In this universe, there's really only one thing that stands eternal. Empires rise and fall at the drop of a hat and most are powerless to stop it. Lives are made and lost in mere moments, and civilizations that took years to build are razed to the ground in the course of several hours. Some find comfort under the banner of an empire, while others are left to fend for themselves against both pirates and colonists from other empires alike. However, that's not to say that life isn't worth living. Just a single glance up into the heavens makes it all worthwhile. The stars themselves seem to shine down as a beacon, winking in and out in a dance that seems to call out to even the most tortured souls, bringing a message of love and hope for a better tomorrow, if only they can hang on for one more day. Empires rise and fall, lives are made and lost, and civilizations are built and destroyed under the eternal gaze of the stars.
-Audio log 18563, Lt. Ditzy “Derpy” Whooves
Ditzy turned from her data recorder and stared out the window at the stars that inspired her every move, her blonde hair falling down across her back. They stood every test of time, the one constant thing that she could always count on; something she could anchor herself and her mind to when everything started to move too fast. She placed her hands together in the small of her back as she lost herself deep in the glittering abyss. She thought of nothing in particular, and it felt good to her. It didn't last, as the rotation of the station 's orbit brought the planet into view. Ditzy stared at her handywork, a series of defensive cannons arranged in just such a way that they were all able to cover one another, and each within range of a repair platform. As the defensive adviser to the New Lunar Republic, she had had her hands directly in every aspect of preparing the defenses. Her mind wandered to the others in similar positions to hers. There was Lyra, the mechanical adviser, Octavia, the diplomatic adviser, and Vinyl, the Comms officer. Bon-Bon was in charge of medical personnel, and her husband, whom everyone referred to simply as “Dr. Whooves”, headed the R&D Department. It was a joke played off an old TV series, but she didn't understand why it was so funny. Nonetheless she was more than happy to go along with it. This train of thought led her to her daughter. She had nicknamed her Dinky, and the name stuck. There was almost noone who called her by her given name, but as far as anyone could tell Dinky didn't mind. Ditzy smiled to herself a the thought. Despite the world she was given to survive in, she had done well for herself and family.
“Mrs. Whooves?” came a call from the closed door on the far side of the room.
“Yes, I'm here.” she replied, not really wanting to leave the comfort of the starry skies.
“Luna has sent an immediate summons to you. There's been... an incident.”
20 minutes prior
“But is it necessary to do?” Two lone reptilian figures stood on the bridge of the envoy cruiser, looking out over the planet from a distance. Each stood at the height of a man, with a dome on top of their head. The commander's face twisted into a sneer as he took in all the disgusting creations of man.
“It is.” he replied to his lieutenant. “Consider if we allow them to maintain what they have built for themselves. We have watched these apes grow over time, and beyond their ceaseless war, there is one thing that is constant among them: Greed. Soon what they have will not be enough, and they will begin taking other systems. Eventually, they will reach our sacred space and attempt to defile it.”
“But as you said, they wage war against one another on a regular basis. Isn't it likely that they will take what they desire from their neighbors?”
“They may, but if they know of undeveloped space, they will take it first. I know not whether they know of the systems in the sacred space, but I would rather not take the chance that they do.” He turned and nodded in the direction of the helmsman, who merely grunted and began to move the ship in the direction of the station in orbit.
“But is a ship necessary dissuade them? Furthermore, are you certain that we aren't giving them reason to fight us?” The commander was beginning to grow tired of his lieutenant's ceaseless ponderings.
“Yes, have you any other way to reliably get the package aboard? And if we strike first, then they will be too busy picking up the pieces to even think of fighting. Besides, with the Dissonance pirates as active as they are, it will be a long bit before the they will be ready to declare war once again. No more questions now.”
No sooner had he spoken, the screen flickered to life. A young woman of about 23 years (to the commander's best guess; all humans looked much the same to him) with bright pink hair and eyes to match was presented.
“This is Merriweather of Arcturus station, please power down your engines and identify yourself.” she chirped. The commander was disgusted by these humans. He suppressed his rage towards her, trying to appear as though he enjoyed her chipper attitude.
“This is commander Ras'kush of the Salon ship Mes'tak'non. We come bearing a gift for your station.” She looked confused, then looked away. The audio was muted as she conversed with someone that was off screen, then returned.
“You've been permitted to dock.” she said in a far less chipper tone. Ras'kush decided that he liked that. “Please proceed to docking bay 183, and be aware that we will be boarding and searching your ship upon landing. It's standard procedure for all unknown ships.”
“Very well.” he replied, his scaly lips twisting into a smile. “We have nothing to hide.”
The landing went smoothly as Ras'kush could have hoped for. The aftermath, not so much. The marines aboard the station were now knocking at his door, and his lieutenant still had not informed him that the package was ready. The doors slid open, and the marines marched in. They began searching the ship. Ras'kush stood by as they continued their search, and waited for the light on the panel to light up. As soon as it did, he approached the sergeant.
“Excuse me good fellow, but if you don't mind, I'd like to present my gift now.” The sergeant turned to face him.
“What might that be?” he asked slowly. Ras'kush grinned, as he reached for the panel. His people would remember him for this, and he would be a hero.
“Fire.” The entire world went white.