a spectator’s box and immediately spot your Master sitting up there beside Midnight Sparkle
>He smiles down at you as he raises his hand, and you give him a small nod in return
“Watch this…”
+++
>Be Anonymous
>”GYAAAAAAAHHH!”
>Midnight giggles as Applebloom slides behind an unsuspecting foe and slashes him in the back
>”Oh my!  This is, stupendous!  I think I like your home planet Anon.”
“Ha!  These death-matches used to be illegal you know, until the Imperial Governor reinstated them.  Probably thought they’d help keep the people happy.”
>The crowd roars as more men are cut down and blasted to pieces, Applebloom being responsible for several deaths
>”Well it’s obviously working.”
>Your heartbeat begins to quicken as you lean on the edge of your seat
>”Nervous?”
“Are you kidding?  HA!”
>You jab a finger down at Applebloom as she kicks a Gamorrean in the back of his knee, knocking him to the ground before she finishes him off with a horizontal slash
“Look at her!  See how quickly she dispatches her foes without mercy.  I’ve transformed her into a warrior!”
>Midnight sighs as she leans back into her own seat
>”They grow up so fast don’t they?”


>You chuckle as you stare down into the arena, analyzing every one of your apprentice’s moves as closely as possible
>Her stance, her footwork, her grasp of both Djem So and Shien…
>As far as you can tell, her technique is flawless
“She will DESTROY Iron Will, I’m sure of it.”
>”You sound very proud of her…”
>Your smile falls as you notice a change in Midnight’s tone
>Glancing back at her, you see a much more subdued grin on her face, one that lacks the usual raw emotion you are used to seeing from her
>Leaning back, you turn your attention away from your apprentice and toward the woman you consider your equal
“I am proud.  I always cared for Applebloom, and now I have the pleasure of seeing her become like us.”
>Midnight scoffs while her attention away from the chaos of the arena, instead looking upon you
>”I doubt I will feel as attached with whatever apprentice I take up.”
“Have you given it more thought then?”
>She shakes her head before resting it on her fist
>”I have yet to find anyone that meets my standards, or anyone that I particularly care for at all.”
>A loud cry of pain briefly diverts your attention to the bloodshed below, where you see Applebloom singlehandedly holding her own against five different combatants
>Your body freezes for a brief moment as one such combatant charges her from behind, only for Applebloom to step aside and trip him
>You grin at her as she stabs the man while he’s down
>”You feel so strongly for her, and I can sense that she feels just as passionate about you.  It makes both of you stronger, and It… it reminds me…”
“Hmm?”
>Turning back to her, you can see that her usual air of authority has all but vanished, leaving behind a much more vulnerable Midnight that you have only rarely seen before
>”… it reminds me of how I used to be with my own master…”


>The two of you silently sit together as the crowds roar at the bloody spectacle
>Midnight’s sombre gaze focuses back down at the fight with a frown, as if she were trying as hard as she could to distract herself
>A few moments of this display is all you can stomach
>She gasps in surprise as your hand slips into her grasp
“We will find her some day, I know we will."
>An uncharacteristically gentle smile forms on her lips as she tilts her head toward you
>Her smile is quite heartwarming, though it’s not often what you expect from her
>At times, when she acts like this, you imagine you’re seeing remnants of the person she once was
>This Twilight Sparkle…
>Then in the next instant, the look is gone
>Midnight’s innocent smile darkens as she lets loose an ominous laugh
>With a sinister look in her blood red eyes, she leans close to you while gripping your hand tightly and whispers
>”I can hardly wait.”
>The entire arena shakes in approval as you glance down at the killing floor and see Applebloom standing tall amidst a pile of corpses
>There appears to be more than a little blood splattered on her, though you are positive  none of it is hers
>She smirks up at you before turning toward the exit and cooly marching out, stepping over her dismembered foes without a single care
>Midnight giggles as you squeeze her hand back
>”Congratulations, she will make an excellent disciple.”
>You stare intently down at Applebloom, various thoughts rushing through your mind
>It’s hard for you to imagine exactly what Midnight and Celestia were like when they were together
>You know that one day the Force will grant you an opportunity to face her again, but until that time comes you are left to imagine
>Just what has become of the woman you idolized above all else, the Jedi who Midnight once called her master?
“What has become of you…?"


>Be Celestia
>The Clone Wars ended long ago, yet your war rages on
>It’s been seven years since the Jedi Order fell, and you’re beginning to think you may actually be the last Jedi left alive
>Or perhaps the only one who hasn’t given up
>You have strived in everything you do to stay true to the Jedi Code, to continue to be the guardian of peace and justice you were trained to be
>To that end, you have opposed the Empire every chance you could
>Often, you picked your battles in ways that wouldn’t attract too much attention
>You covered your tracks well and left no witnesses amongst the Imperials, and yet overtime you grew more and more frustrated
>It always seemed that for every small victory you won, the Empire would only go on to inflict greater evils upon the galaxy
>Yet you kept true to the Jedi way, and carried on every single day
>Until that one day, two years ago…
SPOILER >“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” SPOILER
>Your eyes wrench open as you are shocked out of your meditation
>Before you lies a vast arid desert, and in the distance you see the outline of a small settlement
>You sigh as you stand up and dust the dirt off of your silvery robes, one of the last few of your belongings that harkened back to your Echani roots
>It is silent now, save for the sound of the wind blowing over the sand
>Tossing on a rugged brown cloak, you begin to walk toward the settlement
“I haven’t forgotten…”
>Two years ago, you felt a disturbance in the Force
>There were several people that you had cared deeply for that you had never seen since the Purge, but on that day two years ago you heard the screams of one of them
>You heard Anonymous’ cry for help as he was killed
>Anonymous had died, and you knew the Sith were responsible


>Walking into town, you blend in fairly well amongst what few people wander about the street
>More than a few of these homes are abandoned, and you spot several derelict market stalls lining the road
>This town has seen far better days
>Florrum wasn’t your first choice for a place to hide out, though you had little choice
>After that horrifying revelation you felt those two years ago, something inside you snapped
>You threw all caution to the wind and staged a vicious attack against the Empire
>Prakith was where you had hoped to confront the Sith themselves, yet instead you found yourself fighting against a horde of their Dark Jedi followers
>After slaying as many as you could, you were eventually forced to retreat
>Now these… ‘Inquisitors’ hounded your every step
>You’re fairly certain you managed to at least conceal your identity, yet you have still been forced to take extra precautions
>Hence why you are currently staying on this remote Outer Rim world
>Here you are simply another aimless soul trying to make her way through the galaxy
>In some ways, that is actually the truth
>You are suddenly broken out of your musings as several Jawas scatter past you
>Glancing up and down the street, you spot a cantina up ahead
>You’re not normally one to drink, but you could use a break out of the sun
>Stepping inside the cantina, you immediately spot over a dozen men all crowding around the bar
>Most of them are Weequay by the looks of them, human-like beings with tough leathery skin, and judging by their roguish attire and the blasters on their hips you wager that they are pirates
>”I’m tellin’ ya, Florrum ain’t what it used to be, and the Empire's only going to make things worse!”
>”That’s why we gotta do something!  Those bucketheads gots to go!”
>You can’t say you exactly feel sorry for them, yet it’s odd to think that you all share the same enemy
“What a strange time we live in.”

>Taking a seat off to the side, you take a moment to rest as you listen to these men argue amongst themselves
>”You really think Hondo’s dead?”
>”I dunno, but I saw what the Empire did to that base of his.  I don’t think there were any survivors at all.”
>”Damn…”
>These pirates continue to mutter and grumble when a young Twi-lek serving girl in a skimpy outfit suddenly walks up to your table
>She’s carrying a tall blue drink on her serving tray
>”This is for you ma’am.”
>You raise any eyebrow at her as she places the drink down
“I didn’t order anything, and I don’t have any credits.”
>”It’s compliments of that man over there.”
>She points over to the bar where a burly Nikto, a reptilian humanoid with red skin and horns on his head, reclines against the bar counter amidst the throng of pirates
>He’s giving you a sly smile as he waves your way
>As you stare at him, one of his fellows taps him on the shoulder
>”What do you think Boss?”
>The Nikto gives him a blank look as all eyes fall upon him
>”What do I think about what?”
>His friend slaps his own face as the cantina is filled with groans and moans
>Raising a hand up to your mouth, you find yourself halfheartedly suppressing the first good laugh you’ve had in a long while
“Charming.”
>You raise the glass up to your lips and sip the sweet drink as you watch the Nikto captain attempt to reassure his comrades
>He’s actually rather cute, all things considered
>So young though, he couldn’t seriously be interested in someone as old as—
>Your thought process screeches to a halt
“I think the desert sun has begun to addle my brain…”
>You continue to sip your drink as you silently chide yourself


>Strangely enough, sitting here and enjoying this drink while watching these pirates argue has done more to relax you than any mediation you’ve done in a long while
>Unfortunately, this brief respite didn’t last long
>Just as you are about halfway finished with your drink, an odd feeling comes over you
>You place your drink down as one of the Weequay over by the bar raises his voice
>”Hey.  Hey! Shut up and listen!  You hear that…?”
>It is very faint, but it sounds like a low roar of some kind
>As it grows louder you realize to your horror exactly what kind of beast is making this noise
>You rise to your feet and quickly rush out the front door back into the street
>Overhead in the distance you spot a trio of black specks up in the sky
>Your eyes widen as the specks grow larger, and the roar of their engines begins to deafen you
“TIE Fighters!”
>You take a step back as the TIEs speed toward the town
“Did the Empire find me?  How did… wait!”
>As they begin to fly over the town, you realize that in between the two TIE fighter escorts lies a single TIE Bomber
>Your jaw drops open as the TIE Bomber begins dropping its load
>A series of massive explosions rocks the town as screams of terror compete against the TIE fighters
>”IT’S THE EMPIRE!”
>”TAKE COVER!!!”
>”AAAAHHH!!!”
>You are nearly sent to the ground as the explosions throw you off balance
>The TIE Bomber isn’t letting up, and the trail of destruction is heading straight for you
>Twisting about, you sprint away as the explosions chase behind you
>Running as fast as you can, you hurry down the street before taking off into an alleyway
>A torrent of flames chases at your back, lighting up your Jedi robes as you take cover
“By the Force!”
>Tearing off your ragged robes and chucking them to the ground, you grunt as you reach down toward your belt


>Brandishing your silver lightsaber, you stare up at the sky above you
>You don’t know what to do right now, or why any of this is even happening, but you know you must act now before more people die
>Glancing back and forth between the walls of the buildings creating the alleyway, you quickly run up to the wall and jump
>Kicking off of it, you bounce back and forth between the walls of the narrow alley way before emerging up above onto the rooftops
>The sounds of explosions have suddenly ended
>You see the TIEs have just cleared through the village, but it looks as if they are about to turn around and make another pass
“They aim to blow up the whole town!”
>”BLASTED BUCKETHEADS!”
>Your attention is diverted back down to an adjacent street as you rush over to the railing and look below
>You see, amidst the growing crowds of panicking bystanders, the members of that pirate crew spilling out of the now half-ruined cantina and into the street
>That same Nikto captain who bought you a drink is leading at the head of several of them, a large rocket launcher cradled in his arms
>As you stare at them, the roar of the TIEs grows louder and you once more hear a cacophony of explosions barreling your way
>You look back at the trio of TIEs just in time to see a rocket fly through the air
>Crashing through it’s unshielded cockpit, the rocket engulfs the cockpit of the TIE Bomber in flames
>Only a moment later, the TIE is sent hurtling to the ground where it makes an explosive crash landing
>You raise your lightsaber wielding arm in front of your face as a huge pillar of flame erupts only a few blocks away where the TIE hit
“He actually got him?!  Nice shot!”
>Laughing at this sudden turn of events, you’re good mood is cut short as you hear the two TIE Fighter’s blaster Cannons fire away


>Screams of agony bellow up to you as the blaster fire rains down upon the streets
>You look on in horror as the TIEs’ blaster bolts tear the Nikto captain and his crewmates to pieces
“No…”
>Your white hair flows through the wind as the TIEs zoom just overhead, though you are almost oblivious to their presence now
>All of your focus is transfixed downwards on what bloody bits remain of that brave young man and his fellows
“Everyone who fights the Empire ends up like this.  Everyone…”
>Your grip over your lightsaber tightens as you glare down at dead men
“… except me.”
>The TIE’s are returning for another strafing run
>You can sense their approach without having to look up at them and without needing to hear them
>Your eyes narrow as their blaster cannons open up on the town
>Then, just as they are about to pass overhead, you strike
>You jump up as high as you can, propelling yourself into the sky with the power of the Force
>The battered town burns and smolders below you as your dreadful gaze falls upon the TIE fighters
>Raising Paladin up above your head, you activate your crystal blue saber as you descend downwards
“ENOUGH!”
>In the blink of an eye, your lightsaber slashes cleanly through the steel hull of a TIE fighter
>The TIE’s engine shrieks as the fighter craft loses a wing and careens down to the ground
>You set foot upon the sandy street below just before the TIE fighter crashes in a brilliant explosion only a few blocks behind you


>You’re just about to get moving yet again to position yourself to remove the last one, when the roars of other fighter craft echo at you
>Tilting your head up, you spot a saucer-like shuttle as well as a Z95 Headhunter fly after the last remaining TIE
>The two craft let loose with their blaster cannons, quickly downing the last remaining TIE as it makes a violent crash on the outskirts of town
>With that, the skirmish has ended and you are left standing alone in a bombed out street surrounded by flaming wreckage and corpses
>It is a sight that you are all too familiar with
>Sighing at the grisly scene, you deactivate your lightsaber and reattach it to your belt
>Walking down the torn up street with your gaze cast down, you eventually stop in front of a sight that is even more difficult for you to swallow
>You look up and stare at the corpses of that Nikto pirate and his comrades
“Thank you for the drink.”
>Bowing your head, you idle there but a few moments
>This sombre exchange is cut short as you hear the friendly fighter craft zoom overhead and you sense the approach of a large number of people
>You glance up and spot a crowd of men and women of all different species
>Judging by their roguish garb and the various blasters and knives they carry, you wager that many of these people were members of this pirate’s crew
>With your silvery robes and your shiny lightsaber glistening in the sunlight, you imagine you must look very out of place right now
>”y-You’re a Jedi…”
>It would appear your attempts to lie low have failed… yet again
“Yes, that’s right.  My name is Celestia.  Echani warrior, General of the Grand Army of the Republic, and Jedi Master.  And it looks to me…"
>Your eyes glance over the crowd of awe-stricken bandits and mercenaries
“… could use some help with the Empire.”


>A dusty wind blows through the street as the various pirates grumble amongst themselves
>Their murmurings are broken up as a land speeder zooms down the street and comes to an abrupt halt
>A young Weequay hops up and cries out
>”I just got off the Comms with the Red Raiders of Death Valley, and with Gorka the Hutt’s crew!  The Imperials are bombing out their towns too!  They’re bombing everybody!”
>The pirates gasp and grumble as your eyes narrow upon the messenger
>”This ain’t just an occupation!  This is genocide!”
>”What the Hell’s going on!?  Who pissed off the Empire this much!?”
>You remove a strand of hair from your face as you turn your back on the messenger and begin to walk away
>”h-Hey!  JEDI!  Where are you going!?”
>Coming to a halt, you look back upon the crowd with a scowl before glancing over the ruins of the town
>This place was home to pirates, smugglers, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and much worse
>Though you don’t think they deserved this, and you certainly don’t believe that the people who were simply trying to scrape by and survive out here deserved this either
“This will not stand!"
>You wrench your head up and reach out with the Force before settling your gaze upon a small, barely visible blip in the sky
>Pointing your finger up in this direction, you shout out loud enough for all to hear your fury
“There is the Imperial Starship!  I’m going to destroy it, right here and now!”
>Your eyes fall back upon the various thugs and warriors who listen closely to your every word
“If there are any among you that don’t intend on dying down here, then I suggest you follow me.”