"Hey, if you guys are done talking, we should get a move on. There's a whole beach of people waiting for us to get some drinking water for them." Tucker said to Eli Vanto and Princess Luna. He looked at Tarkin."And the old guy's getting restless."

Princess Luna blushed a little. She and Vanto had been talking to each other for a while they were getting ready to go to the caves and get water.

"Okay, let's go." Said Vanto.

"The water's this way," Vanto said as he led Luna, Tucker, and Tarkin through the forest.

"How did you find this place?" Luna asked Vanto.

"Luck." He answered. Vanto then led them into the cave."This is it."

"It's amazing," Tarkin said as they looked at the huge cave.

Tucker nodded."Yeah. This place is totally you." He then noticed some of the wreckage from the Arquitens-class command cruiser."Hey, guys, shouldn't someone look through this stuff? There could be something useful in here."

"He's got a point." Tarkin agreed.

"I do?" Tucker asked, surprised.

Vanto nodded."Yeah. Bring me your bottles. Keep an eye out for any medical supplies, drugs in particular."

"Drugs. Right." Tucker said. Tucker was a little fidgety since he hadn't used his heroin in a while. He slowly walked away from them and left the cave. He quickly took out his bag of heroin. He was about to take off his helmet when heard someone.

"Don't move." Said Tarkin, who was near him.

"Uh...I was just gonna take-"

"Do not move." Tarkin interrupted him. Tucker then heard a bunch of buzzing noises.

"What's going on?" Vanto asked as he and Luna walked over to them.

"Shh." Tarkin shushed them."He's standing on a beehive."

Tucker looked down to see a mound that had bees."Wait, what the fuck is a beehive doing there? Beehives are supposed to be in trees."

"What now?" Vanto looked at Tarkin.

"If he moves, he'll split the hive." The Grand Moff said.

"Shit! Do something!" Tucker yelled.

"Wait, your wearing armor." Luna pointed out.

"Oh." Tucker realized. He then moved.

"Wait!" Tarkin said. But it was too late. The hive then broke and the bees attacked them. Vanto and Luna ran to the caves while Tarkin ran in a different direction.

The former Imperial and Alicorn made it to the cave. Vanto was swatting the bees away while Luna stopped to catch her breath. She then gasped in shock when she saw two skeletons near her.

Vanto went over to her and looked at the bodies."Who were they? How did they get here?" Luna asked him.

"I don't know. But one skeleton is human while the other is alien." Vanto stared at the alien skeleton."But I don't recognize the alien's species." The alien skeleton had no visible eyes but had large, sharp teeth. It also had three clawed fingers on both hands.

"Someone laid them to rest here." Vanto said.

"Who?" Luna questioned.

"I have no clue."

"Where would they come from?" Luna kept wondering.

"Didn't you guys shoot a polar bear last week?" Vanto asked.

Luna nodded."Yeah."

"Where did that come from?"

The alicorn was silent for a moment. First the Changeling skeleton, then the polar bear, now these two skeletons? What is this place?. She thought."Any idea how long they've been here?"

"Long. It takes 40 or 50 years for clothing to degrade like this." Vanto said. The former Imperial found a pouch in the clothing of the human skeleton.

"What is it?" Luna asked. Vanto dumped a white stone and a black stone out of the pouch and into his palm.

"Hello? Anybody here?" Tarkin asked as he and Tucker walked into the cave."Everyone alright?"

Vanto nodded."A few stings aside." He put the stones back into the pouch.

Tucker looked at the skeletons."Holy crap! Are these the people who were here before us?"

Tarkin raised an eyebrow."What are you talking about?"

"Uh, just, you know, the-the-there could have been people here before us, right?" Tucker said.

Tarkin looked at Vanto. Vanto only looked away."Clearly. But, who were these men?" He asked, looking at the skeletons.

"Actually, the alien is female," Vanto said.

"Do you recognize this alien's species?" Luna asked Tarkin.

Tarkin shook his head."No."

"What do you think is happening in Equestria now, Doc?" Derpy asked Whooves as they stared at the ocean.

Doctor Whooves shrugged."I don't know. Maybe another villain is trying to take over Equestria." He sighed."I just wish we weren't here."

"Well, I'm glad I'm here with you." Derpy smiled at him.

Whooves smiled back at her."Me too."

Princess Luna was putting water bottles in a pack.

"I think one of us should stay and help Tucker salvage the wreckage," Tarkin said.

"Are you offering?" Luna questioned.

"Sure. It will give me a chance to get to know him a little better." The Grand Moff looked at Tucker.

Luna nodded. She looked at Vanto."We should move out. Everyone at the beach is probably getting thirsty." Vanto only stared at the water."What?" Luna asked.

"46 people need to drink a half gallon a day each. Carrying all this water back and forth is going to be real in the ass." Vanto said.

"You're starting to make me regret volunteering," Luna muttered.

"These caves make too good a shelter just to be used for burial. Those two skeletons, they must have lived here. Their Starship crashed or maybe their boat was wrecked. They probably found this place and knew they could survive here. Unlimited supply of fresh water, tree canopy keeps the temperature down, shields out the sun, the openings are narrow, easier for protection against predators. We don't need to bring the water to the people. We need to bring the people to the water." Vanto explained.

Vanto looked around while Luna was unconvinced."I think we could live here." The former Imperial said.

Luna and Vanto were walking through the jungle. The alicorn looked at Vanto."You're very quiet." Luna noted."What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking that if we were living at the caves, we could build a dam around that spring so that everybody could have fresh water. You think it's a bad idea?" Vanto asked her.

Luna shook her head."No, no. It makes sense."

"But?"

"No but."

"Good, because a lot of people are still hoping a starship is going to show up. They're not thinking about their own safety. We're going to have a lot of convincing to do." Vanto said.

"We?" Said Luna."You still haven't convinced me yet."

Tucker was walking away from the wreckage in the caves but noticed Tarkin right behind him. Tucker stopped walking."Are you following me?" Tucker asked.

"Yes," Tarkin said.

"Well, you don't need to. I'm just gonna go pee."

Tarkin stared at the helmeted man for a moment."Is there something you want to tell me, Tucker?"

"I'm gonna go pee."

"It's dangerous out there. Until we get back to the beach, I'm not breaking line of sight of you." Tarkin said.

"Dude, just leave me alone." Tucker turned around and was about to walk away.

"You're a soldier, correct?" The Grand Moff asked.

"Uh, yeah." Tucker nodded as he stopped walking again."How did you know-"

"Your armor gives it away. Do you miss your weapon?"

"Weapon? Well, I never get a fucking sniper rifle but I do miss my sword," Tucker said.

"Your sword?"

"Yeah, it was this cool laser sword!"

"You mean a lightsaber?" Tarkin asked.

"Lightsaber? Oh, you mean from Star Wars? Man, It's been a while since I've Star Wars." Tucker then shook his head."Nah, It's not a Jedi lightsaber. it was this sword that belonged to an ancient alien race or something. I wish I had it." Tucker said sadly.

"Well, there is a lot of wreckage. It might still turn up." Tarkin said.

"I doubt it. I wasn't on this ship when it crashed." Tucker said.

"You'll see it again." The Grand Moff assured him.

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?" Tucker asked him.

"Because I have faith, Tucker."

The two saw Zuud, who had taken a break from chopping the wood. Zuud was looking at the data of the crashed Arquitens-class command cruiser. She had found the data in the wreckage.

Zuud looked at them and smiled."I was just checking the data of the crashed Arquiten's ship."

"Does the ship have a name?" Vanto asked.

"No, but it does have a designation. The designation is 115." Zuud said.

"Well, I just wanted to say that I'm going to start talking to people about the caves. We might be able to get a few to go with me before nightfall, start setting up camp." Vanto said.

Zuud stared at him for a moment."You're serious? Is there a reason you didn't consult us when you decided to form your own civilization?"

"I'm only talking about moving into the valley," Vanto said.

"Well, what happened to live together, die alone?" Zuud asked.

"Digging in together is the only way we're going to survive," Vanto told her.

"Our best hope of survival is in being by a starship or a boat, and for that, we need to organize everyone to keep that signal fire burning while others scout the Island for supplies. Digging in anywhere else is suicide!" Zuud said.

"It is the only source of fresh water we've found, Zuud." Luna pointed out.

"And staying on the beach, in the sun without water? That's not suicide?" Vanto asked.

"I'm not going to admit defeat," Zuud said before walking away.

Applejack watched Applebloom play with Winona on the beach. The element of Honesty was glad her sister could still have fun, despite the situation.

"You are Applejack, right?" Asked Zuud. Applejack had seen Zuud and heard her name a lot. The Earth pony nodded."I want to tell you that some people...and ponies are seriously considering following Vanto to the caves. I'd like to know where you stand."

Applejack quickly processed this."Right here. I've got one priority right now and that's to get my little sister off this Island. A boat passes, I'm not going to be on the hook for missing it."

Zuud nodded."Good."

After Vanto was done convincing some people to go to the caves, he saw Stuhlinger."Glad you're coming." Vanto said.

"Hey man, I go where the boar's at." Stuhlinger said."Ocellus is also going to the caves as well. So, what's up with you and Luna? You guys going to move into a cave together, or what?" He smiled.

"Sorry, am I in high school?" Vanto asked.

"Well, that wasn't a denial."

"Just get your stuff together. We've got out of here soon." Vanto said but smiled a little.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't the belle of the ball?" Said Beilert Valance, walking to Princess Luna. Luna was just sitting in the sand."So, what's it like having both Vanto and Zuud fighting over you?"

Luna was silent.

"Truth be told, I'm not the only one wondering where you're going to weigh in on this whole moving off the beach thing. Are you going with the pessimist's or staying here and waiting for the rescue boats?"

Luna looked at Valance."Are you going?"

"Well, that's the real trick, isn't it? We all pack up stakes for the caves and the next day a starship passes by, they're going to go on their merry way and be none the wiser. On the other hand, stay here, get eaten by boars, fall off a rock, there won't be anyone alive to be rescued."

"You still haven't answered my question." Said Luna.

"You didn't answer mine. And I asked first."

Tucker was going to go to the jungle, only to see that Tarkin was still following him."Listen to me, I'm going to the jungle. A man has a right to some privacy."

"Just hand it to me." Tarkin said."You're going to run out. My guess is sooner rather than later. Painful detox is inevitable. Give it up now at least it will be your choice."

"Dude, don't talk to me like you know something about me." Tucker said.

"I know a lot more about pain than you think," Tarkin told him, remembering how some creatures had attacked Tarkin when he was young. And all his Uncle Jova did was just watch the creatures scratch Tarkin.

"I don't envy what you're facing." The Grand Moff continued."But I want to help." Tucker just walked away."Do you want your sword?"

Tucker stopped and looked at him. He nodded.

"More than your drug?" Tarkin asked.

"More than you know."

"What I know is that this Island might just give you what you're looking for, but you have to give the Island something," Tarkin explained.

Tucker thought about this for a moment. He then handed his bag of heroin to Tarkin."You really think you can find my sword?"

"Look up, Tucker." Tarkin said.

The soldier looked up and saw his sword on a cliff above.

Vanto walked over to Luna, who was still sitting on the sand."Hey. It's almost time to go." He said.

"I don't want to be like the skeletons in the cave," Luna said.

"No one's asking you to," Vanto told her.

The alicorn shook her head."I just can't dig in."

"Why not?" Vanto asked her."Someone else can stay here, keep a look out, wait for rescue. Why does it have to be you?"

"That's not it."

"Then what is it? Luna, how did you get to be this way? Just what is it that you did?"

"You had your chance to know," Luna said, remembering how she had tried to tell him of Nightmare Moon.

Vanto was silent for a moment."If you need me, you know where to find me." He said before he left.

"You know where to find me, too," Luna said.

"So, are you going to the caves, Handsome?" Albert Arlington asked Billy Handsome as he grabbed some stuff.

"Yeah," Handsome nodded. He looked at Arlington."And so are you. I don't trust you, Weasel. But your the only one I know on this Island. So, we need to stick together."

Vanto watched everybody come into the caves and settle down.

"Short walk. They lied." Stuhlinger muttered after walking for a long time.

On the beach, Applejack and Applebloom watched the fire crackle in the night."Do you think our friends are looking for us?" Applebloom asked her sister.

Applejack smiled."I'm sure they are."