Everybody was sleeping peacefully until the dog woke them up."Applebloom, keep that dog quiet." Applejack groaned as Winona barked loudly.
"What's gotten into you, Winona?" Applebloom asked as she pulled his leash.
"Do you mind shutting that dog up?" Beilert Valance asked, annoyed.
They then heard rattling and creaking inside the broken remains of the ship."What the fuck was that?" Albert Arlington asked as Winona barked at the ship. Everyone slowly began to wake up when the crashing became louder.
"What is it?" Luna asked Eli Vanto.
"Somebody must be in there." Said Jeela Brebtin.
"Everyone in there's dead," Zuud said.
"It's Handsome." Vanto said.
"I'm right behind you, prick." Billy Handsome said to the former Imperial.
Vanto looked at him before he heard the rattling in the ship again. He grabbed a flashlight and walked closer to the wreckage. He was surprised to see Valance follow him. They heard glass shatter as something moved in there.
He shone his light in there, only seeing the dead bodies of Imperial Officers and Stormtroopers. He finally saw something move. He realized it was an animal when he saw its fur.
The animal looked at them."Run!" He yelled. Vanto and everyone else quickly ran away as big boars came out of the wreckage. People and ponies screamed as they ran. Vanto noticed one boar hit Tucker before they ran into the jungle.
"They're gone." Said Zuud.
"What the fuck were those things?!" Tucker asked.
"Boars." Said a voice. Vanto looked and saw him. Grand Moff Tarkin.
"Those boars were looking to feed," Vanto noted as Nurse Redheart checked on Tucker. The former Imperial was impressed with Tucker's armor since the man had no injuries. While most of his armor was taken off, Tucker still had his helmet on."We have to get rid of the bodies."
"Well, we'll have to bury them." Said Nurse Redheart."But I think it will take a while since there are a lot."
Zuud nodded in agreement."Digging graves will be hard since we don't have any shovels."
"Not bury. We need to burn them."
Everybody stared at Vanto after he said that.
"But...they're people," Luna said, horrified. Vanto knew that she was still getting over Soap's death. He had seen Luna reading Soap's journal.
"I know they're people, Luna."
"Burning the remains." Zuud said."These people are officers and soldiers of the Empire. They deserve better than that."
"Better than what? Being by wild animals? Because that's what's going to happen. Any bodies we bury are not going to stay buried for very long." Vanto said. Everybody was silent."Look, I know this seems harsh, but that fuselage in the sun...It's not about what they deserve. They're gone, and we're not."
"What you say may be true," Zuud said."But they are still people who served the Empire."
I served the Empire as well until I met Thrawn. Vanto thought."I'm not happy about it either, but we're on an island in the middle of nowhere. It's been four days and we haven't seen a boat or a starship. Tomorrow morning, we need everyone to start gathering up wood, dried brush, and turn that fuselage into a furnace. Wait until the sun goes down tomorrow night before we start the fire." Vanto said before he left.
"If he's so eager to burn the bodies, why are we waiting until sundown?" Tucker asked.
"He's hoping someone will see it." Zuud said before she also left.
In the morning, Princess Luna walked over to Zuud, who was working on something."What are you making?" She asked, seeing electronic equipment.
"Too soon to talk about. I'm not sure it will even work." Zuud sighed.
"You're trying to pick up the transmission, aren't you? The one we heard on the transceiver."
"If this French woman's transmission has truly been playing on a loop for 16 years, then there must be a power source on the Island. A significant one."
"And you can find it?" The princess asked.
"Hypothetically, yes. I'm making an antenna of sorts. With a few of these mounted at different points on the Island, I may be able to use the transceiver to triangulate the signal, find out where it's coming from." She explained.
"So, what can I do to help?" Luna asked her.
Zuud looked at her."It appears you are as anxious to get off this island as I am."
"Hand them over!" Jaime Lannister yelled angrily to Billy Handsome, who was holding a bag of food.
"Get away, loser!" Handsome yelled, pushing him.
"Hey, knock it off!" Vanto yelled, getting between them. He looked at Jaime and back at Handsome."What's going on?"
"This man is hoarding the last of the food." Jaime said.
Vanto quickly turned to him."What? What do you mean last of the food?"
"Well...that bag he's holding is last we have."
Everyone around them was shocked at this. Vanto sighed."Okay, everybody, just calm down."
"We can find food," Zuud assured."There are plenty of things on this island we can use for sustenance."
"And exactly how are we going to find this sustenance?" Handsome asked. Suddenly, a knife was thrown hard into the metal wreckage near Handsome's head.
Everyone turned to see Wilhuff Tarkin.
"We hunt." The Grand Moff said.
Vanto pulled the knife out while Luna looked at him suspiciously."Where did you get that knife?
"I found it." He said, opening a case that showed a bunch of knives.
"Here's your knife, uh, sir." Vanto handed it back to him.
Tarkin raised an eyebrow when he said sir."Wait...you are Eli Vanto. You were there when I promoted Thrawn." He said.
Vanto nodded."I...I was there."
"I also know that you left the Empire." Tarkin said calmly, no emotion on his face. He turned to everybody else."We know there are wild boar on the Island. Razorbacks, by the look of them. The ones that came into the camp last night were piglets, 100, 150, pounds each. Which means that there's a mother nearby. A 250-pound rat, with scimitar-like tusks, and a surly disposition, who'd love nothing more than to eviscerate anything that comes near. Boar's usual mode of attack is to circle around and change from behind, so I figure It'll take three of us to distract her long enough for me to flank one of the piglets, pin it, and slit its throat." Tarkin explained.
"Your trust this old guy?" Handsome asked Vanto.
"Well, I don't trust you."
Tarkin opened a case and everyone saw knives in it.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Stuhlinger asked.
Flashback.
"The rebellion will continue to gain support in the Imperial Senate-"
"The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us." Tarkin interrupted Cassio Tagge as he and Darth Vader walked into the room."I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away."
Tagge looked at him, shocked."That's impossible. How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?"
"The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station."
"And what of the rebellion?" Tagge asked."If the rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however, unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it."
"The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands," Vader assured him.
"Any attack made by the rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained." Said Admiral Conan Antonina Motti."This station is now the ultimate power in the universe." He declared."I suggest we use it."
"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." Vader said."The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."
"Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader." Motti said calmly."Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes or given clairvoyance enough to find the rebels hidden fortress-"
Suddenly, Motti stopped talking when Vader raised his hand. Tarkin had seen Vader do this many times before. He was Force-choking the man.
Everyone at the table was silent as Motti choked.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing," Vader told him.
"Enough of this! Vader, release him." Tarkin ordered.
"As you wish," Vader said and Motti could breathe again.
"This bickering is pointless. Now, Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the rebellion with one swift stroke." Tarkin said.
On the Island.
Princess Luna looked at the knife. She was disgusted at the thought of killing another living creature but she had volunteered to go with Tarkin anyway. Zuud had given the device she made to Luna. That was the only reason why she was going.
"So," Vanto asked, walking over to her."Hunting boar now, huh?"
"I wish we were not doing this. Those boars have a right to live just like us. But...I do understand. We need to eat..."
Vanto nodded."It's not easy taking a life."
Luna nodded."Your right." They were silent for a moment."Who is Tarkin?" She finally broke the silence.
"Well, he's a Grand Moff of the Empire. He was born and raised on Eriadu."
"What's Eriadu?" She asked.
"It's a planet in the Outer Rim."
"I see..." Luna said. She was still trying to get used to the fact that there were other worlds beyond Equestria."Is there anything else you know about him?"
Vanto decided not to tell her how Tarkin had destroyed an entire planet with the Death Star."I've never met him and I don't know much about his personal life."
Vanto saw that she had a backpack with her."Is there any other reason why you're going into the jungle?"
"Zuud gave me a device so she can triangulate the distress signal we heard. Find the source." She explained.
"So, your not gonna kill any boars?"
She shook her head."As I said, they have a right to live."
"But why can't I come?" Applebloom asked her sister.
"Because I said so." Applejack said, getting ready to go on the hunt with Tarkin. She noticed Derpy near them."Hey, uh, Derpy, could you watch Applebloom while I'm gone?"
The grey mare nodded."Sure."
"I don't need a babysitter." Applebloom argued.
"Come on. Winona needs you here. And, hey, cheer up. This will give me a chance to get to know your friend, Mr. Tarkin, a little better." Applejack smiled.
"Excuse me, Eli Vanto." Said Jeela Brebtin, the pregnant woman Vanto had helped.
"Jeela, right?" He looked at her stomach."How's the baby?"
"Oh, he's good. Um, I thought maybe you should see this." Jeela handed him a stack of papers."They belonged to an Imperial Officer named Vinor."
"I don't understand, Jeela. What am I supposed to do with this?" He asked, confused.
"Oh, well, um, some of us were wondering if maybe we should do some kind of memorial service or something. You could lead it."
Vanto stared at her before he shook his head."Uh, no, I don't think I should..."
"Well, you know, just a few words, or we could just read their names-"
"Look, it's not my thing." He cut her off.
"Oh. Okay. Maybe I'll do it." Jeela said.
Vanto nodded."Yeah, sounds. Whatever everybody wants."
"Did you find something?" Princess Luna asked Tarkin as he digged the ground with his knife.
They had been walking in the jungle for nearly thirty minutes and saw no animals.
"The ground here has been rooted up. That's how boars get the majority of their food. They dig. Afterward, they generally wallow in the dirt, rub up against the trees, scoring them with their tusks." Tarkin explained.
"Okay. So what's all that mean?" Applejack asked.
"It means we're close."
They continued walking when Luna asked him something."How do you know how to hunt?"
"My uncle taught me." Tarkin said."I killed a lot of animals."
Luna gulped."All you do is just kill? Why would you do such a thing?"
"My father wanted me to be a man. And now I am."
"Mr. Vanto." Nurse Redheart walked over to him. Vanto was just looking for more medicine.
"Yeah?"
"Do you see that mare over there?" She pointed over to a pony with a red mane."Her name is Holiday. I don't think she's had anything to eat or drink. Do you...do you think you can go talk to her?"
"Why me? I don't know her."
"I know. I would talk to her myself but I'm too busy with some patients right now."
Vanto thought about this and sighed softly."Alright. I'll go talk to her."
Redheart smiled."Thank you."
Vanto walked over to Holiday, holding a bottle of water. The mare was just staring out at the ocean."Um, hi. Holiday, right?" Vanto said, sitting down next to her."I'm Eli Vanto. Everyone's getting pretty worried about you. If you want to be alone, that's fine. But you have to take care of yourself. You should really drink."
Holiday said nothing.
"Okay. We don't have to talk. Let's just sit for a while."
"I see." Luna said. She looked at Applejack."How is your little sister handling all this?"
"Better than I am."
"Well, you must be proud. She is a brave pony."
"Yeah, she is." The mare nodded.
"Shhh." Tarkin interrupted their conversation. He then used his hands to give them signals.
"Uh...what are you doing?" Applejack asked, confused.
A boar then suddenly ran at them. Tarkin quickly pushed Luna out of the way while the boar hit Applejack. The orange earth pony screamed in pain as she laid on the ground.
Luna stood up and checked on Applejack."She's hurt." She said to Tarkin, who was laying on the ground."Tarkin? Can you hear me? Tarkin? Are you okay?"
Tarkin slowly got up."I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, Daala. I just got the wind knocked out of me is all."
"Daala?" Luna said, confused.
"What?" Tarkin looked at her.
"You called me Daala."
"Did I?" Tarkin said, surprised.
Luna tried to help Applejack get up.
Tarkin looked around."Which way did that boar go?"
The alicorn looked at him."Applejack's hurt. We have to get her back to camp."
The Grand Moff nodded."Yeah, you take her back to camp. I'm going to get that boar."
Luna's eyes widened."What are you talking about?"
"I'm fine. I can do this." Tarkin said.
"Tarkin, you can't."
"Don't tell me what I can't do."
"She's okay." Holiday said after some silence.
Vanto looked at her."Sorry?"
"Lofty, my wife." She said."She's okay."
He nodded."I'm sure she is."
Holiday looked at him and smiled."Thank you, Eli Vanto, for being here with me."
Luna was helping Applejack get back to the camp."Hey, hey, wait a minute. Rest here." Luna said.
"What are you doing, Princess Luna?" The earth pony asked her.
"I'm trying to boost the transceiver signal. I'm going to climb this tree and attach the antenna. Zuud taught me how to do this." The alicorn said.
"Climb? How come you can't fly?"
"I don't know. I feel like our wings and magic work very differently on this Island." Luna then climbed tree. When she made it to the top, she took the antenna out of her backpack.
Suddenly, everything shook and Luna heard a familiar sound.
The monster.
Luna dropped the antenna by accident and it hit the ground. She then realized where the monster was heading.
"Tarkin." She whispered, hoping he was okay.
Wilhuff Tarkin continued to walk through the jungle when he heard boars. He ran towards the sound of them when he heard a metallic sound. He saw the trees move.
Tarkin stopped running and backed away a little. And Tarkin saw it.
He saw the monster.
The Grand Moff stared at it, amazed.
"Hey, uh..." Beilert Valance said to Jeela Brebtin. He was holding a stack of wallets.
"Hi." Jeela said.
"There were, um. I found these the other day when I was...aw, just take it." The cyborg said, giving her the wallets.
Jeela smiled."Thank you."
"Applejack!" Applebloom yelled, running towards her when she and Luna walked out of the jungle."Your leg's all messed up. Does it hurt?"
"It's okay. It's not as bad as it looks." Applejack said.
"The mighty pony returns." Valance said to Luna."What's for dinner-"
"Not now." Luna said, annoyed.
"Uh, where's Mr. Tarkin?" Applebloom asked.
Vanto continued to sit with Holiday in silence when he finally spoke."After the sun goes down, we're going to burn the fuselage. It's just something that we have to do." He said."There's going to be a memorial service back at the camp for those who didn't make it on the ship."
"I'd like to be there." Holiday said. She sighed."I do wish Lofty wasn't on the other side of the Island."
He looked at her."What?"
"My wife is on the side with the others that woke up here." Holiday said before walking to the wreckage.
Before Vanto could have asked her what she was talking about, he saw someone. He saw a man wearing a black suit standing under a tree on the beach. The man looked very familiar.
"Are you alright, Vanto?" Holiday asked him.
Vanto looked at her and nodded. When he turned around, the man was gone.
"I'm sorry." Luna said, handing Zuud the antenna.
"I suppose I'll just try again. Of course, I have no welding iron, no rivets, scorched wiring. And it seems I must continue to lie to anyone who asks me what it is I'm actually doing." She threw the antenna to the ground in anger.
"Zuud, I'll try it again."
"We'll try it again." Zuud said calmly.
"Luna," Vanto said, going over to her.
"Excuse me," Zuud said, grabbing the antenna and leaving Luna with Vanto.
"Hey," Luna smiled at Vanto.
"You okay?" He asked her.
She nodded."I'm alright. Tarkin, um. Tarkin's gone. That thing, it was moving in his direction. There wasn't time to get him." Luna noticed a lot of people and ponies at one part of the beach."What's going?"
"The fuselage is ready to go. Some of the others decided, um...I guess there's going to be some words said over the fire."
"Well, that's good." Luna said.
Vanto noticed something. It was the man in the black suit again, just staring at him. The man then walked into the woods. Vanto ran quickly ran after him."Vanto?!" Luna yelled, confused. She ran after him.
Vanto ran into the woods to look for him."Vanto, what's wrong?" Luna asked him.
Suddenly, they saw someone come out of the woods. It was Tarkin, dragging a dead boar.
"Uh...nice work." Applejack said to Tarkin as Jeela Brebtin talked about the Imperials who had died. Everyone stared at the burning fuselage that had the bodies in there.
"What?" Tarkin looked at her.
"The boar. Nice work, you know, killing it. Just thought I should say something." She said."So, that thing, the monster. Luna said it was headed right towards you. Did you see anything? Did you get any kind of look at it?"
Tarkin shook his head."No."
Flashback.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead. Darth Vader had killed him.
Tarkin remembered how Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker had saved him at the Citadel during the Clone Wars. He didn't like Kenobi but he was glad Anakin shared his point of view about the war and the Jedi.
Vader entered the room and came to stand next to him.
"Are they away?" Tarkin asked.
"They have just made the jump into hyperspace," Vader said.
"You're sure the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship? I'm taking an awful risk, Vader. This had better work."
It was indeed a risk, letting the Princess and her band of rogues "escape." If it didn't work, they would not only lose a high-level prisoner and a couple of Rebel spies-they would lose the Death Star plans as well. And even though Tarkin tended to agree with Motti that having the plans wouldn't really do the Alliance any good now that the battle station was operational, he wasn't interested in taking any risks with the ultimate weapon. But if the escapees fled to the main Rebel fortress, as Vader was certain they would, the war would be over sooner than expected.
Much sooner.
The plans, after all, would hardly survive the destruction of whatever planet they came to rest upon.
The Death Star was at last operational, and there was no place in the galaxy where a beat-up Corellian freighter could run that they could not follow.
When Tarkin opened his eyes, he was looking at a blue sky. He then heard yelling. He slowly got up and saw humans and ponies running around and screaming. He also saw metal wreckage burning.
He noticed a human female with blonde hair and red clothing, standing, screaming, and crying.
"Church?!" Yelled a man in blue armor."Church?! Where the hell are you?!"
"Derpy!" A brown horse with a green tie around his neck yelled.
"Applebloom!" Yelled an orange horse with a brown hat over her blonde mane."Applebloom!"
Tarkin was shocked and confused at what he saw.
Where am I? He thought.